Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons
Contact: Chris Brewerton T: 077534 53624
Plans to breathe new life into the high-street
Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber is backing efforts by the borough council to breathe new life into the town’s high-street after a new report suggested it was in serious decline. The report, compiled by accountancy giant
Saqib Bhatti (left) and James Blackman: A thriving part of the world
Swinfen Hall hosts AGM
Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber president James Blackman toasted a successful year for the Chamber at its annual general meeting and celebration lunch at Swinfen Hall Hotel in Lichfield. He said: “Last year was a great success and
we started with the Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth awards. “We will be continuing to work with our local
MPs. We are scheduled to meet with them next month, to discuss what’s happening within Lichfield and Tamworth, mainly around Brexit and to see how we can work together. “We are also looking to meet the small
business commissioner in January, Paul Uppal, to discuss late payments.” Chamber president Saqib Bhatti, newly-
elected president of the GBCC, was the guest speaker at the lunch and said: “Lichfield and Tamworth are important to the regional economy, but also the national economy. “If you look at the statistics, they are
contributing over £3.5bn to the national economy. They have higher than average levels of productivity, economy activity and job growth. “It is a really thriving part of the world, and a
real testament to what can happen when businesses are doing well.”
• See page 42 for more pictures from the AGM • See page 10 for more about James Blackman’s views on the ‘pay in 30 days campaign’
PwC survey, claimed that Tamworth high- street was among the worst in the country, after losing a net total of nine retailers during the past year. In the first six months of 2018,
134 stores opened on high streets, retail parks and shopping centres, alongside 223 closures. Only two locations saw net growth.
‘We have to establish a new vision for the town centre’
Tamworth Borough Council said that
despite the survey findings, the town was the subject of major efforts to improve its attractiveness to shoppers, retailers and other businesses. This included millions of pounds worth of new investment. The council’s Cabinet member for Heritage
and Growth, Cllr Steve Claymore (pictured), said: “We have so much going on behind the scenes in terms of physical investment, policy, grants, business support, marketing and promotion. “Millions of pounds are currently being
invested in a number of projects in the town, funded by both council and external grant funding that we have secured. “This includes the Gateways project
improving routes through the town, the £6.1m Enterprise Quarter project, made up of Tamworth Enterprise Centre – a thriving hub for small businesses – and the
redevelopment of the Assembly He admitted that further effort was
Rooms.”
needed to make the town more appealing, and said: “We have to establish a new vision for the town centre and this is something we are currently working towards. “We need to define what the offer should
be and this could include more housing, more leisure, food and drink and more artisan, niche retailers.” The council is also finalising a new strategy
to actively market Tamworth to commercial investors, and take advantage of a £650m pot of funding specifically for town centres. The council’s efforts to improve the
attractiveness of Tamworth are being backed by the Chamber, which is keen to see new businesses move into the town. The Chamber’s Chris Brewerton, said: “The
importance of a vibrant town centre cannot be lost on the businesses, organisations and people of Tamworth who show such passion for the town and the Chamber very much plans to be an important conduit for growth and increased engagement across the town.”
Helping businesses to achieve their goals
A new senior business development and relationship manager has been appointed to build membership in the Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth Chambers of Commerce. Chris Brewerton (pictured) joins the Chamber
from Birmingham City Football Club, where he held a number of business development and commercial roles for five years. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism
and history at the University of Chester and was a press officer at Hednesford Town FC for five years. He said: “I am actively looking to build new
46 CHAMBERLINK December 2018/January 2019
relationships in this role, to help embed the Chambers in the fabric of these areas and build the profile of businesses in these areas too. “There is a real buzz that you get from
connecting businesses. Seeing them succeed and gain fruitful returns from connections you’ve made with or for them is fantastic. “My passion is helping businesses
connect, support and grow – that is what I am going to do in Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth alongside their presidents Katie
Hale and James Blackman, and the fantastic boards in those regions. “I want to work closely with these individuals and businesses, to help them achieve their goals and grow their businesses. “If we help grow these businesses and grow their presence, we will also grow the presence of the Chamber too – an overall win for the business
community in Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth.”
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