LEP welcomes 400 new jobs for Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is delighted to announce the first permanent private sector tenant for its flagship Smithfield development – creating up to 400 jobs for the area.

Water companies Severn Trent Water and United Utilities, who announced plans to create a new utilities joint venture in March, have today confirmed they will move into Two Smithfield in Stoke-on-Trent city centre from the end of May.

The offices will now become the headquarters for the joint venture called Water Plus which was approved by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA), today May 3. They will take up two of four floors in the building, providing a significant boost for the area’s economy and another sign of the city’s growing reputation as a great place to do business.

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership chairman David Frost CBE commented: “This is excellent news for the showpiece Smithfield development in particular and for Stoke-on-Trent in general.

“Our aim as a LEP is to build a strong and balanced economy in our region, creating more highly skilled and better paid jobs so that local communities can grow and thrive. We are delighted to see up to 400 new jobs coming to the city centre and we will continue to work with our council and private sector partners to repeat this success across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.”

Sue Amies-King, chief executive of Water Plus said: “Stoke-on-Trent was a natural choice. Two Smithfield is well positioned for our combined operations and the business customers we serve.

“We love the building and the area. It’s a vibrant place for us to do business. We are looking forward to having a really positive impact in the city.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Dave Conway said: “This is extremely welcome news for Stoke-on-Trent. To have such a major new employer commit to the city clearly demonstrates that this is a place to do business. The news means hundreds of new jobs for people in Stoke-on-Trent – it is quite literally life changing. The announcement will also bring a number of wider economic benefits for the city as a result of having up to 400 extra people working right in the city centre.

“We have the connectivity, infrastructure, talented workforce and accessible, affordable land to be a great location for any business to locate to. This announcement is a major achievement for Stoke-on-Trent, and we will continue to work closely with the new company to support them as they move to our city.”

Stoke-on-Trent City Council deputy leader Abi Brown said: “This is just one more reason to show that Stoke-on-Trent is truly on the up. We have worked hard to encourage Water Plus to locate here and this has paid off for the people of Stoke-on-Trent.

“The move shows commitment to the excellent opportunities Stoke-on-Trent presents to businesses, bringing increased revenue for us to be able to deliver life changing council services. We’ll continue to do what we need to so that we can prioritise investment in our towns and communities, secure job creation and support new business growth but this is a clear sign that our work is already delivering.”

The remaining office space at Two Smithfield will continue to be marketed by commercial property agents Bilfinger GVA, and discussions are ongoing with a number of interested companies.