Tag Archives: Nottingham City Council

Sep 13 2012

MIPIM 2013

Nottingham will be represented at MIPIM 2013. For those who don’t know what MIPIM is, it’ the de-facto world property show where Countries, Regions and Cities vie for profile – and critically for inward investors.

In the last few years as a region we have seen Derby go from strength to strength and Leicester gently bow out. Both look to return in 2013.

So what about Nottingham. After the austerity measures in 2010 the City decided it could not be seen to be taking Councillors and Officers on ‘holidays’ the South of France. The press were having a field day with stories comparing poor residents to suntanned Officers. It was pretty cheap stuff. It said a lot about the UK press actually – cheap shots, inaccurate but sensational. And the Sun Readers dream story. Outraged he was (and probably still is).

The problem with the show is that it is a known success story. Nottingham has had successes from is. As have the private sector who go too. It is a giant market place.

Team Nottingham are a group of private sector companies who stepped up to the plate in 2011 and 2012 – to represent Nottingham. We paid for promotional material, but more significantly took Officers of the Council to the show. We fielded around 20 people. They worked the place and networked night and day.

The private sector group of us met last week – and the Council representatives were present. We know that the City are keen to be represented at the show. What we don’t know just yet wis whether they will have any money to promote the City again -as they have done in the past.

What I do know from my good friends in the private sector is that we will make sure Nottingham does get profile. It was refreshing to hear the unwavering support for the event. I’ll post an update when I know what will happen…

Aug 10 2012

Nottingham slows down?

As if we need any more bad news, there’s a suggestion that some residential areas of Nottingham will get new 20mph speed limits. Some of these are likely to come into force before Christmas. It’s a City Council dream-scheme designed to reduce accidents and make the roads safer.

This is not my idea of a good idea. It’s also complete and utter twaddle about speed and accidents being inexorably linked. I know it’s politically incorrect to even suggest these things, but the urban myth about speed kills is simply that – an urban myth.

Back in 1996 there was a joint report prepared by the Transport Research Laboratory and the, then, DETR (Department of Environment, Transport and Regions). It has been pretty much ignored ever since as it doesn’t help the cash machine / speed camera brigade. There is a reason it has been ignored – it doesn’t fit the campaigns!

The top four factors in accidents were listed as:

* Failure to judge other person’s path or speed
* Behaviour – carelessness / thoughtlessness / recklessness
* Inattention
* Looked but did not see

Excessive speed was fifth – and in numerical terms accounted for 6% of definite causal factors. Hardly a compelling reason we should all drive like snails? The top four accounted for around 33%.

In spite of this clear cut work my own view is that accidents are caused by bad driving. If you look at the top four reasons in the list you can pretty much categorise these as just that. People not paying attention. Bad drivers.

There is also a further report done by TRL – which looks at whether reducing speed limits changes the accident rate – the answer is ‘no’.

So, it’s time we stopped pandering to short-term politically attractive ideas and stuck to the facts. And stop interfering in our lives. I think people are generally sensible and wouldn’t speed past a school at bell-time. Give us some credit?

Jun 21 2012

The Nottingham Story – part four – the business sector

The role of the business sector in the future prosperity of Nottingham cannot be over-stated. It is critical that we have a thriving services and business sector.

Obviously as the city thrives the roles of all manner of business advisors – Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants and Surveyors (!) becomes more important. This is all about jobs. We can have a greet business services sector – we have modest costed space, a pool of employable people and we are well placed geographically to get about the UK and abroad (with the excellent links from East Midlands Airport).

What is perhaps less obvious is the role the business sector will need to have to play in the City of the future. The City Council are facing more austerity measures – resources are stretched. What little money they have their will be some necessary priorities – Childrens Services and the other statutory duties placed on them. The role of the private sector needs therefore to come to the fore.

The business sector does not necessarily have more money – in fact times are tough for us too. But we do have a vested interest in how the City looks in the future. It is important that it prospers as a place.

We are used to working in a competitive market, more so, dare I suggest than those who work in Local Government. Our livelihood depends on us being ahead of the game. Coming second is not an option, if we don’t win we don’t stay in business. Some of that mental attitude needs to be applied to the City. We need to get ahead of the competition, if we don’t we lose.

And the really interesting thing is that my group of peers across the various sectors are willing to take up the challenge. We do at MIPIM (the annual property show in Cannes) and the Invest in Nottingham Club goes from strength to strength.

The business sector might well have to lead on the story in the future?

May 29 2012

The Invest in Nottingham Club

As I intimated last weekend, I went to the Invest in Nottingham Club AGM last week. I’ll shorten the club to IINC…

The Club has grown significantly in the last couple of years. There are now 158 members (up a third) – and last year 23 events were held. I went to quite a few (and was at the heart of the MIPIM one!). The Club met with around 1200 people at these events in the year. That’s a good reach!

Of course it’s not all parties! The Club have become the organisation who can mobilise a group of people if the City get enquiries from companies looking to come to set up shop in Nottingham. In the year they helped with 149 enquiries. Sadly we didn’t land Standard Chartered or the Green Bank, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

The club work alongside the Invest in Nottingham Team at the Council. And this is perhaps the way forward. As Public Finances continue to get squeezed it is going to fall to the private sector to help. I think we are at the start of that road. It takes time for the Council to get comfortable with getting into bed with the Private sector.

One of the big issues is that we often disagree with them (you already know I do!). But I see no reason to apologise for that. Paul Southby, Chairman of IINC put it succinctly – “we don’t have to agree with the Council all of the time, it’s healthy to have a debate. It is a part of a grown up relationship to disagree”.

So what about 2012/13? The club have set some goals – it still focusses on the growth points – Bio-Medical, Green technology and the digital and creative classes. But the key one for me is the City Centre. We must make sure that the City doesn’t slip further in retail tracings! But that’s a very big subject!

May 9 2012

(Not) The Mayor Of Nottingham

It’s been nearly a week since the referendum on whether Nottingham should have an elected a Mayor – and the majority of voters decided not. Perhaps now is the time to reflect on the decision.

28320 people voted to keep arrangements as they are now – 20943 voted in favour of changing the council being run by a Mayor elected by voters – giving a majority of 7,377 to the ‘no’ vote. The split was approximately 57% for and 43% against. The turnout was 23.9% of all eligible voters.

Nottingham was one of the ten largest cities in England chosen for potential change. As it turned out nine out of the ten cities chosen had a ‘no’ returned. Just Bristol agreed – and they will hold an election in the Autumn. In Doncaster they chose to keep their Mayor who was appointed first in 2001.

So what went wrong?

Regrettably the debate didn’t really start. The present Labour Leadership in Nottingham ran a negative campaign which was really a lost opportunity. There were no details behind their headlines. Some of the tactics (such as the racist leaflet) were below the belt. The £1m cost was never justified – and was just political spin in my view. To that end it worked.

But in my various conversations over the last few weeks with the business community at large the anecdotal evidence was that Nottingham needs a change. The business community don’t get a vote! But they do shape and influence the City. I never met anyone who said it was a waste of money.

I am still of the view that this is a good place, but it’s not great. Nor is it as good as it could be. We are in danger of become more marginalised – especially as the current leadership continues to fight Government.

I have heard too many negative stories in the last few weeks. One London Developer said to me, “you have no idea how difficult it is to invest in your City”. Word gets around and this is not good.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee. A win it may have been, but it wasn’t a whitewash. I hope that the Council take notice that there is an undercurrent – and it’s not in favour of the way things have always been.

Time to drop the Mayor story from here, but not the sentiments. Nottingham needs change to make change.

Apr 25 2012

Nottingham – The Mayor debate rages on…

The debate about the Nottingham Mayor continues to rage with our former Nottingham MP Alan Simpson wading into the debate. You can read his comments here.

It’s an interesting take on the arguments. On the one hand Alan seems to be suggesting the current system is fine and on the other he takes some swipes at the leadership. The phrases I picked out…

“NOTTINGHAM needs an elected mayor like a dog needs flippers. It is a delusion to think they would make the dog a better swimmer, or the city better governed. This has nothing to do with how much an elected mayor would cost. It is about democracy and Accountability.”

But then….

“My prediction is that all the things you might criticise the city council for today, you would get in spades with an elected mayor. Mates will get favoured, patronage will go unchallenged, books will remain closed, and “vision” will come a poor second to vanity.

Nottingham may have lost its way, but you can’t blame this on the absence of an elected mayor. We have a first-class public transport system, a really good ice arena, a community energy company in The Meadows widely regarded as a national beacon, two good universities and a number of outstanding authors, architects, designers and artists. Beyond this, we are strictly second division.

Good governance demands strong opposition as well as visionary leadership. Nottingham has neither. This is the council’s Achilles heel. To demolish the case for a mayor, it must open its own books and then be more imaginative.

Nottingham could be part of this, but we have to break from a culture of contentedness that holds the city back. Pride and ambition are not qualities you can claim for yourself, without inviting ridicule.

Making a stand for something better has nothing to do with mayors. Cities driving the most exciting changes do so because their citizens demand it. And those cities have real powers. Ours do not.”

Looks like a pretty damning view of the current arrangements to me? It’s hardly a ringing endorsement for the status quo? Perhaps this is my point, the current arrangements are past their sell by date. We need a new way?

Apr 11 2012

YES to Mayor….

With just over three weeks to go before Nottingham goes to the polls to decide whether to have a Mayor or not the level of debate has been woeful at best. The highlight of news coverage seems to have been that the Council spent £900 on posters for the ‘no’ campaign when they shouldn’t have done.

It seems to me that the present leadership are opposed to the idea predominantly on the basis of the cost. The tweets of the leader of the Council are generally produced by “£1m Mayor” followed by why we can’t afford it? Is this as good as the argument gets – it’s about the money?

It is suggested that the cost over 4 years will be £1m. But it is difficult to see what that figure is made up of. It suits the Politicians to wrap the no argument up in cost issues.

They say Nottingham can ill-afford it against the background of the swingeing cuts. But frankly some of the cuts were overdue. Indeed in the private sector, we were cutting as soon as the recession hit – not two years afterwards, when backed into a corner.

But I have two particular concerns. The first is our perception nationally. Our reputation in Whitehall is hardly good. We are after all, the only Council in the Country who will not publish expenditure over £500. The new Mayors are to be invited to two Prime Minister led cabinets each year. Do we really want to be kept out of those meetings? Is this where future big projects will get aired? Probably.

Then there is how the City is performing. Certainly there are some great things here, but do these happen in spite of the Council? Does the City really have ambition as it says? The world of 2012 is very different and the opportunities are fewer than ever. It is tough out there. We have some great assets, but are these capitalised on? One example is The Castle and Robin Hood. It’s a joke. I left the Sheriffs Commission two years ago – sadly another talking shop. This needs shaking up!

Nottingham could be a great place – but the current set-up isn’t taking it forward in my view. We need a change…

So I vote Yes for a Mayor.

What do you think?

Apr 5 2012

Nottingham – The Workplace Parking Levy

The new Workplace Parking Levy (Tax) came into force this week and I have deliberately avoided blogging about it until now. I have been thinking this one through. I’m not sure I am closer to a conclusion, but I do have some thoughts.

Firstly the positive. I think we should plan our transport for the long term. We need to find better ways of getting people around that the motor car. That doesn’t apply to me, of course. This is because I need my car for my work (not to mention the fact that I can be allergic to some of the nutters you find on public transport).

The tram seems a pretty good thing – after all that’s what the WPL(T) is paying for. In some small way I will benefit as it will come past my office window – although if it dings more than once a week I shall be unhappy.

But then some of the negatives.

As a business we have decided not to pass on the charges to our staff. This is partly as we have three offices and how we could charge on office but both the others seems to be difficult. Then there is the charge itself – £288 this year for every space where there are more than 10 at the workplace. Then 2013 sees the WPL rise to £334, while the subsequent two years will see the WPL(T) increase to £364 and £381. That’s 32% over 3 years. Wow.

Then there’s the small matter of ‘marginal taxation’. There’s no such thing when it comes to WPL(T). If you have 10 spaces you pay £0.00. If you have 11 you pay £3,168. I’m not sure this is right or fair.

Business is tough at the moment and adding this sort of overhead to the firm is not helpful. We bring people into the City to work, we generate jobs and prosperity.

As a firm we have already started to see incoming business ask whether a property is caught by the WPL(T). That could be a slippery slope?

Mar 28 2012

Nottingham misses out…

I heard last week that Nottingham’s bid to win one of the “Ten Super-Connected Cities” has been met with opposition in Whitehall – or rather we have been over-looked. I blogged about the need for Nottingham to get this super-fast broadband connection. As a Core City – this was going to be a key component in our future offer.

But it was not to be, which is a great pity. In my business we use internet connectivity more and more; file sharing and collaborative working are becoming the norm. Even video-conferencing has become less Star Trek and more the norm.

You can read the dismal story here. We were beaten by Bristol, Leeds, Cardiff and other places around the UK. George Osborne in his Budget speech said, ““These bids have the potential to create in the UK ten of the best cities in the world for broadband connectivity.”

I do know some of the businesses involved in the bid and I also know that the proposal made was excellent. So why didn’t we win some cash?

One of my London connections has suggested that there may be some mileage in the fact that Nottingham City Council may have stuck two fingers up at the Government once too often . The Freedom of Information story still rankles apparently. Eric Pickles famously called the Deputy Leader a “very silly boy”.

I would like to think that this has no bearing on a decision to award the first of these contracts, but is there some ‘human nature’ at play here? I guess we’ll never know, but I would hazard a guess.

It is time we realised that local Politics can have an influence as to how Nottingham is perceived on the bigger stage.

Mar 21 2012

The Mayor Debate ….

Nottingham will go to the polls on 3rd May to decide if it wants a new Mayor. My view is that we should do – as I blogged about before. I know that this goes against the wishes of the ruling Labour Party here. They did get into trouble for spending £900 on posters declaring their opposition.

New York - easy peasy lemon sneezy, Nottingham - am not so sure...

Unfortunately the details around how the Mayoral system are not entirely clear, but hopefully they will become clearer in the next few weeks. I think the electorate should be informed and have a proper choice about who leads the City in the future. I think this is a really interesting opportunity. We have a chance to have an elected ‘leader’ for the City.

The most famous Mayor (after Rudy Giuliani in New York?) is perhaps Boris Johnson – the second mayor of London.

This week there was an interview with Boris in LondonLoveBusiness.

I was interested in one of the quotes in that interview, “Doing this job I am convinced I have more power, executive authority, ability to change people’s lives directly and get things done fast and in a wonderful way than any secretary of state. Really and truly.”

I’m not sure that this helps the debate?

Boris has more power than a Secretary of State! This is a little bit of ‘spin’ on his part, but clearly there is a slight disconnect from the big world of Politics to his Mayoral office. I am sure some MP’s read this with some dismay! Democracy is one thing, but did this sound a little bit like the power had gone a little too far?

On the positive side, Boris has raised the profile of London and to that extent has done good. I think the Nottingham Mayor has that opportunity. Such a position needs to have authority (or there is no point) but it needs to also be realistic about what can be achieved by the will of one person?