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Credit crunch summit prompts Walsall action plan
Business leaders, council bosses and senior figures from private, public and voluntary groups from across the borough have held a summit to find ways to help minimise the effects of the credit crunch on Walsall ’s residents.
Yesterday's summit brought together over 70 delegates including Walsall Council, Black Country Chamber of Commerce, Walsall Regeneration Company, Walsall College , Learning Skills Council, HSBC and Natwest Banks and insolvency practitioners amongst others.
A workshop session was held, giving delegates an opportunity to suggest ideas and incentives to alleviate the economic downturn in Walsall .
Fourteen proposals were considered including:
- inducing public sector organisations to pay suppliers quickly to reduce cash flow problems;
- identifying where skills may be required in the near future when the economy begins to improve;
- making sure communities and businesses know where to go for help;
- push for government funding to be locally controlled;
- grant opportunities for investors to explore Walsall ’s infrastructure and ring-fence land for future development.
The Partnership then made a commitment to develop an action plan using some of these suggestions to implement a series of measures for Walsall .
At the conclusion of the event, councillor John O’Hare, chair of the Walsall Partnership said “There were lots of good ideas presented and it was vital that we got a good balance of people from both public and private sectors.
“We have a strong track record of working in partnership and thinking long-term. But we musn’t lose sight of the fact that there are many people suffering now. We accept that this is an era of uncertainty for many people and that’s why short-term, high impact and easy to implement measures are needed right now.
“This was a very constructive afternoon and we’ll be looking at developing an action plan to help residents and businesses in the short term.”
Clive Wright, director for Walsall Partnership added: “This summit was about us working together and finding practical solutions that will lessen the effects of the credit crunch in Walsall .
“This is without doubt a global and national problem, but there are things within our power that we can do to tackle the situation. The Gigaport development is an exciting venture and will draw high-tech industries and employment opportunities to Walsall , but short-term measures are just as important to help residents and businesses weather the storm at this current time.”
The Board of Walsall Partnership met following the event and agreed to immediately work towards public sector partners paying suppliers promptly. It was agreed that the partnership will also immediately work to maximise the benefits that the significant number of capital projects already planned in the borough can bring to create new jobs and opportunities for local businesses.
The Board also signed up to a declaration on skills, committing itself to support training. The Board also agreed to work with other regional partners on issues of unemployment and skills, to reduce bureaucracy and get agencies working together. A further meeting is to be held over the next few weeks to agree more practical actions by developing the suggestions proposed at the event.
Competition winners grab a bike
Christmas came early for two Walsall people this week who each claimed a new mountain bike worth £250 after entering the Travel to Work Differently competition.
The campaign, spearheaded by Walsall Partnership, was held in September to encourage thousands of workers and residents in the borough to consider using alternative modes of transport to commute or visit Walsall town centre.
The partnership arranged two competitions – one for council staff and one for residents to enter using the Walsall Pride publication and the Travel to Work Differently website.
Twenty-six year old Cristina Trevino from Walsall Children’s Services and resident Mark Waller from Walsall each won a Rincon mountain bike from bike store FR Russells in Stafford Street, Walsall.
Cristina, originally from Dallas in Texas, who works for the council’s family placement service praised the partnership’s sustainable mobility campaign, saying: “I love the project you are doing. I strongly believe in using alternative modes of transportation that minimise the impact on the earth.
“I also value other forms of transport such as trains and buses because you get to meet people that you normally never would have. If you car pool (with a colleague) you can also get to know someone that little better.”
Nearly 300 people took part in the competition, which helped to raise awareness of the Travel to Work Differently campaign.
Travel to Work Differently campaign is a success
Workers in Walsall have been praised for supporting a transport campaign in September, spearheaded by Walsall Partnership.
The week-long Travel to Work Differently campaign took place from 16 to 22 September with the aim of encouraging workers and residents visiting the town centre during the week to use public transport, cycle, walk or car share with a colleague.
The initiative became the first of its kind to take place in The Black Country and was supported by Walsall Council, Walsall Housing Group, NHS Walsall and the Midcounties Co-op in a bid to champion sustainable transport, protect the environment and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Clive Wright, director for Walsall Partnership said: “On the whole, the campaign was well-received and prompted some car drivers to find an alternative method of getting to town. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported the initiative.
“The online survey on the Travel to Work Differently website revealed that 68% of our colleagues said they would consider using the bus or cycling to work during the week and we believe that most were able to achieve this. This shows promise that the campaign had an effect on the travelling habits of our workforce.
“It also gave us the opportunity to raise awareness of this important issue and help people realise they can play an important role in making Walsall a greener and more pleasant place to live.
“Our long-term objective for sustainable transport isn’t about setting aside one week in the year to encourage people to try alternative methods of transport. Traffic congestion is still an issue that affects almost every local authority in England and we need to make sure that campaigns such as Travel to Work Differently get us to think more about our travel habits in the long-term.
“But it was an encouraging start and will hopefully give us a platform to build on for next year’s campaign.”
The website www.traveltoworkdifferently.org.uk encouraged take-up of the scheme and generated nearly a thousand hits, with links to bus and transport agency websites.
Results from the Travel to Work Differently online survey revealed some interesting statistics of the travel plans for Walsall Council employees:
- 40% of Walsall Council employees spend 16 to 30 minutes travelling to work at the start of their working day;
- 31% travel 2 to 5 miles from their home to the workplace everyday, and 6.4% travel 21 miles or more
- 52% use the car on their own; 8% share with a colleague; 15% commute by bus; 8% use the train and 7% walk
- 56% say they travel by car since it offers the quickest journey time; 44% claim their car is essential to their job and 32% believe public transport is not good enough
- Over 52% agree that using alternative forms of transport is a viable and practical option for them; 85% believe that more people should consider using alternative means of travelling to work.
Walsall Partnership Relaunch Website
Walsall’s local strategic partnership is pleased to announce the relaunch of its website.
After months of hard work, planning and development the www.walsallpartnership.org.uk has a fresh new look which incorporates a number of significant improvements; including clearer navigation, a news and events section, partner links and information, and also a feedback survey.
The new look website coincides with the official re- branding of Walsall Partnership (formally Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership) who are responsible for coordinating the activity of the key public sector agencies working in Walsall. The website is easier to navigate than before and improves accessibility of certain key documents including our Sustainable Community Strategy, Local Area Agreement and our Board and Executive Committee papers.
At Walsall Partnership we take communication very seriously and by talking and listening to our partners we have taken on board comments and views which have been implemented on our new improved website.
Over the next few months Walsall Partnership will conduct an online user survey; so let us know what you think and if you feel there are any improvements still to be made.
Walsall launches campaign ‘Travel to Work Differently’
Walsall is set to join hundreds of cities across Europe by championing the benefits of sustainable mobility.
The campaign, ‘Travel to Work Differently’ took place from Tuesday September 16 to Monday September 22. It is the first initiative of its kind to take place in The Black Country and is part of Walsall’s continuing effort to champion sustainable transport, boost the environment and encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Find out more about 'Travel to Work Differently'
The Nottingham Declaration
The Nottingham Declaration, launched in October 2000 and subsequently re-launched in December 2005, is a voluntary pledge to address the issues of climate change.
At its Board meeting held on 17 December 2007, Walsall Partnership (formerly Walsall Borough Strategic Partnership) announced its commitment to tackling climate change in Walsall by signing up to the Nottingham Declaration.
View more details on Walsall joining the Nottingham Declaration
Contact us
If you have any queries or would like more information please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
Walsall Partnership
1st Floor
Challenge Building
Hatherton Road
Walsall
WS1 1YG
Telephone 01922 654709
Email walsallpartnership@walsall.gov.uk
This page was last updated on 19 June 2009