‘No Toll Tax on the A14’ is co-ordinated by Suffolk Chamberof Commerce, Industry & Shipping on behalf of, and inpartnership 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 SmallBusinesses

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’

The voice of business

“I am very proud to be able to back the campaign ably led by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce. We knowwe need improvements to the A14, but it should not be singled out as the only road improvement schemeto have a toll. This would have an unfair impact on Suffolk residents and businesses. I will continue topress for a change of heart from the Government and urge as many people as possible to respond to theconsultation. I have also launched a petition that I will present to Parliament which can be found atwww.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 tothe 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 firstSuffolk is home to 730,000 people and brings 305,000 jobs to an economy worth £12.6 billion every year.Firms across Suffolk are working harder than ever during a challenging economic time but with their entrepreneurial spiritare, 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 clearin 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 £1.5 billion of investment in new roadschemes. 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 economyThere is no doubt that tolling the A14 would have a detrimental impact on business and the economy of Suffolk, of neighbouringcounties and beyond. Tolls on the A14 would be discriminatory, adding costs to businesses reliant on that route that are not faced by businesseselsewhere. 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 heartlandsof 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 theUK, undermining the UK’s economic recovery.

‘A toll on Suffolk would increase the cost of exports and undermine the UK’s economic recovery.’

A disadvantage for SuffolkSuffolk businesses and others reliant on the A14 would be disadvantaged by having to pay a toll to get goods to market or toget 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 exceptionof 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 andaccidents 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 LogisticsThe millions of people who travel to our county from the west or north to visit the countryside, heritage and coastal towns ofSuffolk 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, andcompetitors 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 growthand 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 thebusiness community and public sector have campaigned and lobbied over many years for improvementsand 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 needimprovements to the A14, but it should not be singled out as the only road improvement scheme to have a toll. Thiswould have an unfair impact on Suffolk residents and businesses. I will continue to press for a change of heart fromthe Government and urge as many people as possible to respond to the consultation. I have also launched a petitionthat 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 theA1 or coming south on the A1 to join the A14 will have to cover an extra 6 miles adding fuel costs of £1 for cars and £4for lorries in addition to the tolls. These proposals are very unsatisfactory and that is why we are backing No Toll Taxon 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 theissues for the region. This plan lacks ambition and empathy for the needs of both businesses and individuals. We’rebacking No Toll Tax on Suffolk as clearly this extra cost is unfair and will have a negative impact to all who are living inand 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 primarytransportation 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 againstcompetitors based elsewhere in the country. Essentially we see this as a selective incremental taxation that will havea 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 busiestarea. I also import new containers from China that are delivered from a central point in the UK to Felixstowe. Deliverycosts are already high and if there’s an A14 toll charge the cost will have to be passed on to my customers. This will leadto fewer sales and rentals, therefore, seriously affecting my business. My message to the Government is to please abolishthe 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 onSuffolk businesses – and that is an unfair tax on the county. The Government must listen to the voice of business andrethink their tolling proposals."

Councillor Graham Newman, Suffolk County Council’s 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 beingdetrimental 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 tosupport regional and UK business growth. MSC has long been a supporter of rail as the preferred mode of movingcontainers from the Port to inland destinations with a significant investment in dedicated services, however there willalways be a requirement for cargo to move by road along the A14 to service certain specific customers’ needs. Whilst thisinvestment in the A14 upgrade will improve the service offered to these customers, by placing an additional “local” tollwithout a realistic choice in alternative routes to avoid incurring the charge, then there is a justifiable concern that this willnow increase costs in an arbitrary manner, with no realistic outcome other than local businesses absorbing this additionalcost at a very challenging time.

Jonathan Burke, General Manager – Transport, Mediterranean Shipping Company (UK) Limited, Ipswich