Consultations

ConsultationsThe Chamber is eager to ensure that the views it projects are an accurate reflection of the feelings of its membership on a broad range of topical issues.This requires your input to help guide and shape our lobbying across the two counties, and that it feeds into the activities of our national network, the British Chamber of Commerce.

When feeding-back directly into these consultations with the organisation in question, please copy-in policy@dncc.co.uk (wherever possible) to ensure that DNCC continues to be made fully-aware of the feelings of its members.

Current Consultations

Derbyshire Business Broadband Survey
After the August announcement that Derbyshire (including Derby City)  will be entitled to an indicative £7.39million of Broadband Delivery UK funding for the roll-out of the new technology, a demand-driven exercise is underway to make this a reality for the county.

Businesses are therefore strongly encouraged to complete the brief online survey here so that the county can demonstrate the need to optimise the funds available.

Nottingham - STOP: the Workplace Parking Levy Campaign
DNCC has been opposing the Nottingham Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) for 12 years and, through its leadership of the Stop the WPL Campaign, it has delayed its introduction by  6 years.  Despite the Chamber's concerns about its impact on competitiveness of businesses, investment in the city and employment, Government has given the go-ahead for the WPL as a way of raising part of the local contribution towards the extensions to the Tram network.

Nottingham City Council has now written to employers to inform them of the legal requirement to apply for a licence in respect of the maximum number of eligible Workplace Parking spaces they provide. Businesses have from 1 July 2011 - 1 October 2011 to apply for a licence without charge. The WPL will attract a charge of £279 per space from 1 April 2012 for those that provide 11 or more spaces. This will rise to £369 in 2015/16 and VAT is added if passed on to employees. Employers with between 1 and 10 workplace parking places may be entitled to a 100% discount, and will not have to pay a charge - but must still apply for a licence.

For further information, visit the Nottingham City Council website www.mynottingham.gov.uk/wpl. If you are concerned or opposed to the WPL, please contact John Dowson on john.dowson@dncc.co.uk or on 0115 9578761.

Consultation on review of feed-in tariffs for solar installations
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published a consultation on proposed changes to feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar PV. DECC believes that the current incentive for solar PV installations is unsustainable and is proposing to cut the tariff from 43p per kWh to 21p per kWh. Under the proposals the new tariffs would apply to all new solar PV installations with an eligibility date after 11 December 2011.

The consultation also proposes that a building must meet a certain level of energy efficiency to be eligible for the 21p tariff.  This requirement will apply to both domestic and non-domestic buildings. DECC accept however, that  there may be unforeseen difficulties for non-domestic buildings in meeting these requirements and are willing to explore these through the consultation.

Tackling Bureaucracy
On the day of the British Chambers Commerce Annual Conference, Vince Cable announced the Government's new initiative to tackle regulation - its Red Tape Challenge.

The Chamber is currently looking to respond to the government's review of health and safety regulation, which aims to reduce the burden of health and safety red tape. We would welcome any views or experiences of health and safety regulations from members, especially from those who have found it problematic. The British Chambers of Commerce and DNCC is looking for experts who would be happy to be contacted to assist in developing responses on health and safety issues, or being a possible case study for use in national, regional and local media.
For more information, please contact John Dowson on 0115 9578761 or by e-mail on john.dowson@dncc.co.uk  

The Impact of the Planning System on business
The Department for Business is examining the impact of the planning system on business as part of their Growth Review for 2011. They are keen to meet with businesses to discuss their experiences of the planning system. Businesses who have recently gone through the planning process are invited to meet for a round-table discussion with civil servants from the department.

Points for discussion would include your company's experience of the planning system, and to what extent planning policy is a constraint upon your business development. They would be keen to determine if / how you have engaged with regional-level strategic plans, and how you assessed the replacement of the regional governance structures with greater localism and LEPs. From the outset, they wish to find-out whether it was made clear which information needed to be provided in the planning application, and how any planning applications involving infrastructure was handled. Please feed your comments through to policy@dncc.co.uk - many thanks.

 
external link
Advertise Here