Pashley Cycles recently hosted a meeting between Nadhim Zahawi, the MP for Stratford-upon-Avon, and the south Warwickshire branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. The session afforded local business representatives a valuable opportunity to discuss property, power and people within the local community.
The current shortage of employment land was a topic of particular concern, with especial regard to its potentially damaging effect on future investment. Larry Coltman, chair of the local Chamber branch, stated that: “The Chamber has formed a working party to look at the issue, which is the single biggest impediment to growth in our area. We have assembled a team of experts who are investigating the problem across our area and looking to work to help resolve what we believe is a serious threat to on-going investment… As a region, we have everything going for us, but if there is not the potential for our local companies to grow and sites available for inward investors then we will stagnate and we simply cannot afford to let that happen”.
Mr. Coltman said that the MP was fully aware of the issue, and was happy to work with the Chamber to broker a solution. The shortage of skilled labour in some areas and a lack of power capacity to new sites were also discussed.
Summing up, Mr. Coltman spoke of Nadhim Zahawi’s positive working relationship with the Chamber and the local business community, and his help in ensuring that the issue of land supply remains at the top of the local authorities’ agendas.
Image, left to right: Larry Coltman (Chamber), Adrian Williams (Pashley), Nadhim Zahawi.
