Business Centres in East Riding Play a Key Role

A recent report has highlighted the important role being played by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s business centres in the local economy.

The report by the council’s planning and economic regeneration service showed that, up to March 2010, the centres have helped 114 new business start-ups, 209 existing businesses have used the service and 349 new jobs have been created.

Business advisers working with new start-ups from the centres have helped create an average of over 100 new businesses each year throughout the last ten years.

Councillor Andy Burton, cabinet portfolio holder for economic development and regeneration for East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Our business centres are playing a key role in the local economy and are proving to be an asset to the local business community.

“As well as helping businesses start up they are also ensuring companies receive valuable assistance, such as advice and practical support to trade through these uncertain financial times and help them grow and flourish in the future.”

The centres are based in Beverley, Goole, Bridlington, Driffield, Market Weighton and Brough.

Jackie Herd, a partner of Goole-based Fairview Duplication, is delighted by the service she received from the business centres.

She said:

“At the beginning of the year we decided to capitalise on our location and available space and to apply to open a cattery but no idea how to go about this.

“We searched the East Riding of Yorkshire Council website and contacted the inward investment office.

“They were a great help and also informed us that we were eligible for a grant towards building costs. The team helped enormously with all the relevant paper work, form filling and business plans as well as advising and supporting our planning application, which has been approved.

“Without the help of this department I would not have known that we were eligible for a grant and would certainly have been put off by the complexity of the form filling process.”