The President’s Report for the Chamber Year 2013/14 – President James Wilson
The past year has seen a return of business confidence for the future, both locally and nationally, however, trading conditions for many sectors are still challenging and small businesses in particular are deciding how they can increase capacity and take on more work without being exposed to unmanageable risk.
The Chamber’s Enterprising Wellingborough campaign, which was launched last November with the largest survey of businesses the Chamber has ever conducted, showed that local businesses do feel positive about the immediate future. 82% of those responding indicated that their business would grow in the next 12 months and 50% felt that they would take on more employees. The survey also revealed that the cost of utilities, general competition and lack of skilled labour were the main issues that might constrain growth in the future.
In terms of key infrastructure to help support growth and redevelopment within Wellingborough the survey suggested that the regeneration of the town centre was the highest priority. This was followed by the development of the station interchange as part of Stanton Cross and the redevelopment of Tresham’s Church Street Campus.
There has certainly been a good deal of progress made with the various development proposals that had stalled within Wellingborough due to the recession. Stanton Cross, the town’s expansion to the East, should move forward later this year with the extension of Midland Road linking across the railway and the River Ise to a new Neighbourhood Centre. This important piece of infrastructure will allow for the development of the first housing phase and expansion proposals for the station which will build on the electrification improvements to the Midland Mainline which have recently started.
Wellingborough North, the town’s other main urban extension, could also be started this year if progress is made to integrate Council owned land into the developer’s proposals. The first phase of 1500 houses could be released subject to the above with a second phase including more employment land following if the A45 and A14 link road is delivered. This will be a major requirement to sustain Wellingborough’s growth and something the Chamber will look to support and campaign for in terms of its funding.
On top of this, the decision to grant planning consent for Tresham’s town centre Campus redevelopment has moved this project one step further forward and Prologis is looking to invest in a major business park, Appleby Lodge, adjacent to Park Farm which also received planning consent last year.
Both of these projects featured as part of the Chamber’s series of Business Breakfast Briefings held in June and December, which were very successful, and we would like to continue these as further information is made available on other developments within the town.
The Chamber has also supported the Rushden Lakes retail proposals and a decision is still pending from the Secretary of State as to whether this can go ahead. After doing its own research into the future of market towns the Chamber came to the view that a major retail led redevelopment of Wellingborough town centre is highly unlikely. Retailing and e-commerce has moved on and although confidence in the High Street is returning the ability to deliver an additional major retailing scheme for Wellingborough is just not realistic. Rushden Lakes will help to provide the choice and range of shops locally without needing to travel to Milton Keynes and deliver a major jobs boost for people in Wellingborough and Rushden.
The Executive Team on the Chamber would like to build on the local engagement that we have developed through our briefing sessions and survey to keep on top of what your concerns and issues are. We will therefore be trying to contact you on a more frequent basis to ask for your thoughts and understand what’s causing you problems or what’s been your latest successes.
We will try to use this information proactively and promote possible solutions through partners and public agencies. If you have any issues or wish to contact us please do so at info@wellingboroughchamber.co.uk.
It just requires me to say a big thank you to Alan Piggot the former President for his work over the past 2 years and on-going support, as well as those others on the Executive Team who volunteer and give their time to promote the Chamber and Wellingborough.
I hope that you all have a prosperous and successful year ahead.