Business leaders and senior council figures have been championing Staffordshire and all it has to offer to potential investors at the UK’s largest property development expo.
Delegates from companies and authorities across the county have attended UKREiiF, which is taking place in Leeds this week and has attracted thousands of people.
As well as showcasing prime development sites and projects, it has been an opportunity to promote the merits of what extra Government investment in Staffordshire’s transport system could bring.
Among those attending have been representatives from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council St Modwen Logistics JCB, Keele University and Midlands Connect.
Major Stoke-on-Trent projects promoted included Etruscan Square, Spode Works and the Goods Yard – whose developers have just announced it is set for an early 2025 opening.
And opportunities for investors, developers, funders, contractors, operators and occupiers were freshly launched to the market in a brand-new investment prospectus.
City Director Jon Rouse said: “Our new strategy ‘Our City, Our Wellbeing (2024 – 2028) sets out our vision for raising the quality of life for everyone here in Stoke-on-Trent.
“We are absolutely passionate about our city and believe that Stoke-on-Trent is a unique and amazing place.
“We need to once again ignite the imagination of what this city has to offer in terms of its creative capabilities and connect our people with opportunities they deserve.
“Afterall, we are the birthplace of Wedgwood, Royal Doulton and Spode, to name a few.
“Now we have a range of amazing projects underway, The Goods Yard development with Capital & Centric, the Spode Works site, the re-envisioning of the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery to name just a few.”
Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital&Centric who are delivering Goods Yard, next to Stoke-on-Trent’s mainline train station, said: “Through ambitious leadership, the council has built a compelling case for investment with city-wide regeneration plans. There’s a real renaissance underway here in Stoke-on-Trent and we’re proud to be contributing to the city’s next chapter.”
“There are some fantastic regeneration opportunities in the city, and the Goods Yard demonstrates just what can be achieved when the public and private sector come together.”
Meanwhile an influential group promoting the Fifty500 Midlands Growth Corridor initiative attended to explain why extra investment along the A50/A500 corridor was so critical.
Among them were JCB’s Group Communications Director John Kavanagh who said: “JCB has been championing the need for an improved road network in East and North Staffordshire for many years.
“An improved A50 and A500 will help local businesses to grow, and in doing so, deliver a much-needed sustainable economic boost in our region.
“The Fifty500 initiative raises the profile of the potential benefits in the corridors of power in Westminster, which is where the funding for road improvements ultimately comes from.”
Also present were the three council’s behind the i54 business park in south Staffordshire who held discussions with national partners and advisors about the potential for a new economic growth zone.
The chief executives of Staffordshire County Council, South Staffordshire Council and Wolverhampton Council hosted the discussions.
i54 South Staffordshire has seen public and private investment of over £1.5 billion, attracting high-profile advanced manufacturing occupiers like JLR and MOOG Aerospace, and created thousands of high-quality jobs for local communities as well boosted the local supply chain.
Feedback from the discussions will inform a potential procurement exercise for a feasibility study on the proposed economic growth zone in the geographic area either side of the Staffordshire county– City of Wolverhampton border.
South Staffordshire Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for business enterprise and community infrastructure Victoria Wilson said: “The development of i54 South Staffordshire has been a game changer for the local and regional economy.
“The Economic Growth Zone concept builds upon our successes by bringing forward further investment opportunities in a highly accessible location and delivering a lasting legacy of prosperity to the area.”
