Report of the Working Group On Business and Economy

 1. Introduction

Our remit was to look at business, industrial and commercial activities in the village including home working, retail, pubs/restaurants, farms, hotel and conference facilities and their needs

Our approach was: -

1. To seek as much relevant published data relating to the local business and economy (our health-check) and draw conclusions regarding the current landscape. A summary can be found in the appendices.

2. To survey all businesses registered in the Cookhams. A questionnaire was sent last October and responses were received from 38 (16%). The questions sought quantitative data on category, size and location, opinions on prosperity now and forecast in the future, the pros and cons of doing business in Cookhams and suggestions on how to improve the business climate and facilities.

3. To conduct individual interviews or small focus groups with key employers (CIM. JLP, Cookham Riverside) and a cross section of businesses – retailers, estate agency, pubs, consultancies and farmers etc in order to gain greater insights, ideas and opinions. These took place in Q4 2006 and Q1 2007.

I wish to acknowledge and thank all those who generously spared their time and shared their views, ideas and experiences.

Leader

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