Mid Sussex is traditionally a low unemployment area but in the current recession nothing is guaranteed, and now it has been reported the area is in the highest category of risk for job losses outside London according to an article in the Local Government Association which describes the area’s status as “highly vulnerable”.

Burgess Hill Liberal Democrat Councillor Graham Knight last week put forward a motion calling for Mid Sussex District Council to find the resources to pay a full time economic development officer “at this time of peril for our companies”.  However this was voted down by the Conservatives who refused to agree a compromise on the proposal. “The lack of such an officer will exacerbate the risk of a worsening economic situation and higher unemployment in our area,” said Graham Knight. 

The move comes at a time when Local Government Association research has confirmed the views of local councillors based on the experiences of local people and businesses in Mid Sussex that the current economic problems pose a threat locally.  Liberal Democrat councillors said they were concerned at the lack of progress by the council in providing the funds for an officer to promote the employment and economic advantages of Mid Sussex. 

Liberal Democrat councillors called for steps to be taken to ensure the council put more resources into economic development, working with local businesses to maximise opportunities for existing businesses in the district and to attract new investment into our area.  The council currently has one officer spending just 20% of their time on the role when clearly extra resources are needed.

We are lucky in Burgess Hill to have Victoria Business Park and Sheddingdean Business Park, as well as being located to additional nearby facilities such as Ditchling Common Industrial Estate.  The members of Burgess Hill Business Parks Association represent approximately 200 companies with 7,500 employees in the area and a combined annual turnover in the region of £1.5 billion.  They are currently planning a major exhibition next May to promote Burgess Hill means business – see http://www.bhbpa.co.uk/news/Burgess_Hill_Means_Business_(2). 

Its also great to hear that just this week Boustead International Heaters on the Victoria Industrial Estate announced plans to double its sixty strong workforce over the next five years.

We need to promote these local success stories and one example of their lack of resources is that Mid Sussex District Council’s website is still promoting Burgess Hill as the UK base of “the Swedish telecommunications giant, Ericsson” – even though they moved out in 2003!

We need a council that will help local enterprises, ensuring the facilities and resources they need are available locally, and to promote the area to attract new businesses to Mid Sussex.  It is particularly vital we retain and attract the high technology, high value jobs that we need to sustain the local economy.