Chamber News

Web Site Improvements

Members can now add a logo or photograph to their entry on the Chamber web site. The cost is £10 and £15 a year respectively.

New Venue For Business Briefings

From November a new venue will be used to hold the Chamber's monthly business briefings. The new location will be the Bridge Project in Gainsborough Street, Sudbury. The new venue will provide a more appropriate setting for future briefings. Entrance to the Bridge Project is via the Courtyard Cafe.

Sudbury Car Parks

The Chamber has successfully lobbied Babergh District Council to take more action to ensure the public are kept fully informed of the new charges and regulations regarding Sudbury's council run car parks. The authority had placed advertisements in local newspapers to inform people of the changes. The Chamber President pointed out many people using the car parks do not live in the town so would not see the local press. Babergh has now agreed to place 'A' boards outside all the car parks to remind users of the new charges and regulations. The council has also responded to the Chamber's request to change the incorrect notices currently placed on the ticket machines.

Trade Waste Services

The Sudbury Resource Centre can recycle trade waste, currently cardboard or paper but soon to include polythene sheeting, shrink wrap, bubble wrap and other similar packaging materials. A free collection service is also available for Aluminium Cans & Foil, Inkjet & Toner Cartridges and a contract service can be provided for large users.

Full details can be seen on www.sudbury.org.uk/docs/TradeWaste.pdf.

If you'd like more details about the services available, and information on how the Cenre can help your company, please contact Marion Corner on 01787 296090. Marion is happy to arrange a visit to fully assess your needs and discuss how best the Resource Centre can meet these needs.

Local Education Access Point

The LEAP Project will be opening a LEAP Centre in Sudbury in partnership with West Suffolk College later this month. The Centre will officially open on Thursday 23rd April to join a network of LEAP Centres and LEAP Points that are in development across Suffolk to help people and businesses find out about and access learning and skills.

LEAP Centres are already responding to the current 'credit crunch' by advising businesses and individuals being made redundant or at risk of being made redundant on training opportunities. There is no better time for businesses and individuals to find out about the opportunities to improve their skills and therefore be better able to deal with the economic situation. The growing network of LEAP Centres and LEAP Points will be invaluable during this economic downturn by being the central point in communities; offering advice on training and skills, job searching, CV writing and interview skills.

LEAP Centres are an exciting development enabling all partners involved in Adult Learning to work together to develop a network of centres where adults in Suffolk can access information about learning opportunities and receive Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG). In the Centres there will be teaching facilities, access to IT based learning and virtual learning environments. Students will be able to undertake learning opportunities to improve their skills, enhance their job prospects or learn something new just for the sheer pleasure of it. In time, the vision is that LEAP Centres will become the key resource for the public to find out about and access learning provision in Suffolk. They provide information about the full spectrum of learning available in their area - from basic literacy to PhD - and offer advice and guidance to individuals about the appropriate courses for them.

More information, contact Jan Carter on 01787 880619 or jan.carter@wsc.ac.uk.

A Business Plan for Small Business in Suffolk

Chris Storey has been working with the Federation of Small Business to try to get the council and EEDA focused and working on the needs of business instead of concentrating on deprived areas. See the report here.

Market Towns Partnership and Retail Development

Tom McConnell has worked to promote a new retail development on the bus station site. Both Babergh District Council and Sudbury Town Council have committed to this project and have employed Tom to progress it. A large meeting was held at Babergh offices last Spring. This was attended by Babergh officers, Tom McConnel, and representatives of Sudbury Town Council, the Sudbury Society and Suffolk Preservation Society. John McMillan and Laurence Wilshire represented the Chamber, and Robin Drury was also there. The meeting discussed the planning implications and agreed a strategy to take the project forward.

McCarthy and Stone, who own part of the site, submitted a planning application to build old peoples' flats on that part of the site. The application was refused and McCarthy and Stone lodged an appeal. That took place in October. John McMillan and Graham Wing both spent three days presenting the Chamber's case. We succeeded and the appeal was rejected. We continue to press Babergh to make sure the site is developed in Sudbury's best interest.

Under Section 106 of the Town Planning Act, Tesco have to pay a substantial sum to help the town centre. The Chamber has suggested the money be used to set up a trust to keep car parking free in the town centre.

Business Lunches

We meet on the second Wednesday of every month at the Bridge Project. The cost is low, there is always a speaker on a topic of some interest and it is a great way to network and meet other businessmen. Click here for the programme.

The Web Site

The web site goes from strength to strength, with up to 4000 visitors a month. We now allow members to advertise on the site. Contact Michael Heyland for details.