Growth Deal joint plan

We have published an up-to-date economic development strategy that seeks to demonstrate how, by working with key partners such as Staffordshire County Council and Keele University, the economic prosperity of the borough can be improved.

The emerging joint local plan identifies a requirement to provide up to 66 hectares of employment land for the next 15 years. The two key sites are the further expansion of Keele University's Science and Innovation Park and Chatterley Valley (within the Enterprise Zone). In addition to their support for the masterplanning of the 'University Growth Corridor', both councils will use their enabling roles to ensure that these sites come forward to deliver up to 5,000 new jobs.

Additionally, in order to meet business needs, we will work with both of the local universities along with the Newcastle and Stafford College Group (and other providers) to address known gaps in the skills of our local people to ensure we can provide the workforce to meet current and future business needs.

We will focus specifically on reducing long-term unemployment by providing opportunities for volunteering, training and apprenticeships to encourage people back into work so they benefit from employment growth.