Business experts and community leaders in Gloucestershire and beyond have been giving their reactions to yesterday's Budget.

Read more: Hazlewoods response - Rishi's gamble on growth 

Ruth Dooley, partner at Hazlewoods said: "In my view the 'gamechanger announcement' was actually in Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR)'s document that was released yesterday. 

"It lowered its estimate of the damage caused by the pandemic to the UK economy from 3% of GDP to 2%. It also revised its growth forecast for the current year from 4% to 6.5%. 

"This gave the Chancellor the leeway to announce a raft of spending measures including our local levelling up bids in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean for much needed investment in both areas. With this bunce from the OBR, the Chancellor could have reversed some of the previous tax increases announced, but instead he kept his powder dry maybe hoping for a war chest for future budgets."

Read more:  £20m government funding for Forest confirmed 

Ian Mean, Business West Gloucestershire director said the Chancellor had 'pulled a rabbit out of his Budget hat' with the announcement of help with business rates for the hospitality and retail sectors.

Sam Holliday, Federation of Small Businesses, development manager for Gloucestershire, agreed this was a help but said overall the Budget felt like a 'wasted opportunity'.

Patrick Downes, Property Consultant with Trust In Property, said the announcement of Levelling Up funding for the city 'put a real spring in Gloucester's step'.

Read more: £20 million of good news for city centre regeneration 

While, Sara-Jane Watkins, College Principal, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College said it was 'incredibly positive' in its support for skills and education.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, was 'absolutely delighted' by the funding for sustainable transport.

And Liberal Democrat group leader, Cllr. Jeremy Hilton also expressed his delight at funding towards 'important regeneration projects'.

Real estate firm Colliers said the sector with biggest gains was the leisure industry, but John Webber, Head of Business Rates, said the Chancellor had 'missed a golden opportunity' to reassure businesses by instigating fundamental reforms.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, while welcoming the budget said the Chancellor must be prepared to step in with further measures if there were 'unexpected bumps in the road'.

Kitty Ussher, Institute of Director's Chief Economist, said that while he promised a 'skills revolution', the actual measures the Chancellor announced 'felt piecemeal' and would not give business confidence that there's a plan to tackle labour shortages.

Tony Danker, CBI Director-General, said the Chancellor had shown a 'genuine willingness' to listen to business but it wasn't 'bold enough' to deliver a high investment, high productivity economy.

Meanwhile, StepChange Debt Charity said the Budget was 'good in parts' with the change in the Universal Credit taper allowing people to keep more of their benefit and the increase in minimum wage being welcomed.

Sam Holliday, FSB development manager for Gloucestershire, said: "It has been an extraordinary time for businesses in the past 18 months and we had started to get used to dramatic announcements from the Chancellor that truly changed the business landscape. However, this felt a bit more like a 'business as usual' Budget which perhaps feels like a wasted opportunity because although we're not at the height of the pandemic the effect of Covid and rising costs means that we are not really in those 'usual' times yet.

"On the plus side we can be very pleased that our vital hospitality businesses in Gloucestershire and beyond will benefit from a genuine business rates boost and also that the Government does seem to be taking the skills agenda very seriously which is important not only for the current jobs market but for the challenges we face in the future.

"Overall though we know it is business - and particularly SMEs - who will lead the recovery but we can't produce the high growth, high wage, high productivity economy we want to see without support from the Government. We must hope, therefore, that as the finer details of the Budget emerge it will reveal more information about how business can play its part to make that change happen."

Ian Mean, Business West Gloucestershire director, said: "The Chancellor pulled a rabbit out of his Budget hat for business with help on Business Rates for the hard-hit retail and hospitality businesses.

"We expected little from him on the much criticised Business Rates system, but Rishi Sunak had some welcome news for the High Street with a 50% reduction in rates over the next year up to £110,000.

"The Chancellor said that the total take from Business Rates - £25 billion - could not be replaced at the risk of lots of public services being hit but government was now working on a reform package for what business has always regarded as an iniquitous tax.

"There will now be a revaluation of business premises every three years which will be very welcome by business who have complained that their properties have not been re-rated for many years.

"Business will also be pleased by the decision to cancel any rise in fuel duty.

"And for pubs so badly hit by the Covid pandemic, there was good news in the reduction of draft beer and cider duty.

"Business will also benefit by the increase in government support for Research and Development with the budget of Innovate UK being increased by 50% to £1billion and total investment increased to £20 billion.

"It gave the Chancellor the chance to claim that we were now well and truly becoming a Science and Technology Superpower.

"This was a better Budget than business expected with the welcome news for Business Rates reform at long last plus the announcement of the year reduction for retail, leisure and hospitality."

Patrick Downes, Property Consultant with Trust In Property, said: "It's fantastic to see Gloucester benefitting from the Levelling Up Fund - a great City full of history and heritage but in desperate need for further investment.

"Yesterday's announcement put a real spring in Gloucester's step by helping to fund game changing property projects which have been brought to the fore by the confidence and drive of so many in the Council, Dowdeswell Group, Reef Group, University of Gloucestershire, and Politicians.

"To see such financial commitment for the iconic Debenhams building and the amazing Forum project is tremendous, along with the real Jewell in The Crown for City history and architecture which is The Fleece project. This will bring rapidly deteriorating heritage, and brownfield land, back into use to become a destination venue for tourism and locals and a huge boost for that part of the City and the Westgate Street link with the Docks and the Quays."

Sara-Jane Watkins, College Principal, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, said: "Overall the CSR seems incredibly positive in terms of supporting an innovative and highly skilled economy and encouragement for entrepreneurs. A considerable focus remains on levelling up, building one million new homes and the UK's Net Zero ambition.

"It is good news to hear that education is valued and that £4.7billion will be invested in schools with funding returned back to 2010 levels in real terms. It is disappointing however to not receive clarity that the same real terms increase will be made in 16-18 education when colleges are already haemorrhaging skilled staff in all areas of delivery especially in construction, health and digital and we expect more of our staff to migrate further into schools, who are better funded, or into industry."

Gloucestershire County Council has been awarded £12.8million from the government's Levelling Up Fund, providing a cash injection into sustainable and active travel in the county.

The full bid of £12.822m has been awarded to support significant transport improvements through Gloucester city, connecting what has been known as "the missing link of cycle routes" in the heart of the county.

The funding will breathe life into the vision to connect the recently enhanced Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Towpath with the A40 West Cheltenham Transport Improvement Scheme, via Gloucester and the B4063 cycle path. This would ultimately provide a 26-mile cycle 'spine' through the county from Stroud to Bishops Cleeve, allowing the county council to create a substantial local cycling and walking network, helping people to get about sustainably in residential areas.

The bid supports improved access to and from the docks area of Gloucester, a former industrial area which has transformed into a thriving and dynamic mixed community of businesses, visitors and residents. It will also link the docks to the city centre and beyond through a sustainable travel corridor, helping students and employees to access the hospital, university and local colleges from residential areas.