This article is copied directly from the Guardian on Line - and indicates that in terms of the town's economy there could be cause for cautious optimism in Stafford.
Wednesday 17 June 2009 Helen Carter.
A golden triangle south of the Potteries, hard hit by the job losses of Royal Doulton, is defying the economic climate. Figures suggest that the constituencies of Stafford, Lichfield and Cannock Chase, in Staffordshire, have each seen the number of jobseekers fall by about 9% in one month.
Stafford has almost 200 fewer jobseekers than last month. Its Market Square is vibrant and in the last few weeks, eight new shops have opened in the town, bucking the national trend that has seen store doors close.
Forever Flowers is thriving in the centre and has just employed two staff who had been out of work for more than a year. The owner, Simon Hastie, said the business started on the edge of the town on a retail park as a Christmas store, then last month moved to a permanent base.
Delta Retail Solutions is another town success. It was set up two years ago and the recession has not impeded its flagship product, an electronic point-of-sale system for shops. It was founded with the help of the enterprise fellowship scheme and this month moved to the Staffordshire Technology Park.
Peter Kinder, Delta's MD, said: "Staffordshire is an excellent location for a young business to thrive, offering good transport links, hundreds of other small- and medium-sized enterprises to build partnerships with, and a very supportive community."
Stafford's MP, David Kidney, said it was reassuring that his constituency was bucking the national trend.
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