Rival win could end in ‘turf war’

9:01am Friday 26th September 2008

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A DAMAGING “turf war" looks set to break out in Hampshire after the right to run a chamber of commerce in the north of the county was awarded to a Sussex rival.

The unprecedented decision has provoked fury from existing Hampshire chambers, who had banded together to bid for the right to run North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NHCCI) but lost to Sussex Enterprise.

The move was branded “astonishing”, “nonsensical” and against the interests of Hampshire business.

It raises the possibility of rival chambers competing for members in the north Hampshire heartlands of Winchester, Andover and Basingstoke.

Trouble started when the NHCCI lost its accreditation from the British Chambers of Commerce, which represents 54 of more than 200 UK chambers, after failing to meet a standard on recruiting new members.

Ambitious neighbouring chamber Sussex Enterprise then bid to run a rival service, eventually triumphing over Hampshire Chambers – a groupg of the three county chambers: Southampton and Fareham, Portsmouth and NHCCI.

Sussex Enterprise bosses are already pressing ahead with the launch of their rival, the similarly titled North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise (NHCCE).

Captain Jimmy Chestnutt, director general of the Southampton and Fareham Chamber, said; “The BCC decision takes no account of the wishes or desires of fellow chambers in the area or the businesses they represent.

“I would assume Sussex will need to recruit members in north Hampshire and in doing that they can only weaken the existing chamber. We will do everything we can to help North Hampshire.

“We will, in effect, have a turf war with an organisation from another county and that cannot be in the best interest of business in Hampshire.”

John Harrocks, chief executive of the NHCCI, said: “It is astonishing and lacking in common sense.

“The BCC knew what the views were of all the people and the organisations thatmatter and then made a decision that totally went against that. We find this a frustrating distraction.”

A BCC spokesman said: “North Hampshire wasn’t good enough to reach the standard that we set.

They tendered for the region as part of the amalgamated Hampshire chambers and went up against the Sussex chamber but the Sussex chamber had a bid that was a clear vision for change in the region.”

Mark Froud, chief executive at NHCCE, said: “We believe local businesses will be excited by our new membership offer and our plans for growth.

We are a modern, dynamic business network aimed at supporting the needs of all types of business.”