Newham business owners welcome MP

Thursday 26th February, 2026

Newham business owners welcomed Jayne Kirkham, Labour MP for Truro and Falmouth, to the estate in February to discuss the issues that affect them most.

Ms Kirkham met representatives from BLS Estates, Fuel Specialist Services (FSS), Stringers Gym, Routenote and Skinner’s Brewery.

They highlighted the potential impact of business rate increases, including additional costs and operating challenges; concerns around the reevaluation of properties in the hospitality industry to reverse reductions made during the years following the pandemic; and the need for a safe solution at the bottom of Lighterage Hill, with a bridge proposed connecting the estate with Boscawen Park.

Stuart Evans owns FSS, providing engineered solutions to the industrial and marine fuel and oil industries, including storage tank maintenance, fuel testing and decommissioning. He was keen to discuss apprenticeships with Ms Kirkham, saying: “We have two apprentices in our team of 18 – my approach is to pass knowledge on and leave a legacy.

“But there is no real incentive from the government to do this. We are paying above the minimum wage, three days a week – and at the end of four years, our apprentices could choose to take that knowledge somewhere else, and you’ve lost that person.”

Ms Kirkham said the amount of apprentice training paid for by the government had recently increased. She added: “Newham is a thriving industrial estate, with all sorts of businesses – the issues we discussed were varied as a result. It's fascinating, and proof of the importance that Newham has its own BID, so we need to sustain that.”