Why We Must Celebrate Local Businesses And Their Involvement In Our Community.
Cabinet Member for Regeneration-Councillor Graham Williamson today writes in the Havering Daily on the importance of local businesses.
When I first became a Cabinet member for Development, Regeneration, and Economic development my aim was to attract wealth into the borough but it soon became clear that the Government wasn’t likely to do so after underfunding Havering for years. The only alternative is to attract new, and support for existing businesses in the borough.
Business bring jobs, spends monies within the borough, contributes to rateable and rental incomes. Big ticket items such as the East Havering Data would, if approved, bring significant financial benefits to the borough e.g. £2 billion spent within the local economy and attract in its turn plenty of new business to the borough too. SME’s however, whilst of limited size and value, are the lifeblood of any local economy, none more so than in Havering. Stats suggest that well over 90% of our local businesses are of the micro type i.e., 9 and under employees, the highest % in London and in most other places. Some of these enterprises also offer further benefits by supporting social value projects and integrating even further into a community.
For example, I had the pleasure of recently attending the Fat Pizza Elm Park’s community giveaway. It was a lively event drawing families, friends and food lovers to Elm Parade – marking the business’ generous giveaway of 500 fresh and delicious pizzas for just £1 each in a gesture of gratitude from owners Ripu and Sunny Chhina to the local community.
The Fat Pizza Elm Park is no stranger to accolades, winning Best Takeaway in Havering’s Small Business Awards in 2024, and retaining the title this year with the winners announced on the 24 September. Their commitment to quality and innovation has also earned them the prestigious Gold Seal Good Food Award for 2024/25, marking their sixth consecutive win.
The Fat Pizza is also deeply rooted in community values. The whole Chhina family are actively involved in the business, as well as the local community, and are a shining example of how small businesses can thrive through passion, quality and genuine care for their community. Their success is a win for Elm Park and a testament to the power of local enterprise that we should value
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I would like to see the detailed financial balance sheet (and not the high level very basic Financial Analysis paper that was presented to Cabinet in 2022) from which Mr Williamson derives that the East Havering Data Centre will ‘bring significant financial benefits to the borough e.g. £2 billion spent within the local economy and attract in its turn plenty of new business to the borough too.’ He surely can’t be referencing jobs for locals, as a facility of around 50 MW, for example, might require roughly 20 staff members (600mw will require 240 based on this.) The residents’ group have been attempting to have sight of the detailed financial workings and calculations, and have been stonewalled, as usual. Also, it would be wonderful if Mr Williamson, along with evangelising this project, also gave the balanced view of this and stopped interfering with and trying to influence the planning process; after all, wasn’t he elected to protect residents and the Havering Green Belt? Come on, pull your socks up Mr W, people are not so gullible – election time soon.
I’m all in favour of local businesses, and smaller businesses tend to be more customer-friendly. But Cllr Williamson has just plucked an extraordinary number from the air to show his support for the proposed East Havering Data Centre. Data centres need hardly any workers once they are constructed – after all, they consist of rows and rows of computers humming away and processing data without the need for any button-pushing or supervision! May I also ask exactly how the presence of a data centre in North Ockendon is going to magically create millions of pounds worth of jobs in Havering?