Energy firm to develop £18m Staffordshire campus

Hitachi Energy has announced plans to invest in a new operational campus in Staffordshire, a project that will generate hundreds of jobs.

If approved, the company will move from its current UK headquarters in Stone, where it has been based for 28 years, to a purpose-built campus designed to support the growth of its UK operations.

As part of the relocation, Hitachi Energy has submitted plans to Staffordshire Borough Council to transform the Stone site into over 100 new homes, with 40% designated as affordable housing.

Before Hitachi Energy occupied the premises, the site housed Stonefield Works, which was used as a factory by shoe manufacturer Lotus until the 1970s.

The existing buildings are considered too costly to modernise, making the move to a new campus the most viable option. The new campus, scheduled to open in 2026, will accommodate the 400 employees currently working at the Stone site.

While some local residents have raised concerns about demolishing parts of the existing Stone site, a 2022 report by Historic England confirmed that the buildings do not meet the criteria for heritage listing, despite the site’s historical association with shoe manufacturing.

Laura Fleming, country managing director, Hitachi Energy, said: “Stone has served us very well for the past 28 years and is where many of our local employees have lived throughout our proud history at the site. Our decision to invest in a new campus and build a new state-of-the-art facility is a huge commitment to our employees and our growth in the region as we look to secure a site that will help facilitate our growth in the UK. The move represents a major boost to new jobs in the region whilst allowing for the retention of the business in the borough.”