Business News
Sponsored by: Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council
Spring Statement brings housing boost for region
Once in a generation opportunity
By Simon Ward Leader, Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council
Regenerating and improving Sutton Coldfield town centre is a key part of the Town Council’s vision as set out in our Strategic Plan. In the autumn, it was announced that £19m of Government funding could be made available to fund a new transport interchange in the town linked to the funding package for HS2. It is crucial that this is not viewed as a transport project in isolation but rather as a once in a generation opportunity to revitalise the town centre. It will be vital to ensure that
this new interchange brings additional benefits with related investment in sites for redevelopment, improving the environment, public areas and linkages to the town centre. The Town Council has
declared its ambition to be at the forefront in seeking to influence the planning of these changes and is engaging with the scheme promoters to help ensure that the people of the town are properly consulted at every stage and that the views expressed locally are fully taken into account. We want to build on Sutton
Coldfield’s economic strength and make full use of this opportunity to transform the town centre and make it a place fit for future generations It is anticipated that
broader community engagement on the emerging options and proposals will start later this year.
If a working partnership with the Town Council would benefit your business and the local community, please contact me simon.ward@suttoncoldfield
towncouncil.gov.uk
16 CHAMBERLINK April 2018
Business leaders in Greater Birmingham have welcomed news of a £100m housing boost for the West Midlands in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement. A deal has been agreed for the West Midlands
Combined Authority to receive £100m from the Land Remediation Fund towards the build of 215,000 homes per year. The Land Remediation Fund enables the release of unused land to develop for new housing. Elsewhere in his Spring Statement, Chancellor
Phillip Hammond also said the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects inflation to fall from three per cent back to the target two per cent over the next 12 months.
‘There was good news for the region the West Midlands Combined Authority’s housing deal was announced’
Growth is expected to be unchanged at 1.3 per
cent in 2019 and 2020 before picking up to 1.4 per cent in 2021 and 1.5 per cent in 2022. Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief
executive Paul Faulkner said: “There was good news for the region the West Midlands Combined Authority’s housing deal was announced. “There was also good news on the economy
performing better than expected and the announcement of new funds on preparing employers for T Levels and helping SMEs take on apprentices. We will be informing our members of how they can best benefit from these opportunities as the detail becomes clear.” However, business leaders are calling for more
decisive action on business rates in the Autumn Budget. The Chancellor vowed to reduce business rates by £10bn and bring forward the first wave of
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total. You didn’t make yourself rich, it was a way of life and I loved it. “When you are young, you think it
is going to go on forever. But by the time you get to 30, you know you are not going to advance – I retired at 30, I had come to the end.” Still a young man, Martyn
realised that his future lay away from the motorcycle track – and pursued a new dream with the same determination that had seen him risk death or injury in search of glory on two wheels. “I told the bank I wanted £3,000
to buy a second-hand car. In the beginning, I was working from home from my back bedroom.” That bank loan back in 1991 saw
the birth of Electrotest Services, which in due course grew into Veriserv, safety and security specialists offering expert protection to a clutch of blue chip clients from the NHS to JCB and TNT to McDonald’s. Today Martyn, now 56, is CEO of Veriserv, employing 80 people –
triannual revaluations to 2021. Mr Faulkner said: “The Chancellor has not gone far
enough on business rates. In this digital age businesses need a fundamental overhaul of this outdated input tax based on bricks and mortar if we are to retain and grow vibrant business and retail centres. We urge the Chancellor to make this a priority in his Autumn Budget.”
Employers looking for the latest developments on T-Levels and Apprenticeships can find out more via our GBCC Hot Topic:
www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com This Hot Topic is sponsored by Aston University.
including 50 engineers and 30 staff – from purpose-built offices on an industrial estate near Burntwood, with a £4.5 million turnover, 27 years on from its humble origins in his bedroom. “If you transfer those motorcycle sporting skills into business, you cannot go far wrong. It teaches you to be a perfectionist, to get the best out of your team, you have to be totally focused on your goals. “I just switched off (from
motorcycles) and totally concentrated on this. We have had our tough times but learnt from them – it was touch and go at one time. “You are constantly learning – I
think the trick of being a good director is knowing your limits, or getting somebody in who is better than you at certain things – I am definitely a perfectionist.” Two former rivals from his
motorcycling days, David Quarmby and Iain Challinor, are managing director and sales director respectively. Iain recalls, with a grin: “I wasn’t friends with Martyn when I met him, and he didn’t like me – we wanted to beat each other.” When he’s not at his desk at
Veriserv, Martyn, who has also served as a magistrate in Cannock for more than 20 years, is busy out and about pressing the flesh on the local business circuit as the newly elected president of Chase Chamber. “I will be getting stuck in. I really like networking, meeting people – there’s a lot going on.” But occasionally the old
motorcycle buzz resurfaces, and Martyn takes to one of his two bikes – a Yamaha and a Kawasaki – for strictly private pleasure. “If I was to fall off now, I am not going to bounce,” he says with a smile.
‘I think the trick of being a good director is knowing your limits, or getting somebody in who is better than you at certain things’
Paul Faulkner:
Chancellor has not gone far enough on business rates
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