In the run up to this year’s General Election, the Conservative Party promoted the idea of ‘localism’ over the ‘regionalism’ agenda that had been pursued by the Labour government for thirteen years.

Since forming a new government with their coalition partners in May, the Tories have been quick to announce the abolition of Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices in the regions. We are now embarking on the creation of  new structures to support strategic planning and the co-ordination of public and private investment in transport, housing, skills, regeneration and other areas of economic development.

Local authorities have been asked to submit proposals for new Local Economic Partnerships (LEP’S) in their own areas, and bids have to be in by September 6^th. Whilst Liverpool and Manchester push ahead with proposals that will see a single city-region wide LEP established in Merseyside and Greater Manchester, Lancashire council’s have once again decided to indulge in turf wars. Incredibly, there is talk of up to five LEP’s covering the red rose county, with Pennine Lancashire, the Fylde Coast and two further LEP’s being formed in Central Lancashire. To add to the chaos, there are rumours that Lancaster is about to throw it’s hat in the ring with Cumbria.

Lancashire County Council have proposed a single LEP covering its administrative boundary, an option supported by the vast majority of businesses across the county, but rejected by local politicians.

How they can justify the creation of a series of relatively small and therefore ineffective bodies that will appear overly bureaucratic and duplicitous to the business community; struggle to have a strategic vision and inevitably fail to compete with better co-ordinated and larger LEP’s elsewhere in the North West is beyond me. For ‘localism’ in Lancashire read ‘parochialism’. That is not what is required and surely not what the government intended.

I hope that business organisations across the county articulate the views of their members and the wider business community, rather than falling into line with a short sighted policy in the hope of getting their hands on some of the cash that will come the way of LEP’s in the future. The debate should be about the growth of Lancashire and how that is best achieved – not the building of empires in either the private or public sectors.

The record number of responses we have received to the 2010 Lancashire Business Survey demonstrates clearly the determination that the private sector from across the county has in getting its voice heard. 

As the new coalition governments plans for reducing the deficit become more apparent, along with the associated changes to business support and economic development activity, it is of no surprise to me that the business community is keen to utilise the survey as a vehicle for getting its views across to the public sector agencies that govern us. 

From how Preston city centre should look to regenerate, through to the future of our coastal resorts, this survey gives businesses an opportunity of expressing an opinion, whilst also providing important intelligence to inform us of what sectors are performing strongly, what your hopes are for the coming year, and what barriers you see to building business confidence. If you haven’t done so already, I would urge you to complete the survey and make sure you have your say!

As Lancashire emerges from the recession into an ever-changing commercial landscape, it has never been more crucial for businesses to make their voices heard in the decision-making process.

They can do this by taking part in the Lancashire Business Survey, an annual benchmarking project that evaluates the most critical issues facing the county’s businesses.

In many ways Lancashire is a micro-economy within the North West, so it is important that the special issues that shape our commercial development are presented cohesively to the economic planners in central, regional and local government.

The survey aims to capture the opinions, experiences and insights of some 500 of Lancashire’s foremost businesses and this analysis of the county’s ‘commercial DNA’ will play a key role in delivering a more productive business environment across our community.

The survey is being carried out by a partnership of ourselves (Moore and Smalley), private sector lobby group Downtown Preston in Business, Forbes Solicitors, Northwest Development Agency, Business Link Northwest, marketing communications consultancy Freshfield, and digital communications consultancy Soap Media.

One of the major questions in the survey relates to the recently announced decision by the coalition government to abolish English regional development agencies. It will be interesting and instructive to gauge the reaction of Lancashire’s business leaders to this move.

Another significant part of the survey addresses business performance and, while there is no doubt that challenging times lie ahead, I firmly believe the unique entrepreneurial qualities of Lancashire businesses will enable them to compete strongly in the global economy.

In the article, survey sponsors Moore & Smalley look at what the results mean for the area.

Click here to see the Blackpool Gazette’s online coverage.

Click here for the Lancashire Evening Post’s coverage, and here for EN magazine’s.

David Gill, partner at Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, revealed the key results from the survey, at Preston Business Centre, as part of the launch event of the Downtown Preston In Business-organised Lancashire Business Week.

More than 150 questionnaires were completed since the launch of the survey back in April, and the results show a generally positive approach to business by local companies, despite the recession.

To see the survey, and the results of last year’s questions, click the ‘Reports’ button at the top of this page, or to download it use the button on the right.

David Gill, partner at Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, will officially unveil the results during the first day of Lancashire Business Week, on May 18.

The results will also be available to view on this website.

Ian Leigh said he is waiting on the results with interest, and revealed that such local information gleaned from some of the area’s top firms is essential for the way a busy legal practice works.

Mr Leigh said: “Information is key to any lawyer operating in a changing business environment like Preston.

“It is essential to know the concerns of companies in the region to really understand the advice they need, and the Lancashire Business Survey should help provide this sort of data.”