Key development priorities for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent which will be taken to a major national investment forum have been unveiled at a pre-event this week.
Business leaders and public sector representatives gathered at Keele University in Newcastle-under-Lyme to mark the occasion ahead of the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) 2025 in Leeds this May.
The three-day event attracts around 15,000 delegates, including pension funds, developers and government departments such as Homes England, the Department for International Trade, and the Ministry for Homes, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The Staffordshire delegation – including Stoke-on-Trent under the We Are Staffordshire banner alongside all eight district and borough councils for the first time – aims to showcase the county’s investment opportunities and priorities on a national stage under the ‘Place to Prosper’ campaign.
Focuses for 2025 include further profiling and investment opportunities along the A50/A500 growth corridor, development next to the i54 site in South Staffordshire and Wolverhampton and major regeneration plans for town centres such as Tamworth, Burton upon Trent and Lichfield.
As part of the delegation’s presence at UKREiiF, Staffordshire will also celebrate its local creative makers and producers through a ‘welcome to Staffordshire’ reception. Attendees will be offered beers from Best of British Beer in Newcastle and Titanic Brewery in Burslem, alongside crisps from Just Crisps and wines from Halfpenny Green Wine Estate, both in South Staffordshire.
Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: “I am proud of the partnership approach we have built over the last four years to showcase all corners of the county, and this year, the city of Stoke-on-Trent too, including our wider approach to attracting and securing investment opportunities through our Place to Prosper campaign.
“Through our We Are Staffordshire partner delegation, we are collectively and proactively bringing priority sites to market and promoting investment opportunities across Staffordshire.”
Key sponsors of the Staffordshire delegation include headline supporters Keele University, alongside Stoford, Indurent and Harworth, with additional backing from in-kind partners.
Professor Trevor McMillan OBE, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, said: “Keele is proud to be playing a key role in the We Are Staffordshire delegation, which features all the local councils as well as business leaders and investment partners already working in the county. UKREiiF is an important opportunity to promote the county we live in and the many investment opportunities we have.”
