Opinion CHAMBER
The official publication of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
LINK Cannock Chase
Chamber of Commerce
Editor’s View
By John Lamb
Returning prosperity to the West Midlands
Sutton Coldfield
Chamber of Commerce
Greater Birmingham
Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce
T Greater Birmingham
Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce
Front cover: Steve Allen and Deb Leary See page 6
Editor John Lamb 0121 274 3239, 0797 1144064
j.lamb@
birmingham-chamber.com
Deputy Editor Dan Harrison 0121 274 3238, 0797 1144052
d.harrison@birmingham-chamber.com
Reporter Jessica Brookes 0750 8317356
j.brookes@
birmingham-chamber.com
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here was an air of déjà vu as we were told of Andy Street’s vision for building a gigfactory in the West Midlands.
The West Midlands mayor had just returned
from China to meet potential investors as part of plans by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to build a major battery production plant in the region (see page 6). What better place could there be than the
West Midlands, once the home of famous brands, again being given the title of the car capital of Britain? So it was with some poignancy when at the
same time we heard of the final death throes of the famous Longbridge plant in Birmingham. Car production there finished three years ago
Published by
when final assembly of the MG6 ended. The factory had been given a lease of life after MG Rover fell into administration in 2005, ending just short of 100 years car production heritage at the south Birmingham site. The Longbridge plant had produced such famous marques as Austin and eventually its Mini, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland and the ill-fated MG Rover cars. In its heyday, the plant had been the major employer in Birmingham and it was many years before the repercussions started to unwind. As part of St. Modwen’s continued
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4 CHAMBERLINK February 2020
regeneration of Longbridge, two huge derelict buildings at the former automotive production plant – CAB A and CAB B – started to be demolished last month. Site owner St. Modwen has appointed a specialist demolition contractor to carry out the 40-week programme. But thankfully it won’t all be consigned to history.
A number of fixtures and fittings, such as
lighting, have been rescued and will be incorporated in future development in the area. St. Modwen is also planning to retain and repurpose the former MG Rover international headquarters and a section of CAB A. It’s ironic that Andy Street’s vision could
consign the combustion engine to history, having for so long been the mainstay of car production right across the West Midlands. But Longbridge is again being put on the map as it made way for more than 1,100 homes. There is also over a million square feet of commercial floor space, including the £70m town centre. Now we have the prospect of the region again
becoming the focal point of car production. What a coup it would be if Mr Street and his WMCA could pull off establishing a potential world centre for electric car production. He is so right when he says: “I believe that our
region is the rightful home for a gigafactory. Employing more than 46,500 people, the West Midlands has an automotive cluster that features innovation centres, research centres, autonomous vehicle test beds, and major production plants.” Finally, welcome to a record-breaking
Chamberlink. This month is our first 100+-page edition. This is a testament to our appeal to advertisers, who are demonstrating their desire to gain exposure in printed journals. It’s down to the hard work of our partners at Kemps Publishing that we have reached such a position - as well, of course, that our advertisers want to use the columns of Chamberlink. Thanks to them and the editorial staff who make the magazine so appealing.
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