Newcastle Under Lyme’s Business Improvement District (BID) has secured vital funding from the Police Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund to bolster safety and support local businesses in the town centre during the festive period.

The funding will enable the deployment of First Aid Responders on key Saturday dates throughout November and December, to include Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, with the aim of alleviating pressure on essential resources, such as Staffordshire Police and Accident and Emergency Unit at Royal Stoke University Hospital.

The Police Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund has recognised the importance of supporting local communities during the holiday season, particularly in high-traffic areas like Newcastle Under Lyme’s town centre.

The addition comes following positive feedback from night time economy businesses after a successful initiative by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council that provides coverage on Friday evenings from the Women’s Safe Space on the Ironmarket.

This funding provided to the Newcastle Under Lyme BID will be instrumental in enhancing public safety and ensuring that both residents and visitors can enjoy a safe and enjoyable festive season.

Charlotte Pearce, manager of Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, expressed gratitude for the funding, saying, “We are incredibly thankful for the support provided by the Police Commissioner’s Safer Streets Fund who have also supported the BID in a community art project that focuses on Violence Against Women and Girls. This funding will be instrumental in ensuring that our town centre remains a safe and welcoming place during the festive period. The first aid responders will play a crucial role in providing assistance to those in need and supporting our local businesses. By doing so, we aim to ease the burden on our valued local resources, such as Staffordshire Police and staff at Royal Stoke.”

This initiative is an excellent example of collaboration between local organisations, law enforcement, and the local authority to create a safer and more prosperous community.

You’re sat on a train which has just stopped at Stoke-on-Trent Station. The doors close and the train glides away from the station, heading northwards. Look to one side and you’ll notice the expansive campus of Staffordshire University. Look to the other side and you’ll see the A500, amidst a sea of traffic lights. The train picks up speed and races through Shelton and Cliffe Vale. Suddenly, the train starts to slow and the public address system “kicks in. You hear the following announcement:

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re now approaching Etruria Valley. Please change here for Festival Park and connecting bus services to Hanley and Newcastle-under-Lyme.”

This isn’t a dream or the latest in artificial intelligence.  We’re hoping it will become a reality, as we aim to develop a proposal to open a new rail station at Etruria Valley, close to the newly opened Etruria Valley Link Road.  Just think of the benefits of a new station at Etruria Valley, home to some of the area’s largest employers, including Bet365, DPD, Doubletree Hilton, Morrisons, Vodafone, Waterworld, Wardell Armstrong (and of course, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce!):

• Improved access to the workplace for staff.
• Makes local businesses more accessible with a better chance of attracting the best pool of available talent from across the area and beyond.
• Staff travelling to and from work in a sustainable way.
• Improved air quality for local residents and employees.
• Staff may choose to combine rail travel with cycling – even more sustainable travel!
• Easier access for visitors to local businesses.  No need for taxis to and from Stoke-on-Trent Station.
• Easier access to Etruria Valley for visitors heading to destinations such as Doubletree Hilton and Waterworld – supporting spend in our leisure economy.
• Drop in traffic congestion in and around Etriuria Valley and Festival Park, particularly on A53 and A500.
• Reduced pressure on car parking.

If your business is based in Etruria Valley or Festival Park, we would like to invite you to join us for an open table discussion on the proposal, which is very much in the early stages but one which we hope will develop into reality.  We hope that a new station could offer connections to a bus service linking with Hanley to the east and Wolstanton and Newcastle under Lyme to the west.  Electric vehicle charging points on site could entice park-and-ride travellers.

A new rail station at Etruria Valley will be a gamechanger for local businesses and we hope you’ll join us at our Commerce House office (ST1 5BE) on Monday 13^th November from 10AM to 11AM, to hear more and join the discussions around improving transport connectivity.  Places are limited but you can book your place through the November events page on the Chambers’ website or by emailing

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

We hope to see you on 10.11.23.

A collection of images from the 2023 Let’s Do Business expo is now ready to view for free in our online gallery.

This gallery showcases the vibrant and dynamic atmosphere of last week’s Let’s Do Business expo at Uttoxeter Racecourse – an event that brought together a diverse range of businesses and delegates for a day of networking, business insights and keynote presentations from renowned AI experts.

Now, attendees and the wider business community can relive the excitement and memories of the Let’s Do Business Expo through the comprehensive online image gallery.

To access the Let’s Do Business Expo image gallery, please click here and use the password coc1 for passwords 1 and 2.

Please feel free to download and share your favourite moments with us on social media!

Staffordshire Chambers would like to extend our gratitude to all of the businesses, delegates, keynote speakers and sponsors who contributed to the resounding success of the Let’s Do Business Expo, including headline sponsors Michelin, and event sponsors IronMarket Wealth, AWD-IT, HEX Graphics, Lexus Stoke, MG Motor UK Ltd, Lookers BMW Stafford and BusinessLodge Stoke at Trent House.

To see a full list of upcoming Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce events, view our events calendar, here.

Following the first successful national week of action organised by the The National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) last year, a newly branded Safer Business Action Week is due to be held in October with police and partners across the country joining together to tackle business crime in their communities.

The Safer Business Action Week will start on Monday 16th October and will involve Business Reductions Partnerships (BCRPs) , Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and the the private security industry working with local police forces to deliver a focussed operation with joint patrols, the targeted intervention of offenders and a range of crime prevention activity including raising awareness of the local issues with the general public.

Did you know – Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce operate a business crime helpline to help support businesses who have been targeted by criminals. If you have been the victim of a business crime or would like to find out more information about how you can support victims, call 01782 900239.

Supt Patrick Holdaway, lead for the NBCC said: “The week of action is coordinated nationally but it very much focussed on local crime and ASB issues impacting retail and other businesses in the community.

“It is as much about engaging with businesses and the public as it is about identifying and catching prolific offenders. Last year’s week of action saw some fantastic results in targeting those who cause the most harm to businesses and also in building ongoing relationships between business, partners and the police.”

The party conference season has drawn to a close and we have seen the Lib Dems gunning for ‘Blue Wall’ seats in the next election, buoyed by recent bye-election successes; Rishi Sunak scrapping the northern phase of HS2 and making strategic changes that suggest a significant transformation of the Conservative party. And this week it was the turn of Sir Kier Starmer at what has been dubbed as ‘possibly his last party conference as leader of the opposition’.

Sir Kier and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves have stressed that they are for business, opposed to tax increases and pro-development with the announcement of several new towns and an accelerated programme of building on brown field sites to solve the housing crisis.

Labour is right to say that reforming the planning system, speeding up energy grid connections and delivering the infrastructure this country needs to grow are key issues facing business.

The commitment to invest and grow the UK’s world leading green industries is also welcomed as this sector is vital to the future of our economy.

Building 1.5 million high-quality homes, creating new towns in the places people want to live, and reclaiming appropriate land to do this will unlock growth across the UK.

But it is essential that there is good quality land reserved for business too, and that councils are proactively planning for employment. All too often, firms are squeezed out of towns and cities.  Flourishing economies need the right balance of land for jobs and homes.

Planning has been a totemic issue for a long time and businesses will rightly want to see exactly how Keir Starmer plans to overcome resistance and inertia – and finally put this issue to bed.

Employers are crying out for more people with technical skills and will be keen to hear more about the proposals for new technical colleges.  Working alongside business led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) such as ours in Staffordshire, these must help ensure people are training for in-demand skills and giving employers access to a skilled workforce.

Ultimately, businesses invest more when there is a credible long-term plan, so it was good to hear Keir Starmer thinking beyond the here and now and committing to providing the clarity and certainty that firms crave.

I was able to put some of these points to Sir Kier and Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when I attended the SME Day at the conference with the British Chambers of Commerce (if you ask me nicely next time I see you, I’ll show you the picture of me talking to Sir Kier!) and I was struck by the fact that everyone was very pro business and especially interested in the issues facing smaller companies.

I’m sure there is lots of issues raised through conference season that will be of concern or for which you would like to add your voice to Staffordshire and the British Chambers of Commerce representations to Government.

You can do this by contacting our policy advisor, Declan Ridell – declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

My final Let’s do Business as CEO

It was fabulous to see so many members and friends at Let’s do Business at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Thursday. Let’s do Business was the first event I attended after my appointment as CEO back in 2011.

I had started in the job that week and remember walking around anonymously trying to take it all in, seeing strange faces and names on exhibition stands that were new to me.

Wind on twelve years and it’s difficult to get through the door and into the exhibition without stopping to chat and hugging with people I have got to know and who have become a part of my life.

This sums up, to me, the warmth and cohesive nature of the Staffordshire Chambers community and the incredible feeling of togetherness. I feel privileged to be a part of it.

As well as being one huge networking event Let’s do Business has become an annual affirmation of the fact that we are all working together to achieve our goals and that everything will work out because we have each other’s backs and best interests at heart.

And long may it continue!

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222, call the Business Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Staffordshire Chambers is thrilled to unveil the official exhibitor map for Let’s Do Business, the region’s biggest business show, which returns to Uttoxeter Racecourse this Thursday, 12 October.

As the countdown to the event continues, the map provides a sneak peek into the dynamic and diverse range of businesses that will be showcasing their products and services to over 1,000 delegates.

Let’s Do Business is an annual highlight for Staffordshire’s business community, drawing professionals, entrepreneurs and decision-makers from across the region to connect, network, and explore opportunities for growth.

Whether you’re looking to discover new suppliers, explore innovative technologies or establish valuable business connections, Let’s Do Business has something for everyone.

This year’s expo will also feature a full day of captivating keynotes and thought-provoking panel discussions with some of the world’s most renowned experts in the field of AI and data revolution. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn how to harness the power of programmes such as ChatGPT for your business. Find out more about each speaker, here.

To view the exhibitor map in full, please click here.

Last-minute delegate tickets are available free of charge via Eventbrite, here.

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is proud to announce that we have been named a finalist for the 2023 Chamber of the Year Award by the British Chambers of Commerce.

The Chamber of the Year award, which Staffordshire Chambers proudly won in 2021, acknowledges and celebrates the remarkable achievements and contributions made by Chambers of Commerce in their communities and regions over the past year.

Staffordshire Chambers, Dorset Chamber, Cumbria Chamber, Glasgow Chamber and the North East England Chamber of Commerce make up the five finalists – having been selected from the 53 accredited Chambers across the UK.

The winners of the Chamber of the Year Award will be unveiled during the British Chambers of Commerce Chamber’s AGM on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of becoming a member of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, please contact us at 01782 202222 or via email membership@staffordshirechambers.co.uk.

A group of our Stafford Chamber Local Area Advisory Board (LAAB) members recently joined the Deputy CEO of Stafford Borough Council, Gregg Stott, to have a look at the centre of our County Town and identify some key discussion points on how to boost footfall and improve access.

In the space of an hour, we identified a number of areas which, if addressed, could help to significantly improve the appearance of the County Town. Commercial waste bins are an eyesore and moving these to the back of premises helps to increase space for pedestrians. Many commercial premises are blighted by graffiti, which creates a negative image.

During the previous week, it was announced that Stafford Borough Council had agreed to buy the town’s old Co-op department store as part of major transformation plans for the area. We welcome this news and see it as a very positive step in addressing the decline in both footfall and trade in the north end of Stafford Town Centre.   The acquisition of the former Co-op Department store will bring empty commercial premises back into use.

Like many towns across the country, Stafford has seen a drop in footfall, largely driven by changes in shopping patterns/habits and changes in working patterns following the pandemic, with many workers opting to work from home for part, or even all of the week.  Aspirations to fill empty commercial premises with retail continues to be a challenge and we acknowledge that one option is to look at conversion from retail into residential. A growing town centre population will use town centre retailers and spend money in the many leisure and hospitality venues across the centre of Stafford and we very much recognise the positive benefits that this can bring.

However, we continue make the call for more public services to be brought into the centre of Stafford. We really believe that this will drive footfall into the County Town.  One example could be the transfer of certain outpatient services.  At present, service users are travelling to County Hospital, which either involves a journey of two buses or driving around and looking for a car park space. Having outpatient services in the centre of Stafford would bring users into town by bus or train or using some of the town’s car parks.

Once in town, service users are likely to support other retailers, whether in the form of grabbing a coffee, collecting some dry cleaning or doing a food shop. It supports our hard-pressed town centre retailers and can make a real difference.  Having a retail option at the former Co-op store is a good thing but we would really welcome the scope to bring in more service provision for businesses, with office space and even business hubs for start-up entrepreneurs, as well as hot-desking space for those wanting to work for part of the week.

If you have any suggestions about how we can drive footfall into our County Town, our Stafford Chamber LAAB would be delighted to hear from you.  Your suggestions can be forwarded to: declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Two Staffordshire entrepreneurs have teamed up to launch a new business that offers a fresh approach to trading goods and services.

Mackenzie’s Swap Shop, which officially launched on 1 October, allows users to trade goods and services through an online platform – with a percentage of proceeds being split between two charities that support veterans.

Founders Tony Burn and Rich Hill believe that the initiative will not only support two good causes but help to boost sustainability efforts in Staffordshire and beyond.

Tony, who is keen to support two armed forces charities after serving in the forces himself, said: “The idea started when my daughter Mackenzie was asking for things over the summer holidays, and was already bored of things that we had brought for her the previous summer.

“Owning a renewable energy company, I thought, why don’t we look at swapping things we don’t want for things we do want. With that, the idea for the shop was born.

“From the site subscription fees, a percentage is paid to our two chosen charities, Walking with the Wounded, who have Royal Patronage, and Tough Enough to Care, which supports people with mental health issues.”

Swaps currently available on the site include anything from swimming lessons and TV’s to hypnosis therapy treatments and a fully-installed solar PV system.

Rich, who founded the business alongside Tony, explained: “When Tony had the idea of Mackenzie’s Swap Shop, it made perfect sense that everyone could simply swap things that they no longer want or need, for something that otherwise they may not have had the opportunity to own.

“I have also been as sustainable as possible, but with three children and my beautiful granddaughter, it made me fully realise the impact that the disposable economy that we now seem to be part of, is making. This initiative will hopefully help to combat this.”

Find out more via the website, here.

Planning is always a hot topic of discussion at the Chambers’ board, council and forums, so it was heartening this week to see the British Chambers of Commerce calling for a series of urgent improvements to unlock the planning system across the UK. The proposals aim to create a more effective and efficient system that boosts business investment. The BCC’s immediate priorities are:

• Improved resources for council planning teams and more use of digitisation for applications.
• Political stability on planning reform so the system can operate unhindered for a lengthy period.
• More priority for business’ needs in the development management and plan-making process.
• Co-ordination between local and national infrastructure must be a key part of long-term planning.
• Planning system to make grid connectivity easier for infrastructure projects and new building developments.

The proposals are outlined in a new report: Planning for Business – 2023 and beyond. The report was put together by the BCC’s Planning Expert Panel, made up of industry specialists who are all chamber members including Carl Copestake from solicitors Knights who chairs Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce’s Planning & Infrastructure Forum.

The policy document also highlights how the planning system must support the transition to net-zero and calls for a more robust appeals system.

Since the Covid 19 pandemic, most SMEs have not increased investment. In the BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2023, which includes input from around 200 Staffordshire firms, the number of firms who said they planned to increase investment dropped to 23%, compared to 25% in Q1.

The planning system has a major role to play in helping to unleash the potential of British business. But all too often firms are left frustrated by a slow and complex process.

We urgently need more resources for local planning authority teams, greater stability of planning policy and more focus on the supply of land for business use.

BCC research shows that as companies continue to face an unprecedented set of economic challenges, investment is suffering. An improved planning system would help unlock investment.

Co-ordination between local and national infrastructure projects must be a key part of the long-term planning strategy. Recent speculation about the HS2 project is deeply concerning. It highlights why businesses and local authorities need certainty from government. That will give them confidence to plan and invest.

Successful businesses are at the heart of local communities. The planning system most focus more on economic growth and achieving the right balance of land for jobs and homes.

The next meeting of our Planning and Infrastructure Forum takes place on 2^nd November, and it would be great to see you there and hear your input and views. You can book your free place here: Planning and Infrastructure Forum – Staffordshire Chambers

In the meantime, if you have any issues around planning, please contact our policy advisor Declan Riddell: declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

To view Planning for Business – 2023 and beyond click here:  www.britishchambers.org.uk/news/2023/09/unlocking-the-planning-system-to-boost-investment

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222, call the Business Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk