At the inaugural Braintree Business Summit Brooks produces a plan for businesses to beat the recession

On Thursday 12th March Brooks chaired the first Braintree Business Summit to discuss the effects of the recession on local businesses and potential strategies for alleviating its effects.On Thursday 12th March Brooks chaired the first Braintree Business Summit to discuss the effects of the recession on local businesses and potential strategies for alleviating its effects.

Brooks organised the summit to bring together local stakeholders for the first time since the recession hit.

As a follow-up to the meeting, Brooks has produced a seven-point plan:

• Surveys will be conducted on local businesses;
• Meetings will be arranged with key local businesses;
• Encourage people to spend more locally;
• Brooks will try to arrange meetings with the key banks in the area;
• Councillors will be extra-vigilant regarding pensioners who are facing hardship to ensure they are all receiving their full entitlements;
• Braintree District Council will ensure awareness continues to grow about the availability of business rate relief;
• Brooks will be organising a follow-up meeting for everyone who attended the business summit for July this year.

Brooks said, "I have been particularly troubled by the closure of many of our local stores and businesses. As taxpayers, we all now own a large stake in the banking system, so the banks do have a duty to use the capital we have invested in them in a fair and responsible way. Many of our local businesses are viable - they are unfortunately just struggling at the moment due to the withdrawal of credit lines or a drop in custom.

I called this summit to try and gather together community stakeholders in one place before the recession really bites, in order for us all to gain a fuller appreciation of the challenges we will face in the coming months and to discuss strategies for weathering the economic downturn.

I think we engaged in some very constructive dialogue and I am looking forward to some real and positive action emerging from the summit, which will hopefully lead us to finding a workable solution.

Photo: Brooks chairs the first Braintree Business Summit to discuss the effects of the recession on local businesses.