Aim and Vision:

The aim of the Vision Document is to set down the key issues of concern to Aylesbury Chamber Members and to outline the Chamber’s plan to lead, debate, and action change. The Vision seeks to increase economic activity and represent business concerns for improvement in the quality of life. The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Area Council will continue to offer its support to ongoing local Policy issues surrounding, Transport Infrastructure, Affordable Housing, Business Crime, Skills Shortages and Affordable Housing.

Key Local Business Issues

The Chamber has identified the following key priorities

• Transport
• Business Security
• People
• Regeneration of Town Centre
• Retail
• Strategic Partnerships with Aylesbury Vale District Council
• Economic Development and Sustainability

Transport

The Chamber supports an integrated transport strategy, which affords viability to all forms of transport. In order to encourage business to consider transport choices, appropriate alternatives must be available. We are keen to see improved public transport via bus, a wider range of rail services and improved road infrastructure.

The Chamber will:
Lobby for improvements to existing local roads network in order to meet the requirements of the growth agenda

Business Security

While business has the prime responsibility to protect its own staff and property, the Police should support this activity by recording business crime as a key objective. The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Council will continue to attend relevant forums to raise the awareness of the Business Crime and work with Thames Valley Police to review crime statistics in the region.

The Chamber will:

• Lobby the police service to identify business crime priorities
• Support the town centre in its fight against retail crime
• Maintain and grow the Business Watch programme

People – Skills Shortage/Affordable Housing

People are our greatest assets and business has a duty to support and train staff to the highest standards. Government support organisations such as the Small Business Service and the Learning Skills Councils, schools, colleges, universities along with the Chamber Training Centre, have a key role to play in training and education of our workforce.

Aylesbury has been identified with Milton Keynes as a high growth area in Bucks and significant new homes are to be built. The population is set to grow from 60,000 to 120,000 in the next 15 years together with 58,000 additional dwellings and creation of 15,000 homes up to 2021 with an increase in employment of 12,690 up to 2021. To prevent Aylesbury becoming a commuter town for London and Oxford , we need to create new jobs locally for those who will live in Aylesbury Vale. With so many commercial properties currently empty it will be a tall order to create the business environment to attract significant numbers of companies to relocate to the area.

Aylesbury Vale Chamber Council will actively engage all parties concerned with work based skills to promote an acceptable programme of improvements in the standard and availability of suitably qualified people in order to enhance growth sustainability and profitability of local businesses.
The Chamber will:

• Support Learning Partnerships to inform LSC of local needs
• Encourage research and identify specific local skill shortages
• Encourage employers to forecast skill requirements
• Offer as many opportunities for people to network and promote
their business by providing informative valued networking events.
• Develop stronger links with Aylesbury College

Continue to offer its support to AVDC to carry out it's Vision 2031 and Marketing 2031, plus supporting the work of the Local Delivery Vehicle ensuring that the interests of business within Aylesbury Vale is represented and details communicated through the local media.

The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Area Council will continue to offer its support to the work of the Town Centre Partnership by:

• Assisting to raise the profile of the town's retail and leisure offer, image and perception
To encourage the various tiers of Local Authority to work together in ensuring adequate and appropriate parking provisions in all of the towns within the area to meet the competing needs of local businesses, shoppers and commuters
To improve balance and range of retail outlets to enhance the attractiveness of shopping centres.

Strategic Partnerships with Aylesbury Vale District Council
Economic Development and Sustainability

The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Area Council will work closely with AVDC and Bucks CC and the other Business Support agencies wherever and whenever possible, to encourage and sustain a vibrant Business community in Aylesbury Vale.

The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Area Council will continue to help and support AVDC and other partners to carry out the Economic Development Strategy Action Plan

The Aylesbury Vale Chamber Area Council will continue to offer it's support to the Inward Investment campaign and work with other Business Support Agencies in the area to encourage new businesses to relocate to Aylesbury Vale and provide support to existing and start up businesses enabling them to grow and stay in the Aylesbury Vale area. industries

Necessary Actions to realise Aylesbury’s economic potential
• Attract higher inward investment
• Promote Aston Clinton as a major development area
• Encourage enterprise
• Deliver an urban renaissance for Town Centre
• Focus on quality of employment land and buildings
• Attracting knowledge-based industries
• Lobby for local transport enhancements

Local Policy Representation

Transport Urban - Jeff Wood
Transport Rural - Linda Nicholls
People - Skills & Training - Ray Ball
People – Affordable Housing - Ted Burns
Town Centre/Retail - Paul Lucas/Carol Bates
Business Security (Crime) - Phil Smith
Strategic Partnerships - Bill Murray/Phil Smith/John Champion
Economic Development, Waterfront Development - Carol Bates
Additional – Planning - Phil Smith