Business leaders divided over investment team's promise to attract new jobs
BUSINESS leaders are divided over the launch of an initiative to lure more employers to North Staffordshire.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership (NSRP) are setting up an investment team to generate commercial interest in the area and help firms relocate.
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Ashy McKay
The Make It Stoke-on-Trent investor development team replaces the InStaffs inward investment agency, which is now working with Staffordshire County Council. The funding comes from the NSRP's £2.5 million economic development budget.
The new four-member team is expected to be in place by the end of August.
Ashy McKay, pictured below, head of economic development at the council and the NSRP, told about 100 business delegates at yesterday's launch in Tunstall the team will focus on the unique potential and opportunities for businesses in North Staffordshire.
She said: "We believe this area is in transition and is now emerging from the doldrums to reach its full potential.
"Stoke-on-Trent is a very affordable destination because wages are 15 per cent lower than the national average and office costs are also much lower."
She added: "Inward investment is a highly competitive business and we know we have to sell our potential hard, to make progress, but we are determined to offer a service that is second-to-none."
Staffordshire University deputy vice-chancellor Paul Richards, who chairs the NSRP's enterprise and innovation steering group, said previous attempts to secure investment had not met expectations.
But he agreed the new team will deliver. He said: "I have always believed that North Staffordshire has a fantastic offer to businesses, which I think has been under-represented in the work that has been done to attract inward investment.
"But I think this launch signifies a growing confidence that we all have in the potential of this area to meet the needs of businesses worldwide."
But some of the delegates were less certain the approach will succeed.
Richard Ward, development director for leadership consultants Vistage International, said: "I would like to see this service work and I think it really deserves to, because this is such a vibrant area with bright people and some good opportunities.
"But I'm concerned that up to now we just don't seem to have had the wherewithal to put together an investment strategy and make it work.
"It doesn't help that parts of the city look like a war zone, and I think we need to sort that out before we can attract businesses here."
Nigel Brown, of Uttoxeter-based Advance Consultancy, said: "I think we're looking at the last chance for North Staffordshire now, because we have lost so many of our industries and jobs in recent years.
"But I'm not entirely confident that the council can deliver the investment it says it will bring in."
Bryan Carnes, the chief executive of the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, said he understands why bosses may be sceptical about the latest investment drive.
But he is convinced the investment team will succeed.
He said: "I think there is a genuine appetite now from everyone involved to really make this work."
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by Lazarus, North Staffs
Tuesday, August 03 2010, 10:08AM
“Another City Council Officer comes out as a FOOL, pitches the working populations job opportunities of the future in Stoke on Trent straight at the MINIMUM WAGE end of the market, you FOOL.
One cannot blame you or the entrepreneurs of this area for the state of the place that is entirely down to the forces of greed and the shameful reaction of Southern investors of the lost Pottery Industry, Steel and Coal well that was down to the DOG of the Tories.
It left loads of opportunities in Stoke, big gaps, that due to an inert bunch of incompetents in the Councils Planning Department and the incumbent Regional add-ons from Central Government nothing got done at great expense. Hence big gaps in the Industrial Landscape
Nothing will get done until the value of the land in the area increases and the owners of the land release it. Instead of wittering on about development and chewing the fat with NSRP the Council should be Compulsorily Purchasing it. The daydreamers of Tunstall and the lethargy of Investers not in land but jobs must be attracted to other areas because of what? You may ask. Well it certainly is not CHEAP labour the like of which we are peddling ASHY, try brokering a skilled labour force there are not many opportunities nowadays in manufacturing, so aim higher. There of course opportunities for one or two to perform better than yourself dear, we should take that little gem and resolve it straight away, off you go, Chester awaits.
Stop jaw jawing and do something, the natives are restless again.”
by keith, France.
Saturday, July 31 2010, 9:58PM
“Sad to think that in just half of my lifetime i have seen "The Potteries" go from a place that was buzzing with industry,pots.pits, engineering etc to a place that needs " a team" to lure industry back, it should never have been let go in the first place.!!!”
by Ian, Trentham
Saturday, July 31 2010, 6:42PM
“Are NSRP taking us for fools. Selling some of the hardest working people in the country at a discount of 15%! This is excactly the attitude that keeps our city down. We should be aiming to pay the workforce above average. The workforce of Stoke will not be treated like slaves.”
by john, Longton
Saturday, July 31 2010, 6:07PM
“If we are paying our people 15% less,we should be making this money up
Have we relised the fat cat wages the street cleaners, care workers get, is not true neither is the gold plated pension's what the con doms keep on about
Do we need consultants to to us this I think not”
by Paul, Trentham
Saturday, July 31 2010, 5:44PM
“I think they forgot to extoll the fact that SoT City Council and NSRP have some of the highest paid and lowest performing senior officers in the country.”