A high-profile event with national leaders showcasing Burton’s transformation story and regeneration opportunities to attract future investment was held at Westminster yesterday.
Place marketing body We Are Staffordshire, Burton MP Jacob Collier and delegates from The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) hosted the day’s session at the House of Commons.
It gathered developers, investors, national partners, employers and local authority leaders to spotlight Burton’s next chapter – from the renewal of heritage assets to unlocking the full potential of the A50/A500 Growth Corridor.
Taking place ahead of the national UKREiiF conference in Leeds in May, the event aimed to shape the conversations around the investor priorities that featuring at Staffordshire’s stand at the national forum.
Speakers explained the ambitions behind some of Burton’s flagship projects, including:
- The Old Brewery Quarter, transforming Bass House, Carling House and the historic Water Tower into a major heritage destination with a high‑quality hotel, plaza and improved links to the Washlands
- £23.8 million Towns Fund investment, delivering a new indoor leisure and entertainment complex, a modern food hall, a Washlands Visitor Centre, town‑centre residential schemes and revitalised heritage assets
- Strengthening Burton’s night‑time economy, culture offer and town centre liveability to support business growth and talent attraction
- The A50/A500 Growth Corridor; a nationally significant route underpinning thousands of manufacturing and logistics jobs, where upgrades could unlock over 17,000 new jobs, 30,000 homes and £12 billion in long‑term economic growth
The discussion also highlighted Staffordshire’s booming visitor economy which is now worth £2.74bn and on track to exceed £3bn by 2030; positioning Burton to capture new opportunities in hospitality, leisure and riverside tourism.
UKREiiF attracts over 16,000 investors, developers and government representatives each year. Through early promotion of Burton’s regeneration priorities, the partnership aims to secure stronger national visibility, attract new development interest, and build momentum behind transport, housing and ongoing place‑making.
Following the event, Jacob Collier MP said
Today is really important for Burton and Uttoxeter. I am pleased to host this event in Parliament to shine a light on our towns and further the conversation around their regeneration.
There is so much to shout about in our local area, and with investment into local projects including the Burton High Street regeneration and Uttoxeter’s possible A50 upgrades, the area’s true potential can be realised.
Proper investment and regeneration focus would see growth in our local economy, improved nighttime economy and tourism for families, and more local employment.
I am determined that Burton and Uttoxeter are seen as investable, ambitious and ready for the future, and I was delighted to bring together key decision makers, investors and employers to ensure we seize that opportunity.”
Martin Murray, acting leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:
This event provided an excellent opportunity to show how committed we are to working together to make Burton an even better place to live, work and invest. As a town at the beating heart of the country, with excellent connectivity and huge potential, Burton has a compelling story to tell.
This aligns to the priorities in our own economic strategy of place promotion and ensuring we have vibrant towns. By bringing our shared ambitions to Westminster and then to UKREiiF, we are demonstrating to investors that Burton is ready for significant growth and long‑term success.”
Nathan Spencer, Managing Director of UKREiiF said:
We’ve already seen success stories of investment and development happening as a direct result of introductions made and conversations had at UKREiiF – and that is largely down to the amazing team across Staffordshire sharing a clear vision and story for investors and developers to get onboard with.
The conversations starting here today were really positive and made it clear there is appetite from developers and investors to discover more, so we’re looking forward to arranging an in-person visit to Burton, Uttoxeter and the wider Staffordshire region with the investors and developers to take these discussions forward, alongside more engagement at UKREiiF 2026 in May.”
Leader of East Staffordshire Borough Council, Mick Fitzpatrick, said:
The Old Brewery Quarter development represents one of Staffordshire’s most ambitious and significant regeneration initiatives. The council and its partners are doing everything we can to make sure this opportunity transforms Burton-upon-Trent, and taking our story to the Houses of Parliament is another milestone in rejuvenating and celebrating the town’s rich history and heritage for future generations.”
