Small business owners came together to pose a series of questions to some of the Barrow’s key decision makers. JOSHUA HAMMOND attended the event.

In the fourth event of its kind, the Furness branch of the Federation of Small Businesses invited prominent members of the business community to shelter away from Storm Doris and to speak openly about some of the issues and opportunities in the town

The Question Time -style event borrowed the format from the BBC programme with questions taken from the audience and a lively discussion from the panellists.

While questions were submitted and chosen before the event based on popularity, those in attendance were encouraged to engage with the debate and continue the discussion in the allotted time.

The chairman of the Furness branch of the FSB, Phil Collier, was joined by Phil Huck, executive director of Barrow Borough Council; Allan Day, facilities programme director at BAE Systems; and Paul Foster, regional development manager at the FSB.

Also on stage was Simon Craig, manager of Barrow's Marks & Spencer store and chairman of Barrow BID; and Caroline Vernon, the head of Victoria Academy which is part of a multi-academy trust in the the town.

In a FSB Furness first, the event was also live streamed to users on Twitter and people could remotely take part in the conversation using the hashtag #FSBFurness.

Introducing the event, Mr Collier, said: “We’re breaking new ground tonight in technological terms, in that we are streaming live on Twitter, so welcome to the wider world.”

Held at Furness College on Thursday, the event attracted an audience of almost 50 people from a variety of businesses.

Topics ranged from Cumbria’s role in the Northern Powerhouse to growing and maintaining skills in the Barrow and the town’s transport links.

The event’s opening question, revolved around the role of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and stoked a range of responses from both the panel and the floor.

Asking the first question, was managing director of Progression Solicitors, Anthony Smith, who said: “Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has come under fire recently, for being awarded just £12.7m from its funding request. What effect could this have on small businesses?”

The LEP had asked for £165m, to fund transport improvements, flood resilience, broadband upgrades and to boost skills and tourism, but received just £12.7m.

Its proposal promised to create 5,500 jobs, lever in millions of pounds of additional investment, develop 600,000sq metres of business space and fund infrastructure work for new homes.

Responding, Mr Huck, said: “I’m a great believer in working with what’s there, the key thing for me is how we go forwards from here and it seems to me that Cumbria LEP, like Cumbria, can struggle for an identity as it tries to balance the rural economy with the modern.

“We often forget, that this is a manufacturing economy, we are a manufacturing economy, if you look at the percentages, about 27 per cent of our GDP comes from manufacturing and that’s almost double the next nearest sector.

“Manufacturing is something that the government wants to hear more about, and Furness in particular is an attractive offering in that sector.”

Mr Craig suggested that while the funding was welcomed, it was focused too heavily on the north of the county.

He said: “To secure £12.7m for the county can only be a good thing, but my concern from a Furness point of view is that it’s a little too north county-centric.

“If you look at that £12.7m that has been secured is going to be spent there’s £5m going on Lillyhall (in Workington), £4.5m going on Whitehaven town centre and offices and £1m going on Carlisle station and £1m on small businesses, but there’s nothing to dictate where those small business being supported will be.”