Posted on Tuesday 7th December 2021
Philip White
A £3.5million investment by Staffordshire County Council into infrastructure to bring forward a development site which could create up to 1,700 jobs looks set to be approved next week.
The Chatterley Valley West development in Newcastle-under-Lyme would see around £60million in private sector investment, with an additional £3.7million funding through the Kidsgrove Town Deal meaning that the essential roads and infrastructure to the site would be installed.
The brownfield site just off the A500 will be one of the biggest business developments in the north of the county in decades. It lies within the Ceramic Valley Enterprise Zone, providing huge benefits to businesses located there and the councils and Local Enterprise Partnership partners.
When the site is fully built out, it could release total business rates of more than £2.5 million per annum. Until March 2041 these business rates will be wholly retained in the local area and can be used to help fund further regeneration priorities.
The county council will be working closely with Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, and the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the developer to bring the scheme forward.
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Philip White said:
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock a major parcel of disused industrial land, close to strategic transport links and provide the opportunity for existing businesses to expand and for new ones to invest in Staffordshire.
The county council has a proven track record of working in partnership to successfully develop commercial sites which provide jobs and growth in their area such as i54 South Staffordshire and Branston Locks in the east of the county. Chatterley Valley West will be a major project in the north and we look forward to working with our council and LEP partners to ensure its successful delivery.”
Simon Tagg, leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, said:
This is great news for the enhancement of the enterprise zone and for the borough as a whole as it will create hundreds of new jobs and safeguarding existing ones in the area.
The £3.5million investment from the county council in the Chatterley Valley site, alongside the £3.7million the borough council secured as part of the Kidsgrove Town Deal, shows that we are serious about growing our places and creating opportunities for our residents and businesses.
The positive impact this project will have, in terms of employment and the local economy, is most welcome and it shows that Newcastle-under-Lyme is a fantastic place to do business.”