Business News President’s Focus


This month’s President’s Focus is by Nigel Waldron, the president of Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce. Nigel is the managing director of coal ash reseller Power Minerals. Here, he talks about the huge strides Sutton Coldfield Chamber has made since its formation in 2015 – and its role in helping the royal town unlock its full potential.


There is so much for Sutton Coldfield to shout about at the moment – yet a whole lot more for us to aspire to. Since becoming president of the


Sutton Coldfield Chamber nearly 18 months ago, I have found it an eye- opening and enjoyable experience. The Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce group has been reenergised and refocused under the leadership of chief executive Paul Faulkner and that played a big part in my decision to get involved. There is a perfect balance


between adopting dynamic, forward-thinking methods and respecting some of the traditions of the Chamber movement. We’re delighted with how well


the Sutton Coldfield Chamber has been received. We’re nearly up to 100 members now and, while this is a significant milestone, we still have a long way to go to replicate the success of other regional Chambers like Solihull. The launch of the Chamber in


the royal town came at a significant time because it coincided with the establishment of the Town Council. In a relatively short space of


time, both have provided valuable input when it comes of tackling some of the problems facing the town centre and surrounding areas. But we are under no illusion that


there is still a great deal of work required to unlock Sutton Coldfield’s true potential. We will be looking on with great


interest to see how West Midlands mayor Andy Street’s transport strategy unfolds because connectivity in and around our town has been a real problem for some time. Sutton Coldfield sits at the heart


of the troubled Cross City line, with stations at Wylde Green, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield town centre, Butlers Lane and Blake Street. Commuters travelling to and


from the area have felt the full force of problems on this line, with frequent delays, cancellations and severe overcrowding. Throw into the mix our clogged-


up road infrastructure and you can see why connectivity is a major source of frustration, particularly for local business owners. Another concern that has been


raised by Chamber members is a lack of office space. While the area is experiencing a


boom in residential property, the same cannot be said about commercial property. Earlier this year, my company


Power Minerals abandoned plans to move premises, simply because there was nothing suitable in and around Sutton Coldfield. I hope planners will look at this


sensibly and make provisions to accommodate businesses. The quality of housing and


schools on offer are two of the town’s real strong points. However, if we don’t have the


facilities to attract or cater for the needs of businesses, we are in danger of becoming a ‘commuter town’ – especially with HS2 arriving in the West Midlands in 2026. Furthermore, our area is among


those still counting the cost of the Birmingham bin crisis. A number of businesses – including my own – took important meetings elsewhere because of the state of our rubbish-strewn town centre. So, what can we do to take


things forward? Firstly, we need to embrace those around us. We must think big by embracing


the whole Greater Birmingham region, while thinking small by reaching out to people living in places such as Wylde Green and Walmley. But above all, we can be so


much bolder in promoting Sutton Coldfield to outsiders. I often bring clients from the


‘There is a perfect balance between adopting dynamic, forward-thinking methods and respecting some of the traditions of the Chamber movement’


18 CHAMBERLINK November 2017


United States and Europe to the area, as well as those from other parts of the UK. The majority are very impressed with what we have to offer – but the consensus is usually that they didn’t know places like this existed in Birmingham. As I’ve already mentioned, we


have some beautiful residential areas, some of the best schools in the region and a vastly


Sutton Coldfield


Chamber of Commerce


improving shopping and retail offering (if you’re a coffee addict like me, you’re spoilt for choice!) We have a growing business


community and a thriving Chamber of Commerce which have both received ringing endorsements from our MP Andrew Mitchell. Perhaps it is time for us to shout a little louder…


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