No compromise on planning regime say Coventry business leaders

Business leaders in Coventry have urged the city council not to allow funding cutbacks to inhibit growth plans.

In the face of major cuts to its grant from central government, the city council – in common with many other local authorities – is having to find savings across its services.

Martin Yardley, the acting chief executive of Coventry City Council, and Barry Hastie, assistant director of finance, met with representatives of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to consult on the budget measures.

The chamber said it was notable that even in the face of cutbacks, the city had still managed to attract significant investment for such schemes as Whitley, Browns Lane and the city centre.

Part of this success has been down to the city council’s ability to fast-track planning permission for many of the important schemes.

David Penn, the chairman of the chamber’s Coventry branch, said: “We are always very grateful to the city council for consulting with business on its plans and its budget.

“A great deal of investment in Coventry over recent years has been facilitated by the council. By improving the public realm in Broadgate, for example, it helped to attract investment and major improvement at Cathedral Lanes. City Centre South will build on that.

“Its involvement at Whitley, has ultimately seen Jaguar Land Rover announce significant investment there. These are just two examples of how the city council has helped to provide the right conditions for growth in the city.”

He said the chamber fully understood the pressure the city council faced when it came to budgets, but he said the business lobby had urged the local authority not to make cutbacks to its planning service.

“I understand that it might not seem as critical in terms of service provision as many others but when you look at the investment that Coventry has attracted – and planning is key to that – it has provided outstanding value,” said Mr Penn.
 
“What we have to remember is that major businesses and investors can go anywhere they want, so Coventry has to make itself as attractive as possible. It has worked hard over the past few years to do that and being able to boast that it offers the fastest planning service in the country has played a major part in attracting companies and jobs to the city.

“We would, therefore, urge the city to maintain that commitment.”