Business Community under Section 65 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 - Find a freedom of information request

1) How does the Council consult with the business community under Section 65 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and which organisations are contacted?

2) Details of any meetings and who attended

3) With a timescale of the municipal years

a) 2021/22

b) 2022/23

c) 2023/24

3) What contact has the Council had with the Federation of Small Businesses during the period referred to under question 1.

a) Has the FSB been invited to participate in any relevant consultations and meetings?

b) If so, what was the topic?

c) Did the FSB respond?

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you. 

1. Lincolnshire County Council consults with a number of Business Representative Organisations including Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, FSB, IoD, CBI, Greater Lincolnshire LEP Advisory Boards, Team Lincolnshire etc.

2. Business Support Advisory Board (4 meeting per annum) - Katrina Pierce, the Lincolnshire FSB Development Manager.

Devolution - During the devolution work, preparation engagement consisted of face-to-face meetings and workshops with businesses and districts to shape Greater Lincolnshire devolution proposals. Business engagement was delivered through the GLEP, including round table discussion at Lincolnshire Show (June 2023) and Greater Lincolnshire Food Board online briefing & UK Food Valley e-bulletin (November 2023).

The consultation was promoted to businesses (strong push through wide LEP network incl. across social media and various e-news publications)

During the consultation, officers attended face-to-face and online briefings with organisations and business networks, such as:

• LEP Directors Board online briefing 4 December 2023 & 23 January 2024
• Defence & Security online briefing 5 December 2023
• Health & Care Board online briefing 6 December 2023
• Employment and Skills Advisory panel meetings online briefing 12 December 2023
• Energy Council online briefing 12 December 2023 

In addition to the formal consultation meetings, engagement was carried out with a number of organisations as part of regular meetings prior to and during the consultation, encouraging those involved to take part. This includes:

• Business Lincolnshire governance board
• East Midlands representative on Dept of Business and Trade
• Linc Higher governance board
• Adult Learning Forum
• Federation of Lincolnshire Colleges
• Representation on various Midlands Engine panels
• Destination Lincolnshire board
• Team Lincolnshire (150 businesses who want to champion greater Lincolnshire as an investment location)
• Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Business Improvement Group, Federation of Small Businesses and the national Business Services Association
• Midlands Engine
• National Business Service Association
• Greater Lincolnshire Housing Network
• Lincoln Science and Innovation Park Tenants Group
• Lindum Construction
• Doddington Hall
• Bishop Grosseteste University
• Siemens Energy

Lincolnshire County Council/FSB Updates – 3 meetings per annum ( Purpose to help us understand what issues are affecting the small business community, provide the council with a sounding board to test issues with the small business community) Attendees - Katrina Pierce, the Lincolnshire FSB Development Manager / Samantha White FSB member business /Mike Johnson FSB Member Rep.

Lincolnshire County Council -Finance Team are required to consult with the business rate payers as part of the budget setting process, there is an annual meeting which business representative organisations are invited including FSB I believe.

Finance hosts an annual in-person (now hybrid) consultation meeting on the budget, as part of the budget setting process. The last budget consultation meeting was on 26 January 2024, 10.30-12.30. They present their report, expenditure and forecasts and invite comment and questions all business representative organisations are invited including the FSB.

3.

a) 2021/2022 - 8 meetings

b) 2022/2023 - 8 meetings

c) 2023/2024 - 10 meetings

4. Business Support Advisory Board (4 meeting per annum) - Katrina Pierce, the Lincolnshire FSB Development Manager.

Devolution consultation meetings - Katrina Pierce, the Lincolnshire FSB Development Manager.

Lincolnshire County Council/FSB Updates – 3 meetings per annum Katrina Pierce, the Lincolnshire FSB Development Manager / Samantha White FSB member business /Mike Johnson FSB Member Rep.

4a. Yes.

4b. Business Support – Start up provision, Innovation, Skills, Digitalization, Managed Workspace, Future Business Support Landscape, Access to Finance, Internationalisation, Made Smarter/ Scale Up.

Devolution – consultation.

Lincolnshire County Council- Budget consultation.

4c. Yes.