PARTNERS CHASE CHAMBER PATRON
CONTACT: Chris Plant T: 0845 0710 191
Traffic chaos hurts
town’s businesses Ninety-two per cent of people who responded to a Chamber of Commerce traffic survey said their business had suffered as a result of congestion in the town of Stafford. The main problems highlighted were delays
caused to staff travelling to and from work and difficulties experienced by customers travelling to respondents’ business premises. The survey, which targeted 200 companies
and achieved a 20 per cent response rate, also revealed that some of the worst hotspots were Beaconside, the A34, Lichfield Road and Radford Bank. When asked about possible solutions to the
congestion problems, a number of respondents suggested that better scheduling of roadworks would help to alleviate the problem. The Stafford traffic congestion survey,
conducted in conjunction with Staffordshire County Council, ran from October through to November, with the aim of gaining an insight into the impact of congestion on businesses. Chris Plant, from Chase Chamber, said: “This
survey provides a useful insight into the problems being faced by businesses in the Stafford area. “Our survey results are now being considered
by the County Council’s transport team and we hope to be able to report back very soon on what can be done. Evidence like this is crucial in helping our local authorities to bid for more funding to invest in our transport network.”
JLR driving the economy A
£450 million expansion at Jaguar Land Rover’s engine facility at i54 South Staffordshire will strengthen the
regional economy and boost investor confidence, the site’s partnership leaders have said.
Speaking on behalf of the i54 South
Staffordshire partnership, Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins said: “This is the second extension by Jaguar Land Rover at i54 South Staffordshire and will double the size of its existing facility which speaks volumes about the company’s strength and ambition. “As a partnership we worked hard to make
the site what it is today and ensure it could support leading global businesses. This development and additional investment will further enhance i54 South Staffordshire’s standing regionally and nationally. “It will lead to the creation of hundreds more
JLR’s engine facility in South Staffordshire
‘Will further enhance i54 South Staffordshire’s standing regionally and nationally’
jobs, not only at this site but across our area as it has a positive impact on supply chain businesses. Together we will increase our drive to increased people’s skills locally so they can make the most of the growing number of opportunities resulting from the growth at i54 South Staffordshire. We look forward to see the extended facility in operation as soon as possible.” Roger Lawrence, leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “This is great news for the
city of Wolverhampton, neighbouring Staffordshire and the wider region. “With this huge investment and commitment, Jaguar Land Rover has taken a huge vote of
confidence in local communities, local people and their skills. i54 and the junction 2 area are playing a vital role in growing the local economy by creating jobs and improving prosperity for local people.”
Local MP shows support for community
Cannock Chase MP Amanda Milling has announced the winner of Cannock Chase’s best independent shops and market stalls for 2015. The ‘Best Shop and Market Stall’ competition asked people to vote for
their favourite independent retailer and Amanda announced the results as part of Small Business Saturday. The high-profile competition has been endorsed by the Business
Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. Only one holder managed to defend its title, Meat to Please You, in the
Rugeley market category. All other winners were newcomers to the competition.
THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS ARE: Rugeley Market – Meat to Please You Cannock Market – The Rug Stall Rugeley Shop – Roses Café Hednesford Shop – Bella’s Coffee House Cannock Shop – George & Berties
Amanda said: “This competition was a great way of letting our local retailers know how much we appreciate and support them. The competition was really close but we have five very worthy winners. “It is great to see such a range of different types of businesses win as
well. Commiserations to the numerous entries who didn’t win, and especially to last year’s winners.” Amanda has also recently welcomed news that local unemployment
levels have now dropped below the 700 mark, which is a significant landmark for the constituency. Unemployment in the constituency, which includes Cannock, Rugeley,
Hednesford and Norton Canes now stands at just 694, according to figures from the Department for Work and Pensions. The number of local Jobseeker Allowance claimants is 154 lower than it was in October 2014. Last month Amanda held an event aimed at persuading local businesses
to take on more apprentices, and boost the jobs figures even further. The event was supported by Chase Chamber, whose director, Chris Plant,
Everyone’s a winner: the successful Hednesford retailers 38 CHAMBERLINK FEBRUARY 2016
said: “Apprenticeships bring considerable value to organisations, employers, individuals and ensure our local economy remains competitive. Businesses across the region are now increasingly realising the enormous benefits that Apprenticeships create, not only in terms of a highly skilled workforce but also by boosting productivity and staff retention.”
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