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315° THE RDA MAGAZINE SEPT 2005 ISSUE 07
Back to the future New museums herald cultural renaissance Destination Northwest Overseas companies energise economy Era of opportunity New vision for Cumbria Hidden gem Rediscovering Salford’s beauty Panopticons Architects take the high ground
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Contents
Cover image Liverpool’s enlarged and renamed World Museum
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Photography by Tim Hetherington
The Third Degree Robert Runcie
Since the launch of the Draft Regional Economic Strategy (RES) in July, we have received unprecedented feedback from the region. I am very pleased with this encouraging response, which demonstrates the increasing importance that everyone in the Northwest is placing on shaping the future economic regeneration of the region. In leading the review process, it is vital that we ensure we develop a Strategy for the region, by the region. Whilst it is impossible to produce a Strategy that suits everyone, by taking into account the issues that matter most to our businesses, organisations, and voluntary groups, we can ensure that we focus on the priorities which will have the greatest impact on our economy.
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Brewing up waste solutions 10 Food students serve up new dishes
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Regeneration 12 Fast forward for Cumbria economy 14 Crewe on track for more prosperous future 15 New enterprises boost farm income 16 Salford embarks on ‘city beautiful’ plan
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Skills & Employment
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18 New leadership centre opens 19 Youth Enterprise academy launched
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22 Public art takes the high ground 24 Inspired setting for study centre
25 What the Romans gave us 26 Celebration city prepares for lift-off
Infrastructure
The positive response received so far is due, I believe, to the consultative approach we have adopted. The Draft Strategy has been developed in consultation with over 20 regional partners and, through our Sub-Regional Partnerships, over 4,000 of the region’s organisations have been consulted during the process.
Although the response we have had to date has been excellent, we are still keen to hear from as many people and organisations as possible during the consultation period, which runs up to the end of September. I would strongly urge anyone who has not yet contributed to this debate to visit www.nwda.co.uk/strategy, download a copy of the Strategy and submit comments. I am convinced that, by working together, we can ensure we deliver a Strategy which is clear and focused on the actions required to deliver real transformational change across England’s Northwest.
Bryan Gray September 2005
20 Budget airlines drive airport growth
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315° Contacts
28 Whitehall despatches 29 Event highlights 30 Partner Focus
Editor
NWDA
Trevor Bates email@trevorbates.fsnet.co.uk
Erica Boardman 01925 400 217 erica.boardman@nwda.co.uk
Chairman’s message
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Foreign companies energise economy Reshaping business support
Bryan Gray
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Enterprise & Innovation
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Chairman
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The Third Degree
“Being environmentally friendly doesn’t always mean we must take the least-cost option, turn the lights out and go and live in caves. It’s about doing things in a sensible, pragmatic way”
Robert
Runcie Robert Runcie is the Regional Director of the Environment Agency whose commitment to sustainable development is reflected in two other personal roles. He chairs the ENWORKS Board and is also a Director of Sustainability Northwest. A civil engineer by profession, he has worked in both the private and public sectors in this country and abroad.
How much progress has the region made in cleaning up the legacy of its industrial past? There have been a number of key benefits over the past few years, largely as a result of planned partnership action. Industrial emissions have declined steeply with sulphur dioxide and particulates dropping 45% and 75% respectively, so that shows that effective regulation and good brisk business practice is working. Air quality continues to be a challenge because of the increasing use of cars but a third of our local authorities now have designated air quality management areas to reduce traffic pollution. Major investment by companies like United Utilities has had a dramatic impact on water quality. Our waterways are the cleanest they have been for 100 years and 36 out of 37 bathing waters have reached European standards. The Mersey supports 50 species of fish, including salmon, and we now have a situation where fishermen are competing with seals for the same catch. But we must not be complacent. We still have a high proportion of poor quality rivers which require a sustained programme of continuous improvement.
“Our waterways are the cleanest they have been for 100 years and 36 out of 37 bathing waters have reached European standards”
How can individuals play their part in good environmental citizenship? One of the things we do every year is support and promote World Environment Day. This is about asking people to make simple pledges, like minimising the amount of waste they generate, reducing water consumption, using low energy light bulbs, that sort of thing. Over 20,000 people in the Northwest have already joined the campaign and others can pledge their commitment by visiting our website www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed
Parts of the region suffered devastating floods in January. What action is being taken to protect vulnerable communities? We are spending £40 million a year in the Northwest on maintaining, operating and creating new assets to reduce flood risk. Over the next five years we will be improving flood defences in Carlisle, Lancaster, Wigan and Warrington. Flood warnings are also an important part of the equation but to be effective people need to know about them and to feel confident about what to do when they receive a warning. On average only 30% of people in flood risk areas are on the automated voice messaging service and I would like many more to register with us for what is a free service.
Is the Environment Agency happy with the way industry is behaving? Big companies in the Northwest take their environmental obligations very seriously. It’s very much part of their corporate governance ethos. We now have a situation where 53% of the 300 companies we regulate reuse and recycle materials. That’s the highest on record. Water companies have reduced pollution incidents by a third and the waste industry by a quarter so the trend is in the right direction.
How seriously should we take the threat of global warming? We have to be more responsible in the way we use resources like energy and water. Here in the Northwest we have seen a 20% increase in the number of cars on the road in the last decade and it’s this unregulated pollution combined with other emissions that is having a direct impact, not just on the environment, but on our own health. What we do does have an effect on our quality of life and we have to make that connection clear and what we do about it is clear.
Waste disposal is a key national and regional issue. How is the Environment Agency and its partners tackling the problem? Legislation is driving away the low cost option of just dumping our rubbish in holes in the ground. It requires and encourages us to work closely with industry and local authorities to segregate the waste streams and reuse what we can. Since the hazardous waste legislation came in, the volumes of mixed waste going to landfill has plummeted. People are consciously removing hazardous materials because there is a big cost differential. Being environmentally friendly doesn’t always mean we must take the least-cost option, turn the lights out and go and live in caves. It’s about doing things in a sensible, pragmatic way.
Last year the Environment Agency signed a collaborative agreement with the Northwest Regional Development Agency. How is it working? Signing a Memorandum of Understanding is easy. Saying what you are going to do and then doing what you say is the real challenge. Since the signing we have forged an active relationship and are working well on things like resource efficiency programmes. This helps make the link between economic growth and environmental impact so they are seen as complementary rather than a block on each other.
Are you trying anything new? All the time. For example, we are piloting a one-year Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme at Preston where we are working with companies and communities to ensure legitimate disposal of waste that cannot be reused or recycled. This is to avoid materials being dumped in lay-bys or public spaces so we will actually see an improvement in behaviour and reduction in costs. If these environmental crimes have to be cleaned up it’s the public at the end of the day that has to pick up the bill.
Do you have a message for the region? Yes. There is now a solid evidence base to show we are building a quality environment here in the Northwest and we must parade this progress as strongly and widely as possible in any way we can. The Environment Agency, for example, publishes up-to-date information about the state of the region on its website and I’m pleased to say we have had 50,000 hits since the site was established in 2004, mostly from businesses seeking help and advice. We have much to be proud of in the Northwest and should not hesitate to say so. For further information: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
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Foreign companies energise economy Foreign-owned companies gave the Northwest economy a major uplift last year by investing in over 92 business and industrial projects - nearly 30 more than the previous year creating 5,376 jobs, one of the highest figures of any region in the UK. American multinationals continued to dominate the investment landscape by providing over a third of projects but there are increasing signs that China is beginning to use the region as a launch pad for new European business ventures. John Cunliffe, Head of Investment at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), was pleased by the region’s performance in 2004-05 despite being just edged out of the top spot for creating the most jobs by the North East for the first time in three years. “The number of new investment projects has increased significantly compared to last year. Two thirds of jobs flowing from these projects are new jobs, which contrasts strongly with the previous year when the majority of jobs were in the safeguarded category. That is a good effort by everyone linked with investment in the region.” Merseyside did well by securing four flagship projects. Two of them, the German-owned Bertelsmann media group’s £115 million gravure printing facility at Speke (now a joint venture called PRINOVIS Liverpool) and Gertrag Ford’s new automotive transmission project at Halewood, underlined the region’s impressive showing in attracting new manufacturing investment. Between them, the projects secured 1,200 new or safeguarded jobs. Another 450 jobs will be added to the total by JPMorgan INVEST’s decision to set up a new pension business in Liverpool
and Computer Science Corporation’s software project at Knowsley to service the US company’s £1.2 billion contract digitising NHS records for the North and Midlands. “Normally you are happy to get one large investment a year. Winning four is exceptional”, commented Mark Basnett, Director of Investment for the Mersey Partnership. “We have seen quite a strengthening in the level and seriousness of enquiries as the reputation and image of the Liverpool region comes into line with what the area has to offer. Potential investors are bowled over by the buzz and enthusiasm of the place.” Figures collated by the NWDA for 2004-05 on behalf of UKTrade and Investment (UKTI) showed the Agency was involved with sub-regional partners in 37 projects, creating 2,949 new jobs and safeguarding 1,219. Fifty other projects delivered 2,431 new jobs and protected 371. A feature of last’s year performance, according to John Cunliffe, was the high value and high quality of many projects and the jobs created by these projects. “We have to focus on winning better quality investment for the region. While this is likely to result in fewer projects it will have a significantly more beneficial effect on the region’s economy in the long term.” Only 19 of the 92 projects recorded received government grants. Among the largest were Gertrag Ford (£5 million) and Bank of New York (£1.9 million). America’s oldest bank has opened an office in Manchester to support the growth of its operations in the UK and Europe and expects to create 350 jobs by 2006. “After December 2006 most of the UK will lose assisted area status so we need to be winning projects that come here because of the region’s high skills base and competitive advantage, not because of government aid packages,” observes Cunliffe. The 2004-05 figures support the view that the region’s energy industry will become an important generator of investment, specialist know-how and key skills in the years ahead. Three US companies, The Shaw Group, E2 and CH2M Hill, have opened operations in Cumbria on the back of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority establishing its main base in West Cumbria. “There is a strong pipeline of companies wanting to be in close proximity to the NDA” reports Cunliffe. Other overseas investors are targeting the renewable energy sector. The newest arrivals include two Danish firms, West UK which is opening a manufacturing facility on Merseyside, Vestas (Warrington), and two Norwegian companies, Geoenergy and Bergen Energi (both Greater Manchester) For further information: Investment Services Team 01925 400 495
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China kicks into gear More Chinese high-tech companies are moving into the Northwest as the world’s fastest growing economy targets new business opportunities in Europe. Two of the three new investments recorded in 2004-05 were acquisitions, one of which was the Leyland Technical Centre, an indication of China’s desire to plug into UK technology. China’s potential as a valuable new source of investment recently prompted MIDAS, the investment agency for Greater Manchester, to ‘piggy-back’ on Manchester United’s pre season tour of the Far East to woo Chinese investors. “The pulling power of the Manchester United brand helped attract 50 Chinese companies to a reception at our embassy in Beijing,” observes MIDAS Chief Executive Neil Fountain. MIDAS is already working with the NWDA, Manchester City Council and Manchester Science Park on a Sino Ventures project offering space to Chinese high-tech companies to test the European market. “So far three small Chinese operations have been attracted to Sino Ventures in Manchester and hopefully as a result of this latest visit to China we will see another four of five companies starting there in the next six months,” says Fountain. In June MIDAS, which has revised its structure to represent all ten Greater Manchester local authorities, signed a three-year strategic partnership deal with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). It is hoped the closer collaboration will help attract or safeguard 3,500 jobs and achieve investment of over £50 million in the current year for the region. The Agency has strengthened its own investment team by appointing Jing Chen, formerly a senior inward officer with UKT&I in Shanghai. Although based in Warrington, Jing will spend a lot of time in China developing new investment projects for the region.
It is hoped the closer collaboration will help MIDAS attract or safeguard 3,500 jobs and achieve investment of over £50 million in the current year.
For further information: www.investinmanchester.com
Figures published by the DTI show that the NWDA and its partners created 11,208 new jobs in the region in 2004-05, created or attracted 1,094 new businesses, regenerated 357 hectares of brownfield land and created 26,198 learning opportunities... Northwest Vision is extending the Regional Attraction Fund (RAF) until April 2007 after the NWDA agreed to invest a further £1 million in the fund in a bid to attract more independent film and television makers to the region... Career civil servant Elaine Howard has been appointed Business Crime Reduction Advisor for the Northwest. She will work with partners including the NWDA, to share best practice and promote services and initiatives that help reduce the impact of crime on businesses... NWDA investment in Daresbury International Science and Technology Park (DISTP) will increase from £25.7 million to £50.3 million to exploit the park’s full potential to attract science-based ventures... Enterprise Plc is to expand its commercial operations by opening a new business support centre in Liverpool with funding help from the NWDA. The project will create 270 skilled jobs over the next three years...
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Reshaping business support
Brewing up waste solutions
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has recently completed a restructuring of its Enterprise & Innovation, Skills Policy and Business Skills Northwest activities, resulting in their amalgamation into a single Directorate - Enterprise, Innovation & Skills (EI&S).
A new three-year initiative has been launched to help Northwest businesses reduce the millions of tonnes of industrial and commercial waste being generated in the region every year.
The reorganisation - the biggest since the Agency was formed in 1999 - reflects the need for the NWDA to achieve greater strategic leadership, integrate its business and skills activities, improve ease of access to businesses and partner organisations, and improve efficiency and effectiveness of delivery. Existing projects and initiatives have been reallocated across the six core teams that make up the new structure. Four team leaders have been appointed and a further two are being recruited. Policy & Enterprise (headed by Tim Sheward) will integrate the overall EI&S Strategy for the Directorate providing a greater focus on the Enterprise agenda and a range of activities from start-ups to major firms. Science & Innovation (headed by George Baxter) will focus on the increasing national and regional priority for developing a knowledgebased economy. Skills (headed by Fran Hulbert) covers issues from pre-school to post graduate attainment, integrates regional and national policies and also responds to skills issues related to regeneration, social inclusion and opportunities for individuals. Business Relations brings together all the NWDA’s direct-to-business and cluster development activities into one unit. It also includes the Investment Services team, which can be accessed through a single contact point (01925 400495). Business Support - Product Development consolidates into one team all the Agency’s direct business support products such as GRAND, the Grant for Research and Development (formerly SMART), Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFI), venture capital and business with ICT exploitation support.
Business Support - Business Link Delivery (Headed by Mike Hill) manages the Business Link Service across the region and the NWDA’s relationships with key intermediary organisations such as Chambers of Commerce and Enterprise Agencies. In another move designed to increase efficiency and improved partnership working, Regional Director of UKTrade and Investment (UKTI) Vicki Treadell will operate as part of the EI&S Directorate’s management team, led by Executive Director Mark Hughes. He believes the reorganisation will deliver better value for money and help transparency and access for outside clients and partners. “The Agency is committed to effecting a transformational change in the region’s economy and the service and investment we provide to businesses is an essential part of delivering that vision,” he explains. Hughes, who was formerly with DTZ Pieda and Ernst Young, manages an annual budget of £120 million. The Agency is currently undertaking a review of Business Support and Business Link services in the region. Over the next five months the work will identify how the Business Link service can be strengthened and developed. Hughes says, “The review will also look at the wider Business Support environment where there are a variety of public sector funders - including the NWDA - who purchase or deliver services to businesses that potentially cut across or duplicate Business Link and each other. We believe there is an opportunity now to tackle this.” For further information: Mark Hughes Executive Director of Enterprise, Innovation & Skills 01925 400 100
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New game plan Mark Hughes leads a reshaped Enterprise, Innovation & Skills Directorate
The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programme is focusing on a number of ways of dealing with the problem. This includes the development of a communications strategy to ensure effective dialogue with regional businesses and the commissioning of a ‘wider waste’ action plan to evaluate current waste management strategies in the Northwest. Northwest companies produce 6.5 million tonnes of industrial waste and 3.1 million tonnes of commercial waste each year, although the total figure is nearer 28 million tonnes when construction/demolition and agricultural waste is taken into consideration. Landfill disposal accounts for just under half of the total Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste but with many sites filling up, the government is raising the standard rate of landfill tax by £3 per tonne each year to a long term maximum of £35 per tonne to stimulate reductions in business waste. BREW is a £284 million programme set up by Defra to recycle these additional landfill tax receipts back to business in a manner that will encourage and support resource efficiency. First year funding of £43 million has been allocated to a range of established programmes and organisations including the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which will receive £555,000 per year over three years to co-ordinate the BREW programme within the region. Regional Co-ordinatorVicky O’Kelly says the programme is about helping businesses to manage their resources more efficiently and to reduce waste at every stage of the business cycle. “Measures funded by the programme will assist business resource efficiency through a variety of means including advice and support, direct incentives, removing barriers, and support for the development and use of innovative technologies.” “The aim of regional co-ordination is to reduce the risk of duplication, communicate a clear message and clarify access to support programmes available to businesses.” The region is already a leading provider of waste minimisation solutions for business through programmes such as ENWORKS and organisations like Envirolink Northwest, which has engaged
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New solutions Recycling is easing landfill pressures Valuable collection Empty cans are melted down to form metal slabs
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23 Northwest companies in the Transformation of Waste to Product (TW2P) programme. One business, Innovia Films (formerly Surface Specialities UCB), has found that waste can be a sustainable and profitable opportunity rather than a landfill burden. Based in Wigton in Cumbria, the company makes cellulose films to package foods and confectionery, and until recently disposed of 1,800 tonnes of small off-cuts and waste to landfill. Now 80 tonnes a month - more than 50% of its better quality waste - is being compacted into 20 tonne container loads and shipped profitably to the American oil industry where it is used in controlling the porosity of borehole walls during oil well drilling. Funded by the NWDA, the TW2P project uses the combined expertise of the University of Manchester and three Northwest consultancies: Enviros Consulting for the chemical industry, ENTEC UK for paper and ADAS consulting for food. “We were seriously considering how to put the high quality portion of our wastes to productive use,” says Innovia’s Wayne Horsley. “Working with Enviros is helping us to focus on all possible outlets for what otherwise would be lost material.” For further information: www.brew-nw.co.uk Vicki O’Kelly 01925 400 100
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Food students serve up new dishes 1
Top of the class Paul Heathcote with award winner Diane Rogers
When food and nutrition student Diane Rogers heard on television that Eccles Cakes were losing out to muffins in consumer appeal she decided to give the famous product a flavoursome new twist.
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Instead of using traditional currants for the filling she opted for a tasty mix of apples, pears and Lancashire Cheese. It was winning combination earning the Wirral student the £250 first prize in the Northwest Food Innovator Awards. Seven finalists from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) showcased their culinary creations to regional food producers at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral after being asked to originate tasty new dishes using well-known regional foods. Andria Konnari, a student from Cyprus, took the second prize of £150 with her ‘cheesy vegetarian sausages’ and Julie Bell of Penrith scooped the third placed award of £75 for her ‘Cumberland sausage and apple bites’. Chef-entrepreneur Paul Heathcote, who presented the awards thought some of the dishes, like the highly commended ‘white chocolate rice pudding’, had commercial potential with others making great canapé dishes. “Competition can inspire and I hope this can be a starting point for a successful career in the food industry,” he told the students. Sponsored by the Northwest Fantastic Foods Partnership and organised by Jo Ives, Senior Lecturer in Food Studies at LJMU, the competition was used to give students hands-on experience of developing new products by utilising Northwest speciality ingredients, highlighting the fantastic foods the region has to offer.
Food producers, judges and guests joined Lancashire’s Michelin-starred chef in sampling a mouth-watering menu of new dishes that included a Lancashire cheese pastie, Cumberland sausage wrapped in basil and Cumbrian air dried ham, and a Morecambe Bay shrimp dip cocktail with chilli. “Twenty years ago the Northwest was a food desert but all that has changed. The region is now leading the way in getting farmers, food producers and restaurants to work together,” said Paul Heathcote. Jo Ives used the event to urge local food producers, large and small, to use the expertise available in LJMU to improve aspects of their business. “A lot of people think our role is just focused on turning out graduates but we have a range of facilities and activities to help local business and community groups.” Her department is currently working with a bakery on developing new products and is also looking at extending the shelf life of cooked meats. LJMU also delivers food industry training and over 2,000 people have gone through its courses over the past few years. The Northwest Fantastic Food Partnership was established with support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency to help local food businesses become more sustainable and competitive. For further information: www.nwfantasticfoods.co.uk
“Twenty years ago the Northwest was a food desert but all that has changed. The region is now leading the way in getting farmers, food producers and restaurants to work together.” Paul Heathcote
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Tourist trap Carlisle wants to be a quality visitor destination
“What we are about is making that investment deliver economic growth more effectively”
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Chris Collier Former Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board
Fast forward for Cumbria economy A new era of opportunity is opening up in Cumbria as more flagship projects get underway and regeneration agencies prepare to pool their ideas and resources in a concerted drive for economic parity with the rest of the region. Aspirations for Cumbria Vision, the private sector led delivery body for economic development in Cumbria, include a national nuclear training academy, and an Innovation Park and marina village on Barrow waterfront. Carlisle has also set its sights on a bold renaissance of the city’s central area following the disastrous floods in January, which affected 2,000 properties and caused damage estimated at £250 million. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, on his recent visit to Carlisle, stated that the city can emerge from the disaster stronger than ever. Launching Carlisle Renaissance, a bold new regeneration vision for Carlisle, Mr Prescott praised the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA), other agencies, and the Carlisle community itself, for their “quick and decisive” response to get the city back on its feet following the devastation. This view was reinforced by Government Office for the North West, in their annual report on RDA performance, which gave positive feedback concerning the agencies response to crisis including the Carlisle flood. Strategic objectives outlined in a new prospectus published in August by Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council include expanding the city centre towards the west and south, making Carlisle a quality visitor destination and forging a link between the ‘Learning City’ agenda and business creation.
Higher Education is a cornerstone of the new vision with the city council revealing that it is putting “significant resources” behind a proposal for a new University of Cumbria which would have a strong presence in the city. Chris Collier, Chief Executive of Cumbria Vision, says: “One of the issues in Cumbria is the sheer number of organisations delivering regeneration and economic development. “The task ahead is to get better co-ordination of the various programmes and also to identify things that will be transformational. We need to identify the big projects that will make a difference and decide how to bring them to reality.” Covering the whole of the sub-region, the new regeneration company will be formally established on April 1, 2006, and will integrate the work of Rural Regeneration Cumbria, West Lakes Renaissance and the NWDA’s Cumbria team. It will work alongside the Cumbria Strategic Partnership, which has a wider remit than economic development. The NWDA will continue to invest substantial resources into Cumbria Vision. “What we are about is making that investment deliver economic growth more effectively,” stresses Collier, former Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board. She and her board are working on a business plan for 2006-07 that will go out for consultation in October. The reorganisation comes at a time of increasing challenge and change in Cumbria on a number of fronts from nuclear decommissioning and the e-economy to agriculture and tourism. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Draft Strategy, launched last month, captures the key issues involved in the decommissioning process and sets out the proposed approach to tackling them. How the NDA will adopt an open and transparent approach to its work and in particular how it will engage with stakeholders remains a fundamental part of the strategy. Stewart Swift, Area Manager of the NWDA’s Cumbria Office, thinks the NDA, which has its Headquarters in West Cumbria, presents the county with unrivalled business opportunities. “There is no reason why the expertise we develop in the county cannot be transferred across Europe and the rest of the world. If we do become the world’s experts on nuclear decommissioning the region, not just Cumbria, will benefit.” Reports suggest that of the £56 billion cost of dismantling 20 civilian nuclear sites in the UK £31.5 billion will be invested in removing installations in Cumbria. Swift also thinks the county could be a major beneficiary if the government decides to embark on a new nuclear power generation programme. Prospects for a turnaround in Cumbria’s economy have brightened in past months as momentum builds on other key regeneration projects. Located on the A74 and one of 26 Regional Strategic Sites, the Kingmoor Park development has so far delivered over 970,000 sq ft (90,000 sq m) of industrial/office space, which has been occupied by 150 companies employing 1,400 people. Construction of a new bypass (the Northern Development Route) is now at the tender stage and when completed will create major new development and diversification opportunities. An effective communications infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for business and the NWDA is keen to ensure that Cumbria is able to benefit fully from the digital revolution. Working with Your Communications, the NWDA has invested £20 million in a resilient ring network enabling broadband services to be delivered to 95% of businesses and individuals in Cumbria and North Lancashire. For further information: Chris Collier Chief Executive of Cumbria Vision 01768 867 294
Doug Garrett, who has played a key role in the transformation of Belfast’s Laganside area, has been appointed as Chief Executive of ReBlackpool, the Urban Regeneration Company which will deliver the resort’s £1.4 billion regeneration Masterplan... Hope Street, the road linking Liverpool’s two cathedrals and the hub of the city’s creative community, is undergoing a £2.9 million facelift. The work, which is supported by the NWDA, the city council and English Partnerships, will be completed in Spring 2006... Ambitious plans to transform Kings Waterfront, Liverpool, into a world-class visitor destination with arena, conference and exhibition facilities cleared the final hurdle when Brussels confirmed that the European Union will invest £46 million of Objective 1 funding in the scheme... After considering the findings of a joint study into the economic potential of casino development in the region, the NWDA Board has decided to support Blackpool as the preferred candidate for the single regional casino pilot scheduled to be announced by the government in 2006... Millom in Cumbria is to receive funding of £1 million from NWDA to kickstart regeneration. The investment is aimed at developing new businesses in the town centre, creating 40 jobs, and providing a Network Centre to deliver skills training...
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Crewe on track for more prosperous future
New enterprises boost farm income
Famed as the home of luxury car-maker Bentley and strategically located on Britain’s rail network, Crewe will soon have more to sing about when regeneration projects currently underway or in the pipeline begin to bear fruit.
Over one third of farmers in the Northwest have now diversified their business base and in 2003-04 they reaped £10 million from new commercial ventures, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Projected investment from town centre developments, the opening up of new business parks and Manchester Metropolitan University’s expansion of its Cheshire campus is expected to create thousands of new jobs over the next decade or so. Chris Koral, Cheshire Area Manager for the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), stresses the importance of the Basford employment site - one of the region’s 26 strategic sites - in unlocking Crewe’s full economic potential. “Basford could be a really significant gateway to the region. It’s highly visible from the West Coast Main Line services and hopefully, over the next six or seven years, could provide a much better image of the region for inbound travellers.” Basford West is linked to major sidings where Channel Tunnel freight trains are assembled and is earmarked for distribution type businesses. Basford East is zoned for manufacturing, offices and distribution. “We have critical developer interest and commitment for both parts of Basford with a potential to create up to15,000 jobs over 20 years”, says Tim Harrison, Economic Development Manager for Cheshire County Council. Crewe’s industrial base has undergone major restructuring in recent times with only 2,000 now employed in its rail workshops compared with 22,000 thirty years ago. The town’s transformation owes much to the success of the almost fully developed Crewe Business Park, home to such names as Focus DIY, Fujitsu, Barclays and Defra. A new road has recently opened up a further eight hectares, which is currently being sold to a developer. Several other pieces of the regeneration jigsaw are falling into place, notably the completion of a masterplan for the South East Quadrant (the area between the town centre and J16 of the M6),
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the Modus Developments-led scheme, which includes new shopping, public spaces and a bus interchange, and the £35 million redevelopment of Crewe Station. “A start is expected on the station project in 2007 once funding negotiations have been completed,” says Harrison. The scheme includes a new traffic interchange. Capital cost of regeneration projects over the next few years is estimated at £600 million. One of the biggest is Manchester Metropolitan University’s £80 million enlargement of its Crewe campus on Crewe Green Road to facilitate the transfer of students from the nearby Alsager site. When completed in 2012 the Cheshire campus will provide over 300 degree courses for 6,000 students in a wide variety of subjects from teacher training and management studies to contemporary art and sports science. The NWDA is investing £3 million in an economic renewal project, ‘Driving Crewe Forward’ which targets four deprived wards in the west of the town. It has also invested £1 million in the AXIS training and education project and £230,000 in road improvements outside the Bentley factory. “Crewe has all the ingredients to become a more prosperous town and gateway. The challenge for everyone is to unlock that potential”, adds Chris Koral. For further information: www.crewe-nantwich.gov.uk Chris Koral Cheshire Area Manager 01925 644 220
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Home of craftsmanship The Bentley factory Japanese investment Crewe Business Park has attracted big names
Land that once grazed cattle or grew crops is now home to the likes of a sculpture park, a national eventing course, and a bird sanctuary whilst buildings that once housed livestock now provide holiday accommodation and commercial office space. Families whose livelihood depended totally on farming are exercising new skills in both developing alternatives to their traditional income and promoting and marketing their new initiatives. But although tourist-related diversification is an attractive option to many farmers - a recent study reveals that nearly half of all Northwest farmers are already operating a farm tourism venture - farming and tourism form only part of the wider rural economy. Steve Heaton, Head of Rural Affairs for the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which is investing £100 million in the rural economy between 2003-08, says: “We see ourselves as playing a major catalytic role in trying to broaden the rural economy. “Farming and tourism are both very important, but we want to encourage farmers to embrace the full potential breadth of that economy. That includes, for example, creating workspace which is beneficial both to the farmer and to businesses who want to operate in rural areas.” The NWDA’s support for Project ACCESS, bringing a Broadband service to 95% of Cumbria, has also enabled some companies, particularly in the creative industries, to compete globally from rural Headquarters in the Northwest. Farming partners Steve and Charlotte Proudlove and Doug and Sue Sheard began to consider a range of diversification ideas at the mixed dairy and arable Somerford Farm at Congleton, Cheshire, in the late 1990s. They decided on the conversion of a group of traditional barns to high-quality office space, with a grant from the NWDA, to create Somerford Business Court which attracted its first tenant in March 2002. “Although we were given help and advice, there was little formal research into the demand for office space in rural areas,” says Charlotte. “So in the end we went with our gut feeling that it was the right thing to do.” Originally they created six offices for the first tenants who included call centres, financial and IT companies. But subsequently the owners have divided the space into ten units to meet the demands of new companies who require smaller offices. “It is important to be flexible, both on space and lease arrangements,” says Charlotte. “It is also important to accept you may have to change some aspects of your farming to make sure it does not conflict with your new source of income - it’s no good having smelly silage next to the offices!” Charlotte says she and her partners have completed most of the letting arrangements themselves and urges farmers to have confidence in their ability to sell their new venture themselves. That role appears to come easier to young farmers who are playing a leading part in diversifying and developing tourism products, according to the recent North West Farm Tourism study. In a survey of 600 farmers, it estimates the average turnover from farm tourism activity for individual operators in the region was almost £60,000, generating a higher profit margin than their traditional agricultural revenue streams. For further information: www.nwda.co.uk/rural Steve Heaton, Head of Rural Affairs 01925 400 100
The NWDA will invest
£100 million in the rural economy between 2003-2008
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Salford embarks
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on ‘city beautiful’ plan City of Liverpool Design Champion Beatrice Fraenkel has been appointed Chair of RENEW, the Northwest’s Centre of Regeneration Excellence. She is Chairman of South Liverpool Primary Trust and an NHS Design Champion...
The Secret Garden is a new and surprising soubriquet for industrial Salford, aimed at raising the profile of a city determined to emerge from the shadow of its metropolitan neighbour to become “the most beautiful part of Greater Manchester.” It is a phrase coined by Felicity Goodey, Chair of Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company (URC), who says Salford is “a city waiting to be discovered.” Launching the Draft Vision and Regeneration Framework for Central Salford, Goodey says: “ ‘Beauty’ is a word not often used by experts in regeneration but our team use it all the time. This Vision is built on the natural beauty of people and places in Salford, assets, which for too long have been hidden, overgrown and neglected. But there are signs of re-growth pushing up everywhere.” Published by the URC and its core partners - the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), English Partnerships and Salford City Council - the Vision is “an ambitious approach to the city’s regeneration”. The Framework was developed by an international consortium comprising Joe Berridge of Urban Strategies, Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, regeneration expert Professor Stuart Gulliver and Locum Consulting. Joe Berridge says: “Salford has hidden itself from the world. And above all we want to make it an enjoyable place, like the best parts of the best cities. This is not an impossible dream - the proximity to booming central Manchester, the right array of heritage buildings, the extraordinary river - these are a great mix for a great city.” Massimiliano Fuksas, working on his first UK project, says: “I thought our mission was a tough one at first but having seen what Salford already has to offer, I can guarantee it is possible to change in a clever, intelligent and very different way. By 2025 Salford will have undergone a magnificent metamorphosis.” The consortium worked alongside local communities and stakeholders on a long-term plan to transform the city into one characterised by “dramatic waterside vistas, high quality green public spaces, pedestrian-friendly streets, rejuvenated heritage buildings and modern architectural gems.” The Vision is the subject of a three-month consultation exercise involving business and community events and a major public drop-in session in early September. Feedback will help to shape the final Framework to be published this Autumn.
Using the analogy of a beautiful garden, the Regeneration Framework acknowledges that the city’s transformation requires a suitable climate, both economic and social, an improvement of the physical landscape and the planting of seeds - specific projects and initiatives that will develop into distinctive features of the future. “Some of these initial seeds must be planted through public investment to create structure and momentum,” says the Vision document. “The success of these first seeds will feed later growth to be undertaken by the private sector.” Emphasising the city’s existing natural attributes, Goodey says: “I have an etching dating from 1820 of The Meadows and St Philip’s Church and it is still a good likeness of what is there today - you just can’t see it. This once beautiful riverfront is overgrown and hidden by a six-lane highway.” “The plan is to make Salford not just a nice place, but an exceptionally beautiful one and therefore an attractive leisure destination.” Five ‘transformation areas’ have been identified where investment in the short to medium term will stimulate long-term regeneration. The first priority will focus on the Chapel Street area - the strand linking the river, the regional centre, the historic centre and Salford University to its surrounding neighbourhoods - transforming it into the city’s Creative Quarter. But there is also a need to attract inward investment, emphasising Salford’s location as a western gateway to the regional centre, at the heart of the Northwest’s motorway, train and air travel networks. Financial and professional services, specialist manufacturers and knowledge-based industries will be specifically targeted. NWDA Chief Executive Steven Broomhead says: “The planned programme of renewal will guide the transformation of the area, creating jobs, improving transport and infrastructure and promoting Salford as a prime investment location.” For further information: www.salford.gov.uk
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Work is underway on cladding the 400ft high CIS building in Manchester with 7,000 solar panels. The ambitious £5.5 million project, the largest in the UK, is supported by an £885,000 investment from the NWDA and will be completed by December...
Green oasis Salford plans to make better use of the river Bright future A new vision for Chapel Street River magic New ideas can change the waterside environment
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Salford’s Vital Statistics Central Salford covers over 2,100 hectares and is home to 72,000 people 60% of Salford is green space with nature reserves, mossland and hundreds of acres of parks Salford has 30 miles of rivers and canals, six waterways and 14 waterway bridges
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Salford Quays is home to the world-class Arts Centre of theatres and galleries, including the permanent home to the paintings of L.S.Lowry, and the Imperial War Museum North The city is the birthplace of actors Albert Finney, Robert Powell and Ben Kingsley, film director Mike Leigh and artist Harold Riley Salford is host to the UK’s 1st Triathlon World Cup Salford is home to the Northwest’s first five-star hotel
Staircase House, a 550-year old dwelling in the heart of Stockport’s £500 million town centre regeneration scheme, has been opened to the public after a 10-year restoration programme to repair serious fire damage. The £3.8 million project has been part-funded by the NWDA... Fleetwood Marsh has been opened to the public as a nature park after Lancashire County Council reclaimed a derelict power station site on the Wyre Estuary with support of nearly £1 million from the NWDA... The NWDA is providing £1.3 million to help transform derelict land at the heart of Knowsley Industrial Estate into a prestigious business park. The development of the 28-acre site, based in a Strategic Investment Area, is expected to create 300 jobs...
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Best practice Kendal cabinetmakers Peter Hall & Son benefited from the LEAD programme
Youth Enterprise academy launched
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“When you are the boss, you are often alone with problems that you cannot take to anyone else. I liked the idea of learning from the experiences of similar people in different businesses.”
New leadership centre opens Jeremy Hall is a leadership convert. And as such he will shortly be leaving his own small specialist furniture company to take charge of a different business venture for one week. The business exchange is the climax of the innovative Leadership and Development programme for owner managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), an important focus of the new Lancaster Leadership Centre (LLC). Its aim is to allow ‘graduates’ of the programme to leave their own company for a week, building on the premise that SME owners should feel able to stand back from the day-to-day running of their businesses to take a more strategic view. Based in Lancaster University’s Management School, the LLC was officially opened in May by Sir Digby Jones, Director General of the CBI. Housed in a £10 million building, and co-funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the University, it already boasts the largest and highest ranked community of leadership scholars in Europe. But when Jeremy Hall, owner of cabinetmakers and furniture restorers Peter Hall & Son, based near Kendal in Cumbria, was first approached to join the Leadership and Development (LEAD) programme, his reaction was that he did not have the time. “But as soon as I found out more, I realised it was really appropriate,” he says. “When you are the boss, you are often alone with problems that you cannot take to anyone else. I liked the idea of learning from the experiences of similar people in different businesses.” Using a mix of masterclasses, coaching, mentoring and team building, LEAD aims to provide over 1,500 SMEs over the next 10 years with practical advice on how to grow and develop their businesses. The programme will also focus on the business needs of women, ethnic minorities and rural communities.
“I considered growth in terms of people’s development rather than numbers,” says Jeremy, who nevertheless has increased his workforce from 18 to 20 since starting the programme last December. “But I accept that profit growth means the business is more sustainable and much stronger.” The ten-month programme, aimed at the “micro SME” sector companies employing between 4 and 20 people - is free though participants are liable to be charged the actual cost of £15,000 per person if they drop out. Sue Peters, Director of the LEAD programme, says: “Until this programme was established, there was no such provision for these companies, which all have the potential to grow. Our ultimate aim is to create more job opportunities and therefore help the whole region’s economy.” She advises owners that the course demands two days per month, including attendance at masterclasses given by “inspirational” speakers such as mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington and Chris Moon who survived imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge. “What we are finding is that most people love to come here to the Centre, to use the facilities and network with colleagues,” says Sue Peters. NWDA Chief Executive, Steven Broomhead says: “The Agency is firmly committed to developing and promoting effective management and leadership skills, which are essential elements of a successful economy.” For further information: www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/leadership
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Royal occasion The Academy was officially opened by the Duke of Kent Catch them young The Duke meets enterprise-minded pupils from Simonswood Primary School, Knowsley
James Kildare already has both feet firmly on the enterprise ladder. At 22 he runs his own computer company within business centre premises in Knowsley and has become a first-time buyer in the property market. It’s not surprising that James, who became self-employed at 19 without any qualifications, was named ‘Best Young Business Person’ in the borough by Knowsley Economic Forum last year. A catalyst in his success is the UK’s first purpose-built Youth Enterprise Academy in Knowsley, a £1.2 million project funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Merseyside Objective One. It is now set to be a model for other regions. Located on Knowsley Industrial Park, the Academy provides 12 incubation units - 11,500 sq ft of space - within the North Mersey Business Centre, a mini-to-corporate enterprise park operated by Knowsley Development Trust. The Academy is not just a property provider offering discounted rent to would-be entrepreneurs, stresses Chief Executive Steve Dumbell, who recently received the new Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion for his work in Knowsley. “We are working with the Prince’s Trust and other business support agencies to help enterprise-minded young people with a wide range of business and mentoring support.” James, whose company ‘TekTrick Computers’ supplies and maintains computers for a range of professional and business clients, was the first person to move into the Academy. He is now passing on the early lessons he learnt on self-employment. Two weeks after enrolling at Knowsley Community College he switched from being a student to a college-employed IT technician to young people visiting the Academy. “I tell them about the hard work involved in starting up on your own and the valuable help I have received from the Academy,” says James, who has recently won a contract to supply computer systems to a leading Liverpool law firm. He has also managed to buy his own house in Kirkby. The Academy was established following research into the low business start up rates for young people in Knowsley where a third of the borough’s unemployed are under 25. Steve Dumbell explains: “These young people have been brought up in a branch plant culture and although that type of economy died out some years ago it has left a legacy of unemployment and under achievement.” He is adopting a two-tier approach: working with Knowsley’s 60 secondary and primary schools to integrate enterprise into the curriculum and providing a facility for enterprise incubation in the Academy. Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive, says: “Enterprise and entrepreneurship are essential elements of a successful economy and we recognise the importance of driving them forward throughout the region, at all levels, particularly among our young people.” James was recently joined in the Academy by Lindsey Shelley, whose company Shelley Fabrics specialises in soft furnishings, and other young entrepreneurs have expressed interest. “We are setting out our stall to create a sustainable future for these young people,” asserts Steve Dumbell. For further information: www.knowsleyacademy.org
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Budget airlines
drive airport growth The increasing popularity of cheap, ‘no-frills’ air travel is fuelling the rapid growth of Liverpool John Lennon Airport. New figures suggest the airport will handle a record 4 million passengers this year, strengthening its position as a major international gateway to the North of England. Twenty-three new routes into Europe have been added in the past year as the three main low cost carriers, easyjet, Ryanair and flyBe, expand their networks. In response to business pressure the airport is also working to establish the first-ever air links with the US. Accommodating future growth - Government planners suggest the airport could grow to handle 12 million passengers by 2030 - is becoming an important issue for airport owners Peel Holdings, who acquired the airport in 1997. “We are currently considering the next phase of our expansion and are hoping to engage in consultation with the city and the region about further development of the existing terminal, apron and infrastructure,” explained the airport’s Managing Director Neil Pakey. Peel has invested £100 million in developing Liverpool and has totally repositioned the brand moving it from a “tin shed” facility in the 1990s with an annual throughput of less than half a million passengers to a strong regional airport with global aspirations. Passenger growth has soared from 1.9 million in 2000 to 3.3 million in 2004 on the back of Liverpool’s popularity with low-cost airlines, making it the fastest growing UK airport, according to figures from the Civil Aviation Authority. Airlines are also experiencing 80% load factors.
Ryanair’s decision to base four Boeing 737-800 aircraft at John Lennon Airport has allowed it to introduce 11 new European routes during 2005. Europe’s third largest low cost carrier, flyBe, has also announced it would make Liverpool its northern base. Ten airlines currently fly from Liverpool to 43 destinations including major European cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Milan and Warsaw. There are also five services a day to London City Airport. “We have found that the market has closely followed capacity allowing a small regional airport to become a major international gateway,” says Pakey. The surge in growth is having a strong impact on the Merseyside economy. Nearly 1,500 jobs have been created since 2000, including 240 by the airport company itself. Ryanair’s investment could add hundreds more jobs to the workforce and an estimated £12 million in economic benefits. Neil Pakey refutes any suggestion that Liverpool’s success could have a dampening effect on Manchester’s growth, claiming that whenever Liverpool has competed on a similar route Manchester has benefited through market stimulation. “Services to Berlin from Manchester were attracting only about 20,000 passengers during 2002-04 but when easyjet began services from John Lennon Airport it helped boost numbers out of Manchester to 40,000. “A similar thing happened on the Barcelona route. easyjet has taken the whole market to 400,000 with Manchester growing from 50,000 to an annual throughput of 150,000. Every single route we have introduced has increased demand from Manchester and the real winner is the customer.” There is now a groundswell of opinion among business and civic leaders for direct air links with New York, according to Mark Basnett, Director of Investment forThe Mersey Partnership. “Over 10 million people sailed from Liverpool in the 19th century to make a new life in America and there were passenger line services in being until 1970. We now have an impressive regional airport and it seems the right time to re-establish those links. “Liverpool is one of the top four UK city brands in America yet it simply doesn’t feature on the radar of airline connections. They are simply routed via Heathrow or Gatwick or if they fly into Manchester there are simply not the public transport links to Liverpool.” Improving surface transport links to facilitate further expansion of Liverpool John Lennon should be a top regional priority, says Pakey, who has thrown his weight behind the second Mersey Crossing project. “This is where the Northern Way initiative to grow the North of England economy could be helpful.” For further information: www.liverpoolairport.co.uk
Below us only sea Liverpool’s famous Yellow Submarine structure has a new home for the next few years at the city’s John Lennon Airport (‘above us only sky’) after the City Council agreed to loan the 51-ft structure to the airport while developers forge ahead with the massive Paradise Street retail scheme. Built by apprentices from the Cammell Laird Shipyard in Birkenhead for the International Garden Festival in 1984, the 25 tonne ‘vessel’ was sprayed with champagne in true nautical fashion at a ‘launch’ opening on the public walk way outside the passenger terminal. The Yellow Submarine - the famous song was recorded by the Beatles 40 years ago - is the second major artwork linked to the Beatles to be located at the airport. A statue of John Lennon located inside the terminal was unveiled to the public in 2002 by Cherie Blair and Yoko Ono.
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takes the high ground Six 21st century landmark Panopticons - literally “all-seeing structures” - are heading for the hills of East Lancashire. The designs, chosen through an international architectural competition, will be visible on highpoints of the region’s landscape, standing as symbols of its regeneration. First off the architect’s drawing board is Colourfields, due to be completed in September, on the Cannon Battery in Blackburn’s Corporation Park, which during the late 19th century became the town’s most popular promenade. Designed by Jo Rippon Architecture of London, in collaboration with artist Sophie Smallhorn, Colourfields aims to reveal the beauty of the Battery itself, making it “a work of art and not just the base for another folly.” Jo, whose design involves the surface of the battery being inlaid with flashes of intensely coloured resin terrazzo strata, says: “The park is full of grey concrete surfaces and I wanted to create a design which glowed no matter what the light, which is visible whatever the weather. It also responds to shades which people might see in the distance such as those of heather or moss.”
The bold £600,000 Panopticons initiative is part of the wider East Lancashire Regional Park development, led by Lancashire Economic Partnership (LEP), which covers the districts of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale. Funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the East Lancashire Regional Park Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) Programme, Panopticons is a project of the East Lancashire Environmental Arts Network (ELEAN), and aims to demonstrate the positive role of the arts and cultural activity in the social, economic and physical regeneration of East Lancashire. Carole Lythall, NWDA’s Regeneration Manager for Lancashire and the Panopticons project champion, says: “This project will provide six striking and unique additions to the East Lancashire landscape. “Such public art, incorporating high quality design in stunning settings is a very important factor in showcasing the area as a great place for business to invest in and for people to live, work and visit.” Burnley’s Panopticon design, The Singing Ringing Tree by architects Tonkin Liu Ltd, has already picked up an international award and received recognition by an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The tree-like form, built from pipes which will create sounds as the wind passes over and through them, was commended in an international design competition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects. And the design by Anna Liu was included in a V&A exhibition - AJ Corus 40 Under 40 - highlighting the top 40 architectural trendsetters in the UK, under the age of 40. “This is further proof that Burnley is going to get a piece of public art which is genuinely exciting and has now received further national recognition,” says Marcus Johnstone, Lancashire county councillor for Padiham and Burnley West. The design, which is awaiting planning permission, is due to be built on a site in the Crown Point area of Burnley in 2006.
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Out of this world An impression of the Halo structure New attraction The Atom at Wycoller resembles a bronze egg Setting the pace The Singing Ring Tree has won a Design award
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Also to be built next year is The Halo, by landscape architect John Kennedy, which is destined for a site at Top o’ Slate, near Haslingden, an area that has attracted funding for enhancements including seating and picnic areas, new paths and stiles and the planting of trees and flower beds. Already nicknamed “the flying saucer”, the project has been the catalyst for bringing forward a larger related derelict land reclamation initiative for the location, for which REMADE, Lancashire’s land reclamation project will be one of the sources of funding. The Atom by Bristol-based architect Peter Meacock - from the outside a bronze egg in the style of Hepworth or Henry Moore and from the inside a “medium-sized room” structure with viewing spaces - will be placed in Wycoller Country Park, Pendle. It has been designed to be significant in the landscape yet sympathetic to it. The final two designs and specific locations - by architect Peter Beard for a site near Accrington and artist Nayan Kulkarni for the Ribble Valley Panopticon - are still under discussion, with ongoing consultation with the local communities. Nick Hunt, Director of Mid Pennine Arts, on behalf of the ELEAN partners, says: “Completing Colourfields will put a first Panopticon on the map, and will be a huge milestone for the project. With the other five designs in progress, we have a very exciting year ahead.” Cany Ash, Senior Partner in London-based Ash Sakula Architects and architectural adviser to the Pantopticons project, says the regeneration effects of ‘striking interventions like this’ are well-documented. “One thinks of The Angel of the North and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park as exemplars,” she says. “The Panopticons will help to increase inward investment, local pride and tourism by reminding the public that East Lancashire not only has a past, but is confidently looking to the future.” For further information: www.panopticons.uk.net
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“This project will provide six striking and unique additions to the East Lancashire landscape.” Carole Lythall, NWDA’s Regeneration Manager for Lancashire and the Panopticons project champion
Photography by Roger Clegg
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Inspired setting for study centre Cumbria has added a new contemporary icon to its unique cultural heritage with the opening of the Jerwood Centre, a sensitively designed £3.1 million building dedicated to the study of Wordsworth and British Romanticism. 1
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Lakeland elegance The Jerwood Centre has been beautifully crafted in local materials Fount of knowledge Interior of the new study centre
Dr Robert Woof, Director of the Wordsworth Trust, likens it to a “very well tailored” new suit of clothes. “I’m almost embarrassed at how smart it is,” he adds. The Centre, which was built using traditional Lakeland slate and materials, was designed to fit into a difficult site next to the Trust’s Grade ll-listed Wordsworth Museum and a stone’s throw from the poet’s home at Dove Cottage in Grasmere. It has already been nominated for the long list of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) annual Stirling Prize, to be announced next month (Oct 15). The judges described the building as “beautifully crafted” and praised its “simple yet elegant design.” But its journey from conception to completion has not always been easy as the Lake District National Park Authority at first refused permission because the building was within an historic conservation area. It was in 1992 that architects Benson & Forsyth of Edinburgh were asked to design a 21st century building using traditional Lakeland materials, a concept taken forward by Napper Architects of Newcastle-on-Tyne. RIBA judges paid tribute to the architects and the Wordsworth Trust for “persevering through a difficult planning process to achieve a sensitive contemporary solution where it would have been easier to resort to pastiche.” Dr Woof says: “I think it’s wonderful that the National Park now has a building of its time where form and function meet. And we look on it as a beginning for our future work.” And poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney who opened the centre said: “Like Dove Cottage itself, the Jerwood Centre is earthed in the Wordsworthian ground and will stay earthed in it. Also like Dove Cottage, in the days when Wordsworth lived in it and ever since the time when the Trust acquired it, the Centre is destined to be
a work-house and a word-hoard, a power point and a meeting place, a treasury and a library.” The Centre consists of a three-storey building linked by a glass bridge to a separate drumshaped two-storey Rotunda, designed for intimate readings, talks, lectures and small exhibitions. The main building provides a permanent climatecontrolled home for the Trust’s collection of 35,000 manuscripts, 12,000 books, 11,500 pieces of fine art and 700 documents of social history.
“If you want to study Shakespeare you have to go to the Folger Library in America,” says Dr Woof. “But to study Wordsworth and the Romantics you now come to Grasmere, right in the centre of the landscape that provided their inspiration.” The Centre was built with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the Jerwood Foundation and the European Regional Development Fund. NWDA Chairman Bryan Gray says: “We are pleased to have assisted the development of this building, which adds yet another cultural jewel to the many already in the Lake District.” For further information: www.wordsworth.org.uk
What the Romans gave us Built by the Romans in AD 122 to mark the limits of the Roman Empire, Hadrian’s Wall is now set to play a leading role in drawing more visitors to the Northwest, with a new vision that will deliver a step change in the contribution it makes to the regional economy. 1
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Frontier heritage Hadrian’s Wall stretches 73 miles from Newcastle to Ravenglass
Stretching for 73 miles from Newcastle, across a sparsely populated rural hinterland to Carlisle, and down the coast as far as Ravenglass, the historic attraction has seen visitor numbers decline steadily to just 65% of the total recorded in the Wall’s heyday in the mid-1970s. But over the next eight years £50 million is to be invested into the ‘Greatest Roman Frontier’, transforming the Wall into a mustsee attraction, with facilities befitting one of the Northwest’s two World Heritage Sites. And while Phil Reddy, Tourism Strategy Manager at the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), concedes the Wall lacks some of the drama of international heritage sites such as Petra or the pyramids, he maintains “it is capable of doing far more in terms of generating social and economic benefits for the communities which it passes through.” In 2003 the NWDA joined forces with neighbouring regional development agency (RDA) One NorthEast to produce a major study into the role the Wall could play in the wider regeneration of the North of England. “It’s a very good example of two RDAs working together on a cross–regional issue,” says Reddy, “and it’s indicative of how we
can work together on wider Northern Way issues too.” Among the study’s key finding was the need to establish a single body to take over ownership of the Wall, a move which Reddy believes will bring a new strategic vision and end the fragmented way in which the story of the Wall is presented to the public. The new organisation is set to take over in April 2006, and although its structure is still to be finalised, plans for the Wall already include a new visitor centre, supporting ‘preview centres’ and new approach to interpretation reflecting the latest research into the Wall’s history. Other plans being considered include more events and festivals also linked to the Wall, and an artificial reconstruction of one section that would give visitors a better idea of what life was really like policing Rome’s northern frontier. Reddy is also keen to encourage people to get out of their cars and use sustainable forms of transport. Extra bus tours will allow visitors to explore several sections of the Wall in one day, and greater use will be made of rail lines that run close to the Wall and down the Cumbrian coast. Funding will come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, ERDF, the two RDAs and various other sources. It is estimated that the work will create over 1,600 new jobs, while leading to a 34% increase in visitor numbers, and a 72% growth in visitor expenditure. “We’re not just looking at more visitors,” says Reddy, “but at persuading more visitors to stay in the area and to spend more money, so it’s about working with businesses to improve the quality and range of their offer, and harnessing a local asset to help change the economic situation in the area.” For further information: www.hadrians-wall.org
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Museum projects
Celebration city prepares for lift-off
showcase city culture Liverpool’s cultural renaissance has already begun. World Museum Liverpool - formerly Liverpool Museum, which has been one of the city’s attractions since 1853 - re-opened in April 2005 following a £35 million mixed-use development project to double its size. In the first 12 weeks it attracted more than 7,500 visitors. The launch marked the completion of Into the Future, a £45 million capital development programme across three venues, Liverpool Museum, the Walker Art Gallery and the Museum of Liverpool Life. And they may soon be joined by another museum close to the city’s historic Pier Head once plans for the proposed £65 million ultra modern building are finalised. The development will also incorporate enclosed public realm areas. Designed by Danish team 3XN, whose projects include the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
If Liverpool’s staging of its Champions League winners’ homecoming at 24 hours notice is anything to go by, the celebration of European Capital of Culture in 2008 is safe in the city’s hands. Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of the Liverpool Culture Company, says: “We were able to stage the city’s single biggest event in which 750,000 people came out to see the team with not one arrest, not one casualty. Not bad with 24 hours notice.” The Culture Company, which expects Liverpool 08 to attract an extra 1.5 million visitors, has already completed over 18 months of planning and the evidence is visible. This year (2005) was themed Sea Liverpool, adding the Honda Power Boat Grand Prix and the start of the 05-06 Clipper round-the-world yacht race to the series of annual maritime events, including the Mersey River Festival. The two-year artistic programme begins in 2007, which will include Liverpool’s 800th birthday celebrations. Alongside cultural events, the city will see the completion of the new Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre and Paradise Street regeneration scheme. Jason Harborow thinks 2008 is a “life-changing” opportunity for Liverpool. “It’s the launch pad to make the city a better place in which to live, work, learn, relax and to visit. A wealthier Liverpool is a healthier Liverpool and one of our key objectives is to ensure people access these benefits and take pride in their city.” It has been estimated that Capital of Culture will generate between two and three billion pounds worth of investment, create 14,000 jobs and boost tourism spend by £200 million.
Already major companies and agencies in the wider region have responded to Liverpool 08’s drive to attract 12 official partners by 2008. Sponsorship agreements have been signed with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), law firm Hill Dickinson, United Utilities, Radio City 96.7 and Enterprise PLC. Peter Mearns, Director of Marketing for the NWDA, which supported Liverpool’s bid and is now investing £2 million over the next four years in the delivery of the Capital of Culture programme, says: “This is the most significant event in the region over the next few years. Our primary purpose is to ensure that the benefits are felt throughout the whole region and for that reason 2009 is as important as 2008. The legacy of the year is vital.” Already, the NWDA has brought together the region’s tourist board chiefs with the Capital of Culture team to identify opportunities throughout the Northwest. It is also working to build confidence in Liverpool as a location for business investment. Discussions are also taking place about the possibility of using Liverpool 08 as a springboard for the cultural festival planned for the 2012 London Olympics. The timing, following the Beijing Olympics in the summer of 2008 - midway through Liverpool’s defining year - would be significant. “We want to raise the profile of how culture can change people’s lives,” says Harborow. For further information: www.liverpool08.com
News
“We were able to stage the city’s single biggest event in which 750,000 people came out to see the team with not one arrest, not one casualty. Not bad with 24 hours notice.” Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of the Liverpool Culture
and Museum and the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the new Museum of Liverpool will explore the story of a nation through the experiences of one city and its people. Although the exhibition areas will not be open in time for 2008, it is hoped the exterior may be completed to coincide with the Culture year. In July, the NWDA agreed funding of £32.7 million for the development of the museum, plus a further £7.5 million for an extension to the LeedsLiverpool Canal on the same Mann Island site, one of the most important on the waterfront. Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, says: “This site provides a gateway from the waterfront to the city centre. I am confident it will become a major world class visitor destination, contributing to the economic development and regeneration of not only Liverpool and Merseyside but the whole of the Northwest region.”
The Tour of Britain cycle race came speeding through the Northwest on August 31st, with 96 of the world's elite cyclists competing for the coveted leaders jersey. Starting in Carlisle and finishing on Blackpool's seafront, Day 2 of the Tour was won by Great Britain's very own Roger Hammond... Visitors are flocking to Crosby Beach, South Sefton, to see sculptor Antony Gormley’s newly installed artwork ‘Another Place’, a collection of 100 cast-iron life-size figures spread out along three kilometres of foreshore. The project will remain in place until November 2006... Simply Heathcotes (The Taste of England) and Manchester Pride (Tourism Experience of the Year) picked up the main awards in two new categories at the Manchester Tourism Awards ceremony 2005 at GMEX/MICC. All eight award winners will go forward to the Northwest Regional Awards later this year... The Central Plaza feature at the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show, sponsored by the NWDA, was designed to depict the region’s unique biodiversity and diverse natural habitats. The Central Plaza was opened by TV gardening presenter Chris Beardshaw. The garden won an award of merit from the RHS...
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Chorley resident David Maughan, Purchase Director of Bentley Motors, Crewe, and Lorraine Edwards, previously Director of eFunds International, who lives in Ormskirk, have been appointed as new members of the North West Industrial Development Board (NWIDB)... Construction work is expected to start in Spring 2006 on a £22 million bypass to remove heavy traffic from the villages of High and Low Newton, Cumbria. Extensive landscaping will take place to minimise visual intrusion into the Lake District National Park landscape... St. Helens’s refurbished Transport Museum and the rejuvenation of the Baytree Estate, Harpurhey in Manchester are among 14 new solar voltaic projects in the UK that will share government funding of £1.35 million... New league tables on regional domestic energy consumption reveal that affluent Macclesfield has the highest average gas consumption per household in the Northwest and Barrowin-Furness and Liverpool, which both have relatively low average earnings, have the lowest rates of consumption... Salford’s Langworthy terraces project has picked up a coveted prize in the annual Housing Design Awards. Urban Splash will begin work later this year transforming 400 terraced houses in Seedley and Langworthy into affordable modern apartment-style homes...
Whitehall despatches
Event highlights
Sept 16
Sept 16
NWDA Annual Conference Reviewing the past year’s achievements MICC, Manchester
Catalyst EU Cultural Conference Exploring the future of cultural entitlement Liverpool and Manchester
More resources for needy neighbourhoods
Sept 18
Oct 10
Oct 20
Oct 25
Additional Government funding of £340 million is being made available to Northwest local authorities and their partners over the next two years to combat crime and anti-social behaviour, improve educational attainment and deal with worklessness. The money will go to 30 of the region’s most deprived areas to improve quality of life for local residents through investment in cleaner, safer and greener public spaces. Allocations of £285 million from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) will be made to 21 Northwest local authorities during 2006-08 with Manchester and Liverpool each receiving over £60 million, Knowsley £21 million and Salford £18 million. A further £60 million from the Safer, Stronger Communities Fund will go to 24 of the region’s local authorities. The SSCF allocation is made up of two elements - money to tackle deprivation through small neighbourhood initiatives (£27 million) and resources to provide a cleaner, safer, greener environment (£33 million).
Start of World Clipper Race Maritime tour de force Liverpool
Northwest Tourism Awards Recognising tourism excellence throughout the region Hope University, Liverpool
National Football Museum Hall of Fame Awards Rewarding the UK’s footballing stars Lowry Hotel, Manchester
National Competitiveness Summit US ideas on boosting enterprise MICC, Manchester
Oct 29-30
Nov 01-03
Nov 09
Nov 10
Police recorded crime in the Northwest fell by 5% in the past year, according to the latest British Crime Survey. Burglary was down 21%, theft of and from a motor vehicle by 13% and drug offences by 4%. Violent crime, however, was up by 9%. The survey presents a mixed picture of crime and attitudes to crime in urban and rural areas. Greater Manchester accounted for 42% of crime in the region and recorded significantly higher than average rates of burglary and vehicle theft. Merseyside experienced lower than average rates of burglary and violent crime. People in Greater Manchester had significantly higher levels of worry about burglary and violent crime than the national average, in contrast to Cumbria where residents showed significantly lower levels of concern about burglary and car crime, a reflection in part of Cumbria’s lower than average rates of vehicle theft.
NW Food Lovers Festival Tasting the region’s top foods Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire
Small Business and Entrepreneurship National Conference Showcasing the latest advances in enterprise creation Blackpool
Manufacturing Summit Spreading the best practice message Reebok Stadium, Bolton
2005 NW Excellence Awards Accolades for business excellence St. Georges Hall, Liverpool
Nov 13-20
Nov 24
Dec 02
Dec 05
Region scoops most green flag awards
Kendal Mountain Film Festival Screening the exploits of international mountaineers Kendal
Business Enterprise Exchange Entrepreneurial event as part of Enterprise Week Manchester International Convention Centre
CBI NW Business Awards Business gongs for top achievers Midland Hotel, Manchester
BBC Northwest Sports Awards Saluting the region’s sporting heroes Midland Hotel, Manchester
Reduction in Northwest crime
Green Flag awards have gone to 100 parks in the Northwest, more than any other region. This year’s winners include Egremont Castle and grounds, Witton Country Park, Blackburn, Heaton Park in Prestwich, Botanic Gardens in Southport and Cheshire’s Tatton Park. Administered by the Civic Trust, the Green Flag scheme is the national benchmark of excellence for parks and green spaces. Sites must be welcoming, safe and well maintained with a strong community involvement. Five sites in the Northwest have also landed Green Pennant awards, which recognise and reward high quality green spaces that are managed by voluntary and community groups. The winners were Banktop Community Garden in Astley Bridge, the Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, Walton Lea Nursery in Higher Walton, the Wesham Jubilee Doorstep Green and the Millennium Commemorative Garden in Goosnargh.
Other key events September
October
November
Sept 20 Energy through the Looking Glass Conference Lancaster University
Oct 9 Pride of Cumbria Business Awards 2005 Carlisle Racecourse
Nov 10-11 New Landscapes International Conference Carlisle Racecourse
Sept 20-21 EU Broadcasting Conference Crowne Plaza, Liverpool
Oct 20 EU Science (CREST) Conference The Lowry, Manchester
For further information: www.nwda.co.uk/events
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Key Contacts: Steven Broomhead Chief Executive steven.broomhead@nwda.co.uk Bernice Law Executive Director, Operations - Deputy Chief Executive bernice.law@nwda.co.uk Helen France Executive Director, Development and Partnerships helen.france@nwda.co.uk
Feeding the enterprise culture Lorna Tyson MBE
from nothing, came to our IT courses at an inn in the Trough of Bowland because she said she would never have the nerve to step over the doorstep of a conventional college. More recently the Business Centre has become involved in encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in the rural community through the Rural Business Incubator, established with NWDA funding. And the Fantastic Foods Partnership, which aims to assist regional producers to develop their businesses and market their products, has had great successes. The first 3,000 copies of the first North West Food Lovers Guide sold out in four weeks and has been reprinted. And earlier this year 16 cheese producers from the Northwest exhibited at the International Food Exhibition in London, giving them opportunities for new trade and for export. In 2008, when Liverpool celebrates its European Capital of Culture status, we have a terrific opportunity to incorporate a programme of activities around the region’s food. Food is one way in which the region can promote itself regionally, nationally and internationally. The image of the Northwest is vital in attracting investment and tourism and I believe we don’t shout loud enough about what we have to offer. It’s important that the region has a clear identity and vision and the role of the NWDA in providing that is vital. Their branding of the region as englandsnorthwest is very clever and enables many organisations to use that tag line. There are many partners who contribute to the ‘big picture’ and we see the NWDA as the custodian of that ‘big picture.’
Mark Hughes Executive Director, Enterprise and Innovation mark.hughes@nwda.co.uk James Berresford Director of Tourism james.berresford@nwda.co.uk Fran Hulbert Director of Skills Policy fran.hulbert@nwda.co.uk Peter Mearns Director of Marketing peter.mearns@nwda.co.uk Peter White Director of Strategy peter.white@nwda.co.uk All of the above can be contacted on +44 (0)1925 400 100
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
In addition, there are five area offices for the implementation of local activities as follows:
Greater Manchester Giants Basin Potato Wharf Castlefield Manchester M3 4NB Tel: +44 (0)161 817 7400 Fax: +44 (0)161 831 7051
Cumbria Gillan Way Penrith 40 Business Park Penrith Cumbria CA11 9BP Tel: +44 (0)1768 867 294 Fax: +44 (0)1768 895 477
Merseyside Station House Mercury Court Tithebarn Street Liverpool L2 2QP Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 100 Fax: +44 (0)151 236 3731
Lancashire 13 Winckley Street Preston Lancashire PR1 2AA Tel: +44 (0)1772 206 000 Fax: +44 (0)1772 200 049
Cheshire and Warrington Brew House Wilderspool Park Greenalls Avenue Warrington WA4 6HL Tel: +44 (0)1925 644 220 Fax: +44 (0)1925 644 222 Visit: www.nwda.co.uk & www.englandsnorthwest.com
Designed by Creative Lynx Ltd www.creativelynx.co.uk CL/September 05/1943SN
Director of Business & Enterprise at Myerscough College, and Chair of the Northwest Fantastic Foods Partnership and the region’s Rural Training Partnership, both supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
As a farmer’s daughter, born and bred in Cheshire, and a farmer’s wife, it’s not surprising that I’m passionate about both agriculture and the Northwest. My father’s intention was always to provide a farming future for my two brothers, but his advice to me was ‘go and paddle your own canoe.’ So when I was 14 I attended a taster course at Reaseheath Agricultural College, which inspired me to make a career around agriculture and food. I was captivated. Today there are not enough young people considering careers in farming and food technology in particular, which is why I had the idea three years ago of producing learning resources matched into the national curriculum for primary school and secondary school pupils. So next term, Myerscough with the Wigan Education Business Partnership, is distributing a creative learning CD “From Friesian to Fridge” to inform and teach children in a fun way. It’s modelled on a real farm and enables them to pull cows into the parlour for milking, to look round a bottling plant, visit a supermarket and interview the farmer. But the rural economy of the region is about much more than farming. Over the past seven years at Myerscough, we have developed a Rural Business Centre, with training as our core activity, but also offering advice to all types of rural businesses. I’ve learned that those businesses require training to be delivered in a special kind of way. For farmers and other rural businesses timing is important courses have to be at the right time, in the right place and tutors have to use the right language and relate to the specific needs of the business. One woman who established a successful children’s fashion shop in Clitheroe, on her own,
Ian Haythornthwaite Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Resources ian.haythornthwaite@nwda.co.uk
The Northwest Regional Development Agency manages all operations from its Headquarters at:
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