Policy Developments

What Have We Achieved

Thanks to the West Midlands Business Council - with its member organisations - we have achieved the following practical results for business

- Changed Regional Planning Guidance to ensure market towns can develop;
- Ensure there will be real business opportunities in the field of energy;
- All public agencies backing the business position to offer all businesses export opportunities;
- Professionals exchange programme between the West Midlands region and other European regions;
- All public agencies signed up to the business agenda of real action on transport - with an annual action plan plus real implementation.

Much More to Achieve ...

- More action needed on transport
- More action needed on skills
- More action needed to tackle business crime
- More action needed to widen broadband access to all businesses
- More action needed to improve business support initiatives
More action to support business - West Midlands Business Council - In Business For Business

In alphabetical order:

Credit Crunch

In partnership with Birmingham Business School, we are holding monthly sessions with business and keynote speakers to decide what advice we should give to Ministers so that action is taken to mitigate the impacts of the credit crunch and the recession.

Energy

Secure energy supplies are critical for the growth of the Midlands economy. But the Midlands is beset by occasional power cuts and rising fuel bills. This group considers what action we need to take to tackle these problems.

Manufacturing

With the Engineering Employers' Federation leading on this Group, the West Midlands Business Council is determined to champion manufacturing in the region. Much of the wealth creation of the West Midlands is derived from manufacturing. This Group is considering policies to develop the region's manufacturing base.

Planning

The West Midlands Business Council nominates business people onto the West Midlands Regional Assembly's Planning Partnership, which has the statutory powers to set regional planning policy. The planning work of the West Midlands Business Council is led by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Rural Economy

The decision of the Government, on 21 July 2004, to largely transfer the decision making process for rural policy from the national level to the regional level, following the recommendations of the Government's Haskins Report, provides an opportunity for West Midlands businesses to be an integral part of the regional decision making process. With 80% of the land mass in the region devoted to the rural economy, this is a critical area of work for the West Midlands Business Council.

Skills

The Skills Policy Development Group is addressing the issues that has arisen because of the regional skills crisis. Whether its professional services, the rural economy or manufacturing - all business sectors are having problems recruiting skilled workers. This Group develops policy to shape policy, including influencing the work of the Regional Skills Partnership, as convened by the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands.

Transport

The poor transport infrastructure has become a running sore for West Midlands businesses. The work of the Business Transport Group, as convened by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry, via the Confederation of West Midlands Chambers of Commerce, supports the work of the West Midlands Business Council in addressing this crisis.