Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons


Contact: Chris Brewerton T: 0845 6036650


Higher taxes the main


concern for businesses Businesses fear that the coronavirus crisis will lead to higher taxes, according to a new poll, carried out by Dains Accountants, which has an office in Lichfield. The poll found that more than 60 per cent of


respondents feared hikes in income tax, corporate tax and capital gains tax were on the horizon. A further 45 per cent believed that VAT would also rise, as the Government sought to claw back the levels of borrowing it had engaged in during the crisis. The Dains’ poll also found that the chief


concern of businesses at the present was the lack of ability to trade at normal levels. A massive 62 per cent of respondents said that this was their biggest concern. The next business headache was cashflow, but


this was only flagged up by 22 per cent of respondents. A greater number of businesses had concerns about health and safety issues and getting their staff back into the workplace, issues that registered 10 per cent and eight per cent respectively. Dains managing partner Richard McNeilly said: “Business owners are resilient in nature and confidence is clearly fragile – the next few weeks will be pivotal in gauging whether we slip into deep recession or whether the UK economy and its otherwise thriving SME community can kickstart the recovery.”


Mayor makes pledge to help struggling firms


New Tamworth mayor Rosemary Claymore (pictured) has begun her ‘virtual’ year in office by pledging support to businesses struggling to survive during the pandemic. The mayor – who will be supported by her


sister, Mrs Maureen Wood, and newly- appointed deputy mayor Cllr Michael Oates – took up office during an online council meeting.


‘I believe that community is the backbone of everything’


Cllr Claymore admitted that her


tenure as mayor was likely to be an unusual one and said: “This mayoral year, it will be like no other year of mayoral duties due to the current Covid-19 situation. “I believe that community is the backbone of


everything and in my year as mayor I want to promote how vital our community is to us all. I would also like to let people know that I would


be honoured to visit any local business (while social distancing) or attend any virtual events. “Please contact me as I would love to hear


how you have been coping and what I can do to support you.” The new mayor is also keen to launch another knitting project, similar to the ‘CommuKnitty’ project that took place last year which brightened up Tamworth’s open spaces by inviting people to ‘button up the bark’ of local trees with a knitted ‘tree cosy’, or to knit a


‘forget-me-not’ flower – the Alzheimer’s Society logo - to help Tamworth become even more


dementia friendly. The new knitting project will be for people


of all ages and abilities, and its aim will be to get people to celebrate community and brighter days, by knitting a rainbow that will either be displayed around the town, or given to individuals to show how our strength and community spirit has united local residents.


Plans to expand local school Work begins on UK


Police Memorial Construction has begun on the UK Police Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The £4.5m project will see the creation of a


fitting tribute to commemorate those police officers and police staff killed in the line of duty since the formation of the Bow Street Runners in 1749. The start of the build was marked at a


ground-breaking event by the fathers of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, two Greater Manchester officers who were lured to their deaths by a career criminal in 2012. Former president of the Association of Chief


Making room: Nether Stowe deputy headteacher Andrew Shaw (left) with school students and headteacher Glyn Langston-Jones (right)


A £4.2m project to expand a Lichfield secondary school has been launched. The project will add a new reception and


additional classroom space to Nether Stowe School, part of the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP). There will also be a new sixth form area and a larger state-of-the-art sports hall. Works will be completed by September 2021,


and is being carried out by contractor Novus on behalf of Staffordshire County Council and ATLP. County Councillor Philip White, Cabinet


Member for Skills and Further Learning, said: “New housing in and around the city means that


36 CHAMBERLINK August/September 2020


there will be increased demand for secondary school places in the area. With the newly remodelled reception area,


new classrooms, sports hall and sixth form, Nether Stowe School will be able to welcome 150 more 11 to 16 year olds plus some additional sixth form pupils, once the project is complete. Glyn Langston-Jones, head teacher of Nether


Stowe, said: “This expansion will give even more children the opportunity to join us and receive a quality education. We are looking forward to welcoming new students into our growing school community.”


Police Officers and chairman of the Police Arboretum Memorial Trust Sir Hugh Orde said: “The National Memorial Arboretum is the place where all our services are remembered throughout the year. “A place where people come for quiet acts of


contemplation and reflection and a place where large scale acts of remembrance take place. “When we set out on this ambitious project in


2015 we had no idea how challenging it would be. Along the way we have overcome many hurdles and setbacks. But after five years of determination, amazing support and dedicated fundraising we have finally reached the position where construction of the new UK Police Memorial can start.”


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