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THE RDA MAGAZINE OCT 2007 ISSUE 13

DREAMDEBUTUniversity of Cumbria opens for business

Waste revolutionNovel solutions aid recycling

Green lightGo ahead for ‘media city’ project

Turner prizeRaising the culturaltemperature

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THE THIRD DEGREE

David Anderson

BUSINESS

Technology drives waste revolution

Enterprise is spurring Rossendale recovery

Scientists step on the accelerator

Foreign companies drive growth

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

University set to boost Cumbria economy

PEOPLE AND JOBS

Energy Coast plan to revive West Cumbria

Southport tees up to become classic resort

More help for rural communities

Green light for mediacity:uk development

INFRASTRUCTURE

Giving nature a helping hand

Cruise liners return to Liverpool

Design reviews for landmark schemes

QUALITY OF LIFE

Turner prize raises cultural temperature

Measures to combat climate change

Sporting elite head for Manchester

REGULARS

People in the region

Event highlights

Getting in touch31

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CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS

OUR VISION:

‘A dynamic, sustainableinternational economy whichcompetes on the basis ofknowledge, advancedtechnology and an excellentquality of life for all.’

CONTACTS

Editor Trevor Batest.bates948@btinternet.com

NWDARachel Ormandyemail: rachel.ormandy@nwda.co.uktel: 01925 400 237

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

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WASTE REVOLUTIONHousehold rubbish is set tobe turned into a range ofeconomically valuablecommodities as theNorthwest gears up for anew era of sustainable waste management.

GREEN LIGHT Work begins on the task ofbuilding the world leadingcomplex that will help to fuelthe revolution taking place inthe new media and broadcastindustries as constructionteams move onto themediacity:uk site.

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THE RDA MAGAZINE OCT 2007 ISSUE 13

TURNER PRIZEThe international art spotlightfalls on Liverpool this autumn asthe Turner Prize leaves Londonfor the first time in 23 years tosupport the city's EuropeanCapital of Culture programme.

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was to establish a number of new initiatives,including the creation of the first regionalscience council in the country, the publicationof a Regional Science Strategy and the launchof the Northwest Science Fund to invest ininnovative research.

Through the strategic partnershipestablished between the key NorthwestUniversities, Daresbury Laboratory, the Agencyand Halton Borough Council, the site is nowhome to the Daresbury International Scienceand Innovation Campus and has beenidentified by the government as one of twomajor research centres in the UK. It isexpected that the new Campus will make asubstantial contribution to the region’s£1.69 billion research and development base.

The transformations taking place across theregion demonstrate how continued efforts andsustained investment from all partnersinvolved in economic regeneration over theyears are now paying dividends. The projectscoming to fruition now have been challengingbut prove that with a focus on transformationalprojects, we can continue to create the successstories of the future.

For those visiting, working and living inLiverpool, the changes to its skyline areevident following an unprecedented £2.5 billionphysical and economic regeneration of thecity’s waterfront and central business andshopping districts.

With key success stories including the Arenaand Convention Centre at Kings Dock, therecently launched cruise liner facility at PierHead, Grosvenor’s Liverpool One retail andleisure development, and the new Museum ofLiverpool, investor confidence is at an all-timehigh. These exciting developments are not onlycrucial to next year’s Capital of Culturecelebrations but will also enable Liverpool torealise its ambition of creating a visitordestination of international quality. Importantly,all of these successes are the result of yearsof focused and sustained investment by publicand private sector partners.

Since 1999, the NWDA has helped to lead anumber of high-profile projects and we knowfrom experience that change does not happenovernight. Transformation is a long processand it is only through working together,prioritising resources and investing in high-impact projects that will help us realise ourbold ambition for the region.

One excellent example of where thisapproach has worked is the growth of theNorthwest’s reputation as a strong globalleader in the biomedical sector. In 1999, whenDaresbury lost the £600 million ‘DiamondSynchrotron’ project, the region’s response

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

CREATINGSUCCESSWith Liverpool beginning the countdown to its European Capital of Culturecelebrations next year, and as I take on the Chairmanship of the Liverpool 08Board, I would like to reflect on what I believe has been an excitingtransformational period of change for the city over the past few years.

Bryan Gray, Chairman,October 2007

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THE THIRD DEGREE

DAVID ANDERSONDavid Anderson is Chief Executive of Co-operative Financial Services (CFS),a big regional player with operations in Manchester, Stockport andSkelmersdale and an award-winning reputation for social responsibility.A keen sailor, he has spent most of his career in the mutual sector havingbeen Chief Executive of Job Centre Plus and the Yorkshire Building Society.

“WE NEED TO GET THE MESSAGEACROSS THAT IMPROVINGENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCECAN GO HAND IN HAND WITHIMPROVING BUSINESSPERFORMANCE."

DAVID ANDERSONCHIEF EXECUTIVE

CO-OPERATIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES

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Your organisation is based on strong co-operative values. Given the competitivenature of modern business is there roomstill for that sort of principled approach?

Absolutely - the mutual sector addsvaluable diversity to the economy. There’snothing wrong with plcs but I think it’s reallygood that there are some organisations thatare motivated differently and won’t respondto the markets in the same way the bigplayers do. That’s evident by the Co-operativeBank being the first into ethical marketingand the fact that we’re celebrating the 15thanniversary of that policy at a time when thewider banking and general retail communitiesare just jumping on that bandwagon.

How will CFS continue to differentiateitself if your competitors are adoptingsimilar policies?

What is difficult to match is our trackrecord and authenticity. We have a realenvironmental focus on our products. Weoffer green mortgages that offset emissionsfrom homes, and last year we launched eco-friendly motor insurance. That’s not theonly thing that sets us apart. In this office(the CIS Tower, Manchester) we recycle tentimes as much paper as the average office.Outside we have Europe’s largest array ofphotovoltaic cells and across the city on

another building we have the largest urbanwind farm. Well over 90% of our electricitycomes from green sources.

Does your customer feedback indicatesupport for what you do?

Our customers mandate us to do the thingswe do. And they tell us what not to do. Lastyear, for example, as part of its ‘CustomersWho Care’ campaign the Bank teamed upwith its customers to combat climate change.The partnership ethos is deeply embedded inour products and in our relationships withcustomers and I think for other organisationsit would be quite difficult to replicate.

Does having a strong environmental andsocial conscience win you business?

We can show that a third of our customersjoin the Co-op Bank because of its ethicalposition. If you look at the corporate bankingside, the area where our ethical policy hasmost bite, we have turned down £700 millionin loans over the last 15 years fromorganisations who don’t meet the bank’sethical criteria – people involved in fossil fuelextraction, the arms industry or animaltesting. But that stance has helped us growour corporate loans book by 250% in thesame period so it’s a two-edge sword.

Where are the growth opportunities inyour marketplace?

Ethical consumerism is a very fastgrowing market and that is a greatopportunity for us. In 2005 it was worth£28 billion in the UK and overtook spendingon tobacco on alcohol for the first time.It was up 11% on the previous year and thebig challenge for us is to make sure thatwith everyone else trying to get into thesame space, our voice is heard.

Big financial concerns tend to beheadquartered in London. Is there atemptation to move your operations tothe City?

Although CFS is absolutely a nationalbusiness there’s a lot of benefit to beingoutside London. That’s partly why we areable to think differently from ourcompetitors. We also attract a lot of verygood people to work for us because oflifestyle issues.

Support for worthy causes is a hallmarkof socially responsible companies.How active is CFS in this area?

We are working on a number of fronts torealise our social obligations. Take theChimney Pot project where the Co-operativeBank has provided Urban Splash with anessential funding package to give one ofSalford’s most run-down areas a real face-lift. And we’ve launched a pioneeringscheme that will enable inmates atForest Bank Prison, Pendlebury, to open

bank accounts while still in prison. CFSstaff have also completed the entirerefurbishment of a 20-room homelesshostel in Skelmersdale.

How can we motivate other businessesin the Northwest to improve their greencredentials?

Businesses across the region will havedifferent motivations and ways of operatingbut we all share a common goal of securinga sustainable and profitable future. We needto get the message across that improvingenvironmental performance can go hand inhand with improving business performance.There has been an historical belief in somequarters that being green and/or ethicalcomes with a price tag associated with it.We have successfully proved that it isn’t thecase and that our ethical policy, as Iindicated earlier, has actually been apositive driver for our business.

Financial services are a major force foreconomic growth. What do we need to do togrow the sector here in the Northwest?

The Northwest has plenty of things goingfor it – good accessibility in terms of travelnetworks, strong business and academiccentres already in place and some terrificregeneration projects underway in our townsand cities. The scale of commercial activityin the region is already sufficient to provideattractive careers in financial and professionalservices. The next step is to compete withLondon for more of the business from therest of the UK and internationally.

CFS is doing its bit by investing£250 million – much of it in this region –to support planned growth in a number ofareas. We’re also the lead sponsor of a newAcademy in North Manchester that will havea curriculum with a strong financial focus toensure that there is a good supply oftalented and educated people coming intothe sector. It’s a very sensible thing for us tobe associated with.

Is there any key regional message youwould like to get across?

This region is increasingly seen as asuccess story and it can further raise itsprofile by taking a national lead on climatechange. I’d like to see every part of thecommunity accept the challenge and tackleit with vigour. It’s not all cost, there’s plentyof benefit and opportunity associated with it,plenty of win-win things that make itworthwhile. From a business perspective itwill enhance the region’s reputation andencourage companies and individuals tocome here.

For further information: www.cfs.co.uk

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Faced with increased pressures to improverecycling rates and drastically reduce theamount and cost of waste going to landfill,local authorities are opting for novelsolutions involving state-of-the arttechnologies that will have a direct impacton reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Up to £1 billion is expected be invested incapital infrastructure in the next few years totreat the 4.5 million tons of municipal wastegenerated in the region each year.

The servicing of long-term PrivateFinance Initiative (PFI) contracts betweenwaste disposal authorities, councils andprivate sector partners is also expected toproduce many new business opportunitiesand create new markets for recyclates,including waste-to-energy.

The Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) is working with a number ofwaste-to-energy companies to identifysuitable sites in the region to establishcombined heat and power stations (CHP).

Recycling and sustainable wastemanagement is one of the key growthareas in the burgeoning environmentaltechnologies industry, contributing23,500 jobs and £700 million in GVA to theregional economy.

One of the key drivers for change isclimate change and the need to reduce

green gas emissions.The potential of new technology to

revolutionise the waste services industrywas underlined earlier this year when thegovernment gave the go-ahead for a Defrabacked £13 million demonstratorrecycling and treatment facility at HuytonBusiness Park.

Due to start operating at the end of 2007following planning approval, the plant willtreat up to 50,000 tonnes of waste fromMerseyside homes and stop over 80% of itgoing into landfill.

NOVEL PROCESSThe project is partnership driven and

involves the Merseyside Waste DisposalAuthority, Fairport Engineering Ltd, Defra,and the NWDA, which is providing£2.1 million of support funding.

Fairport uses a novel process to recoverrecyclable materials such as glass andplastics and convert the residue into fuelproducts that can be specifically tailored tomeet customer needs.

Steve Whatmore, Director of Fairport andsister company Orchid Environmental, saysthe technology is British and has beendeveloped in the Northwest with help fromthe NWDA.

“It works and it’s available now. We will

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Newly released government figuresshow that the NWDA created orsafeguarded 20,205jobs in 2006-07,created or attracted3,036 businesses tothe region, helped23,997 businessesimprove their performance andattracted £373 million of investment toregenerate deprived areas, 69% of itfrom the private sector.

Competitiveness Minister StephenTimms has announced the reappointmentof four members of the NWDA Board.John Merry and Peter Hensman havebeen reappointed until December 2010while Brenda Smith and Sir Martin Harriswill carry on until December 2008.

Less than two years after opening itsdoors, One Central Park, an £18 millioninnovative facility inEast Manchester thatbridges the gapbetween academiaand business, hassupported nearly 100entrepreneurs. Now a model for otherregions, the facility was establishedwith £8 million of NWDA funding.

Healthcare companies Fresenius Kabiand Calea celebrated the opening oftheir combined HQ and manufacturingfacility at Manor Park, Runcorn,following NWDA grant support of£490,000. The £2.8 million project willlead to 50 new jobs by the end of 2007.

Cumbria has a new state-of-the-artvenue for business support,conferencing, training,and sixth form studyfollowing the officialopening of MillomNetwork Centre by theDuke of Kent. Capitalcosts of the building overlooking theDuddon Estuary have been provided by anumber of partners including the NWDA.

ENWORKS, which is helping smallcompanies across the Northwest makemajor energy savings, has won the world’sleading green energy prize at theAshden Awards for Sustainable Energy.The organisation shared first prize inthe Energy Efficiency category withCumbria Energy Efficiency Advice Centre.

NEWS

TECHNOLOGYDRIVES WASTEREVOLUTION

The Northwest is gearing upfor a new era of sustainablewaste management wherehousehold rubbish is turnedinto a range of economicallyvaluable commodities fromrenewable energy fuels toagricultural products.

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demonstrate its capability on Merseyside andshow that people don’t have to shop abroadfor alternative technologies. It will also helpus to dispel some of the myths about wastedisposal plants.”

The company is selling the technologyaround the world and has an order book of£200 million.

Envirolink, the NWDA-sponsored businesssupport organisation for the environmentaltechnologies sector, is pursuing a numberof strategic initiatives to increase theprofitability and competitiveness of supplychain companies.

Chief Executive Nick Storer believes thatlegislative pressures and the rising costs oflandfill will inevitably mean that the recovery,treatment and reprocessing of waste willbecome the preferred routes of the future.

He says: “This will provide the region witha platform for the Northwest to become thepremier business hub for waste-relatedoperations throughout the UK and the world.”

Research and development, technologycommercialisation and market developmentare key areas of activity for Envirolink. Forexample, it has provided support funding fora Liverpool John Moores University projectthat uses the potential use of hybridmicrowave plasmas to treat nappy and tyrewaste within the region.

STABILISED FUELA new technology and investment

momentum is building up within the regionas waste disposal authorities and councilsestablish long-term waste-servicing PFIagreements with private sector partnersleading to new job, entrepreneurial andconstruction opportunities.

The value of procurement contracts in thefive sub-regions is estimated at up to£10 billion over the next 25 years with up to£1 billion being spent on state of the artwaste processing and recycling plants.

Greater Manchester Waste DisposalAuthority’s preferred partner, theViridor/Laing consortia, plans to invest

£330 million on new ‘world-class’ treatmentinfrastructure to deal with waste from nearlyone million households.

Five large-scale mechanical and biologicaltreatment plants will be built across theconurbation to convert 600,000 tons of wastethat cannot be recycled into 275,000 tonnesof stabilised fuel, which will be transportedby rail to a proposed new Ineos Chlor powergeneration facility at Runcorn. Ineos isplanning to invest over £300 million in thenew 100MW Combined Heat and PowerStation, creating over 40 jobs.

RENEWABLE ENERGYIn Lancashire, the county council and

Blackpool council are further down theline having agreed a £2 billion PFI wasteservice contract with Global Renewables –a Manchester-based subsidiary of theAustralian group GDR Ltd – and Bovis LendLease earlier in the year.

The technology-driven agreement willhave a strong focus on the supply chain andwill generate 300 jobs when two new cuttingedge plants, costing £330 million, come onstream in 2009.

The facilities at Leyland and Thornton willhandle 600,000 tonnes of waste a year withorganic portions being converted intorenewable energy and a high quality compostproduct suitable for land remediation,woodland and crop planting.

Merseyside is in the very early stages ofthe bidding process and it could be anothertwo years before a PFI waste serviceagreement is signed. One of the aims is toincrease recycling rates from 23% – one ofthe lowest in the country – to 50% by 2020.

“The pressures on local authorities arevery great,” says Carl Beer, Director ofMerseyside Waste Authority, “but it will becheaper to do something than do nothingbecause of the financial penalties from notmeeting landfill targets.”

Heart of the operation – Fairport’snew facility at Huyton

Finishing touches – the Fairport plantwill be operational by the end of 2007

Home-grown technology – domestic waste is treated in two rotating vessels at the Huyton plant

For further information: www. envirolinknorthwest.co.uk

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Rossendale, the area of Lancashirebetween metropolitan GreaterManchester, the M6 and its White Roseneighbour, and once a major centre of thefootwear manufacturing industry, haswon official recognition as the region’s“capital of enterprise”.

The area, which contains a collection ofsmall towns including Bacup, Rawtenstalland Haslingden, is the Northwest winnerin the Enterprising Britain 2007 Awardsthanks to the efforts of the community-based project, PEER (People EncouragingEnterprise in Rossendale).

PEER also wins £75,000 from the

Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) to assist the continued creation,growth and survival of new businesses andsocial enterprises, a key factor inRossendale’s emerging economic recovery.

PEER’s Enterprise Facilitator AndyMacNae, says: “When I first started fouryears ago, people here said ‘the situationwill never change, so many places arevacant, empty, forgotten.’

“Now people realise there has beenimprovement, there is potential and it’s nowup to everyone to realise that potential.”

The fist project of its type in Europe, PEERwas founded in September 2003 after

community leaders pledged to reverse theeconomic fortunes of a borough rated as oneof the worst performing local authorities inEngland and with below national averagebusiness start-up numbers.

BUSINESS DREAMA community enterprise, based around a

40-strong board of committed volunteersfrom across the borough, aims to helppeople to start or grow businesses andsocial enterprises.

In its first four years, PEER has providedsubstantive help to over 200 businesses andoffered advice to many more.

Latest data shows an increase in businessstart-ups and VAT registrations from 4.3 per1,000 of the workforce in 2002 to 5.7 per 1,000,around 25% above the Lancashire averageand 15% above the Great Britain average.

There is not a typical example of thosewho have sought help from PEER, saysMacNae. “Often people we meet for the firsttime have a dream of running a business –they know what they want to do but notmuch more than that. Others are alreadydown that road but want to expand and againneed help.”

Ronnie Barker, former Managing Director ofthe footwear manufacturing Sutton Group ofcompanies in Rossendale, is chairman of the

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BUSINESS

ENTERPRISE IS SPURRING

Enterprise hotspot – Bacup High Street

Home from home – the Bacup play centrekeeps children active and amused

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PEER board which held an ‘open day’ in July,attended by representatives of local authoritiesand regeneration agencies across the UK.

Already neighbouring local authorityBurnley is considering a similar PEEREnterprise Facilitation project.

“When we started out in 2003, there was alot of apathy,” he said. “But we are ‘can do’people who are helping to give Rossendalean enterprise facelift.”

Across the Northwest, there are around500,000 small to medium sized enterprises(SMEs), employing 47% of the population andaccounting for a surprising 37% of privatesector turnover, but only around a third of

new start-ups make it into a fourth year.The NWDA recently commissioned an

Enterprise Culture project, entitled ‘Rising tothe Enterprise Challenge’, aimed at developingforward-thinking people throughout theregion, from school through to employment.

A Northwest Enterprise Forum will also belaunched in November, during EnterpriseWeek. Designed to challenge and monitorthe success of enterprise across the region,the core forum of 15 people, will head ‘shortlife’ working groups who will meet whenrequired to explore specific issues in detail.

ENTREPRENEURS NETWORKThe Agency has also launched a Business

Start-up and Survival Project, targetingspecific under-performing geographic regions,including housing renewal and urbanregeneration areas, and hard-to-reach groupsof people including black and ethnic minorities,people with disabilities and women.

Jim Johnstone, NWDA Business StrategyManager, says: “In an increasingly competitive,global and knowledge-based economy, wemust create a culture in the Northwest thatfosters enterprising people – whether ineducation, seeking to start in business or inemployment – who are responsive to changeand able to seize opportunities.”

In July the NWDA officially signed up over70 businesswomen as Women’s EnterpriseAmbassadors, to represent the Northwest inthe drive to build a national network offemale entrepreneurs.

Steven Broomhead, NWDA ChiefExecutive, said: “Women are drasticallyunder-represented in the business worldand we are hoping, with a little support andencouragement, we can persuade womento think about enterprise and address thebusiness gender imbalance.”

The Centre for Enterprise at ManchesterMetropolitan University (MMU) haslaunched a new service – IntoEnterprise –which aims to provide support and expertiseto new entrepreneurs.

The project, which aims to help 110businesses by July 2008, will provide aprogramme of support for the region’sSMEs trading within their first year. It offersfree access to business experts andcoaching, online business skills training,promotional opportunities and peer supportnetworks which are intended to foster abusiness ‘community’.

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ROSSENDALE RECOVERY

For further information:www.peer-support.co.ukwww.intoenterprise.co.uk

“PEOPLE REALISE THERE HASBEEN AN IMPROVEMENT AND IT’SNOW UP TO EVERYONE TO REALISETHAT POTENTIAL”

ANDY MACNAEPEER ENTERPRISE FACILITATOR

PEER SUPPORT FOR PLAY CENTREWhen Peter Foster spotted a good deal oneBay – a children’s large play frame withslides and tunnels – he took the plunge.He and his wife Lindsey, a child minder,wanted to start their own business buthad no premises.

“I had to put the equipment in storagefor a year,” says Peter, now the owner ofthe flourishing Kids@Play, a play centre forthe under 11s which opened in April 2006.

While he searched for a suitable site inBacup, Peter was helped to prepare abusiness plan and eventually to find the

former warehouse site at Alder Street,now home to his business, by PEER’sAndy MacNae.

“Andy gave me very good advice earlyon,” says Peter, whose play centre has ababy and toddler area, a café and roomsto hire for parties and special occasions.“I was interested in a couple ofbuildings but Andy found out they wouldnot be suitable.”

For further information: Kids@Play tel 01706 877066

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Scientists are making important headwayin their bid to have a new £230 millionworld-beating particle accelerator built onthe Daresbury Science and InnovationCampus in Cheshire.

The project team behind the proposed 4GLS(Fourth Generation Light Source) is currentlycommissioning a £15 million prototype atDaresbury Laboratory that will help to provethe technology crucial to the development ofthe much larger research facility.

4GLS will be designed to produce veryshort pulses of light a million times moreintense and a thousand times shorter thancurrent ‘third generation’ synchrotrons andwill have applications in key industrialsectors such as healthcare, energy,catalysis, electronics and security.

“This is an idea whose time has come andthe technology required to build it hasmatured to meet the promise of the concept.It will undoubtedly open up new areas ofNobel Prize winning science,” enthusedProfessor Elaine Seddon, the 4GLSProgramme Leader.

“The bioscience opportunities are hugeand if we can secure the investment for theNorthwest it will be a major generator ofeconomic wealth.”

A 50-strong team of physicists, engineersand technical staff led by Dr Susan Smith is

expected to have the Energy Recovery LinacPrototype (ERLP) running in the next sixmonths. The Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency has provided nearly£3 million of support for the project throughthe Northwest Science Council.

ERLP brings together three technologies –photoinjector, super-conductingaccelerator and free electron laser – in asingle unique facility. Once running it will bethe most intense source of broadband THzradiation in Europe.

The prototype phase will reduce thetechnical risk of designing, procuring andbuilding 4GLS and has already provided a

wealth of information on technical design,costings and operations.

The 4GLS team, whose members aredrawn from Northwest and other universitiesas well as Daresbury Laboratory andRutherford Appleton Laboratory, expect tosubmit a bid for funding for the full facilitythis autumn.

“If the money to build 4GLS is approvedthen there are two options, either it will bebuilt at the Daresbury Campus or theequivalent Harwell Campus,” says ProfessorSeddon. “I’m quietly confident that if the go-ahead is given it will be built at Daresbury.A cost benefit analysis indicated thatDaresbury was a clear winner.”

Though the science on 4GLS isinternational she believes the region has abig role to play in ensuring 4GLS is locatedat Daresbury because of the potentialbenefits it can deliver to the regional economyin jobs, inward investment and visitor spend.

4GLS is expected to have up to 1,000visiting scientists a year who will typicallystay for one to two weeks. A large proportionof consumables bought for the operation of4GLS is also likely to go to local suppliers.

Industrial collaborators are contributing tothe design of 4GLS to ensure it meets theneeds of 21st Century business. Two industrydays attracted senior figures from some of

the region’s key industries.In addition to Professor Seddon, the

project team includes Professor WendyFlavell of the University of Manchester,Professor Peter Weightman of the Universityof Liverpool, Professor Mike Poole of theAccelerator Science and Technology andthe world-renowned physicist ProfessorSwapan Chattopadhyay, Director of theCockcroft Institute.

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SCIENTISTS STEP ONTHE ACCELERATOR

Beacon of scientific excellence –Rachel Buckley of the 4GLS teamworking on the new ERLP facility

“IF WE CAN SECURE THEINVESTMENT FOR THE NORTHWESTIT WILL BE A MAJOR GENERATOROF ECONOMIC WEALTH.”

PROFESSOR ELAINE SEDDON4GLS PROGRAMME LEADER

For further information: Prof. Elaine Seddon email: e.seddon@dl.ac.ukwww.4gls.ac.uk

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According to figures released by UK Tradeand Investment (UKTI), the Northwestattracted 138 inward investment projects in2006-07, a rise of 23%, creating or safeguarding7,520 jobs, 700 more than last year.

The US contributed the lion’s share ofprojects (50 in total or 40%) but Chinacontributed an impressive 17 projects (12%)as the world’s fastest growing economytargets investment in Europe.

Close collaboration between the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA) and itspublic sector partners resulted in the flow ofnew investment touching all parts of the region.

Handleman, a US customer services andfulfilment house has created 400 jobs byinvesting £17 million in a new GreaterManchester project while Lancashirecelebrated a £15 million expansion by AsahiGlass of Japan.

India’s Tata International acquired BrunnerMond’s operations in Cheshire, EastmanChemicals (USA) invested nearly £40 millionin an expansion in Cumbria and in MerseysideO2 (Spain) expanded their call centre operation.

John Cunliffe, Head of Investment Servicesfor the NWDA which oversees operations inthe US, Japan, Australia and China, said: Thisis another very strong performance. Fromour experience companies underestimatethe numbers of people that will be employedand we expect these numbers to beexceeded even further.

“We have revisited projects announcedthree or four years ago and have found thatemployment targets in many cases havebeen exceeded. We are finding that companies

tend to be conservative on job numbers”.The contribution of Foreign Direct

Investment (FDI) to the region’s economicgrowth is impressive. Overseas companiesrepresent less than 1% of the Northwest’s300,000 businesses, they contribute 16.4%of gross value added (GVA) and account for11% of jobs.

“The impact is phenomenal. Nearly£2 billion was invested last year by foreignowned companies from nearly 20 countries.These investments bring good quality jobsand new technologies,” says Cunliffe.

CHINESE INVESTMENTThe number of inward investment projects

supported by grants is falling. Only 10 of the138 projects attracted last year were supportedby grants. This is two fewer than the yearbefore, further underlining the generalcompetitive appeal as an internationalbusiness location.

“We are not saying grants are no longerimportant but more and more companies arecoming to the Northwest because theyrecognise the region is the best location ifthey want the right skills, infrastructure andsector support,” adds Cunliffe.

Chinese companies continue to build amarketing and sales bridgehead, which theAgency hopes will lead to future R&D andmanufacturing investment.

The Northwest outperformed most otherregions in the number of jobs per project(54 against Yorkshire and the Humber’s 52and the South East’s 27) but the number hasbeen declining for a number of years.

“What we are doing now is aimed at betterquality investments and higher value jobs,”explained Cunliffe.

Faced with fierce global competition for FDI,the NWDA is putting more effort and resourcesinto its investment marketing activitiesfollowing the launch of an ambitious three-year regional internationalisation strategy,which takes a more integrated approach tooverseas trade.

The region has made a good start to 2007-08 with General Motors announcing that it isinvesting £300 million in the Vauxhall plantat Ellesmere Port.

FOREIGN COMPANIESDRIVE GROWTHOverseas companies have given the Northwest another vote of confidence byploughing nearly £1.8 billion into new projects, expansions and acquisitionsmaking it the UK’s leading UK region for foreign direct investment.

Load factor – a Handleman operativerefills stacking equipment High productivity – Handleman’s new

Bolton facility is fully automatedFor further investment:www.englandsnorthwest.com

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Liverpool Hope University and BusinessBridge graduate Olusegun Adetunji hasoutperformed 155 other studentsnationally to win the‘National StudentEmployee of the Year’Award for hisachievement incombining universitystudies with quality part-time employmentwith Wirral Council.

Entrepreneur Deirdre Bounds, who grewa bed-sit business into a global leader inethical travel, was the guest speaker atthe official launch of the NorthernLeadership Academy held in LancasterUniversity Management School’sLeadership Centre. The NLA’s aim is toboost Northern productivity.

Lancaster University has opened the thirdstage of its Lancaster Environment Centredevelopment. Partfunded by the NWDA,the £8.4 million officeand lab building willprovide space forsmall companieswishing to locate into LEC or co-locatenew activities.

More effort and resources are beinginvested in developing the knowledge andtraining required for futuredecommissioning and new buildprogrammes following the opening of theTyndall Centre for Nuclear Research at theUniversity of Central Lancashire, the firstof its kind in the UK.

Salford University’s new £10 millionpurpose-built Law School has opened itsdoors to a target-beating first intake ofalmost 100 students.Baroness Brenda Hale,one of the UK’s 12 LawLords unveiled thefoundation stone in2006 and will returnfor the official opening in February 2008.

Health experts have unveiled plans toestablish a £20 million BiomedicalResearch Centre in Liverpool to pioneerthe development of new drugs anddiagnostic tools to treat microbial disease.The scheme is a collaborative venturebetween the University of Liverpool, thecity’s School of Tropical Medicine and theRoyal Liverpool University Hospital.

NEWS

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY SET TO BOOST CUMBRIAECONOMY

‘Bring your dreams to theUniversity of Cumbria’ isthe new catchy marketingslogan for Britain’s newesthigher education institutionand Vice-ChancellorChristopher Carr, aims tomake sure those studentdreams become reality.

Popular location – students enjoy a breakfrom lectures on the Carlisle campus

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Although the university is bidding to attractstudents from all over the country ProfessorCarr is anxious to raise educational andcareer aspirations much nearer home whereHigher Education (HE) participation amongyoung Cumbrians is patchy and in someplaces poor.

Business leaders, educationalists andeconomic planners believe that building andretaining a skilled, graduate-rich workforceis crucial to restoring the county’s prosperity.

“If you look around the country at the mostprosperous cities and sub-regions a majorcontributing factor is the presence of a goodlocal university and there’s a hope andexpectation we can replicate that inCumbria,” explains Professor Carr, formerPrincipal of St. Martin’s College, Lancaster.

Access is another barrier to greater HEparticipation, largely because of the remotegeographical character of the area.Academic officials hope the distinctivestructure of the university will help toovercome this problem.

AMBITIOUS PLANSThe 17,600 full and part-time students

enrolled at the university are spread over adistributed network of campuses inherited fromthe main institutions that have amalgamatedto form the University of Cumbria.

These include the Carlisle, Lancaster andAmbleside campuses of St. Martin’s College,the Cumbria Institute of the Arts (CIA) inCarlisle and the University of CentralLancashire (UCLAN) sites at Carlisle andPenrith. There are also smaller outposts inWhitehaven, Barrow and London.

Conceived for the broadband age, theuniversity officially started life on August 1 withProfessor Carr pledging to break down culturalbarriers to higher education and develop auniversity Cumbrians will be proud of.

“It’s their university. I want them to talkabout it, support it and send their childrento it. It’s fairly challenging creating a brandnew institution from a collection of disparateparts but everyone here is up for it.”

The university has ambitious plans for itsbuilt estate, its teaching and research activities,its relations with employers and its links withthe new Tiger economies of China and India.

Over the next ten years it will invest up to£190 million in developing the variouscampuses, IT infrastructure and teachingprogrammes. An early priority will be tobuild an iconic HQ building in Carlisle.

It also aims to increase student numbersby 50% to 22,800 by 2017, a “challenging”target, admits Professor Carr, but one heinsists can be achieved.

The university, which will have an openingbudget of £80 million and 1,600 staff, hasmanaged to acquire significant start-upfunding including £10 million from theHigher Education Funding Council forEngland (HEFCE) and £9.4 million from theNorthwest Regional Development Agency.It is also being supported by the NuclearDecommissioning Authority and will have aparticular focus on developing skills tosupport the nuclear industry.

INNOVATIVE PROSPECTUSRecruitment fair and website interest in

the new institution has been high, “hugely inexcess of the experience we have hitherto hadas colleges,” reports the Vice-Chancellor.

He is hopeful a strong marketing campaignthemed on ‘bring your dreams to the Universityof Cumbria,’ an innovative prospectus andattractive study locations can convert thatinterest into a health flow of applications.

The university is developing a number ofideas and niche specialisms to differentiateitself in the marketplace.

Plans are well advanced to create anInstitute of Transport and Logistics inpartnership with a private sector trainingbody and a private operator, which will haveformal links with two Chinese universities toprovide a two-way flow of study and researchopportunities in what are key growth areasfor the Cumbrian economy.

In another pioneering move the universityis setting up an Institute of Policing atPenrith, one of the first in the country. It has

already been chosen as the preferredtraining partner by Cumbria Police and isbidding for similar status with the CivilNuclear Constabulary.

Enterprise will figure prominently in theuniversity’s interaction with localcommunities. A commercial and trainingarm, Unisolutions, is being established onKingmoor Business Park, Carlisle, to meetthe needs of the public and private sectors.

13

For further information: www.cumbria.ac.uk

Quality of life – the Ambleside campus

Dream girl – a catchy marketing poster for the new university

DISTRIBUTED LEARNINGThe University of Cumbria adds a differentdimension to educational provision byengaging with local Further Education (FE)colleges and three universities in alifelong learning network offering a rangeof study modes including face-to-faceand electronic.

Jane Inman, Executive Director forCumbria Higher Learning, says the keyfocus of the partnership will be to developprogression opportunities for studentswho would not otherwise be able to studybecause of geographical constraints.“This really is an opportunity of a lifetime,”she says.

Members of the learning network includefour FE colleges (Carlisle, Kendal, Furnessand Lakes) and four HE providers (theUniversity of Cumbria, UCLAN, LancasterUniversity and the Open University).

Professor Sir Martin Harris, former ViceChancellor the University of Manchester,recommended that Cumbria should have itsown university built around the concept ofdistributed learning in a report on the futureof higher education in Cumbria publishedby HEFCE in September 2006.

The new university will have 21-strongBoard chaired by the Venerable Peter Ballard,the Archdeacon of Lancaster. The Church ofEngland provides a third of Board members,a linkage inherited from St. Martin’s. TheArchbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, willbe installed as Chancellor on November 21.

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A national nuclear laboratory, new acuteservices hospital, better schools and housing,improved road links and more businessparks are among the investment prioritiesidentified in a new masterplan for the area.

The blueprint for growth is expected togenerate 16,000 new jobs and give theCumbrian economy a much needed£700 million boost.

It is now being fine tuned in preparationfor a bid for government funding this autumn.Although the measures will cost over £1.7billion little new money will be required todeliver them. The focus will be on persuadingministers to speed up existing programmes.

Members of the West Cumbria StrategicForum – the Cumbria Partners – believe thearea can make a significant contribution tosecuring the UK’s future energy needs andcombating climate change if the ‘prospectusfor change’ recommendations are implemented.

The Forum was set up two years ago todeal with the challenges and opportunitiesarising from the loss of 8,000 jobs in thenuclear generation and reprocessingindustry at Sellafield over the next few years.

The Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) and the NuclearDecommissioning Authority commissionedGrant Thornton to produce a masterplan thatwould build on the area’s strengths in energyand environmental technologies.

Key ministers and senior civil servants werebriefed on the 2027 vision of West Cumbria asBritain’s ‘Energy Coast’ at a summit in Juneattended by a Cumbria Partners delegationthat included the two MPs and representatives

of local authorities and public sectoragencies. Ministers described themasterplan as “impressive and coherent”.

The plan is aimed at creating an asset,skills, and opportunity-rich environmentbuoyant and welcoming enough to attract thenew businesses, advanced nuclear and

environmental technologies and newinvestors required to energise an under-performing West Cumbrian economy.

It identifies 29 actions within the three maineconomic drivers of business and enterprise,skills and research, and connectivity andinfrastructure, highlighting six overridingpriorities costing £745 million of which thegovernment would contribute £455 million:

National Nuclear Laboratory headquartersin West Cumbria (£18 million)New schools (£205 million)New acute services hospital (£310 million)Housing market renewal (£80 million)

ENERGY COAST PLAN TOREVIVE WEST CUMBRIA

Blackpool Task Force has published a ten-year action plan for the sustainabledevelopment of theresort which identifiesa series of measuresto lever almost£2 billion in privatesector investment,create 11,000 net jobs and provide 2,000new homes.

Development work has begun on the£5 million New Port Business Park,Ellesmere Port, which will provide 30,000sq ft of new space in seven industrial unitsand generate up to 95 jobs. The first phaseproject secured its funding from theBorough Council, the NWDA and Europe.

New East Manchester (NEM), the urbanregeneration company set up to drive theregeneration of East Manchester, hasbeen recognised asthe regenerationagency of the year inthe Regeneration andRenewal Awards.NEM also gained thetop award in the training category for theRegeneration Assistants project, whichhelped local residents to gain employmentin regeneration.

After extensive consultation theLancashire Economic Partnership haslaunched a £1.6 billion blueprint aimedat creating 50,000 jobs by the end of thedecade. The NWDA has identified apotential funding contribution of£245 million in its Strategic InvestmentPlan for 2007-10.

Burnley’s Weavers Triangle, one of theworld’s best collections of cottonweaving mills, is toreceive heritagelottery funding of£1.9 million to supportthe £76 million repair,restoration and re-useof some of the area’s 60 historic buildings.The NWDA has helped fund a masterplanto guide regeneration.

Economic regeneration organisationCumbria Vision has announced theappointment of Roger Liddle as Chairman.In his role, Roger will head the 14-strongBoard of Directors gathered from thepublic and private sectors.

NEWS

14

PEOPLE AND JOBS

Public and private sector partners have unveiled a far-reaching set of economic proposalsto transform West Cumbria over the next 20 years positioning it as Britain’s ‘Energy Coast’.

Intellectual powerhouse – West Lakes Science and Technology Park is the modern face of West Cumbria

Sylvan setting – tasteful landscaping hasmade West Lakes a flagship development

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Gap funding (£120 million)Road improvements (£30 million)Consultants looked at a do-nothing

scenario and concluded from an economicanalysis that the economy would startdeclining in 2010 with the annual GrossValue Added – a measure of prosperity –down by £400 million by 2027.

The total integrated package of public andprivate sector investment throughmasterplan interventions is estimated atover £1.7 billion with little new money beingrequired immediately.

West Lakes Renaissance, the regenerationcompany set up by the NWDA with aprojected ten-year budget of £180 million,would co-ordinate delivery of the action plan.

Stewart Swift, Policy and PartnershipsManager at the NWDA, rejects any notionthat West Cumbria is simply asking formore handouts.

“This plan is all about offering particularsolutions to help the government’s agendain areas such as energy security andclimate change,” he says.

Nuclear decommissioning and nucleargeneration are highlighted in the masterplanas strong business opportunities for localcompanies. The long-term cost ofcleaning up the UK’s civil nuclearsites is put at £80 billion ofwhich £43 billion will bespent in Cumbria.

The plan raises the possibility of usinglocally stored stocks of depleted uraniumand plutonium to fuel two 1.6 GW (e) fourthgeneration reactors for 60 years. Buildingthese on the Sellafield site could generateinward investment of £20 billion.

Success in implementing the masterplan,says Swift, will hinge on advancingprogrammes already in the government’s in-tray including building a new hospital andinvesting in schools and otherinfrastructure projects.

“If we are going to attract more businessexpertise we have to improve a broad range

of facilities and services such as hospitals,and healthcare, schools, roads, new homesand business space, as well as addressingthe skills agenda.”

He says there is still a perceived need tocontinue with public sector gap funding tosecure private sector-led development.However in certain places like West LakesScience and Technology Park there is nolonger the need for grant aid becauseimproved rentals are now at levels that willmeet developer requirements.

15

Barrow has received a major employmentboost following news that BAE SystemsSubmarines Solutions’ shipyard is to sharein the construction of two new 65,000tonne aircraft carriers costing £3.8 billion.

It is anticipated the Aircraft CarrierAlliance will award build contracts in thenear future. This will result in significantnumbers of extra workers being neededduring the build process.

One of the key issues facing business andcivic leaders is whether the aircraft carrierscontract will have any impact on the high

levels of worklessness in the town whereup to 6,000 are on incapacity benefit.

BAE Systems recently received planningpermission for a 22,600 sq metre newbuild complex, which includes a panel lineand assembly hall at Barrow for fabricatinglarge modules for the shipbuilding andnuclear industries. The £66 million projectwould accommodate between 700-1,000personnel but a go-ahead for the capitalinvestment hinges on BAE Systemswinning grant aid. The plan is to have thecomplex ready for 2009-10.

SHIPYARD WINS NEW WORK

For further information:www.westlakesrenaissance.co.uk

Advanced technology – West Cumbria is a world leader in nuclear ‘know how.’*

Ship shape – an aerial view of the Barrow shipyard

“THE PLAN IS ALL ABOUTOFFERING PARTICULARSOLUTIONS TO HELP THEGOVERNMENT’S AGENDA IN AREASSUCH AS ENERGY SECURITY ANDCLIMATE CHANGE.”

STEWART SWIFTPOLICY AND PARTNERSHIPS

MANAGERNWDA

*Every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of material or images produced, used or supplied by the NDA. However, the NDA cannot guarantee that the images shown will always becurrent, accurate or complete and does not warrant or endorse the accuracy or completeness of the images.

315-13 P14-15 1/10/07 16:58 Page 2

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside…and the renaissance of the coastal townsin the Northwest aims to ensure that itstays that way.

As the future of coastal towns comesunder scrutiny at a two-day English Heritageconference in October, changes are alreadyevident in the diverse resorts along theregion’s coastline.

Southport, which next year (2008) will havea chance to showcase the town’s appeal whenRoyal Birkdale hosts The Open Championship,and Lytham St Annes have both set theirsights on becoming ‘classic resorts.’

Alan Ryan, Senior Development Managerin Merseyside and Lancashire for theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), which has invested almost £86million in its coastal towns since 2002, says:

“We are working with the local authority tocreate a classic resort.

“Rather than concentrating on bucketsand spades, we want to create a high qualitydestination with excellent shops, restaurantsand hotels, focused on the town’s famousLord Street area.”

Work is well underway on thetransformation of Lord Street with improvedaccess and lighting and the restoration of itsgardens to their original Edwardian designs.

On the seafront, building has started on a£20 million scheme by NeptuneDevelopments to include a four-star hotel,casino and an extension to the nearby FloralHall conference centre. There will also be anew public plaza, bars and restaurants.

INVESTOR CONFIDENCEThe town, described in the NWDA’s ‘New

Vision’ coastal resort strategy as “the jewelin the regional crown”, has already seen asteady increase in all-year-round visitornumbers over the last five years.

Stefan Jankowski, Manager of SouthportPartnership, says: “ We define a classicresort as a place which is the very best of itstype, offering high quality public spaces,facilities and services.

“All that takes time and although we’reaiming to have many of our improvementscompleted before The Open, we are planningSouthport for the next 50 to 100 years.”

After millions of pounds of public sectorsupport, he says private investors are now

showing confidence in Southport. Buildingwork has started on a five-star boutiquehotel on Lord Street, with plans for two morehotels in the pipeline.

The council is now seeking a lead developerfor its 40-acre site of the former Pleasurelandat the southern gateway to the town.

James Berresford, the NWDA’s Directorof Tourism, says: “We are happy to supportthe work which is going ahead in many ofour coastal resorts including Blackpooland Lytham.”

In Morecambe, award-winning developersand regeneration specialists Urban Splashare renovating the town’s Art Deco MidlandHotel, due to re-open in 2008.

The adjoining ten-acre seafront site is alsobeing developed with live, work and playunits and a masterplan for the densely-populated West End area of the town is beingprepared by architects appointed by theNWDA, English Partnerships and LancasterCity Council.

English Heritage is publishing England’sSeaside Resorts, the result of a five-yearstudy by architectural investigators AllanBrodie and Gary Winter, to coincide with theOctober conference “Seaside Heritage,colour past, bright future” which is beingheld in Hastings.

For further information:www.english-heritage.org.uk/seasideheritagewww.sefton.gov.uk

SOUTHPORT TEES UP TOBECOME CLASSIC RESORT

Resort makeover – an impression of the new seafront hotel and Floral Hall extension

Shoppers paradise – Wayfarers Arcade,Lord Street

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

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17

When Prince Charles enjoyed a pint atThe Old Crown at Hesket Newmarket inCumbria earlier this year, he gave theRoyal seal of approval to Britain’s first co-operatively owned pub.

It is an excellent example of HRH’s ThePub is The Hub initiative launched back in2001 to promote the improvement of pubs inrural communities.

The pub, in a village between Penrith andCarlisle, was also chosen by the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA) forthe May launch of its Strengthening RuralCommunities across the North Westprogramme in which it is investing £825,000.

David Hunter, the Agency’s Head of RuralAffairs, said: “The Old Crown is the perfectexample of a successful co-operative, onethat really captures the community spirit.”

The pub, which was bought by a co-operative of 125 customers in August 2003,is now home to a small library and internetcafé, provides a cashback service, sellslocally produced videos and booklets and

offers meeting rooms – one of which ishome to a well-subscribed evening classteaching philosophy.

Julian Ross, freelance translator andChairman of the co-operative managementcommittee, says: “The idea of locals buyingtheir village pub has a romantic appeal but itmust also make commercial sense.”

ENTERPRISE CULTURENow a group of people are considering

following a similar path to buy the village shop.The new Northwest-wide programme aims

to support other rural communities whohave their own ideas for improving ruralservices and benefiting local people.

Rural areas – where 40% of the region’sbusinesses and around 25% of thepopulation are based – already make asignificant contribution to the overalleconomy, says David Hunter.

“This is not an impossible challengebecause there is an enterprise culture inmany rural communities,” he said. “But we

MORE HELP FORRURAL COMMUNITIES

recognise there are many different needsand no single solution. We know that socialenterprise can address some of theproblems and we hope that by offeringfinancial support, it will encouragecommunities to take a first step.”

Phase One involved a mapping exercisewhich identified around 350 communities,with a population size of between 250 and10,000, which could take advantage of theprogramme, although initiatives put forwardby smaller-sized communities will beconsidered on their merits.

Small towns and villages are invited toapply for funding for a specific project whichcan include a community-owned shop orpub, care facilities, village hall development,provision of IT or broadband services.

Applications are then assessed by a panelincluding representatives of the NWDA, ThePub is The Hub, the North West Rural AffairsForum and the Plunkett Foundation, which ismanaging the project with the North WestRural Community Councils.

The NWDA is hoping to support a total ofaround 80 projects, 40 from each Fund, overtwo years, with progress monitored on aquarterly basis.

“THE OLD CROWN IS THEPERFECT EXAMPLE OF ASUCCESSFUL CO-OPERATIVE, ONETHAT REALLY CAPTURES THECOMMUNITY SPIRIT.”

DAVID HUNTERHEAD OF RURAL AFFAIRS

NWDA

Community spirit – 125 customers unitedto buy the village pub

Aiming high – Prince Charles enjoys a gameof darts in The Old Crown

For further information:www.ruralcommunityfund.org.uk

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Construction teams have moved on to themediacity:uk site to begin the three-yeartask of building an iconic, world-leadingcomplex that will help to fuel the revolutiontaking place in the new media andbroadcast industries.

The £300 million Peel Holdings developmentwill provide a creative, technology andtraining rich environment for the five BBCdepartments that will relocate to SalfordQuays in 2010-11. It is also expected to actas a magnet for scores of smaller media,technology and TV enterprises.

BBC Director General Mark Thompsonjoined 200 guests in June to celebrate thesigning of contracts that will turn themediacity:uk site into a dynamic,internationally significant centre forconvergent media production.

The ceremony was held at The Pie Factory,a former food manufacturing plant that hasbeen transformed into a sound-stagecomplex for a wide spectrum of independentproduction and support companies.

The BBC is planning to relocate 1,500London-based jobs to Salford Quays.Departments moving include BBC Sport,Children’s BBC, BBC Radio Five Live, FiveLive Extra and Research and Development.An estimated 800 BBC staff currentlyworking in Manchester will also transfer tothe Quays.

Mark Thompson said the new BBC Trustwas fully behind the project. “mediacity:uk isa brilliant idea and potentially one of themost exciting media projects in the world.”Programming made at the new complex,he said, should be seen as content for thewhole world.

“The proposition of what the BBC coulddo here, the numbers of people anddepartments involved and the scale ofoperations is, if anything, slightly biggerthan the vision we had over three years agoand I think over the next four years it isgoing to grow further.”

IMPROVED ACCESSMore detail has emerged of the

developments and infrastructure going onto the site. Landowners Peel Holdings willprovide three landmark 100,000 sq ft officebuildings for the BBC with the first ready byOctober 2010.

The first phase scheme covering 52 acresof the total 200-acre former dockland site willalso include a 20,000 sq ft studio block withflexible production and audience facilities, ahotel and some speculative office space.

It will contain a number of stunning designfeatures including a public piazza nearlytwice as big as Trafalgar Square, floatingperformance platforms and a glass colonnadethat will double as a digital screen.

Improving access is a key element of the

development package and a new section ofroad will be built along the edge of theManchester Ship Canal. The developers andother funding partners are also building a350-metre long Metrolink spur to delivercommuters and visitors into the heart ofthe complex.

Ed Burrows, Property Director of Peel Media,said the development would be aimed atother broadcasters and people in the digitalmedia field. “There is a much closerconnection between thedigital media andtraditional broadcastersand we will exploit that.”

A strategy was beingdeveloped to market thesite internationally nowthat the anchor tenanthad been confirmed.“We are developinga whole creativecommunityand thismay be

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

GREEN LIGHT FOR MEDIA CITYDEVELOPMENT

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attractive to companies like computer gamesorganisations,” he explained.

Peel is one of four main project partners.The others are the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), Salford CityCouncil and Central Salford UrbanRegeneration Company (URC).

The Northern Way, a vehicle set up bythe Northern RDAs to speed economicgrowth across the three regions, is investing£9 million in a Media Enterprise Centre atmediacity:uk connecting it to other centresacross the north by way of a high-speedtelecoms network.

Other major initiatives are underway totap into the training, job, enterprise andknowledge transfer opportunities generatedby media:city.uk. The project will provideemployment for up an estimated 15,500people and 1,500 trainee posts per year.

Salford University is exploringintegrating its Faculty of Arts, Media and Social Sciences withinmediacity:uk while Salford City Councilis working to develop a pipeline ofpeople from a young age through toadulthood to take advantage of theopportunities offered.

“It’s not just about putting shinynew buildings on to the Quays,”

explained Cath Inchbold, the city’sAssistant Director of Regeneration

Strategy. “Salford people need to feel it’sdoing something for them so we are makingas many connections as possible with theproject so media companies can identifynew talent whether it’s at the Salford FilmFestival or within schools.”

MEDIA ACADEMYThe council is addressing the issue on a

number of fronts from lifestyle marketing–“debunking myths that BBC staff in Londonmight have of Salford” – to locating a newacademy at the entrance to the complex toprovide a seedbed of talent and enterprise.

Sponsored by OASIS, the 11-18 academyis a key element in Salford’s £150 millionBuilding Schools for the Future programme.Due to open by 2011, it will specialise inmedia and entrepreneurship.

Two-year advanced apprenticeships arealso being developed in collaboration withthe BBC with the first intake of 20 due tostart in September.

“We need to take a broad view and bringin people at all levels so the BBC candiversify its workforce,” added Inchbold.“It’s not just about writers and producers,but engineers, accountants and even peopleto make sandwiches.”

For further information:www.mediacityuk.co.ukwww.centralsalford.com

19

PIE FACTORYREINVENTSITSELFA dozen small production and TV servicecompanies have shown early faith in themediacity:uk concept by relocating theiroperations to The Pie Factory, a formerfood plant, which has been refitted as asound-stage complex.

Two major BBC films were under waywithin weeks of the 100,000 sq ft SalfordQuays studio and office facility opening inFebruary and production crews have shota number of commercials there.

Paul Abbott’s Tightrope Films joinedthe rush to put down roots there, alongwith a TV service company, Just Shoots,two castings agencies, an event stagingcompany and other enterprises.

“It’s just taken off and we’re full upuntil we can find some more space,”reports Chief Executive Andy Sumnerwho is celebrating another coup bysigning up BBC Outside Broadcasts as atenant. He describes the Pie Factory as“the first green shoots” of mediacity:uk.

The complex boasts warehouse sizeproduction and post-production spacesand will be the only major media centreon the site until the first BBC buildingsare completed in 2010-11. Up to 500people can be working on productionshoots at any one time.

Situated near Broadway Metrolink, theproject was “green lit” by John Whittaker,Chairman of mediacity:uk developersPeel Holdings in September last year,nine months before the BBC Trust gavethe go-ahead for the BBC move.

Ed Burrows, Property Director of PeelMedia Ltd, says The Pie Factory is “auseful proving ground for reassuringpeople that they are not going to abusiness park in the middle of nowhere.”

Iconic landscape – mediacity:uk will have a number of stunning design features

Hive of activity – inside the Pie Factory

Production powerhouse – the proposed studio block

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NEWS

Reclaiming the vast lime beds that wereonce so important to the chemical industryis central to a new land regenerationprogramme that is taking place acrossCheshire, mainly in the Weaver Valley.

REVIVE is an ambitious £17.3 millionprogramme funded by the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA)aimed at restoring 170 hectares of formerindustrial land to green landscape uses.

Richard Tracey, the Agency’s LandRegeneration Manager, says the aim ofREVIVE is to transform this large stock ofdisused land into an environmental assetthat contributes to the improvement of theregion's image, acting as a lever for inwardinvestment, as well as enhancing the qualityof life for local people.

While many derelict sites in Cheshire havealready been reclaimed to conventional 'hardend' economic uses, a significant number ofsites can’t be regenerated in this way,explains Tracey.

“Because we are dealing with legacy sitesfrom the chemical industry, there may be arequirement to do more investigations andrisk assessments in order to make themsafe for public access,” he says.

CHEMICAL LEGACYThe NWDA will be working in partnership

with Cheshire Council County at a number ofkey sites. In Crewe the emphasis will be ongreening railway sidings, screening eyesoresand generally improving the image of the areafor visitors arriving in the region by train.

Similar work will take place near Stanlowby the M53, while in Chester work willinvolve transforming disused railway tracksinto new multi-user routes for local people.

But it is the legacy of the chemical industry

that dominates REVIVE, particularly sites inWarrington and around the Weaver Valley.

“We have a number of lime beds which arebuilt up from the surrounding land to formlarge bunded lagoons,” explains Gareth Ellis,Land Regeneration Team Manager atCheshire County Council.

As the chemical industry has refined itsprocesses, the lime beds have becomeredundant. However, the alkaline waste hasproved attractive to some species of plantsand insects, such as the fragrant orchid anddingy skipper butterfly, which are not normallyfound in Cheshire’s more acidic conditions.

“The older beds can be ecologicallyinteresting, so the process of reclamationwill involve working with nature to enhancetheir potential, while also providing publicaccess for informal recreation,” he adds.

For an exemplar of what can be achieved,the council need look no further than thework they carried at Ashton’s and Neumann’sFlashes in the Northwich CommunityWoodlands, following Agency investment.

Just under two years ago they werevast expanses of alkaline paste but withsensitive reclamation they have beentransformed into a superb natural habitatand popular recreation area.

REVIVE also neatly dovetails withNewlands, the region’s largest landregeneration programme, and ensuresthat all the Northwest’s sub-regions nowhave their own soft end land usereclamation programmes.

20

INFRASTRUCTURE

For further information: Richard Traceytel: 01925 400100email: richard.tracey@nwda.co.uk

Bridge to the future – a new footbridge is planned across the River Weaver at Northwich

Newlands, the joint NWDA and ForestryCommission programme to developmulti-purposecommunitywoodlands on 900hectares ofbrownfield land isreceive a furtherinvestment of£36 million on top of the £23 millionalready committed to the project.

Work to restore and renovate the135 year-old Pugin-designed GortonMonastery, Manchester, has beencompleted. The £6 million community-led project has seen the Grade II listedbuilding converted into a cultural centrefor East Manchester.

Over 20 companies have located toLiverpool SciencePark in the 12months since thefirst building, the36,000 sq ftInnovation Centre(LINK), wascompleted. Work is to start on a secondlandmark building that will providespace and service for young scienceand technology businesses.

Environmental improvements tobusiness parks at Portland Basin,Tameside, and Winsford IndustrialEstate carried out by Groundwork havebrought new jobs and better productivity,according to a study by the Centre forLocal Strategies (CLES).

Rail journey times between Liverpooland Manchester will be reduced by40 minutes and fastservices betweenManchester andLeeds cut to43 minutes as partof Network Rail’splans to tacklebottlenecks affecting the region by 2014.Other improvements include provisionof more carriages and refurbishment ofBolton and Chester stations.

West Lakes Renaissance has beenawarded £8 million by the NWDAtowards infrastructure and sitepreparation for Ramsden BusinessPark, the first step in the developmentof the 23 ha (60-acre) BarrowWaterfront Business Park.

GIVING NATURE A HELPING HAND

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After an absence of over 30 years, theworld’s great cruise ships will once againbe able to berth at Liverpool’s Pier Head,thanks to the opening of a new multi-million pound cruise liner berthing facility.

The £19 million project, funded by theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), Mersey Waterfront Regional Park,the City Focus Single Regeneration Budgetand the European Regional DevelopmentFund, will help ensure that Liverpoolbecomes a major player in the burgeoningcruise market.

The September opening coincided with a40th birthday visit by the QEII and a total of21 cruise ships will make a call at Liverpoolduring 2007-08.

Liverpool City Council will own the berth withcruise manager Angie Redhead responsiblefor marketing the city to the InternationalCruise Companies as well as ensuringpassengers have a world-class experiencewhen exploring the city and the Northwest.

“Cruise ships are now so accessible toeverybody,” she explains. “They cater for allsocial groups and incomes, and the growthof the cruise industry is the fastest in thewhole of the tourism and leisure market.

“It’s phenomenal how many new ships arebeing built… and these are ships that arecarrying up to 3,000 passengers at a time.”

Crucially, at 350m long, the berth hasbeen designed to accommodate these newsuper ships. “The logistics of where ships

can now actually berth is becoming anissue,” continues Redhead. “There are onlyso many ports that can accommodate themand Liverpool is one.”

The return of the liners is also set to bringa tourism boom to the city. More than 25,000cruise passengers are already confirmed overthe next 18 months, and they are set to bringin around £2 million of extra spending to thecity. The facility is also creating 160 jobs.

The return of the cruise liners comes atthe same time as skills and training in theMersey’s maritime industries have received asignificant boost.

Two of Merseyside’s leading maritimeorganisations, the skills-focused LairdFoundation and the business-orientatedMersey Maritime, have merged to form theMersey Maritime Group.

Chief Executive Jim Teasdale says that thesector currently brings in some £2.5 billion ayear to the local economy and employs over26,000 people. The new group will help toaddress skills gaps that could affect thelong-term growth of the sector.

“There is actually more cargo on the rivernow than at any time in its history – and thevolumes are continuing to grow, all of whichis very positive for our sector and for thecity,” explains Teasdale.

“The new cruise liner terminal will help tobring about greater public awareness of theriver’s significance, and very obvious benefitsto the city’s economy in terms of tourismand jobs.”

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CRUISE LINERSRETURN TO LIVERPOOL

Grand farewell – the QEII on a final visit to Liverpool before sailing off into retirement in Dubai

Queen of the seas – the QEII berthed at Liverpool’s new cruise liner facility

For further information:www.cruiseliverpool.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Design concepts for major new schemes inthe Northwest are now under expertscrutiny by a regional Design Review Panel,which has already assessed its first 12projects including an observatory tower, abridge, village centre and a business park.

The Panel, which expects to review at least80 projects during its two-year pilot period,aims to improve the design quality of newsignificant schemes by offering expert adviceto architects, developers and planners at anearly stage.

Made up of over 35 professionals drawnfrom a variety of relevant disciplines, thePanel will meet 10 times a year at differentvenues across the region.

“Ensuring the right design in the builtenvironment is one of the most importantfactors in regeneration,” says landscaperarchitect Tom Lonsdale, Chair of the new body.

“The Panel offers constructive support andguidance to developers and planningauthorities bringing schemes forward. Ouraspiration is to create attractive placeswhere people want to live and work andensure that these places are trulysustainable for future generations.”

“THE AIM OF THE PANEL IS TOPROVIDE PEER REVIEW OFPROJECTS AT AN EARLY STAGEBEFORE A PLANNINGAPPLICATION IS SUBMITTED.”

PHIL BARTON

DIRECTOR

RENEW NORTHWEST

Symbol of regeneration – an idea of how theplanned Merseyside Observatory might look

DESIGN REVIEWS

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23

Lonsdale is a member of the nationalDesign Review Panel set up in 1999 by CABE(Commission for Architecture and the BuiltEnvironment), which has since reviewed over3,700 schemes, including over 400 in 2007.

The idea of regional panels is to extendand complement the national programme.Five members of the Northwest panelconsidered a diverse collection of schemesat its first meeting Ulverston in May.

On the agenda was the plan for a newMersey Observatory, to replace the existingCrosby Radar Tower, which a feasibility studyearlier this year concluded was unsuitablefor development as a visitor attraction.

Walter Menzies, Chief Executive of theMersey Basin Campaign, said: “This is a veryexciting and ambitious project which fallswithin the Mersey Waterfront Regional Park.

LANDMARK PROJECTS“The Tower is in a unique position to give a

360 degree view across to the Welsh hills,the Pier Head, into Liverpool’s working port,showing the river, the estuary, shipping,wildlife. We know from research that talltowers across the world are very popular –people are attracted to them,”

Plans for the Observatory are still at anearly stage but it’s thought it could become amajor tourist attraction for visitors, includingthose arriving by ship at the city’s new cruiseliner facility.

The Design Review Panel’s report was“very constructive”, says Menzies. “They gaveus an interesting set of insights and it wasvery useful to be provoked in that way. I thinkthe process is helpful, particularly forambitious projects.”

At its first meeting the Panel alsoreviewed a new bridge over the River Weaverat Northwich, close to the present bridgewhich was closed three years ago, and a

housing development and business park,both in Cumbria.

The second meeting in July at Crewebrought their expertise to bear on plans tocreate a new village centre, green space andplay area at the Tower Hill estate, Kirkby,Knowsley on Merseyside.

The Northwest Design Review Panel ispart of the Places Matter! Programme ledby the Regional Centre of Excellence forSustainable Communities, RENEWNorthwest, with the support of theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), CABE and the regional branch ofRIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)

“The aim of the Panel is to providepeer review of projects at an early stage,before a planning application is submitted,”explains RENEW Northwest DirectorPhil Barton.

“That will give time for the Panel’sinformed expert view on the quality of theproposals, and its suggestions as to howthey may be improved, to be considered bythe project proposers at a stage whererevisions will cost little and will not hold upthe statutory planning process.

“We also hope that the Panel’scomments will be reported to any futureplanning committee along with the planningofficer’s comments.”

The aim is to raise the quality of the designof landmark projects and increase theregional capacity to assess such schemes,which can then be adjusted and improved.

“We encourage anyone to approach us asearly as possible,” said Barton. “Earlyfeedback suggests that the regional designreview is already having an impact.”

As well as considering design, the panelis hoping to use the process progressively tolook at the environmental impact – thecarbon footprint – of any development.

Places Matter! has a number ofcomplementary strands including offeringexpert advice to public and private sectorclients and developers on new schemes andproviding research findings on the economicvalue of good design. It also includes aschools’ education programme, a supportand training network and a public realmgood practice guide.

For further information:www.renew.co.uk/placesmatter

A new Sustainable Standards forBuildings policy has been introduced bythe NWDA to address the environmentalimpact of significant new buildingschemes in the region.

In line with government strategy onclimate change and the sustainable useof resources, the new policy, approved inMay, sets out a clear vision for 2020 withthree headline targets for new buildings:

zero net carbon, zero net waste and zeronet water.

Between now and then, a progressive‘pathway’, which includes a star gradingsystem, will apply to all new buildings inwhich the Agency invests.

KNOCK-ON EFFECTMark Atherton, the NWDA’s Head of

Sustainable Development and ClimateChange, believes this approach is moresensible than insisting on “practicallyunachievable targets.”

He says: “We are the first RDA toinclude such stringent conditions in ourbuildings policy.

“In the medium term we hope to driveup the standards of construction, whichwe expect to have a knock-on effect onthe environmental technologies sector,as it becomes more involved insustainable development.”

He expects the policy to assist theregion’s drive towards a low carboneconomy, while acting as an exemplar todevelopers and local authorities, bydemonstrating what can be achieved.

DRIVING UP ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

Fun time – design advice was sought on anew play area at Kirkby

Star grading - new build schemes willhave to meet clear standards

FOR LANDMARK SCHEMES

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24

Transformation work on the 290-yearold Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool, hasreached the toppingout stage. The£12.5 million project,part-funded by theNWDA, involves theaddition of a new artswing, four new galleries, a 200-seatperformance space and completerestoration of the building and garden.

Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 2008initiative is expected to boost thecounty’s visitor economy by an estimated£15 million. The NWDA has approvedfunding support of £750,000 for theproject, which is designed tocomplement Liverpool’s year asEuropean Capital of Culture.

Sculptor Richard Wilson’s stunning newcommission for Liverpool’s Year asEuropean Capital of Culture, Turning thePlace Over, has beenlaunched. The workconsists of an eightmetre diameter ovoidcut from the façade ofCross Keys House,Moorfields which is made to oscillate inthree dimensions.

Cumbria Tourism has notched up£10 million in accommodation bookingsfor the county’s hotels, B&Bs and selfcatering businesses since it introducedits ‘golakes’ website four years ago.A survey has revealed that 31% ofvisitors book their visit on the internet.

Burnley’s Singing Ringing Tree artworkby Tonkin Liu, one of a series of iconic21st century landmarks across EastLancashire, has wona RIBA award forarchitecturalexcellence. The projectis part of the visionaryPanopticons initiativefunded by the NWDA and the LancashireEconomic Partnership.

Manchester raised its internationalvisitor profile in October by hosting the52nd convention of the Society of AmericanTravel Writers, the world’s largestgathering of professional travel journalists.The 500 delegates attending the four-dayevent heard a keynote speech fromanglophile writer Bill Bryson.

NEWS

QUALITY OF LIFE

The international art spotlight falls onLiverpool this autumn as the thoughtprovoking Turner Prize leaves London for thefirst time in 23 years to support the city’sEuropean Capital of Culture programme.

Four leading British artists are vying forthe iconic £25,000 prize, regarded by manyas a beacon of contemporary, cutting edgeart. It’s equally famous for stirring up scandaland notoriety for the type of art selected.

Tate Liverpool is spending £500,000staging an event that Director ChristophGrunenberg, who chairs this year’s jury,describes as “a fantastic curtain-raiser”for Capital of Culture.

An exhibition of the shortlisted artists willrun from October 19 2007, to January 132008, with the winner being announced atthe Albert Dock Gallery on December 3during a live broadcast by Channel 4. Therewill be a retrospective Turner Prize exhibitionrunning at the same time in London.

Tate Liverpool is one of the principalartistic drivers of the 2008 Capital of Culturecelebrations and is also planning anothertour de force next year by staging thiscountry’s first Gustav Klimt exhibition.FREE ADMISSION

The attention-grabbing Turner Prize hasbeen surrounded by controversy since it wasestablished in 1984, generating a mixed,often volatile, reaction from art lovers, criticsand politicians.

“That’s partly been its attraction,stimulating debate,” argues Grunenberg.“That debate happens on many different

levels, sometimes its pure outrage but itmakes people think about contemporary artand the different forms it can take.”

“You never know what will happen, but it’snot our intention to artificially create ascandal. It’s important that it’s a goodexhibition, that the best work is shown andtaken seriously.”

This year’s nominees are Mark Wallingerfor his Tate Britain installation, State Britain,Glasgow artist Nathan Colley, who makesinstallations frequently featuring architecturalstructures, Zarina Bhimji, a Ugandan Asianphotographer and film maker and MikeNelson, an installation artist.

To make it as accessible as possible, Tateis offering free admission to the exhibition,thanks to the sponsorship support of the ArtsCouncil England, Liverpool Culture Company,Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), Milligan and Tate Members.

An important contributor to the Northwestcultural economy, Tate Liverpool generated£15 million in visitor spend in 2006,according to studies carried out by TheMersey Partnership.

“Staging the UK’s most prestigious artexhibition and awards ceremony here will beinstrumental in encouraging more visitors tocome and experience the region’s outstandingartistic offering,” declares Peter Mearns,the NWDA’s Executive Director of Marketing.

Of the gallery’s 600,000 visitors about135,000 were specifically attracted to visitMerseyside by the Tate.

Christoph Grunenberg believes the Turner

TURNER PRIZERAISES CULTURALTEMPERATURE

Amnesiac Shrine – Mike Nelsontransports viewers to imaginary worlds

No border crossing – Zarina Bhimjiengages with universal human emotions

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Prize, the Klimt exhibition and the nowestablished Liverpool Biennial – the 2008festival is the fifth – will help to correct animbalance in art provision between Londonand the regions.

He says: “There is no reason why thecultural offering here in the Northwestshould not be as good as that in London.Sometimes the problem has been the lack ofcourage and ambition. What we do here is asgood as in London.”

SPECIAL SHOWTate Liverpool’s role as the cultural

standard bearer for regional cities in generalwill be reinforced when it stages theexhibition, Gustav Klimt: Painting, Designand Modern Living in Vienna 1900 (April 21-August 27 2008), an atmospheric recreationof elegant living in the Austrian capital.

The Albert Dock Gallery celebrates its 20thanniversary next year and is planning a bigweekend of events in May including a focuson the impact it has had on the regenerationof Liverpool.

Tate Liverpool has invested in betterfacilities to cope with an anticipated increasein visitors in 2008, including reconfiguringthe foyer area, improving cloakroom andhospitality spaces and re-developing thegallery shop.

Businesses like Liverpool law firm DLAPiper, sponsors of the Tate Collectionseries, and organisations such the NWDAhave become “critically important partners”in helping Tate Liverpool fund its exhibition,display, education and outreach activities,according to Executive Director Andrea Nixon.

“We’re ever ambitious to carry ontesting the range and quality of what we dobut we need to raise more of our ownresources to do so.”

This year the gallery will be raising over£1 million from non Tate sources to supportits various programmes.

25

CABBIES SWOT UPON MODERN ARTStep into a Liverpool taxi in the next fewmonths and there’s a fair chance you’llend up with a driver as well versedabout contemporary British art as he isabout Liverpool FC’s successes.

Anxious to reach the widest possibleaudience, Tate Liverpool has enlistedthe help of some 20 local cabbies in aunique cultural experiment to promotethe Turner Prize exhibition to out oftown visitors, business people andshoppers.

The Albert Dock Gallery has devisedan introductory course on modern artto help the taxi drivers understandmore about it.

“We want to give them confidence sothat when passengers ask about theTurner Prize they can respondinformatively or can initiateconversation,” explains ExecutiveDirector Andrea Nixon.

Tate will build a video record ofdialogue between drivers and willingpassengers, which can be played toTate visitors.

State Britain – Mark Wallinger’s workcommunicates unpalatable political truth

Camouflage Church, Santiago deCompostela – Nathan Colley’s installationsfrequently feature architectural structures

Cultural magnet – Tate Liverpool isa major visitor attractionFor further information: www. tate.org.uk/

turnerprize

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QUALITY OF LIFE

One of the initiatives being considered willcombine a regional, offsetting-styleemissions scheme with a carbon-reductionfund available to both consumers andbusinesses.

It would have four main strands –developing a region-wide access to a C02Pledge reduction programme, anincentivised prize challenge for groups andcommunities and a ‘payback’ lottery forunavoidable emissions that can’t be cut,which will result in a ‘Northwest ClimateChange Fund.’

It is one of a number of projects that willpotentially benefit from a £23.5 millionportfolio of investment being made overthree years by the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA) to address thecauses and effects of climate change.

The Agency used World Environment Dayon June 5 to announce that approval for thefunding had been granted in principle. Theinvestment will be used to implement thecontinued delivery of the Northwest ClimateChange Action Plan.

“The threats of climate change are seriousso our response must be equally substantialand serious,” stressed Steven Broomhead,the NWDA’s Chief Executive.

“The increasing need for environmentalmeasures such as efficient energy wastemanagement, renewable energy productionand adapting to the likely effects of climatechange is paramount. Our mission is tomake England’s Northwest the leading

region on tackling climate change.”The Northwest Climate Change

Partnership (NWCCP), chaired by ProfessorNick Jenkins of the North West EnergyCouncil, has been charged with overseeingimplementation of the Climate ChangeAction Plan ‘Rising to the Challenge.’

It is proposed that £6 million of theNWDA’s investment package will be used tofund a fully regional, comprehensiveenvironmental business support programmelinked into Business Link Northwest anddelivered by the ENWORKS partnership.

ECONOMIC GAINThe project has a dual aim – to boost

business competitiveness and productivity byimproved resource efficiency and reducingexposure to environmental risk, and toreduce carbon emissions, water and materialusage and divert waste from landfill.

There was further proof of the region’scommitment on tackling climate change inAugust when the NWCCP published theresults of a perceptions study, a key stage inits campaign to change attitudes on thesubject.

The findings show clear evidence thatpeople and businesses are taking action totackle climate change. Over 68% of thosequestioned – 550 individuals and businesseswere surveyed – believe they are doingsomething to help slow down climate changebut are aware that there is more they can do.

Many of the businesses questioned were

optimistic about climate change, recognisingthe potential for economic gain throughtackling the issue. However, the study alsorevealed that whilst climate change is animportant issue their level of concern aboutit reduced over the longer term.

Mark Atherton, Head of EnvironmentalSustainability at the NWDA, described thestudy as “a key baseline” for the NWCCP inhelping to measure improved awareness ofthe causes of climate change and theactions needed to address them.

“The challenge now is to build on this andensure that the Northwest is equipped totackle the environmental challenges aheadand take advantages of the opportunities achanging climate presents.”

For further information;www.climatechangenorthwest.com

STUDY FINDINGSThe climate change perceptions studyidentified four categories of peoplewithin the Northwest.

20% of people are doing nothing toaddress climate change

40% of people are thinking about doingsomething but haven’t yet done anything

40% of people are doing something butcould do more

20% of people believe they are doing allthey can to address climate change

Weather warning – the threats from climate change are serious

MEASURES TO COMBATCLIMATE CHANGEThe Northwest is forcing the pace on tackling climate change by introducing a wide range ofpractical and in some case novel solutions to move the region to a low carbon economy by 2020.

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27

Manchester will be buzzing with passionand excitement next year as the city hosts aseven-month, multi-million pound fiesta ofinternational sport that will draw in topathletes from all over the world.

Dubbed Manchester World Sport 08, fivemajor events will be staged between Marchand October generating an estimated£16.6 million for the region’s visitor economyand reinforcing Manchester’s prestige as ashowcase venue for world-class sport.

Civic leaders and event organisers arepromising 2008 will be a vintage year ofsporting spectaculars that will include theWorld Short-Course SwimmingChampionships, the World Track CyclingChampionships, the UEFA Cup Final and theWorld Squash Championships.

Manchester City Council has worked witha number of organisations, including theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), to capture these high-profileevents. They are expected to lead to 180,000bed night bookings.

Eamonn O’Rourke, the Council’s Head ofLeisure, said it was the single biggest yearof global sport in Manchester since the XVIICommonwealth Games in 2002.

“We are now developing a major sportsportfolio that will deliver significanteconomic, social and cultural benefits toManchester while profiling the city and theregion to an international audience.

“Furthermore we are providingopportunities for home athletes to make thebest possible preparations for both theOlympic Games and Paralympic Games inBeijing next year and in London in 2012.”

The action-packed series of events in2008 will begin with the Velodrome, theNational Cycling Centre, hosting the UCITrack Cycling World Championships (March26-30). Competing will be 300 of world’sbest racing cyclists.

Over 650 of the world’s best short-courseswimmers from 120 countries will convergeon Manchester the following month to takepart in the 9th FINA World SwimmingChampionships (25m) (April 9-13). Two hugetemporary pools will be built at the MENarena for the five-day event, the first of itskind to be held in the UK.

BIGGEST PRIZEOn May 14 Manchester will join an elite

band of cities who have staged the UEFACup. The final of the 2008 tournament,which involves 80 clubs across Europe, willbe played at the City of Manchester Stadiumand televised live in over 200 countries.

Later that month the BUPA GreatManchester Run (May 18) will take place inthe city centre. Recognised as one of theworld’s great road running competitions,the 10 km race will also provide spectatorswith a chance to cheer on an all-star castof celebrities and thousands of charity andfun runners.

Manchester’s will again be in theinternational spotlight when it becomes thefirst UK city to host the Hi-Tec World SquashChampionships 2008 at the National SquashCentre at Sportcity (October 12-19). It isrecognised as the most important event inthe world squash calendar and the biggestprize on the professional circuit.

The main draw for the tournament willsee 64 players compete in the Men’sChampionship and 32 players in theWomen’s Championship with representationfrom 40 countries. Manchester will alsostage the qualifying rounds immediatelypreceding the main competition.

The NWDA is supporting ManchesterWorld Sport 08 as part of its contribution tothe Regional Major Events Strategy.In particular, the NWDA is a leading sponsorof the world swimming championships andthe world squash championships.

Over the last three years eventssupported by the Agency have resulted in1.7 million visitors, 200,000 bed nights and a£58 million contribution to the regionaleconomy as well as 36 hours of nationaltelevision coverage.

For further information:www.manchestersporttalks.com

SPORTING ELITE HEAD FOR MANCHESTER

All star cast – celebrities plan to compete inthe BUPA Great Manchester Run

Making a splash – 650 of the world-best short-course swimmers will compete in Manchester

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NOTEBOOK

PEOPLEIN THEREGION

NEW UNIVERSITYOF LIVERPOOLVICE-CHANCELLORDistinguished administrator Sir HowardNewby, a former Chief Executive of theHigher Education Funding Council forEngland (HEFCE), has been appointed ViceChancellor of the University of Liverpool.He succeeds Professor Drummond Bonewho retires in September 2008.

He is currently Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity of the West of England (UWE) inBristol having also been Vice-Chancellorof the University of Southampton from 1994to 2000.

Sir Howard has held a number ofdistinguished posts within and outsidehigher education. He is a former Chairmanand Chief Executive of the Economic andSocial Research Council (ESRC) and aformer President of Universities UK.

A professor of Sociology, he is an experton rural England and spent eight years as aRural Development Commissioner. SirHoward was made a CBE in 1995 for hisservices to social science and was knightedin 2000 for his services to higher education.

EDMUNDSENRESPONSIBLEBUSINESSCHAMPIONDave Edmundsen, Chief Executive ofBurnley Football Club and Chairman of theCommunity Sports Trust, is the Prince ofWales’ 2007 Ambassador on CorporateResponsibility in the Northwest. Hesucceeds Bryan Gray, Chair of the NWDAwho held the award in 2006.

The award was announced at a Businessin the Community Awards for Excellencedinner in Manchester in June. Dave wasselected for his influential role as a catalystfor social and economic within NorthwestCommunities.

Already an ambassador for theBetterBurnley Campaign, he is also amember of the Prince of Wales’ Seeing isBelieving Alumni. Burnley is seen as an areawith huge potential for effective, high impactbusiness community partnerships.

She has worked in the environmental fieldfor 25 years and aims to champion recreationand access to natural environments as apreventative public health solution.

She was previously Regional Director of theCountryside Commission and has held severalnational roles including delivery of the MarketTowns Initiative, where the NWDA is a key partner.

HEALTHEXPERT INDIVERSITYROLEEvelyn Asante-Mensah has joined theNWDA as Head of Equality and Diversity.She was previously a Strategic Adviserfor Government Office for the NorthWest (GONW) on secondment from theBlack Health Agency (BHA).

Her role will be to ensure that all theNWDA’s investment and programmesbenefit the whole region and that allgroups at risk of disadvantage are fullyengaged in the Agency’s strategy andprogramme development.

Evelyn worked for BHA for 13 years atregional and national levels spendingseven years as Chief Executive. She holdsa number of public appointmentsincluding Chair of Manchester PrimaryCare Trust and membership of the EqualOpportunities Commission and the Healthis Wealth Commission.

GUARDIAN OF THE COUNTRYSIDENatural England, the new body set up toconserve and enhance biodiversity,landscape and wildlife, has appointedoutdoors enthusiast Liz Newton fromStockton Heath, Warrington, as its newDirector for the Northwest.

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NORTHWESTAUTOMOTIVEAMBASSADOR TOSIT ON REGIONALADVISORY GROUP

Tom Schmidt, of General Motors, has beenappointed onto the National SkillsAcademy’s Regional Advisory Group.

Tom is Plant Director of General Motors(GM) in Ellesmere Port and has 28 years ofmanufacturing experience with the companyacross the globe. He has been assigned tooverseas assignments three times andhas managed manufacturing facilities infour GM regions including Latin Americaand the Middle East, Asia Pacific and NorthAmerica, in addition to Europe.

The National Skills Academy forManufacturing is a central part of thegovernment’s skills strategy. In his role onthe Regional Advisory Group, which wasestablished to identify the skills needs ofemployers and enable the Skills Academyto develop solutions to meet these needsagainst national standards, Tom willrepresent the needs of the automotivesector across the Northwest.

TOP TMP ROLE FOR LORRAINE Former lawyer and investment bankerLorraine Rogers, currently Chairman ofTranmere Rovers FC, is the new ChiefExecutive of The Mersey Partnership,which has responsibility for encouragingeconomic growth, investment and tourismin the sub-region.

A specialist in corporate law, she trainedwith a London-based law firm beforeworking with Barclays de Zoete Wedd and

later Hambros Bank advising internationalcompanies on corporate investments,especially in the financial services sector.

She is a prominent figure in the public,business, cultural and sporting life ofMerseyside. She is a Trustee of the NationalMuseums Liverpool, Chair of the RoyalLiverpool Philharmonic Society and wasrecently appointed to the Board of TheFootball League for a second term.

PROMOTION FORNICK STORER

Chemical engineering graduate NickStorer, who has 20 years of experiencehelping a range of industries reduce theirenvironmental impacts, is the new ChiefExecutive of Envirolink Northwest, thebusiness support organisation for energyand environmental technologies.

During his four years with Envirolink hesecured funding for a major expansion ofground breaking work with the region’swaste and recycling sector.

He has worked at a senior level in industryand was previously consulting group directorwith the consulting firm Enviros where heplayed a lead role in the development ofReMaDe projects across the UK includingthe Clean Merseyside Centre.

NEW CREATIVE LEADER FORLIVERPOOL CULTURE COMPANYFormer Mersey Television owner PhilRedmond will lead the culturalprogramme for Liverpool’s Capital ofCulture year following a restructuring ofthe Culture Company Board.

The new slimmed down Board, whichwill be chaired by NWDA Chairman BryanGray, has been put in place to ensure thatit is able to react more quickly and fasttrack decisions for the 08 schedule. PhilRedmond has been appointed DeputyChairman with responsibility for creative direction.

Phil, best known for creating three ofBritain’s longest running dramaprogrammes, Grange Hill, Brookside andHollyoaks, has a wealth of experience inthe cultural sector.

He has written extensively for radio,television and stage and is a foundermember of the first regional branch of theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts(BAFTA) in Manchester, a council member

of the Independent Producer’s Associationand a former national negotiator for theWriter’s Guild of Great Britain. In 1996,Phil was elected as Fellow of Royal Societyof Arts and in 1997 he was also appointedVice Chair of the newly created North WestFilm Commission andbecame a Patron ofthe Commission inJuly 1999. He wasawarded a CBEin June 2004 for‘services todrama in theQueen’s BirthdayHonours list.

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Liverpool Arena – new multi-purpose venue

OCTOBER

NORTHWEST TOURISM AWARDSAnnual Oscars for the best and

brightest in tourismManchester Central

10OCT

TURNER PRIZE AWARDS Gala ceremony to announce the

winnerTate Liverpool

3DEC

ROYAL VARIETY PERFORMANCE Famous artists perform in the

presence of HM The QueenLiverpool Empire Theatre

3DEC

CBI BUSINESS AWARDS Honouring the region’s top business

performersMidland Hotel, Manchester

7DEC

OPENING OF LIVERPOOL ARENA ANDCONVENTION CENTRE

Iconic new venue for business, sport andentertainmentKings Waterfront, Liverpool

11JAN

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JANUARY 2008

KENDAL MOUNTAIN FILMFESTIVAL

An extravaganza of films, books, art,photography and moreBrewery Arts Centre, Kendal and othervenues

9-18NOV

EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURECELEBRATIONS BEGIN

A weekend of showcase eventsVarious Liverpool venues

11-13JAN

10TH MANCHESTER FOOD & DRINKFESTIVAL AWARDS

Celebrating a decade of decadenceTown Hall, Manchester

15OCT

THE NEXT BIG THINGInspiring the next generation of

entrepreneursThe Printworks, Manchester

15NOV

FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME AWARDSInducting new members into an

exclusive clubOld Trafford, Manchester

15NOV

THIRD UK-US MANUFACTURINGSUMMIT

The revolution starts here – workshops,seminars and best practice Old Trafford, Manchester

16-18OCT

NORTHWEST FOOD LOVERSFESTIVAL

Guaranteed to excite the taste budsTatton Park, Cheshire

27-28OCT

EVENTS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

30

For further information www.nwda.co.uk/events

ART07 AWARDSRising stars of the region’s creative

industriesManchester Town Hall

17OCT

NWDA ANNUAL CONFERENCEAND AGM

Reviewing the region’s economic progress Manchester Central

18OCT

TURNER PRIZE EXHIBITIONOPENS

Provincial debut for the world’s mostprestigious art prizeTate Liverpool

19OCT-13 JAN

Oscar ceremony – awards for toptourism companies

Theatre of dreams – venue forHall of Fame Awards

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

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

KEY CONTACTS

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

STEVEN BROOMHEADChief ExecutiveTel: 01925 400 133Email: Steven.Broomhead@nwda.co.uk

IAN HAYTHORNTHWAITEExecutive Director,ResourcesTel: 01925 400 116Email: Ian.Haythornthwaite@nwda.co.uk

MARK HUGHESExecutive Director,Enterprise and SkillsTel: 01925 400 531Email: Mark.Hughes@nwda.co.uk

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

PETER MEARNSExecutive Director, MarketingTel: 01925 400 212Email: Peter.Mearns@nwda.co.uk

FIONA MILLSDirector of Human PerformanceTel: 01925 644 422Email: Fiona.Mills@nwda.co.uk

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

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

The NWDA manages alloperations from itsHeadquarters at:

HEAD OFFICE

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

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

PETER WHITEExecutive Director, DevelopmentTel: 01925 400 299Email: Peter.White@nwda.co.uk

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