My Staffordshire Update
As Parliament’s work has paused for Easter, I’ve been fortunate to spend more time in Staffordshire over the past few weeks working on various projects that I’d like to tell you about.
I was grateful to meet with Staffordshire’s new local policing commander, Chief Inspector Tim Norbury. Tim has 15 years of experience in the force, and it was encouraging to hear his ideas for this new step in his career. Staffordshire Police have been celebrating some real improvements in crime rates this year and it’s great to see that we’re getting a strong handle on crime in the area. I’m sure Tim will carry on the legacies of his predecessors and that there are great things to come from the Department.
Aside from having a dedicated police force, Staffordshire is also home to a team of people ensuring that we are kept safe from fire. It’s so important that the facilities in place to protect us from fire are properly installed and maintained. Andy and Kyle at the UK Fire Door Training Centre do just that, and their work is worthy of a spotlight.
I’ve also been working with Historic England recently to discuss the regeneration of high streets in our region. The organisation has supported restorative projects for historic high streets across the country, and I’m pushing for funding to be directed to Staffordshire. Local businesses benefit from the vitality of our town centres and suffer when they fall into decline. I’m determined to bring life back to the high street.
As always, my office and I are always hard at work helping constituents, so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues where I can be of assistance - I can be reached by email at gavin.williamson.mp@parliament.uk, or you can phone my office on 01902 846 616.
Very best wishes,
Gavin
Meeting South Staffordshire’s New Local Policing Commander
Sir Gavin met with South Staffordshire’s new local policing commander Chief Inspector Tim Norbury to discuss South Staffordshire’s annual crime statistics. In particular, Sir Gavin was pleased to note the success of Operation Bormus, a team set up to tackle vehicle theft and target offenders using the county’s road network.
Since its creation, Operation Bormus has led to an increase in arrests and charges for vehicle theft. Motor vehicle thefts in South Staffordshire were down 11% in March 2024 (compared to March 2023). Additionally, reports of residential burglary and anti-social behaviour have also gone down significantly (down 22% and 33% respectively). Chief Inspector Norbury has 15 years of experience in the police and has vowed to continue this excellent progress in reducing crime in Staffordshire.
Sir Gavin said: “It was great to meet with Tim who I know will do an excellent job at continuing the work of his fantastic predecessor, Chief Inspector Chris Cotton. It’s reassuring to know that the hard work of our local forces is paying off and that we have a firm hand on crime in Staffordshire. I’m committed to working with Tim and others at Staffordshire Police to ensure that we are as proactive as we can be when dealing with crime.”
Visiting the UK Fire Door Training Centre
Sir Gavin met with the CEO of the UK Fire Door Training Centre, Andy Millard, as well as the Head of Training, Kyle Cowie. He was given a tour of the new facilities and took part in his own fire door safety inspection.
Representatives of the company were keen to raise concerns about fire door maintenance, as there is a lack of regulation and consistency across the industry. Three million fire doors are installed in the UK each year, yet the multiple bodies responsible for regulation often don’t agree on the standards required at inspection. This has raised concerns that many fire doors will not be as effective in the event of a fire.
Head of Training, Kyle Cowie, said: “We are now ready to train anyone who wants to learn about fire safety and the importance of installing fire doors. It was great to have Sir Gavin down and he really got involved. He did a practical safety inspection and spotted some faults which was great. We mostly train carpenters, but anyone with an interest can apply.”
Sir Gavin said: “It was fantastic to meet with Kyle and Andy to talk about how we can best support the fire door industry in the UK. Fire doors can halt the progression of a fire for 30 to 60 minutes, and this can be enough time for emergency services to step in and prevent serious destruction. It is of critical importance that fire doors are as effective as possible, and I will do what I can in Parliament to push for better regulations to be put in place.”
Championing Staffordshire’s High Street Heritage
Sir Gavin is working with local authorities and Historic England to deliver greater funding to Stone High Street in Staffordshire using money from Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone fund. The programme is an initiative funded by £92 million from various government departments and a further £3 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The project has already delivered financial support to more than 60 high streets across the UK, working with local authorities to restore dilapidated houses and transforming them into useful public buildings whilst retaining their historic character. The formerly disused buildings are converted into new homes, shops, work places, and community spaces.
During the meeting, Sir Gavin also organised a visit to St Jervis Mausoleum, a local monument to Sir John Jervis, born in Staffordshire and known for his naval victories against the Spanish in the 18th century. Sir Gavin has previously worked with the volunteers who maintain the mausoleum and called on Historic England to consider allocating funding to the monument to pay for the restoration work.
Sir Gavin said: “It was great to meet with Historic England to discuss possibilities for upgrading Stone High Street. The High Street is already home to many re-purposed heritage buildings, such as the former Post Office, The Poste of Stone pub. I’m committed to working with Historic England and our local authorities for more of Stone’s precious heritage to be restored. By investing in the high street, we’re investing in the community.”
