No A14 Toll Tax on Suffolk Leaflet
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The document summarizes business opposition to proposed tolls on the upgraded A14 highway in Suffolk, England. It argues that tolling the A14 would unfairly disadvantage and increase costs for Suffolk businesses and others reliant on the highway compared to competitors elsewhere. Tolls on the A14 could undermine the UK's economic recovery by increasing export and supply costs. The business community supports upgrading the A14 but believes tolls would act as a discriminatory "toll tax" on Suffolk.
No A14 Toll Tax on Suffolk Leaflet
- 1. No Toll Tax on the A14 is co-ordinated by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Shipping on behalf of, and in partnership with, the following organisations: Babergh District Council Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce Essex Federation of Small Businesses Felixstowe Chamber of Trade & Commerce Felixstowe Port Users Association Forest Heath District Council Greater Cambridgeshire Federation of Small Businesses Hadleigh Chamber of Commerce Haverhill & District Chamber of Commerce Huntingdonshire Federation of Small Businesses Institute of Directors - Suffolk Ipswich Borough Council Ipswich Chamber of Commerce Lowestoft & Waveney Chamber of Commerce Mid Suffolk District Council New Anglia LEP Newmarket & District Chamber of Commerce Norfolk Chamber of Commerce Norfolk Federation of Small Businesses Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce Road Haulage Association Start Up Suffolk St Edmundsbury Borough Council Stowmarket & District Chamber of Commerce Sudbury & District Chamber of Commerce Suffolk Chamber of Commerce Suffolk Coastal District Council Suffolk County Council Suffolk Federation of Small Businesses Waveney District Council www.suffolkchamber.co.uk/notolltaxonsuffolk #notolltaxonsuffolk The Voice of Business Unites to Say No to A14 Toll Tax
- 2. The voice of business I am very proud to be able to back the campaign ably led by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. We know we need improvements to the A14, but it should not be singled out as the only road improvement scheme to have a toll. This would have an unfair impact on Suffolk residents and businesses. I will continue to press for a change of heart from the Government and urge as many people as possible to respond to the consultation. I have also launched a petition that I will present to Parliament which can be found at www.theresecoffeymp.com/a14/." Dr Therese Coffey MP Suffolk Coastal Tolling of the A14? The business community has real concerns regarding Department of Transport proposals to build a toll road as the answer to the problems with congestion on the A14. Here we set out those concerns and explain why tolling the A14 will be a toll tax on Suffolk and on many businesses across the UK. Putting business first Suffolk is home to 730,000 people and brings 305,000 jobs to an economy worth 贈12.6 billion every year. Firms across Suffolk are working harder than ever during a challenging economic time but with their entrepreneurial spirit are, for example, leading the region in growth in exports from the UK. Businesses, which are driving the economic recovery of UK plc, welcome overdue urgent improvements to the A14 but are clear in their view that the use of tolls would be inconsistent with the approach to other road upgrades across the country. For example, in the 2012 Autumn Statement the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced 贈1.5 billion of investment in new road schemes. None of these schemes except for the A14 will be tolled. Firms across Suffolk are working harder than ever during a challenging economic time. Damaging our economy There is no doubt that tolling the A14 would have a detrimental impact on business and the economy of Suffolk, of neighbouring counties and beyond. Tolls on the A14 would be discriminatory, adding costs to businesses reliant on that route that are not faced by businesses elsewhere. The A14 is the main trunk route connecting East Anglia with the Midlands and North and is the only option for many drivers. The Haven ports represent a major route to overseas markets for importers and exporters based in the manufacturing heartlands of the Midlands and North. The majority of these importers and exporters access ports via the A14. A toll would increase the cost to importers and exporters, fundamental pillars of Suffolk business and of business across the UK, undermining the UKs economic recovery. A toll on Suffolk would increase the cost of exports and undermine the UKs economic recovery. A disadvantage for Suffolk Suffolk businesses and others reliant on the A14 would be disadvantaged by having to pay a toll to get goods to market or to get supplies from businesses around the country or abroad. The imposition of a toll on the A14 would be arbitrary and without any coherent policy on road-user charging. With the exception of the M6 toll, there are no other tolled trunk routes in mainland Britain. All other tolled routes are estuarial crossings but many heavy goods haulage firms have a policy of not paying tolls. Tolls on the A14 will lead to traffic diverting onto less suitable alternative routes leading to an increase in congestion and accidents on those routes. Suffolk businesses and other businesses reliant on the A14 will be unique in having to pay a toll. Damaging to all sectors from Tourism to Logistics The millions of people who travel to our county from the west or north to visit the countryside, heritage and coastal towns of Suffolk and wider East Anglia every year will have to pay a toll on their visit. As we see a year on year growth on visitor numbers this is hardly the welcome message our tourism providers wish to portray. A toll would also distort competition between businesses across all sectors, located in Suffolk or reliant on the A14, and competitors elsewhere that would have lower transport costs to get to market. Businesses across Suffolk and more widely will suffer economic loss as a result with potentially negative impacts for growth and employment. Competitors elsewhere will have lower transport costs to get to market. The A14 is of fundamental importance to the economic infrastructure and future success of Suffolk and UK plc The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping, with its members and partners across the business community and public sector have campaigned and lobbied over many years for improvements and upgrades to this important road. Therefore the public consultation on route options is welcomed as the first step in delivering a badly needed upgrade to the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The voice of business www.suffolkchamber.co.uk/notolltaxonsuffolk #notolltaxonsuffolk I am very proud to be able to back the campaign ably led by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. We know we need improvements to the A14, but it should not be singled out as the only road improvement scheme to have a toll. This would have an unfair impact on Suffolk residents and businesses. I will continue to press for a change of heart from the Government and urge as many people as possible to respond to the consultation. I have also launched a petition that I will present to Parliament which can be found at www.theresecoffeymp.com/a14/." Dr Therese Coffey MP, Suffolk Coastal The imposition of a toll has caused dismay among businesses and the general public. Vehicles travelling north up the A1 or coming south on the A1 to join the A14 will have to cover an extra 6 miles adding fuel costs of 贈1 for cars and 贈4 for lorries in addition to the tolls. These proposals are very unsatisfactory and that is why we are backing No Toll Tax on Suffolk. Stephen Britt, Managing Director, Anchor Storage Ltd, Stowmarket Improvements to the A14 are needed, but the current proposal appears to be a band aid and it does not address the issues for the region. This plan lacks ambition and empathy for the needs of both businesses and individuals. Were backing No Toll Tax on Suffolk as clearly this extra cost is unfair and will have a negative impact to all who are living in and using the county. Steve Lee, Concierge Couriers, Bury St Edmunds As an SME manufacturer based in Suffolk, we are against the proposed tolling of the A14. The A14 is the primary transportation route for our raw materials coming to our factory and our finished goods getting to our customers. Inevitably any toll charges will be added to our operational costs and will disadvantage our business against competitors based elsewhere in the country. Essentially we see this as a selective incremental taxation that will have a detrimental affect on our ability to compete both in the UK and internationally. Graham Burchell, Managing Director, Challs International Ltd, Hadleigh "I sell and rent shipping containers for storage purposes with delivery to my customers' sites. East Anglia is my busiest area. I also import new containers from China that are delivered from a central point in the UK to Felixstowe. Delivery costs are already high and if theres an A14 toll charge the cost will have to be passed on to my customers. This will lead to fewer sales and rentals, therefore, seriously affecting my business. My message to the Government is to please abolish the toll charges on the A14 with immediate effect." Jane Billing, Director, Billie Box Ltd, Ipswich We support improvements being made to the A14 but tolling the road will create unfairness. It is a toll uniquely on Suffolk businesses and that is an unfair tax on the county. The Government must listen to the voice of business and rethink their tolling proposals." Councillor Graham Newman, Suffolk County Councils cabinet member for roads and transport Upgrading of the A14 route is urgently needed but the proposed local toll is strongly opposed by hauliers as being detrimental to the economy in East Anglia and as setting a most unwelcome precedent. Jack Semple, Director of Policy, Road Haulage Association Ltd As one of the largest users of the Port of Felixstowe, MSC welcome the upgrade of the A14 and the further investment to support regional and UK business growth. MSC has long been a supporter of rail as the preferred mode of moving containers from the Port to inland destinations with a significant investment in dedicated services, however there will always be a requirement for cargo to move by road along the A14 to service certain specific customers needs. Whilst this investment in the A14 upgrade will improve the service offered to these customers, by placing an additional local toll without a realistic choice in alternative routes to avoid incurring the charge, then there is a justifiable concern that this will now increase costs in an arbitrary manner, with no realistic outcome other than local businesses absorbing this additional cost at a very challenging time. Jonathan Burke, General Manager Transport, Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Limited, Ipswich