VIEW FROM THE FRONT

The District of Horsham has the third best quality of life in the country and has the eighth most 'crunch resistant centre'.  Part is in the Gatwick Diamond and therefore in an area identified in the SEEDA Regional Economic Strategy as a key economic development growth location.  The other part is the market towns of Henfield, Steyning, Storrington, Pulborough and Billingshurst, providing sub district 'hubs' within a rural hinterland.  126,000 people live in the District, of which nearly 70,000 are economically active. I-SIGHT asked Liz Kitchen, Leader of Horsham District Council how this successful area will face the downturn and come out smiling.

What are the key economic development priorities for Horsham?
"We will keep Horsham buoyant in this downturn, both with a positive attitude and in continuing to make things happen.  Our measures set out in November to help small businesses, so vital to our local economy, will help them ride out the recession.  These include fast payment from the Council, helping people made redundant to start new businesses, promoting business support and supporting retailers by parking charge freezes".

"Looking to the longer term, we're just finalising our next three year economic development strategy which has been based on a major visioning exercise which involved all our public sector partners.  We have to make the most of our assets; Horsham is one of the best places to live in the country and so, for example, we can be an attractive part of the offer for the Gatwick Diamond by combining this lifestyle with excellent workspaces as well as good connections to London, Gatwick Airport and the national road network".  

"For our rural hubs we're working with SEEDA on development plans which will keep their special character but enable them to be drivers of their local economy.
Horsham has an excellent record in this area; the work we have done in Southwater is a good example of what can be achieved through partnership. A former brickworks was purchased by the District and Parish Council which gave us control to plan its regeneration.  Now Southwater houses the headquarters of the RSPCA and already has two phases of small business start up units, with a third to follow.  It also now has good shops, a Leisure Centre and a country park on its doorstep."

How does Horsham fare in attracting bigger businesses?
"We have our fair share but the characteristics are changing.  Royal SunAlliance was one of our bigger employers but it has downsized - as many big companies have been doing.  But new technologies give us opportunities; Sony produces BluRay disks here and has just expanded with a £40 million investment.  Pharmaceuticals company, Novartis, like being here with our combination of a good place to live and the skills we have. IBM and the Home Office have sites here and there is our own home grown, and growing, Kate's Cakes." 

"We're also in regular contact with bigger businesses to help them where we can; we worked very closely with Sony through the planning process, for example.  If one site presents a planning difficulty, we work with firms to help them find an alternative location.  We also meet with local commercial property agents so we keep well informed about market conditions."

How will you work with smaller businesses?
"We have a great record in Horsham.  Our Microbiz events and master classes are models of how a local authority can bring together a range of support services, such as Business Link, to help small businesses survive and succeed.  There are some very successful smaller businesses here, such as Doyle and Pratt, which  supplies energy saving electronic components out of a barn in Lambs Green and who won a Queens Award two years ago.  In fact we see Horsham as the ideal base for small and home based businesses; these will be the driver of future growth, especially for our rural economy."