PARTNERS
LICHFIELD & TAMWORTH CHAMBER PATRONS
CONTACT: Marilyn Castree T: 0845 0710 191
New manager will put Lichfield on the map
L Cathedral lit up by
festive illuminations As pretty as a picture – this was how Lichfield Cathedral looked in the run-up to Christmas, thanks to ‘A Cathedral Illuminated’, a stunning display of festive projections on the west front of the building. Renowned sculptor and artist-in-residence at
the cathedral, Peter Walker, created the projections alongside composer David Harper, who created the original music for the show. The pair collaborate under the name Luxmaralis. Peter Walker hosted a successful exhibition in
the summer entitled ‘A City as Sculpture’, which saw the cathedral and its grounds adorned with magnificent sculptures and paintings.
ichfield Chamber has welcomed the appointment of a new manager for the town’s Business Improvement District
(BID) and believes it will help bring in more visitors. The new BID manager is Morag Pringle, who
has been involved in business support and regeneration for more than 15 years, including a spell as managing director of British Business Parks which managed the Cannock Chase BID, which covered five business parks in Cannock Chase and Rugeley. She was also recruited by the local council at
Droitwich, to help the businesses on the town’s High Street recover from devastating floods in 2007.
Marilyn Castree, director of Lichfield and
Tamworth Chamber, said: “Winning the Lichfield BID will bring huge benefits to the area in creating more footfall and help provide the funds to create a much improved environment for both business and the community as a whole. “The recruitment of Morag, an experienced
Town Centre BID manager, will put the icing on the cake, as her input and expertise will allow Lichfield to stride ahead which in turn will help stimulate further economic growth. “Finally a vote of thanks must also go to the Lichfield District Council for supporting this
Bidding for more visitors: Marilyn Castree(left) with Morag Pringle
initiative and more importantly the local businesses who have help finance the BID.” Morag said: “For me, the BID business plan is just the start of things, and with the help and
support of businesses and partners across the city, I strongly believe we can use our collective voice as a magnet for better promotion, more funding and projects that will deliver real change to the city, and more footfall to city businesses.”
The policies that deserve our attention
In a special message to Chamberlink, CHRISTOPHER PINCHER, Conservative MP for Tamworth, suggests that housing, devolution and a referendum on Europe will be key issues under the microscope in 2016
After a remarkable year, which has seen the return of a Conservative majority and the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, the chances of politics becoming any less interesting in 2016 are slim. Looking ahead, I have identified three policy areas that will be of vital interest for businesses in our area next year. First is housing. In an area like ours, where
jobs are growing and there is a need to build something like 80,000 new homes, a significant roadblock to optimising our economic potential will be insufficient homes for those taking up the new jobs being created. The chancellor has vowed to build over 400,000 new affordable homes in England by 2020, double the size of the housing budget to £2bn per year and extend the “right to buy” scheme.
32 CHAMBERLINK FEBRUARY 2016 The second key issue is that of devolution.
The Government is determined to rebalance our economy and unlock local flair to cities like Birmingham. Giving these ministerial powers – and the money that goes along with them - to local government represents a big change in administration and planning. We will see more of this in 2016 as the Cities & Local Government Devolution Bill becomes law. People are excited about the opportunities the Midlands Engine and the Combined Authority can bring to our region, capitalising on the Midlands’ natural strengths in
manufacturing and innovation. Finally, and unsurprisingly, the prime minister’s
renegotiation on our relationship with the European Union, and the subsequent referendum, are likely dominate the political agenda in 2016. I support efforts to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU giving the British people their first
say in 40 years whether they wish to be part of a reformed Union. In these talks
we must pursue important business-friendly measures such as the further steps towards a single digital market, which could add three per cent to EU GDP and a Capital Markets Union, which will help get finance to growing businesses.
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