After the election, as we congratulate Rhun ap Iorwerth on his appointment to First Minister, and the new incoming Plaid Cymru Government shapes its legislative programme, we look forward to getting back to the work of ensuring the voices of our members are represented.
As we brought businesses and organisations together with candidates in the run up to the election, there were four pressing policy issues raised: business rates reform, high street regeneration, improving transport links and attracting visitors to Cardiff.
We have looked at the commitments made in the Plaid Cymru manifesto and its plan for the first 100 days of government to see what businesses can expect on those, and some other key issues. Implementation will be key and, as a vital bridge between FOR Cardiff’s members and the Senedd, we will be working with the new government and Cardiff’s 12 new Caerdydd Penarth and Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf MSs towards that goal.
Business rates reform
There is a commitment to set up a town centres taskforce in the first 100 days to explore options for reformed business rates. In the manifesto, there is a promise to cut business taxes and create a more level playing field for hospitality, leisure and retail businesses in town centres.
The pressure from the cost of living crisis and increased costs is the issue which we hear raised the most by our member businesses so a review, with the promise of cuts, will be welcome news. We must ensure that the voice of businesses on our city centre high streets is listened to as part of this process to ensure a fair and equitable rebalancing, and that we move swiftly from taskforce to action to avoid prolonged uncertainty.
Regenerating High Streets
As mentioned above, the promise of a taskforce to focus on town centres needs also to be representative of our city centre High Street businesses and organisations and the issues they face. Beyond reform of business rates and streamlining of the planning system, details are light at present and we hope to see strong representation from businesses from a broad range of sectors and locations as this policy is further developed.
Transport and accessibility
As a priority for the first 100 days, the new government has promised to work with Transport for Wales to continue progress on full integration of the transport network. The ability to move quickly, easily and affordably around the city, whether that’s for work, study, leisure or shopping, is vital for our capital.
There is much promised including more frequent services in South East Wales, better integration between rail and bus including smart ticketing, fairer pricing including fare capping, and investment in active travel and bike-hire schemes.
The delivery of the South Wales Metro is already transforming how people move into and around the city and we welcome the commitment to a more integrated, affordable and sustainable network.
In particular, as we consult on expanding our work to include Cardiff Bay, and with transformative projects such as the new Cardiff Arena development and Cardiff Crossrail on the horizon, we will also be pushing to maintain a high priority on improvements to the interconnections within the city.
Attracting visitors to Cardiff
We have long recognised the importance of heritage and culture in attracting visitors, through our own initiatives such as the City of Arcades campaign and seasonal art installations around Christmas and Easter. Increasing footfall and encouraging more people to explore the city are fundamental to our future growth.
Businesses will be interested to see more detail around the incoming government’s proposed review of Visit Wales and to be active in any consultation around plans for a new Culture Strategy.
We also see the potential in additional investment adding value to the visitor offer, and its promotion, through visitor levies – and want to see that funding protected for that purpose.
Reducing bureaucracy in development and construction
The manifesto makes a commitment to “reduce the complexity and bureaucracy of planning processes, providing greater clarity and firmer guarantees on consenting timelines…” which will be welcome news for our members seeking to cut bureaucracy in the system and speed up development.
We look forward to seeing the detail behind this commitment and to ensuring the issues businesses face with the current processes are made clear as any changes are being developed.
Other key issues raised for business
Beyond the four priority areas, businesses told us they want to see stronger collaboration between businesses and government, particularly where that relates to future funding opportunities. They also want to see government doing more to support workplace readiness and economic development.
Much of this could fall under the remit of the proposed new National Development Agency. There is a commitment to establish an expert panel to scope out the model for this plan in the first 100 days, alongside a new Economic and Fiscal Commission to provide Welsh economic data analysis.
We hope to see a broad range of businesses and expertise engaged in setting the mission, scope and goals of the new Agency, ensuring that all our businesses can be supported and new investment attracted from within and into Wales.
We will soon be asking eligible businesses in Cardiff to vote to retain the Business Improvement District (BID) for another five years. It’s a crucial period for the city – overlapping with the new Senedd term – as Cardiff is set to undergo a once-in-a-generation transformation which brings major growth opportunities alongside continuing economic challenges.
Ensuring we present a confident, independent voice to government on behalf of our members is central to the plan we will be putting to businesses, as we ask them to vote ‘yes’ in the forthcoming ballot to secure Cardiff’s BID and continue to deliver significant additional investment into the city.
With the support of businesses in that ballot, we look forward to working alongside the new government in all of the areas where we share those goals of maximising the coming opportunities and continuing to raise the issues which hold businesses back.
If this work is important to your business fill in this short survey to let us know more; FOR Cardiff Members’ Political Priorities