Camden Labour today called on the council to consider 8 extra steps to help local small businesses and local workers and traders in times of economic uncertainty.

Camden Council should:

For small firms and traders

1.   Pay all invoices from small firms within 10 days of receiving them in order to ensure that small businesses have the cash flow available to pay the wages of their staff.

2.    Reverse extra charges introduced last year for council-run markets.

3.    Suspend unpopular plans to hike ‘permission to park’ notices to local builders and plumbers.  This year charges went up from £9 to £33 – 267%.  These fees have force many tradespeople to pass cost on to consumers, slowing business.

4.    Camden should consult local businesses and unions on other measures it could take to help in this time of uncertainty.

For local workers

5.  Reduce barriers to work for parents by suspending higher charges for childcare in Children’s Centre’s and Surestarts in Camden’s most deprived areas, reducing barriers to work.

6.  Advertise jobs in the ‘Your Camden’ and local newspapers in order to attract applications from local residents.

7.  Re-invest in its once award-winning Welfare Rights Service, cut in 2006, and promote a major new benefits ‘take-up’ campaign on Camden’s estates and neighbourhoods, in association with the CAB and community groups to ensure that residents are getting the in-work benefits they are entitled to.

8.  Link up with the local police, PCT, Westminster Kingsway, UCL and LSE to offer more apprenticeships, training courses and work experience opportunities for local residents.  Target the scheme at Camden’s poorest areas, with the highest levels of unemployment.  There should also be more targeted work with communities with the highest jobless rate, such as the Bangladeshi and Somali communities.

Opposition finance spokesperson Cllr. Theo Blackwell said:

“The council is a major player locally and should be taking steps to help local traders and businesses.  Many of the extra charges Camden has introduced since since 2006, like the 267% hike to parking permits, are creatures of a different economic climate, and should be scaled back to help local traders.”

Tags: 8-point plan, local workers, small business