South: Has your business been affected by flooding? asks Oxfordshire LEP

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is conducting a survey in association with law firm Withy King into the effects of the recent floods on the county’s businesses.

In particular the LEP wants to establish the cost of flooding to Oxfordshire businesses. The results will be used to inform the Oxfordshire “Flooding Summit” on March 21, which will bring together organisations to consider how to reduce the risk and impact of flooding.

Oxfordshire LEP CEO Nigel Tipple said: “It is vital that the survey covers as many of Oxfordshire’s businesses as possible to give us a complete and accurate picture of how the floods have affected business. I urge you to take time to contribute, comment and help us make an effective contribution to a strategy to cope better with excessive rainfall.”

Mark Emery, a partner at Withy King in Oxford, said: “We know from the businesses we speak to that a large number have been affected by the flooding. It’s essential that local and central government and support organisations understand the true extent of the damage and disruption caused to businesses so they can develop robust strategies to deal with the aftermath of the most recent floods as well as to mitigate the effects in future. We hope our survey will provide the information needed to make a real difference to the decisionmaking process.”

The flooding survey forms part of the latest Oxfordshire Business Barometer – a quarterly initiative run by Withy King and the LEP to engage local businesses on important issues, such as skills shortages and transport.

The survey is open until Friday March 7. To take part, go here.