Opportunity for Sussex business leaders
The Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority (SBSA) has today (29 July) approved plans to establish a new Business Advisory Board. It will give the local business community a powerful voice in decisions that will shape the economy of Sussex for years to come.
The Board - agreed at the Authority's Board meeting today - will bring together up to 15 senior business leaders from across the region, drawn from a wide range of sectors, sizes and geographic areas. Crucially, the chair of the Business Advisory Board will hold an associate seat on the SBSA’s Board itself, placing business expertise at the heart of the Authority's decision-making.
The Business Advisory Board will advise the Strategic Authority on economic strategy, investment decisions, business support, and inward investment - and will play a central role in the development and delivery of the Authority's Prosperity Strategy and the forthcoming Local Growth Plan. It will also represent Sussex & Brighton on the National Business Board network, connecting the region's business community with counterparts across the country.
Sussex already has a thriving business community. With almost 74,000 businesses, the area generates £51.75 billion in economic output every year, 15% of the entire South-East of England’s economy. The new Business Advisory Board is intended to bring that community, and that growth potential, together and ensure the full breadth of business knowledge and expertise factors into the Authority's decision making.
Cllr Bella Sankey, Chair of the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority and Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said:
"Sussex has an exceptional business community that is innovative, diverse and connected, understanding what communities need and where economic opportunities exist for the future. The Business Advisory Board is how we make sure this community can share their insight and shape our decision making, including the investment strategies we pursue. We want the very best in business to join our Board and be part of enabling us to achieve more. If you are a senior business leader who cares about the future of Sussex, we want to hear from you.”
Cllr Jay Mercer, Joint Vice-Chair of the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority and Leader of West Sussex County Council, said:
"With its mix of rural, coastal and urban economies, West Sussex has one of the strongest business environments in England. The Gatwick Economic Zone alone has an extraordinary range of companies from global manufacturers to small and medium enterprises contributing to our regional economy every day. The Business Advisory Board will give that business strength a direct line into the Authority's thinking on investment and growth, and I am delighted that we are moving quickly to get it in place."
Cllr Andy Woolley, Joint Vice-Chair of the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority and Leader of East Sussex County Council, said:
"East Sussex is home to a huge range of talented and ambitious businesses, not just in our towns and on our coast, but in our rural communities and across the High Weald and the Downs too. Every part of Sussex deserves a proper voice in the decisions being made about our economic future. The Business Advisory Board gives them that. I look forward to seeing business leaders from right across East Sussex including from our smaller towns and rural communities putting themselves forward and helping to shape the opportunities ahead."
Ana Christie, Chief Executive of Sussex Chamber of Commerce, said:
"Sussex has a vibrant and diverse business community, and the Chamber has long championed the importance of giving that community a genuine voice in decisions about our regional economy. The Business Advisory Board is a significant step forward. It means that when the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority is making decisions about investment, infrastructure and growth, the perspective of local businesses will be built in from the start, not added as an afterthought. We look forward to working closely with the Board and encouraging our members to consider how they can get involved."
Further details of the recruitment process will be published in the Autumn on the Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority website. At this point, the Authority will be requesting Expressions of Interest. For any questions or to register an early interest, please email [email protected]