Pictured above: Lord Digby Jones (right) joins the Barberry
Developments team (from left) Jon Bellfield, Mike Winters, Paul
Watson, Gil Hayward, Martyn Cartwright, Henry Bellfield and Alex
Watson at the company's headquarters in Belbroughton, West
Midlands
The Government's new Enterprise Zones and other measures
announced in George Osborne's recent Budget were at the top of the
agenda when business expert Lord Digby Jones visited Barberry
Developments.
The former director general of the CBI was greeted by board
members of the commercial property developers, including chairman
Gil Hayward and managing director Jon Bellfield, at the company's
headquarters in Belbroughton, Worcestershire.
Lord Digby, who has been an advisor to Barberry for several
years, discussed the announcement that the West Midlands would get
two of the 21 new Enterprise Zones announced by the Chancellor a
few days ago.
Business leaders have welcomed the news that Birmingham and
Solihull, and the Black Country, will be among the locations for
the job creation and business support initiatives which offer rates
and tax concessions in order to encourage business growth. Other
new measures and legislation affecting the commercial property
development sector were discussed by the Barberry board.
Jon Bellfield said: "It is always a pleasure to welcome Digby
and we value his expert advice very highly. He has been a friend of
Barberry Developments for many years. Barberry is currently
involved in several major projects, and we are always actively
looking for opportunities, so there was much to discuss."
Lord Digby Jones said: "In these challenging times it is a
delight to feel such a sense of professionalism and intelligent
investment in a property business here in the heart of the West
Midlands. Cuts are essential to rebalance the economy but they will
never grow it, and Government must now do everything it can to
enable the private sector to take up the slack, create jobs and
make tax-generating profits."
Barberry Developments recently lodged an outline planning
application for a £50 million superstore and retail
development at the site of the former Royal Mail Sorting Centre in
Coventry. It is also involved in plans to build around 800 homes
and create a new 'community village' in Droitwich,
Worcestershire.
Lord Digby spent six and a half years as Director General of the
CBI. In 2005 he was knighted for his services to business and
became Sir Digby Jones in the Queen's New Years Honours List.
When he left the CBI in 2006 he spent the next 12 months in the
private sector as advisor to Deloitte and Barclays Capital, held a
variety of non-executive board roles, and was the unpaid UK Skills
Envoy. In 2007 he was appointed Minister of State for UK Trade
& Investment and became a life peer taking the title, Digby,
Lord Jones of Birmingham. Now, in addition to his role as an active
crossbencher in the House of Lords, he serves as Chairman of the
International Business Advisory Boards at HSBC and British Airways,
Chairman of Triumph Motorcycles Limited, and is Corporate
Ambassador for Jaguar Cars and JCB.