Executive Director's Report

                                    June 2007

Congestion black spots are being tackled after our campaign for action. Councils have been given advice on how to seek funds in the fight against business crime. More MPs are involved in the 'super city' campaign. Our Olympic roadshow to the business community moved on to Birmingham and West Bromwich.

Transport

The business community has been successful in getting action on major congestion black spots.

West Midlands Business Council colleagues on the West Midlands Regional Assembly's Transport Partnership – Brian Summers and the Federation of Small Businesses' Bruce Undy – called for an annual action plan to tackle congestion black spots. 

The latest version of the Transport Delivery Plan shows practical action has taken place in many areas including:

• A50 Trentham Lakes, Stoke on Trent
• Rugeley By Pass
• A429 Barford By Pass, Warwickshire
• M42 Active Traffic Management, Solihull/Warwickshire

The new version of the action plan proposes action in a range of areas including:

• A41/A4031 Junction, Black Country
• Longbridge Link Road, Birmingham
• Rotherwas Access Road, Herefordshire
• Stourport Relief Road, Worcestershire
• Shrewsbury North West Relief Road
• Park and Ride Site at Brinsford, Staffordshire

While much more focus and investment is needed to tackle the transport logjams across the West Midlands region – this success alongside our successful campaign to beef up transport plans in the Government commissioned Black Country Study – and a series of quick wins solutions to improve traffic flow across the West Midlands conurbation led by the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry – are significant and practical steps forward.

Crime

The business community has sent practical advice to all 38 local authorities across the West Midlands region to ensure they can get money to invest in the fight against business crime.

West Midlands Business Council's Business Crime Forum Chairman – and Federation of Small Businesses Regional Policy Unit Chairman – Mike Cherry – said:

"Earlier this year we called on all councils to invest in the fight against business crime".

"With the Home Office estimating that business crime holds up the regional economy – with this form of crime estimated at over £14,000 per hour across the West Midlands region - it is not a moment too soon to get some real action in the fight against business crime".

"We are stepping up our campaign by giving practical advice to all councils as to how they can seek access to Government funds, via the Local Area Agreement process, to invest in security equipment and advice that is critical to business for helping in crime prevention".

"We believe this advice, if taken on board by every single council across the West Midlands region, can lead to real and sustained investment in the fight against crime – as well as boosting the regional economy".

"The police cannot deal with crime alone – it behoves on all of us, including councils and businesses, to work together to win the fight against business crime".

One Staffordshire council has already told the West Midlands Business Council that the guide will help them to access funds in the fight against business crime.

"Super City" Campaign

More MPs are helping in our campaign to make sure the massive housing led Milton Keynes South Midlands (MKSM) development works for the people and businesses of the West Midlands region.

With Government plans to make this growth area twice the population size of Birmingham the development is bound to impact on the West Midlands region – with the development just a stone's throw from the Warwickshire border and Milton Keynes itself just 70 miles from Wolverhampton. The impacts will range from transport to jobs.

After our lobby of MPs at the House of Commons in May where we showed our action plan for change all MPs whose constituencies are affected in the West Midlands region and the growth area were contacted.

Since then a number of MPs have agreed to raise issues we have highlighted to decision makers.

The West Midlands Business Council led group – chaired by the Institute of Directors' Richard Ward, which is working on behalf of the West Midlands Regional Assembly, to investigate this issue agreed to take practical steps in developing business and cultural links between MKSM and the West Midlands region.

Finally, our call for an economic analysis of the impact of the development upon the West Midlands region was acted on. Thanks to the work of the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands, a report was commissioned and published. Its conclusions gave a clearer idea of the economic impact but added that the lack of information from the Government made it difficult to reach any firm conclusions.

Our campaign for action will continue to ensure this large development works for the people and businesses of the West Midlands region.

2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games

Our roadshow to engage businesses in the many commercial opportunities from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games continued with events held in Birmingham and West Bromwich.

Olympics Minister, Tessa Jowell MP and London Olympics supreme and former Olympic gold medallist, Seb Coe, were in Birmingham to speak about the Games. During this event, Grant Melrose from the University of Warwick's West Midlands Commerce Collaborative Marketplace, promoted our website – UK's only website which has all direct and indirect tenders from the Games plus the opportunity to form your own consortium free to bid for work – all free and at a touch of a button.