28 minute read
Around the Region
Cabinet Office recognition for Coventry engineering company
Whiteley Brooks Engineering has been awarded a certificate from the Cabinet Office thanking it for the invaluable contribution to its Ventilator Challenge UK team on behalf of Penlon.
The Coventry-based engineering company, which specialises in CNC machining, wiring and grinding, produced components for a company for its ventilators. The components were manufactured with many design changes and there was an increase in numbers produced.
This work meant that the company didn’t have to furlough as many staff as first thought, given that the main customers are predominately motorsports companies and this industry has been affected by the pandemic.
The company utilised a number of machines and hours available to produce parts for the ventilators. Time was critical and colleagues pulled together to work around the clock to hit deadlines and in some cases exceed them. The duration of the project was two months. The company has a real sense of pride to have been able to help in a time of need.
Gear Purewal, managing director, said: “I’m delighted with the recognition we have received and for the company to have helped in these unprecedented times. As a company, we take great pleasure in how we can diversify our skills and knowledge to meet customers’ needs.”
The Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre has won a top university award for its commitment to providing exceptional opportunities and support for students on industrial placements.
The MTC was named “Best Large Placement Employer” in the University of Leicester’s Placements Awards 2020. Presented at a virtual ceremony, the awards were created to recognise the invaluable industry experiences that employers give degree students out on placement. The in-work experience gained by students on the placement
Front l/r Stephen Brown, Martin Sutherland, Millicent Stephenson. Middle l/r, Tonia Daley Campbell, Michael Corfield, Fanklyn Spencer. Back l/r Paul Fleming, Ian Manborde, Lee Barron, Ian Bayes
Coventry City of Culture Trust has signed a pledge to ensure that all artists and creatives who work on their projects, as part of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021, will do so on terms that exceed the industry standard.
The trust signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) after working with the cultural sector union bodies including
Coventry City of Culture Trust signs MOU with industry union bodies
Midlands TUC Cultural & Leisure Industries Committee, Equity, BECTU and Musicians’ Union.
The trust and the unions shared aspirations to ensure that all creatives and freelancers are paid and recognised appropriately and signed an agreement that commits the trust to offering terms that “exceed those in recognised industrywide contracts and rates”.
This MOU is the foundation of a Fair Pay Manifesto that the trust aims to launch early next year. This will seek to further promote the need for those working in the creative and cultural sector to be appropriately and fairly compensated for their time and experience.
Coventry City of Culture Trust will also encourage its partners and stakeholders to engage with appropriate unions to create agreements for creative sector workers they employ.
Martin Sutherland, chief executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This is a very important commitment by the trust, one which recognises that those who work in the creative and cultural sectors have a right to be employed with good terms and conditions.
“Coventry 2021 seeks to leave a legacy of a stronger arts and culture sector in the region and that can only be done if the work of artists and creative freelancers is valued, both through recognition and conditions of employment.”
Paul Fleming, general secretary of Equity, said: “This ground-breaking MOU sends a really clear message. Not only are today’s artists doing important work which deserves proper terms and conditions, but the artists of tomorrow, inspired by the City of Culture, can rely on the union movement to build a stable and inclusive industry.”
Coventry’s apprenticeship boost
Coventry is experiencing the beginnings of an apprenticeship recovery, according to the city’s leading further education provider.
Coventry College – which teaches around 8,000 students – has enrolled nearly 100 apprentices since September, despite the ongoing challenges faced by the region’s businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The construction, plumbing and automotive sectors are driving apprenticeship demand at the college. It follows the introduction of the government’s Kickstart scheme, where employers receive state funding for taking on 16-to-24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit for a six-month job placement. This includes a £1,500 grant if needed, while each apprentice’s national minimum wage is also paid for by government.
Lorraine Cole is a team leader for sales and recruitment at Coventry College, and helps to connect employers with the next regeneration of talent.
She said: “The business community has been in damage limitation mode for quite some time, so to see nearly 100 of our apprentices securing placements in industry over the past three months is a really encouraging sign – and a strong platform to build on.
“The financial aid provided by the government’s Kickstart scheme has undoubtedly helped small businesses to be able to recruit young people, while others are sole traders who have had to carry on working through the pandemic when they’ve been allowed to, and have turned to an apprentice to help them meet demand.
“For example, our motor vehicle apprentices have been assisting their wider industry’s efforts to meet a backlog of demand for MOTs and vehicle servicing, while some plumbers have needed extra resource to respond to more domestic enquiries because more people are now spending more time at home.
“We are also starting to see more companies using the government’s traineeship programme, where they receive a £1,000 payment for each young person they provide work experience to for six months before potentially offering them an apprenticeship.”
The events and exhibitions industry in Coventry and Warwickshire is facing disaster without a clear roadmap to reopening.
The warning was sounded at a virtual round-table meeting between members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana.
Representatives from the 16 businesses that attended
A crucial time for the events and exhibitions sector
said they felt they had been year, and for the VAT reduction to post-Covid-19 recovery, but one pushed to the back of the queue five per cent to continue for the that is left scratching its head as and needed to lobby harder for a foreseeable future. to what their future looks like.”
They questioned why similar “This is a very crucial time for sector has missed out on the sectors had been allowed to the events and exhibitions sector, support that’s been available so open up over the summer which in 2018 was reported to be far. There is clearly a need for a while events and exhibitions worth £42.3bn to UK plc. While bespoke financial package from companies had been forced to there is the need for further the Chancellor with more grants stay shut, despite proving they financial support, the clear crucial, otherwise by taking on could operate COVID-19-safely message is that the best way debt they will be simply kicking in a national pilot. forward for them is to have a the can down the road.
Among the other issues raised clear timetable for reopening. “But more importantly they were the need for a bespoke “Our members say want need a reopening date that they financial package that included to know the Government can work with. Exhibitions and more grants rather than loans understands their situation and events cannot simply open up that were currently on offer, an want it to acknowledge that. This overnight, businesses need a extended business rate holiday is a sector of the economy that clear timescale to work to. At the beyond the current financial feels it can play a major role in moment they don’t have that.”
Manufacturing Technology Centre wins top placement award
clear timetable of when events and exhibitions will be allowed to begin to take place. Sean Rose, Policy Officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: Zarah Sultana, MP for Coventry South, said: “It’s an understatement to say this element of their degree builds on their academic training so they can apply their knowledge and deliver tangible value to employers in the workplace.
George Cattle, one of the latest University of Leicester students to embark on a placement at the MTC, said the university’s judges were looking for a company that showed dedication and encouragement to placement students while helping them gain transferable employability skills.
He said: “The university chose the MTC as the award winner because of the brilliant opportunities and support that the centre offers to young people. I’m just one of many lucky students from all age groups and backgrounds who have had an opportunity to gain fantastic practical experience in both engineering and business within an innovative, exciting organisation.”
Over the past eight years, the MTC has provided placement opportunities for more than 40 students from academic institutions including its founding universities, the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham, as well as others including Aston, Cambridge, Coventry, Sheffield and Swansea.
Dr Clive Hickman, MTC chief executive, said: “The MTC’s core purpose is to create a significant positive impact on society. Providing high-quality placements that provide real-life experience of our emerging technologies is a natural part of our commitment to helping to empower industry through skills, and creating the next generation of engineering professionals.”
For further information visit www.the-mtc.org
Café and legal services provider team up to support community
Rustic Food and Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation is supporting the local community with food donations to charities and key workers, surprise drop-offs for local heroes and much more.
In the run-up to Christmas, Rustic Food, a café in Leamington Spa, ran its Love Leam campaign to spread joy around the community in difficult times.
The company did this with the support of rapidly growing local legal services provider, Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation, which pledged its support towards the campaign. Countrywide recently moved from Kenilworth to the fantastic Gables House on Kenilworth Road, and is keen to contribute towards the local community through the ‘Love Leam’ campaign, and by providing plenty of new career opportunities across a number of specialist areas.
The Love Leam campaign is designed to help members of the local community via initiatives including: • Local heroes – Rustic
Food is asking people to nominate local heroes who deserve recognition for their hard work in difficult times. Nominees receive a surprise drop-off package which includes cakes and other treats as well as a handwritten, heartfelt message from their nominator • Donation drop-offs – Rustic
Food is using its shop as a drop-off point for food and clothing donations for homeless people in the area • Cake and a cuppa – on
Wednesdays, Rustic Food is opening up its shop to provide a free slice of cake and a drink for over 60s and blue light workers, supporting the elderly and vital emergency services • Key worker picnic baskets – each week throughout the campaign, Rustic Food is delivering picnic baskets to local primary schools and other nominated key workers
The campaign continues to grow, with Rustic Food and Countrywide constantly seeking new ways to help the community. Already there has been an influx of nominations for local heroes as well as contributions from local charities and engagement on social media.
Contact Rustic Food or Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation for more information: www.rusticfood.co and www.countrywidegroup.co.uk
Beth Kiddie, production team apprentice; Chloee French, creative apprentice producer for the commercial team; Noof Alhashemi, creative apprentice producer for the dynamic city team; Samuel Williams, ticketing apprentice; Bushra Khan, programme assistant apprentice; Zahra Khalifa, creative apprentice producer for the collaborative city team
Fourteen apprentices have started on the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ after being appointed to help deliver Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture in 2021.
The apprentice programme sees the 14 individuals deployed across the different departments which make up the Coventry City of Culture Trust team.
City of Culture gives apprentices “opportunity of a lifetime”
All positions have been filled by Coventry and Warwickshire residents aged between 16 and 27, which is a major investment in the future leadership of the creative sector for Coventry and the West Midlands.
As well as all being given training within their specific role, whilst working towards the appropriate apprenticeship standard with the support of the North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, the apprentices will be fully immersed in the events, planning and delivery of Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and the wider arts and culture sector.
The apprenticeship programme has been made possible through the support of the trust’s core funders, including Coventry City Council, DCMS, Arts Council England and West Midlands Combined Authority. Cadent Foundation has also supported the apprentice programme, funding one of the apprentice roles in the production team.
Martin Sutherland, chief executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have appointed 14 extremely talented apprentices to deliver Coventry 2021.
“This is a ground-breaking apprenticeship programme for a City of Culture. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people to work on an event of such scale, in their region, and to develop crucial skills for their future careers.
“It is wonderful to be able to fulfil our promise to the people of Coventry to invest in the skills and talent of the City.”
Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire
Mid-Warwickshire branch given insight into exciting plans
Investment in skills and capital projects will help the economy of Mid-Warwickshire recover from Covid-19 more quickly, businesses have heard.
Andrew Day, the Leader of Warwick District Council, and Fay Winterburn, the Lead Commissioner on Employability and Skills at Warwickshire County Council, both addressed the MidWarwickshire Branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
They explained how the region had adapted to life during the Covid-19 crisis but how they believe the regional economy has the potential to grow in the future.
Winterburn outlined a new package of support that is on offer to businesses that may be considering making redundancies – including the potential to have staff seconded to other workplaces until their skills are required again; the opportunity to upskill employees; and also a focus on wellbeing for staff a nd employers during the stressful period.
She also highlighted how Warwickshire County Council has adapted how it highlights careers opportunities to schoolchildren, who cannot currently access work experience, including businesses being filmed by a media team to showcase the roles within their firms, which are then shown in schools.
“We want to do everything we can to prevent as many job losses as possible,” she said. “We want to be in a position, once the crisis is over, that we have the skills we need to grow the regional economy.
Councillor Day outlined some of the major investments coming to Leamington including improvements at the railway station ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 and progress on the Creative Quarter.
He said: “There is significant capital investment taking place in Leamington. It forms a big part of the
An artist’s impression of the new look Leamington Railway Station
region’s recovery plan that will help to protect jobs and create new opportunities in Warwickshire.”
Sean Rose, Policy Officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were very grateful to Andrew and Fay for updating businesses in Mid-Warwickshire on the latest developments on skills and on some of the capital investments.
“While all businesses are working extremely hard to come through the current crisis it’s important to have an eye on the future and how we recover and grow the economy.”
Area Focus: Rugby
Linda Malik, owner of Eliza Doolittle
Childrenswear
Online move helps popular store survive lockdown
A childrenswear shop that began selling homemade girls’ clothes from a market stall in Rugby over 40 years ago is surviving a second lockdown thanks to a move online.
Linda Malik runs the family business, Eliza Doolittle Childrenswear, which was set up by her mother, Isabel Gill. Initially trading on the town’s market, several premises later it is now located on Albert Street and sells brands that are not available elsewhere on the high street.
With the rise of online shopping in recent years, Linda said she was aware of the importance of having a digital presence, but admitted that it was her self-confessed generational lack of knowledge of the internet that meant it was not her top priority — until she was forced to close her shop when the coronavirus pandemic forced the country into lockdown in March.
At the start of lockdown, she took the opportunity to sign up to a free series of digital workshops delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Stories Marketing, on behalf of Warwickshire County Council through the Warwickshire Towns Network Programme.
The online workshops shared insights into how businesses can use social media and other digital tools to drive traffic to their website.
With the help of a separate council grant, Stories Marketing created an e-commerce website for the Eliza Doolittle shop and provided training on managing the site independently.
Linda said: “I went to two workshops and the practical tips and creative advice just gave me the confidence to have a go. The people running the workshop, Sam and Emma from Stories Marketing, had retail experience themselves so getting working examples of what they’d done made them easier to understand.
“Now I engage with my followers on Facebook, just as I would if they were customers in my shop, and I’ve had more enquiries and more sales so it has paid off.”
Nuneaton business in line for top retail accolade One of Nuneaton’s oldest family businesses is in the running to be named Britain’s Best Small Shop of 2020.
Cawthornes, which has been trading since 1868, is in the shortlist of retailers that could pick up the prestigious crown.
For more than a century the firm has been serving the town and has evolved over the years.
When it first opened, the business printed items from auction sale posters, card catalogue bill-heads, note paper cards and the Nuneaton Parish Church monthly magazine, all from the market place shop in Newdigate Street.
In 1908, the firm moved to Corporation Street, where it still can be found today and now supplies print, graphic design, office goods and promotional gifts.
It also does its bit for the community as it has a collection point for Nuneaton foodbank in store and also holds fundraising days for the Mary Ann Evans Hospice.
Mark Walmsley, chair of the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) – which runs the competition – said: “This has been a particularly challenging year for small independent retailers and many have come through to this point through innovation, quality of product and service, a commitment to serve their local communities and a large dose of determination.
“As more and more people have been forced to stay home and work from home, we have seen just how much we all value local independent shops and want to see them not just survive, but also thrive.
The annual competition highlights the best of Britain’s independent retail sector, celebrating the commitment and creativity of independent retailers and the central role they play in their local communities.
Chamber introduction is a win-win for two SMEs
During these lockdown times, good news is hard to come by – but there has been positive news for the Chamber, Nuneaton Signs and Chamber corporate member Glued.
Hazel Pilling, membership manager at the Chamber, discovered that Nuneaton Signs was looking for a partner to help it create a brand for the commercial side of its signage business. With her knowledge of the Chamber membership, Hazel recommended brand specialists Glued of Leamington Spa to provide assistance on the project.
Michelle York, commercial director at Nuneaton Signs and Rob Harrison, consultancy partner at Glued, met during the easing of the lockdown in the summer. Following a four-way pitch, Glued was appointed to work on the naming and branding of Nuneaton Signs’ commercial division.
Michelle was keen to express her excitement for the project and said: “Glued picked up on our mission as a social enterprise to employ as many people with other abilities as we can. We are already debating a raft of possible new names, which we will be sharing with staff, customers and the board in due course.”
Rob Harrison said: “This is testament to the value of Chamber membership and the organisation’s genuine contribution to SMEs in the region at grass roots. We are proud and excited to be working with Nuneaton Signs, a brand with national capability.”
Michelle York of Nuneaton Signs, Rob Harrison (on screen) and David Wilson meet to kick-off the project.
Digital apprentice shortlisted for national award
Pippa Culverwell, a digital marketing apprentice at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, has been named as a finalist in the Association of Colleges’ Student of the Year Awards.
Pippa has been shortlisted in the Apprentice of the Year category of the national awards, which are sponsored by the NOCN Group.
Pippa, from Leicester, started her role as an apprentice for 21-year-old Billesdon print and graphic design business, Soar Valley Press, last year. Digital marketing whiz Pippa not only managed to complete her apprenticeship while working mainly from home, she also achieved an eightfold increase in traffic to her employer’s website.
After being furloughed for a short time and then working remotely, Pippa achieved her CIM Level 4 marketing qualification while also making a huge impact on her employer’s business as it pivoted its skills in response to the coronavirus crisis.
Pippa is the only marketer employed by Soar Valley Press so she relied a great deal on her college tutor and assessor to guide her in the right direction while learning on the job, acquiring vital skills in SEO, social media marketing and web design.
Pippa’s employers have already seen the benefit of her skills, and her manager Chris Goodman from Soar Valley Press plans to offer her a permanent position leading on marketing for the company once she has completed her final assessment.
Chris said: “Pippa has performed brilliantly since she joined us. I gave her a really wide range of tasks to work on and she has developed new strategies and seen some great results from the campaigns she has put together for us.”
Marion Plant, OBE FGCI, principal and chief executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, said: “I am delighted to hear that Pippa has been shortlisted for this prestigious award. She has made a real impact on her employer’s business in spite of difficult circumstances and has demonstrated the incredible difference that talented apprentices can make in contributing to the recovery of the UK economy.”
Key figures in the tourism sector are urging people to continue to show their support for South Warwickshire hospitality businesses.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce held the latest meeting of the South Warwickshire Branch online and heard from councillor Matt Jennings, the new Portfolio Holder for Tourism and Economic Development at Stratford-on-Avon District Council, and Helen Peters, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s England, the Destination Management Organisation for South Warwickshire and the surrounding areas.
The speakers highlighted how the district council has been supporting businesses through grants, how tourism has been adapting to the ‘new normal’, but the message was clear - the area was having to battle on and organisations still need backing from the public.
Cllr Jennings said: “Our district was one of the worst hit local areas in the Rammy Arafa, owner of Fire and Fizz, Hardeep Sandhu, Enterprise Coach Team Leader / Programme Manager at Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
A husband and wife from Sambourne near Studley who launched their business selling wood-fired pizzas from a converted horsebox have harnessed the power of social media to ensure their first six months of trading was a success - despite the coronavirus pandemic. The sale of a prime residential development site in Warwickshire with planning permission for 500 new houses, including 175 affordable homes, is an important step for Stratford upon Avon to achieve its new homes target.
Local law firm Lodders acted for one of the three landowner entities involved in the land sale.
The firm’s Dan MacLeod, associate in the real estate practice, explains: “The 62-acre site just outside Stratford upon Avon at Bishopton is one of Warwickshire’s largest sales by a multi-landowner group to be completed recently, and will deliver desperately needed housing for the community.
“Lodders has worked with the landowner of 26 acres of the total site for a considerable number of years, initially negotiating the latest option agreement for the site in 2002 and, since then, the various changes to the agreement to reflect the evolving planning proposals for the site.
“The site has been bought by two major housebuilders, Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes, for a significant sum.
Keep supporting hospitality sector to help it bounce back
West Midlands after the Coronavirus outbreak, because of its reliance on the tourism sector.
“In our district alone, there was 21,200 on the government’s furlough scheme and 5,500 on the self-employed income support scheme.
“But even with these figures, Stratford district has a lot to offer, we are still working on a number of projects such as the Canal Quarter regeneration, the World Shakespeare Centre, Stratford Riverside Green Corridor project and the Wellesbourne Campus for the University of Warwick.
“But we are all going to have to do our bit over the coming weeks and months as it is going to have to be a collaborative recovery between the councils, businesses and members of the public.
“To quote a certain Mr Shakespeare – ‘It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves’.”
Helen Peters agreed with the sentiment that everyone needs to continue to offer their support locally, but said it had not been all doom and gloom.
“We are not expecting to see visitor figures bounce back to what the levels were in 2019 until somewhere around 2024,” said Helen.
Rammy Arafa, 34, was furloughed from his job in medical sales when the country was suddenly plunged into lockdown at the end of March. Fearing redundancy, which eventually came, he decided to pursue his lifelong passion for cooking as a new career, setting up Fire and Fizz with his wife Sally-Anne, 32.
The couple who have two children aged three and five, immediately began work on building a profile for their new business on social media ready for when the national restrictions were lifted.
They signed up to a free series of digital workshops delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and Stories Marketing, on behalf of Warwickshire County Council through the Warwickshire Towns Network Programme. It paid off, too, helping Fire and Fizz to reach 1,000 Facebook followers Its development of 500 new homes, to include 175 homes, will now go ahead, marking an important and significant step towards delivering the requirements of Stratford’s Local Plan that’s so important for the housing needs of the local community.”
James Walton of Sheldon Bosley Knight, which represented two of the landowners, added: “This site has been considered an obvious extension to the Stratford settlement for more than 30 years, since the construction of the adjacent A46
“This is because of the huge restrictions in place as a result of Coronavirus, quarantining and waiting to find a vaccine – not to mention Brexit which will also have a major impact, so there are definitely big challenges ahead.
“But it is not all doom and gloom, we have had many businesses who acted swiftly after the first national lockdown, adapting and changing their offer to meet the new criteria, many of them have received some support from the Culture Recovery Fund.
“It is support like this and the innovation and agility of businesses, and working in collaboration that will keep them viable for the future.”
Larry Coltman, Chair of the South Warwickshire Branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We held our meeting just before the second national lockdown was announced, but the message is still an all-important one that people should be listening to.
“When the second lockdown is lifted, we need to be supporting the local tourism and hospitality sector as it is a massive employer for the area.
“But not only that, the sector is another way that helps to put our area on the map and we need to make sure
Warwickshire couple get a pizza the action
that this continues.” and 750 on Instagram, which, in turn, led to healthy orders and a number of bookings at events held by other businesses in and around Studley throughout the summer.
Delivered by Stories Marketing, the online workshops provide insights into how businesses can use social media and other digital tools to drive traffic to their website.
Rammy said: “I was on social media myself but I didn’t really know how to use it to promote a business. The workshops taught me how to use it more efficiently. Their ideas for content, how to use the right hashtags and the need to be more engaged with our followers, were quite simple looking back, but really effective.
“Within the first week of putting them into practice when restrictions were lifted, we were getting more followers, which
Land sale brings housing target nearer
The 61-acre site just outside Stratford upon Avon at Bishopton, is one of Warwickshire’s largest sales by a multi-landowner group.
meant more orders and bookings.” bypass. The development provides for an attractive scheme, albeit of relatively low building density compared to some other recent housing schemes allowed in Stratford.
“The negotiations over the terms for purchase have been hindered by the pandemic but we are very pleased to have been able to join with Lodders in concluding this sale.”
For more information: www.lodders.co.uk. MP tells #PolicyHour that more help is needed Businesses will need more support from Government until life returns to normal, a local MP has told firms in Warwickshire.
Matt Western, the MP for Warwick and Leamington, spoke to companies on the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest #PolicyHour call ahead of the new tier system coming into force.
He said that the positive news around vaccines had given hope to businesses and individuals but that more help would be needed until such a time that they could be rolled out to the whole country.
Mr Western said: “There is good news on the horizon and the developments we have seen in recent weeks are very exciting. The Oxford vaccine is particularly exciting because it is easier to store and distribute.
“But, until such time that a vaccine is completely proven and ready to go, I believe we are going to be in a cycle of lockdowns and other restrictions.
“That means businesses are going to need more support to help get them through this. They also need to be able to continue operating unless what they are doing has an adverse effect on health.”
He also welcomed the arrival of the ‘Megalab’ in Leamington and said it highlighted the need to maintain strong levels of employment land in the region.
“I am really proud of that decision,” he said. “It says something very positive about our region. When Wolseley closed it could have easily been turned into houses but it’s such a fantastic piece of employment land and I always believed it could provide high quality jobs for local people.
“It’s a reminder of just how important it is to have a good stock of employment land in the region.”
Sean Rose, policy officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms on the call had found it an engaging #PolicyHour event.
He said: “We are grateful to Matt Western for joining us on our latest #PolicyHour call – they have proven to be extremely popular since the beginning of the crisis, giving businesses a direct line to decision makers at a local, regional and national level.
“Of course, the response to Covid-19 was the hottest topic but it was good to look at other issues such as the need for more employment land – something which the Chamber has been calling for over many years.”
