WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE CORNWALL IS SEEN AS BEING “GOOD FOR BUSINESS”
Bishop Fleming survey reveals frustration among SMEs about Cornwall’s focus on tourism above all else.
If Cornwall is to have an economic edge over its regional rivals it needs to do more to make itself “business-friendly”, according to a new survey.
More than half of Cornwall’s business owners do not think Cornwall is any more welcoming to business than any other comparable region, with a fifth believing it is a difficult place in which to start and build a company.
But a huge majority say they have no reason to relocate and believe “quality of life” is Cornwall’s single biggest appeal.
These are among the findings of research carried out by Top 50 accountants and business advisers Bishop Fleming, which has offices in Truro as well as Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter and Bristol.
The majority – 51 per cent – of the business owners questioned in the Bishop Fleming poll said Cornwall was no more welcoming to business than other comparable regions
, with a further 23 per cent saying the county was no more helpful to business than it had ever been.
However, the remaining 26 per cent disagreed, saying recent investment and regeneration meant Cornwall was now more business-friendly than it had been in years.
Almost half – 46 per cent – were united in their opinion that the single change which would be best for business in Cornwall would be to transform its national and international image from being purely a holiday destination to being successful centre for business.
A huge majority – 82 per cent – believe Cornwall’s quality of life is its biggest appeal to business, while its biggest deterrent is perceived to be poor local authority policies (26 per cent).
Other factors cited as holding Cornwall back were lack of suitable skills and recruits (21 per cent), poor transport links (16 per cent), being viewed as a “distressed area” (16 per cent), customers’ perception of the county (13 per cent) and availability of suitable properties (8 per cent).
The survey also found:
only 17 per cent would definitely recommend Cornwall as a good place to start or relocate a business
33 per cent would choose Cornwall for their business location, if they were starting again
just 15 per cent of businesses have considered moving out of the county in the past year
One respondent to the Bishop Fleming survey commented: “Cornwall has, for far too long, been seen purely as a holiday destination. The movers and shakers of the so-called ‘tourism industry’ have far too much say in policy making and have a lot to answer for.”
Another said: “Our youth need the opportunity to find genuine long-term career prospects in trade, industry and the professions. There is currently little prospect for this for the large majority of school leavers.”
Turning to transport links, another respondent commented: “Unless you are living in Cornwall you’d be a fool to set up down here – the train was quicker in 1950.”
Ian Fraser, partner at Bishop Fleming in Truro, said: “This survey confirms that while undoubtedly Cornwall is a beautiful place in which to live and visit, more needs to be done to put its business offering on the map rather than the current near-total focus on tourism.
“While the vast majority of businesses in Cornwall have no plans to ‘up sticks’ and desert us, there are real concerns that inward investment and regeneration will be hampered unless inroads are made into transforming Cornwall’s image from that of being no more than a sleepy holiday county to one of a thriving and growing business centre.”
