£23.3m Growth Deal boost for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid today announced a government cash boost of £23.3 million for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to help create jobs, support businesses and encourage growth.
Some of the locally-chosen projects likely to benefit over the next few years include:
- The first section of a new link road between Hanley and Bentilee to ease congestion and improve public transport;
- The redevelopment of derelict land at Doxey Road, Stafford, to be used for new homes and commercial space; and
- Developing the former Royal Ordnance Factory site at Featherstone to create new jobs.
These, alongside other projects, will improve skills, create jobs, build homes and improve infrastructure. This latest award of Local Growth funding is on top of £97.7 million of Growth Deal funding already awarded to Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. This will see jobs created, homes built and extra investment.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:
“This Government is backing the Potteries with this new £23.3 million funding pot. Exciting projects to benefit include building new homes on derelict land in Stafford and transforming the old Royal Ordnance Factory site at Featherstone.
“This new funding will help create jobs, boost skills and give businesses support.”
Minister for Local Government Marcus Jones said:
“It’s great to see so many projects being funded in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. This includes the AgriSTEM Academy I visited today, which will help create a new generation of engineering entrepreneurs.
“Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire’s £23.3 million cash boost will see more jobs, housing and growth in the area as we deliver an economy that works for everyone.”
Marcus Jones is pictured driving the tractor simulator at the AgriSTEM academy.
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership chairman David Frost CBE said:
“This new funding represents a great opportunity to deliver real change benefitting our region’s economy and local communities. It means we will be able to press ahead with major projects improving key road networks to unlock and redevelop land for new homes and new jobs, as well as a range of other schemes that will promote innovation and improve skills levels.
“We are building on our Local Enterprise Partnership’s successful track record of project delivery, working with a range of public and private sector partners to bring more and better jobs to our area and enable Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to thrive. This latest funding to continue our vital work is a real vote of confidence in what we have achieved so far and our plans for future success.”
Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins said:
“The Growth Deal funding will enable us to continue to successfully deliver high profile projects in Staffordshire which will attract significant investment and boost job creation. Initial works have started on the Stafford Western access route. Now we can move forward with the main part of the project which will support the county town’s continued growth and improve its accessibility. In May we announced our intention to regenerate the Royal Ordnance Factory Featherstone site and recently we gave our commitment to support the new innovation centre at Keele and so it is pleasing to see the Growth Deal contribution.”
Councillor Abi Brown, Stoke-on-Trent City Council deputy leader said:
“This is great news for Stoke-on-Trent.
“The investment demonstrates government’s continued confidence in Stoke-on-Trent following the success of the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone which launched last year and secured hundreds of jobs in its first six months.
“This new funding will support the development of the first phase of the Hanley to Bentilee link road which will deliver further infrastructure improvements and make a huge difference to Stoke-on-Trent. The funding will act as a catalyst for investment in the area, creating jobs and opening up land for housing growth. It’s an exciting time: Stoke-on-Trent is really on the up.”
Creating an economy that works for everyone
An ambitious strategy to help the Midlands reach its full economic potential has been published today as the Chancellor Philip Hammond visited the region the day after delivering his first Budget.
The Midlands Engine Strategy includes significant investment in skills, connectivity and local growth, while it sets out how the government plans to drive the region’s huge potential and promote it to the world.
The £12 billion Local Growth Fund provides local leaders with the cash they need to support locally determined projects. Under the fund, England’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships – made up of council leaders and business representatives – bid for investments based on local priorities.
Bids are highly competitive and to be successful, Local Enterprise Partnerships need to work with partners to agree strong and accountable governance and put forward proposals that boost growth and bring in private sector funding.
Over £9 billion of the Local Growth Fund has now been awarded to Local Enterprise Partnerships through three rounds of Growth Deals, helping more than 1,000 projects get started across England already – this is supporting vital infrastructure, improving skills and creating thousands of jobs. Together with money for unlocking housing sites to support home building and investment in very large transport schemes – both announced in 2016 – we have fulfilled our commitment to a £12 billion Local Growth Fund.
In Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire this has already:
- Made a £4 million investment to open up a 14 hectare business park at Liberty Park, Lichfield which has stagnated since 1998. The expected private sector investment in the site is around £100 million, creating 720 jobs;
- Supported the development of a network of skills hubs that provide advanced engineering and manufacturing skills tailored to business needs. This will deliver places for 1,500 learners per year. The hubs will provide local employers with the workforce they need, improve career prospects for local people and increase skills; and
- Funded infrastructure works at Branston Locks in Burton which will open up a business park and housing site. This will see 2,500 new homes built and 3,800 jobs created along with new community facilities.
The Midlands Engine is the ambitious long-term economic plan to achieve greater economic growth and productivity across the whole Midlands. Our plans for the Midlands Engine demonstrate that when we say we’ll build an economy that works for everyone, we mean it.
The Government is supporting improvements in infrastructure, skills, business, environment and innovation in the Midlands. The Government is also increasing trade and investment by promoting the Midlands nationally and internationally.
Across the Midlands local people are set to benefit from £392 million investment with the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership receiving £23.3 million to spend on projects including:
- Beginning the first phase of a new link road between Hanley and Bentilee. When complete this will help ease congestion, make public transport more reliable and help support the growth of the local economy;
- The redevelopment of derelict land at Doxey Road, Stafford to be used for new homes and commercial space along with the completion of the Stafford Western access route, which will provide access to the site as well as unlocking other sites for future development to create more homes and jobs; and
- Bringing forward the former Royal Ordnance Factory site at Featherstone for development. This is a strategically important employment site and a key gateway location to the West Midlands, with excellent links to the local and national highway network. When completed the site is estimated by the LEP to create / safeguard 2,800 jobs.
