315°

THE RDA MAGAZINE JUNE 2009 ISSUE 18

College life Investment in education is thecatalyst for Pennine revival

Green spacesRegeneration continues to healthe scars of industrial past

Show timeThe Manchester InternationalFestival returns

GRANTAIDAgency acts to preparebusinesses for the upturn

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THE THIRD DEGREE

Peter Salmon

BUSINESS

New fund to ease cash flow problems

Business Angels offer growing

investment opportunities

Pump priming the regional economy

Fund lays the foundations for a low

carbon future

Taking the lead on a burning issue

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

College to help bridge Pennine

skills gap

Nurturing talent, building loyalty

University to aid creative fortunes

PEOPLE AND JOBS

Pennine towns set to embrace

a high-tech future

Rapid response to the downturn

Warrington’s renaissance

INFRASTRUCTURE

Keeping the region moving

England’s green and pleasant land

QUALITY OF LIFE

Festival forges Manchester’s

cultural links

Success story that’s full of

regional charm

‘Cultural dynamite’ brings the

Lakes to life

NOTEBOOK

People in the region

Agency provides massive boost to

regional economy

Event highlights

Getting in touch

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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

NWDAErica Boardmanemail: erica.boardman@nwda.co.uktel: 01925 400 217

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

315°

COLLEGE LIFEThe second phase of amaster plan to redevelopBlackburn College willopen its doors to over 600pupils in September.

GREEN SPACESA host of innovative landregeneration projects acrossthe Northwest are bringingnew life to some of theregion's brownfield land.

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THE RDA MAGAZINE JUNE 2009 ISSUE 18

SHOW TIMEThe ManchesterInternational Festivalreturns to the city thissummer with anotherimpressive line-up of worldpremieres and a bold newemphasis on free events.

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This is solid evidence of the NWDA’s abilityto deliver real economic change on theground. Importantly, these results onlydemonstrate part of our impact and we knowthere will be more value to come.

Ten years on from its inception, theAgency’s role continues to evolve, and theSub-National Review (SNR) has highlightednew responsibilities for RDAs, includingdeveloping single integrated regionalstrategies, bringing together economic,spatial and housing strategies. In theNorthwest, this will mean an enhanced andchanging role for the Agency and new ways ofpartnership working via a joint planning andinvestment business model.

The Northwest is once again leading theway and we are the first region to beginworking on this. Consultation on thePrinciples and Issues Paper is now completeand the Agency and 4NW will now begin workon the draft strategy, which we will beconsulting on later this year.

It is vital to ensure that we don’t lose sightof our long-term aims, whilst making sure werespond robustly to the current economicclimate. The development of the RegionalStrategy will ensure that, working inpartnership, we are in the strongest positionpossible to realise our long-term goals forthe Northwest.

We reacted quickly to the changingeconomic conditions, and our supportpackage of over £200 million for Northwestbusinesses is making a real difference inimproving access to finance for the region’scompanies. This issue of 315° highlightssome of the support available and how it isbenefiting the region’s businesses.

The RDA’s strategic leadership rolecontinues to be vital in the currentchallenging economic conditions and it isessential for us to learn lessons and ensurethe best value for money for our futureinvestments. The Agency welcomes thefindings of the PricewaterhouseCoopersreport into the economic impact of RDAs,commissioned by the Government, whichshows that for every £1 invested by the RDAs,an average of £4.50 of economic output wasput back into the regional economies.

This means that the RDAs have quadrupledtheir £5.1 billion of evaluated expenditureduring this time, with an overall return oninvestment of over £23 billion. Sixty-five of theNWDA’s programmes and projects wereassessed, which showed that the Agencyperformed better than the national average. Italso highlighted a number of Agency-investedprojects which made a significant return ontheir initial investment.

Examples included Agenda for Change, themanufacturing support service which hascontributed £45 million to the region’s GVAagainst an investment of £10 million, andProject Unity, the creation of a world-classuniversity for Manchester which has achieved£54 million in GVA against a £20 millioninvestment and levered in £145 million ofthird party investment into the university’sspin-out companies.

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

ADDING VALUE As the tough economic climate continues to create challenges for theNorthwest economy, the NWDA remains committed to focusing itsresources and leadership on supporting our businesses and communitiesthrough the downturn.

Bryan Gray CBE,Chairman,June 2009

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THE THIRD DEGREE

“WHAT IS FANTASTIC IS TO BE ABLETO CREATE THE KIND OF JOBS ANDTHE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES FORLOCAL YOUNGSTERS THATWEREN’T AVAILABLE TO PEOPLELIKE ME. I LIKE THAT – THAT’SPART OF THE MISSION.”

PETER SALMON DIRECTOR

BBC NORTH

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What was the appeal of becoming the firstdirector of BBC North?

It was the scale of the job - there’s nothingelse that’s quite like it. To be honest, if ithad been in Penzance on this scale, orAberdeen, I probably would have fancied it.The bonus was that it was back here in theNorth of England.

So your roots are still very much inthe North?

I lived in Burnley for my first 20 years – infact I hardly left! Manchester was my firstwindow on the big wide world. It was an edgycity; it wasn’t as pretty then, it was rough andtough. Now it’s a really sophisticated andenergetic place.

What’s the thinking behind BBC North?The BBC seemed quite remote to me when

I was a kid. It had a very small operation in theNorth of England, and Granada was king.I love Northern stories, the Northernlandscape and the Northern media tradition.This was the diet I grew up on, these were thestories that nourished me.

I’m interested in the whole of the North,from Crewe to Newcastle, and seeing whetherwe can change the dynamics between theBBC and the licence fee payers right acrossthe whole region. It’s a formidable challenge.

So why Manchester?Manchester is one of the two or three

biggest cultural destinations in the UKand that seems to me to be a good placeto site the BBC’s second biggestbroadcasting centre.

Manchester hasn’t just beenentrepreneurial, energetic and inventive, it’salso been a place which has opened its doors.Manchester has an open mind, an open

How has the current downturnaffected things?

There’s a really lively media scene acrossthe whole of the North of England and it’sfinding the current economic downturn reallydifficult. It’s tough for everybody, but most ofall for small and medium sized businesses.I think we have an obligation to talk to them,find out what their needs are and how we cansupport each other. We’ve got to help peopleto survive as much as we can so that we canmeet up at the other end of the recession.

Will the BBC maintain a presence in placeslike Blackburn and Carlisle?

The regional and local network that we’vegot is really important. They speak with a toneof voice, they have a personality and they havethe contacts that the rest of us don’t have.I want to build on that. They are already doinggreat things in the field, the interesting thingfor me now is connecting all that up withinBBC North.

Will you miss the old BBC site on OxfordRoad in Manchester?

It’s served its time… we’ve worn the buildingout! I love the location, the foot fall of all thestudents, the chip papers, the cafes, the latenight scene… but times have changed.

So in a nutshell, what are you lookingforward to most now you’re back inthe Northwest?

I’m looking forward to the warmth of thepeople, the hills and the chance to seeBurnley play football a bit more! But most ofall it’s the energy of the North I love – it’s adynamic place, a colourful place and, most ofall, a fun place.

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For further information:www.mediacityuk.co.uk

culture and if you’re going to be one of theleading city’s in Europe, then you’ve got to bethat way. You close your mind, and you loseyour opportunities.

MediaCityUK has been dubbed ‘the world’smost advanced broadcasting centre’ – what’sso special about it?

Everything at the BBC is rapidly becomingdigitised, where people access all the contentthey need on their desktops. Equally, a lot ofthe people we serve are accessing BBCcontent through the internet; they’re notswitching on the telly as much, they’reconsuming it when they want to and that’spart of the challenge.

We have to build a centre that can servicethat proposition. We’re creating a place whichallows our programme makers to share visualand audio material more easily and we’reworking with partners to provide us withcutting edge technology.

That suggests there will be opportunitiesfor regional companies to become involved?

If you’re ambitious you need to work with arange of partners from a lot of differentsectors. They all bring different skills, they allbring different contacts.

There are a lot of things beginning tohappen already because our programmemakers want to start to prepare the groundbefore they move here in large numbers.We’re going to need independent televisionand radio companies, technology firms, andwe want to work with learning organisationsacross the North of England too.

What is fantastic is to be able to create thekind of jobs and the kind of opportunities forlocal youngsters that weren’t available topeople like me. I like that – that’s part ofthe mission.

This month Peter Salmon becomes the first director of BBC North, a post that will be based at MediaCityUK inSalford. A Burnley lad born and bred, Salmon has been a key figure in broadcasting over the last 20 years, withprevious stints at the BBC book-ending successful spells at both Granada and Channel Four. His new wide-rangingrole will see him head up several departments including BBC Sport, 5 Live, and BBC Children.

PETER SALMON

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Launched in January by Lord Mandelson,so far it has helped 50 companies – many ofwhich are in the region’s priority businesssectors - with short-term loans totallingnearly £4 million.

David Read, Head of the NWDA’s Financefor Business team, reports a “significantdemand for loans from companies that havehad either their bank funding facilities reducedor withdrawn due to the banking crisis.”

One of the first beneficiaries of the TLF isLaila’s Fine Foods, a Blackpool-basedproducer of ready-made meals. The companyexpects a three-fold increase in turnover in2009 largely on the strength of contracts tosupply supermarket groups across the UKand Europe.

The business, which has secured arepayable loan of £250,000, began life in LailaRemtulla’s kitchen in Lytham and has sincegrown to the stage where is it is producing35,000 meals a day across 200 different lines.

SUSTAINING GROWTHSales and Technical Director Zera

Remtulla, the founder’s daughter, sayssustaining such rapid growth in the presenteconomic climate, especially with thetightening of credit across the supply chain,was no easy feat and the loan would helpreduce the negative effects of the recessionon the business.

“We have to invest in raw materials andpackaging before we can get our productsout of the building and the loan will help ourcash flow problems,“ she explained. Thecompany expects to boost its workforce by 40to 160 in the summer.

SAFEGUARDING JOBSAnother business to have benefited is

Leyland-based Norlec Engineering, whichhas received £250,000 from the fund, cashwhich will safeguard nearly 100 jobs as wellas helping the sheet metal supplier preparefor future growth.

Martin Clifford, Finance Director at Norlec,says that since mid 2008 the company hasbeen taking steps to bring new customers onboard to replace a decline in sales fromtraditional markets.

“We have been very successful indoing this but, due to the timing of thesenew sales, we needed some new finance tosupport us during the transition,” heexplains. “The NWDA provided this financewith a minimum of paperwork and withina short time scale, enabling us to safeguardjobs not only at Norlec but at our suppliersas well.”

For further information:www.nwda.co.uk/financewww.businesslinknw.co.uk

NEWS

BUSINESS

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Galanz, one of the world’s largestmanufacturers of home electricalappliances, is to set up its UK HQ inManchester. The NWDA has beenworking closely with the Chinesecompany to secure the move, whichwill create at least ten new jobs as wellas spearheading the company’sexpansion into UK markets.

Farming across Cumbria is at thecentre of a new scheme aimed atimproving efficiencyand supportinginitiatives with newcapital grants. Thefour year, £18 millionNorthwest LivestockProgramme will be managed by theNWDA, and will place a strongemphasis on helping farms to operateon a more sustainable footing.

Businesses from Ellesmere Port andthe surrounding area are joining forceswith the Borough Council to fund aunique marketing proposal for thetown. The initiative has been set up topromote the quality commercial spaceavailable in the area.

Northwest Vision and Media is now thesole agency for all creative and digitalindustries in the region, after receivingan additional£3 million in fundingfrom the NWDA. It’sestimated that thesector generates£18.5 billion of grossvalue added, which is 16% of theNorthwest’s total output.

Sixteen Northwest companies won aprestigious Queen's Awards forEnterprise this year – twice as many aswere honoured in 2008. Eleven of thecompanies won awards forInternational Trade, four for Innovationand one for Sustainable Development.

Manchester Airport has unveiledplans to develop a 'mini-city' on a30 acre site adjacent to the airport.The developmentwill see a hugeexpansion of retail,leisure, conferencingand commercialactivities across thecomplex and in the surrounding area.

NEW FUNDTO EASECASH FLOWPROBLEMS

The Agency has further responded to the current cash flow problems facing small andmedium size companies (SMEs) by setting up a £10 million Transitional Loan Fund (TLF).

Appetite for growth – Laila's Foodsis preparing for the upturn

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As the recession continues to bite, andfunding becomes harder to obtain, moreNorthwest companies are turning to theregion’s network of Business Angels to helpfund their business’s growth.

Northwest Business Angels is a 120-strongnetwork of private investors that is enjoyinga surge in popularity due to the currenteconomic climate. Run by the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA),the Business Angels service looksto match fledgling companies seekingfinance with private investors looking forinvestment opportunities.

“It’s a sort of marriage bureau with theNorthwest Business Angels acting as themarriage broker,“ explains Business AngelsAdviser John Christian, who helped host theMarch meeting of the Northwest BusinessAngels Investors. More than 50 Angelsattended the meeting, which saw fourcompanies pitching for investment.

HIGH REWARD“Companies are usually at a pre-trading

stage or early stage development prior tocommercialisation,” continues Christian.“Average investment is about £100,000 butseveral Angels can come together to invest upto £500,000 in a single company. It’s high riskbut there’s also the potential for high rewards”.

The pitching concept is similar to the BBC’s‘Dragon’s Den’ style of presentation withcompanies having ten minutes to ‘sell’ theirproducts, services and ideas to an audience ofinvestors, many of whom are successfulentrepreneurs who, having sold a business,have money to invest.

BRIGHT FUTUREIt is estimated that a third of companies

pitching for investment strike deals withBusiness Angels, and a third get offers. A recentsuccess story is regional independent TVproduction company YoYo Media, whichsecured £250,000 from two Angels.

Established by Jo Hallows, previously Headof Drama at Mersey Television, the companyhas assembled a top team of industryprofessionals to build a financially successfulcompany with a projected turnover of£13 million by 2011.

She said the NWDA offered invaluableinformation and structured guidance onhow to make a successful pitch and thecompany was now looking forward to a“very bright” future.

“The two Angels who have invested in thecompany not only helped YoYo Mediafinancially, but they also brought a wealth ofbusiness acumen and contacts,” she says.

Other recent successes include a company

that makes male grooming products, UltraSkincare Ltd, which raised £340,000 fromthree investors, and a revolutionary plumbingproduct business that raised £60,000.Investors tend to exit in four or five years,hopefully with a handsome profit.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of theNWDA, is appealing for more potentialinvestors to join the Business Angels networkand welcomes companies from almost anyindustry sector and at any stage ofdevelopment to make use of the service.

“This free service is truly one of the UK’sbest ways to develop good ideas into a strong,successful business venture,” he explains.

“Investing in a growing company can behugely rewarding – Business Angelsunquestionably bring much more to a projectthan just financial assistance. They are able tooffer expert guidance and support, bestpractice advice and a means to turn potentialopportunities into tangible success.”

For further information:www.nwbusinessangels.co.uk

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BUSINESS ANGELS OFFERGROWING INVESTMENTOPPORTUNITIES

“THIS FREE SERVICE IS TRULY ONEOF THE UK’S BEST WAYSTO DEVELOP GOOD IDEAS INTOA STRONG, SUCCESSFULBUSINESS VENTURE.”

STEVEN BROOMHEADCHIEF EXECUTIVE

NWDA

In the can – YoYo Media are also benefitingfrom the business skills of their Angels

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BUSINESS

Merseyside has received a timely boost toits industrial fortunes with the opening of aNorthwest facility by Sulzer Pumps (UK) Ltdin Bootle, an investment that has helpedreduce the impact caused by the closure ofthe nearby Rolls Royce site and the loss of200 skilled jobs.

With its Leeds factory operating at fullcapacity, the company, part of Swiss-ownedSulzer AG, needed to find an alternativeproduction location to cope with its fastgrowing order book and found the AtlanticPark facility offered an ideal solution.

Sulzer Pumps (UK) Ltd is a leadingsupplier of engineered pumps to the globaloil and gas and power sectors. The expansioninto the Northwest was made possibleby a £550,000 award from the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA)under the Grants for Business Investment(GBI) scheme.

“The real attractions of Bootle were theskill sets and experience of the former RollsRoyce workers, not the facility itself,” explainsCommercial Director Bob Foulkes. All but oneof the 43 staff recruited for the Merseysidefacility were redundant Rolls Royce workers.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of theNWDA, said the demise of the Rolls Royceoperation was a significant blow to thestability of the local economy. “With 200 jobslost it was important we worked quickly with

Sulzer to establish a similar operation toalleviate any further distress.”

GBI is one of a number of grants and loanscurrently being offered by the Agency to helpcompanies counter the negative effects of therecession, most of which can be accessedthrough Business Link Northwest (BLNW).

Formerly known as Selective Finance forInvestment in England (SFI), GBI is beingdeployed to drive up productivity, innovationand competitiveness among SMEs in theNorthwest’s priority business sectors, butalso provide support to large companies incertain areas of the region.

SUPPORT FOR SMESGBI is available in its new form to SMEs

anywhere in the region through an area-related tiered structure, whereas itspredecessor could only be accessed inspecific Assisted Areas. Grant supportranges from 10% to 45% of projects costswith an upper internal approval award limitof £250,000.

Another scheme which has also increasedits scope is the Grant for Research andDevelopment programme, which willcontinue to provide funds to help SMEsovercome the uncertainty created bytechnical and scientific risk which can stifleproduct and process innovation.

Carlisle-based Clark Door Ltd, for

NWDA award – the GBI scheme hashelped create local jobs

Expanded grantschemes are givingcompanies a newfound confidence totackle the recessionhead-on.

PUMP PRIMING THE R

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Hundreds of skilled jobs have beencreated or safeguarded as a result offinancial aid being offered to localcompanies through the Grant forBusiness Investment (GBI) scheme.

Valueworks, a cutting edge web-based solutions business expects todouble staff numbers to 123, increaseturnover and expand into new publicsector areas, starting with social andhealthcare, as a result of receiving a

£500,000 GBI grant from the NWDA. Business prospects also look rosy at

Lancaster-based G-T-P Group Ltd, UKmarket leader in the operation ofbusiness-to-business account cardschemes, as a result of securing a GBIgrant of £185,000.

The money will enable it to invest innew IT infrastructure and cardprocessing equipment, while leasingnew premises. It has a clear growth

strategy to become a major player in thecard management market and ifsuccessful should see its workforceincrease by 25 to 68 and turnover rise to£4.3 million.

Helen Child, Chief Executive at G-T-P,said: “Our strengths have been built onour heritage in the Northwest and theNWDA grant will allow us to continueour rapid growth, particularly in thepre-paid card market.”

example, will be using its £100,000 grant towork with computational experts to developan innovative horizontal air curtain to reduceenergy-loss in coldstores.

EASY TO ACCESS GRANTSA variety of research grants are also

available, with up to £20,000 for small-scaleprojects to develop preproduction prototypes,to £500,000 for larger, more strategicallyimportant projects.

Enhancements to the scheme include theopportunity for SMEs to obtain support toinvestigate markets for new products. Thisproof of market funding offers 60% support,with grants of between £5,000 and £20,000,while support for exceptional research

incentive for companies to invest inenvironmentally friendly equipment.

Launched in April with a funding pot of£4 million spread over three years, thescheme is aimed at reducing CO2 emissionsand lowering a company’s operating costs.BLNW is again the main contact point, withthe Access to Finance team offering supportin assessing the options.

Applicants will have to undergoenvironmental assessments carried out byGroundwork Trusts and if successful cansecure up to 50% of the capital costs ofequipment, with a limit of £200,000.

projects is also available with awards ofbetween £100,000 and £250,000.

Chris Greenhalgh, the Agency’s GrantStrategy Manager, reports a “high levelof interest” in the two schemes.“The message we are trying to get acrossis that small companies anywhere in theregion can apply for these grant fundsand by being proactive in the marketplacewe may well help companies countersome of the negative effects of theeconomic slowdown.”

The NWDA is further broadening the scopeof its support for industry by piloting acarbon reduction capital purchase awardsscheme, which is part funded by the region’sERDF programme. The aim is to create an

For further information: www.businesslinknw.co.uk

INVESTMENT THE KEY AS NORTHWEST COMPANIES BUCK THE TREND

Sulzer Pumps – expansion to theNorthwest has helped meet an

increased demand in orders

REGIONAL ECONOMY

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To find out more visit:www.climatefund.org.uk or call theFoundation team on 0161 237 3200.

The Northwest has taken anotherimportant step towards a low carbonfuture with the launch of Foundation,the first regional climate fund, which isset to deliver over £1 million a yearfor local, community-based carbon-reducing projects.

Foundation has been established to giveindividuals, businesses and otherorganisations the opportunity to donate tolocal community projects that are helping tocombat climate change, while also tacklingproblems like fuel poverty.

Businesses can visibly benefit frominvesting in the local area where theircustomers and staff live and work, and theirdonations will allow them to compensate forunavoidable emissions, as well as fulfilcorporate social responsibility goals.

While all the projects must realise areduction in carbon, they must also deliver awider range of additional benefits, includingsupporting families struggling to pay theirenergy bills, assisting local schools andcommunity groups, investing in ‘green collar’jobs, and ultimately developing the region’slow carbon economy. Foundation will alsohelp to support projects that struggle to findsupport elsewhere, as well as bringing infinance from other funding streams.

Managed by Groundwork Northwest andwith an initial investment of £1.6 millionfrom the Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA), Foundation has a target toraise an additional £3 million in donationsover the next two years.

The fund is already helping to supporta diverse range of projects across theregion, from installing photovoltaic panelsin schools, to introducing home ownersin fuel poverty to the benefits of woodburning stoves.

CARBON SINKAt the Astley Moss nature reserve, near

Leigh, a Foundation grant of £25,000 ishelping to restore and protect mosslandwhich is a superb natural carbon sink. Andover the life of the project, it could help saveover 620 tonnes of carbon from beingreleased into the atmosphere.

Another grant of over £15,000 is beingused to encourage employees at BirchwoodBusiness Park in Warrington to ditch theircars in favour of two wheels. Socialenterprise Bikeright! is providing cycletraining and maintenance so thatcommuters who live locally can startcycling to work, helping to reduce emissionsand cut congestion.

And the breadth of the projects is furtherillustrated by the £35,000 awarded to PendleBorough Council to help alleviate fuelpoverty. The grant is being used to buyultra-efficient boilers, as well as pay forinsulation in vulnerable households acrossthe borough.

HIGH PRIORITYSteven Broomhead, Chief Executive at the

NWDA, said: “The launch of Foundationcomes at a time when the issues of energyand climate change are becomingincreasingly high profile priorities on anational and international level. During thesechallenging economic times, it is moreimportant than ever that we employinnovative financing mechanisms to secureinvestment and encourage business supportto tackle climate change.

“Through innovation and resourcefulness,England’s Northwest will remain a leadingexemplar of effective action, preparing it forthe challenges of climate change andensuring a sound infrastructure to support alow-carbon global economy.”

FUND LAYS THEFOUNDATIONSFOR A LOWCARBON FUTURE

Brighter future – Sundog Energy are installing42 photovoltaic panels on the roof of the Queen

Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith

BUSINESS

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Extra layer – simple loft insulationcan make a huge impact when itcomes to cutting energy bills

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The Northwest is on the verge of abiomass revolution, and regionalcompanies are being urged to investigatethe huge possibilities of a fuel source thatis produced in massive quantities right ontheir doorstep.

Biomass involves using waste wood suchas old pallets and off cuts from theconstruction industry, which is turned intopellets and woodchip. The Northwest nowproduces some two million tonnes of thefuel a year, making it a central hub forbiomass supply throughout the UK.

Biomass can replace traditionalfossils fuels and lead to huge savings onannual fuel bills, especially for companieswith high energy needs operating insectors such as chemicals, food and drinkand textiles.

However, a recent survey by EnvirolinkNorthwest, the sector developmentorganisation for environmental technologyand services, has shown that the majorityof companies have yet to consider biomassas a viable alternative.

To change this, Envirolink is running a£750,000 project on behalf of theNorthwest Regional Development Agency

(NWDA) to increase the uptake of biomassenergy systems.

The programme will work withenergy intensive industries, particularlythose that are already engaged with theCarbon Trust, and which are subjectto the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.Assistance will include technologyappraisals, emissions modelling andenvironmental assessments.

CUTTING OVERHEADSNigel Blandford, Senior Sector

Development Manager at Envirolink,explains that recent biomass projectshave mainly concentrated on smallerschemes in rural areas. “This project inthe Northwest is unique in that itconcentrates on large scale industrialprocess heat users - companies whoseenergy bills from heat may be one of theirlargest overheads.”

The Northwest has the highest demandfor process heat in the UK, withmanufacturers consuming over 13,000GWh a year, the equivalent of the totalannual energy use of Manchester.

“We believe that there is the potential for

as much of a third of that to be supplied bybiomass,” continues Blandford, who saysthat at around 0.5 pence per kWh, biomassundercuts gas by a long way, and can alsohelp companies meet their commitments,or even make money, under regulatoryschemes such Renewables ObligationCertificates (ROCs).

RICH RESOURCESJoe Flanagan, the NWDA’s sector leader

on Energy and EnvironmentalTechnologies, agrees: “Recent price riseshave focused industrial minds on energycosts, and wood is potentially a cheapersource of energy.

“Biomass can help cut businesses’reliance on fossil fuels, while alsoallowing them to take advantage of theregion’s rich biomass resources andreduce CO2 emissions.”

There are now around 250 commercialbiomass installations in the Northwest,with grants available to install what havebecome reliable and technologicallyadvanced systems.

For further information:www.envirolinknorthwest.co.uk

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TAKING THE LEAD ON A BURNING ISSUE

BIOMASS GRANTSFor general information on Biomasscontact Nigel Blandford at EnvirolinkNorthwest on 01925 856052.

For details about Bio-energy CapitalGrants Scheme, which can cover up to40% installation costs, visit:www.bioenergycapitalgrants.org.uk

SMES may also be able to apply foran interest free loans from CarbonTrust: www.carbontrust.co.uk

Perfect pellets – the Northwestproduces 2 million tonnes ofbiomass in a year

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NEWS

Training in the region’s key automotivesector has received a £1.5 million boostfrom the NWDA. The Coaching andLeadership Solutions Project is to beextended as a way ofhelping to develophigher levels skillsand positioncompanies for growthonce the economystarts to recover.

Linking up retired people withcompanies that could still benefit fromtheir expertise is the idea behind anew Emeritus College. With initialfunding of £240,000 over three yearsprovided by the NWDA, the college isseen as a major boost to the region’sskills base.

A new £8.3 million grant from theEngineering and Physical SciencesResearch Council to the University ofManchester is thebiggest ever made toan institution as partof the KnowledgeTransfer Accounts.The award isdesigned to help the University enhanceits relationships with industrialpartners, fund research and ultimatelystrengthen business and economicgrowth in the UK.

An Enterprise Delivery Hub is beingcreated at Reaseheath College inNantwich thanks to a £4.7 milliongrant from the NWDA. The Hub willprovide a pool of specialist knowledgeand state-of-the-art resources tohelp rural businesses to growthrough better use of informationand new technology.

Read to Succeed is a uniqueprogramme in Lancashire that isfunding extrateaching assistantsto help childrenimprove their readingskills. Schools arealready reportingthat the initiative,which is backed by the NWDA, hashelped some pupils improve theirreading ability by as much as two yearsafter just ten weeks.

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION

COLLEGEHELPS TO

BRIDGEPENNINE

SKILLS GAP

Master Plan – the new Blackburn College

From the NHS to BAESystems, the newUniversity Centre atBlackburn College isset to provide localemployers with thegraduates they need.

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The second phase of a master plan toredevelop Blackburn College is to open itsdoors to over 600 extra pupils in September.

The college’s new University Centre isbeing built at a cost of nearly £14 million,and will have a strong emphasis on offeringcourses that are relevant to the needs oflocal employers.

And crucially, explains college principal IanClinton, this will help to ensure that moregraduates start to find work locally rather thanmigrating away from the area.

“We can train people but we’ve got to domore than that”, he says. “We’ve got to makesure that those (students) that come out withqualifications can actually develop theircareers in Pennine Lancashire.”

Currently just a small percentage of the1,000 or so students who leave the collegeeach year with an HE qualification actually findwork in Blackburn.

“We need to do a lot more to link them upwith local employers and with companiesmoving into the area,” says Clinton.

Dr. Michele Lawty-Jones, Head of Skills andEducation at the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), explains thatthis is a key reason why the Agency has offeredthe college so much support. “Throughproviding new skills and learning opportunitiesfor the local community in fit-for-purposefacilities, the new Blackburn University Centre,together with the nearby Burnley campusdevelopment, will make a real difference intackling the issue of low skills levels inPennine Lancashire, helping to provide askilled workforce that meets the needs of localemployers,” she says.

BESPOKE TRAININGThe University Centre has been built with

funding from the Higher Education FundingCouncil for England (HEFCE), the college itself,and a £3.2 million investment from the NWDA.And there are already plans to develop a newengineering academy within the centre, as wellas forging stronger links with the local NHSTrust, who are looking to set up new teaching

facilities in the region.“We’re keen to work with companies such as

BAE to develop bespoke training,” explainsClinton, “and this will be made possible by thenew build.”

Mike Hollows, Senior Development Executiveat the NWDA, believes that given the town’sengineering background, and with hi-techengineering companies such as BAE Systemson its doorstep, an engineering academymakes perfect sense.

“There is already an employment base in theadvanced engineering sector in and aroundBlackburn,” he explains. “The college islooking towards the future employment supplychain and giving local people the skills theyneed to be the engineers of the future, ratherthan companies like BAE having to importthem from other areas of the country.”

Elsewhere, the Agency is supporting the£70 million Cathedral Quarter project, one ofthe aims of which is to make Blackburn towncentre more attractive to new businesses byoffering improved office accommodation.

Plans to encourage more companies intoBlackburn are also being boosted by a£100,000 project linking the college and thePennine Lancashire Chief Executive Group(PLACE), which is designed to raise skilllevels and link well-qualified local people withlocal jobs.

GREEN CAMPUSThe stunning new University Centre building

has been built on just over an acre ofbrownfield land and will cover some 7000square metres. However, its environmentalfootprint will be considerably reduced thanksto a number of energy efficient measures builtinto the fabric of the building.

Photovoltaic panels on the roof areexpected to generate some 50,000 kWhr ayear, and save over 20,000 kg of CO2, whileground source heat pumps will use thermalenergy from below ground to heat the centre,and further reduce annual C02 emissionsby 5,000 kg.

Rain water will also be collected and used to

flush the toilets and there will be new securecycle storage, encouraging more people toleave the car at home.

Clinton says staff and students were theimpetus behind the new sustainable campus.“It’s one of the things that students take veryseriously… the whole issue of recycling andenergy efficiency. We often criticise youngpeople but what we’ve got here is studentsbeing concerned not only about their future butthe future of other parts of the world, too.”

Over 15,000 students attend the college,and the new University Centre is the secondpart of a masterplan which has alreadyseen the completion of the St Paul’s Centre in2007, comprising a new Sixth Form andComputing Centre.

Phase three will see the building of a newMotor Vehicle Workshop, while the fourthphase will involve a new Core Building,providing teaching space, a learning resourcecentre and refectory. The final phase will focuson refurbishing the remaining buildings,including the Grade II listed Victoria Building.

The centre will also reinforce links withLancaster University, which validates many ofthe HE courses, and ensure that the collegeoffers a full range of higher educationqualifications, from foundation degrees up topost graduate diplomas.

The modern 21st century campus is alsoseen as a much needed fillip for the area.Twenty percent of residents in Blackburn withDarwen have no qualifications, compared to aNorthwest average of 15.8%, while just 13.8%have an HE qualification, against a nationalaverage of 20.4%.

“University education is extremelyimportant, especially in a borough likeBlackburn with Darwen where there is a lot ofdeprivation,” adds Sir Bill Taylor, Chair ofBlackburn College’s Corporation Board.“A new University Centre in the area willprovide high quality education and ultimately,a better standard of living.”

Local jobs – the new college will help linkstudents with local companies

Degree status – students can now enjoy ahost of HE courses

For further in formation:www.blackburn.ac.uk

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The Train to Gain skills brokerage service isoffering businesses the chance to beat theeconomic downturn with free practicaladvice on how to develop a highly skilled andinnovative workforce.

The service is part of the Solutions forBusiness portfolio, the Government’ssimplified package of business supportproducts. It is being delivered regionally byBusiness Link Northwest (BLNW), whoseadvisers are working with businesses todiagnose their skills requirements and identifysuitable training opportunities.

Earlier this year the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA) announced a£20 million investment into leadership andmanagement skills for the region’s SMEs,with £6.5 million earmarked to support thenational Train to Gain leadership andmanagement initiative.

MAXIMUM SUPPORTSteven Broomhead, Chief Executive at the

NWDA, explains: “The move to further alignaccess to the Train to Gain skills supportpackage through the Business Link service isgood news for companies in the region andtheir employees. It will make it easier forbusinesses to identify the learning anddevelopment requirements of their staff,alongside the wider business needs.

“We believe that the development ofemployees is a vital part in ensuring the futureof businesses in these challenging times.”

BLNW has already helped nearly 4,500companies identify training and developmentsolutions for their staff, as well as supporting830 managers and leaders as they undertookpersonal development plans to sustain,manage and grow their businesses.

As BLNW Managing Director Peter Watsonexplains: “The provision includes training thatis fully funded, through to bespokeprogrammes that companies pay for.

“This helps to ensure that businesses aremaximising the public support that is availableto them, giving them more time to focus onother key areas of their business, and preparefor the economic upturn.”

DEVELOPING SKILLSOne company which has already made use

of the service is the Haydock-based electricalsystems specialists Switch Gear & Controls.

“We have had a clear policy from the verybeginning that you have to train your ownpeople if you want to develop the skills youneed,” explains the company’s owner MarcShaw. “I believe very strongly that you cannurture both talent and loyalty if you givepeople the right opportunities.”

The company is now working with two

BLNW advisers to identify training needs,forge relationships with training providersand ensure it reaps the benefits of subsidisedtraining through the Train to Gain service.

BLNW adviser Frances Moulding says: “Thecompany is very progressive in its attitude totraining and is not only encouragingemployees to develop their skills with NVQsthrough Train to Gain but also supportingapprentices that have just completed theircourse with assertiveness and peoplemanagement training.”

Having doubled its turnover in 2008, SwitchGear & Controls has recently invested in newequipment to enable it to complete moremanufacturing processes in house, as wellas implementing a new managementstructure. And this means that Shaw is alsoworking with Business Link to identifymanagement and leadership training for hissenior team.

“Business Link Northwest is an importantpartner for our business,” Shaw adds. “Ourrelationship with them means that there isalways someone we can contact for supportand advice, which will be invaluable as wecontinue to grow.”

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION

For further information:www.businesslinknw.co.uk

Well trained – staff development can helpensure the future success of a business

NURTURING TALENT,BUILDING LOYALTY

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creative start-ups. “We want to develop aleading centre of the creative and performingarts,” says Chambers. “We hope to build onour history of widening participation and getthe local community involved. And we want towork with business. If we succeed in engagingindustry, we will create more jobs andencourage entrepreneurship, giving graduatesthe choice of joining local employers or goinginto business themselves.”

If the Northwest is to weather the economicstorm, tackling skills development andgraduate retention is crucial. The region’screative and digital industries sector isalready the second largest in Europe, withMediaCityUK likely to lead an upsurge indemand for highly skilled workers. “The sectoris very strong – it’s why the BBC decided tomove up here,” says NWDA DevelopmentManager Ron Pelleymounter: “By developingthe skills that employers actually need, and byimproving the skills base within the localcommunity, the university will strengthen whatthe region already has.”

Liverpool has barely had time to drawbreath since its year as European Capital ofCulture, with early figures revealing that15 million visitors were attracted to the cityduring 2008.

But while the celebrations may be over, oneorganisation believes Liverpool’s time in thecultural spotlight has only just begun.

Liverpool Hope University, together with theHigher Education Funding Council for England(HEFCE) and the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), are investing£6.5 million into a new arts centre thatpromises to transform the creative fortunes ofNorth Liverpool.

“Being Capital of Culture was fantastic forthe city and the university,” says Professor BillChambers, the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor. “It gave us the opportunity todevelop partnerships with organisations acrossEurope. But it also gave us the chance to focuson our future. People now see the creativeindustries as having a role to play in theeconomy rather than just being about lifestyle.”

The evidence is compelling: an extra£800 million flowed into Merseyside during2008, while the city’s cultural status was acatalyst for big budget regeneration schemesincluding Liverpool One, Europe’s biggestshopping development.

It is for this reason that Liverpool Hope isinvesting further in the creative industries. Butits new arts centre isn’t simply a case ofjumping on the cultural bandwagon. It is thelast stage of a decade-long development thatalready includes an art gallery, recordingstudios and theatres, and is part of a plan tobring investment, skills and new business toNorth Liverpool. “The project will aid theregeneration of the Everton area,” saysChambers. “This is an area with a lot of needand, together with the local community, weaim to make the campus the gateway to thenorth of the city.”

A CREATIVE BUSINESSScheduled for completion in late 2009, the

centre includes practice rooms, music labs,a double-height performance hall and library.At its heart is a garden, complete withamphitheatre – Chambers refers to it as

‘an oasis in the urban desert’.But what sets the centre apart is

its focus on new business - itcomes kitted out with specialist

facilities, incubation space andtailored business support for

“PEOPLE NOW SEE THE CREATIVEINDUSTRIES AS HAVING A ROLETO PLAY IN THE ECONOMYRATHER THAN JUST BEINGABOUT LIFESTYLE.”

BILL CHAMBERSPRO VICE-CHANCELLOR

LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY

15

For further information:www.hope.ac.uk

Culture club – the centre will forma new creative hub in Everton

Full of hope – the University nowoffers state-of-the-art facilities for

the city's creative industries

UNIVERSITY TO AID CREATIVE FORTUNES

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NEWS

Nearly 1,000 jobs have beencreated and safeguarded as part of themulti-million regeneration atLiverpool’s PierHead and MannIsland. Key areas ofemployment are thenew ferry terminal,the canal linkbetween StanleyDock and Albert Dock, and the newMuseum of Liverpool.

Northwest e-Health is agroundbreaking project that’s set tosupport the region’s public health andbiohealth sector. Established with a£4.9 million grant from the NWDA, theinitiative will use the latest computertechnology to gain new insights intothe way in which individual treatmentsas well as whole healthcare servicesare working.

Preston’s new Minerva Health Centre isbeing billed as ‘a new concept inhealthcare’. Established at PrestonNorth End footballclub, the centre is acollaborationbetween the club,NHS and NWDA,and brings togethera range of servicesfor treating long-term conditions into asingle, purpose-built facility.

Indian food specialist Deliz Ltd fromBolton, and Rochdale’s CastlemereCommunity Centre, which provides arange of opportunities for the town’sdiverse population, were two of thewinners at the 2009 Northwest EthnicMinority Awards. The awards aresupported by the NWDA as part of itscommitment to encouraging greaterentrepreneurship among the region’sblack and minority ethic communities.

Murray Easton CBE, former BAESystems Submarines ManagingDirector, has been appointed Chair ofthe newly-createdBarrow Vision andwill oversee thedelivery of Barrow’smulti-million poundregenerationprogramme.Barrow Vision has become the singledecision-making body for allregeneration activity across Cumbria’ssecond largest urban centre.

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

Raising skill levels and encouraging youngpeople to take a fresh look at engineeringare just two ways in which a corner ofPennine Lancashire is being transformed.

Over recent years, parts of the PennineLancashire economy have thrived, mostnotably the cluster of businesses involved inadvanced engineering, such as aviationspecialists Aircelle and Euravia.

But paradoxically, many of the localcommunities in which these companies arebased have slipped backwards, as levels ofeducational attainment have dropped andworklessness increased.

“Over the last few years these companieshave been crying out for apprentices and havebeen offering to take on young people, butthey’ve had little response locally,” explainsIan Whittaker, Policy and PartnershipsManager at the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA).

Whittaker believes a combination of lowaspirations among local young people, andthe fact that manufacturing isn’t seen as a‘sexy’ career, were behind the missedopportunities. “But the companiesthemselves, with public sector help, are trying

to overcome this and get the message acrossthat these can be well paid, highly-skilledjobs, with excellent prospects,” he explains.

RAISING ASPIRATIONSMike Cook, Director of Regeneration at

Burnley Council, agrees: “We know we havethe right ingredients, from new educationfacilities, to businesses willing to work inpartnership – what the public sector must dois bring these strands together.”

It is for this reason that investing in skills,and raising awareness of the opportunitiesoffered by local, high-tech engineeringcompanies are the two issues at the top of theagenda for the organisations working toimprove the prospects of the area.

Central to this push is the new combinedFE/HE campus at Burnley College that opensin September and includes a new centre forthe University of Central Lancashire. “Puttingsomething like an £83 million facility in themiddle of the town shouts at people; it’s a realstatement of intent with regards to educationin Burnley,” says Cook.

There has also been considerableinvestment in new FE buildings at Nelson andColne College, and together both projects

Riding high – youngsters in PennineLancashire are being encouraged to take afresh look at careers with local firms

PENNINE TOWNS SET TO

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that the MAA will allow much greater “localdetermination of regeneration funding.”

“We’ve got a real needs agenda here,”he says. “We’ve got to do much more….and that’s why we’re getting together withthe other local authorities to try andaddress the needs, and make the most ofthe opportunities.”

“Pennine Lancashire as a whole is aregional priority for us,” says Whittaker, “(and)there are opportunities which we can exploitin Burnley and Pendle.”

One of these opportunities is the oldMichelin factory in Burnley. Now owned by theAgency, over £3 million has been spentrefurbishing the old tyre warehouse. This hasenabled Aircelle, which employs over 700people locally, to expand on to the site fromits neighbouring premises, rather than havingto move elsewhere.

And, adds Whittaker, as the rest of the siteis developed, the Agency hopes to attractmore advanced engineering businesses andprivate investment of over £30 million.

POSITIVE IMPACTThe Agency has also funded the acquisition

of buildings and land at the historic Weavers’Triangle, giving control of the importantVictorian heritage site to Burnley Council.There are plans to bring in private investmentto create jobs and transform the area into a

mixed use development combiningcommercial units and homes, and makes themost of the strong heritage connection.

Another crucial project is reinstating theTodmorden Curve, a stretch of railway linethat will provide a direct service from Burnleyand Pendle to Manchester. Re-opening it willhalve the average journey, and so far theAgency has offered to invest £5 million intocapital costs.

In Pendle, over £30 million has beeninvested in regeneration initiatives, much ofwhich has been directly linked to the HousingMarket Renewal Programme. Work hasincluded improving the image of Pendle,and the NWDA has earmarked a further£5 million for major public realm works inNelson town centre, while numerous otherprojects will see many of the area’s survivingmills refurbished.

Looking at the bigger picture, Whittaker isoptimistic. “If you put all these thingstogether, you’ve got a package that matcheslocal needs and opportunities,” he says. “Butwhat’s really important is that the packagewill bring more than just local benefits – itwill have a positive impact on PennineLancashire and whole of the region.”

have received £13.5 million from the NWDA.The new colleges are working with local

industry to develop courses linked to theneeds of the local economy, while at thesame time improving perceptions about jobsin engineering which, says Whittaker, nowhave much more in common with computersthan they do with oily rags.

Raising aspirations is also crucial tohelping the Pennine towns retain their mosttalented young people, and alongside plans toopen an enterprise park next to BurnleyCollege, young people are also beingencouraged to consider enterprise as acareer option.

LOCAL DELIVERYOther projects, especially regeneration

initiatives, are also taking shape. The newMulti Area Agreement (MAA), signed by thePennine Lancashire local authorities and theGovernment in January, will support morelocal delivery of this type of activity, much of itthrough the newly established PennineLancashire Development Company.

Brian Cookson, Executive Director(Regeneration) at Pendle Council, and amember of the Pendle Vision Board, believes

Statement of intent – the newlook Burnley College

For further information:www.nwda.co.uk

O EMBRACE A HIGH-TECH FUTURE

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

RAPID RESPONSE TOTHE DOWNTURN

18

New measures to help individuals andcompanies deal with redundancy havebeen launched by the Joint EconomicCommission (JEC), the body set up tospearhead the Northwest’s response tothe economic downturn.

The JEC was established last year bylocal MP and Minister for the North West,Beverley Hughes, and brings together theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), business leaders, localauthorities and public agencies includingJobcentre Plus, the Homes andCommunities Agency and the Learningand Skills Council.

TAILORED SUPPORTA new framework for action has been

established which aims to deliver a rapidand integrated public sector response forboth businesses and employees affectedby the economic conditions.

Damien Bourke, Policy and Partnership

Manager at the NWDA, explains:“The framework has been established togather information on redundancies,intervene early to help companies about tomake people redundant, and help peoplefacing unemployment.

”What is new and significant is the wayservices are tailored to respond toredundancies and the speed with whichthey are delivered. There is a clear processso that different agencies are not offeringhelp on a piecemeal basis.”

JOINING FORCESAlso under the new framework is an

expanded database – the NorthwestBusiness Performance Index – which ishelping Jobcentre Plus, councils and otheragencies to plan their short-termresponse to the economic downturn.

The database is maintained byBusiness Link Northwest, which capturesand coordinates information on

companies and redundancies fromaround the region, mapping theinformation by sector, geography andthe risk of businesses failing.

And Bourke adds: “The Joint EconomicCommission was set up to look at howthe public, private and voluntary sectorscan respond effectively to the recession.As an economic development agencywe are at the front line in helping peopleand businesses deal with the currenteconomic situation.”

For more information:www.nwda.co.uk

Swift support – extra help is now available tobusinesses and individuals dealing with redundancy

The Rapid Response Service is run byJobcentre Plus and offers peopleinformation on the job market, advice onretraining, job preparation and helpclaiming benefits. Advisors can also helpidentify transferable skills, and money isalso available for extra costs such astravelling to interviews.

Since April, Jobcentre Plus hasoffered the expanded service to allemployers that announce more than 20redundancies – previously it was offered

only when 50 or more jobs were lost. It isalso available to self-employed people forthe first time.

Ian Marshall, Acting District Managerfor Jobcentre Plus in Greater Manchester,says: “Many people now find themselvesin a position they’ve never been in beforeand it’s important that our serviceschange to reflect this, and that we havehelp available for everyone.”

For further details visit:www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

REDUNDANCY SUPPORT

“WHAT IS NEW AND SIGNIFICANT ISTHE WAY SERVICES ARE TAILOREDTO RESPOND TO REDUNDANCIESAND THE SPEED WITH WHICH THEYARE DELIVERED.”

DAMIEN BOURKEPOLICY & PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

NWDA

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WARRINGTON’S RENAISSANCEMASTERPLAN TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO TOWN CENTREThe first step towards a remodelled,revitalised Warrington Town Centre has beentaken following the acquisition of the 1970sshopping plaza Time Square.

The purchase of the key site by WarringtonBorough Council (WBC) was made possible byfunding support from the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA). It forms part ofthe Warrington Bridge Street Quarter masterplan, a long-term development strategy for oneof the Borough’s priority regeneration areas.

The NWDA has been working closely withthe Council and the Homes and CommunitiesAgency (HCA) to create the conditions for amajor new mixed use development in thetown. And with adjacent sites already ownedby the council, the acquisition of Time Squarewill help create a sizeable area which they canoffer to the market for redevelopment.

WARRINGTON WATERFRONTThe Council envisage that the Bridge Street

Quarter project will ultimately attract up to£80 million in private sector investment, andprovide the town with a high-quality office,retail, leisure and hotel development.

The 1.2 ha Time Square site, which is nextto Warrington Market, makes upapproximately a quarter of the main BridgeStreet area, a key location between the town’sretail heart and its main employment site atCentre Park.

Last year, architects Taylor Young werecommissioned to develop a plan for theQuarter, which could create around 80,000square metres of floorspace. The plansfeature cafes and restaurants alongside a mixof office and residential developments, with acentral plaza offering space for events andexhibitions, as well as an upgraded market.The plans also reconnect the town centre withthe nearby River Mersey.

The redevelopment work would alsotransform the area into a more attractivegateway into the town and provide theopportunity to enhance many of the importantlisted buildings within the town’s historicheart, which now fall within the Bridge StreetConservation Area.

“We’re effectively looking to remodel andredevelop the whole area,” explains PeterTaylor, Head of Regeneration and Developmentat WBC. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity to

bring back into the town centre things thatwe’ve lost, such as a cinema, as well asdevelop a whole new Warrington Waterfront.

“Revitalising this part of the town centre willgive the whole of Warrington a lift. There willbe a strong emphasis on ensuring that thearea retains a distinctive feel, as well asmaking it a much better environment in whichto live, work and relax.”

JOB CREATIONSteven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the

NWDA, adds: “Warrington is a growth town, ithas excellent transport links and plenty of out-of-town development, but the huge potentialof the town centre has so far been missed.

“The Golden Square shopping centre hasproved town centre development in Warringtoncan be successful, but it is not matched by theoffice space, hotels and restaurants that asuccessful commercial district needs. TimeSquare is an opportunity on a scale which cansupport significant regeneration, creating newhigh-quality leisure and office space, new jobsand levering in a considerable amount ofpublic and private sector funding.”

For more information: www.nwda.co.uk

Investment opportunity– the huge potential of

Warrington town centre is setto be realised

Remodelled and revitalised –the centre of Warrington is

set for a major revamp

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NEWS

INFRASTRUCTURE

The once neglected Medlock Valley haswon two major awards from the BritishUrban Regeneration Association.A £2 million projecthas successfullytransformed the225 acre site in eastManchester into amuch needed newgreen space.

The dilapidated Grove Mill in Rochdalehas been demolished as part of theBrighter Futures initiative. A number ofsites along the Oldham Road corridor areto be cleared in order to prepare them forfuture private development as well asimproving the natural environment forlocal people. The NWDA is contributing£2.2 million to the work.

Research by engineers at the Universityof Liverpool shows that building barragesacross some of the region’s hugeestuaries couldprovide theNorthwest with upto 50% of its energyneeds. The studywas funded by theNWDA andinvestigated the different ways in whichtidal sources in the Irish Sea could beused to generate electricity.

Super-fast broadband, offeringconnections up to ten times quicker thanaverage speeds, will be arriving in partsof the region early next year as part of a£1.5 billion BT programme. TheNorthwest will become one of the firstregions in the country to receive the newfibre-based system.

Planning Liverpool’s future transportneeds will be helped by a new computerbased modellingfacility. TheLiverpool TransportModel project,which will receive£250,000 from theNWDA, will help toreduce the potential impact of congestionthat major new developments can create.

A masterplan for Accrington’s Peel Parkis set to breathe new life into the historicgreen space. The NWDA will be helping tofund the project, which includesimprovements to paths, gateways andrecreation facilities, with LancashireCounty Council’s REMADE team headingup the work.

A series of major transport initiativescovering both roads and public transport areset to improve the region’s infrastructure, aswell as signifying an important step towards amore sustainable transport network.

The projects have been submitted to theDepartment for Transport (DfT) for approval bythe Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) and 4NW as part of the latest round ofthe Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) process.

RFA is a Government initiative designed togive the regions the opportunity to prioritisetheir own schemes and outline how fundingcan be most effectively spent over a ten yearperiod. As well as transport, RFA also covershousing and regeneration, economicdevelopment and skills.

The transport element of the RFA involvesmajor schemes that are primarily of regionalimportance, explains Dave Colbert, RegionalTransport Advisor at 4NW. Projects aredesigned to help maximise the potential of thecity regions, as well as connecting areas ofopportunity and need, and, he explains, sincethe last RFA was submitted in 2006: “We’vemade good progress collectively as a regionover the last two years.”

Work has now started on the Metrolinkextensions in Greater Manchester, whileemergency work on the Blackpool andFleetwood Tramway is now complete. Otherschemes from the 2006 submission whichhave been completed include bypasses onthe A590 High and Low Newton and A66 atTemple Sowerby.

The iconic Freckleton St Bridge inBlackburn has also opened, as has theBlackbrook Diversion on the A58 in St Helens,where engineers had to produce a solution tocongestion which also took into accountenvironmental concerns about importantnatural habitats.

ACCESS ALL AREASThe region’s second submission, which runs

until 2018/19, builds on RFA 1, with over £1billion of funding earmarked for transportinitiatives. Among the major schemes is animproved road link into the Port of Liverpoolfrom the M57, which will support thedevelopment of the new Seaforth containerterminal at the docks.

The Heysham M6 link has also beenapproved and the new road will provide adirect route into the Port of Heysham. There

KEEPING THE REGIONNew funding advice to drive improvementsacross the region’s transport network.

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will also be major improvement to the A556,which links the M6 to the M56, and is a keyaccess route to Manchester Airport. Thedevelopment of the second Mersey Crossing,which is designed to relieve congestion andimprove links within the Liverpool city region,as well as to Liverpool John Lennon Airport, isalso included in the region’s advice too.

Maintenance also forms part of RFA 2,specifically work on key structures suchas the Silver Jubilee Bridge linking Runcornwith Widnes, and the Bidston Moss Viaduct onthe M53.

Public transport features strongly, withwork on Phase 3a of the Metrolink extension,

which will bring Oldham, Rochdale and areasof South Manchester into the system, nowunderway. These plans received a boost withthe recent Government announcement of£1.4 billion for a package of transport projectsin Greater Manchester, which include theextension of the Metrolink, along with a rangeof other schemes.

NATIONAL NETWORKOutside of the RFA 2 programme, the DfT has

announced a series of highway improvements.These include adding an extra lane to the M60clockwise between J12 and J15, and theintroduction of hard shoulder running onstretches of the M60 and M62 in the Northwest.

Network Rail has also carried out a numberof major rail developments in the region, suchas the new third platform at ManchesterAirport, and various initiatives to improve therail network’s capacity, such as the OliveMount Chord near Liverpool, which hasimproved access to the West Coast Main Linefrom the Port of Liverpool.

SUSTAINABLE FUTUREThe work on the region’s rail network is a

key part of the Agency’s drive for a moresustainable transport infrastructure, explainsDave Harrison, Director of Partnerships at theNWDA. “As a region we recognise that rail

investment is crucial,” he says. “The wholeconcept of sustainability will be factored intoall our future transport plans.”

All the projects put forward under RFA 2have been assessed on an environmental andsocial basis, as well as an economic one, addsColbert. “The RFA programme reflects abalance of spend across new roads,maintenance, and improvements to publictransport. It’s important that we improve thetransport network to make sure it’s fit forpurpose and able to play an important role insupporting the regional economy.”

For further information: www.4nw.org.uk

Public transport across Liverpool hasreceived a major boost thanks to £6 millionfrom the Northwest European RegionalDevelopment Fund (ERDF).

The investment will help to fund therefurbishment of several undergroundstations, as well as improvements to four keybus corridors.

The station is earmarked for a face-liftincluding James Street, which is a key link toboth the waterfront and Liverpool One.

Improvements to city bus routes, includinglinks to John Lennon Airport, St Helens andKirkby, will involve upgrading bus lanes andimproving access to the public transportnetwork. The ultimate aim is to encourage

more people on to the buses by reducing theunpredictability of journey times.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of theNWDA, says: “These investments willsignificantly improve access into Liverpool citycentre and encourage greater use of publictransport, which will both help to easecongestion in the city centre and support theAgency’s commitment to tackling the climatechange agenda.

“Through driving up the quality,accessibility and frequency of publictransport, I hope that these schemes will helpto provide a real, affordable and convenientalternative to car use for local residents.”

Improved links – the ports ofLiverpool and Heysham will benefitfrom the RFA programme

Tram lines – Manchester’ssuccessful metrolinkcontinues to expand

MOVING

Drive time – new lanes are plannedfor the M60

Any more fares – public transportis expanding in Liverpool

LIVERPOOLGETS MOVING

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A host of innovative land regenerationprojects across the Northwest arebeginning to heal some of the deep scarsleft by the region’s industrial past.

The Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) has forged a number of keypartnerships to fund the initiatives, whichare improving the living conditions ofhundreds of thousands of people, as well asthe physical appearance of the whole region.

It has often been said that the Northwesthas the largest share of England’sbrownfield land, although according toRichard Tracey, Head of EnvironmentalQuality at the Agency: “The absolute figures

change year on year, but we have been on adownward curve most recently… Whatmatters more is the proportion of that landwhich can be made available fordevelopment, and that which we need to dealwith in other ways.”

And it’s the ‘other ways’ that theNorthwest is finding to regenerate landwhich is often unfit for hard-enddevelopments such as housing or retailparks that has turned the region into one ofthe most forward thinking in the UK.

“The Northwest has been very successfulin finding ways to deal with those sites whichhave no development potential, but which

can be regenerated for soft-end use. And theanswer has been to provide well-managedstrategic open spaces with good publicaccess,” explains Tracey, who says that onaverage the Agency is spending £15 million ayear on this soft-end regeneration.

“The Newlands programme is a nationalexemplar of this,” he continues. “It selectsits sites through rigorous scrutiny, designsthem to address a wide range of partnerinterests, and then secures 99 years of firstclass maintenance to ensure their longevity.”

Newlands, which is run in partnership withthe Forestry Commission, is by far the largestland regeneration programme in theNorthwest, a unique venture that’s aiming toreclaim some 900 hectares of brownfield land,with a £59 million investment from the NWDA.

HEALING OLD WOUNDSThe first phase of the programme has

already recorded significant successes withinthe Mersey Belt, while Newlands 2, whichwas launched in 2007, has seen theprogramme expand across the whole region.

Sites such as Moston Vale, at the heart ofthe North Manchester’s Housing MarketRenewal Area, have been transformed intonew ‘urban countryside’, together withmuch-needed sports and recreation facilitiesthat have been welcomed by local people.

From old waste tips to former chemical works, disused railway linesto unloved pockets of scrubland, new life is returning to some of theregion’s most neglected brownfield sites.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Unloved and unkempt – Moston Valeas it was

New lease of life – the site is now amuch loved local green space

ENGLAND’S GREEN AND PLEASA

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Other projects, such as the huge LIVIA(Lower Irwell Valley Improvement Area), arelonger term. Over 170 hectares of newcommunity woodland has already beencreated adjacent to the business park in theAgecroft area of Salford, while the Agencyhas recently announced a £3.8 millioninvestment to develop the site of a formerbleach and dye works. The 73 hectares ofland near Prestwich are known locally asWaterdale and Drinkwater Park, and will beredeveloped to include over 13km of new footand cycle paths, as well as extensive newgreen spaces and woodland.

And as with all Newlands sites, long-termmanagement plans will be put into placefrom the outset to ensure the initial benefitsof the project are sustained.

The Agency is also investing £8 millioninto Brockholes, another Newlands site nearPreston. The transformation of the 106hectares of wetland is set to attracthundreds of thousands of visitors and givethe local area an economic boost. But it willalso dramatically improve an area of landcurrently classified as brownfield, on a highprofile gateway to the region close to the M6.

As Tracey explains: “At Brockholes, testedland regeneration techniques will fuse withcutting edge eco-building standards to

create a visitor attraction that will leveragethe economic benefits of the naturalenvironment and promote the region as anattractive place to do business.”

NEW GREEN SPACESIn Cheshire, the Agency has signed a

£17.3 million contract with REVIVE to reclaim170 hectares of land, much of it sitesprivately owned by chemical industries.

Sue Begley, REVIVE’s Programme DeliveryOfficer, explains that a major part of theirrole is: “Convincing people that they can’t doanything else with that land because it isn’tjust brownfield, it’s contaminated. The keyfor us is that they need to understand thatthere is no other economic developmentavailable to them, but that we can give somesubstance to economic growth by providingpublic open green spaces next to othereconomic developments.”

Other REVIVE sites include the 17 hectareBewsey Tip, which is being transformed intonew public open green space at a cost of£750,000. The work will take two years tocomplete and include sports pitches, achildren’s play area and improved links tothe Sankey Valley Park.

REVIVE has also been given the go-aheadto begin work on the £1.6 million extensionof the Millennium Greenway in Chester. Theroute follows a former railway track and over3km of new paths are planned, creating linksthrough Chester and into North Wales.

In Lancashire, REMADE is being supportedby £21.6 million from the NWDA, and iscurrently working on 25 separate projects in abid to reclaim 330 hectares by 2012. Accordingto Lancashire County Council's ProgrammeManager Nick Stafford, several sites havealready been completed, including Fishwick inPreston, which has been redeveloped overthree phases and now includes new recreationfacilities, a national standard BMX track, and alocal nature reserve.

And the breadth of what can be achieved isshown by another completed site at Top

O’Slate near Haslingden, with the former tipnow reclaimed as the setting for the Halo,one of the region’s six stunning panopticans.

“I think in the future it will continue to beimportant to give people who live in areas ofdeprivation access to green space, becauseit can bring them benefits in so many ways,”explains Stafford, who also believes there isnow a greater emphasis on ‘greeninfrastructure’, and the need to look at thewider issue of green assets in terms oftourism, sustainability and quality of place.

Tracey concedes that the currenteconomic downturn could slow the scale ofland regeneration across the Northwest.“We need to ensure that we keep this workin perspective whilst we deal with theimmediate direct pressing needs ofbusiness,” he explains. “But we should notlose sight of the value that qualityenvironments and public spaces provide indrawing in and sustaining economic activityin the region.

“The private sector has a role to play heretoo, just look at the green infrastructurethat has gone into Liverpool One. The newChavasse Park is a stunning example of whatcan be achieved, and the added attractionthis type of regeneration can provide.”

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

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Enjoying the view – huge progress has beenmade at sites such as Top O'Slate, healing

the scars of the region's industrial past

SANT LANDPlanting for the future – school children

help out at Moston Vale

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itself as apart from the rest,” explains Poots,who took on the MIF after stints at theBarbican and Tate Modern, among others.“I tried to build on this idea of not simplycopying other people and come up with aninternational festival that would be unique inthe world, as well as reflect some ofManchester’s energy.”

The inaugural 2007 event successfullyestablished itself as the world’s firstinternational festival of original, new work.Over 200,000 people attended, generatingnearly £30 million for the regional economy,with around 15% of ticket buyers fromoutside the Northwest.

CULTURAL CENTRE The first festival also raised £3.6 million in

sponsorship, a figure Poots hopes to matchthis time around, thanks to key sponsorssuch as the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA). And he is keento stress that other funding for the festivalhas been drawn from central pots of moneyand that “not one penny of Northwestdedicated Arts Council funding wasencroached on.”

Peter Mearns, Executive Directorof Marketing and Communications at theNWDA, says that the Agency is keento continue its support. “The first festival

The Beating Wing Orchestra – a uniquemusicians' collective made up of refugeesfrom around the world

The Manchester International Festivalreturns to the city this summer withanother impressive line-up of worldpremieres, and a bold new emphasis onfree events.

When Alex Poots, the director of theManchester International Festival (MIF), firstarrived in the city, he was “amazed at theappetite” for the festival that he discovered.It inspired him to set about creating an event“that would add to the value of the city bothfor its residents but also for visitors.

“The city is an original city, it’s one that,from an outsider’s perspective, is fiercelyindependent and single-minded… it sees

FESTIVAL FORGES

Celebrating the life of world a famousdouble-act, a bronze statue of Laureland Hardy has beenunveiled as thecentrepiece of thenew County Squarein Ulverston. StanLaurel was born inthe town in 1890. The project wasfunded by the NWDA as part of itsMarket Towns Initiative.

As part of Liverpool’s Year of theEnvironment 2009, businesses andcommunities are being asked tobecome Green Ambassadors to spreadthe word on good ‘green’ practices inthe city. Building on the success ofCapital of Culture, the Year ofEnvironment aims to take Liverpool astep closer to becoming truly green andsustainable. For further information goto www.ourcityourplanet.com

Chester Zoo has announced details of a£225 million plan that will see ittransformed into the largestconservation, animaland leisure attractionof its kind in Europe.Phase One, costing£90 million, willinclude a new Heartof Africa bio-dome, as wellas a Conservation College and90-room hotel.

Two of the Lakes District’s mostpopular visitor centres, at BownessBay and Ullswater, have reopenedafter major makeovers. Between them,the centres deal with over 400,000visitors a year and the refurbishmentswere partly funded by the NWDA’sVisitor Information Infrastructureproject, which is investing over£5 million across the region.

The Manchester Museums’ Consortiumis a group of eightmuseums andgalleries set up withfunding from theNWDA. The group’saim is to helpcement Manchester’s position as oneof the UK’s leading culturaldestinations with an impressivetwo-year programme ofinternational exhibitions.

NEWS

QUALITY OF LIFE

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For further information:www.mif.co.uk

Double act – award winning Manchester bandElbow will be teaming up with the Halle Orchestra

proved to be a significant event for the wholeof the Northwest, showcasing Manchester asan internationally important centre ofculture. And this year’s festival looks set tobuild on this legacy, with a high qualitycalendar of events that will appeal to a widerange of people, from within the city andmuch further afield.”

The second festival, which runs from July2-19, will continue in a similar vein to thefirst. “We’ve tried to give our artists room to

breathe, encouraging them to explore newways of working within their fields andbeyond,” continues Poots. “Manchester haslong thrived on invention, innovation andradical thought, and MIF aspires to be partof that tradition.”

RIGHT ON KEY Musical highlights include the world

premiere of Prima Donna, the debut operafrom Rufus Wainwright, as well as MercuryPrize winners Elbow performing with theHalle Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall.

On stage, bingo comes to the RoyalExchange Theatre courtesy of EverybodyLoves a Winner, a new production byacclaimed director Neil Bartlett. There’smore new theatre in ‘It Felt Like A Kiss’,created by documentary maker Adam Curtisand Punchdrunk’s artistic director FelixBarrett. The show also sees the return ofDamon Albarn to the festival after hissuccessful Monkey: Journey to theWest opera in 2007. This time he hascomposed the music for this unique piecethat investigates the unravelling of theAmerican dream.

Among other attractions are GustavMetzger’s Flailing Trees, provocative publicart in the form of 21 inverted willow trees inManchester city centre, while Durutti

Column, the original Factory Records band,present Paean to Wilson, their tribute to thelate Anthony H Wilson.

On a related theme to Metzger’s work, TheManchester Report will feature a a series ofprominent experts who will cross-examineadvocates representing a wide range of oftenextraordinary carbon-reducing ideas, fromgiant solar-power stations in the Sahara, tolight-reflecting white roofs.

FREE FOR ALL This year Poots has also striven to “firmly

root the festival in the fabric of the city andthe region”, and the decision to make25% of the events free is one which hebelieves has been vindicated by the recenteconomic downturn.

“We’re glad we made that decision over ayear ago, because there are people whomight have thought twice about finding thatlittle bit extra to come to attend a festivalevent – we’re glad there’s an open door forpeople who may be having a hard time at themoment,” he says.

Some of the free events have beencreated under the banner of MIF Creative,

a £750,000 programme that is combining aseries of major community-basedcommissions with skills developmentopportunities for local people.

Events include Procession, which takesplace along Deansgate on July 5 and willinclude an eclectic mix of people in whatartist Jeremy Deller promises will be a trulysurreal event.

“I love processions,” he explains. “Ashumans it’s almost part of our DNA to beinstinctively attracted to big public eventsthat bring us together. A good procession isin itself a public artwork, part self-portraitand part alternative reality.”

The Town Hall will also stage The GreatIndoors, a free, interactive mix of eventsand acts for children and families fromtop international performers. The wholefestival wraps up with the Festival Feast,when 2,000 members of the public will havea free lunch featuring five special dishescreated by culinary experts from aroundthe world.

“A HIGH QUALITY CALENDAR OFEVENTS THAT WILL APPEAL TO AWIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE, FROMWITHIN THE CITY AND MUCHFURTHER AFIELD.”

PETER MEARNSEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OF MARKETING ANDCOMMUNICATIONS

NWDA

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QUALITY OF LIFE

Perceptions of the Northwest as a place ofoutstanding natural beauty, world-classculture and superb local heritage havebeen reinforced by a tourism campaignfronted by award-winning author andbroadcaster Stuart Maconie.

Designed to showcase how much theregion has to offer and to position theNorthwest as a leading destination for shortbreaks, it is estimated that the Stuart‘sStories campaign has now reachedmore than 13 million people from itstarget audience.

The campaign has run in a host of nationalpublications and uses Wigan-born Maconieas the ‘storyteller’, taking readers with himon his travels around the region. The storiesfeature tips on some of the best places tovisit, where to eat and drink and where to getthe best night’s sleep – all weaved into anengaging narrative about his short break.

Launched last September with a series ofseven stories that were largely cultural andcity based, the campaign included talescentred around Manchester’s Northern

Quarter, Liverpool Art, Liverpool Music,Roman Chester and Lancaster, as well as aspecial on Cumbrian Culture.

This spring the campaign continued witheight new stories with a rural theme, andfeaturing top Northwest attractions such asthe North Lakes, Sefton Coast and theForest of Bowland. A separate story alsofocussed on the historic Halls and Gardensof Cheshire.

Throughout the campaign, people havebeen encouraged to visit a dedicated websitewhere they can download podcasts, order afree book and visit the sub-regional touristboard sites for further information. So farthe Agency has received over 7,000 bookrequests, while more than 50,000 peoplehave visited the site.

STRONG IMAGEPeter Mearns, Executive Director of

Marketing and Communications at theNWDA says: “The aim of the campaign wasto enhance the image of the region byshowcasing some of its best attractions in anengaging way. Using a well-known voice

such as Stuart, as well as the simple ‘lowdown’ approach on each destination hascertainly helped deliver a campaign thatpeople have related to.”

The region’s strong image has beenfurther boosted by research commissionedby the Agency to benchmark perceptions ofthe Northwest. It shows that perceptions ofthe region have held steady despite thedifficult economic conditions, while alsohighlighting that Liverpool’s image has risendramatically since its successful stint as theEuropean Capital of Culture 2008.

VALUE FOR MONEYAnd in a separate report evaluating

the effectiveness of the Agency’s tourismmarketing, it was revealed that every£1 invested by the NWDA yields a£78 return.

Mearns adds: “The Agency’s work inpromoting tourism is now having a majoreffect across the whole region, and acrossthe whole range of businesses that serve thetourism sector. From five star city centrehotels to small seaside B&Bs, we’re helpingtourism businesses to tap into peoples’desire to discover what the Northwesthas to offer.”

For further information:www.stuartsstories.co.uk

Waterfront wonders – Liverpool has provedto be an enduring favourite with visitors

Honeypot – the Lake District remains thejewel in the Northwest's crownSUCCESS STORY THAT’S

FULL OF REGIONAL CHARM

Northern exposure – Stuart Maconie has helpedthe Agency to showcase the best of the region

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‘CULTURAL DYNAMITE’BRINGS THE LAKES TO LIFEPlayed out against a backdrop of some ofthe most dramatic scenery in the world,Lakes Alive is bringing a fascinating rangeof arts events to Cumbria.

From high flyers to circus skills and streettheatre to fire gardens, organisers areconfident this year’s programme will build onthe legacy of 2008, which brought over£1.25 million into the local economy.

Lakes Alive will be launched at the end ofMay with Reach for the Sky, a series of sixspectacular aerial performances taking placeacross Cumbria. This will be followed byfurther events over the summer, culminatingin the flagship street arts festival Mintfest,held in Kendal at the end of August.

NIGHT LIGHTSAnd once the nights draw in, the full

length of Hadrian’s Wall will be lit up in amove which could dramatically increasevisitor numbers to the world famousmonument during a traditionally quiet time.The project is a collaboration betweenHadrian’s Wall Heritage and Culture 10/Northumberland Lights from the North East.

Lakes Alive is being organised by Kendal

Arts International (KAI), which has securedover £2 million of new money up to 2012,including a contribution of £250,000 fromthe NWDA.

Event organiser Julie Tait explains: “We’vepiloted a number of events over the last fewyears which have demonstrated the pivotalrole that outdoor arts events and festivalscan play in boosting the economy andcultural participation, as well as giving thearea a more contemporary image.

LAKELAND LEGACY“We believe that combining our varied and

spectacular landscapes with the highestquality outdoor arts experiences is culturaldynamite and will put Cumbria at theforefront of this vibrant area of the arts.”

Peter Mearns, Executive Director ofMarketing and Communications at theNWDA, explains that the arts and cultureare now increasingly recognised as playinga key role in driving economic growth.“Lakes Alive is expected to generate over£13 million and attract over 800,000additional visitors, and so not only will it helpto enhance the visitor experience and boost

the area’s reputation for hosting majorcultural events, but it will also provide ahuge lift to the local economy,” he says.

Lakes Alive is part of WE PLAY, a£3 million Legacy Trust UK project led bythe Arts Council England Northwest.The programme will support a range ofinnovative cultural and sporting initiativeswhich celebrate the 2012 Olympic Gamesand Paralympic Games, and leave a lastinglegacy in communities throughout the UK.

As well as Lakes Alive, WE PLAY willinclude Abandon Normal Devices, a regionalfestival of new cinema and digital culture,and New Cultural Journeys, a major youth-led culture and sport participationprogramme based around the Fylde Coastand Lancashire.

The Arts Council’s Aileen McEvoy believesWE PLAY will work as a catalyst to drive astep change in the region’s creative andcultural sectors. “Cumbria is leading the wayin presenting excellent arts performances inoutdoor locations across the whole county.The fantastic Lakes Alive programme willencourage many more people to enjoy andparticipate in the arts. It also includes vitaltraining and development opportunities forlocal people and for budding artists, thusbuilding skills and talent for the future.”

For further information: www.lakesalive.org

Transe Express – international street artfrom France

Up, up and away – ariel high-jinks fromArgentina's Voala

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NOTEBOOK

PEOPLEIN THEREGION

Star trio joinReBlackpoolReBlackpool has strengthened itsteam by appointing three new boardmembers who boast 75 years ofcollective experience in their chosenfields of local government, destinationmarketing and regeneration.

The recruitment of planning andregeneration expert Mike Appleton,Andrew Stokes, Chief Executive ofMarketing Manchester, and GedFitzgerald, Chief Executive ofLancashire County Council, will givefresh impetus to the drive to revive thefamous resort.

They join Sir Howard Bernstein, whobecame Chairman of ReBlackpool inJuly 2008, and ten other board members.

The urban regeneration company,which works closely with the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA),is focused on delivering a series ofworld-class facilities that will support ayear-round economy and improve theresort’s attractiveness.

Enterprisingmum awardstriumphManchester-based mother of four LizClarke, whose passion and drive to teachher children how to ride a bike led to hersetting up a successful cycle trainingcompany, has had her enterpriserecognised at the second NorthwestWomen in Business Awards event.

She scooped both the Business ofthe Year and Growth Business of the Yearawards, as her BikeRight venture hasgrown from humble beginnings into acompany with an annual turnover of£750,000, which employs 23 full time staffand 25 freelance instructors.

A former community project, BikeRightis a leading UK training provider andworks with 11,000 young people eachyear, as well as adults. The businessstarted in a basement at Clarke’s homeand has since moved to East Manchester,where it has grown to occupy threeworks units.

NWDA BOARDMEMBERREAPPOINTEDJoe Dwek has been reappointed to theBoard of the NWDA until December 2010.

Joe was Executive Chairman and ChiefExecutive of Bodycote International Plc from1972 until his retirement in 1998. Among hismany roles, he is currently a director ofJerome Group Plc, Opal Property Group Ltdand Mercury Recyling Ltd. He is alsoChairman and Chief Executive of WorthingtonGroup Plc. He also co-chairs Newlands.

TOP BROADCASTER FOR NORTH WEST

New campus challengefor iTeddy winnerBusiness high-flyer and former winneron BBC2’s Dragon Den, Imran Hakim,has taken up a new challenge asDirector of Entrepreneurship at theUniversity of Manchester’s technologytransfer company.

A graduate of the company andoptometrist by profession, with a string ofsuccessful practices in the Northwest, hewill be working with UMIP to generate moreintellectual property-driven companies. Hehas run a diverse portfolio of businesses andprojects since the age of 16.

Hakim achieved national recognition afterhis innovative iTeddy product won investmentbacking from the programme’s Peter Jonesand Theo Paphitis. The product is now availablein 40 countries. His business exploits alsoearned him the accolade of the Institute ofDirectors’ 2008 ‘Young Director of the Year’.

BBC North West has a new senior executive to lead it through an era of broadcastingchange, after the appointment of Aziz Rashid, a one-time trainee at the BBC WorldService, as the new Head of Regional and Local Programmes.

During the 20 years he has worked for the BBC, Bradford-born Rashid has built up awealth of experience across network news programming including spells as editor onthe BBC News Channels. For the last three years he has been Head of Region in theEast Midlands.

In his new post he will be responsible for the regional and local output of an area withthree of the most listened-to local radio stations in England.

First Board announced atBusiness Link NorthwestBusiness Link Northwest has appointed its first board of directors which will be chairedby Vanda Murray OBE, who is currently deputy Chair of the NWDA.

Vanda is joined on the Board by eight non executive board members from the Northwestbusiness community, including Imran Hakim, founder of the iTeddy, Mark Blakemore, themanaging partner of Baker Tilly, Manchester, Christine Gaskell, HR Director for BentleyMotors and David Roberts, a marketing and strategic consultant who runs his ownbusiness. NWDA Board members Joe Dwek, Robert Hough and Peter Hensman willcomplete the board.

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AGENCY PROVIDES MASSIVEBOOST TO REGIONAL ECONOMY

The report “Impact of RDA Spending” wasproduced by PricewaterhouseCoopers andcovered the periods 2002-03 to 2006-07.It showed that for every £1 spent by theRDAs, an average of £4.50 of economicoutput or Gross Value Added (GVA) was putback into the regional economies. In otherwords, the RDAs quadrupled their £5.1billion of evaluated expenditure during thistime, with an overall return on investment ofover £23 billion.

As part of the report, which wascommissioned by the Department forBusiness, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform(BERR), 65 programmes and projects led bythe NWDA were evaluated. These represented60% of the Agency’s total activity since itwas established in 1999 and showed that ithad equalled or exceeded the national RDAaverage in terms of return on investment.

Steven Broomhead, NWDA ChiefExecutive, explains: “The report provides themost comprehensive independent evaluationof our investments since our inception.Even though these are conservativeestimates, as many of the programmes arestill running and still generating extra GVA,it’s very positive to see that many of theprojects evaluated have had a real andsignificant impact on regional economies.”

The NWDA’s strategic leadership roleand bringing partners together was alsopraised, and among those projectshighlighted were the Ancoats RegenerationProgramme in Manchester and Blackburn

Town Centre Renaissance.“I believe our approach in providingstrategic leadership is our most

important role and in the currentchallenging economic

conditions, it will be essentialfor us to learn lessons

and ensure the best value

for money for our future investments,” addsBroomhead.

Among the Agency projects highlighted inthe report was Agenda for Change, themanufacturing support service designed toimprove productivity and innovation, andraise the profile of the sector among youngpeople. To date it has achieved £45 millionGVA against a £10 million investment, andcreated or safeguarded 1,200 jobs.

Project ACCESS, the Agency’s £17 millionbroadband programme for Cumbria andNorth Lancashire, was also flagged up, havingnow provided access to broadband for 99.8%of businesses and residents in the area.

The NWDA also played a pivotal role inthe success of Project Unity and thecreation of a new world-class university forManchester. The project has nearly tripledinitial investment of £20 million, althougheven more impressive is the fact that it haslevered in nearly £145 million of third partymoney into the University’s spin-outcompanies.

The Regional Marketing Programme,which promotes the region as a location tovisit, live, work and invest in, was alsosingled out for praise. The initial £16 millioninvestment has already achieved £119 millionGVA, and it is likely to have a future potentialimpact of £100 million annually on tourismrevenue in the region.

Twenty three billion pounds – that’s the figure the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), along with England’s eight other RDAs, havegenerated for UK plc, according to a new independent survey.

The report shows that over the last fiveyears, of the projects evaluated, theNWDA has:

Directly created or safeguarded 97,000jobs from the investments it made

Created 3,500 new businesses

Helped 14,000 companies improve theirbusiness performance

Regenerated 1,900 hectares of disusedland

Helped 97,000 people to gain new skills

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EVENTS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

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

JULY

JUNE

MANCHESTER INTERNATIONALFESTIVAL

Two weeks of international events unfoldacross the city. (See feature on pages 24-25)Various locations, Manchester

2-19JULY

AUGUST

IRONMAN UK

The event comes to the Northwest for thefirst time.Various locations, Bolton

2AUG

SEPTEMBER

BUSINESS OF SPORT SUMMIT 2009

Bringing together leading figures fromthe growing business communitysurrounding sport.Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

9SEP

THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS

An international management conferencefeaturing two of the world’s most reveredmanagement thinkers, Daniel Goleman andMalcolm Gladwell.University Place, Manchester

15SEP

NORTHWEST TOURISM AWARDSCelebrating the best of the

region’s tourism industry.BlackpoolTower

28SEP

WORLD STREET DANCINGCHAMPIONSHIPS

Bringing together the world’s top streetdancers from USA, Europe, Asia and Africa.Winter Gardens, Blackpool

28-31AUG

MINTFEST

The very best of contemporaryinternational arts.Kendal

28-30AUG

LEARNDIRECT AWARDS

The Learndirect Achievement Awardsrecognise the unique and outstandinglearning achievements of everyday people.Reebok Stadium, Bolton

1JULY

CBI CELEBRATION DINNERON MERSEYSIDE

Keynote speaker: Lord Melvin Bragg.Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool

2JULY

4NW ANNUAL CONFERENCEAND AGM

Keynote speaker: Regional Minister for theNorth West, Beverley Hughes.Manchester Central

10JULY

NORTHWEST RESEARCHCONFERENCE

Annual Regional Intelligence Unit conference.ACC Liverpool

8JUNE

B.TWEEN INTERACTIVE DIGITALMEDIA FORUM

Key event for creatives, influencers andvisionaries from across the media industries.FACT Liverpool & MOSI Manchester

10-12JUNE

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE NORTHWEST -IN BUSINESS FOR GOOD

All day event that will explore theopportunities that social enterprise can offerto help create a more sustainable economy.Aintree Racecourse

16JUNE

BUSINESS FINANCE 09

This event will introduce businesses andadvisers to the wide range of funds availablefrom banks and other financiers in thecurrent market.The Lowry Hotel, Manchester

29JUNE

LIVERPOOL SUB-REGIONALTOURISM AWARDS

This year's awards will celebrate the city’srole as the European Capital of Culture 2008.ACC Liverpool

18JUNE

SURVIVE AND THRIVE EVENTS JUNE 2009Run by Business Link Northwest these are aseries of free events designed to helpbusinesses through the economic downturn.The events run from 8.30am-5pm and includethe opportunity to hear from some of theUK's leading speakers on entrepreneurship.For further details call 01772 790 154.

11 JUNE Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool

16 JUNE The Dunkenhalgh Hotel,Blackburn

18 JUNE Concorde Conference Centre,Manchester Airport

24 JUNE Whitewater Hotel,Newby Bridge, Cumbria

30 JUNE The Marriott Hotel, Preston

FACT – the Liverpool venue for theB.Tween Interactive Digital Medium Forum

BOLTON AND BURY BUSINESSAWARDS

The awards are open to companies of allsizes and will honour those businesses orindividuals who have made a vitalcontribution to the local economy.Reebok Stadium, Bolton

25JUNE

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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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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.

The NWDA’s ExecutiveTeam are based atits Headquartersin Warrington.

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

BERNICE LAWChief Operating Officer,(currently on secondment at theLiverpool Culture Company)Tel: 01925 400 532 Email: Bernice.Law@nwda.co.uk

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

MARK HUGHESExecutive Director,Economic DevelopmentTel: 01925 400 531Email: Mark.Hughes@nwda.co.uk

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

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

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

SIMON NOKESExecutive Director, Policy and Planning Tel: 01925 400 277Email: Simon.Nokes@nwda.co.uk

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is your guide to all things cultural in England’s Northwest,including an insider guide to the second Manchester International Festivaland the lowdown on where to eat, sleep and drink.

Order your free copy atwww.enw.co.uk/culture or call 0845 600 6040

Order your

free copy

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