8 March 2013
Surrey Future launches in Woking
More than 100 delegates gathered at the H. G. Wells Conference and Events Centre in Woking on Wednesday 6 March, to mark the launch of Surrey Future.
Surrey Future brings together business leaders and representatives from the county council and boroughs and districts, and has been set up to encourage sustainable, long term economic growth in Surrey.
The first two Surrey Future workstreams unveiled at the conference were a congestion programme and rail strategy for the county. The draft congestion programme includes a list of schemes to tackle congestion on some of the busiest roads in the country. The rail strategy addresses overcrowding, the need for faster commute times and improved access to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. A public consultation on the congestion programme was launched at the event and the rail strategy consultation will be launched mid March.
As well as hearing from the Leader of Surrey County Council, David Hodge and Chair of the Surrey Future Steering Board, David Hill, Chief Executive of Guildford Borough Council, delegates were able to question a panel of top local business people on a range of topics including investment, prioritising infrastructure needs and how the county's needs might change over the next 20 years. They also heard from business leaders about why they had chosen to locate in Surrey.
Surrey Future aims to establish a list of investment priorities over the next 20 years and its launch is just one of a host of ways local authorities in Surrey are making a difference to the economy. A Surrey County Council Cabinet report sets out other ways the council plans to boost business, including unlocking government land for development and working with business to support innovation.
Surrey County Council's Leader David Hodge said: "The launch of Surrey Future is an exciting opportunity for the county. Surrey has been very successful up to now but we cannot be complacent. I'm delighted Surrey Leaders and Chief Executives share this passion for growing the economy of this great county. We need to work as One Team to develop a shared vision of what Surrey should look like in 20, 30 or even 40 years time, making sure Surrey continues to be a great place to live and do business in."
Chair of the Surrey Future Steering Board and Chief Executive of Guildford Borough Council, David Hill, said: "It was really encouraging to see so many businesses, elected members and senior officers working together to unlock Surrey's potential and promote economic prosperity and opportunities in the county."
The launch comes as latest figures show that Surrey's economy grew by 7% between 2009 and 2011 despite the national outlook remaining bleak. That growth generated more than £30 billion annually for the UK economy - more than cities like Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds - and meant the county contributed more income taxation to the Exchequer than anywhere in the UK outside of the City of London.
For more information about the Surrey Future launch event, the congestion programme consultation and the Surrey rail strategy please see the Surrey County Council website.
