The business case against the proposed A14 Toll Tax on Suffolk

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 £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 £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 UK’s economic recovery.
‘A toll on Suffolk would increase the cost of exports and undermine the UK’s 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 £1 for cars and £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. We’re
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 there’s 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 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 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