Worthing’s MPs Tim Loughton and Sir Peter Bottomley have welcomed a positive response from Transport Secretary Chris Grayling about future options for the A27. This follows a meeting they held with the Secretary of State straight after Highways England announced its limited single option proposal constrained by the indicative budget allocated to the project. Subsequently the proposal met with universal rejection and the A27 Working Group, set up by the MPs, wrote formally to reject what was on offer.

The MPs have consistently argued for options that involve grade separation at the major junctions if the online option is the only way ahead after a full blown bypass was earlier rejected as unworkable and unaffordable. This would involve underpasses or bridges at key pinch points widely seen as the major obstacle to proper traffic flow. Earlier this month they met the lead officials from Highways England working on the project to discuss ongoing work on options once the consultation responses have been processed. An announcement is expected by January.

The letter from Chris Grayling confirms that the single option from Highways England has very little support and therefore he has asked for a review of ‘viable alternative options…including a grade separation option…to give a full perspective of the alternatives in terms of funding and environmental factors.’

Tim Loughton & Sir Peter jointly commented:

“This is very good news and we are delighted that Chris Grayling has listened to the very real concerns we preened from our constituents who have universally rejected the inadequate and underfunded single option.

"It is essential that Highways England is now permitted to look at the grade separation options which are referred to in the consultation document and new effective solutions can be put forward to local people next year. This is the only way that we stand any chance of achieving significant improvements to traffic flow on our stretch of the A27.

"We will continue to work hard to achieve the additional funding required. That will certainly not be anything less than the amounts that have been earmarked for the Arundel section, which is still on track. This may delay the work a little but it will be worth it rather than compromise on a costly white elephant which only offered ‘tinkering at the edges.”

A full version of Chris Grayling’s letter can be downloaded here.

EAGLE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS LIMITED
UNIT 2 CROWN BUILDINGS 33 CHARTWELL ROAD
LANCING BUSINESS PARK LANCING W SUSSEX BN15 8SP
TEL; 01903 751494 FAX; 01903 751522 EMAIL; eaglehydraulic@btconnect.com

We have been trading on the Lancing Business Park for over 25 years supplying many of the local Companies with their hydraulic requirements.

We can offer a design, build and installation service for any Hydraulic Power Pack requirements you may have. Our Engineer has been in the hydraulics industry for over 35 years and has gained a wealth of knowledge. We are always available to help with any enquiries/breakdowns/service you may have in house or in the field.

We also have a trade counter and can source a wide range of Filters, Motors, Pumps, Cylinders, Fittings, Tube and any loose items. We try to stock a wide range of parts. All Hydraulic repairs undertaken.

We can also make up hoses to Customers requirements while you wait.

Give us a Call First.

Exporting with confidence - Member benefits

By Stuart Austen, Head of Trade Credit for Sutton Winson, one of the UK’s leading independent Insurance Brokers and Risk Management providers.

A business may face greater risks when exporting overseas than when it sells within the UK, as exporting brings new commercial, political and economic considerations.

The company may have little or no previous experience of dealing with either overseas customers or the political or economic uncertainties in those countries.

Credit insurance offers security and comfort to enable companies to export. It also provides access to an extensive information network, which acts as an effective early warning mechanism for

adverse customer trends. Once credit insurance is taken out, the relationship between the insurer and the business remains fluid until a claim is made, as the credit provider will be there to support the business.

Throughout the lifetime of the policy, the credit insurer will inform the business of any changes that might impact the financial health of their customers, and therefore their ability to pay for goods or delivered services. The business can then establish a plan with their customer to mitigate the risk.

As a provider of credit insurance, Sutton Winson brings experience and expertise to help Lancing Business Park members mitigate the risk of exporting. As we understand the local customs and legal environment, we can help you to export with knowledge and confidence.

T +44 (0)7469 855815

stuart.austen@swib.co.uk

www.suttonwinson.com

Please be advised that the Inter-trade expo planned
for Thursday 28th September has been cancelled.

I write as a business owner of Parafix Holdings Ltd whose Head Quarters are on the Business Park along with owners of other large companies who represent the Park on the A27 Working Group, namely Sussex Transport Ltd and Rabbit Waste Management Ltd.

Having read the Highways England proposal and attended the very many presentations, we reject outright their proposal, we are businesses that genuinely want to continue to operate from Lancing but our strong view is that the proposal will give us 2 years of chaos resulting in a loss of income and growth potential for a questionable benefit.

The haulage and transport firms on the Park believe if we are unable to achieve the obvious resolution to this challenge of tunnelling under the Downs, the only effective solution would be grade separation.

We as business owners are called to make capital expenditure decisions, recognise the additional cost but when we make such a call it has to be fit for purpose, even if the pay back is longer but sustainable.

Consideration must also be taken into account if the solution does not resolve the issue the larger companies will move away.

This proposal is seen as a cheap sticking plaster option. Please go back to the Government and restate the case for the budget to give us what we need.

We offer ourselves available to discuss this urgent matter further.

For your information, Lancing Business Park is a B.I.D. with 290 buildings, 250 companies employing 3,000 people.

Michael A Punter

Chairman

Lancing Business Park Ltd

mpunter@parafix.co.uk

Click to download

Invitation

We would like to invite you to a reception at Ropetackle Arts Centre on Thursday 26^th October at 6pm, to mark the launch of our exciting new Business Friends scheme.

I attach details of the scheme, which is open for membership now.

We are delighted to be joined by several key speakers at the reception, including:

• ·         Tim Loughton MP
• ·         Andrew Comben (CEO of Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival)
• ·         Alex Bailey (Chief Executive Adur-Worthing Councils)
• ·         Rodney Lunn (CEO Shoreham Port Authority)

The reception is kindly supported by Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce.

RSVP to: ropetacklebusinessfriends@gmail.com

A request for support.

As part of our 2016 funding negotiations, Adur Council commissioned an ‘economic impact’ report which showed that expenditure in the local economy, by those attending Ropetackle, amounts to c£900,000 per year, in addition to the range of other benefits which Ropetackle provides to the area and the community.

In relation to our 2018 bid, the Council requires additional evidence of Ropetackle’s value.

We are hoping therefore, to get some statements of support from local businesses, yourselves included. In particular, we would love to hear whether you feel Ropetackle is a valuable asset to the local area and economy, and, if your business derives any direct or indirect benefit from it.

Can I ask you therefore, if you would kindly complete the attached short questionnaire, and return it to Ropetackle Centre, or alternatively, complete it online at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2WNQD93

I very much look forward to welcoming you to Ropetackle, and to our new community of Business Friends.

Martin Allen

Chairman – The Ropetackle Trust

Click here to download the ROPETACKLE - Business Friends Prospectus 2017

Based in Burgess Hill, Sutton Winson Insurance Brokers & Risk Managers are well placed to provide insurance services to Lancing Business Park members.

They offer something different: attention to detail, transparency and ability to help our customers grow their businesses. They offer the following services: Commercial Insurances, Personal Insurances (Household, Motor & Travel), Trade Credit Insurance (Excise bonds, asset finance etc) Employee Benefits/Healthcare and Risk Management services. They are able to tailor their services to your specific business needs.

They also provide various Health & Safety training, their most popular courses are IOSH Managing Safely (4 Days) and Working Safely (1Day) that run throughout the year. They are able to deliver these courses at your premises. This will be dependent on the number of attendees.

Location: Greenacre Court, Station Road, RH15 9DS

IOSH Managing Safely (4 Days) 

• ·         Day 1 - 2nd October
• ·         Day 2 - 3rd October
• ·         Day 3 - 12th October
• ·         Day 4 - 13th October

IOSH Working Safely (1 Day)

• ·         11th October

Emergency First Aid @ Work (1 Day)

Lancing Business Park members can receive 10% discount per person (quote Member10)

• ·         18th October 
• ·         31st January (2018)

Safety for Directors (1 Day)

• ·         3rd November

To reserve a place on one of the courses, or to find out cost and more information, please email riskmanagement@swib.co.uk  or visit https://www.suttonwinson.com/news/events1.html

Welcome to the latest news update, keeping you informed about the health and life sciences initiatives we are progressing, highlighting relevant sector events and funding opportunities, and updating you on the exciting things that are happening in and around the county.

Cluster Activities

Events

National

Funding

SBRI Healthcare Call Now Open- Cancer: Screening, Earlier Diagnosis & Faster Diagnosis

SBRI Healthcare is an NHS England initiative led by the Academic Health Science Networks to develop technology solutions for known healthcare challenges.

Launched on the 25th July the next funding round on cancer focuses on finding innovative solutions with the ability to transform screening and facilitate both earlier and faster diagnosis of cancer. Applications are welcomed from companies with innovative solutions.

A full competition brief can be found here.

The deadline for the competition is September 6th at noon.

The Digital Health Technology Catalyst

The Digital Health Technology Catalyst is a new £35 million funding programme to be funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund over the next 4 years.

Feasibility projects must range in size from total project costs of £50,000 to £75,000 and you must complete your project within one year.

Industrial research and experimental development projects must range in size from total project costs of £500,000 to £1 million and you must complete your project within 3 years

A recording of the competition briefing can be found here and the full details, here.

The deadline for the first round is noon October 11th.

Biomedical Catalyst Round 3: early stage

Micro, small or medium-size UK companies can apply for a share of £10 million to work alone or with others on solving healthcare challenges.

This is an early-stage competition. They are looking to fund projects that enable SMEs to complete a data package sufficient to support the subsequent testing of their product or process in a clinical setting (or other relevant environment). The early-stage project can include:

Projects should last between one and 3 years and range between £250,000 and £4 million.

Further details on the funding can be found here. The competition closes on October 11th at noon.

Biomedical Catalyst Round 3: feasibility studies

Micro, small or medium-size UK companies can apply for a share of £2 million to work alone or with others on solving healthcare challenges.

This is a feasibility competition. They are looking to fund projects that explore and evaluate the commercial potential of innovative scientific ideas by:

Projects can range in size up to £200,000. Projects should last no longer than 12 months.

Further details on the funding can be found here. The competition closes on October 11th at noon.

NIHR i4i Connect for SMEs

Expressions of Interest are invited for i4i Connect, an NIHR Invention for Innovation (i4i) funding stream aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in need of a funding boost to reach the next stage in the development pathway. The i4i programme is a translational funding scheme advancing healthcare technologies, devices and interventions for patient benefit in areas of existing or emerging clinical need. The aim of i4i Connect is to de-risk projects, making them attractive to follow-on funders and investors, potentially providing a pathway into a full programme of i4i funding.

This fund offers between £50,000-£150,000 over a 6-12 month period.

Further details on the funding can be found here. The call closes at 1pm on September 13th.  

Trade

Diabetes & Oncology trade mission to India.

A call has been made for the best British digital healthcare innovators to take part in the Department for International Trade’s Diabetes and Oncology events in India this year.

The mission will take place 3 – 13 November 2017, in Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The full details can be found here.

Expressions of interest need to be made to Madhukar.bose@trade.gov.uk  bySeptember 6th.