In a speech on Tuesday, Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced that The Office for Place will be based in Stoke-on-Trent.
The Office for Place has been brought into being to develop housing strategy for the UK’s towns and cities with a vision to catalyse change across government and communities to support the creation and stewardship of popular, healthy, beautiful and sustainable places by helping neighbourhoods to ask for and deliver new places. The Office for Place will support public sector planners and the British design and development industries to be the best place makers in the world and improve the data on happiness, health, popularity and sustainability for everyone.
Civil servants as well as Government ministers are expected to be based at here, developing plans for housing projects in 20 UK towns and cities as part of a major revamp. Although the precise location of the office and timings for the project have yet to be announced, this is great news for Stoke and for Staffordshire.
Nicholas Boys Smith, interim chair of The Office for Place said: “Nowhere could be more appropriate for the Office for Place’s hometown as the name means place. And Stoke has both a proud past as home to the English pottery industry and every chance for a marvellous and prosperous future.”
I could not agree more! We embrace the past, but we are not stuck there. Our ceramics sector is a fine example of an industry that has lived through tumultuous change, has adapted and is forward facing – and a material that is vital to the new green industries developing everywhere. Yes, we still make plates, mugs and cups but we also manufacture ceramics for additive manufacturing, microbiology, fuel cells, batteries and nuclear power.
We are a city whose goods have been based on home creation forever – every new home needs tiles, crockery and building materials – having The Office of Place based here is very fitting.
And we can offer real examples of what works in communities and what needs to change. I hope that we are also one of the 20 places that will be supercharged and benefit from the expertise – and I suspect that those working here will also have new demands on our housing provision too.
It is quite interesting for me as I worked, once upon a long time ago, for the Association of Community Technical Aid Centres. Community Technical Aid was about getting local people making the decisions about the design of their built and natural environments, making sure they got what they wanted. It would be fantastic if the Office of Place can reinstates some of these principles across the country.
You can read the full statement from Nicholas Boyd Smith: Office for Place – A Statement from the Chair – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Looking to continue networking through the summer?
The school holidays have started and let’s hope the weather picks up soon for anyone holidaying or having days out in the UK.
However, for many people without children of school age its business as usual.
Quieter offices and less meetings mean that the summer is a great time to work ‘on’ your business and perhaps do some networking to build your business contacts.
Our event calendar cools down a little in the summer, but we still have some great events like our Teapot Boat Ride on 10th August.
With an exciting journey by narrowboat through the 1.6-mile Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent and Mersey Canal, followed by a two mile walk back to the start point finishing at The Blue Bell Inn for drinks and nibbles, you will have a great opportunity to network and learn a little of our local history from host Simon Davies from King’s Award-winning business ProtectaPet.
Book your place here: Teapot Boat Ride – Staffordshire Chambers
And don’t forget our Members’ Lounge at Commerce House is open 9am – to 5pm on weekdays. It’s a great place for members to work, meet and network with free Wi-Fi and hot drinks.
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
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