Issue - meetings

(Finance & Economic Development Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-025-2009/10).

That the Council becoming a signatory to the Small Business Engagement Accord be approved.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance & Economic Development presented a report on the Council becoming a signatory to the Small Business Accord.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the Small Business Accord was a voluntary code of practice for local authorities in the East of England which sought to encourage a more productive dialogue with local businesses. The Accord would bring together various aspects of consultation best practice, as well as specific proposals from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) designed to improve the level of participation by businesses in local democracy. The Federation of Small Businesses had approached the District Council, inviting it to become a signatory to the Accord. It was recommended that the Council become a formal signatory as requested.

Decision:

That the Council becoming a signatory to the Small Business Engagement Accord be approved.

Reasons for Decision:

The Accord represented a commitment by local authorities to taking a productive approach to engage with businesses so that they were given the fullest opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, and to fully understand the reasons behind the decisions taken.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To refuse to become a signatory to the Accord, however this would result in a lost opportunity to engage further with the local business community. It would also contradict the recent action taken by the District Council and its partners in response to the economic situation, and the decision to appoint the Finance and Economic Development Portfolio Holder as the Local Business Champion.