Business News President’s Focus


Sutton Coldfield is among a number of town centres facing a crucial period of change after feeling the force of struggles on the high-street. But Katie Hale, president of the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce, says this presents an exciting opportunity – and businesses in the Royal Town can’t afford to miss out on helping shape the future.


T


here has never been a more critical time for businesses in Sutton Coldfield to have a voice.


It has been well documented that our town


centre has experienced a bleak few months, with a string of store closures – most notably the much-loved, flagship Marks & Spencer store which was a part of so many residents’ lives for many years. Of course, the Royal Town isn’t the only centre


to bare the brunt of changing shopping patterns. High-streets up and down the country are facing similar challenges. But we also have other challenges away from


the retail sector. A shortage of suitable work and office spaces has a long been a concern of the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce. This exposes us to the risk of losing our most


forward-thinking and fast-growing businesses when they reach a stage where the town can no longer meet their ambitious needs. However, with risk comes opportunity and


that’s why there is a coalition of the willing in Sutton Coldfield – namely the Chamber, the Town Council and the BID – who are working together to plot a bright future for our town centre. Because amidst all of the doom and gloom,


there is a golden opportunity to reimagine our town centre and ensure it thrives as a place to live, enjoy leisure time, work in and to run a business for years – and decades – to come.


‘There are 14 urban centres in the Birmingham City Council area but few have as much going for them as ours’


To do this, we need all of the key ingredients.


The Sutton Coldfield area boasts excellent education provision, reasonable transport links (which could become even stronger as a by- product of HS2 and the Commonwealth Games) and, of course, a world-class leisure facility in Sutton Park. But all of this needs to be underpinned by the


support of a strong, vibrant and varied business community. That’s why firms operating in the town cannot


afford to miss this opportunity to play a part in shaping the future. That means telling the Town Council about


your company’s concerns and requirements – whether it be office space provision, expansion plans or even challenges with attracting employees, customers and clients from outside the Sutton Coldfield area. All of these ideas and insights will be


invaluable if we want the reimagined town centre to have the right mix of business, pleasure, housing and leisure activities.


10 CHAMBERLINK November 2019 There are 14 urban centres in the Birmingham


City Council area but few have as much going for them as ours. However, we also know we can be so much


better. As Town Council leader Simon Ward says, it’s “elbows out time”. So, as the president of the town’s leading business organisation, I would encourage you to


Sutton Coldfield


Chamber of Commerce


step forward and share your ideas, insights and concerns regarding the town centre. You can do so by contacting myself or a member of the Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce committee. As the voice of business in the Royal Town, we


will endeavour to feed your opinions back to key stakeholders and decision-makers.


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