Surrey Business Leaders Forum re-booted

Businesses across Surrey now have a much greater voice in guiding the growth of the county’s economy thanks to the relaunched and revitalised Surrey Business Leaders Forum.

Just weeks after the government handed Surrey County Council greater strategic powers to support economic development across the county, steps have been taken to ensure the private sector has a stronger voice and is right at the heart of local decision-making.

The Surrey Business Leaders Forum brings together close to 40 individuals representing a diverse range of businesses – from SMEs to Surrey-based multinationals, and including businesses from Surrey’s priority sectors alongside employer representative bodies.

The Forum will be a driving force to help raise awareness of local business and economic needs and act as a local business champion to ensure businesses have a voice in decision-making that impacts the local economy. Acting as an independent advisory group, the Forum will ensure businesses can input, challenge, and guide the Council’s approach to growing the economy.

The revamped forum met for the first time in May, and this week took part in a workshop to support the development of a new economic strategy for Surrey.

Matt Furniss, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “Surrey has a fantastic economic story to tell, with more than 110,000 businesses generating over £50 billion to the UK economy.

We know there is more that we can do to work with our private sector to deliver real benefits to our residents and communities, so we’ve taken steps to move quickly to make the most of the new powers from government, including creating Business Surrey, which provides free and accessible support to all Surrey businesses.

“Ensuring businesses are at the heart of our decision-making process can only strengthen that approach. I look forward to working with businesses to deliver on our priority to grow Surrey’s economy in a sustainable way, while ensuring no one is left behind.”

Chris Hurren, the Chair of the Business Leaders Forum and partner at RSM UK, a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services, said: “The Surrey Business Leaders Forum brings together an exciting and diverse group of local business leaders who want to be a driving force in shaping Surrey’s economic future and be a voice for all businesses in Surrey.

“Their knowledge and experiences from the private sector will play a key role in helping shape local decision-making.”

The Council took the role as Surrey’s strategic economic leader in April this year, a role that was previously held by the county’s two Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Enterprise M3 and Coast to Capital. 

The change has seen the council positioned well to lead on an enhanced, county-wide oversight and delivery role in driving sustainable economic growth across the county, a role which Surrey County Council wants to translate into actual economic benefits for residents and businesses.

It has absorbed formal responsibilities to deliver business support through the new Surrey-wide Growth Hub and deliver government-funded programmes focused on skills.

This new offer is presented via the Council’s Business Surrey service, which acts as a single gateway for all Surrey businesses to access support and advice. For access to all Business Surrey’s support and advice visit the Business Surrey website.

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