South Staffordshire Council

Key Competitive Attractions

Situated northwest of the West Midlands in England, most of South Staffordshire is within the Green Belt. The District boasts a rich heritage, and glorious landscapes and architecture, offering a plethora of cultural and recreational opportunities.

The Council is building industrial units at locations throughout South Staffordshire, providing high quality business accommodation for new and expanding businesses.

To develop sustainable economic development, the Council works with partners including the Southern Staffordshire Partnership, the North Black Country and South Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, Staffordshire County Council, and the Local Strategic Partnership.

Three motorways run through the district; the M6 motorway and M6 Toll link the north and south of England, and the M54 motorway provides access to Telford and Wales. Birmingham International Airport and Manchester Airport are both within an hour's drive.

Assistance and Support For New Business Investors

South Staffordshire offers an independent or assisted Grant Search service to help businesses within the area. Available commercial premises owned by the council are advertised on the council’s website.

Information about available private commercial premises in South Staffordshire can be found on the Invest Stoke and Staffordshire website.

Independent, one-to-one Business Support and Advice is offered by the Strategic Development Services team, and they can be contacted on 01902 696539.

To make initial business contacts in the local area, there exists a Staffordshire wide organisation known as thinklocal4business. This allows businesses in South Staffordshire to network with one another, find new suppliers, and access local public and private procurement opportunities. It also acts as the area’s business directory. A business can advertise their events to all those who have joined Think Local.

Existing Business Base

Despite the district’s employment being traditionally in Agriculture, the largest employment sector in the area as of 2009 was in manufacturing, at around 13.1%. This was followed by health (11%), education (10.9%), accommodation and food services (8.8%) and retail (8.8%).

The fastest growing business sectors are in information and communication technologies, finance and insurance, and health. Other sectors that exhibit growth do so due to the employment of seasonal workers, given the rural, agricultural and touristic nature of the district.

South Staffordshire is estimated to have around 4,160 businesses, of which 87% have fewer than 10 employees, 6% have 10-19, and 7% have 20 plus. The majority of these businesses are in construction at 17.1%, whereas 12.9% of businesses are in the professional, scientific and technical sectors; 8.5% are in retail; 7.8% are in production, and 6.4% are in the traditional agricultural sector.