Business Blog - C4B for Canterbury
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It’s good to see Canterbury’s business group C4B
continuing to wield considerable local influence.
Of all the business organisations in the county, it is probably
one of the most successful in terms of links with the local
council.
Yet it takes two to tango and the City Council is one of the
more business-friendly places in the county.
That’s not me saying that - Clive Relf, tax partner with Reeves
& Neylan - was keen to stress this fact at a recent breakfast
briefing in Birley’s Pavilion overlooking the lovely expansive
acres of the Kings School.
It’s easy for business to knock councils - after all, many
council officials have never had to survive the sharkpool of
private enterprise - but some actually sound as though they are
speaking the same language.
Colin Carmichael, the council’s chief executive for
many years, is one. He has always been keen to forge links with
business and his regular appearances at C4B briefings testify to
that.
He seems to be on the business wavelength and injects welcome
humour into talks that from other local council chiefs would be
stuffed with officialese. He is also frank about the options and
how they could impact on business.
C4B is understandably worried about the lack of business land
for development, and the prospect of steep housing growth ahead of
road improvements. The other way round will only happen if
developers have the cash to fund decent roads. The public sector
squeeze means there is precious little cash to spend on vital road
improvements in the Canterbury area. But without them, traffic
snarl-ups will get worse. And you can bank on a public outcry over
plans for more housing on green fields around Canterbury - with or
without the roads.
Monday, March 01 2010
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