I’m delighted to see 110 Start-Up loans have been issued by the Government’s British Business Bank in Fylde.
That is loans worth some £993,979 to help 110 new businesses in the constituency.
The British Business Bank this week passed the milestone of having issued 75,000 loans in total – more than £623 million in lending – to help launch small businesses across the UK.
Importantly, one in three of those applications came from unemployed people who have now gone on to be employers themselves.
Anyone looking to start a business should visit www.startuploans.co.uk where there is plenty of advice on how to start up a business.
I received a briefing this week from Highways England regarding its Strategic Business Plan for the strategic road network for the next five years.
I’m pleased to see £14.2 billion set aside for enhancement projects, and a further £10.8 billion for maintenance and renewals.
Those works include the A585 Windy Harbour to Skippool works, along with several improvements to the M6, including junction improvements and Smart Motorway technology.
The A585 ground investigation works have started and a compound will soon be built for the full construction team – Highways England will need to perform some lane closures, but have pledged to do so only outside rush hour.
Most importantly, funding for the M55 link road is still in place from Highways England. That remains my number one priority and the fully-funded scheme is ready to go. All that remains is for the developer to sign the legal documentation with Lancashire County Council.
I’ve given my support to Power for People, for the new Local Electricity Bill. This would create a ‘Right of Local Supply’ of energy that would empower communities to sell locally-generated electricity directly to households. It will help increase clean energy generation, and boost local economies at the same time.