LOCAL BUSINESSES in the borough are getting precious little help from the local authority, according to a recent survey.

Of the twenty businesses that were polled, more than half said that they had had no contact with Hillingdon Council , with just ten per cent saying that they have had dialogue.

Six of those asked said that they either didn't think the local authority were interested in local issues affecting their business, or have gotten nowhere when raising their concerns.

The sample that was taken reflected the business composition of the capital, with businesses in the production, communications, scientific, and construction sectors making up the majority of the small firms questioned.

Seventy five per cent of those approached had a maximum of 10 employees.

The figures were said to reflect a 'general sense of disillusion about political structures and institutions', and it was concluded that Hillingdon Council "has work to do in increasing the engagement and involvement it has with its local businesses."

The survey was carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a pressure group which has more than 210,000 independent business owners on its books.

Kevin Byrne, the Council's head of policy, put the findings into context.

"The FSB's research is interesting and will help to inform how we support small businesses.

"However, this sample of just 20 very different businesses is not representative of the views of the nearly 9,000 businesses in the borough, the majority of which are small businesses."

He added: "The council stays in touch with the views of small businesses in a range of ways.

"These include regular contact with local trade associations and the Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce, through events and focus groups that we organise, and on specific services through our contact centre."

The survey was conducted by the FSB in reaction to the spending cuts, which may cause many of the services helping small companies to be significantly reduced in their scope, or even wind up altogether.

Parking, crime and waste collection were revealed as the top council-run priorities, which mirrored the response across the capital.