Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2009-01-05 07:42:37 - Graham Ellis
Late in 2008, I was delighted and honoured to be elected the President of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry - something of a figurehead role in which I can listen to the views of businesses in the town, and advocate the shared business views both within the town and further afield. Here, starting 2009, are a few words looking forward that I have penned for The Chamber's New Year Message. Other "Chamber related" material is indexed here
2009 will be a challenging year for businesses big and small; a rapidly changing economy will create both winners and losers, and all businesses will need to adapt and adopt to thrive.
In Wiltshire, we're seeing political changes too. The new Unitary Wiltshire Council takes over from the two tiers of District and County in the Spring, and already the officers of the new council are talking about the tightness of their budgets, and of working for "Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham" - their words, which should act as an alert to the other towns in the new authority, such as Melksham, that they need to raise their voices to ensure their interests are fully considered.
In Melksham, a new supermarket has just opened, another is in planning and an existing store is planning expansion. And although we see the occasional empty shop front, the town is more vibrant than many others in the Wessex Chambers area. And these very developments can bring their own problems - with serious traffic congestion, parking demand in excess of supply in the central car park at times, and road works which also discourage business.
Melksham is also home to a wide range of industrial businesses, scattered around the edge of the town. It never ceases to amaze me to see a "Melksham" address crop up in the most unexpected of worldwide marketing literature - from railway components through tyres and furniture to disaster appeals and lighting supplies. Much of this business is traditional, and much of it is online too - Melksham's thriving virtual community. And all of this activity, which brings jobs and prosperity to the area, needs stores and housing and schools and medical and other services and transport fit to support the business activity.
A new school to open in 2010 - the Melksham Oak Community School - is under construction. The site of the George Ward, which it replaces, is earmarked for replacement by additional housing, and some 750 new homes have been approved for the east of the town. That's in addition to recently completed expansions in areas such as Bowerhill. Expansion is set to continue, with the Regional Spatial Strategy planning growth of around 50% by 2016. The big stores who are coming to the town and expanding here know of these plans, and are thinking forward. Recent new medical centres, and the school changes, also look to the future. But in some other areas, work remains to be done. All road routes are already congested to the point of discouraging traffic at peak times, and the current train service to Melksham station are totally inappropriate for the needs of people travelling to and from the town and its businesses.
Melksham Chamber of Commerce and Industry exists to support the current, and future, needs of all businesses which operate in the town and surrounding area. From immediate issues and concerns, through training and networking programs and marketing of the town to planning for the future for businesses and the people who work for, and are customers of, those businesses. Many of our activities are such that a wider perspective is useful, and we're proud to be members of the Wessex Association of Chambers of Commerce.
We look forward to supporting your through Chamber activities in 2009 - to seeing you at events ranging from our meetings to Party in the Park and to the Council's budget meeting, to helping you with training and networking, or perhaps just to keeping you informed through our regular mailings of matters relevant to Melksham Businesses.