Michelle was joined by Greg Campbell Director of Environment & Communities at Brentwood Council.

If you would like to put questions to the Council on the Friday Update Show 11.30am then please email radio@phoenixfm.com All questions are passed directly to the Council and if they can answer on air they will. Questions need to be in 48 hours before Friday’s Show.

UPDATES 

TOPICS COVERED

• Christmas. Plenty of things to do take a look at www.Discoverbrentwood.co.uk

• Policy Resources and Economic Development Committee on November 24 will see councillors discuss

1. proposed new Economic Development Strategy to maximise opportunities for employment and growth, rejuvenate the borough’s high streets and deliver new business parks to harness the borough’s key location within south Essex and proximity to fantastic transport infrastructure. If adopted, the strategy will see the council continue to work with major partners including the Association of South Essex Local Authorities (ASELA) and the Thames Estuary Growth Board, progress a Local Plan for the borough that includes delivering 8,000 new homes and employment land over the next 15 years and create at least 5,000 jobs. The Economic Development Strategy will deliver a new South Essex Technical University to attract high-performing students looking to jumpstart careers, build a pipeline of skilled talent, retrain an existing workforce, and build local talent pools. In addition, the council’s Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance (BEBA) is already driving the green agenda that will reduce carbon emissions and the environmental impact of our business community. We are encouraging more business to get involved, to find out more visit www.brentwood-beba.co.uk

2. proposed New Business Growth Grants – Brentwood Borough Council has distributed £2.72m in Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) from central government in the last 12 months. With £250,000 still available. The amount of funding we now have means that if it were to be distributed to all individual businesses they would only receive £750 whereas by creating this new Business Growth Grant money can be awarded on a case by case basis with sums from £1,000 up to £10,000. This means businesses of any size or sector can put forward growth projects with details of how their project will create or safeguard jobs, increase turnover and bring new skills to the business – which of course strengthens the whole local economy. If approved it can be used by local businesses as matched funding to help them unlock further grants from organisations such as Low Carbon Across South Essex (LoCASE) or South East Business Boost (SEBB)” If approved, applicants will be supported by Backing Essex Business, fully funded by Essex County Council, which offers up to 12 hours of free business support.  This will ensure that Brentwood businesses get help to analyse viable project options before submitting their grant applications.

3. proposed removal of Council Tax discounts given to owners of empty and second home – residents were asked for their views on proposed changes to Council Tax discretionary discounts (given to the owners, landlords and tenants of empty properties and those with second homes in the borough). Each discount was considered and reviewed against the value of the discount currently being provided and the impact to the residents. Comparisons against discounts offered by other Essex authorities were also taken into account.The discounts the council are proposing to remove are costing Brentwood Council £13,519 per year, and the precepting authorities of Essex County Council and Fire & Police £113,344 collectively per year. This is income that could be reinvested into local services.

4. 25  businesses sign Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance pledge (front page Brentwood Gazette this week – see attachment)

• 25 local businesses have signed a pledge as part of the Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance (BEBA) which launched at the Brentwood Business Showcase and encourages local businesses to become more environmentally friendly by making a pledge to improve a range of core environmental topics including carbon reduction, biodiversity loss, and the reduction and recycling of waste. The pledge expects and commits businesses that sign up to BEBA to reduce their carbon footprint by:
• adopting an ‘environment-first’ based approach to business decisions – reducing waste in the provision of goods and services  -recycling waste generated by your business operation – implement a green supply chain network by using local suppliers wherever possible – adapting procurement policies to prioritise products that are environmentally friendly – volunteering or committing resources to support local environmental initiatives – actively seeking ways to carbon offset – setting a baseline for your business’ current carbon footprint – disclose actions that will be taken to achieve BEBA’s carbon objectives – being carbon neutral by 2040 – being ‘true zero’ carbon by 2050

4. 25  businesses sign Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance pledge (front page Brentwood Gazette this week – see attachment)

• 25 local businesses have signed a pledge as part of the Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance (BEBA) which launched at the Brentwood Business Showcase and encourages local businesses to become more environmentally friendly by making a pledge to improve a range of core environmental topics including carbon reduction, biodiversity loss, and the reduction and recycling of waste. The pledge expects and commits businesses that sign up to BEBA to reduce their carbon footprint by:
• adopting an ‘environment-first’ based approach to business decisions – reducing waste in the provision of goods and services  -recycling waste generated by your business operation – implement a green supply chain network by using local suppliers wherever possible – adapting procurement policies to prioritise products that are environmentally friendly – volunteering or committing resources to support local environmental initiatives – actively seeking ways to carbon offset – setting a baseline for your business’ current carbon footprint – disclose actions that will be taken to achieve BEBA’s carbon objectives – being carbon neutral by 2040 – being ‘true zero’ carbon by 2050
• www.brentwood-beba.co.uk

• The annual Civic Awards are now open for nominations, and we’d like to hear who you believe is making a difference in our community. The Civic Awards is an amazing opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of various individuals within Brentwood. We’d like to recognise the hard work of organisations and locals, who have continued to help others and make Brentwood a better place. The awards given are for ‘Service to the Community’, ‘Lifetime Achievement’ and ‘Young Volunteer of the Year’. These awards can be nominated to either a group or an individual who has put in hours of commitment to make a difference as well as those achieving their goals in their own fields. The Service to the Community award can be nominated to someone who volunteers their free time helping others, such as caring for a family member, helping others within the borough or someone who has done something exceptional for the community. This award can go to either a group or individual and is not restricted by age. The Lifetime Achievement can be for someone who has dedicated years to have a positive and lasting impact in the community, and deserves recognition for their accomplishments. And finally, the Young Volunteer of the Year award can be nominated to any young person within the community who has dedicated their spare time to volunteering and helping others. Anyone who lives within Brentwood can be put up for nomination. The nominations close 14^th February 2022 and will be considered by the panel of judges in March 2022. Please email us at mayors.secretary@brentwood.gov.uk