The Coalfield - On The Face Of It A Good Place For Business
The Image of the Coalfield Presentation
MORE than half the businesses questioned in a major survey published today believe the coalfield area will increase its attractiveness to industry and commerce in the next five years.
Leading opinion poll company MORI conducted an in-depth survey among businesses and residents in north Derbyshire and north Nottinghamshire on behalf of the Coalfield Alliance to seek the views of local people on the best way to regenerationerate the area. The views of a selection of opinion leaders outside of the former coalfield area were also sought.
The answers will form part of the East Midlands Development Agency's commitment to develop a new sub-regional marketing brand.
Business owners questioned believe the area has a number of key economic advantages, and are particularly satisfied with salary costs (74 per cent), proximity of customers (72 per cent) and quality of premises (72 per cent) locally.
But the survey also revealed that businesses and residents want to lose their coalfield tag because it conjures up negative images of industrial decline and poverty that restrict regeneration and inward investment. However, they are unsure as to the best way forward.
Coun Jim Hawkins, chairman of the Coalfield Alliance and leader of Mansfield District Council, said: "It is important to build a positive image of the area to business in the market place but the survey revealed that very few people in the area had an idea of how this should be done."
When asked for their spontaneous thoughts on the coalfield area 39 per cent of businesses associated the area with pit closures/strikes, 19 per cent with redundancy and unemployment and nine per cent with industrial decline.
Businesses questioned perceived the strengths of the area as a business location to be its good road network (25 per cent) and proximity to large population centres (15 per cent).
Weaknesses were seen as the lack of jobs (14 per cent) and the loss of jobs due to the decline of mining (13 per cent).
Perceptions on skill levels in the area are mixed with 13 per cent of businesses questioned highlighting the lack of a skilled workforce as a problem, while exactly the same percentage believe the opposite is the case - illustrating that new as well as existing skills may be required in the future.
Coun Hawkins hopes the Coalfield Alliance can build on the optimism of local businesses about the future economic regeneration of the area by encouraging more entrepreneurs in addition to seeking inward investment.
He said: "The UK is perceived by foreign investors, particularly those in the US, as an excellent place to set up their business. Britain enjoys more US inward investment than any other European nation."
"Inward investment brings large numbers of jobs relatively quickly but it is vulnerable to global corporate decisions, as has been shown by the recent decision to close Johnson Controls in Mansfield."
"We need to grow our own businesses by encouraging entrepreneurs in parallel to attracting inward investment. This process will take time but we are committed to achieving it."
Notes to editors.
- The Coalfield Alliance covers the districts of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood, and North East Derbyshire.
- Partners include Ashfield District Council; Ashfield Partnership; Bassetlaw Development Agency; Bassetlaw District Council; the District of Bolsover; Bolsover Partnership; the CHART Partnership; Chesterfield Borough Council; Derbyshire Constabulary; Derbyshire County Council; Mansfield Area Partnership; Mansfield District Council; Meden Valley Partnership; Newark and Sherwood District Council; Newark and Sherwood Partnership; North Derbyshire Health; North Derbyshire TEC; North East Derbyshire District Council; North Nottinghamshire Health; North Nottinghamshire Partnership; North Nottinghamshire TEC; Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire County Council.
- The Coalfield Alliance's five year economic plan contains 38 medium and long-term aims of the strategy to be achieved between 2003 and 2005. They include:
- All 16-year-olds to go into further education, training or a job with training
- Eight in every ten people to be within reasonable walking distance of Internet access.
- Attracting tourists and income specifically to north Derbys and north Notts
- Establishing an association of networks of credit union shops
- Setting up entrepreneurial learning centres with universities and colleges on business parks.
- Technical details: Residents' Survey: MORI interviewed 753 adults aged 16 plus, face-to-face in home at 45 sampling points in the north Derbyshire, north Nottinghamshire area between August 19 and September 6 2000. Data are weighted to reflect the profile of the population.
- Business Survey: MORI interviewed 201 businesses with five or more employees in the north Derbyshire, north Nottinghamshire area between August 30 and September 12 2000. Data are weighted to reflect the overall profile of businesses in the area.
