Heathrow expansion plans are being backed by government following an announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week.

In a speech delivered yesterday, the Chancellor said a third runway would “unlock further growth, boost investment, increase exports, and make the UK more open and more connected”.

The government, she added, invites proposals to be brought forward by summer.

In response, Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “We recognise the crucial role of Heathrow airport in supporting employment for Surrey residents, generating investment in the Surrey economy and in attracting and retaining major businesses to locate in the county.

“Our goal is to work constructively with the Government, the airport, relevant national agencies and other local authorities on proposals for a third runway in order to protect and promote the interests of Surrey residents and businesses.

“Despite this, we remain strongly of the view that expansion requires the environmental and surface access issues involved to be satisfactorily addressed.

“Any expansion will only be a success for Surrey residents and businesses and for the wider South East if there is a clear and agreed framework for the necessary infrastructure, including southern rail access, together with appropriate mitigation measures and commitments to address environmental impacts in place before any new runway comes into operation.

“We call on the Government to take the lead in developing such a framework.”

What are the Heathrow expansion plans?

Heathrow expansion plans include a new, full length, runway to the north-west of the airport and several new facilities both on and off the airfield.

An economic impact report published by Heathrow estimates a third runway could boost the UK economy by close to £17.1 billion per annum by 2050 (0.43% of GDP).

Heathrow is currently consulting with investors, government, airline customers and regulators on next steps. Proposals include:

• A new terminal building to the west of Terminal 5 and the eventual demolition of Terminal 3 to make way for a series of new satellite terminals
• Creating new public transport interchange points and consolidating parking facilities
• Adding surface access capacity to the airport, taking advantage of planned future railway upgrades in the area
• Significant community compensation schemes and impact mitigation measures
• Increasing capacity for an additional 260,000 flights per year

Further details – including a series of FAQs – are available on the Heathrow website.

Copyright: Photo © BAA Airports Limited

Throughout 2024 Bucher Municipal has been celebrating the centenary of its UK HQ site in Dorking, Surrey. Bucher engineers and manufactures cleaning and clearing equipment such as street sweepers, snow ploughs and the gritters that help keep our roads safe over the winter months.

The company has spent the last few months celebrating the Dorking site’s 100 year history of manufacturing, innovation and growth. Celebrations kicked off in August with an open day for employees and families. The day included live music, good food, and of course, sweeper rides for all.

Centenary celebrations

In September there was a further formal celebration event at the British Motor Museum with customers, partners, and suppliers. The evening saw over £158k being raised for three local Dorking charities, The Children’s Trust, The Brigitte Trust, and Dorking Beatitudes.

The centenary celebration provided the opportunity to look back at the expansion, and developments that have taken place at the Dorking site over the years, and to reflect on the business’s global sustainability strategy, reflecting Bucher’s commitment to sustainable growth and innovation.

During the year, staff also found time to visit a local primary school to demo street cleaning equipment so reception students could complete their topic on ‘People Who Help Us’.

Bucher Municipal has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a blacksmith’s shop in 1807. With 11 brands and 14 locations across the globe, the business is now a leading manufacturer of vehicles for street cleaning, snow removal and refuse collection worldwide. The company is proud to base its UK HQ in Surrey as it looks forward to its next century.

Relocate to Surrey

Our Invest in Surrey team offers free and confidential services for businesses looking to relocate to Surrey.

Whether you’re a start-up, SME or international company, you can benefit from specialist expertise, local knowledge and business support to help ensure a faster, more successful investment.

Get in touch with our team to find out more.

Check out some of the fantastic businesses based in Surrey on our Interactive Map.

In November this year, a roundtable took place to look at the delivery of affordable housing in Surrey. It was attended by over 30 representatives from registered social housing providers, developers and senior local authority representatives drawn from across the county.  

The session was chaired by Brian Horton of Horton Strategic Ltd, with presentations from Cllr Sinead Mooney, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, and Lydia McLaren from Savills.

The roundtable highlighted the pressing housing crisis in Surrey. Currently median house prices in the county are 11.9 times the median resident earnings, making homeownership increasingly unattainable for many. The South East has seen a 7% decrease in homes gaining planning consent and an 18% decrease in new home starts as of Q3 2024. Savills estimates there is a sub-market housing need of 187,000 homes per year across England, but many areas in Surrey are delivering less than 20% of their affordable housing need. Some districts have reported no affordable housing completions at all in the last six months.

During the session, representatives from both registered social housing providers and developers gave their views on the current process of delivering affordable housing. Both groups highlighted multiple areas where systemic change is required to enable them to deliver the volume of affordable homes that will be required to meet the county’s current and future requirements.  

Conclusion

The roundtable was a highly engaged session that increased understanding of the challenges faced by different organisations in Surrey and beyond. The session ended with a unanimous call for a follow-up roundtable where attendees could come together again to work towards finding actionable strategies to meet the region’s affordable housing needs.

Organisations taking part in the Roundtable

• Accent Housing Group
• Aster Group
• Bellway
• Barratt David Wilson Homes
• DHA Planning
• English Rural Housing Association
• Guildford Borough Council
• Homes England
• Horton Strategic Limited
• Hyde Housing
• Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
• Kier
• Mole Valley District Council
• Raven Housing Trust
• Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
• Savills
• Spelthorne Borough Council
• Surrey County Council
• Surrey Heath Borough Council
• Tandridge District Council
• Transform Housing & Support
• Vivid Homes
• Wates
• Whitmore Vale Housing Association

Support for your business

Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey. Our team of experts can provide independent and impartial advice on growing your business.

• Get free support to grow your business via our Business Support Form.
• Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
• Search more than 120 different local, regional and national support schemes in our service directory.

The fourth edition of International Trade Week (ITW) is taking place this week (Monday 11 to Friday 15 November 2024).

Led by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and sponsored by Santander UK, in partnership with industry, ITW 2024 will feature five action-packed days of events, workshops and webinars – all free for businesses to attend.

Whether you’re looking to secure your first export contract or expand your existing international sales, ITW will have something for you.

The week’s activities are for UK companies of all sizes and sectors – you just need an interest in growing your business.

Register for International Trade Week events

You will only need to complete registration once to become a member of the UK Export Academy.

From there, you will be able to register for as many free ITW events as you wish.

Check back regularly as events are being added everyday.

If you have any questions about ITW 2024, contact the Department for Business and Trade via email.

Benefits of taking part

• Develop your exporting knowledge and skills
• Discover the wide-ranging support available from DBT and its partners
• Learn about global opportunities and how to seize them
• Understand the benefits of trade deals the UK has signed
• Hear from, and speak to, experts in international trade

Export support for Surrey businesses

Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey. This includes those wanting to export or trade internationally.

Whether you need help navigating trade regulations or finding overseas buyers, our team can connect you with the right partners and tools to ensure your international success.

As part of the 2024 edition of International Trade Week, we have launched our new Export and International Trade page on our website.

This includes highlighting opportunities from supporting organisations who can guide you on your export journey.

Unlock new growth opportunities by exploring the export support services available to your business.

You can also:

• Contact the team for free via our Business Support Form.
• Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
• Find out more about what we do and how to access one of our many startup-friendly services by completing our Contact Us form.

Construction companies across Surrey are being encouraged to sign up as a potential Gatwick Airport supplier.

With 41 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airports. It is a major driver of national and regional economy, generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs.

Gatwick has a supply chain commitment to working with businesses based in the region. This means businesses based in the local area can benefit from contracts worth £151 million a year.

As part of its new overarching Supply Chain Strategy, the airport is now looking to expand its database of construction companies.

It has set up a survey form to identify Surrey businesses in construction-related industries that are interested in working at London Gatwick. 

Those interested should complete the Expression of Interest form on the Gatwick Airport website.

Gatwick’s construction supply chain strategy

London Gatwick has developed a new overarching Supply Chain Strategy linked to its wider Capital Investment Programme.

The new Construction Frameworks will deliver improved facilities and services for its passengers and airline customers over the next six years. It includes construction works, various professional services including design services, and surveys.

To ensure the airport has a capable, engaged, and strong supply chain to respond and deliver the associated works, the Supply Chain team have developed an Expression of Interest Survey for businesses working in construction-related industries. 

This will enable the airport and its contractors to promote future indirect opportunities to work with Tier 1 framework suppliers on relevant projects in 2025 and beyond. 

The opportunity is open to all businesses in Surrey. So whether you have previously delivered works directly to London Gatwick or not, the airport wants to hear from you. This will help it understand the range of capabilities that local and regional businesses offer.

Other Gatwick Airport supplier opportunities

Gatwick is a major driver for the local and regional economy, as well as supporting the wider UK economy. It is committed to supporting local businesses and creating new opportunities associated with its local supply chain. 

Are you a regional small and medium-sized business that wants to work with Gatwick Airport?

Regional small and medium-sized enterprise businesses in certain postcodes can register their interest in working with the airport as a supplier. 

Note: this is only open to SMEs located in the RH, BN, CR, KT, TN, GU, PO, SM, ME, CT, BR and DA postcodes).

Full details of Gatwick’s procurement policy is available on its website.

Looking for additional help and support

Business Surrey is a Surrey County Council service providing free and accessible support for all businesses in Surrey. This includes help with contracts, procurement and access to funding.

Our team of experts can provide independent and impartial advice on growing your business.

• Contact the team for free via our Business Support Form.
• Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
• Search more than 120 different local, regional and national support schemes in our service directory.
• Find out more about what we do and how to access one of services by completing our Contact Us form.

A new Civic Agreement for Surrey has been signed by Surrey County Council, in partnership with Surrey’s three leading universities – Royal Holloway, University of London; University for the Creative Arts; and the University of Surrey.

This groundbreaking initiative defines a shared commitment for these organisations to work collaboratively in the interests of the wider Surrey community. The aim is to ensure that no one is left behind.

By pooling resources and expertise, partners believe they are better placed to address local needs, drive innovation, and create a more inclusive and resilient Surrey by 2030.

For businesses, this includes a pledge to “create the conditions for sustainable economic growth
within Surrey, to maintain the county’s position as one of the strongest economies outside of London”.

The Civic Agreement was formally signed at an event at Surrey History Centre in Woking last week. Discover more by watching the video below.

What is the Civic Agreement for Surrey?

It will serve as a public commitment to working together to bring about real and positive change to the people who live, learn and work in our communities across the county

Details are set out in a 32-page formal document (PDF) which defines shared priorities, objectives, programmes of work and future ambitions.

All will be delivered against four shared priorities, which are: 

• Growing a sustainable economy so everyone can benefit
• Tackling health inequality
• Enabling a greener future
• Empowered & thriving communities

Why does it matter?

Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of Surrey County Council said: “Surrey’s universities are engines for regional innovation, with a profound impact across all four strategic priorities. The partners are committed to ensuring our residents, communities and businesses can easily access and benefit from our range of innovation organisations, assets, and networks. These all play a part in addressing the four objectives of our agreement, and ensuring that no one is left behind.”

Prof. Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor University of Surrey said: “The University of Surrey has a proud track record of collaborating with local government and university partners to address issues that matter to Guildford and the wider Surrey community.

“One recent example is the Games and Innovation Nexus Project, partnering with University for the Creative Arts, Surrey County Council and Warwick University. Other examples include our Centre for Doctoral Training in AI for Digital Media Inclusion, in partnership with Royal Holloway University of London.

“We welcome the strengthening of these ties through the Civic Agreement for Surrey, ensuring the breadth and depth of our expertise from our Institutes for Sustainability and People-Centred AI, and all our schools, and companies on our Surrey Research Park continue to enable our community to grow and thrive.”

Prof. Julie Sanders, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Royal Holloway, University of London said: “As a University of Social Purpose, we want to take a proactive role in tackling societal changes, enabling sustainable social and economic growth, and improving skills and opportunities for those in our community.

“Our inclusive education and research has a focus on achieving positive benefits for and with our local community, and our collaboration with academic partners, community groups, schools and local government brings investment, jobs and opportunity to Surrey.

“As well as through the Centre for Doctoral Training with the University of Surrey and its emphasis on digital inclusion, this effort is integral to the CoSTAR project, which seeks to ensure the UK’s screen and performance industries have the infrastructure, research and innovation skills to compete globally. Declaring our public agenda through the Civic Agreement for Surrey will amplify the positive role the university can play in the region.”

Prof. Jane Roscoe, President and Vice-Chancellor, University for the Creative Arts said: “As a leading creative university, the University for the Creative Arts plays a pivotal role in driving innovation across the arts, technology and business. Through our partnerships with local government, businesses and fellow academic institutions, we are committed to ensuring that creativity remains at the heart of Surrey’s economic and social growth.

“Our involvement in initiatives like the Games and Innovation Nexus (GAIN) project, alongside Surrey County Council and our university partners, is just one example of how we can harness creative thinking to solve real-world challenges. The Civic Agreement for Surrey reflects our dedication to fostering a creative and inclusive environment that empowers individuals, enriches communities and drives regional innovation.”

Get involved with the Civic Agreement for Surrey

The launch of the Civic Agreement for Surrey is very much the first step in a long-term collaboration. This will include every part of Surrey.

Are you interested in advancing the shared priorities and objectives in the agreement? Get in touch via: civicagreement@surreycc.gov.uk.

You can also get in touch via the Business Surrey contact us form.

Businesses across Surrey now have a much greater voice in guiding the growth of the county’s economy thanks to the relaunched and revitalised Surrey Business Leaders Forum. 

Just weeks after the government handed Surrey County Council greater strategic powers to support economic development across the county, steps have been taken to ensure the private sector has a stronger voice and is right at the heart of local decision-making. 

The Surrey Business Leaders Forum brings together close to 40 individuals representing a diverse range of businesses – from SMEs to Surrey-based multinationals, and including businesses from Surrey’s priority sectors alongside employer representative bodies. 

The Forum will be a driving force to help raise awareness of local business and economic needs. It will also act as a local business champion, ensuring businesses have a voice in decision-making that impacts the local economy.

Acting as an independent advisory group, the Forum will ensure businesses can input, challenge, and guide the Council’s approach to growing the economy.  

The revamped forum met for the first time in May. And this week members took part in a workshop to support the development of a new economic strategy for Surrey. 

Why does the Business Leaders Forum matter?

Matt Furniss, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “Surrey has a fantastic economic story to tell, with more than 110,000 businesses generating over £50 billion to the UK economy. 

“We know there is more that we can do to work with our private sector to deliver real benefits to our residents and communities. So, we’ve taken steps to move quickly to make the most of the new powers from government, including creating Business Surrey, which provides free and accessible support to all Surrey businesses.

“Ensuring businesses are at the heart of our decision-making process can only strengthen that approach. I’m looking forward to working with businesses to deliver on our priority to grow Surrey’s economy in a sustainable way, while ensuring no one is left behind.”

Chris Hurren, the Chair of the Business Leaders Forum and partner at RSM UK, a leading provider of audit, tax and consulting services, said: “The Surrey Business Leaders Forum brings together an exciting and diverse group of local business leaders who want to be a driving force in shaping Surrey’s economic future and be a voice for all businesses in Surrey. 

“Their knowledge and experiences from the private sector will play a key role in helping shape local decision-making.”

How does Surrey County Council support Surrey businesses?

The Council took the role as Surrey’s strategic economic leader in April this year. Previously, the role was held by the county’s two Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Enterprise M3 and Coast to Capital.  

It means the council is well-positioned to lead on an enhanced, county-wide oversight and delivery role in driving sustainable growth. Indeed, this is a role which Surrey County Council wants to translate into actual economic benefits for residents and businesses.   

Formal responsibilities for business support through the new Surrey-wide Growth Hub and delivering government-funded skills programmes have also been absorbed. 

View this new offer via Business Surrey, which acts as a single gateway for all Surrey businesses to access support and advice.