The Government is being reminded of the need to put business at the top of the agenda for Brexit negotiations.

Using data collated from surveys around the country, including information from East Midlands Chamber, the British Chambers of Commerce is releasing its Business Brexit Priorities agenda.

It sets out a series of wants from business in key areas of concern, offering evidence of the importance of a business perspective for each.

All 52 accredited Chambers around the country have contributed to the work using information gathered from their own Quarterly Economic Surveys.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber, said:-

“This is a very detailed piece of work which clearly sets out the demands of business in seven key areas.

“As a Chamber, we are meeting with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy within the next few weeks to discuss these matters in more detail but in the interim we would urge Government to read the document carefully and make sure that during negotiations for the UK’s exit from the EU each of the considerations is given due diligence.

“Business is the creator of wealth and jobs and the driver of regional and national economies and, as such, it should be the loudest voice during exit negotiations.”

Launched at the British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference today, the Business Brexit Priorities agenda lists the seven key areas as trade, customs, tax, regulations, labour market, EU funding and the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Trade:

Chamber members are concerned about the potential emergence of new trade barriers which could complicate trade with the EU. Over a third of respondents (36%) expect trade with the EU to increase despite Brexit.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Secure an EU trade deal on the best terms possible, including the ‘grandfathering’ of existing free trade agreements (FTAs) with third countries (with a proviso to revisit at a later stage)
2. Sign new FTAs with North America – 25% of respondents expect trade with North America to increase over the next five years
3. Focus on high-growth markets for new FTAs.

It also wants tariffs with the EU kept to a minimum, a focus on alleviating non-tariff barriers with the EU and the rest of the world, to ensure the UK can continue to benefit from existing FTAs post-Brexit, development of a robust consultation process to ensure business has a voice in negotiating FTAs, the programme of trade missions to be revitalised and to make sure there is no disruption to trade with the EU during the Brexit transition.

Customs:

The Government has suggested the UK will not be a full member of the EU customs union following Brexit. Leaving the customs union could require declarations at borders between the UK and the EU, which could disrupt supply chains.

Businesses have expressed concerns about the capacity for HMRC and the Border Force to deal with any changes to customs arrangements.

Chambers of Commerce stand ready to facilitate a wide consultation with businesses across the UK on customs and border management issues, and the adaptation of the EU Union Customs Code (UCC) to a UK Customs Code.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Reintroduce ‘earlier’ sale which would allow importers to value goods based on the previous sale in a supply chain before import to simplify the valuation of goods at the border for tariff purposes, resulting in lower duties.
2. Remove compulsory guarantees which meant that before the introduction of the UCC HMRC could waive the requirement for businesses to guarantee duty that might become liable. The introduction of compulsory guarantees has had serious cash flow implications for traders.
3. Reintroduce Inward Processing (IP) Drawback, which allowed traders to import goods into the IP procedure, pay duty at import, and reclaim the duty when the goods were exported. IP Drawback allowed traders a greater degree of flexibility as it meant the duty was already paid at import.
4. Allow preference documents, which would mean future trade agreements would rely not just on trader authentication schemes but also on preference documents which are well understood by businesses both large and small.
5. Reintroduce VAT deferment accounts so that, as previously, when goods are imported to the UK the VAT due could be deferred and offset against a VAT return. This has significant cash flow advantages for business.
6. Introduce a role for Chambers as Authorised Economic Operators so they can act as guarantors for companies which would support SMEs with faster custom declarations.

Chambers of Commerce are willing to support the Government to develop and implement a new model to ensure a seamless transition to a new UK rules of origin system.

The Government is also being urged to consider introducing Free Trade Zones to allow goods to be brought in to the UK, assembled and re-exported without customs red tape.

The Chamber network, with over 350 international trade experts, has significant expertise for advising on documentation and customs issues and stands ready to support Government in informing businesses about changes.

Tax:

There remains a high degree of uncertainty about changes to UK tax regimes post-Brexit. Businesses have expressed concerns about HMRC’s capacity to cope with major changes.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Ensure a clear transition period for the complex indirect tax issues facing businesses and trading partners. There must be no premature disengagement on Brussels-linked tax issues.
2. Provide greater clarity on future tax systems and arbitration processes. There needs to be clarification on whether VAT legislation will continue to mirror current core VAT principles.

Regulation:

The Government’s stated option is to avoid large-scale immediate regulatory change that could disrupt business. In the short-term, it has been said that all EU regulation will be transpose into UK domestic law and be reviewed post-Brexit.

Consultation with Chamber members has revealed that some firms find EU regulation bureaucratic and challenging and that there is too much of it, resulting in increased costs for compliance.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Maintain short-term stability of the regulatory framework and avoid major changes. Businesses value a stable framework. Any proposed changes should consider the level to which businesses have had to invest to comply.
2. Maintain equivalence of standards with the EU to ensure mutual recognition to enable two-way trade. Any significant divergence could make UK businesses less competitive.
3. Develop a flexible UK regulatory architecture that reduces complexity for businesses. The Government should entrust an independent body to promote a flexible domestic regulatory environment and identify burdensome regulations which could be repealed or amended.

Accredited Chambers of Commerce are ready to support Government in assessing which aspects of business regulation are impractical, poorly drafted of subject to continuous change.

Labour market:

Government has said it wants to protect the status of EU nationals in the UK, reciprocally with protecting the status of UK citizens in the EU, but EU member states have blocked this.

Businesses face a skills shortage that poses a threat to future productivity and growth. Over half of businesses reported that residency guarantees for EU workers would have a positive impact. There are concerns that restrictions to migration could prevent businesses hiring the staff they need.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Give certainty to businesses about the residency rights of existing EU workers and those arriving before Article 50 is triggered.
2. Give clarity to businesses about hiring from EU countries during the transition period.
3. Create future immigration policy that allows businesses to meet skills needs from available workers in EU countries.

EU funding:

Business welcomed guarantees from Government that funding would continue post-Brexit for existing EU-funded projects that offer “strong value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities”. But there are concerns about funding for local economic development, science, research and agriculture.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Develop a new economic development funding system with maximum local autonomy, a strong voice for business priorities and effectiveness in supporting economic growth.
2. Maintain UK access to the European Investment Bank.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Government wants to maintain the Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. But there are doubts about whether this is achievable if immigration controls are imposed.

Members of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce have expressed the importance of continued cross border activity. In some cases, firms rely on staff crossing the border each day to get to work.

The Business Brexit Priorities agenda calls on Government to:

1. Ensure there is no hard border on the island of Ireland where businesses are united in their desire to maintain free trade and people flows.
2. Enable whole-island collaboration and approach.

British Chambers of Commerce stands ready to convene representatives from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to further discuss with Government the impact of Brexit on business communities in these areas.

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital is preparing to celebrate ‘National Apprenticeship Week’ by promoting the various different apprenticeship opportunities in healthcare.

Ahead of the week, which runs from 6-10 March, The Royal is advertising various apprentice positions in Administration, Theatres, Endoscopy and a range of clinical services.

One of the current apprentices at the NHS hospital is 18 year-old Alicia Birtles who started her apprenticeship after leaving sixth form.  She is currently doing a 2 year apprenticeship which could lead to a role as a qualified Pharmacy Technician.

Alicia said:-

“I’d recommend doing an apprenticeship to anyone.  It’s a fantastic way to learn new skills and start a career in the NHS.  I’ve been made to feel so welcome and have really enjoyed working alongside the other Pharmacy apprentices, Beth and Laura. You get the best of both worlds in the sense that you’re gaining experience whilst learning from the professionals so you have an idea of what to expect from the job if I make it as a Pharmacy Technician.”

Ellie Varley, completed her Pharmacy apprenticeship in 2016 and has just secured a permanent job at The Royal.  Ellie said, “You really have to put hard work into an apprenticeship but it’s worth it for the opportunities that open up afterwards. It’s completely different from classroom learning and gets you used to what it’s like having a career. It’s not just the responsibilities of the job, it’s about your responsibilities, getting here on time, working with and dealing with other people. It’s another way of learning a skill and it’s really paid off for me with a full time job doing something that I enjoy.”

Martin Shepherd, Head of Medicines Management, said:-

“The apprenticeship initiative  plays a vital role  in supporting the training of pharmacy technicians who undertake  such important work in the safe and effective  management of medicines for patients cared for by the hospital.  The enthusiasm, energy and dedication of the young people who we have trained, and are currently training with us, is very encouraging and serves as inspiration to all members of the pharmacy team.”

Hayley Watts, Apprenticeship Champion, said:-

‘We’re very keen on supporting our local community and helping people to start their careers in healthcare here with us at The Royal. We’ve always supported apprentices and our managers are only too aware of the benefits that welcoming a new individual with fresh ideas and skills can bring’.

Organised by the National Apprenticeship Service, National Apprentice Week is designed to promote the positive impact apprenticeships have on individuals, organisations and the economy.

The week  will bring together employers and apprentices from across England to celebrate the success of apprenticeships and encourage even more people to  take it as an opportunity to put themselves on the road to a great career.

Award-winning premium drinks brand Franklin & Sons launches 150ml tonics and mixer cans to complement its existing bottled offering.

The four-strong range of cans consists of the Great Taste Award-winning Natural Indian Tonic Water, Natural Light Tonic Water, and will also see the introduction of lemonade and soda variants in the next coming months.

The total spirits category is growing at +2% in volume & +5% in value, this trend is consistent within the mixer category as consumers seek to complete their drinking experience using premium mixers. Late night venues seek solutions to meet this growing demand and Franklin & Sons have maximised on this opportunity by crafting a selection of their mixers into a compact 150ml can.

Justin Horsman, Brand Controller at Franklin & Sons, said:-

“Cans are rapidly gaining popularity for premium drinks. This addition to the portfolio complements our existing bottled formats, providing more choice to our customers.

As Franklins continues to find success with our mixers range, we wanted to expand our portfolio to offer a full variety of product formats, so venues can continuously provide a premium experience. Late night venues face several issues serving glass bottles, to combat this we have created a premium can solution that no one else is delivering, thus ensuring outlets can continue to serve high-end drinks with ease and elegance”.

The new cans are ideal for late night venues, especially those with premium bottle to table serves as they create an appealing alternative to venues that are unable to use glass mixers. Produced with the same handcrafted liquids, the lightweight, sleek, recyclable cans cause less wastage and are easily transportable. The cans are diverse and will suit travel retail as well as featuring within hotel amenities, such as the minibar.

Justin Horsman adds:-

“The 150ml Natural and Natural Light cans provide the proper measurement to pair perfectly with a wide variety of premium spirits, cocktails or single serves, an ideal selection for any bar.”

After a hugely successful first year launch with impressive 4 digit growth, the move to expand the range by Franklin & Sons propels them further into the craft spirits market. The brand continues to carve the way for premium offerings to the trade whilst fast becoming the favoured partner for craft spirits.

Chesterfield Champions and website design experts, SEO CoPilot, recently created a brand new website for homeless charity Pathways of Chesterfield, cementing the start of a partnership between the two organisations.

Pathways of Chesterfield – a local charity set up to support the homeless and vulnerably housed in Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and Bolsover – offers a housing support and food provision service for anyone currently living on the streets or at risk of becoming homeless. SEO CoPilot have partnered with the charity’s management to provide free website support, redesign and marketing materials to help broaden their scope.

Guy Tomlinson, who runs SEO CoPilot, is proud to support a charity that will provide essential care and guidance through the cold snap this winter. He commented:-

“SEO CoPilot provide web design provide support to businesses and individuals throughout the Chesterfield region and the Pathways’ case inspired the team to help create a website design that is not only easy to use and appealing to visitors, but a complete online overhaul that will enable them to reach more people and benefactors than ever before.

“Our speciality lies in helping businesses and organisations reach their maximum potential audience via Google’s search listings – and our partnership with Pathways will hopefully enable the charity to expand its reach exponentially.”

Emily from Pathways Chesterfield, said:-

“We are so pleased that Guy and the team from SEO CoPilot decided to offer their services. As a small independent charity, we are reliant on support from our local community. We are really impressed with the proposed web design – it looks very professional and the web page will be much easier to navigate’.

Alongside continuing to support Pathways with their online/print design and marketing, the SEO CoPilot’s team will be providing hands-on support to Pathways in the months to come, helping out at the charity’s hard-working food provision service.

Guy and his team are keen to help the organisation as much as they possibly can and are looking forward to offering physical volunteer support alongside recent marketing and website guidance that they have gifted the charity.

Chesterfield law firm BRM Solicitors, has raised £18,874 for the Macmillan appeal to raise £2.5 million to help build the NGS Macmillan Unit Appeal, at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. The firm ran a free will writing initiative during September and October 2016.

To support the appeal, BRM Solicitors offered to write clients’ wills for free during the two months and waived their fees, encouraging clients to make a cash donation of £54 for a single will and £108 for a double will to Macmillan for the service. The scheme has run for two years and has so far raised £28,616 for the Macmillan Appeal.

Rob Woodhead, Head of Wills and Probate at BRM Solicitors, says:-

“The campaign has been a huge success, giving people the opportunity to make a will who otherwise may not have done so, whilst at the same time raising awareness of the Cancer Centre Appeal. Many clients chose to donate more than the suggested £54, showing their support for Macmillan’s vital work and the legal service we provided. The money raised will help to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.”

The firm will continue to run the scheme alongside Macmillan Cancer Support in September and October, for the next two years.

Rob Turner, the local fundraising manager at Macmillan says:-

“Thank you to everyone who took up BRM Solicitors offer and made a generous donation to Macmillan. Whether you choose to donate now, in your will, or both, your support is vital in helping Macmillan be there to support more people in Chesterfield who are affected by cancer.”

Businesses, charities and organisations throughout Chesterfield and north Derbyshire are being called on to share their good news and help further raise the profile of the town as a great place to work and invest.

Destination Chesterfield has organised a free Media Awareness Workshop which will give organisations the skills and support they need to share their good news with the media. The workshop is being delivered by Chesterfield Champion, In the Works PR and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund. the popular workshop is being held on Wednesday 15 March at Commerce House from 10.00am – 1.00pm.

Anna Melton, Director of In the Works PR, who will be delivering the popular workshop said:-

“I have worked with businesses in around Chesterfield for a number of years now and know that there are some great stories about jobs and investment that they are not shouting about and this is news that local media outlets, like the Derbyshire Times, really want to hear about. This workshop is designed to give them the skills and know how to gain media coverage for their organisation’s good news.”

Now in its fifth year, the free Media Awareness workshop is a practical, hands-on day by the end of which, businesses will have the skills and understanding to maximise editorial coverage through writing press releases and identifying additional opportunities for media coverage.

To book onto the free Media Awareness Workshop click here.

Destination Chesterfield is part funded by contributions from local businesses, Chesterfield Borough Council and the European Regional Development Fund.  The project is helping to improve the economic prosperity of the town through a campaign to promote Chesterfield.  The local business community plays a central role in its success by both leading an independent board of Directors for Destination Chesterfield, as well as businesses pledging their support to become Chesterfield Champions.

Opinions on a proposed national Industrial Strategy are being gathered by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership from businesses and organisations in its area, so it can better represent those views to Government.

The Government launched a UK-wide consultation on its green paper, the Building our Industrial Strategy report, at the end of last month (January). The 132 page report outlines ten key pillars – including skills building, upgrading infrastructure and investing in science – through which the Government is seeking to drive economic growth, and reduce regional variations in opportunities and prosperity. The Government’s 12 week consultation on the Strategy will end on Monday April 17.

D2N2 – the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services groups which promotes economic and jobs growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – and its D2N2 Growth Hub, which supports small and medium-sized enterprises, are independently consulting their own business networks to get their views on the proposed Industrial Strategy.

Senior D2N2 officers are using the LEP’s regular outside events and other activities as opportunities to assess businesses’ views on the draft Strategy’s contents.

Information on the ‘ten pillars’ and a link to a full version of the Building our Industrial Strategy report can be found on the D2N2 home page along with a short online survey.

The D2N2 consultation on the measures set out in the proposed national Industrial Strategy asks those surveyed to answer five main questions and to further explain their answers where necessary. The questions are:

• Does the Industrial Strategy green paper have the right areas of focus to make the UK a competitive place to do business?
• Are the priorities of the ten pillars appropriate to drive the D2N2 economy forward?
• Do we have the right structures to maximise our local strengths?
• Do you see any specific or unique opportunities in the D2N2 area to deliver within any of the ten pillars?
• Are there any specific asks from D2N2 which would significantly contribute to the Industrial Strategy that you think we should include?

Businesses and organisations have until the end of Sunday April 2 to take part in the D2N2 survey. All the views will then be used to form a D2N2 report to Government on what objectives businesses and others in its area think should be pursued through the national Industrial Strategy.

The Government’s own national consultation on its proposals will end on April 17. A white paper on the Strategy will be produced later in the year, which will be further consulted on before being considered by Parliament.

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:-

“Many of the ‘ten pillars’ listed in the Government’s new proposed Industrial Strategy are ones the D2N2 LEP has been supporting for some time, but the business and other communities in our area need to feel the national approach outlined will address this region’s needs.

“With our strong business networks and contacts across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and beyond D2N2 is well placed to collate area views on the Strategy proposals and make sure they are represented to Government, at the highest level.”

Nationwide LPG supplier AvantiGas has kept faith with the company’s Chesterfield roots by moving more than 100 employees to a new 23,000 sq. ft. open-plan, four-building complex in Staveley.

The company, which supplies off-grid homes and businesses with Liquefied Petroleum Gas for heating, cooking and industrial applications, has achieved spectacular growth since it took over the former Shell LPG business in November 2011.

With staffing levels rising by 12% in 2016 alone, AvantiGas had completely outgrown its former head office in Markham Lane, Bolsover.

Neil Murphy, Managing Director of AvantiGas, said:-

“Since the inception of AvantiGas our workforce has increased by 45%, and we have many additional growth opportunities which we want to pursue but which had been hampered by lack of space.

“Enhancing customer service was also a key consideration in making this substantial investment. Continuous improvement in customer service is what we strive for. With more space to expand we can throw away a lot of the old legacy systems and invest in new customer-friendly IT systems and processes, as well as investing in more people to deliver improved service levels.”

The new headquarters in Gisborne Close has been completely refurbished and will provide space to grow new ventures as well as accommodating the continuing expansion of the company’s core LPG business.

Neil continues:-

“It’s something to be proud of, and we have moved in on-budget and ahead of schedule. The hard-working AvantiGas team has earned the right to work in a superior environment which is very 21^st-century. The new head office is bigger, more modern, works more fluidly and respects people’s space.”

Finding the right base while staying local was another important consideration:-

“We’re still proud to be part of Chesterfield, because this is where our roots are. In theory we could have gone to Derby or Sheffield, but we wanted to stay in Chesterfield.”