During the latest Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Forum, a presentation on ‘The Great Greenwashing Crackdown’ was delivered. The presentation covered the concepts of greenwashing and greenhushing and explained the differences between carbon neutral and net zero. Case studies, including a tour by Coldplay, were used to highlight the importance of ethically reporting green credentials. The latest ASA guidance on carbon neutral and net zero claims was also discussed, emphasizing the need for clarity and transparency in reporting.

A recent presentation by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust on biodiversity in commercial developments was commended, and the possibility of inviting Gigi Hennessey as a speaker for a future forum was suggested.

Apologies and an update from the City Council were sent, highlighting progress in connecting the Goods Yard Development to the District Heat Network and other infrastructure upgrades.

An update from Keele University discussed the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator. The university has hosted numerous guests, including international visitors.

Disappointment in the recent LSIP findings was expressed, and the importance of giving energy issues higher priority for review as LSIP develops was discussed.

An update on behalf of Staffordshire University mentioned their participation in a webinar on tackling commuter emissions in higher education. The university’s representative will discuss this further at the Chambers’ Transport forum in July.

During the forum, an update from SBEN mentioned new sponsorships from Michelin and Steelite, enabling them to continue offering free services. The importance of SDG 6, clean water, and sanitation was discussed, focusing on recent news stories about water quality and sanitation issues in the UK and globally.

During the latest Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Social Value Forum, attendees welcomed new members and discussed various topics related to social value and sustainable development goals.

The chosen sustainable development goals for the month were Quality Education, Good Health and Wellbeing, and No Poverty. The forum addressed the impact of poverty on health and wellbeing in Staffordshire communities and explored ways businesses could get involved in initiatives like “Stronger together through winter.” They discussed the rising demand for food banks and how employers could support their employees to alleviate pressure on these resources.

The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) was introduced by Suzanne Quinn, aiming to reshape skills training to meet local employers’ needs. The LSIP process involves engaging with stakeholders, including employers, colleges, universities, and learners to understand their needs. Key findings included the need for more focus on Business Admin Level 2 training and supporting older workers returning to work.

The forum discussed the importance of work experience for young people and the need for schools, colleges, and universities to publicize the success stories of past students to inspire current students. They also explored the significance of social value in procurement and the challenges and best practices in integrating social value into procurement processes. The Responsible Business Scheme was mentioned as a way to support businesses in ensuring a sustainable supply chain and committing to social value.

Overall, the forum explored various ways to address social and community needs through collaboration between businesses and local stakeholders.

During the latest Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Planning and Infrastructure Forum, the concept of the ’15-minute city’ vision was discussed, which aims to meet most residents’ daily needs within a short walk or cycle ride from home. Members agreed that city infrastructure, such as cycle routes and paths, would need to be upgraded to support this vision.

A presentation on Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council’s Local Plan was given, outlining the long-term vision and development strategy for the Borough. The Council seeks views from the business community on potential future large-scale employment-led sites in the Borough.

Updates were provided on the Local Plans of various District Councils, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced and found to be relevant to the earlier discussions on the Local Plan.

In the “Any Other Business” section, it was reported that Mondrem CIC has been successful in improving the performance of council planning application teams, leading to a faster and better customer experience. Members also discussed the need for more support in the area of planning, with some being part of the British Chambers of Commerce Expert Planning Panel and meeting with Ministers to address this concern.

On Thursday 4th May, voters went to the polls in local elections taking place in many parts of Staffordshire. A week before we brought the then Leader of Stoke on Trent City Council, Cllr Abi Brown and the then Leader of the Opposition of Stoke on Trent City Council Cllr Jane Ashworth, together in our hustings event. Around 30 businesses attended and grilled both candidates on their future aspirations for the city.

Schemes earmarked for Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) – 2025-30 will continue to be developed and considered for inclusion within RIS 4, which will run from 2030-2035.In Staffordshire, this means no immediate improvements to the A50/A500, a key arterial route connecting the east and west of our region and a route described as a “North Midlands Manufacturing Corridor”, serving world recognised brands such as JCB. This route suffers from congestion at key pinch points, notably Uttoxeter and the urban area of North Staffordshire. It is disappointing to note that no further improvements would be ready for development until at least 2030. Transport is a key enabler to move people and goods and it’s essential for the A50/A500 to serve as a reliable route, particularly for a growing logistics sector in Staffordshire. We have written to Secretary of State for Transport (Rt Hon Mark Harper, MP), to outline our concerns about this delay.

We have written to Cllr David Williams (Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport, Staffordshire County Council), expressing concern about how Stafford grinds to a halt when traffic is diverted off the M6. When the M6 is closed there is a fundamentally different flow of traffic and altered priorities may reduce the gridlock in the town. Many of the road markings at key junctions in and around the town, have faded, creating confusion especially when the diversions are in place.

Furthermore, road surfacing at some of these key junctions has deteriorated and this creates a less than positive impression of Stafford. Thankfully road improvements are now planned to take place.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has proposed that WiFi connectivity on trains is withdrawn, and we have challenged this by writing to raise our objections to this proposal. A fast and reliable WiFi connection is expected by rail travellers.

We were also disappointed that East Midlands Rail is considering the withdrawal of some of the passenger services on the Crewe-Stoke-Derby line. Withdrawing rail services will make rail travel less attractive and becomes yet another barrier preventing us from leaving our cars at home.

Air pollution continues to pose a large environmental public health risk in the UK and threatens the lives of the more vulnerable members of our society. Recent studies suggest that breathing in polluted air contributes to approximately 200 deaths a year in North Staffordshire. Several ‘areas of exceedance’ have been identified in North Staffordshire, where nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exceedances are to be reduced within statutory limits, in the shortest possible time. One of these is Etruria Road in Basford (A53) where there are proposals to introduce a bus gate, which would restrict westbound traffic heading from the A500 towards Basford, at peak times of the working week. In another ‘area of exceedance’ stretching from southern end of Victoria Road to Joiners Square there is a proposal to launch a clean air zone (CAZ – Class C). Any buses, coaches, lorries and vans entering the CAZ area which do not meet agreed emissions standards, will be forced to pay a charge.

During 2023, we have been running a campaign to raise awareness of these proposals and what we see as the negative impact they will have on the local business community. We have written to the Minister of State in the Department for Transport and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to outline our concerns and to call for a review of the proposals. Declan was interviewed by local community radio station, Cross Rhythms and also by BBC Radio Stoke, with an article developed and published on the BBC news website.

The need to improve air quality in North Staffordshire is clearly evident but this must be balanced against the needs of business. During the last few years, businesses have battled their way through a pandemic, only to face a shock to energy pricing, eye watering inflationary pressures and a tight labour market which limits the ability to recruit and retain staff.

A bus gate at Etruria Road will surely displace pollution and add to congestion at peak times of the working week, with many vehicles unable to head along Etruria Road. Commuters may find themselves stuck in lengthy queues and may opt to move jobs. Businesses inside the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), may need to upgrade vehicle fleets, incurring significant financial costs and may opt to move out of the local area.

Our quarterly economic survey feeds into the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) survey which is the UK’s largest and longest running independent business survey with over 5000 participants.

The QES is acknowledged by Bank of England as being of great help in getting the views of business. Every three months, we ask the local business community to share their views on areas such as sales forecasting, recruitment, cashflow, investment and business confidence. Around 200 Staffordshire businesses complete the survey each quarter.

Headline results from Q2, 2023:

• Less than half (45%) of UK firms expect their prices to increase in the next three months, down from 55% in Q1.

• Labour costs are the biggest driver of price rises, cited by 68% of businesses.

• Domestic sales, cashflow, turnover and profitability indicators all remain largely unchanged from Q1.

• Less than half of firms now plan to raise prices in the next three months as cost pressures ease.

• Main factor for increasing costs is now coming from wages rather than utility bills or raw materials.

• Inflationary pressures continue to ease, but still remain the top concern.

The next QES will launch in August, and we would really value your input to grow the response rate from our county. It takes about two minutes to fill out the survey. You will get notification of the next survey by email and in Daily Focus.

During the meeting, a participant asked about the gender split of applicants for the apprenticeship programs. It was noted that there is still an issue with the perception of manufacturing businesses, which discourages some women from applying.

Another participant inquired about the retention of apprentices, and it was mentioned that approximately 10% of the current workforce consists of apprentices, with around 70% of them staying on after their apprenticeships. Those who leave often do so to pursue different career paths.

The forum discussed the mentoring and buddy system, where mentees meet their buddies monthly, and feedback is collected throughout the apprenticeship to help develop employees. The benefits of embedding this system into the workforce were seen, and around 20-25% of a member’s workforce now consists of former apprentices, which enhances the perception of the apprenticeship program.

The forum also discussed upcoming events, including National Manufacturers’ Day and a site tour at the manufacturing site of Stoke Heath prison in Shropshire, focusing on the challenges of manufacturing in prisons.