Chamber assembles key county players to influence agenda

Our second Chamber Assembly saw delegates from across east Lancashire debating the future of Lancashire under a Combined authority.

We were joined by Chamber Diamond Ambassador patron members, colleges, universities, council leaders and chief executives, and local MPs.

Hearing plans to take the county forward in the Lancashire 2050 strategy, our delegates questioned Lancashire County Council’s Simon Lawrence and Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Denise Park.

We are now on a timetable with the county, unitary and district councils aiming to form a ‘Level 2’ deal with the proposed local plan to be finalised this autumn and the creation of a shadow combined authority starting our local authorities working in partnership more strategically.

How can our Lancashire businesses be involved? Have our voices heard? Help shape the potential combined authority? Formal public consultations start next spring, we will make sure you can take part.

If we want it and if our councils can agree it, it has to be government approved and completed before any general election and who knows when that will be?

It was great to have three local MPs in the room. Antony Higginbotham, Sara Britcliffe and Andrew Stephenson took questions, and Jake Berry sent his thoughts on video.

The next year stretches ahead of us, inexorably towards an election. We’ll be building our east Lancashire election manifesto, sharing it with our MPs and taking our core asks to UK’s new Energy SoS at COP28 in Dubai. And we’ll be talking more with the chancellor and team, bringing local hustings debates to businesses at the chamber, and best of all, hosting the chamber election night sleepover!

Our membership watch words are ‘Protect, Connect, Promote and Influence’. We’re here to help you do just that.