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New infrastructure will mean more jobs


Liberty Park Amanda Milling: campaigning for Rugeley B Campaign to save


local power station Cannock MP Amanda Milling is campaigning to keep Rugeley B in operation as a power station, either in its current form or as a gas powered facility. Rugeley B owner Engie, announced last


month that the coal-fired power station may cease operations this summer, due to deteriorating market conditions, with an employee consultation period currently on- going. However, Amanda Milling and Jeremy


Lefroy MP for neighbouring Stafford have joined forces to press the government on the issue, asking that Rugeley B be considered as an option for a new gas powered station. Ms Milling outlined the benefits of the site for


this use, given the existing infrastructure and highly skilled workforce, and where energy generation has been taking place for decades. She said: “I would like to thank Jeremy for


his support raising the profile of the future of the Rugeley B power station. If the power station does close it is important that we look at all options for the site’s re-development – it so well connected that it could be used for a number of uses. The existing infrastructure with National Grid connectivity and a highly skilled workforce means that this site would be an ideal location for a gas power station. “I recently met with the Secretary of State


for Energy and Climate Change to discuss this as well as various other issues relating to the future of Rugeley B. I will continue to meet with Ministers and the owners of the plant, Engie, about the station and the site’s future.” The Energy Minister, Andrea Leadsom MP,


said she would encourage the site’s owner to discuss its plans with the Planning Inspectorate, which can clarify the process for building a new gas plant, and particularly how long it might take to do so.


30 CHAMBERLINK May 2016


Millions of pounds have been spent on job-creating infrastructure in Staffordshire, with millions more to come. An end-of-year summary for Staffordshire County Council has


celebrated the completion of the £6 million access work to open up 440,000 sq ft of space for up to 1,100 jobs at Liberty Park, Lichfield and the linking of another 40,000 homes and businesses to the county’s high speed broadband network as part of the £30 million Superfast Staffordshire project. Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member


for Economy, Environment and Transport, said: “Delivering job-creating infrastructure for higher skilled jobs is one of our top priorities – it lets businesses take root and prosper and provide the jobs which are keeping Staffordshire in near-full employment.” As well as delivering access, including a road bridge over


the West Coast Main Line, at Liberty Park, other projects being developed by the county council are at Bericote Four Ashes; Meaford, near Stone; and Branston Locks, near Burton; which collectively are expected to create around 8,000 jobs. Major employer Alstom is bringing two new developments


Mark Winnington


‘Residents can take advantage of the skilled jobs being created on their doorstep’


to the £10.7 million Redhill Industrial estate on the edge of Stafford, safeguarding 1,000 jobs, while the i54 South Staffordshire development is already home to 1,600 workers – a figure expected to rise to 3,900 by 2020. Preparations are also underway for major road schemes like the Stafford Western Access Route,


which will ease congestion in the town centre and enable future growth. Also in the pipeline are a flood defence project in Rugeley to open up land for economic growth, and investments in the Friarsgate development at Lichfield and London Mill in Leek.


Find your workforce at fair


Cannock Chase Council, in collaboration with Job Centre Plus and Chase Chamber of Commerce, is hosting a jobs fair in Cannock this month. The jobs fair will be free and aims to bring together jobseekers and


providers with vacancies, and also give them the chance to talk about any employment opportunities available. Councillor Gordon Alcott, portfolio leader for Economic Development


and Planning, said: “We are looking for local employers who have any job or apprenticeship opportunities to exhibit.” The jobs fair will take place in the Civic Centre on Beecroft Road on Thursday 19 May between 10am and 2pm.


Employers interested in exhibiting free of charge at the jobs fair, or in offering employment opportunities for promotion on the day, should contact the council’s Economic Development team on 01543 464272 or email econdev@cannockchasedc.gov.uk


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