1. Chamberlink June 1-28.qxp_Chamberlink 28/05/2021 10:18 Page 4
Opinion
CHAMBER LINK
The official publication of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
Editor’s View By John Lamb
Cannock Chase
Chamber of Commerce
Sutton Coldfield
Chamber of Commerce
Greater Birmingham
Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce
Greater Birmingham
Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce
Front cover: Peter Kienast, general manager at The Grand Hotel. See page 20
Editor John Lamb 0121 274 3237, 0797 1144064 j.lamb@birmingham-chamber.com Deputy Editor Dan Harrison 0121 274 3239, 0797 1144052 d.harrison@birmingham-chamber.com Reporter Jessica Brookes 0750 8317356 j.brookes@birmingham-chamber.com Reporter Claudia Congrave 0775 7798567 c.congrave@birmingham-chamber.com You can now read the latest issue of CHAMBERLINK and view back issues online at: www.greaterbirminghamchambers.com
Published by
Kemps Publishing Ltd Unit 8, The Courtyard, 707 Warwick Road, Solihull, B91 3DA 0121 765 4144 www.kempspublishing.co.uk Managing Editor Laura Blake Designer Lloyd Hollingworth Advertising 0121 765 4144 jon.jones@kempspublishing.co.uk Printers Stephens & George Print Group PRIVACY NOTICE: Kemps Publishing Ltd process personal information for certain legitimate interest purposes, which includes the following: • To provide postal copies of this publication to Chamber members and Kemps' customers; and • To offer marketing and promotional opportunities within this publication to Chamber members and prospects. Whenever we process data for these purposes, we always ensure we treat your Personal Data rights in high regard. If you wish to, you can visit www.kempspublishing.co.uk to view our full Privacy Notice and to learn more about our legitimate interests and your rights in this regard. CHAMBERLINK is produced on behalf of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce by Kemps Publishing Ltd and is distributed to members without charge. The Chambers and the publisher are committed to achieving the highest quality standards. While every care has been taken to ensure that the information it contains is accurate, neither the Chambers nor the publisher can accept any responsibility for any omission or inaccuracies that might arise. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Chambers. This publication (or any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format without prior written permission of Kemps Publishing Ltd.
4 CHAMBERLINK June 2021
Better public transport can ease pain of CAZ have to admit it. My car’s a bad boy diesel. But it has all the modern gizmos to pass the tests that allow it into Birmingham now that the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has kicked in. By the way, a colleague who is an expert on CAZs, tells me that the DVLA has changed regulations and it is best to re-check if your vehicle is still compliant. I’ve checked, and it’s still ok and can travel into Birmingham – and Bath for that matter – without charge, saving £8 a day. It’s only the second diesel-powered vehicle I have owned, all the others being petrol. But I can’t help feeling a degree of guilt when I hear of friends and colleagues who have gone electric or at least part of the way there.
I
‘The Chamber has worked closely with Birmingham City Council to help businesses prepare for the start of the zone and secure financial assistance where needed’ Am I really destroying the world with my twolitre gas guzzler? Not that it has done much damage since I bought it eight months ago. It’s hardly been off the drive since we were forced by you-know-what to give up commuting into Birmingham at least five days a week. The savings have been enormous and, as for many people, the biggest blow of having to return to the office will be expense of filling up the tank every week.
However, the prospect of being permanently back in the office any time soon does seem remote. Of course, most of us would leave our cars at home if there was an effective public transport system. And, thankfully, we are getting our act together in Birmingham. Joining the vastly improved bus network will soon be the extended Metro system. And when the Midland Metro stretches from New Street Station to Five Ways I will have little excuse for not using public transport because from then on it’s but a short walk to the office. I will still have to drive two miles to the station at the other end of the journey and the bonus is that parking is free. Perhaps that old bike will have to hit the roads again. Any nervousness about travelling on public transport in the wake of the pandemic should be assuaged soon as more people are vaccinated. And judging by the number of people who are trying to travel abroad on airplanes, the bus, train and tram operators should have no problem. The introduction of CAZ into Birmingham (see page 22) is an important step in dealing with the poor air quality that has blighted the city for so long. That is why the Chamber has worked closely with Birmingham City Council to help businesses prepare for the start of the zone and secure financial assistance where needed. Our Business Toolkit can be found on our website and offers a raft of information on how businesses can access financial support, upgrade their vehicles and raise awareness of the zone among their networks. Happy travelling!
