BUSINESSES feel Waltham Forest Council is 'seriously out of touch' with their concerns, according to a survey.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) research found 60 per cent of firms asked said they had no contact with the council on local issues which affected them.

FSB London Policy Manager, Nick Winch, said: "It is worrying that the council has so little contact with the business community.

"They are seen as seriously out of touch and they need to do more to make sure that they know how they can best support the local economy."

But the councillor responsible for business has hit back, saying the survey, which questioned 20 local businesses, was only a small snapshot of attitudes among the business community.

Cllr Afzal Akram said: "Having sought the opinion of 20 of our 15,200 or so businesses - roughly 0.13% of them - you’d be hard pushed to say this survey is exactly thorough or representative."

However, he added the council recognises the need to engage with the local business community if Waltham Forest’s economy is to improve.

He insisted that local businesses are encouraged to bid for public sector contracts through networking events and work has been done with local shops to implement business-friendly parking policies.

“In order to meet these aims we work closely with the Waltham Forest Business Board, the E11 and Argall Road BID companies, the Black Horse Lane Business Forum and our town centre forums in Chingford, Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone,” he said.

While some of the businesses questioned by the Guardian felt the council was doing enough, others felt more support was needed.

Neil Baxter, 43, manager of Grant Haze (London) Ltd building suppliers in Lea Bridge Rd, Leyton, said he wanted to be more regularly informed of opportunities to work with council contractors.

He said: "I don’t think the council are doing enough to encourage contractors to source their materials locally.

"This year has been horrendous for us. We have been going for 10 years and this is the most quiet it has ever been.

"We contribute a lot to the economy and I think the council should look after us more."

Nelson Agha, 45, of Agha Electronics (sales and repair), High Road Leyton, said: "I have been trading for over 30 years and with the way the recession is, they should help us to generate more customers."

He added he was unaware of any local forum where he could meet other businesses.