Sheffield CEO joins other Chamber of Commerce heads in visit to 11 Downing Street

Chief Executive of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Louisa Harrison-Walker, earlier this month visited 11 Downing Street alongside other Chamber CEOs on to discuss current business challenges.
Michael Crossland
By Michael Crossland
Published 20th Jul 2023, 16:45 BST

Chamber Chief Executives from across the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) were invited to have a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to raise awareness and discuss solutions on a variety of key challenges that are currently topping the business agenda.

The Chamber network spoke to the Chancellor on three main issues: utilising planning for growth, sorting out the National Grid queuing system and tackling the UK’s tight labour market.

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Ms Harrison-Walker said: “It was an honour to be invited to represent Sheffield and South Yorkshire at the BCC’s meeting with the Chancellor earlier this month.

Chamber Chief Executives from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) were invited to have a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to raise awareness and discuss solutions on a variety of key challenges that are currently topping the business agenda.Chamber Chief Executives from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) were invited to have a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to raise awareness and discuss solutions on a variety of key challenges that are currently topping the business agenda.
Chamber Chief Executives from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) were invited to have a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to raise awareness and discuss solutions on a variety of key challenges that are currently topping the business agenda.

“With the incredible growth we are currently witnessing in Sheffield and the wider region, planning was a key topic that needed to be addressed, and I’m glad that we were given the time to discuss this in detail.

“With meetings like these, we can ensure that the Government are aware of the key issues impacting business, so they can support us not only on a national level, but locally and regionally as well.”

The timing of the meeting came as South Yorkshire was announced as the UK’s first ‘Investment Zone’.

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It is expected that the scheme will create thousands of new jobs and around £1.2 billion of investment across Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “It was incredibly useful to connect Chamber Chief Executives and the businesses they represent with the Chancellor today to lay out their experiences on the ground.

“It was encouraging to see the Chancellor listening so intently to discussions around unlocking the potential for greater investment in our local areas as well as the importance of getting UK businesses back to growth.

“It’s by having conversations like these that we can work with Government to make a real difference for firms on the frontline of the economy and give them the tools they need for success.”

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The British Chambers of Commerce is an amalgamation of all the regional chambers to represent the interests of businesspeople across the UK. The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, as part of the wider BCC, represents Sheffield on a regional and national level, and aims to help businesses to grow and build communities.

Related topics:SheffieldChamber of CommerceSouth YorkshireDowning Street