Last week, our Transport Forum held its first meeting of 2024. The main topic of discussion centred around electric vehicles and we were pleased to welcome one of our Chamber members, Adrian Hide of Adrian Hide Consultancy, who shared his experiences of driving an electric car. 

The UK Government has announced a ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. That gives us eleven years to think about making the switch to electric vehicles and the clock is ticking!

Adrian made the switch two years ago and he described driving an electric car as “responsive” and “effortless”. The Regeneration system in some models allows the driver to select ‘one-pedal driving’.

The driver can use the system to slow the car without the need to press on the brake pedal.  When driving from home to our Transport forum meeting, he said he didn’t touch the brake pedal until he arrived on our car park at Commerce House!

“Range anxiety” is still seen as a barrier preventing more drivers from switching to electric vehicles, fearing that they will run out of charge and struggle to find available charging points. Adrian explained that this barrier can be overcome through forward planning by the driver.  Using the example of a recent journey to Exeter, he stopped for a short break at Gloucester Services and in the time taken to drink a coffee, he had topped up the charge on his car.  He added that there are electric vehicle charge points at more than 31,000 locations around the UK.

More businesses are installing charge points at business premises, recognising the benefits of both staff and visitors being able to charge vehicles on site. There is also a growth in hotels and other leisure venues installing charge points, in a bid to encourage more customers.  Adrian reported that charging the remaining 20% of battery capacity can take disproportionately longer than charging the first 80% of the battery and suggested that drivers need to have a mindset of topping up.

More of us will be making the switch in the coming years and Adrian’s presentation gave us plenty of food for thought.

We also welcomed Ciara Jagger of Midlands Connect to deliver an update.  Midlands Connect is a sub-national transport body (STB), funded by the UK Government as one of seven STB across the country.  Midlands Connect works with all 22 regional transport bodies and a number of stakeholder groups (including Chambers’ of Commerce), across a region which stretches from Herefordshire to the Lincolnshire coast.

We were interested to hear that Midlands Connect “continues to establish a strategic narrative for transport investment in the region”.   From a Staffordshire perspective, we are keen to keep pressing for improvements to the A50/A500, which connects the M1 and M6 and is regarded as the North Midlands Manufacturing Corridor and a key logistics route for the likes of JCB and Toyota.  We also want to see a major overhaul of junction 15 of the M6 and the approaches, which opens up access to/from the North Staffordshire conurbation.

Our Transport forum meets again on Tuesday 30^th April.  If you have an interest in the latest developments on road, rail, air and sea, please contact me: declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

I’ve started work on the development of our new Business Manifesto. The previous one was published in early 2022 but so much has happened to our economy in the last two years.  Energy prices soared in late 2022.  Inflationary pressures have rocketed and only recently started to subside.  Interest rates have also gone in an upwards direction.  Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue to create so much uncertainty.

I recently met with some of our policy forum Chairs to get feedback on what we need to include in our new Manifesto.  It’s a document which will set out our policy ‘asks’ and with a General Election expected to take place during the year, it will provide our politicians with a guide to what our business community needs, in order to thrive and prosper.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has identified five topics or challenges which are of vital importance to the UK business community and where there is a need to establish fresh, evidence based and impactful policy recommendations, which will be used to influence the current and future government:

• Digital Revolution
• Green Innovation
• Global Britain
• People and Work
• Local Economy of the Future

Our new Manifesto will aim to address these challenges but what other challenges is your business facing and what else do you feel should be a key part of our Manifesto?

Please send me your comments/thoughts and if you would like further information on any of policy forums, please contact:

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is recognised as being the voice of local business in Staffordshire but what does this really mean? As an independent and reputable organisation, we represent our members’ views on the local, regional, national and global issues affecting their businesses.

Our Chamber policy forums are a great way for member businesses to meet and discuss issues critical to their sector.  These forums enable our members to share knowledge and best practice but also help us to represent them better in our dealings with the media and government. Our forums are recognised by the British Chambers’ of Commerce as being among the most influential in the country.

We deliver eleven policy forums, covering the topics of:

• Charity
• Digital
• Energy, Environment and Sustainability
• HR, Employment and Skills
• International Trade
• Manufacturers
• Money Matters
• Planning & Infrastructure
• Rural Business
• Social Value & Procurement
• Transport

Each forum is made up of representatives from our member businesses and meets up several times across the year.   Key topics for discussion are identified, guest speakers are brought in and our forums pick up that role of highlighting the matters that concern our members, at both a national and regional level.   Each forum has its own Chair, who will steer both the meetings and objectives of that particular forum.

We welcome new faces in all of our policy forums but what’s in it for you and your business?    It’s a chance for your views to be heard and the opportunity to work collaboratively with your fellow Chamber members in influencing our policy role on specific topics.   You also get the chance to grow your networking contacts in similar sectors.   It could also be a perfect development opportunity for one of your team, helping to empower confidence.

Being a part of our policy forums is not a huge commitment with no more than four meetings a year.  Meetings typically start at 9AM and last no more than an hour or so. If you’re interested in joining a Forum, please email me on declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

A bitter Arctic wind blew across the centre of Stafford last week, as I ventured out from our Stafford Chamber office at lunchtime. The giant Christmas tree in Market Square has been taken down, as memories of the festive season start to fade. The weather may be cold but the outlook for Stafford’s business community is a positive one, with the announcement of a series of developments in our County Town.

During the autumn, Stafford Borough Council unveiled plans to buy Stafford’s former Co-op department store, as part of major transformation plans for the area.

The Council successfully secured funding to transform the centre of Stafford, with the Gaolgate Street building having been derelict for a number of years.  Just before Christmas, senior councillors of Stafford Borough Council gave the go-ahead for the Council to purchase the town’s Guildhall Shopping Centre.

Like many towns across the country, Stafford has suffered from a post-pandemic slump in footfall, leaving a legacy of some empty commercial premises.  Town centre regeneration won’t happen overnight and in time, the above acquisitions will help to breathe new life into the centre of Stafford and bring residents, workers, shoppers and visitors back into town.

In other developments, Michael Gove, (the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) visited Stafford in November and pledged that the Stafford Station Gateway initiative will receive a share of the flagship Levelling Up Fund, to spread opportunity and create jobs. Stafford Station Gateway proposals include up to 30,000 square feet of commercial space and a new hotel on brownfield land surrounding Stafford Station, which enjoys exceptional rail connectivity to London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Going eastwards and take a look at the cranes which have dominated the skyline over North Walls, as the Staffordshire History Centre take shape.  This brand new heritage attraction will tell the story of the county’s history and bring together three fascinating collections.   Further redevelopment in this part of Stafford Town Centre will fall under the Eastgate Regeneration Quarter scheme, which will see the redevelopment of vacant buildings and land.

It’s more than a year since Stafford Chamber moved to a home at Shire Hall Business Centre, just off Market Square.  We love being in the centre of town and having the opportunity to enjoy easy access to the office and the chance to support our local town centre retailers, whether grabbing a sandwich or collecting some dry cleaning.  Shire Hall Business Centre has been beautifully restored and is a perfect base for any business, or even if you need to find some hot-desking space, or meet clients in a professional business environment.  – But don’t take our word for it, why not see for yourself!!

We’re inviting businesses to join our free coffee morning/networking event at Shire Hall Business Centre.  First Friday Networking starts on Friday 1st March from 9AM – 10AM.  Grab a brew and a bite to eat and meet some new contacts, as well as getting the chance to look at the impressive hot desking facilities and a peek at some of the last remaining unit spaces available to rent.  Shire Hall Business Centre is managed by Staffordshire County Council.

You’ll be able to book your place at this event from 17.1.24. using the events page on our website:

https://staffordshirechambers.co.uk/events-calendar/

…. or you can send an e-mail to :

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Hope to see you there!

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is the voice of business and we connect our members with key decision-makers. It’s why we took a group of our patrons and members to the Houses of Parliament last week, hosted by Jack Brereton, MP for Stoke South and one of seven Staffordshire MP we met during our visit.

We also met with Lee Rowley MP, Minister of State for Housing, and James Sunderland MP – Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Home Secretary.

During the course of the day, our members opened up on the key issues affecting their businesses.   This included a call for more Government investment in areas such as manufacturing and energy. On the topic of energy, one of our members spoke of how his business is generating energy from solar panels on the premises but is unable to offload surplus energy back into the grid, due to infrastructure limitations of the grid.

On the topic of education, there was a lengthy discussion on the operational aspects of delivering T-Level qualifications and a call for a more simplied system of operation.  There was also a request for a much simpler means of regulating the delivery of apprenticeships.

During our meeting with Mr Rowley MP, (Minister of State for Housing), we raised our concerns about delays in getting planning applications turned around, with some local authority planning teams struggling with staff recruitment and retention.  Mr Rowley acknowledged our concerns and agreed that there is a need to do more to ensure that delays become a thing of the past.

Meeting with Government ministers gave us the opportunity to discuss some of the many ways in which we have supported the Staffordshire business community.  Our Positive Pathways programme has encouraged and inspired a number of budding entrepeneurs from the refugee community to start up their own enterprises and make a valued contribution to the economy.

During the day, we met with a number of our Staffordshire Members of Parliament, including:

• Aaron Bell (MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme)
• Karen Bradley (MP for Staffordshire Moorlands)
• Jack Brereton (MP for Stoke-on-Trent South)
• Theo Clarke (MP for Stafford)
• Michael Fabricant (MP for Lichfield)
• Jo Gideon (MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central)
• Gavin Williamson (MP for South Staffordshire)

We rounded off our day with a guided tour of Westminster Hall, the oldest building on the Parliamentary estate and one which has played a central role in 900 years of British history.  Some of our members took up the option of a visit to the Public Gallery and a chance to observe a debate taking place in the House of Commons.

We know that a General Election will have to take place by the end of January 2025, which makes 2024 to be an interesting year in politics, as all political parties make preparations for when the starting gun is fired on campaign work.  We will be developing our Manifesto to outline our key business ‘asks’ on behalf of the business community and our policy forums will be helping us to develop this work.  If you would like to get involved with any of our 11 policy forums, please contact:

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

In last month’s Money Matters Forum meeting, we discussed the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement which will be delivered on Wednesday 22^nd November 2023. We’ve developed a number of key business ‘asks’.

Infrastructure investment – We ask for more investment in our energy grid network. Such investment could generate a multiplier effect to boost the economy. Private business investment is being stymied by an overloaded grid. We know of Staffordshire businesses who are unable to offload surplus energy into the grid, due to a lack of suitable infrastructure.

Business rates – A fundamental review of the business rates system, with an extension of business rates relief for our hard-pressed retail and hospitality businesses. We would like to see a business rates system which better reflects firms’ ability to pay.  In its current form, the business rates system is a burden on businesses regardless of ability to pay and it does not make allowances for the major changes that have taken place in the UK economy over the last decade.  Many commercial premises in towns and cities lie empty and serve as a reminder of a struggle to compete with online shopping. Indeed, all of our local centres bear witness to this, with some faring particularly badly, deterring not only visitors, but also potential investors.

Planning – Local authority planning teams are struggling under the strain of a heavy caseload and challenges with recruitment and retention of planners. This is causing lengthy delays in getting planning application decisions turned around. Faced with continued delays, businesses may choose to pause their growth and expansion plans, keeping the brakes on local economic development. Reform of a creaking planning system is long overdue and this would help to speed up major infrastructure projects and develop the potential for businesses to grow.

Training – Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce has been appointed as the designated employer representative body for the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). Since the launch in October 2022, a high volume of activities and data gathering have taken place. Through our work in developing the LSIP for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, we are very much aware that more needs to be done in developing a skilled workforce and tackling skills shortages. We would like to see an introduction of tax breaks in the Autumn Statement, which will encourage firms to invest more in training.

Occupational health – The launch of tax breaks could serve as an encouragement for firms to offer Occupational Health benefits, which will help to keep people in work and avoid the disruptive and damaging impact of long-term sickness.

We hope that your Autumn Statement will outline a clear path for growth from Government, with a strategic vision and a framework which will serve as a shot in the arm for investment.

There was an outbreak of election fever at Staffordshire Chambers last week, with members casting their votes for new applicants to join our Stafford Chamber Local Area Advisory Board and our Staffordshire Moorlands Chamber Local Area Advisory Board (LAAB). Staffordshire Chambers is the voice of business in Staffordshire and joining a LAAB is a great way to represent your local business community and provide the local input to matters of importance within that community.

Our Stafford Chamber LAAB has members representing the business community across an area south of The Potteries, down the M6 and over to Uttoxeter.  Meetings are typically held at our Stafford home, in Shire Hall Business Centre.

Staffordshire Moorlands is one of the most scenic parts of our county and is home to a diverse mix of businesses in both rural and urban locations.  Our Staffordshire Moorlands Chamber LAAB has a representation of businesses from across the area, stretching from Biddulph to Cheadle.  Meetings are typically held in Leek but will discuss and address key priorities across the Moorlands.

During this last year, representatives of both LAAB have joined us in meetings with local MPs, Karen Bradley, Sir Bill Cash and Theo Clarke.  We’ve used these meetings to raise key priorities such as boosting footfall in our town centres and transport infrastructure.  Guest speakers are invited to attend LAAB meetings to provide timely updates on upcoming developments and the impact on the local economy, meaning that our LAAB members are well informed about what’s happening.   We’re looking forward to a new era of working with our two LAAB and we extend a warm welcome to our newly elected members.

Michelle Hickmott (Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Staffs Fire & Rescue) was the guest speaker at our Stafford Chamber AGM and she spoke of the role played by Staffordshire Fire & Rescue, in supporting our local business community, with three key elements of:

• Prevention
• Protection
• Response

Figures suggest that between 40% and 60% of businesses who are damaged by fire and who don’t have a business continuity plan in place, will struggle to re-open again.  Staffordshire Fire & Rescue has a wealth of information resources available to the business community.  This includes a Resilient Business Software Toolkit, which is a free resource that that offers practical advice and support to small and medium sized enterprises. Leading insurers have contributed to this toolkit which is administered by the Fire Protection Association. The Business Service Support team can help organisations that need assistance in completing the toolkit.

During the last few years, more than 900 fires have damaged non-domestic business premises in Staffordshire, resulting in 4 fatalities and 5 serious injuries.  Is your business at risk of being damaged by fire?  Could your business bounce back from the impact of devastating fire?

Click below to open up the resources on the Staffs Fire & Rescue Service website:

Business support service (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)

Staffordshire Fire & Rescue is keen to get your views on its Service Safety Plan, which is a document all fire and rescue services are required to produce.  Click below to open up and leave your comments:

Safety Plan Consultation (staffordshirefire.gov.uk)

8 million sq feet – or the size of 140 football fields? Whichever way you look at it, the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) site in South Staffordshire will be a huge commercial development in our county. Situated between junction 12 of the M6 and the West Coast Mainline at Gailey in South Staffordshire, WMI will have a significant impact on Staffordshire’s economy as the site takes shape in the next decade.

WMI is a joint venture between Logistics Capital Partners (LCP) and Oxford Property Group and is regarded as ‘The UK’s most significant new rail served logistics development,’ offering up to 8 million sq. feet of prime logistics facilities.   In our recent Planning & Infrastructure (P&I) forum meeting, we received an update from LCP on the development of WMI.

On-site activity started in earnest during the summer of 2023, with the flattening of plateaued land, guided by a construction principle of ensuring that no soil leaves the existing site and no soil is brought onto the site.

Community engagement is a key priority for the development, with approximately 109 acres of land being set aside as a community park. Local residents are being asked about what amenities they would like to see in a community park.  The park will also be used by the 8,500 workers who will be employed at WMI, once the site is complete.

The WMI site will seek innovative construction of buildings to ensure that there is relatively low energy consumption. Buildings across the site will offer up to 150 acres of roof space, onto which photovoltaic cells will be attached.  This will generate energy for the entire site.

A rail head facility will open in 2026, allowing freight to move in and out by rail, connecting with the West Coast Mainline between Stafford and Wolverhampton.  Once this is opened, further development of the site should accelerate, with demand for space expected to be high.

During last week’s P&I forum, we also received an update from locally based social enterprise, Mondrem, which wants ‘to help make public services brilliant, everywhere and all of the time’.  Mike Astbury of Mondrem explained that his team is working with planning teams at local authorities, helping them to deliver a faster and better customer experience, improve productivity and deliver their work within budget.

Delays in turning around planning application decisions can often be attributed to a lack of capacity or challenges with staff recruitment and retention.  Mondrem encourages local authority clients to recognise the importance of making human connections, as being human is what we all have in common.  Another key element is the need to build shared understanding, trust and confidence.  A faster, better service is seen as a by-product.

Our P&I forum is tasked with exchanging information on planning policy, construction and regeneration. It also steers Chambers’ representations on these matters and receives updates on developments in planning law.  We meet again on Tuesday 23^rd January 2024 and if you would like to learn more about the valuable work of this and our other policy forums, please drop me a line:

declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Last week’s Chamber Transport forum had a packed agenda of guest speakers, with updates on ambitious proposals to link Hanley and Stoke-on-Trent Station, improvements to local bus services and developments by Midlands Net Zero Hub.

Did you know that some 3.1 million passengers pass through Stoke-on-Trent Station each year?  The city enjoys good rail connectivity with Manchester, Birmingham and London. When visitors arrive in Stoke-on-Trent and walk outside the station, they are often faced with a very busy and congested Station Road, with cars weaving in and out of a limited number of parking spaces.

Stoke-on -Trent City Council has been awarded funding through the Transforming Cities Fund (TCF).  Funding will be used to enhance links between Stoke-on-Trent Station and the city centre (Hanley). College Road is seen as a key route connecting both points and planned improvements will include wider pavements for increased pedestrian priority and segregated cycle routes. College Road is just to the west of Hanley Park and pedestrians and cyclists will enjoy a pleasant walk or cycle ride. Improvements to bus services will aim to speed up journey times and get more of us using public transport and active transport, from start to finish.

Bus passenger numbers have not fully recovered from a cliff-edge decline during the pandemic. Stoke-on-Trent City Council is delivering a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which aims to :

• Increase passenger numbers.
• Improve journey times.
• Improve reliability.
• Increase passenger satisfaction.

Traffic signal upgrades with enhanced bus priority measures will help to speed up journey times and improve service reliability.  Passengers will have better information available at bus stops, with real time passenger information and improved lighting/CCTV. Affordable bus fares will be actively promoted through ongoing marketing activity.   A Stakeholder Forum is being launched and passengers from a diverse mix of backgrounds will have the chance to join and feed in their views about bus services across Stoke-on-Trent.

Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) is one of five national NZH and aims to support local decarbonisation and clean growth, as well as increase the number, quality and scale of net zero projects.  North Staffordshire Low Emission Taxi Charging Infrastructure Scheme (LETIS) is led by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and funded by OLEV. This aims to increase the number of low-emission taxis. It will include the delivery and operation of rapid charge points for taxis across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under- Lyme and Stafford, with engagement with licensed private hire and hackney carriage operators to inform selection of the best possible locations for the EV infrastructure.   Getting more low emission taxis on our local roads will help to improve air quality.

The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund is supporting Midlands Connect and the consortiums of local authorities to expand the region’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.bIf drivers are to switch to electric vehicles, they need to have confidence in an expansive choice and reliability of electric vehicle charging structure in our local area.

Finally, and staying with the transport theme, make sure you get your (free!) ticket for our Etruria Valley Station event. We want to develop a proposal to open a new rail station at Etruria Valley, close to the new Etruria Valley Link Road (EVLR). The area is home to a diverse mix of businesses, including Bet365, DPD, Doubletree Hilton, Vodafone and Waterworld. A new rail station would unlock access into this thriving area, getting people to and from work by train and removing the familiar sight of queuing cars on the A53 and A500. Why not join us and find out more.  Click here to book your place: Etruria Valley Rail Station – tickets please! – Staffordshire Chambers

Next month sees the inaugural meeting of our new International Trade forum, and we’re calling on Staffordshire’s importers and exports to get involved and join the meeting on 20 November.

Our Chamber forums provide a unique and invaluable opportunity to meet with other Chamber members, share best practices, discuss sector issues and uncover new opportunities for your business. What are your main challenges when it comes to exporting? Is your business having any issues with export documentation paperwork? What can we do to encourage more local businesses to take the plunge and look at overseas markets for growth? Get involved with the Forum at Commerce House on Monday, 20 November, from 9:00am. The Forum, which is free-to-attend, is available exclusively to Chamber members. Spaces must be booked in advance via our website, here.

We welcome new faces in all of our policy forums but what’s in it for you and your business? It’s a chance for your views to be heard and the opportunity to work collaboratively with your fellow Chambers’ members in influencing our policy role on specific topics. You also get the chance to grow your networking contacts in similar sectors. It could also be a perfect development opportunity for one of your team, helping to empower confidence.

Some of our forum members have gone on to join British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) policy groupings, getting their voices heard at a national level.

Being a part of our policy forums is not a huge commitment with no more than four meetings a year and meetings typically start at 9am and last no more than an hour or so.

Being the voice of business is what we do but why not get involved and play your part. For further details on our policy forums, please contact Declan Riddell.

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is regarded as the voice of local business in Staffordshire but what does this really mean? We deliver ten policy forums, covering the topics of :

• Charity
• Digital
• Energy, Environment and Sustainability
• HR, Employment and Skills
• Manufacturers’
• Money Matters
• Planning & Infrastructure
• Rural Business
• Social Value & Procurement
• Transport

Each forum is made up of representatives from our member businesses and meets up several times across the year. Key topics for discussion are identified, guest speakers are brought in and our forums pick up that role of highlighting the matters that concern our members, at both a national and regional level. Each forum has its own Chair, who will steer both the meetings and objectives of that particular forum.

Forum dates are available on the events area of our Staffordshire Chambers website, here.

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.