Lichfield & Tamworth Lichfield & Tamworth Chamber Patrons


Contact: Chris Brewerton T: 0845 6036650


Distribution base to bring jobs to region


Approval of a £48m distribution base for national retailer Pets at Home in Stafford will create jobs and strengthen the economic recovery, the Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader has said. Philip White, who is also cabinet member


for economy and skills, said the creation of 1,200 jobs on the site at Redhill just north of the town, was a welcome boost with many people facing uncertainty due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It follows the news that fashion retailer


Asos is building a new distribution centre at Fradley Park, Lichfield, with the potential to create up another 2,000 jobs. Mr White said: “The approval of the Pets


at Home centre is fantastic news for Stafford and the wider area. It will add to an already thriving commercial site with excellent connectivity positioned on the A34 and close to junction 14 of the M6. A development of this size will bring a mix of head office and warehouse positions so there will be good number of higher skilled roles created. “Logistics is a strong sector in


Staffordshire due to our central location and available workforce. The county council continually works with a range of partners to ensure Staffordshire remains an attractive location to locate businesses of all sizes. Large developments like these also have a positive impact on supply and service businesses in the area.”


Plans for Tamworth’s town centre revealed


Tamworth has revealed plans for its new-look town centre, after winning £21.65m funding from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund. The ‘once in a generation’ opportunity will see


Tamworth College relocated into the heart of the town centre, the restoration of buildings to bring them back into use, and the development of new space for small independent traders. In addition, improvements will be made to St


Editha’s Square and the entrance to the town’s Castle Grounds. The plans address a number of the


suggestions put forward by hundreds of local people who took part in the ‘Tamworth What’s Next?’ campaign. The suggestions formed part of the successful


bid, which is one of the highest awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government fund. The scheme also includes a significant amount


of co-investment from various partners and all the projects will now be subject to contracts, design work, planning permission and further consultation. Central to the transformation is the plant to


bring Tamworth College into the heart of the town centre. The proposal is for a brand new state-of-the-art college building to be built on the site of the 1960s part of the Tamworth Co- operative Society building in St Editha’s Square.


Restaurant maintains rating


The Boat Inn, based on Walsall Road in Lichfield, has maintained its ‘Michelin Plate’ rating for a third year. The fine dining restaurant was featured in the


latest Michelin guide, which also revealed the recipients of its coveted Michelin stars.


A Michelin plate is for those restaurants


serving ‘good food’, but who have not yet reached the standard required for a star or a ‘Bib Gourmand’ (which signifies a high-quality dining experience at a reasonable price). Steve Locklin, general manager of the


restaurant, said: "After what has been a terrible year for everyone involved in the hospitality industry, it is so nice to celebrate with some good news. "We are immensely proud to have maintained


our Michelin Plate for the third consecutive year and this is huge credit to both the kitchen and front of house teams for their consistency and hard work.” Despite currently being closed due to the


national coronavirus restrictions, The Boat Inn is offering a three-course ‘Heat at Home’ menu on Fridays and Saturdays along with a Sunday lunch takeaway. Michelin had delayed the publication of its


The Boat Inn: rating boost 40 CHAMBERLINK March 2021


latest guide, which was originally intended to be released in autumn of last year, due to the pandemic.


Such a move would bring around 1,500


students, staff and visitors into the town centre, both in the daytime and for evening courses. Cllr Jeremy Oates, Tamworth Borough


Council’s cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: “These are ambitious plans that have been put forward for our bid to the Future High Streets Fund. We know the high street has to change and adapt, and if it all goes to plan, this project (together with the redevelopment of the Gungate precinct) will deliver on many of the themes Tamworth people told us were most important to them. “It’s said ‘build it and they will come’, and this


is really the desire as the council has no control over which individual businesses or retailers come to the town - that’s determined by the public via their spending profile – but we will do everything we can to create the best conditions for new businesses and entrepreneurs.”


Flamingo Events launch rapid Covid-19 tests


Rapid Covid tests are being offered to businesses and other organisations thanks to a new venture set up by a Fazeley-based events firm. Sean Poultney and Josephine Ewart, founders


of Flamingo Events, have launched a 15-minute Covid Test, which offers ‘lateral flow tests’ administered by a team of accredited technicians. These are rapid tests which can be carried out


without the use of laboratory equipment. The tests are administered by fully trained and


insured medical technicians, and give results in just 15 minutes with an accuracy rating of 98.74 per cent. Mr Poultney said: “We are very excited to have


the opportunity to help the regions businesses return to work safely. “Our business model actually came from a


family members Covid scare at work.” The business also offers Fit to Fly Covid


certificates, for anyone travelling abroad for work, in-house training for health and safety team, bulk orders of test supplies, surface cleaners, hand sanitising products and free- standing 'sterilisation gateways’.


Artist’s impression: how the new Tamworth College might look


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