Stoke and Staffs LEP signs planning charter

THE Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership has signed a planning charter to commit to support businesses through the planning process.

The charter will focus on five main areas: clarity and consistency, effort and focus, competence and respect, accuracy and fairness and dialogue and understanding in an attempt to create clear advice for businesses looking to expand or develop.

Councillor Mark Meredith, Stoke-On-Trent City Council cabinet member for economic development, said: “The city council is committed to helping to support existing businesses and encourage new investment in the region. The charter is the council’s pledge to help businesses flourish by providing a red carpet service to guide firms through the process as quickly and effectively as possible.”

District council planning authorities across Staffordshire are also signing up to the charter.

Sara Williams of the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the move will be popular with local firms. She said: “Businesses will welcome anything that makes the planning process easier and quicker. Enabling business to concentrate on growing and creating jobs, not bureaucracy, is something we all want to see.”