Your Committee met on Wednesday 11th September and here’s a summary of the main points of our deliberations:
We discussed the Q3 Business Barometer which is now available for members to complete. We noted that it is really important that members take a few minutes to complete the barometer as the results are promulgated widely and there is significant interest from parliamentarians and others.
We also discussed the 1st October BID meeting. The President is attending an upcoming meeting with other Waverley Chambers and has already noted that Haslemere is further advanced in the BID process than other Waverley Chambers. If the BID process is to be successful we are encouraging all Haslemere businesses to attend the meeting on 1st October at The Georgian. BID success is contingent on generating interest from a sufficient number of businesses in Haslemere. We also noted that, if the BID is successful, businesses will see a rise of approximately £10 per annum in their business rates.
The President meets the Mayor of Haslemere on a monthly basis. The next meeting is on 16th September when the main item on the agenda will be the Christmas lights. A new contract will be let this year and, as usual, the Chamber will contribute towards the cost. It has been noted that the Haslemere Council are charging a flat rate of £150 for use of the Green on Lion Lane, or indeed any part of the Green however small. The President agreed to raise the issue with the Mayor of Haslemere as this is seen to be unsupportive of Haslemere businesses.
It was agreed that Haslemere Chamber will affiliate with the wider Surrey Chambers giving members of Haslemere Chamber access to events being held by other Surrey Chambers at a discounted rate.
It was reported that the number of visits to the Haslemere Chamber website continues to rise month on month giving our members an ever increasing opportunity to spotlight their businesses.
The new meeting room at the Haslemere Business Centre is now completed and is available for booking at a discounted rate for Haslemere Chamber members.
The September drinks meeting on Thursday 26th September has been moved to Olivers as RedH is not yet ready to receive customers.
Members are again reminded to tell Committee members if there is anything they would like the Committee to discuss on their behalf.