East Cambs is the place for new businesses to grow
Despite the economic downturn, East Cambridgeshire continues to be the place for new
businesses with a rise of over 15 per cent in firms located in the district in the last seven
years.
During 2007/08, 3500 businesses were officially recorded as VAT registered in East
Cambridgeshire by NOMIS who supply labour market statistics; this is up from 3350 in the
previous year.
The district can also boost a new business survival rate which exceeds the national
average. In the last 12 months, 94 per cent of businesses survived the first year in East
Cambridgeshire compared with the national figure of 90 per cent.
Over two years, the figures are even better with 86 per cent of businesses surviving
compared to the national figure of 80 per cent.
Councillor Ron Bradney, who leads on economic development on East Cambridgeshire
District Council said: “These figures show that despite the current economic gloom, East
Cambridgeshire is still a great place to start a business. In all the figures available to us
we are ahead of the national averages in terms of business survival rates. I am not
suggesting that we will be immune to the pressures of the economic downturn but we are
better placed than many areas.
"We believe we are popular with business for a variety of reasons. We are in close
proximity to Cambridge and London; the area is generally an affordable and attractive
place to work and the district has an ever-growing skilled workforce with the population
continuing to rise. These are important as we all move forward and batten the hatches as
we enter what may be a difficult 2009."
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