Denbighshire County Council is the latest authority to pledge its commitment to developing a constructive relationship with small businesseses through the Federation of Small Businesses.
At the annual Denbighshire and Flintshire Show, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) received backing from the council which signed the FSB’s Small Business Engagement Accord, a voluntary code of practise between the FSB and the local authority.
Encouraging a more productive and practical dialogue with small firms, the FSB’s Small Business Accord is designed to improve the level of participation of local businesses in consultations and local democracy.
Supported by the Welsh Local Government Association, The Small Business Accord outlines ten key principles for councils to adopt, including:
- Nominating representatives to be ‘business engagement champions’ whose role will be to ensure that the views of the local business community are considered at every stage of any consultation process;
- Making consultation documents easier to digest and respond to in local, regional and central government
- Supplying feedback to businesses by demonstrating the outcomes and rationale behind final decisions.
Leader of Denbighshire, Councillor Hugh Evans, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Federation of Small Business and we intend to strengthen our working links by having a constructive relationship and engaging in plenty of dialogue.
“Small businesses are vital to the success of local communities and in the current climate we need to take every opportunity to support each other. We have already demonstrated our commitment to work with communities during our recent town centre summit. By working closely with the FSB, we are looking to strengthen the local economy through supporting businesses and aiding the regeneration of our communities.”
Gwyn Evans, Chair of Denbighshire Branch of the FSB said, “We are very pleased that Denbighshire County Council has recognised the importance of small businesses and their future. This is never more so than in the present times of economic and financial austerity. A key element of FSB lobbying, our Keep Trade Local campaign highlights the significance small businesses have in the local community – they aren’t just part of the local community, they are the local community. They are the engine for growth and job creation.
“Today’s agreement between Denbighshire County Council and the FSB is a step in the right direction to improve communications and working together to benefit the whole of Denbighshire.”
