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EPIC THEATRE

315째

THE RDA MAGAZINE SEPT 2008 ISSUE 16

La Machine wows culture capital

Energy challenge Harnessing wind and tide Carlisle renaissance Historic city chases economic growth Rave reviews Culture capital wows 08 audiences

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THE RDA MAGAZINE SEPT 2008 ISSUE 16

HIGHLIGHTS

CONTENTS THE THIRD DEGREE 4

6

Bryan Gray

BUSINESS 6

Corporate investors to support energy innovators

8

ENERGY CHALLENGE Major power companies have pledged their support for a unique hothouse facility which aims to establish the Northwest as a lead player in low-carbon energy technologies.

Foreign companies step up investment in NW PLC

10 Key projects expand science space 12 Helping more companies to make the leap

16

CARLISLE RENAISSANCE

24

RAVE REVIEWS

13 New approach to financing business growth

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Carlisle is poised for a renaissance that aims to expand its economic fortunes and enhance its appeal for residents and visitors alike.

14 Academies a spur to young enterprise 15 Skills boost for key business sectors

PEOPLE AND JOBS 16 Historic city seeks economic revival 18 Taking rural life to new heights 20 Partnership to build corridor of power 21 Cities united by visionary developments

INFRASTRUCTURE

As Liverpool enters its final quarter of Capital of Culture 2008, major events such as the unique La Machine and the Liverpool Biennial are generating significant visitor numbers.

22 Aviation fund supports responsible growth

QUALITY OF LIFE 24 Rave reviews for Liverpool 08

OUR VISION:

315° CONTACTS

programme 26 Flying the flag for Cultural Olympiad 27 New life for Art Deco icon

REGULARS 28 People in the region 30 Event highlights 31 Getting in touch

‘A dynamic, sustainable international economy which competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and an excellent quality of life for all.’

Editor Trevor Bates t.bates948@btinternet.com NWDA Rachel Ormandy email: rachel.ormandy@nwda.co.uk tel: 01925 400 237 visit www.nwda.co.uk & www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

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CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

DELIVERING REAL CHANGE This edition of 315˚ marks my last as Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

Over the past 6 years, the achievements of the region have been remarkable. It is only when we reflect on the progress we have made during this time that the scale of these achievements becomes clear. We have a world-class reputation in scientific expertise, will soon be home to the largest media hub outside of London and have helped to create a new university for Cumbria. Meanwhile our major cities have experienced unprecedented growth and regeneration, we have created 180,000 new jobs within the region and have successfully hosted the world’s largest multi-discipline sporting event – the Commonwealth Games.

I firmly believe that none of this could have been achieved without the targeted support and strategic leadership of the RDA. Since our inception we have consistently delivered, and often exceeded, targets set for us by Government. It is extremely important for us to be accountable in this way and to justify the value we add. However I believe our biggest success has been our ability to bring people together, identify the priorities that will make the biggest impact on our economy and, above all, to deliver exactly what we set out to.

We have always been clear that while we can celebrate great successes, we must not be complacent. In the current global economic climate, this has never been more true and it is evident that this will result in tougher business conditions for the region.

This is where the Agency’s strategic leadership will be all the more important.

We must continue to deliver the Regional Economic Strategy while in the short-term

ensuring we support businesses in difficult times. This will often mean taking tough decisions but the philosophy must be to keep working together to get things done and transform the regional economy.

The Government’s Sub-National Review, which is now taking shape, will mean new ways of partnership working. The production of a single Northwest Regional Strategy, bringing together the region’s spatial, economic and environmental and investment plans, is a significant new development, and working with 4NW and Government Office for the North West, it provides a valuable opportunity to develop a single strategic investment framework.

We also welcome greater scrutiny and evaluation of our work, with the establishment of Regional Select Committees. It is vital that we learn from what we do if we are to continue to achieve real and lasting change.

The region’s successes prove that great things can be achieved when everyone is working towards the same vision and ambition.

I have enjoyed my time as Chairman of the Agency and would like to thank you for your support. The Northwest has every reason to be proud. I look forward to playing my part in the region’s continuing success.

Bryan Gray, Chairman, September 2008

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THE THIRD DEGREE Bryan Gray has built a formidable track record of service to many sectors of Northwest life, playing pivotal roles in business, regeneration, innovation, skills and education, culture and sport. He is a former Chair of CBI North West, currently Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Lancaster and as Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) since April 2002 – a role he relinquishes later this year – has had a significant influence in the region. He was awarded an MBE in 2001 for services to regeneration in Preston and in 2006 was awarded the Prince of Wales’ Ambassador Award for the North West.

“BOARD MEMBERS MAY BE DRAWN FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS BUT THEY ARE UNITED IN THEIR BELIEF THAT MONEY RAISED FROM THE TAXPAYER MUST BE SPENT WISELY.” BRYAN GRAY CHAIRMAN NWDA

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BRYAN GRAY The NWDA has earned Government praise for once again exceeding its economic targets. This must be very satisfying for you as you bow out after nearly seven years as the Agency’s Chairman?

Yes, I am very pleased. Creating nearly 18,000 new jobs and generating almost 2,000 new businesses in the region in the past year is no mean feat. The Agency has made a huge impact on the Northwest economy since it was established nine years ago.

The work done on the Regional Economic Strategies has given us a strong understanding of what makes the economy tick and allowed us to focus our efforts where we think there is going to be a best return for public sector investment.

So the taxpayer had value for money out of the Agency over the past few years?

Absolutely. Board members may be drawn from different backgrounds but they are united in their belief that money raised from the taxpayer must be spent wisely. If you look at the Agency’s achievements over the past seven years there are many significant things that would not have happened without us. That’s a test I always use when we commit investment. Would this have happened if the RDA had not been there?

Your time in office has been marked by the emergence of important issues such as climate change, the energy crisis and the economic slowdown. Can the RDAs have any meaningful impact in these areas, many of which require global rather than local solutions?

The answer is a very firm yes we can.

And we must. Take climate change specifically. The Northwest is the first region to publish a climate change action plan.

It’s a very good piece of work, which talks about the steps we need to take to mitigate climate change but also about the business opportunities emerging in the Northwest from technologies being developed to combat climate change.

Governments and agencies like ours have serious roles to play in areas of leadership, communication and information. However, climate change will only be solved by people taking their own actions, actions that when put together collectively make a real difference. We need to change our approach to using cars for small journeys, to energy efficiency and to the products we buy.

Consumers will lead the revolution.

What are you especially proud of during your term of office?

Three things. First, that we have been able to build on the foundations established by my predecessor Lord Thomas and create a strong and well-respected executive organisation. The quality of the people we attract is testament to that. Secondly, I’m particularly proud that we have led on producing a robust economic strategy and an action plan based around the concept of transformational actions to steer the region to a more prosperous future. Thirdly, the delivery of specific projects that would not have happened if we had not been here, such as the substantial regeneration of Manchester and Liverpool, the investment in rural communities and big developments such as, Capital of Culture, MediaCityUK and the University of Cumbria.

The Agency has acquired new powers and responsibilities since you took office.

Does it need more to go on improving the Northwest economy?

I think that there are areas that could be better managed. I have argued consistently that there should be a stronger regional input into investment in skills. That is too nationally focused. Another area is transport.

The region has very successfully taken on prioritisation of investment in highways.

The same should apply with rail and that’s something the Government is minded to do.

I think we should have regional priorities for rail investments as well as roads.

Skills, higher education, investment in science and the reorganisation of business support have been high on your personal agenda. What other issues are you passionate about?

I try to support people who have ideas, whether they’re big or small. The merger of the University of Manchester and UMIST was a big idea that we helped to make happen.

On the smaller projects I am pleased we did work with the faith communities and published the first economic assessment of the impact of faith groups. I’m also happy that we’ve been able to support many voluntary and charitable organisations because they can have a real impact on quality of life, something we have promoted strongly. Quality of life is about creating communities where people want to live and work and where companies want to invest.

That’s why I have been passionate about investing in tourism, heritage and culture.

Do you think the NWDA has engaged business as effectively as it might have done in social and economic renewal?

Yes I do. We have a business-led board and we work very closely with a whole range of business organisations, such as the CBI and IoD as well as the trade unions and many, many other bodies. We can’t touch everyone’s life and some people may well question what we have done for them.

But it’s not for me to say how well we have succeeded – it’s for others to give their opinion. But in my view we have done our best to win the confidence and cooperation of businesses, large and small.

What do you regret most? Have there been any lost opportunities?

I don’t have regrets. There are always things we could have done better. We always have to strive to improve what we do continuously, to be a learning organisation reflecting on what we do well and on things that go less well. I can look at things I’d like to happen. One is a joint football stadium for Liverpool and Everton. It’s still not too late for that to happen. I think the RDA would have a role to play here because it makes strong economic sense.

What are the biggest challenges facing the region in the next year or so?

The three big challenges on which we have to focus more effort are climate change, energy and wider resource issues. There is a heightened awareness nationally on these issues because energy prices have increased so rapidly. But if it takes a rise in prices to make us address these problems then perhaps we will look back on this period as a time when the wake-up call was given. The challenge now is to respond to that wake-up call.

What are your personal ambitions, post RDA? Are there any more mountains for you to climb?

Yes, there are. I am chairing Carlisle Renaissance, so that’s a chance for me to make an impact on a very beautiful and important city in the region. I’m also chairing the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust Project. I want to use my skills where I can.

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

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BUSINESS NEWS Over 700 business leaders have signed up to attend The Liverpool Summit, the primary business event of Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture programme.

Supported by the NWDA, the two-day expo has attracted a number of influential speakers from business guru Michael Porter to Kofi Annan.

Jennings Design Associates, a Manchester-based architectural and surveying company have become the Northwest’s 1000th firm to register for CompeteFor, a programme that aims to match firms to the £6 billion of business opportunities supplying London 2012 contractors.

CORPORATE INVESTORS T

Around 800 civil servants from Government Office North West, the Highways Agency, and the Training and Development Agency for Schools are moving to a new home near Manchester’s Piccadilly Station from early 2010. The relocation will involve a transfer of 300 TDA staff from London.

Optasia Medical Ltd, based in Cheadle, has been awarded a £217,000 research and development grant by the NWDA to develop pioneering medical software that could generate business worth £1.3 million in two years.

Advanced Medical Solutions in Winsford, which develops high performance polymers for the healthcare market, has secured a £275,000 capital investment grant from the NWDA that will help to fund a new phase of growth in Cheshire including the creation of 41 new jobs.

Bringing more disabled entrepreneurs into the business arena could benefit the Northwest by £339 million, according to a new ‘Wealth Bringers’ report sponsored by the NWDA. The study suggests there are 14,000 prospective disabled entrepreneurs in the region.

Home for bright ideas – Secure Electrans has developed a home hub to help consumers manage their energy consumption

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Major power companies have pledged their support for a unique hothouse facility, which aims to establish the Northwest as a lead player in the development of new lowcarbon energy technologies.

The first of these bright ideas, a highly novel device that can help householders and small companies manage their energy consumption, has been fully developed into a market-ready product with international sales potential.

Secure Electrans has been able to accelerate evolution of its multi-functional home hub since moving into the Capenhurst Energy Innovation Centre, which was recently opened by Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks.

Power, CE Electric and Electricity North West.

“The advantage of this approach,” explains EA Technology Managing Director Robert Davis, “is that companies that are going to use and buy the new technologies are directly involved in choosing which ones to invest in. That gives members a flying start.”

The Centre is just one of a number of new projects and collaborative ventures that are under way in the Northwest to help the region meet the climate change and energy challenge.

These range from wind turbine and tidal energy schemes to fuel cell research, biomass and waste-to-energy investments, and building an advanced skills base and supply chain networks for the looming

uranium enrichment plant at Capenhurst and the only UK facility for turning that uranium into nuclear fuel rods at Springfield, near Preston, so we have quite considerable assets,” adds Flanagan.

GOOD PROSPECTS Business Secretary John Hutton announced the latest addition to this portfolio, a National Nuclear Laboratory, when he visited Sellafield in July to launch the ‘Energy Coast’ Masterplan, a £2 billion initiative to regenerate West Cumbria by building on the area’s nuclear expertise.

The region is also positioning itself to cash in on the expected surge of investment in wind power. According to Government estimates,

TO SUPPORT ENERGY INNOVATORS “The facilities and support we have here are just what we need,“ explains Managing Director Mike Jarman. “They allow us to concentrate on what we are really good at which is developing and launching a successful new product.”

NOVEL IDEAS The Centre is the brainchild of power engineering specialist EA Technology, which is hosting the facility at its Cheshire headquarters and providing business and technical support.

It has been set up with £1.5 million of investment from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and is expected to create 18 new companies, mainly in the energy efficiency and power distribution technologies fields, and 60 jobs.

Five companies are already lined up to become members of the Centre with Secure Electrans the first to take up residence.

One of the novel ideas underpinning the Centre is that financial support for member companies is allocated by a “Dragon’s Den” style investment forum, representing four of Britain’s biggest electricity companies – Scottish and Southern Energy, Scottish Spoilt for choice - planners looked at several locations on the Mersey for a tidal energy scheme

nuclear new build programme.

The energy industry employs 50,000 and is worth £5 billion a year to the regional economy with strategic and business support being provided by a number of organisations including the Northwest Energy Council and Envirolink Northwest.

NUCLEAR COMPONENTS Recent Government announcements suggest that the UK will need to invest £100 billion if it is to meet a 2020 target of generating 15% of its energy needs from renewables. It’s estimated that 122,000 to 133,000 jobs will be required to support that investment.

“The trick is to generate as many of those jobs as possible in the Northwest,” says Joe Flanagan, Head of Energy and Environmental Technologies for the NWDA. He cites supply chain work for the nuclear new build programme as the region’s biggest economic opportunity over the next decade or so. Among those gearing up for new era is BAE Systems, which has already publicly stated an interest in building nuclear components at its Barrow yard.

“We have half of the UK’s civil nuclear workforce in this region, the only UK

meeting the UK’s green energy targets will require investment of £36 billion in offshore wind capacity and £13 billion onshore.

Gill Nowell, NWDA Sector Manager for Energy and Environmental Technologies, says that alhough the region does not have any wind turbine manufacturing capacity supply chain prospects are good.

The Agency was able to draw on the expertise of two local companies to help it install a 25metre high wind turbine at its Warrington headquarters, a symbol of the NWDA’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Officially launched on World Environment Day, the turbine uses advanced technology that allows it to operate even in extreme weather conditions.

The Northern Way is currently engaged in a study of offshore wind supply chain potential with a view to developing the North of England as a supply hub. “We have to step up our intervention if we are to capture the opportunities,” argues Nowell.

For more information: www.nwda.co.uk www.energyinnovationcentre.co.uk

TIDAL ENERGY CONFERENCE Tidal energy is emerging as a possible new source of power generation, expertise and employment for the Northwest with three projects at the concept or very early planning stage.

Peel Holdings is undertaking further work on a possible scheme to harness the power of estuarial tides in the Mersey.

Two other tidal barrage schemes are planned in the region at Morecambe Bay and Solway Firth.

More details of the projects will be given at a one-day conference to launch the newly established North West Tidal Energy Group at Lancaster University on December 17.

Its members include the NWDA, Peel Holdings, potential developers and academic researchers. “The group’s aim is position England’s Northwest as a global leader in the exploitation of tidal energy,” says NWTEG Chair Joe Flanagan.

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BUSINESS Hi-tech manufacturing – A new coatings facility will allow Pilkington to make photovoltaic glass for the solar energy market

FOREIGN COMPANIES STEP Overseas companies have given the Northwest a morale-boosting vote of confidence by investing a massive £10 billion in a regional economy increasingly reliant on technology and high workforce skills.

The inflow of corporate projects in the past year, many related to advanced manufacturing and R&D, had a big impact on employment with over 14,600 jobs created or safeguarded, double the number generated the previous year.

Total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) last year jumped to £10.3 billion, dwarfing the £1.3 billion secured in 2006-07. New investments accounted for 43 of the projects (against 56 last year), expansions 72 (58) and acquisitions 41 (39).

There was a 13% increase in the number of projects secured by the region in 2007-08 – 156 compared to 138. Nearly 100 had some form of public support or intervention, although only 17 received grant aid.

Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

The NWDA shares four offices in the US and has representation in Canada with One NorthEast and partners Yorkshire Forward with an office in Tokyo.

It also has representation in Australia, access to dedicated resources with UKTI in Mumbai and is looking at how to put more resources into China.

“The latest figures demonstrate the real value added of these offices,” says Cunliffe.

“I firmly believe that the role of our overseas offices is key to us being successful in attracting foreign companies.”

Forty six per cent of projects are

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE “These figures reflect the tremendous efforts that the Agency, our sub-regional partners and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) have put in to maximise our potential in a very competitive marketplace – it’s very important that we continue to work together,” commented John Cunliffe, Head of Investment Services at the Northwest

Shanghai skyline – China is a target market for international trade

expansions by existing companies – “an important vote of confidence in the region’s workforce and its appeal as a competitive location for global businesses.”

The NWDA and its partners concentrate their marketing and business support efforts on the region’s priority business sectors.

Three sectors, advanced engineering, business and professional services and creative and digital, accounted for 70% of FDI last year.

Cunliffe believes that energy and environmental technologies will start to yield more investments as the UK moves into a new era of nuclear new build and there will

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“I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE ROLE OF OUR OVERSEAS OFFICES IS KEY TO US BEING AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE ARE IN ATTRACTING FOREIGN COMPANIES.” JOHN CUNLIFFE HEAD OF INVESTMENT SERVICES NWDA

UP INVESTMENT IN NW PLC be further investment in renewable projects.

The Japanese NSG group, which acquired innovation-led Pilkington in 2006, reaffirmed its faith in the company’s ability to keep developing new technologies by investing nearly £40 million in a new coatings facility at St. Helens in Merseyside.

Due to be commissioned in early 2009, the facility will help the company exploit opportunities in the emerging solar energy market.

“This is very high technology for a mature industry,” explained Tom Hughes, Operations Manager at the Greengate factory where the equipment is being installed. “It’s a brand new process that will allow us to create 30 new jobs and go a long way to protecting more.

NEW TECHNOLOGY “The equipment will allow us to apply special coatings in the middle of the production process while the glass is still hot. It’s a very flexible system that will allow us to make a range of advanced products.”

Its main job, however, will be to supply photovoltaic glass. Solar power is one of the key technologies in the renewables energy market and is part of Pilkington’s future growth strategy.

Pilkington has been at the forefront of innovation in glass-making for decades. In keeping with that tradition the company has developed a coatings process that allows the

BUSINESS FORUM SHAPES INVESTMENT POLICY

New Freelander – overseas companies have invested heavily in the region’s automotive industry

glass to be part of the photovoltaic cell itself.

The project, insists Hughes, could easily have gone to a sister plant in Germany but a £3 million Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFI) grant, via the NWDA, helped the St. Helens factory clinch the deal.

“It was pivotal in making that investment come to the UK,” insists Hughes.

An updated report by DTZ has revealed that although overseas companies represent only 1% of the Northwest business base they contribute 17.5% of GVA and employ over 11% of the workforce.

For further information: www.enw.co.uk/invest

Senior figures from business and the university and research sectors are throwing their expertise and experience in international business behind a new drive by the NWDA to capture a larger slice of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and by UKTI’s regional team to increase exports from the Northwest.

Chaired by former NWDA board member Anil Ruia, the Northwest International Business Forum, whose members represent companies such as Jaguar, United Utilities, Peel and Renovo, played a lead role in developing the Internationalisation Strategy and Action Plan.

This has led to a significant increase in resources being deployed to attract investment into the region’s priority sectors. The results from 2007-08 are confirmation of the bold strategic direction taken by the forum on behalf of the region.

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BUSINESS

KEY PROJECTS EXPAND SCIENC

State-of-the-art – the Centre for Materials Discovery, Liverpool

Two new cutting-edge science facilities are to be established at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, Cheshire, giving further impetus to a £600 million masterplan for the site.

A £65 million capital contribution from the Government’s Large Facilities Capital Fund (LFCF) will finance the Hartree Centre (computational modelling) and the Detector Systems Centre (sensor development) which will be shared with Harwell.

The centres will work closely with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the academic community and businesses to commercialise their findings in areas such as drug design, security systems and bio-medical imaging.

News of the latest projects, which are expected to attract more key scientists to the Northwest, comes in a period of buoyant investment in the region’s science and high technology infrastructure.

New funding has secured the future of the Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope facility and the Government has given the goahead for the establishment of the National Nuclear Laboratory at Sellafield in Cumbria.

Dr. George Baxter, the NWDA’s Director of Science and Innovation, believes science investment has a crucial role to play in making the Northwest more competitive.

“There is evidence that companies that deal with knowledge resources such as universities deliver a better performance than those that don’t. We are trying to establish a strong base of new technologies to raise the region’s economy to a much higher level than in the past.”

The NWDA will be investing approximately £80 million year in science and innovation projects over the next three years and this is expected to lever in three or four times as much again of direct investment.

The portfolio will shortly include a Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry, a consortium project that

New frontier – nestling below the iconic Daresbury Tower this is what the Detector Systems Centre might look like

involves Daresbury and the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool and Bolton. It will be a £30 million investment spread over five years.

One of the Agency’s principal aims, along with its partners Halton Borough Council, the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Universities of Liverpool, Manchester and Lancaster is to develop Daresbury as a totally integrated campus where science and business can interact for the benefit of UK plc.

PRIVATE SECTOR That ethos is already at work at the Daresbury Innovation Centre, which has attracted 75 companies in three years and the Cockcroft Institute, a centre of excellence in accelerator science.

Some companies are expected to relocate to a new ‘grow-on’ building (Vanguard House), currently being constructed by science park specialist St Modwen as part of a £25 million first phase of investment in the site.

The campus masterplan is expected to involve an investment of £600 million over 20 years. Most of that will come from the private sector, but there has been a need

“WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH A STRONG BASE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO RAISE THE REGION’S ECONOMY TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN IN THE PAST.” GEORGE BAXTER DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE AND INNOVATION NWDA

for some public sector funding, explained Dr Baxter.

“It’s a three-stage development. The first stage was the NWDA buying the land; the second stage was proving the site had a commercial future, securing St, Modwen as a development partner and getting the research councils to invest in the site.

“The third phase is the £600 million investment plan.

We’re currently standing on the second range of hills and can see the Alps in the distance. The trick now is mapping out a route to get there.”

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NCE SPACE With the 25-year-old synchrotron facility at Daresbury Laboratory facing planned closure this year the two new centres will provide a welcome input of scientists and technical expertise on to the site. The multi-million investments comprise: Hartree Centre: a £50 million national centre for computational science.

Computational modelling is becoming increasingly important in many areas from weather forecasting and measuring insurance risk to drug design. It is likely to be a new build project on the Daresbury Laboratory site.

Detector Systems Centre: a £30 million facility shared equally between Daresbury and Harwell. It is seen as having massive commercial potential in areas such as next generation security devices.

The NWDA is providing funding support for a number of other projects that are completed or in the pipeline.

They include a Virtual Engineering Centre at Daresbury, which has the support of all the major aerospace companies and will be run by the University of Liverpool, and a Composites Certification facility based at the

Computational powerhouse – a visualisation of the proposed Hartree Centre

University of Manchester that will provide a service for SMEs. The links between academia and industry have been furthered strengthened by the £8.2 million Centre for Materials Discovery at Liverpool, which had its official opening in April.

Established with NWDA funding support of £1.9 million, the facility gives businesses access to state-of-the-art High-Throughput (HT) technology with the aim of bringing new products to market more quickly.

Business Development Manager Simon

BUILD UP OF NUCLEAR EXPERTISE

Testing time – a Sellafield technician runs a safety check

The Northwest continues to build a critical mass of nuclear ‘know-how’, paving the way for greater supply-chain collaboration with global companies involved in both decommissioning and the design and construction of new nuclear power stations.

Business Secretary John Hutton recently confirmed that the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) would be established at Sellafield in Cumbria in 2009 with satellite operations in Preston and other areas. A competition is being launched to choose a managing contractor.

The announcement was the result of significant work by the NWDA and partners

Longden says the centre‘s experimental staff work with companies on developing new materials for applications in a range of sectors from pharmaceuticals to consumer products.

“One client in the home and personal care market has been able to achieve in two weeks something that would have taken 1216 months using manual labour” he says.

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk www.materialsdiscovery.com

to secure the facility for the Northwest.

The NNL will bring together staff in Nexia Solutions and facilities owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), including the Sellafield Technology Centre.

It will have a crucial role in cleaning up the UK’s nuclear waste legacy, and in contributing to the new build programme.

Dr. Paul Haworth, Director of Research at the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute, described the NNL as further confirmation that the Northwest is the home of the nuclear industry. “It will also encourage more young people to seek a career in nuclear.” The university’s role as an important provider of professionals into the nuclear industry will be further strengthened by its decision to establish the Centre in Nuclear Energy Technology (CNET), an anticipated investment of £25 million over the next five years, which includes £4 million from the Northwest Science Council.

Westinghouse Electric Company has given the project a major boost by providing funding support for the appointment of Professor Tim Abram as the new Chair in Nuclear Fuel Technology. His aim is to build a world-class capability in reactor related skills to support nuclear new build.

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BUSINESS

HELPING MORE COMPANIES TO MAKE THE LEAP

Clearing the hurdles – business support is helping Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre expand

Business Link Northwest (BLNW) is stepping up its efforts to help businesses weather the current economic climate as access to finance and managing finance emerge as key priorities for regional companies.

“We have to be fleet of foot and react to customer demand as the market changes,” reports Managing Director Peter Watson.

“The focus for many businesses has switched more heavily towards managing their costs.

“There is tremendous pressure on them particularly at the smaller end of the market and we are having to deploy different skills to help them.”

BLNW is currently recruiting a number of experienced finance brokers and will shortly launch ‘Access to Finance’ as another specialist arm of the organisation.

“We are also making sure all of our brokers are able to be more effective in helping business understand the financial issues they face, and we are targeting businesses with information on the wider financial support available to them,” adds Watson.

His comments came as BLNW released figures for its first year of operation showing that businesses using the new streamlined, more responsive service added an estimated £390 million to the wealth of the Northwest economy. Over 86,000 businesses used the 24/7 service in 2007-08, a 6% increase on the

previous year. Companies receiving intensive support from Business Link’s 180 specialist and target brokers jumped 23% to 5,525.

This has been achieved against a backdrop of 90% customer satisfaction and a growing recognition of the service amongst businesses, with 71% of local firms now aware of the service.

According to the figures, the top issue with companies is workforce skills accounting for 37% of inquiries and leading to 9,575 employers working with a skills broker to access free training for staff. This was followed by 23% of businesses seeking advice on how to grow their operations.

FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIPS “We’re delighted with our achievements in our first year but our greatest success has been the difference we have made to the companies we have worked with,” explains Watson.

The Kelsall Hill Equestrian Centre at Tarporley in Cheshire has had a very fruitful relationship with Business Link since father and son team Robin and Phil Lathom decided to diversify their existing dairy farm.

The family was able to get the venture off the round after meeting Business Link Northwest broker and horse enthusiast Hilary Centeleghe at Nantwich Show. She was able to help them access grant funding under a ‘Saddle Up’ rural diversification

scheme in Cheshire.

“Once we secured the first grant everything moved so quickly and we haven’t looked back, not least because we haven’t had time to.” says Phil.

IMPARTIAL SERVICE Kelsall Hill has quickly established itself as a destination of choice for leisure and competition riders and has its sights set on building an indoor-school to enhance its year-round appeal.

It had cause to celebrate recently after being selected as one of just six Northwest venues than can host an Olympic Equestrian Training Camp in 2012.

Established in 2007 as an impartial business support and information service Business Link Northwest receives £18 million of funding annually from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

Operating with 250 staff from a main base in Preston and working out of 25 other partner locations around the region, it runs a universal web-based email and telephone contact service for all businesses as well as a targeted service where brokers work on a one-to-one basis with businesses who want to grow.

For further information: www. businesslink.gov.uk/northwest

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Fresh efforts are underway across the Northwest to stimulate business growth by making it easier for finance-hungry startups and growth minded small and medium size businesses to access support funding appropriate to their needs.

Companies finding it difficult to raise risk capital through the commercial markets are being offered a single, simplified route into a range of affordable funding options following the launch of a new action plan by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

Developed by the Agency after wide consultation, the Finance for Business (FFB)

Business Link Northwest (BLNW), which has enjoyed a successful first year in operation, will expand its services by becoming the primary gateway for accessing finance.

Other new elements in the restructuring will include a Venture Capital Loan Fund (VCLF), underpinned with £70 million from the latest ERDF programme to support high growth SMEs including early stage technology enterprises with the provision of seed, venture and mezzanine finance.

The Agency is also investing £5 million in a £10 million small business loan scheme administered regionally by Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFI) with

NEW APPROACH TO FINANCING BUSINESS GROWTH strategy will focus public sector support on providing intervention to address specific areas of market failure, acting only when the private sector cannot or will not help.

“It’s a particularly apt time to be putting this in place given the current credit crunch,” commented David Read, NWDA Head of Finance for Business.

Launched in parallel with the Agency-led Enterprise Action Plan, the FFB strategy is set to expand the provision of start-up and growth capital within the region.

Measure of excellence – laboratory testing at flooring manufacturer Flowcrete, a flourishing Cheshire-based business

banks contributing a similar amount for supporting loans between £3,000 and £30,000.

Poor ‘investment readiness’ is the main barrier quoted by financial institutions, venture capital and business angels to SMEs and early-stage businesses accessing finance.

To address this failure BLNW is recruiting a number of specialist brokers to work with companies so that the widest range of SMEs can access, use and benefit from both the financial products and the support they need to increase their

productivity and competitiveness.

Access to finance is recognised by the EU, the UK Government and the Regional Economic Strategy as one of the biggest barriers to the formation, survival and growth rate of businesses.

PACKAGE OF OPTIONS Key themes in the FFB strategy include raising awareness of different types of finance available to fund business growth, changing the cultural aversion to equity finance and support for the development of new financial products and services that address current and future market gaps.

“What we are trying to do is simplify the whole process of raising finance by creating a single point of access. The previous structure was slightly confusing for businesses,” explains David Read.

“The key point is to provide business finance where there are areas of market failure, especially between the equity gaps of £250,000 to £2 million. We want to ensure that we can pull together a package of options to ensure business can start-up and grow.”

A key objective of the new policy is to help businesses reduce their environmental impact. This could mean prioritising investment applications that contribute to the region developing a low-carbon economy.

The FFB strategy complements the work currently being undertaken as part of the Government’s Business Support Simplification Programme on Access to Finance and ensures national products on finance and investment readiness, debt and risk capital align with the regional need.

For further information: www.nwdabusinessfinance.co.uk

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION NEWS New pathways into employment in the media industry will be created by the University of Salford and the BBC following a partnership agreement between the two organisations that will lead to new joint courses, enterprise training and student placements within the BBC. Over 250 new and emerging businesses are being nurtured in the University of Central Lancashire’s Media Factory incubator, enabling UCLan to come second nationally and top regionally in the latest Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction survey.

Funding of £90 million is in place to facilitate the relocation of Blackpool and Fylde College to a site within the Second Gate area of the town centre.

Phase one of the development will be completed in September 2009.

Manchester University has improved its world ranking in the respected league tables published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Since the merger of the Victoria University and UMIST in 2004 Manchester has climbed from 53rd to 40th place. In the past year it has also risen to sixth in Europe, a rise of three places.

Lancaster University’s income from collaborative research with business rose from £7 million to £11.5 million in 2006-07 moving the university into the top tier of Higher Education institutions in the UK generating wealth through working with business.

Enterprise Champions will be established at a further four Northwest universities – Liverpool, Salford, Cumbria and Manchester Metropolitan with the help of £930,000 funding from the NWDA. The funding will also be used to support a similar ongoing project at Liverpool John Moores University.

Making a difference – the Knowsley Enterprise Academy aims to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs.

ACADEMIES SPUR YOUNG ENTERPRISE A new generation of entrepreneurs is being nurtured in the Northwest thanks to a series of programmes, which are encouraging young people from an early age to start thinking seriously about enterprise as a career option.

The region’s first enterprise academy was opened in Knowsley two years ago, and is set to be joined by a second academy developed by the entrepreneur Peter Jones, better known as a judge on the popular TV programme Dragons’ Den. Based at the North Mersey Business Centre, the Knowsley Enterprise Academy, which has received £2.3 million of funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), has proved a huge success, with 6,500 16-19-year-olds having passed through its door.

The Academy’s Chief Executive Steve Dumbell says the project has revitalised an area hit hard by economic decline. “What we are trying to do is encourage young people to dream about owning a business in the future but concentrate for the time being on acquiring employability skills,” he says.

But crucially, he adds, the Academy threads citizenship through everything it does, which helps to turn the young people into good citizens, as well as good entrepreneurs.

A second strand to the Academy’s work is offering incubator space to start-up businesses, which have historically found it hard to flourish in the area. This too has proved successful, with the Academy set to expand on to the nearby derelict Kodak site in order to offer more incubator units.

The Northwest Academy will offer mentoring, master classes and incubation support to

help young people from all educational backgrounds get their ideas off the ground.

Peter Jones’ team is also working with the Curriculum Qualification Authority to develop a new award in enterprise. This will mean young people will be able to choose between following a theoretical route, possibly leading to higher education, or a practical route, allowing them to get straight on with developing their ideas.

Ewan Rowland, NWDA Enterprise and Innovation Policy Manager, believes both academies have a crucial role to play in helping the region to move up the UK’s enterprise league table.

ENTERPRISE JOURNEY “There is a strong body of evidence to say that skills in the workplace will release the potential of workers to be innovative and more enterprising.”

The Agency is also creating a new ‘enterprise journey’ that will introduce children to the concept of enterprise in primary school, and offer them a clear entrepreneurial route that they can follow through to university.

To help achieve this, the NWDA is investing £2.5 million in a Further Education Enterprise Hub, which will work with clusters of primary and secondary schools to help embed enterprise within the curriculum.

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

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SKILLS BOOST FOR KEY BUSINESS SECTORS A collaborative programme designed to upskill the higher echelons of the Northwest’s workforce has been so successful that it is being rolled out to another three of the region’s key industry sectors.

The Higher Education Pathfinder Project was launched as a three-year pilot in October 2006 with £4 million funding support from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

Embracing the region’s universities and Further Education (FE) colleges, its aim was to improve the provision of higher skills levels in four key sectors – advanced engineering and materials, business and professional services, construction, and creative and digital industries.

Such has been the impact of the pilot that the Northwest Regional Development Agency

(NWDA) is providing funding to allow the priority sectors of food and drink, energy and environmental technologies, and bio-medical to join the scheme.

The pathfinder is being delivered by the North West Universities Association (NWUA), which represents the region’s 14 higher education institutions, in partnership with other key players.

Assistant Director Dr. Celia Brigg explains: “It’s about building more links between higher education and businesses. This will lead to more courses that are ‘demand-led’, with employers actually saying what they want the content of the course to be and how they want it to be delivered.”

MORE INCLUSIVE The NWUA has worked closely with the Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to identify gaps in the current higher education.

Rob Wellman, Operations Manager at SummitSkills, the SSC for building services engineering, was worried that those courses that were available were often too generic, and not accessible or relevant to businesses.

“We have a large number of small companies and some of them don’t necessarily need people with a full degree,” he explains.

“So one of the things we’ve asked the universities to do is make sure the degree itself is available in bite-sized bits.”

Thanks to the Pathfinder, this is now being reflected at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Liverpool John Moores University, both of which have

Shaping up – Manchester Metropolitan University is working on a training programme for fashion industry professionals

“WHEN THIS PROJECT FINISHES THE WORK WILL HOPEFULLY CARRY ON BECAUSE ALL PARTNERS WILL HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF WORKING MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER.” DR CELIA BRIGG ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NORTH WEST UNIVERSITIES ASSOCIATION

developed modular Foundation Degrees in building services engineering.

UCLan has also developed a new a continuous professional development (CPD) course in the Science and Technology of Nuclear Waste, with units covering specific elements of waste management.

As well as being shorter than many postgraduate qualifications, it is also cheaper and more inclusive.

The course is the direct result of a skills gap highlighted by companies working in the sector, who were concerned that, with more sites being decommissioned, there was a pressing need for experienced engineers and project managers with the latest skills needed to manage nuclear waste.

HIGH-LEVEL TRAINING The Pathfinder initiative has also led to a unique partnership between the FE and HE sectors, with Liverpool Community College and Wigan and Leigh College teaming up with Manchester Metropolitan University to develop Furthering Fashion, a new high-level training programme.

The Sector Skills Council Skillfast-UK helped to develop the partnership and Chief Executive Linda Florance says: “For many years employers have been crying out for higher-level technical training that can be delivered to fit in and around work responsibilities and it now looks like we will soon have that in the Northwest.”

The partnership has encouraged several household names to participate in developing the courses, including Reebok and Marks and Spencer.

Dr. Brigg adds: “The ultimate aim is to pump prime this kind of activity, and stimulate the interest within universities and businesses for this kind of work. Then, when this project finishes, the work will hopefully carry on because all partners will have seen the benefits of working more closely together.”

For further information: www.nwua.ac.uk/pathfinder

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PEOPLE AND JOBS NEWS New government figures show that the NWDA exceeded its targets for 2007-08 by creating or safeguarding 17,749 jobs, assisting 6,748 into employment and helping 25,805 people with their skills needs.

Government Office for the North West (GONW) has published the first progress report on recommendations of the Blackpool Task Force. Among the investments highlighted by Regional Director Liz Meek is the £200 million Blackpool North Railway Station development and an £85 million upgrade of the tram system.

Greater Manchester has signed a MultiArea Agreement (MAA) to boost economic prosperity.

The partnership of 10 councils has committed to increase annual VAT registrations, provide better education and skills for 14-19 year olds and reduce the number out of work.

HISTORIC CITY SEEKS E Carlisle is a city on a mission. The once important Roman fortress is now poised for a renaissance, a revival to expand its economic fortunes and enhance its appeal to residents and visitors alike.

The city has already made significant progress since it was affected by floods in 2005, an event that proved to be the catalyst for regeneration and economic development.

Ian McNichol, the recently-appointed Programme Director of Carlisle Renaissance, says: “We have done the spade work, now we have reached a new beginning. This is where the hard work starts.”

Mr McNichol, who moved to the City Council on secondment from English Partnerships in 2005, goes on: “This is something new for Carlisle which has never had a formal economic strategy nor a masterplan for the city centre. Developing them has been a good exercise for the city, because it’s fresh and new.”

Driving the change will be the 12-strong, private sector-led Carlisle Renaissance Board, agreed as the best means of moving from strategy to delivery after research into different models of city regeneration.

Chaired by Bryan Gray, who will step down

Experts led by Sir Tom McKillop, Chairman, Royal Bank of Scotland, are conducting a rigorous assessment of the economic potential of the Manchester City Region. The £1.35 million Manchester Independent Economic Review, which is part funded by the NWDA, is the first of its kind for any UK city. Findings will be available at the end of 2008.

Preservation work has been completed on three historical buildings in Ancoats, East Manchester, paving the way for further development of the former industrial quarter as an urban village. The NWDA is investing £68 million to regenerate the area.

Poor health is costing the regional economy up to £3 billion a year, according to a new report by the strategic health authority. The report sets out a vision for health and healthcare services for the region, for the next 10 years.

Architectural legacy - Carlisle’s Old Town Hall

Spellbinding exhibit – the Cursing Stone at Tullie House Museum

after six years as Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) later this year, the Board includes representatives of Carlisle City and Cumbria County councils, Cumbria Vision, the NWDA, the University of Cumbria and major local businesses.

Mr Gray acknowledges: “This is a tremendous challenge, to lead the city through such an exciting period of change, building on a great deal of progress which has already been made.”

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S ECONOMIC REVIVAL Already the Board has agreed its priorities after the process was kick-started in December 2006 with the help of £1 million of NWDA funding. Recently the Agency approved a further £3 million for a number of feasibility studies and to fund the Programme Director’s team, along with the City and County Councils.

Priorities focus on developing the heart of the city, where a new university campus is to be built on a Caldew Riverside site, and targeting strategic employment sites.

McNicol stresses the importance of having a strong university presence in the city.

“We want the university to be visible, on the doorstep and linked to the city centre.”

There are also plans to “vigorously polish” the city’s cultural and heritage quarter, which includes the cathedral, castle, Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and its links with Hadrian’s Wall, all of which could be highlighted more aggressively to attract visitors.

The ‘renaissance’ will include the development of the city’s commercial heart, looking at the potential for new offices, leisure and retail outlets, boosted in June 2006 with the opening of Hoopers on Castle Street, formerly Bulloughs department store, a fixture in the city for 96 years.

RETAIL RENAISSANCE Renaissance Board member Victoria Farley, General Manager of Hoopers, says: “There was some scepticism in the city about bringing both designer and strong fashion labels to Carlisle, but now we are here, we are making a difference to the retail offer.

“Before we opened, people who wanted certain labels had to travel up to two hours to Manchester or Newcastle. Part of the renaissance is to add to the shopping experience by attracting more niche and artisan boutiques, where people can browse.”

Traditionally the city’s sector strengths have included logistics – with its world brand of

Eddie Stobart heading the list – distribution, food processing and some manufacturing, including Italian tyre company Pirelli, which invested £11 million in its Cumbria factory.

LONG TERM VISION Former Pirelli director John Nixon, now Chief Executive of Carlisle United Football Club and another Renaissance Board member, suggests that because industry is now global, it would be naïve to pin the Board’s hopes on attracting new major employers.

“We must concentrate on retaining the industry and business we already have and building new smaller ones. We have to provide the right environment and employment sites to meet the 21st century needs of business.”

He also believes the University of Cumbria is of vital importance, attracting students from across the UK as well as from the local area, encouraging the city to retain as many graduates as possible.

“These are our aspirations, but it is a long term vision of 20 to 25 years,” says McNichol.

For further information: www.carlisle.gov.uk www.nwda.co.uk

Spiritual enclave – Carlisle Cathedral precinct

HITTING THE HERITAGE TRAIL Members of the Renaissance Board, who believe Carlisle should boast about its heritage, say there is no reason why the city cannot join destinations like York and Bath on the ‘must see’ lists of overseas visitors.

American tourists, particularly keen to include a historic city trail in their stay, could be drawn to Carlisle if they were more aware of what it has to offer.

On the agenda would be the 900-year-old Carlisle Castle, once the temporary address of Mary Queen of Scots, built to command the western end of the AngloScottish border, originally defined by Roman Emperor Hadrian.

The Country Bus service which takes visitors the length of the 73-mile Hadrian’s Wall, now a World Heritage Site, has stops in Carlisle, which is around ten miles from its nearest visible remains at Brampton.

A lifesize replica of a section of the Wall together with material found during excavations of Roman forts are on show at the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, which has a comprehensive Roman collection.

Opened in 1893, the Museum was a silver award winner this year (2008) at the National Enjoy England Awards – the

‘tourism Oscars’ – in the category for large visitor attractions.

Among the treasures at the city’s Cathedral, founded in 1122 and one of the country’s smallest, is the east window with 14th century stained glass and a 16th century carved Flemish altarpiece.

Renaissance Board member Victoria Farley, says: “If Americans come here their heritage trail can include Roman, the Jacobean rebellion, mediaeval, the Industrial Revolution and Georgian architecture.”

Heritage treasure – the 900-year-old Carlisle Castle

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

TAKING RURAL LIFE TO NEW HEIGHTS Rural areas in the Northwest are to receive a £75 million boost to improve quality of life, diversify the economy and support farming, forestry and local action groups.

Over the next five years, the aim is to increase skills and knowledge, support businesses and enhance opportunities to create a vibrant economy and secure a sustainable future.

The funding comes from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which has divided the initiative into four parts, three of which will be managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The fourth will be the responsibility of the Forestry Commission and Natural England.

Peter White, Executive Director of Development at the NWDA, says: “This will be the largest rural programme in the region over the next five years with the funding power to radically improve our rural areas.”

funding streams totalling £390 million, are being evaluated.

The Agency, the catalyst for the creation of sub-regional rural partnerships, which helped to deliver the Renaissance programmes, says the programme has created 9,000 jobs, 1,800 businesses and 240,000 square metres of new business space. Around 17,000 businesses benefited from a range of advice.

The initiative invested £14 million in new tourism facilities and attracted £8 million of additional public investment and over £13 million of investment from the private sector.

David Hunter, the NWDA’s Head of Rural Affairs, says: “The countryside in the Northwest is not just a picturesque backdrop,

RURAL GROWTH The money will be split: £38 million for improving the competitiveness of farming and forestry sectors and £37 million for improving quality of life and diversifying the economy.

Around £25 million of those funds will be used for delivery through local action groups, known as LEADER groups.

The announcement comes as the results of the NWDA’s £100 million five-year Rural Renaissance initiative, which helped marshall but a living part of our community, an important part of the make-up of the region.

“Our focus has always been on rural growth. Growth is at the heart of sustainable rural communities and is vital if we are to support the significant contribution, which rural areas make to the region as a whole.

These areas cannot stand still.”

Research in 2004 revealed that 40% of the Northwest’s businesses are based in rural areas and they account for 23% of the region’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and 25% of its employment.

Hunter says the focus was to get rural economies “back on track” after the 2001

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Prises to expand and hopefully become an even greater success story.”

Stephen Brown, Head of Programme Management at Lancashire Economic Partnership which managed the LLRAP says: “The Action Plan made an impact on the local economy and well-being of communities through a variety of initiatives supporting business development, local food production, tourism, the environment and communities.”

In Cheshire, where pockets of deprivation exist in the south of the county, Rural Renaissance was delivered by Cheshire Rural Partnership. It adopted “a novel approach”, including projects entitled Kerching! to support retail development and the marketing of local products, ‘Saddle up’, to improve equine-related businesses and Green Fingers aimed at increasing visitor numbers to garden attractions.

David Hunter says: “By tackling areas of new activity, Cheshire enjoyed a quick take-up. For every £1 of Agency funding, they attracted £4 from other public and private sector sources which is testament to their approach.”

Going up in the world – a rural grant has helped Entre-Prises, makers of artificial climbing walls, expand

outbreak of foot and mouth disease exposed “traditional rural economies” as vulnerable to economic shock and deep rural areas as having a lack of diversity and capacity to deal with serious problems.

Now, he says, after a great deal of investment and work at local level, rural businesses tend to be more diverse and resilient and have succeeded in finding new markets and opportunities.

Rural Renaissance was tackled differently in the region’s three counties. The Lancashire Rural Recovery Action Plan (LRRAP) concentrated on broadening the economic base by enhancing the growth of existing businesses, in particular by using the successful Rural Grant Fund and Rural Business Facilitation Service.

SUCCESS STORY It was with the help of a rural grant, that local company Entre-Prises, leaders in the construction of artificial climbing walls, were able to expand.

Based at Barnoldswick’s Eden Works industrial estate, the company, which has fitted over 5,000 structures in locations around the world, acquired a new high-tech manufacturing space and office.

Estate owner Michael Wolfenden, says: “The rural grant helped me to transform a unit into a valuable space to enable Entre-

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk/rdpe www.crea.co.uk

New pastures – these business premises in Cheshire, were formerly two cowsheds

Cutting red tape – specialist help can speed up the rural planning process

PLANNING SERVICE SUCCESS A planning advice service in Cumbria – where £54 million of the ‘rural renaissance’ budget was invested – has been shortlisted for a Royal Town Planning Institute national award.

The Rural Planning Facilitation Service (RPFS) supports rural businesses keen to expand or diversify and operates throughout the Northwest. It was established to overcome difficulties surrounding planning applications, “one of the stumbling blocks in the rural economy”, according to David Hunter.

In Cumbria, where the Service is delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), it provides up to one and a half days free advice worth around £600, to give applicants the best chance of success.

The RPFS is to continue throughout this year and 2009 with more funding from the NWDA. The county also established the UK’s first rural regeneration company - Rural Regeneration Cumbria (RRC) – in April 2003 which managed a £39 million programme of NWDA funding and £6.2 million of European funding. After three years RRC reported that the number of jobs and businesses created, the skills development provided and the business performance were all in excess of their target.

For further information: www.ruralcumbria.co.uk

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD CORRIDOR OF POWER

Route to prosperity – Manchester’s Oxford Road is destined to become an entrepreneurial hub

Manchester’s Oxford Road corridor is to be transformed into a new entrepreneurial hub for the city-region.

The Manchester City South Partnership was launched earlier this year to drive forward the knowledge economy and unlock the true economic potential of an underperforming part of the city.

With Oxford Road as its spine, the corridor begins at the steps of the Central Library and stretches down to Whitworth Park, taking in over 240ha.

As well as bringing together key institutions based along the corridor, such as the NHS Trust, BBC and two universities, the partnership will be looking at ways to attract the private businesses that the corridor really needs to flourish.

PILOT PROJECTS The partnership also has the backing of Manchester City Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), and Chief Executive Jackie Potter believes the area is unique in having so many key institutions located so close together, and so near to the city centre. But, she says, it is now time to bring them even closer together.

The universities and NHS Trust are currently carrying out investment programmes in excess of £1.5 billion and a role of City South, says Potter, will be to

ensure that these investments start to connect and offer maximum benefit for Manchester and the Northwest.

City South will also be working to transform Oxford Road, the busiest bus route in Europe, into something far more user-friendly. The partnership has made a successful bid to the Transport Innovation Fund, and a postal referendum across Manchester this autumn will decide whether the proposed Bus Rapid Transport System gets the green light.

The NWDA is investing in a number of studies and pilot projects designed to attract private investors and create an ‘innovation ecosystem’ that nurtures the exchange of ideas between businesses and academia.

“What’s missing are the businesses that are going to take the ideas and put them to work, making wealth for the city,” explains Dave Sanderson, Science Policy Manager at the NWDA. “From the Agency’s point of view it’s about making the area attract and retain highly innovative businesses.”

Projects include trialling a new way to provide very high, next generation broadband, as well as a pilot of i-tree, a programme that involves planting trees with special censors and display screens that show the public the positive effect trees can have on a microclimates. “We’re not just improving the public realm but we’re being innovative in the

way we do it,” says Sanderson.

The NWDA will also be involved with marketing the corridor and developing a more unified approach to the way in which Oxford Road’s many cultural assets promote themselves.

COMMUNITY LINKS Another series of projects will look at enterprise and employment, including building stronger links between local businesses and the area’s major institutions.

Work will also be carried out to dispel some of the misunderstandings that exist between local people and the important potential employers on their doorsteps.

“We need to build more links with neighbouring communities, especially the more disadvantaged ones, and try and give them a stake in what’s going on,” adds Sanderson.

Potter agrees: “Traditionally the institutions have been very separate but they have all now have signed up to the need to be more outward facing and to make sure that there are job opportunities for the communities, and that they play a part in increasingly the aspirations and skill levels of young people.”

For further information: www.manchestercitysouth.com

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The physical bonds that unite close neighbours Manchester and Salford are set to strengthen thanks to a series of visionary new developments that will create thousands of jobs.

Projects such as Greengate, Chapel Street/Salford Central Station and Irwell City Park are part of a masterplan designed to maximise the benefits from connecting Manchester’s vibrant city centre and Salford’s buoyant Quays.

The NWDA is a founder member of the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company (URC), which is leading on much of the work, in partnership with Salford City Council, English Partnerships and private companies including Bruntwood and Ask Developments.

Further evidence of how the future development of the city-region is entwined is reflected in its Board directors, which include Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Councillors John Merry, Leader of Salford City Council, and Susan Williams, Leader of Trafford Council.

In addition to the NWDA’s separate investment in MediaCityUK, the Agency has so far invested over £19.5 million through the URC’s activity. This has helped to fund a mixture of feasibility work, infrastructure improvements and strategic land and property acquisitions.

The first new link between the two cities will be Exchange Greengate, a derelict 13-hectare site a few minutes walk from Manchester’s Exchange Square, which is to be transformed into a new urban quarter between the two cities.

Shape of things to come – a new public square is a key feature of the Greengate development, Salford

CITIES UNITED

BY VISIONARY DEVELOPMENTS It’s also an opportunity to extend the economic success of Manchester across the (River) Irwell and into Salford. “That’s why we think this western side of the regional centre has some real potential,“ says Mike Hollows, Senior Development Executive at the NWDA. “It has good existing public transport infrastructure for which further improvements are planned, and which enables greater accessibility to a significant proportion of the Greater Manchester cityregion’s population.”

The project involves three distinct areas: the Urban Cove, which will help bring the Irwell back to life, with a new bridge and water features; Greengate Link, a new pedestrian route linking the two cities, and Greengate Square, the area’s new green heart.

The project is expected to attract over £600 million of private sector investment, creating 4,000 new jobs and 2,500 new homes, with work set to begin next year.

The development is also seen as a catalyst, explains Chris Farrow, Chief Executive at Central Salford URC. “It will have wider impacts, opening the doorway to

the revival of Chapel Street and the re-birth of the River Irwell as a waterside public corridor linking Manchester to Salford.”

Ultimately Chapel Street will become a new city centre for Salford, with much stronger connections to Manchester. There are plans to reinvigorate many of the architecturally important buildings that now lie derelict too, with an emphasis on shops, bars and recreation facilities, as well as 1,600 new homes. The project will create 12,000 new jobs.

But Karen Hirst, the URC’s Development Director knows that more than a quick fix solution is needed. “Delivering on the vision of this area will take at least twenty years to complete and around £700 million of investment,” she says.

A third major project is Irwell City Park, which will celebrate Salford’s often overlooked natural environment by completing a new 8km route of walkways and cycleways through Central Salford and straight into the heart of Salford Quays.

For further information: www.centralsalford.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Sections of the M6, M60, M62 and M56 around Manchester as well as the M6 junctions from North of Birmingham to Knutsford are being considered for hard shoulder running as part of a £6 billion package of improvements to strategic national roads up to 2014.

Plans are moving ahead to market the Derwent Forest former munitions site at Broughton Moor, Cumbria, as a world-class leisure attraction to developers following agreement by the NWDA and local councils to acquire the site from the Ministry of Defence.

International architects and public realm designers are being invited to come forward with concepts for inspirational public spaces in six Pennine Lancashire town centres.

More than 300 design practices have registered an interest in the NWDAsupported initiative.

Regeneration funding of £1.78 million from the NWDA and its partners is being used to create new community woodland to the South East of Southport’s town centre as part of the £59 million Newlands project.

The work is expected to contribute to the protection of the area’s red squirrel colony.

Grant funding of £4.9 million has been approved by the NWDA for remediation work on the former United Glass site in St. Helens that will enable construction to start on a new 18,000-seater stadium for St. Helens Rugby League team, a new supermarket, access road and pedestrian plaza.

Production is to start on another 106 carriages for the high speed tilting Pendolino trains on the West Coast Main line following agreement between the Department of Transport and Alstom. They will deliver over 7,420 additional seats by December 2012 in addition to the 45% increase in long distance services due on the line in December.

AVIATION FUND SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE GROWTH It has been a landmark year for the region’s airports. Both Manchester and Liverpool have celebrated key anniversaries with substantial new investment and new owners have taken over at Blackpool.

This mixture of public and private investment, increased capacity and new carriers is good news for the region too, says Andrew Davis, the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA) Sector Development Manager for Aviation and Aerospace, given the role that aviation plays in promoting the Northwest, as well as boosting its economic performance.

“The region’s international airports make a vital economic contribution,” he explains.

“Good connections to international gateways are a critical factor for business and inward investment in the North, and for bringing in tourism.”

Part of the NWDA’s support for the sector is the £6.5 million Air Services Development Fund (ASDF) to pump prime key projects that would support growth, attract new carriers and improve efficiency at the region’s airports.

It was also designed to complement other Agency programmes such as investment in Liverpool 08, as well as Gateway Marketing.

By providing funds to Marketing Manchester, The Mersey Partnership and Lancashire and

Blackpool Tourist Board, the ASDF is encouraging them to work more closely with the airports to develop and promote inbound tourism.

And now some of the projects are coming to fruition. Liverpool John Lennon, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year, has grown significantly on the back of low cost airlines and now handles over five million passengers a year.

ASDF has helped to enhance the overall passenger experience at the airport by improving safety and security and helping develop a training programme for the airport’s operational and customer facing staff.

It has also led to improved aircraft landing facilities at the airport, including technology that now allows Liverpool to receive aircraft in bad weather.

GOOD REPUTATION The project is also helping to raise the airport’s reputation as an international gateway, and complements work being carried out by owners Peel Airports. This includes upgrading the runway for long haul services, and developing a new hotel and multi-storey car park.

Neil Pakey, Managing Director of Liverpool John Lennon Airport explains: “When Liverpool won the European Capital of

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“ANY AIRPORTS RECEIVING FUNDING FROM US MUST MAKE EFFORTS TOWARDS INTRODUCING ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES THAT THEY THEMSELVES CAN CONTROL.” ANDREW DAVIS SECTOR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, AVIATION AND AEROSPACE NWDA

Well connected – Manchester Airport is targeting new routes to China, India and West Coast USA

Culture award we decided that the airport needed to improve in terms of the actual welcome people receive when they arrive.

“The airport has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years and with the help of ASDF we’ve been able to ensure that improvements to the customer experience have kept pace with this change. Importantly, that’s helped to maintain our good reputation.”

MORE CREDIBILITY Manchester Airport, which has now been operating for 70 years, is just embarking on a three year 'Destination Marketing' programme supported by ASDF, designed to stimulate long haul connections to India and West Coast US. As well as new tourist routes the connections could also lead to new business opportunities, such as improving links between MediaCityUK and Bollywood, and the region’s bio-chemical sector with new US markets.

The funding again complements other investment, this time from the Northern Way into a new £10 million third railway platform at the airport, while other key developments at Manchester include new routes to China and the opening of a new Concorde hangar.

One clear beneficiary of the ASDF is Blackpool Airport, where the fund has financed additional aircraft apron standing facilities,

which has helped secure the airline Jet2 as a ‘home-based’ carrier and create 30 new jobs.

The investment has given the airport more credibility, says Davis, and encouraged new owners Balfour Beatty to step in. The company already owns Exeter Airport, and there are now plans to grow passenger numbers in the next couple of years.

The work is also complementing significant investment by ReBlackpool and the Government into the resort, its transport infrastructure and leisure facilities.

As David Kershaw, Chief Executive Officer at Blackpool Airport adds: “We will continue to work very closely with the NWDA, ReBlackpool and our regional stakeholders.

With their continued support, Blackpool Airport looks forward to further development and growth in order to attract new airlines, new routes and passengers travelling to and from Blackpool, Lancashire and the Lake District.”

FUEL COSTS The NWDA is also lobbying central Government to help the industry in other areas, particularly over the effects of rising fuel costs, difficult economic conditions and greater European competition.

Finding ways to offset the negative impact of the new Aviation Duty is also high on the

agenda. The legislation will replace air passenger duty with a new duty payable per plane, and is designed to ensure that aviation makes a greater contribution to covering its environmental costs.

It’s an area which Davis realises can throw up a conflict of interest, especially given the Agency’s own climate change agenda.

“We need to have economic growth but we need to do it in a responsible way,” he says.

“So any airports receiving funding from us must make efforts towards introducing environmental measures that they themselves can control.”

Among these are new wind turbines at Liverpool, where they have also introduced software that can monitor and control the power usage in their retail units. At Manchester the airport owners are looking at ways in which aircraft can be better handled and manoeuvred on the ground.

“Improving the region’s transport infrastructure remains an investment, planning and lobbying priority for NWDA,” explains Davis.

“After all, the better connected globally we are, the better for tourism, and the better for business.”

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

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QUALITY OF LIFE NEWS London 2012’s Pre-Games Training Camp Guide for Paralympic sports features 25 Northwest sporting venues ranging from hockey through to basketball and aquatics. Manchester leads the way with eight and Liverpool has six. The Games will be used to inspire people with disabilities.

Blackpool Council has been awarded £4 million from the Sea Change programme towards the £11 million Tower Festival Headland project which will provide a new outdoor performance area between North and Central Piers, helping the resort in its ambition to become the UK’s ‘capital of dance’.

Tate Liverpool’s hosting of the Turner Prize 2007 generated over £10 million for the Merseyside economy according to a new report commissioned by the NWDA and the Tate.

Over 71,800 people visited the exhibition and 3.6 million watched coverage on Channel 4.

Manchester and Liverpool are to stage the European Badminton Championships with support from the NWDA and other partners. The event will be split between the Echo Arena, Liverpool (European Team Championships) in February 2009 and Manchester’s MEN Arena (European Individual Championships) in April 2010.

They’re MADE UP in Liverpool. That’s the title of the International exhibition of the 2008 Biennial, which opened this month (Sept 20) – and it’s how organisers, sponsors and visitors are feeling after a successful first six months of the European Capital of Culture.

As the city moved into the final quarter of Liverpool 08, both visitor figures and the year’s predicted economic impact are impressive.

At the half way stage almost five million people had attended a cultural event or attraction and the economic impact of £100 million predicted by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is now seen as conservative.

Lewis Biggs, Director of the Liverpool Biennial, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, explains: “MADE UP is a desire to celebrate the point the city has reached since its successful bid for European Capital of Culture status.

“The underlying implication is having vision - that you imagine where you want to be and you try to reach that point. The vision the city developed eight years ago has been realised, which is a fantastic measure of

hope for the future.”

MADE UP, with works that explore “the ecology of the artistic imagination” from artists across the world, will be presented at Tate Liverpool, the Bluecoat, FACT and Open Eye Gallery with half the exhibition sited in public spaces across the city centre.

Lewis Biggs says that visitors to the tenweek Biennial will enjoy an “absolutely huge arts offer” as the 08 programme continues.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR Golfing triumph – this year’s Open Championship was staged at Royal Birkdale

Ness Botanic Gardens, Wirral (Large Visitor Attraction) and Mersey Ferries Manchester Ship Canal Cruises (Small Visitor Attraction) were among 14 winners in The Merseyside Partnership (TMP) Annual Tourism Awards held at the BT Convention Centre, Liverpool.

Grant funding of £250,000 is being made available by the NWDA to help outdoor organisations in Cumbria create more high quality adventure experiences for visitors. Administered

by Cumbria Tourism the scheme will be used to stage new outdoor festivals, set up new activities and test new ideas.

Tate coup – part of the Gustav Klimt exhibition

Artichoke, the company that brought parts of London to a standstill when its spectacular Sultan's Elephant paraded through the streets in May 2006, has again worked its magic – this time in Liverpool.

Earlier this month a gigantic mechanical spider, the work of French company La Machine, journeyed through the city’s landmarks in five days of the most spectacular piece of free street theatre the city had ever seen.

HARD WORK

Pivotal exhibit – Richard Wilson’s ingenious art work at Cross Keys House

Thousands of people turned out to see the 37-tonne, 50ft creature, which started its journey by clinging to the side of the Concourse Tower before travelling around the city.

Commissioned by the Liverpool Culture Company, it instantly became one of the highlights of the European Capital of Culture year.

In July – 08’s busiest month to date, which included golf’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale - thousands thronged the waterfront to watch the biggest gathering of Tall Ships in Europe when a fleet of more than 70 vessels filled the city’s quayside and docks.

Nick Brooks-Sykes, Head of Tourism Marketing at the NWDA, says: “There’s no doubt that Liverpool 08 has confounded its

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early critics – organisers and visitors alike are absolutely delighted with its progress and the press coverage has been fantastic.

“It’s great to see that all the hard work and planning is now delivering tangible results.

“And this is not a one-hit wonder. There’s a lot of hard work going on behind the scenes around legacy planning to make sure Liverpool benefits in the long-term from this brilliant year.”

RARE MEMORABILIA Liverpool will be on show to wider audiences twice in the next two months when major events at the city’s Arena and Convention Centre are televised.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize – the Oscars for architecture – will be announced on October 11 and the event broadcast on Channel 4 the next day and the 15th annual MTV Europe Music Awards will be broadcast live on November 6.

“It is only natural that Liverpool should host the Awards,” says Richard Godfrey, Senior Vice President Content & Music, MTV Networks International. “Not only is it European Capital of Culture but the influence

Cultural highlight – the MTV Europe Music Awards are being held in Liverpool

poets Paul Farley and Roger McGough.

Future projects include a £35 million plan to redevelop and refurbish the city’s Everyman and Playhouse theatres with support from the NWDA which has agreed to invest £1.7 million.

European culture can also be seen through the lens of football when a fivemonth UEFA exhibition called Only a Game opens at World Museum Liverpool next

month (Oct). It will look at the face of football from the 1950s to the modern era and feature rare memorabilia from legendary matches and star players.

Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard says: “It’s great that we are having the exhibition as part of Liverpool 08 as there is no city in Europe where football means more than it does to the people of Liverpool.”

Bryan Gray, Chairman of both the NWDA and the Liverpool 08 board, says: “I believe culture is fundamental to the economy and hence to regeneration.”

He admits that regeneration in Liverpool has been “a long journey” but investment like Capital of Culture has produced many positive gains including the revival of the city centre population in newly-built and converted apartments.

“People now are very mobile and can choose where to live and work and places which have a good quality of life, enhanced by culture in the widest sense, are more attractive.”

For further information: www.liverpool08.com www.biennial.com

LIVERPOOL 08 PROGRAMME of its rich music heritage is still felt today.”

Joining art and music on the agenda is literature with Liverpool University staging a one-off weekend literary festival entitled Shipping Lines in November (8/9).

The event, part of the University’s contribution to Liverpool 08, has attracted

Maritime heritage – Liverpool hosted the biggest gathering of Tall Ships in Europe

Charity auction – a sell off of nearly 70 superlambananas at St. George’s Hall raised over £500,000

authors including Monica Ali, children’s writer Philip Pullman, Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy and Liverpool

“THE VISION THE CITY DEVELOPED EIGHT YEARS AGO HAS BEEN REALISED, WHICH IS A FANTASTIC MEASURE OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.” LEWIS BIGGS LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL

Shock and awe – this 35-tonne mechanical spider thrilled thousands

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QUALITY OF LIFE

What do a Coniston woodland and a Liverpool church tower have in common? Answer – both are venues for the launch of the Cultural Olympiad leading up to the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London.

Standard-bearer – legendary climber Sir Chris Bonington raises the Olympic handover flag on top of Scafell Pike, Cumbria

The UK-wide Cultural Olympiad, a four-year period of cultural activity designed to celebrate the Olympic spirit in the build-up to the Games, will be launched on September 26-28, based on the theme “Open Weekend”.

The two venues are the sites of Neon Attractors - specially curated visual artworks

by Culture Northwest and the Northwest’s first project to be granted the London 2012 Inspire mark as part of the Cultural Olympiad. It is awarded to “outstanding, surprising, exciting and brand new cultural projects inspired by London 2012 and recognised as helping to deliver the Games’ lasting legacy.”

TORCHLIGHT WALKS Neon Attractors combines two specially curated light installations: ‘Rabbit’ by Liverpool Biennial in Toxteth and ‘ThickSpace_FRED’ near Coniston in Cumbria.

‘Rabbit’ was created from a line drawing by a pupil at Vincent de Paul Primary School in Liverpool as part of Ron Haselden’s ‘Animal’ project. The drawing has been transformed into a coloured neon light artwork and is located on the north façade of St James’ Church in Toxteth.

‘ThickSpace_FRED’ is large fibre optic cube which the public can enter into by

FLYING THE FLAG FOR CULTURAL OLYMPIAD international artists Laura Belevica, Aaron J Robin and Feng Gouchaun. The installation will be suspended from trees in National Trust woodland near Coniston, Cumbria, and will be accessible by footpaths.

DISTINCTIVE EVENTS Debbi Lander, Creative Programmer for the Cultural Olympiad in the Northwest says: “We are developing a global programme for a global event. The Cultural Olympiad is an opportunity for disciplines to converge and communities to connect.

“Our exciting and legacy-orientated plans will drive cross-sector development, explore the artistic and cultural capacities of young people in the region and develop new relationships and collaborations across and beyond the Northwest.”

The two installations which combine to form Neon Attractors also feature as part of other cultural events occurring throughout the region to celebrate Open Weekend.

‘Rabbit’ will feature as part of a series of Neon light installations throughout Liverpool named ‘Winter Lights’ as part of the 2008 Liverpool Biennial.

‘ThickSpace_FRED’ will be a central feature of the Coniston Walking Festival in the Lake District, a new style walking festival combining physical and cultural activity.

“WE ARE DEVELOPING A GLOBAL PROGRAMME FOR A GLOBAL EVENT AND WE WANT ALL DISCIPLINES TO CONVERGE ON A SINGLE THEME OF PLAY.” DEBBI LANDER CREATIVE PROGRAMMER CULTURAL OLYMPIAD NORTHWEST

The launch of the Cultural Olympiad follows the August 24 Handover celebrations on the day the Olympic flag passed to London at the end of the Beijing Games.

Over 30 local authorities across the Northwest joined the nationwide ‘Flying the Flag’ project by raising a specially-designed Olympic Handover flag in a variety of settings.

The most prominent was the flag carried by legendary climber Sir Chris Bonington to the top of Scafell Pike in Cumbria, the highest mountain in England at 978 metres.

For further information: www.london2012.com www.beinspired.com

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NEW LIFE FOR ART DECO ICON Think Morecambe, think Eric. Think Morecambe, think Midland. Since early summer the Victorian seaside resort has boasted a second icon along its promenade with the newly-restored Grade II* listed Midland Hotel joining the life-size bronze statue of John Eric Bartholomew, one half of the revered Morecambe and Wise comic duo.

Built in the 1930s and once a favourite haunt of stars like Coco Chanel and Sir Laurence Olivier, the Art Deco hotel re-opened on June 1 after standing empty for ten years.

GRANT SUPPORT Bought by award-winning regeneration specialists Urban Splash, partners in a planned new mixed-use development on an adjacent site, the 44-room hotel overlooking Morecambe Bay has undergone an £11 million restoration.

The project was supported by a grant of £4 million from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) by Lancaster City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and English Heritage.

James Berresford, Director of Tourism at the NWDA, says: “We are delighted to see

“WE SEE THE POTENTIAL OF MORECAMBE AS A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND VISIT WHICH IS WHY WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER PROJECTS IN THE TOWN.” IAN WHITTAKER POLICY AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGER FOR LANCASHIRE NWDA

Rebirth of an icon – the Midland Hotel, Morecambe, has been restored to its former glory

this icon of the Northwest coast returned to its former glory. Its redevelopment is a crucial part of the masterplan to breathe new life into Morecambe which we hope will act as a major catalyst for further investment.”

Other major regeneration projects are underway, boosted by the Transport Secretary’s decision to approve plans for an M6/Heysham link road, a £138 million scheme that would greatly improve access to the coastal town.

Lancaster City Council is also planning an application to the Sea Change funding programme, set up by the Department of Culture Media and Sport, to kick start economic regeneration in coastal areas through specific investment in culture and heritage.

The bid will focus on the restoration of the famous Winter Gardens theatre Grade II* listed building, which is also subject to a bid to the HLF for its £12 million restoration.

The NWDA has provided £300,000 of funding towards a feasibility study and predevelopment work on the bid.

Lancaster City Councillor Evelyn Archer, chair of the Winter Gardens Theatre Trust and portfolio holder for the regeneration of

Morecambe says: “The restoration of the Midland is wonderful and now we hope the same will happen for the Winter Gardens.

Both are key to the regeneration of the town, which must now look forwards and not back to its previous heyday.”

NEW HOMES A further part of Morecambe’s regeneration is to be seen in the town’s West End, which in the last five years has received investments of more than £30 million, where multi-occupancy properties are being returned to single houses and more 100 new homes are being built.

Ian Whittaker, NWDA Policy and Partnership Manager for Lancashire, says: “We see the potential of Morecambe as a place to live, work and visit which is why we are looking at other projects in the town.

“It benefits from its proximity to Lancaster, a growth centre in the Northwest with its environment, heritage and university and the construction of an M6 link road would improve access enormously.”

For further information: www.morecambe.co.uk www.midlandhotelmorecambe.co.uk

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NOTEBOOK

Bernstein to drive resort masterplan

PEOPLE IN THE REGION Museums role for Redmond Bloxham elected Chancellor Property developer Tom Bloxham has been elected the new Chancellor of the University of Manchester after a ballot of University staff, alumni and General Assembly members. His tenure will begin in the autumn and he will hold the office for seven years.

He is Chairman and co-founder of Urban Splash, the innovative property developer that is responsible for regeneration projects in Manchester and Liverpool. To date the company has received 237 awards for architecture, design and business success, Bloxham, 44, graduated in 1986 in politics and modern history and in 2007 received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Manchester. He chairs Arts Council (North West), sits on the Arts Council England and in 1998 was awarded an MBE for services to architecture and urban regeneration.

Phil Redmond, best known for his work in television drama but more recently for his role as Creative Director and Deputy Chair of the Board of The Liverpool Culture Company, is the new Chairman of National Museums Liverpool, which is responsible for eight museums in the city.

He has written extensively for radio, television and stage and made his mark by creating three of Britain’s longest-running drama programmes, Grange Hill (30 years), Brookside (21 years) and Hollyoaks (11 years).

Phil became ‘Professor’ Redmond when he was awarded the Honorary Chair of Media at Liverpool John Moores University in 1989 and since 1993 has also been a Fellow and Member of the Board of Trustees. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and was awarded a CBE in 2004 for services to drama.

ReBlackpool’s drive to deliver a programme of comprehensive regeneration that will give the town a year-round economy has been given a boost by the appointment of Sir Howard Bernstein as the new Chair of the urban regeneration company (URC).

As Chief Executive of Manchester City Council since 1998 he has built an impressive track record in urban renewal.

He was awarded a knighthood in 2003 for services to the reconstruction of Manchester and the XVII Commonwealth Games.

Sir Howard steps down as a member of the Board of the Olympic Delivery Body (ODA) – the body responsible for the facilities and infrastructure for the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games – following his new part-time appointment.

Fresh challenge for Emery Design expert Heather Emery takes up a new challenge as Ambassador for the newly established Northwest Heritage Skills Hub. The venture is being hosted by the Centre for Construction Innovation at Salford University and funded by English Heritage and Construction Skills.

During her four years at the NWDA she was Head of Design and Built Environment and was instrumental in setting up the Northwest Design Review Panel, which now operates as part of the successful Places Matter! Programme.

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Rachel is top apprentice Rachel Hoyle, 21, an aerospace engineer at BAE Systems in Lancashire, has been named as Advanced Apprentice of the Year by the Learning and Skills Council. She received her award from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ presenter Amanda Holden in London.

Rachel started her apprenticeship at 16 straight from Ashton-onRibble High School. She carried out an ONC and HNC in Aerospace Engineering and in 2007 enrolled at Manchester Metropolitan University for a part-time degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Rachel’s duties at BAE Systems involve engineering work on the Eurofighter Typhoon, one of the world’s most advanced aircraft, at the company’s Warton plant.

Cap and gown for Gerrard Steven Gerrard, Liverpool FC’s inspirational Captain, added another award to his growing collection when he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University in recognition of his services to sport.

He joined Liverpool as a schoolboy aged nine and during his career has won several titles including PFA Young Player of the Year and UEFA’s Most Valuable Player.

Born at Whiston, Merseyside, he has captained England, making his debut for the national team in May 2000. In 2006 he was awarded an MBE for services to sport.

He received his Fellowship at one of LJMU’s graduation ceremonies in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.

Dwek is environment champion Joseph Dwek, Chairman of Envirolink and one of the region’s most prominent business leaders, is the Northwest’s Environmental Champion of the Year. He received the accolade at the Northwest Business Environment Awards.

A Board member of the NWDA, he was Executive Chairman and Chief Executive of Bodycote International Plc from 1972 until his retirement in 1998 and still holds a number of executive positions and directorships with UK companies.

He was formerly Chairman of the Mersey Basin Campaign and the Healthy Waterways Trust and was awarded a CBE in 1997 for services to industry and the CBI Northwest.

GONW post for Wigan executive Deborah Brownlee, Deputy Director of Children and Young People’s Services at Wigan MBC, is joining Government Office North West (GONW) as Director for Children and Learners. She will take over from Nigel Burke when he retires later this year.

She has worked in a range of roles with children and young people over 25 years. Originally from Salford, she initially trained as a Careers Adviser before undertaking a range of management roles with the public and private sector.

Her previous jobs have included Chief Executive of Wigan Careers Service, Positives Futures Ltd and Acting CEO of Wigan Chamber of Commerce. She was appointed Assistant Director of Children and Young People’s Services in Wigan in 2006 rising to become Deputy Director in 2007.

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EVENTS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS For further information www.nwda.co.uk/events 6-15

SEPTEMBER 20SEPT30NOV

EUROPEAN SENIOR BOXING NOV CHAMPIONSHIPS The first major post-Beijing Olympics tournament Echo Arena, Liverpool

LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL

The UK’s only festival of contemporary art Various venues

20-23

KENDAL MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL NOV Films, literature and an audience with climbing legend Reinhold Messner Various venues, Kendal

20-24

LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE SEPT The serious business of politics Manchester Central

26-28

11-19

HI-TEC WORLD SQUASH OCT CHAMPIONSHIPS Top players compete for the sport’s top awards National Squash Centre, Manchester

13

MANCHESTER FOOD & DRINK OCT FESTIVAL AWARDS Spotlight on the kings and queens of flavour Palace Hotel, Manchester

22 Pivotal work – engineering an Biennial tour-de-force

OCTOBER

NORTHWEST TOURISM AWARDS OCT Accolades for the region’s top tourism businesses St George’s Hall, Liverpool

THE MEDIA FESTIVAL NOV Exchanging ideas, building partnerships Midland Hotel and Radisson Edwardian, Manchester

DECEMBER 5

CBI NW BUSINESS AWARDS DEC The business world honours its heroes Midland Hotel, Manchester

14

BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF DEC THE YEAR An old favourite in a new setting Echo Arena, Liverpool

NOVEMBER 1-2

THE LIVERPOOL SUMMIT OCT An unrivalled executive learning opportunity BT Convention Centre, Liverpool

2 OCT17JAN

LE CORBUSIER EXHIBITION

The art of architecture The Crypt, Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool

11

RIBA STIRLING PRIZE OCT Oscars for architecture BT Convention Centre, Liverpool

3-5

WATERFRONT EXPO 08 NOV The world’s largest waterfront regeneration event Liverpool Echo Arena and BT Convention Centre

6

MTV EUROPE MUSIC AWARDS NOV Pop music coming home Echo Arena, Liverpool

Echo Arena – venue for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year

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GETTING IN TOUCH At the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), we value your views and feedback.

Visit www.nwda.co.uk & www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

The NWDA’s Executive Team are based at its Headquarters in Warrington.

STEVEN BROOMHEAD Chief Executive Tel: 01925 400 133 Email: Steven.Broomhead@nwda.co.uk

PATRICK WHITE Executive Director, Policy Tel: 01925 400 274 Email: Patrick.White@nwda.co.uk

BERNICE LAW Chief Operating Officer,

PETER WHITE Executive Director, Development Tel: 01925 400 299 Email: Peter.White@nwda.co.uk

(currently on secondment at the Liverpool Culture Company)

Tel: 01925 400 532 Email: Bernice.Law@nwda.co.uk IAN HAYTHORNTHWAITE Executive Director, Resources Tel: 01925 400 116 Email: Ian.Haythornthwaite@nwda.co.uk

JAMES BERRESFORD Director of Tourism Tel: 01925 400 472 Email: James.Berresford@nwda.co.uk

MARK HUGHES Executive Director, Enterprise and Skills Tel: 01925 400 531 Email: Mark.Hughes@nwda.co.uk

FIONA MILLS Director of Human Performance Tel: 01925 644 422 Email: Fiona.Mills@nwda.co.uk

PETER MEARNS Executive Director, Marketing and Communications Tel: 01925 400 212 Email: Peter.Mearns@nwda.co.uk

HEAD OFFICE The NWDA manages all operations from its Headquarters at:

HEAD OFFICE PO Box 37, Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington WA1 1XB Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 100 Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400 e-mail: information@nwda.co.uk

PRINT STOCK: Cover: Challenger Laser Matt is totally chlorine free and acquired only from suppliers operating sustainable forest reserves.

Text: Cyclus offset is manufactured using only 100% recycled post consumer waste.

Designed and produced by Kaleidoscope ADM, Liverpool. www.kadm.co.uk NWDA KADM 09/08 21172

KEY CONTACTS

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Join us for the 5th edition of the UK’s biennial of contemporary art.

For further information visit www.biennial.com or phone the Visitor Centre 0845 220 2800

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