315°

THE RDA MAGAZINE JUNE 2007 ISSUE 12

STARBILLINGCelebrities woo culture tourists

Trading placesBlueprint for international success

Investing in scienceRoute to prosperity

Ancoats rebornBringing new life to old mills in Manchester

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THE THIRD DEGREE

Ruth Mackenzie

BUSINESS

Aerospace sector enters new era

Blueprint for international success

Science plan to stimulate growth

More support for food industry

Home enterprise boom

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Universities in new drive to aid industry

Nuclear academy leads skills drive

PEOPLE AND JOBS

Firing up Pennine Lancashire economy

Ancoats blends history with enterprise

INFRASTRUCTURE

Investment boost for waterfront park

Investing in new landscapes

QUALITY OF LIFE

Star-studded lift-off for culture

campaign

Festival of gardening excellence

Region bids for Olympics legacy

REGULARS

People in the region

Event highlights

Getting in touch31

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CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS

OUR VISION:

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

CONTACTS

Editor Trevor Batest.bates948@btinternet.com

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

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

315°

TRADING PLACESAn ambitious, integratedapproach to international tradeis set to boost the Northwest’sglobal profile.

INVESTING IN SCIENCE A pioneering strategy byNorthwest business,academia and governmentwhich aims to position theregion as a global hotbed ofscientific endeavour.

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THE RDA MAGAZINE JUNE 2007 ISSUE 12

ANCOATS REBORN Combining heritage and 21stcentury living, with developers andpublic sector agencies injectingnew life and energy into one ofManchester’s most neglected buthistorically significant areas.

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particularly in terms of reducing the GVA gapwith the rest of the country. It prioritisesinvestment in areas of world class excellenceand focuses our efforts on continuedrecognition as a global leader in this field.The ongoing support of the NorthwestScience Council will be vital in driving forwardthis vision.

Importantly, the Strategy will have animportant impact on our efforts to deal withthe wider challenges we all face, particularlyin creating a sustainable economy. The regionmust ensure that it builds on the success ofthe 2002 Strategy even further to create adynamic, sustainable international economywhich competes on the basis of knowledge,advanced technology and an excellent qualityof life for all.

The first Northwest Science Strategy waslaunched back in 2002 and was the first of itskind in England. Since then, the landscape inthe region has changed with many successes,including the development of Daresbury, theextension of Liverpool School of TropicalMedicine and the completion of Project Unity.The aim must now be to build on thesesuccesses and ensure that science inthe Northwest continues to grow and exceedgovernment targets.

Over £28bn of the Northwest’s GVA isdirectly provided by science, technology,engineering and maths (STEM) relatedbusinesses, equating to more than a quarterof the region’s total GVA. We have severalmultinational players with a significantpresence in the region including Unilever,BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, BNFL and ofcourse, AstraZeneca. The presence of thesecompanies in the Northwest is excellent forthe economy, directly boosting employmentand productivity, and highlights thesignificance of the science sector.

The implementation of the new strategy istherefore critical to our future success,

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

THE APPLIANCEOF SCIENCEAt the end of April I welcomed over 250 delegates to AstraZeneca’s UK R&Dheadquarters in Alderley Park, Cheshire, to mark the launch of the secondNorthwest Science Strategy. The audience included two Nobel Prize winnersand a wealth of talent, energy and expertise that ensures the future of ourbiomedical sector is in excellent hands.

Bryan Gray, Chairman,June 2007

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THE THIRD DEGREE

Ruth Mackenzie OBE, is the GeneralDirector of Manchester InternationalFestival, the only arts festival in theworld showcasing original work byglobally renowned artists. It runsfrom 28 June to 15 July 2007 and willbe biennial. Ruth has over twentyyears experience in the arts includingspells as the Artistic Director atChichester Festival Theatre andGeneral Director of Scottish Opera.

RUTH MACKENZIE

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How did you connect with the Festival?Well I’ve been involved with the arts and

with theatre for many years. When Alex Poots,the festival’s Artistic Director, approached meand provided such an irresistible pitch, talkingabout the challenge and how we’d be creatingsomething exciting, I got carried along with it.That’s one of Alex’s wondcerful qualities; hemakes you believe. It was a good decision aswell. A doubly new one you might say. New ona personal level to work on this kind of projectand new because a festival of original workhad never been done before.

So the unique theme of ManchesterInternational Festival was key?

Exactly. It’s the only one in the world that’screating everything from the beginning. Mostfestivals simply go shopping, travel the world,cherry picking events. That’s much safer thanwhat we have done. They know if it’s good, ifit works. Our festival has no guarantees.We do know that the artists we’ve chosen arebrilliant, that they have a record of creatinggood work and succeeding, but there’s still anelement of doubt. That’s sort of wonderful.

Is it important economically for the city or isit just a good party?

Both I hope. Of course, there are economictargets. The total budget is £6 million, whichcomes from Manchester City Council and

sponsors such as United Utilities, theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) and Bruntwood. These are seriousorganisations, who obviously want to beassociated with this type of festival, butthey’re not in it purely for the love of art,there‘s got to be something else. They want afestival that will give the City, and this regiona world-class profile. It’s a natural follow-upto the Commonwealth Games. Manchester’smessage is that it’s the original modern city andwe’ll reinforce that. For instance what mighthelp an American company to decide to investin Manchester when they can go anywhere?The idea that a city is self confident enough todeliver this type of festival must impress.

Is this a festival that crosses the socio-economic divide in the region or is it just forthe artistically aware?

We are determined that the festival shouldbe for everybody. There are lots of free eventsand family events. The Great Indoors part ofthe festival at Manchester Central [formerly G-Mex] involves family activities involvingmusic, musicians, theatre, cooking. There arealso concerts down at the Salford Quays withUnknown Pleasures. This is not an elitistfestival. Manchester doesn’t work like that.

Does that mean that quality has beencompromised by playing to the gallery?

Not at all. With Manchester InternationalFestival, we can provide innovation anddeliver quality. As I said before this is allpioneering work so we have to trust in thecalibre of the performers. But with 25 mainlyworld and some UK premieres spread overas many venues lined up we’re aiming high.We want everything whether it’s the familyevents or the Bridgewater Hall events to beworld class. Otherwise they won’t be goodenough for Manchester.

So there’s something to suit all tastes?Yes, we have the full range from the likes

of Kanye West, Lou Reed, Happy Mondays,William Orbit, PJ Harvey and Spanishflamenco troupe Ojos de Brujo. So musicallyyou’ve got everything from hip hop to newinterpretations of traditional forms of music.Shisha are showcasing Indian and Pakistaniart down in Rusholme. There’s drama withJohnny Vegas and the acclaimed Chinesecircus opera, Monkey: Journey to the West.

What’s it been like working with theCity Council?

I’ve worked in Glasgow, Bradford,Chichester, London, many places and this isthe best city to deal with so far. Once the cityhas bought into an idea it really supports it.

Manchester has a brashy, bolshy, self-confidence perhaps?

Well you need a bit of that if you are toachieve anything. I keep pointing out that this

festival is remarkably brave. We know wehave good artists but there are no guarantees.The City by going for this particular theme ismaking a statement about its own aspirationsand that maybe takes self-confidence.

And what about the greater region, theNorthwest? Has there been support forthe festival?

Absolutely. This is a city and region thatpulls together. It’s a natural default mode.In January we won the 2007 Lever Prize.This is awarded annually by The NorthwestBusiness Leadership Team to foster a closerrelationship between business and thecultural community. It marks out the world-class organisations across the region. We wonit and we’ve not even had the Festival yet.We won it because of the vision of the Festivaland the people we’re bringing to the region.

That might surprise many peoplebecause the various localities in theNorthwest can appear disparate, say incomparison to Yorkshire.

That’s not been my experience at all. I’veonly found a spirit of partnership. Outside theNorthwest I’ve not found the same thing at all.

How do you think the launch of theInternational Festival went?

Remarkably well. When you spend a yeargetting to a certain place it can be difficult tosee the wood for the trees. You can lose sightof the end product. You need that externalfeedback to get you back in touch with whatyou are doing. The reaction to the Festival was very positive, we sold out four shows inone day. And then we did a press launch inNew York.

No London launch then?We didn’t need one. The national press

came up here because they had to, because ofthe nature of the Festival. We felt a New Yorklaunch was important to spread the wordacross the Atlantic.

Does the programme put ManchesterInternational Festival in the top ten festivalsin the country?

Yes I think it does. Edinburgh Festival hasdone a report called Thundering Hoovesabout the threats and opportunities in theworld of festivals. We were highlighted as athreat and – just as with the Lever Prize –we’ve not even had one festival yet. To seeus that way is a bit ridiculous becauseEdinburgh’s been going since 1949 and we’rejust a baby. But it shows we’re causing a stir.And as a Festival of original work that’sexactly what we want to be doing.

For further information: tel: 0161 238 7300www.manchesterinternationalfestival.com

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Business Bridge, a brokerage serviceventure supported by all of Merseyside’shigher education institutions, has beenawarded £425,000 by the NWDA toexpand its links with the region’sbusiness community. It providesemployers with database access to apotential 60,000 applicants.

Rossendale has won the regional heat tofind the most enterprising place in Britainand is now eligible fora grant of up to£75,000 from theNWDA to furtherdevelop its enterpriseactivity. It willrepresent the Northwest in the nationalfinal of Enterprising Britain 2007.

The final phase of funding to help securethe future of eight of Merseyside's high-performing growth sectors has beenannounced. The programme will receive£4.3 million from Merseyside's ObjectiveOne Programme (ERDF), the NWDA andvarious private sector sources.

Vauxhall Motors, Ellesmere Port, hassecured the next generation Astra modelin 2010 safeguarding the jobs of the2,200-strongworkforce. TheCheshire plant is oneof four Europeanfactories selected tobuild the new Astra.The investment was secured with supportfrom the NWDA.

IntelliHep, a Liverpool-basedbiotechnology company has beenawarded a grant by the NWDA-administered NationalBiomanufacturingCentre (NBC) AccessFund to develop amanufacturingprocess for heparinbased therapeutics as potentialtreatments for diseases from Alzheimer’sto inflammation.

Regional aerospace manufacturers andsuppliers will be bidding for moreexport success when they join theNorthwest Aerospace Alliance (NWAA)at the Paris Air Show (Le BourgetJune 18-24). Supported by the Agency,the NWAA has the largest regionalpresence in the UK Pavilion.

NEWS

BAE Systems opened a new chapter in theregion’s long and illustrious aerospacehistory with the official on-time handover toits US partner Lockheed Martin of the first aftfuselage of the F-35 Lightning II short take-off and vertical landing aircraft.

The April ceremony in front of a gathering ofindustry VIPs, designers and engineers at thecompany’s Samlesbury factory marked amilestone in the system development anddemonstration (SDD) phase of the Joint StrikeFighter programme, the world’s largestdefence contract.

By summer the F-35 manufacturing teamsbased at three Northwest factories - Warton,Samlesbury, Woodford - will have completed

the first vertical and horizontal tails for theaircraft ahead of its first flight in 2008.Production will be ramped up to one a day by2014, a pace never seen before in the militaryaircraft industry.

BAE Systems’ input has set new standardsfor design innovation, precision engineeringand advanced lean manufacture, according toTom Fillingham, the company’s ManagingDirector for the programme.

“We have invested heavily in the designprocess, developing technologies like digitalthread which has been adopted by our USpartners. This has made things a lot simplerand helps drive down the cost of assembly,”he explained.

The demonstration phase is estimated to beworth £1.3 billion to BAE Systems butproduction contracts for the three F35 variantsover time could boost the order book to over£12 billion securing employment for thousandsof Northwest aerospace workers, many in thesupply chain.

With an estimated turnover of £6.8 billionand a workforce of 60,000 in nearly 1,000companies engaged in aerospace plays apivotal role in the Northwest economy.

Over the next four years the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA) and theNorthwest Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), thebusiness support cluster organisation, will

AEROSPACE SECTOR

Test flight – the F35 Lightning II,the world’s largest defence contract

Forcing the pace – aerospace workers at BAE Systemsare setting new standards in lean manufacture

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intensify their efforts to improve the sector’sglobal competitiveness, its ability to innovateand its long-term sustainability.

Projects underway or in the pipeline includea supply chain excellence programme, anaeropark at Samlesbury, an environmentallyfriendly engine programme and a project relatedto Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAV) –intelligent pilotless aircraft – which manybelieve is the future of defence procurement.

The two organisations are also working todevelop niches in systems engineering, virtualengineering and composites/flexible materialstechnology, areas where Northwestuniversities excel.

Mark Tooth, Sector Leader for AdvancedEngineering and Materials at the NWDA, rejectsany notion that aerospace is entering a ‘sunset’phase. “The industry is changing and there areformidable challenges ahead but there arefantastic opportunities like the Joint StrikeFighter, the UAVs and potentially on the civilside in the next generation of aero engines.”

The Agency’s increasing support for thesector is exemplified by its decision to invest£4.2 million in the NWAA’s drive to elevate Tier2 supply companies to world-class status.The funding will allow it to continue with itswell-supported supply chain workshops andmove into a dynamic new phase of developing

advanced skills and leadership.BAE Systems, Airbus and Rolls Royce, who

are the main providers of work in the region,have agreed to supply over 20 “mentors” –senior manufacturing people – to work withkey suppliers to improve specific elements oftheir operation.

“It’s a complex programme and companieshave to commit to the change process if theywant to be world-class,” explains NWAA’sExecutive Director, Martin Wright.

The sector is facing two great challenges,argues Wright. One is the future of mannedaircraft and how the industry manages thetransition to the era of UAVs, the other is theneed to move from reliance on componentmanufacturing to systems engineering, theknowledge end of the aerospace industry.

“We have to move up the food chain and therate at which we move up that ladder iscritical. The supply chain programme certainlyaddresses the issue of accelerated change tomatch the threat emerging from lower-costeconomies such as China and India.”

Aerospace forms a main feature of the newNorthwest Science Strategy launched in Apriland is a priority sector in the RegionalEconomic Strategy because of its high-valueimpact on Northwest business. The averageGVA per person in aerospace is £63,505, morethan twice that of the region’s service sector.

Mark Tooth expects some consolidation in theindustry, after which there will be major tradeopportunities for Northwest firms in the UK andoverseas. Several projects backed by the NWDAunderline the potential of the technologicaladvances being made in aerospace.

For example, the Agency is investing£3.7 million in the ASTRAEA project, which islooking at how to overcome the technological,experimental and regulatory hurdles that willallow UAVs to operate in civil airspace.

It is also working with a consortium led byRolls Royce which is engaged on developingthe next generation of environmentally friendlycivil aero engines.

For further information: www.aerospace.co.uk

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“WE HAVE TO MOVE UP THE FOODCHAIN AND THE RATE WHICH WEMOVE UP THAT LADDER ISCRITICAL.”

MARTIN WRIGHTEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

NORTH WEST AEROSPACE ALLIANCE

ENTERS NEW ERA

Two supply chain businesses arecapitalising on growth opportunities in theregion’s fast-changing aerospace industryafter securing grant aid from the NWDA.

One of them, Liverpool-based AerogisticsHoldings, is relocating to a purpose-builtfacility at the Estuary Business Park inSpeke as part of a £2.4 million expansionprogramme that will create 116 new jobsand safeguard 87.

Set up by young award winning

entrepreneur Tom Dawes in 2003, thecompany supplies parts for Airbus, RollsRoyce and BAE Systems. It focuses on theclustering of multi-commodity suppliers toprovide a one-stop shop service for theaerospace industry.

The move has been underpinned with£1 million of aid from the Selective Financefor Investment Fund (SFI) and an additional£300,000 from Business Liverpool. TheMersey Partnership also provided its support.

Aerogistics Holdings will be recruitinglocally and upskilling people through anextensive training programme.

The NWDA has also approved funding of£400,000 to enable BHW (Components) Ltd ofWigan to purchase plant and equipment sothe company can fulfil a contract to supplytail assembles for the new Eclipse 500aircraft, which is being built at Albuquerque,New Mexico.

GRANTS AID EXPANSION

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The Northwest is set to boost its globalprofile by embarking on an ambitious,integrated approach to international tradethat will include targeting research-intensiveinvestment from overseas, helping companiesaccess emerging markets and developinginternational transport connections.

Business leaders and public agencies havedrawn up a detailed action plan in response tothe challenges and opportunities posed byincreased globalisation, the demand foradvanced skills and the rapid expansion of theChinese, Indian and East European economies.

Internationalisation is seen as a powerfultool in reducing the region’s £13 billion outputgap with the rest of England. Researchcommissioned by the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA) found that inwardinvestors are 34% more productive per workerthan the regional average and pay 29% morein wages.

The development of a three-yearinternationalisation strategy is one of the 45transformational actions identified in theRegional Economic Strategy (RES) and has beendeveloped by the International Business Forum,chaired by NWDA Board member Anil Ruia.

STEP CHANGEThe Forum, an alliance of industry and

public sector organisations including UK Tradeand Investment, has gone for a broader thrustthan in the past by including trade, inwardinvestment, education, researchconcentrations, marketing, tourism andtransport in the same package of actions.

“This is a real step change in the way wetackle internationalisation,” explains RichardJeffery, Strategy Manager – International atthe NWDA who coordinated the plan on behalfof the Forum.

“Our prosperity is heavily influenced by ourability to maintain global competitiveness. The

BUSINESS

BLUEPRINT FOR

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine –new investment is helping win the fightagainst Maleria

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Northwest clearly faces some threats fromglobalisation that will lead to structuralchanges in employment and the way supplychains operate but overall we believe it willpresent us with major opportunities.”

The region did well last year in attracting112 projects creating and safeguarding 6803jobs. Foreign investment now accounts forone in nine of Northwest jobs. However,attracting foreign direct investment is gettingtougher and more effort will now be focusedon attracting smaller, higher-value R&Dprojects and research-based investmentlinked to universities.

The £29 million investment by the Bill andMelinda Gates Foundation to help theLiverpool School of Tropical Medicine step upthe fight against malaria is a classic exampleof the type of project being sought.

One of the strategic goals is to work withhigher and further education sectors to increasethe number of overseas students studyingat Northwest universities and HE colleges andto ensure that they are better linked into theregion’s economy through work placementsand awareness of the wider visitor offer.

Overseas students currently contribute£500 million to the regional economy andmany are regarded as potential inwardinvestors of the future.

CHINESE INVESTORSEfforts will be prioritised around developing

the six internationally competitive sectorsoutlined in the RES, maximising the potentialof the region’s science base and HE assets,and targeting key markets like China, whoseeconomy is predicted to expand by over 10%this year.

The recent investment by seven Chinesetrading companies in Manchester following anetworking event hosted by the NWDA and lawfirm Aughton Ainsworth International is firm

evidence of the city’s growing appeal as apopular business location with Asian firms.

Additional resources are being madeavailable by the Agency to underpin a co-ordinated programme of activities geared tothe strategy.

UKTI is planning to run schemes such asthe successful ‘Meet the Buyer’ programme,which generated export business worth£20 million between 2004 and 2006, morethan double the original £8 million target.

Backed by the NWDA, this innovativeprogramme turns the traditional exhibitionformat on its head by bringing togetherinternational buyers and UK suppliers butplacing the former rather than the latter onthe stands.

The Forum has built a series of detailedactions around six prime objectives andestablished a number of clear regional targets

including increasing the number of inwardinvestment projects by 38 to 150 a year by2010 with 17% of them R&D intensiveinvestments compared to the current 8%.

Improving the region’s internationalconnections is another key aim. Among theprojects singled out to achieve this are theOlive Mount Chord scheme to improve freightaccess to the Port of Liverpool and theManchester Airport Third Rail Platforminvestment.

The NWDA has also launched a £6.5 millionAir Services Development Fund AlternativeMeasures programme to help regionalairports attract new carriers and increasepassenger numbers.

For further information: email: richard.jeffery@nwda.co.uk tel: 01925 400527www.nwda.co.uk

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Dynamic economy – China is a keyinvestment market

OR INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS

The Northwest has consolidated itsposition as England’s best performingexporting region outside London and theSouth East and is only one of two Englishregions to contribute positively to the UK’sbalance of payments.

Exports rose by a massive 23% from£19.3 billion to £23.7 billion between 2005and 2006 with chemicals andpharmaceuticals contributing 44% of thattotal. The region now accounts for 14% ofEngland’s exports and 10% of all UKoverseas sales.

“International trade produces businessopportunities for Northwest companies butthey need to do their homework and preparefor it, and there are support services availableto help them,” says Mike Eccleshall, DeputyDirector, UKTI North West.

UKTI runs a number of programmes inthe region to help new companies realise

their overseas sales potential includingMeet the Buyer and the flagship Passport toExport service which helps novice exporterssell their products to target markets.

The latter scheme has helped Wigan-based atg-willand increase export sales ofits products from 16% to 55% in the pastthree years trebling business profit andearning Chris Purslow, the firm’s ManagingDirector, the accolade of ‘InternationalBusiness Director of the Year’ at theInstitute of Directors awards at the City ofManchester Stadium.

A world leader in ultra violet waterdisinfection systems – a green alternativeto chemical methods – the company hasrecently been awarded a grant for a£260,000 R&D project to develop a ship’sballast water treatment system that wouldenable them to compete in an emergingbillion pound market.

TRADING PLACES

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“YOU HAVE SET OUT ANAMBITIOUS STRATEGY WHICHTHE GOVERNMENT WILL BACKTO THE HILT”

ALISTAIR DARLINGSECRETARY OF STATE

FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY

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Over the next three years the region willpush forward with a series of initiatives thatwill add more world-class centres ofexcellence to the science infrastructure, speedup the commercialisation of leading edgeresearch and build a workforce that canrespond quickly to technological change.

Action will be focused on four prioritysectors critical to the Northwest’s £106 billioneconomy – aerospace, biohealth, chemicalsand nuclear. All are areas where the regionenjoys a competitive advantage.

“We have to be brave and create anenvironment where we can do big, bold things,”Bryan Gray, Chairman of the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA), told a250-strong gathering of VIPs from industry,academia, and government at the unveiling ofthe second Northwest Science Strategy.

Science and innovation are seen asimportant tools in narrowing the £15 billionGVA gap between the Northwest and the restof England, and are identified astransformational priorities in the RegionalEconomic Strategy.

SCIENCE PLAN TOSTIMULATE GROWTH

Hosted by Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark,the launch event was held at AstraZeneca’sresearch campus at Alderley Park, Cheshire,and coincided with company celebrations tomark the 50th anniversary of theestablishment of an R&D facility at the site.

The Northwest Science Council, which ischaired by Jeremy Scudamore, consultedwidely in developing the strategy. The Council,the first of its kind in the regions whenestablished in 2002, brings together theprivate sector, universities and otherscience partners.

AMBITIOUS STRATEGYProfessor Dominic Tildesley, Chief Scientist

at Unilever, said the Council wanted to “raisethe brand of Northwest science and create apowerhouse of ideas.”

He added; “We have been very clear aboutthe region’s priorities and have had to makesome difficult decisions. We want todemonstrate to government that moneyinvested here gives a very good return.”

Alistair Darling, Secretary of State for Tradeand Industry, who attended the event,

reminded guests that the region’s three mainuniversities had 28 Nobel Prizewinners amongtheir alumni. “You have set out an ambitiousstrategy which the government will back tothe hilt,” he said.

Professor Alan Gilbert, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester,sounded a warning that the region had to do alot of catching up to become as successful asthe South East. “Let us be audaciouslyambitious in pursuing this strategy becausewe have a very big chasm to jump and it isgetting wider,” he said.

Keynote speaker was Dr. Edward de Bono,the guru of lateral thinking, who had earlier

Business, academia and government in the Northwest have created anambitious plan that aims to position the region as a global hotbed ofscientific endeavour focused on tackling some of the key global challengesincluding climate change and the spread of infectious diseases.

Ideal setting – the strategy was launched atAstraZeneca’s Alderley Park research campus

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attended the official opening of the De BonoFoundation’s first UK office in Manchester. Itsmission will be to increase the teaching ofconstructive and creating thinking as a skill.

The science infrastructure across theNorthwest has dramatically improved sincethe launch of the first strategy in 2002. Nearlya dozen new projects have been completedranging from Daresbury Science andInnovation Campus to Infolab21 in Lancaster.

Private sector R&D investment in the regionrose from £1.6 billion per annum in 2003 to£1.9 billion in 2005 (AstraZeneca has invested£500 million alone in its Alderley Park sitesince 2000). There has also been a sharpincrease in the number of innovation-activecompanies, up from 44% in 2001 (7th inEngland) to 58% in 2005 (2nd in England).

STRATEGIC PILLARSThe NWDA has recognised the important

role of science and innovation in boostingregional prosperity and is on course to invest£280 million in science and innovation-relatedprojects over a four year period.

Bryan Gray told those attending the launchevent that the science strategy “will have animportant impact on our efforts to deal withthe wider challenges we all face, particularlyin creating a sustainable economy andadapting to changes faced by the issuesrelating to climate change.”

The strategy is constructed around threeunderpinning ‘foundations’ – internationalexcellence, exploitation of science and skills –and six strategic ‘pillars’. These focus onaerospace, biohealth, chemicals, nuclear,emerging opportunities and strategicscience sites.

In the exploitation of science, for example,the main thrust will be on encouraging SMEsto engage more in R&D and innovation,speeding up the flow of people between theacademic and business sectors and promotingscience and technology-based entrepreneurship.

Among the seven priority actions listed forskills is the development of a regional ScienceSupport Centre to help the education sector

engage young people in science, and theprogression of skills academies for nuclear,manufacturing and chemicals.

Professor Tildesley said there was a realneed in the region for highly trainedtechnical support staff and it was importantthe college sector stepped up a gear toprovide the higher-level NVQ courses andqualifications now required by science andtechnology driven companies.

“We have to ensure that the Northwestworkforce is much more adaptable so we canreposition these people to supporttechnological change.”

For further information:www.northwestscience.co.uk

PRIORITIES FOR ACTION Detailed action plans – and goals –have been drawn up to stimulatebusiness growth and increasedcompetitiveness in six ‘pillar’ areas ofthe regional economy where scienceand innovation are key drivers ofcommercial success. Here is asnapshot of some of the priorities:

� Aerospace: a focus on emergingtechnologies that build on nationalstrengths such as autonomous airsystems (pilotless platforms) anddevelopment of an environmentallyfriendly engine.

� Biohealth: enhanced support for thehealthcare industry, particularly inmedical devices and diagnostics anddeveloping competences only where thereis an opportunity to become world-class.

� Chemicals: creation of a virtualknowledge centre for Materials Chemistryand more industry promotion to fosterinterest in scientific subjects amongyoung people.

� Nuclear: support activity in reactortechnology and the greater involvement ofsenior scientists and ex-industryemployees in teaching, mentoring andcourse development.

� Emerging Opportunities: identifying themost influential regional players andtemporary resources available to respondto short-term opportunities.

� Strategic Science Sites: growing thecapacity of Manchester Science City,Daresbury, Merseyside Science Park (andSpeke Biotech), and West Cumbria.

The strategy is designed to build on theachievements of the first strategy launchedin 2002. “Much has been achieved butmuch remains to be done,” stressedProfessor Dominic Tildesley, a member ofthe Northwest Science Council.

World-class technology – the region’snuclear sector is a priority action area

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Small food producer Colin Woodall is rightlyproud of his Cumbrian air-dried ham.He claims it is the equal of more celebratedContinental brands and is winning oversome of the UK’s biggest retailers.

From May his family-owned company will besupplying the product to 104 Tesco stores, adeal that will boost business turnover of the30-employee firm by ten per cent. Tesco is alsolooking at stocking his renowned sausages andcured bacon.

“Our air-dried ham is becoming increasinglypopular because of the growing consumerinterest in reducing food miles from importedproducts,” explains Colin, Managing Director ofRichard Woodall, which is based inWaberthwaite, West Cumbria. The companyhas been in existence for nearly 180 years.

The company made the breakthrough afterattending a ‘Tesco Link Day’, a successfulmeet-the-buyer event sponsored by theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) and other partners. Over 40 regionalfood manufacturers attended the event.

More major initiatives are underway to helpthe region’s £9.5 billion food and drink industryimprove its competitiveness. They include the

creation of Food Northwest, a single businesssupport organisation for the sector, a new five-year strategy for the industry and the formationof a stakeholder forum, which will have widerepresentation from across the food and drinksector and from related sectors such as healthand tourism. The organisation will be headedup by Patricia Foreman, former Chief Executiveof the Northwest Food Alliance.

The food and drink sector is anincreasingly important part of the regionaleconomy accounting for 10% of its output andemploying 448,000.

Launched in April, Food Northwest mergesthe activities of the Northwest Foods Allianceand the Northwest Fantastic FoodsPartnership into one body making it easier forcompanies to know whom to contact for helpand advice. It will work closely with BusinessLink Northwest and the 20 specialist brokersproviding support in the cluster.

Food Northwest will coordinate delivery ofthe newly launched Northwest Food andDrinks Strategy, which provides a clear visionfor the sector for the next five years. A detailedaction plan is being developed and will bepublished later this year.

It will focus effort and resources on sixpriority areas: market development,productivity and skills, healthy eating, thebenefits of environmental sustainability,sustainable farming and food, and the image ofthe food and drink industry.

The restructuring will mean that, for the firsttime, funding allocated by the NWDA tosupport the sector will flow through onebusiness support organisation to key contractpartners such as Made in Cheshire, Made inLancashire, Made in Cumbria, North West FineFoods and the North West Organic Centre.

FOOD PORTALFunding of £1.6 million is already being

made available by the NWDA and ObjectiveOne to develop a virtual Innovations Centre,Foodport, which includes an ambitious e-commerce portal for the sector to improvecommunications across the supply chain andfacilitate trading.

The AIMES Centre at the University ofLiverpool is developing Foodport in threestages with the first phase being rolled outacross the region in October. It willcompromise a number of zones including afoodservice marketplace, a jobs market, anebay style auction area, an innovative route tomarket and an e-procurement system.

It has been designed following wideconsultation with food industry executives. An e-community study found that 25% of foodcompanies are not connected to any sort of e-business, making this a significant barrierto growth.

“Foodport will provide companies, particularlysmall producers and suppliers, with a valuablenew tool to improve connectivity andcompetitiveness,” explained Patricia Foreman.

For further information:www.foodnw.co.uk

Farmhouse fayre – Cumbria has its owndistinctive cheeses

Local produce – the rich fertile soil ofWest Lancashire is ideal for vegetable growing

Cottage industry – fudge making is awell-practised art

MORESUPPORTFOR FOODINDUSTRY

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HOME ENTERPRISE BOOMHomeworking is spreading its wings withmore than 50% of new businesses in theNorthwest starting from a home base and itis rapidly becoming more sophisticated.

Although the ‘computer on the dining room table’ version still exists, more self-employed home workers are expanding intodedicated offices within the house or separatebuildings outside.

‘Homeworking in England’s Northwest’, aproject launched in August last year (2006) toincrease levels of homeworking across theregion, organised a two-year series of eventsand activities to encourage and support thoseinvolved in the move.

The programme is backed by the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA), whoseacting Head of Regional ICT Policy AndrewHalliwell is the project sponsor.

“We know that the Northwest is already hometo thousands of at-home entrepreneurs andemployees who are making use of one of theUK’s leading IT infrastructures with over 99%broadband coverage across the region,” he says.

“Enterprises embracing flexible workingenjoy a 20% productivity gain on average andbring people who may have been under-employed back into the economy.”

The most buoyant homeworking sectors arebusiness and professional services, IT, designand retail and homeworkers can gain adviceand support from the project’s events,publications and a dedicated website.

The project, run by Emma Jones of RedbrickEnterprises Ltd, a consultancy specialising inhomeworking for regional developmentagencies, has led to the formation of theNorthwest Flexible Working Group.

BENEFITS ARE APPARENTSupported by both the public and private

sectors, it has developed a ‘Prospectus ofOpportunity’ outlining the benefits of flexibleworking and an action plan.

Emma, who is also editor of thehomeworking website Enterprise Nation, says:“We know there is a major job to be done toovercome the barriers which exist in somecompanies to allowing flexible working for at

least some of their employees, but the benefitsare apparent.”

That message was reiterated by CarolineWaters, Director of People and Policy at BT,who showed the benefits of a flexible workprogramme involving 70,000 employees whenshe addressed a Flexible Working Symposium,hosted by the NWDA in Manchester in March.

FEWER JOURNEYSRob and Caroline Hindle set up their

successful economic development consultancyRural Innovation in 2001, working from adedicated room in their converted barn homenear Clitheroe.

“At the time it provided the least risk option,”says Rob. “For those people who can make themove and adjust to the culture ofhomeworking, it is ideal.

“It must be right to make fewer unnecessaryjourneys to an office and it means we are verymuch part of the local community, using localsuppliers and our local Post Office.”

Last year, when the business had grown toemploy one person full-time and some part-timers, Rob needed more space anddecided to build a 50 sq m office in thegrounds of his former farmstead, in the style ofa stone shippon.

Rob admits that three years into thebusiness, he “got cold feet” about whether hisclients, many in the public sector, were happywith his home base.

“I surveyed them and they all said they didnot mind where we were as long as the qualityof our output was acceptable. In fact clientsoften say they love coming here to meetings.”

For further information: www. homeworkingnw.co.ukwww.enterprisenation.com

13

Vote of confidence – Clients are happy meeting Rob Hindleat his converted barn home near Clitheroe

“WE KNOW THERE IS A MAJOR JOBTO BE DONE TO OVERCOME THEBARRIERS WHICH EXIST IN SOMECOMPANIES TO ALLOW FLEXIBLEWORKING FOR AT LEAST SOME OFTHEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT THEBENEFITS ARE APPARENT.”

EMMA JONESREDBRICK ENTERPRISES

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14

Eight research-intensive northernuniversities have joined forces in a uniqueeffort to help northern business and industryinnovate faster and gain a larger share ofrapidly changing global markets.

Backed by £6 million of funding from TheNorthern Way initiative, the consortium plansto establish new research centres to work infive thematic areas – ageing and health,energy, molecular engineering, regenerativemedicine and sustainable water use.

Two of the intellectual networks will be ledfrom universities in the Northwest. Lancasterwill host one focusing on sustainable wateruse and Manchester will provide the academiclead on energy.

It is the first time that a group of UKuniversities have formed a jointly heldcompany – N8 Ltd – specifically to worktogether, and to work with business.

Teams of researchers from each of theuniversities will work on programmes agreedwith industry. The other institutions involvedare Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle,Sheffield and York.

Mark Hughes, Executive Director ofEnterprise, Innovation and Skills at theNorthwest Regional Development Agency,(NWDA), one of the three RDAs in The NorthernWay partnership, described the creation of N8Ltd as “a real step-change” for the North.

“It demonstrates that these institutions arereally serious about sharing their knowledgewith business, and are more open to meetingbusiness needs for new products, processesand services.”

Launched at a ceremony in Leeds, the N8partnership has attracted the support of someof the North’s biggest companies.

N8 Chief Executive Professor David Sechersaid the consortium’s focus would be on“high quality, globally competitive research”

and would seek to attract follow-up fundingfrom the UK Research Councils.

He also expected the centres would beable to generate financial support fromindustry as practical solutions emerged fromthe collaborative effort but this was not theprimary aim.

“There will be no begging bowl approach.It’s more important to have a dialogue withbusiness about their long-term problems,interests and needs. That is not somethingthat needs more money being thrown at it.”

BUSINESS PLANSThe N8 partnership aims to match and

complement the intellectual excellence ofthe golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridgeand London.

Business plans are being drawn up toidentify research priorities and these will bepublished shortly. Each of the centres willrecruit a business manager to develop theincreased commercial activity that is likely toflow from new industrial linkages.

Professor Louise Heathwaite, Director ofLancaster University’s Centre for SustainableWater Management, will be the lead academicon sustainable water use and Professor NickJenkins, Director of the Joule Centre, willprovide the leadership on energy.

Professor Heathwaite singled out three keyareas in her discipline where academic expertisecould benefit industry – water conservation,clean-up technologies and water as a hazardto the environment and human health.

“Business is not interested just in knowledgebut in using that knowledge for commercialgain. That’s why we have to work much closerwith them”.

UNIVERSITIES IN NEW DRIVE TO AID INDUSTRY

St. Martin’s College has announced theofficial award of university status by thePrivy Council. It will amalgamate withCumbria Institute ofthe Arts in Carlisleand the Cumbriancampuses of theUniversity of CentralLancashire on August1st to become the University of Cumbria.

Lancaster University Management Schoolhas reported that owners of small andmedium size enterprises who took part inits Leading Enterprise and Development(LEAD) programme recorded an averageannual sales increase of £200,000. Fundedby the NWDA, LEAD focuses on developingthe leadership skills of owner managers.

Liverpool School ofTropical Medicine is toreceive an additional$23 million from theBill and Melinda GatesFoundation to furtherits research into malaria on top of the$50 million grant awarded by theFoundation in 2005. The School is doublingin size with the help of £18 million offunding from the NWDA and Objective One.

Northern Edge, a collaborative highereducation project to provide newprofessional development services for thecreative and cultural industries across thenorth, is being supported with £500,000from The Northern Way Growth Fund.Professor Ron Cook of the University ofSalford is leading the initiative.

Lancaster University has launched a newCentre for Medical Education to increasethe number of doctors in North Lancashireand Cumbria. Its Director is ProfessorAnne Garden. Students will followLiverpool Medical School’s highly regardedcurriculum and graduate with a Universityof Liverpool degree.

Northwest scientistsare creating aEuropean ‘first’ byestablishing a newresearch facility atManchesterMetropolitan University that will help theaviation industry reduce aircraftemissions. Backed by £500,000 fundingfrom The Northern Way, Project Alpha isbeing developed in association with theUniversities of Manchester and Sheffield.

NEWS

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

Academic experience – eight Northern universitieswill share their knowledge with industry

For further information: tel: David Secher 0114 2224160email: david.secher@sheffield.ac.uk

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Two world-class facilities, one focused ontraining, the other research-driven, arebeing established in the Northwest inresponse to the huge challenges andopportunities facing nuclear industryemployers in the next decade and beyond,particularly in decommissioning.

West Cumbria will be home to both centres.They are expected to have an influential impacton the area’s economy, which is heavilydependent on the defence and nuclear sectors.Investment in the two projects will total nearly£40 million.

The Nuclear Academy, which is currentlyunder construction, will retrain the existing19,500 employees in the region and offer newcareer pathways for many of the 10,000recruits that the nuclear sector nationally willrequire over the next 10 years as it movesdeeper into the clean-up stage.

The other facility, a £20 million cutting-edgelaboratory, will provide academic expertise andstate-of-the art equipment to drive forwardresearch into radiation sciences and

engineering decommissioning. Housed in an iconic building due to open in

September 2008, the industry-led Academy willbe the Northwest delivery arm of the NationalSkills Academy for Nuclear (NSAN), whoseShadow Board has also agreed to locate theNSAN head office in West Cumbria.

UK Young Apprentice of the Year MatthewMcCarry, broke the turf at the site of the newfacility on the Lillyhall Industrial Estate, nearWorkington, at a launch event in March.

The £18 million centre will provide education,high quality vocational training and businesssupport for large employers and SMEs in aunique simulated work environment.

It’s envisaged that most of the 8,000 peoplecurrently employed at Sellafield andmany of those in Tier 1 and 2 supplycompanies will need reskilling to meet theindustry’s future needs in areas such asdecommissioning, energy production,potential new build and defence.

EMPLOYER SUPPORTThe Academy is a partnership between

the Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA) and West Lakes Renaissance with acombined contribution of £6 million to theproject, the Nuclear DecommissioningAuthority (NDA), which is contributing£5 million and British Nuclear Group with£2 million of funding support.

Jean Llewellyn who has been seconded bythe NWDA to steer the NSAN concept tofruition, is pleased with employer support forthe Academy.

She recently received a donation of £20,000from the Washington Group International onbehalf of the NSAN towards a project officeduring the construction phase. “We are

working to ensure that skills developmentand training is entirely employer-led andmeets the needs of key sectors,” she says.

The National Skills Academy network is agovernment initiative to improve productivityand tackle skill shortages in England acrosskey industries.

In another recent development the NDA andthe University of Manchester’s Dalton NuclearInstitute have agreed to collaborate on settingup a new world-class nuclear research centrewith each investing £10 million over seven years.

The facility, which will initially house around60 staff and postgraduate students, will bebuilt on the Westlakes Science and TechnologyPark, near Whitehaven.

Key personnel have been attracted to theregion to drive the projects.

Morecambe-born Andrew King, currentlySales and Project Director with FlagshipTraining Ltd, is relocating to Cumbria fromSouthampton following his appointment as theAcademy’s first ever Chief Executive.

In another example of the ‘brain drain’ inreverse Professor Simon Pimblott has beenappointed from the United States to head upthe Dalton Nuclear Institute’s research intoradiation sciences.

For further information:www.thenuclearacademy.com

NUCLEAR ACADEMYLEADS SKILLS DRIVE

“WE ARE WORKING TO ENSURETHAT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ANDTRAINING IS ENTIRELY EMPLOYER-LED AND MEETS THE NEEDS OFKEY SECTORS.”

JEAN LLEWELLYNPROJECT DIRECTOR

NSAN

VIP for a day – UK Young Apprenticeof the Year Matthew McCarry

Training for the future – The Nuclear Academy is industry led

15

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Pennine Lancashire is shaking off the legacyof its historic ‘cottonopolis’ roots andrevitalising its own and the region’s economicprospects for the 21st century.

Education, training, employment, housing, theenvironment and the arts are all key elements inan agenda designed to transform a region whichhas faced major economic difficulties into avibrant, attractive Pennine Lancashire.

The long-term task for the area dominatedby the towns of Blackburn, Burnley,Accrington, Nelson and Colne, is being co-ordinated by many agencies working togetherto fire up the area’s economic engine.

Ian Whittaker, Policy and PartnershipsManager at the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA) which supportsmany of the initiatives, says: “The PennineLancashire towns, which share a similareconomic history, now have to develop theirown unique selling points for growing theireconomies in a sustainable way.”

The first draft of a Transformational Agenda,originated by the housing market renewalcompany ELEVATE to provide a framework forrenewal across Pennine Lancashire, wascompleted in May 2007.

Max Steinberg, Chief Executive of ELEVATE,which has attracted £168 million of investmentin the last four years, says: “Tangible signs ofimprovements in the housing market are beingfelt in the neighbourhoods which have seeninvestment and the market will also benefitfrom the increasing pace at which other partsof the Agenda are being driven forward.”

Plans to improve training and employmentopportunities are a key thread in theregeneration blueprint.

The ultimate ambition is for East Lancashireto have its own university, according to CarolFern, Economic Policy and Strategy Managerof the East Lancashire Leaders and ChiefExecutives group known as ELCHEX.

“The lack of a university forces our ownbright young people to go away to other citiesand without such an institution we cannotattract students from other parts of the UK.”

The existing nearby universities of Lancasterand Central Lancashire (UCLan) and theFurther Education (FE) colleges are workingtogether to secure more Higher Education (HE)places on campuses to be developed inBurnley and Blackburn, linked to the needs oflocal employers.

Plans are well advanced to develop a new£72 million HE/Further Education campus inBurnley, linked to a £20 million enterprise parkproviding high-quality space for new businesses.

The NWDA is investing £10 million in the project and in April UCLan won funding approval from the Higher EducationFunding Council (HEFCE) for a £10 millionuniversity centre on the campus.

Although the region’s cotton manufacturingroots have all but disappeared, other areas ofadvanced manufacturing, such as aerospace,are still vital to Pennine Lancashire’s economy.Manufacturing employment is well above theregional and UK average and in Pendle it is ashigh as 28%.

FIRING UP PENNINEGreggs, the UK’s leading bakery retailer,is moving its east Manchester bakery toa new site in Openshaw as part of a£16 million deal that will secure over300 jobs for local people. The NWDA issupporting the project through New EastManchester, with grant aid of £7 million.

Five BBC departments will be relocatedfrom London to mediacity:uk at SalfordQuays, followingconfirmation of anagreement betweenthe corporationand developers PeelHoldings. The£400 million deal signals the start of workon mediacity:uk, an internationallysignificant hub for the media and creativeindustries. NWDA Chairman Bryan Graycalled the decision ‘a momentous day’ forthe project.

Work is underway to create a new£10 million international business parkat the former MTLbus depot and Marconisites on Edge Lanein Liverpool. Thescheme is supportedby £4.6 million ofinvestment from the NWDA and due forcompletion in April 2008.

Economist Andrew Lewis, is the newDirector of The Northern Way, thepartnership of the three northernregional development agencies. He haswide experience of regional governmentand prior to joining the GovernmentOffice for the North East (GONE) headedthe Tax Policy Team at the Treasury.

Cheshire’s Rural Enterprise Programmehas surpassed all targets well ahead ofits five-year deadline by creating 751 jobs,safeguarding a further 542, kick starting115 new businesses and supporting afurther 1,012. Established in 2003 by theNWDA, the programme has leveraged inthree times the £10 million invested bythe Agency.

Joanne Jennings, currently ChiefExecutive of Belfast City CentreManagement Company, has been namedas Chief Executive ofGrosvenor’s LiverpoolOne retaildevelopment, Europe’sbiggest city centreregeneration project.

NEWS

16

PEOPLE AND JOBS

“THE PENNINE LANCASHIRETOWNS, WHICH SHARE A SIMILARECONOMIC HISTORY, NOW HAVE TODEVELOP THEIR OWN UNIQUESELLING POINTS FOR GROWINGTHEIR ECONOMIES IN ASUSTAINABLE WAY.”

IAN WHITTAKERPOLICY AND

PARTNERSHIPS MANAGERNWDA

Waterfront heritage – the Leeds-LiverpoolCanal is a key feature of the Weavers’ Triangle

315-12 P16-17 1/6/07 11:44 Page 1

The region’s agencies are keen to supportcompanies like Aircelle, a subsidiary of theSAFRAN Group, a leading player in theworldwide aircraft engine nacelles and reversethrusters market.

MEDI-PARK SCHEMEEmploying around 600 people in Burnley,

the company is in discussions about expansionon to the adjoining former Michelin site,already home to the Lancashire DigitalTechnology Centre.

Other sites earmarked for employmentgrowth are Whitebirk, near Blackburn whichis the subject of a planning application forhigh-value growth sector businesses includingadvanced manufacturing and digital creativeindustries, Capricorn Park near Blackburn,and Mercury Rise, outside Accrington.

Also in Blackburn, a 15-acre site next to theRoyal Blackburn Hospital is being developedas a medi-park, with manufacturers able torespond to the needs of health practitioners.

Steve Hoyle, Assistant Director ofRegeneration for Blackburn with DarwenBorough Council says: “We are bringing thetwo together to develop a critical mass ofmedical-related support, linking in with UCLanwhich has a number of areas of expertise.”

Successful town centres with high qualitypublic space are also integral to the successfulregeneration of Pennine Lancashire. The

NWDA is supporting a £13 million renaissanceplan in Blackburn and has invested £400,000 tokick start a mixed-use retail and office spacedevelopment in Nelson town centre.

In Burnley, plans for the historic Weavers’Triangle have attracted two major investorswho have outline planning approval forschemes that include offices and workshops,leisure – possibly to include a hotel –and someresidential space.

Hugh Simpson, Head of Regeneration andEconomic Development for Burnley, says:“Weavers’ Triangle is a substantial area ofrelatively untouched heritage in which we cancreate an exciting high-quality environment

which will help to change the image ofPennine Lancashire.”

Three of the four Panopticons – literally“all seeing structures” – chosen through aninternational architectural competition to standon high points of East Lancashire as symbolsof its regeneration – are now in place.

The fourth, The Halo, is expected to becompleted in Rossendale by early summerto join Colourfields in Blackburn, The Atomin Wycoller and The Singing Ringing Treeabove Burnley.

For further information:www.penninelancashire.co.uk

LANCASHIRE’S ECONOMY

17

The Prince’s Trust is a key piece of the EastLancashire jigsaw. Its unique CommunityProgramme, which recruits and trainsvolunteers to mentor young people, activelyengaging with those from ethnic minoritycommunities, is already demonstratingextremely positive results.

The initiative, which began in Blackburn in2000 has expanded into Burnley.

It supported 127 new young people in theyear to March 2007. Of those, 36% were

helped into education, 31% into training and11% into employment. The Prince’s Trust iscontinuing to work with the 12% whoremained unemployed and 1% who werein prison.

Jane Farrell, Manager of theEast Lancashire CommunityProgramme, said: “ These arevery positive outcomes for boththe young people and for thework of the Trust.”

Around 50 volunteers, recruited fromacross Burnley, Pendle and Blackburn arecurrently involved in the East LancashireCommunity Programme with a further 20ready to start training.

INITIATIVE TO MENTOR THE REGION’S YOUNG PEOPLE

Temple of learning – a visualisation of the new UCLan centre

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ANCOATS BLENDS HISTORY WITH ENTERPRISE

Courtyard atrium – the award-winning RoyalMills scheme

“THE CPO PROVIDESEVERYONE WITH CONFIDENCEAND CERTAINTY THAT THEWHOLE OF THE AREA IS GOINGTO BE TRANSFORMED”

IAN HAYTHORNTHWAITEEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CORPORATE RESOURCESNWDA

18

Developers and public sector agencies areinjecting new life and energy into one ofManchester’s most neglected but historicallysignificant areas demonstrating that heritageand 21st century living can come together infruitful co-existence.

The transformation of Ancoats, the world’sfirst industrial suburb and a former home ofKing Cotton, into a mixed-use urban village onthe eastern edge of the city centre, isbeginning to attract major investment and aninflow of people eager to rekindle its formervibrancy and enterprise.

Once a byword for abandonment and decay,the area is set for a Phoenix-like revival asproperty companies, investment funds andregeneration agencies pool their resources to

acquire land and bring forward imaginativedevelopments and new public realm works.

The triple-award winning Royal Millsscheme where ING Real Estate Developmentis engineering a spectacular restoration of oneof the UK’s most historically important cottonspinning complexes reflects the confidenceseeping back into the area.

Completion of the first stage of the£85 million scheme has involved the installationof a spectacular but technically challenging£1 million central courtyard atrium.

Guided by heritage experts and industrialhistorians, ING has retained and restored manyof the mills’ original features including stonestaircases, exposed brickwork, vaulted ceilings,cast iron pillars columns and pillar supports.

PEOPLE AND JOBS

“This is no ordinary development – we arepreserving and restoring the area’s history andheritage for future generations,” says ING’sJoint Managing Director Siep Hoeksama.The Dutch property company has completed198 of the planned 315 residential units and82,500 sq ft (7664 sq m) of business space.

Spread over five years, the development –alongside the now navigable Rochdale Canal –is the biggest piece of the Ancoats jigsaw,which itself is an integral component of thewider regeneration of east Manchester.

Other developers have been attracted bythe area’s compelling mix of heritage andcommercial potential and are well advancedwith a variety of refurbishment and new buildschemes covering a wide property spectrum

315-12 P18-19 1/6/07 10:01 Page 1

from residential and office to retail and leisure.Some schemes like Artisan’s Express

Networks are proving popular with mediaand design businesses while others such asthe Burrell-InPartnership joint venture at theGrade II listed Murrays’ Mills offer youngurbanites a chance to acquire homes in theoldest surviving steam powered urbancotton mill.

The area owes its ongoing revival to thepartnership efforts of the Ancoats UrbanVillage Company (AUVC), which is supportedby New East Manchester Urban RegenerationCompany, the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), EnglishPartnerships and Manchester City Council.INVESTOR CONFIDENCE

The pace of regeneration has quickenedsince the NWDA used its Compulsory PurchaseOrder powers to acquire land and buildings.

Of the 45 plots assembled fordevelopment 11 are fully developed, seven areon site and 19 have preferred developerstatus with negotiations at an advanced stage.In some cases owners have agreed to do thework themselves.

“The CPO provides everyone with confidenceand certainty that the whole of the area isgoing to be transformed,” explains NWDAExecutive Director Ian Haythornthwaite, whohas overall responsibility within the Agencyfor Ancoats.

“We want to make sure that high qualitydevelopments drive the area forward.”

The Agency is planning to invest a total of£27 million in the CPO area. In addition it isproviding gap funding of over £15 million onsix projects including Royal Mills (£8 million)and Murrays’ Mills (£4.7 million).

It hopes this support just in the eighthectares covered by the CPO will attractprivate sector investment of £322 million anddeliver 50,000 sq metres of commercial floorspace, 1,800 apartments and 1,600 new jobs,many in the professional and creative sectors.

Stefan Brzozowski, AUVC’s DevelopmentManager, expects the wider 20 ha area underregeneration will accommodate a residentialpopulation of 3,000, and a businesscommunity of around 1,500, many of whomwill walk or cycle to work.

“We would like to attract families to returnto the area and we are encouragingdevelopers to make larger residential unitsavailable to make this feasible. A new primaryschool is planned on the other side of thecanal and a medical practice has opened sosocial amenities are returning.”

Good planning and design, investment inpublic realm and some unusual peephole art,are key features of the plan to revive the area.

Planners intend to retain the denselypacked character of the buildings and its well-preserved grid of narrow streets but aim to addmore interest by providing more public spaces,including a new square outside the restoredItalianate St. Peters Church, which willbecome the home of the Embroiderers’ Guild.

Developers are adding a new dimension tothe rebirth of Ancoats. Among the eye-catching projects being lined up is theadventurous Blossom Street Renewalscheme, a sustainable housing development,backed by Igloo Regeneration.

A distinctive feature of the building will bea roof comprising a series of five foldingribbons that fuses together all the elementsof the development – 37 new apartments, carparking, commercial space and an existing pub,the Edinburgh Castle – into a new structure.

“We want people coming into the area tolive and work to respect its past but we don’twant it preserved in aspic”, stresses LynFenton, NEM’s Development Director(Ancoats). “It will have very modern buildingsnext to old ones but that seems entirelyconsistent with the entrepreneurial ethic ofthe industrious people who built Ancoats.”

For further information: www.auvc.co.uk

19

Artist Dan Dubowitz has introduced anintriguing new dimension into the publicrealm improvements taking place inAncoats by installing a series of peepholesfor people to discover the area’s past.

Using a series of brass ‘port holes’embedded into the brick fabric of some of thearea’s most historic buildings, he provides aclever insight into the heritage and humanactivity that gave the cotton industry enclaveits distinctive character.

When ‘The Peeps’ project is completed therewill be up to 20 of the optical systems offeringviewers a trip back in time. Ten have beeninstalled so far in locations as varied as achurch belltower and a tunnel which used toconnect two mills.

Others offer views of machines andmechanisms that remind people of the dayswhen cotton spinning was a major generatorof leading edge technology. All of thetelescope-like devices look into spaces thathave been immured (walled up) within thevarious buildings.

The Italian-based artist adopted a lessconventional approach to his creative missionby becoming the third member of the publicrealm team (along with an engineer andlandscape architect).

“I went into buildings being cleared and felta real presence of what happed there but wehave tried to avoid dealing with the past in anymuseum sense. We’ve gone for somethingmore subtle, it’s more like echoes of the past,”he says.

For further information:www.neweastmanchester.com

Iconic landscape – new build schemes rub shoulders with historic mills

Circular tour – an optical view of the past

TAKING A PEEKINTO THE PAST

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NEWS

INFRASTRUCTURE

“MERSEY WATERFRONT WILL PLAYAN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANTROLE IN ENSURING CONSISTENTLYHIGH-QUALITY DESIGN STANDARDS,ENVIRONMENTS AND VISITOREXPERIENCES”

SARA WILDE

CHAIR

MERSEY WATERFRONT

The Northwest’s first new urban park for ageneration, a state-of-the-art watersportscentre, and a landmark ferry terminal forone of the world’s greatest riverscapes arejust three of the projects that will form partof the second phase of the ambitiousMersey Waterfront programme.

The new package of initiatives has attractedmore than £91 million of public and privatemoney, including £10.9 million from theNorthwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA).

Mersey Waterfront was launched in 2003 tospearhead the regeneration of the 135kmcoastline as a new regional park.

Phase one delivered a range of initiativesfrom major infrastructure improvements suchas the Marine Way Bridge in Southport, to theregeneration of Otterspool promenade andbetter access to the Sefton Coastal Path.

It also encouraged some 500,000 extrapeople to visit what the programme’s Chair,Sara Wilde, describes as: “the dynamic edgeof the Liverpool city region.”

Commenting on plans for phase two, sheexplains: “Our long-term vision sets out aframework to further develop the RegionalPark Zone as a world-class visitor destinationand desirable place to live.

INVESTMENPeel Ports Grouphas been given thego-ahead to build anew £90 millionterminal on theRiver Mersey thatwill almost doublecontainer capacity at the Port ofLiverpool. It will be the first facilitycapable of accommodating the newgeneration of larger container ships onthe UK West Coast.

ReBlackpool has named AMEC as thepreferred developer for the £250 millionredevelopment of the Talbot Gatewayarea of the town. The project willprovide the resort with a new civic andcultural centre within a large, mixeduse, pedestrian-friendly development.

Knowsley Council has given planningapproval for an innovative £13 millionwaste recycling and treatment facilityon Huyton Business Park that willprocess 50,000 tonnes of waste fromMerseyside homes every year and stopover 80% of it going to landfill. Theproject involves a number of partnersincluding the NWDA.

Planning approval will be sought in theautumn for a new landmark Grade Aoffice building on the site of KingstonHouse, a 1960s building owned by theNWDA, in Liverpool city centre.Langtree Group plc has been chosen asthe preferred developer.

English Partnerships and Wigan Councilare working up proposals for a mixeduse development on a 59 ha opencastmining site at Hindley Green followingadditional investment of £20 million inthe National Coalfields Programme.The scheme is expected to unlock afurther 165 ha of derelict land alongthe A5225 regeneration corridor.

Improvement work on Blackpoolpromenade, the resort’s ‘shop window’,has been given anew impetusfollowing approvalof £4 million ofNWDA funding forPhase II of theCentral Seafrontdevelopment scheme. The money willbe spent on public realm worksbetween the parades and the tramline.

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21

GREAT SUCCESSThis is particularly true of developments

such as the multi-billion pound mixed useschemes planned by Peel Holdings for Wirraland Liverpool Waterfronts. Tracey believessuch projects have huge potential tocontribute to the success of the wider park.“They will be built in the context of awaterfront regional park rather than just aspart of a dock or a city,” he says.

Perhaps the greatest success of the MerseyWaterfront programme to date has beenAntony Gormley’s Another Place, 100 iconic'iron men' which have now been bought bySefton Council, with a contribution of over£500,000 from Mersey Waterfront.

As Wilde adds: “Here is something thathas captured peoples’ imaginations,encouraged them to rediscover the Crosbycoastline, and offered a creative approach toregeneration, with measurable benefits fromimproved business performance to increasedhouse prices.”

For further information: email: louise.goodman@merseyside.org.ukwww.merseywaterfront.com

with a range of public and private sectororganisations, include:� Liverpool Riverlands, which will transform

the site of the 1984 International GardenFestival into a new urban park

� Sefton Water Centre – a new £7 millionfacility at Crosby Marina, mixing outdoorleisure activities, such as windsurfing andcanoeing, with conference and teachingfacilities, walking trails and a restaurant

� Brand New Brighton – a multi-millionpound scheme which will bring a range ofleisure, residential and recreationalfacilities to the New Brighton seafront

� A new £10 million terminal for MerseyFerries on the Pier Head with constructionscheduled to start this summer.

A series of lighting displays is planned toshowcase Liverpool’s world famouswaterfront. The first River of Light show willcoincide with the launch of Liverpool’s new£19 million cruise liner facility, itself a legacyof the programme’s first phase.

There will also be a continuation of the£8.5 million Pride in our Promenadesinitiative with new investment focused on the3.5km stretch between Seacombe and NewBrighton, as well as East Wirral promenade.

Fourteen key locations – dubbed ‘Windows onthe Waterfront’ – have also been identified asfocal points for long-term future development,while a more defined border to the RegionalPark Zone, improved public transport linksand a new Mersey Way running along theentire coast have also been prioritised.

“Having set the framework for the park,it enables us to make sense of big privatesector investment rather than seeing them asisolated activities,” adds Tracey. “This giveseverybody more certainty and helps ensurethat investment in individual places adds upto create a city-region wide impact.”

“Mersey Waterfront will play an increasinglyimportant role in ensuring consistently high-quality design standards, environments andvisitor experiences in the coming years.”

Richard Tracey, Land RegenerationManager at the NWDA, says that the conceptof the Mersey Waterfront as a regional park –one of nine in the Northwest – was vital to itssuccessful regeneration.

“We are in the unique position in theNorthwest of having a family of regionalparks, which are all a key part of the RegionalEconomic Strategy … they are an effective wayof combining social, economic andenvironmental initiatives in one place.

“From our perspective, the principle driveris to generate economic activity, sensitivelyusing the natural environment to do this.And in Merseyside’s case, that means water.”

CRUCIAL INVESTMENTThe NWDA has been instrumental in the

waterfront’s regeneration from the outset,contributing £8.8 million to phase one, afigure described by Wilde as ‘crucial initialinvestment’ without which the programmewould never have got off the ground.

Key projects in the second phase, all ofwhich are being developed in partnership

ENT BOOST FOR COASTAL PARK

Beach sentinel – one of Antony Gormley’s 100 iron men

Dockland regeneration – visualisation of PeelHoldings’ projected Wirral Waters development

Described by Louise Goodman, Director ofthe Mersey Waterfront as, “a symbol of oldMerseyside being replaced by newMerseyside,” Riverlands will be Liverpool’sfirst new urban park for decades.

To be developed on the site of the 1984International Garden Festival, the project is ajoint collaboration with private sectordevelopers Langtree McLean, who recentlyrevealed a £250 million plan to build 1,300new homes on part of the 56 acre site.

Mersey Waterfront’s funding is earmarkedfor those elements of the park whichconnect the restored Oriental Gardens withthe waterfront, including woodland sculpturetrails and a biodiversity zone.

Central to the design will be the GrandAxis, a new link from the residentialdevelopment through the heart of the park,ending in an elevated viewing platform withsuperb views over the River Mersey andWelsh Hills.

REBIRTH OF THE FESTIVAL SITE

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A former gravel quarry alongside the M6 atPreston is to be transformed into a flagshipnature reserve, widening opportunity forrecreational, economic, and educationaladvancement for some of the region’s mostdeprived communities.

Conservationists hope that the BrockholesWetlands site, when fully developed, will alsobecome an inspirational visitor wildlifeexperience enhancing the region’s appeal toinward investors and sending out a strongmessage about the Northwest’senvironmental credentials.

Ambitious plans by the project’s threepartners, the Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA), the Forestry Commission andthe Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchesterand North Merseyside (LWT) include newhabitats, an iconic, multi-purpose visitorcentre, and a retail showcase for regional food.

The 106-hectare site next to Junction 31 ofthe M6 sits alongside 66 hectares of ancientwoodland, which will be improved as part ofthe overall scheme. It will be opened to thepublic later this year when a number of safetyfeatures have been completed.

BIG OPPORTUNITYLWT acquired Brockholes from its previous

owner, Hanson Aggregates, with £800,000 offunding from the NWDA as part of the Agency’sNewlands programme, which aims totransform hundreds of hectares of previously

developed and under used land into 21stlandscapes based on the concept ofcommunity woodlands.

Richard Tracey, the Agency’s LandRegeneration Manager, believes the partnershave seized “a very big opportunity” for theregion. “We have moved at phenomenal speedto complete the land deal – the job now is todesign, build and manage the final product.”

Architects are being asked to take part in aRIBA-sponsored national design competitionfor the visitor centre, which will be constructedwhere possible from sustainable materials andincorporate the latest energy savingtechnology. The design is expected to befinalised in early 2008 and constructioncompleted in 2009.

A business study is also underway toformulate ideas on how to generate revenue tocover the long-term costs of managing thewildlife haven. “Meeting the sustainabilitychallenge is as important as securing the rightdesign,” adds Tracey.

The Newlands model normally sees theForestry Commission take a 99-year lease onthe land with the NWDA funding the capitalcosts of establishment over five years and a15-year management regime. Brockholes willtest whether this model can be stretched toenable the site to be managed from income.

One possible option is to invite commercialoperators to run some of the visitor facilities.With direct access to the M6, Brockholes is

22

INFRASTRUCTURE

“THE TRUST FIRST CONTESTEDTHE QUARRYING OF THIS SITE 15YEARS AGO AND IT’S FANTASTICTHAT WE NOW GET TO DEVELOPTHE SITE TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL”

ANNE SELBYLANCASHIRE

WILDLIFE TRUST

INVESTING IN

Friendly face – otters are slowlyre-colonising the Ribble

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uniquely placed to become a recreationalstopover with offerings that could include aretail showcase for Lancashire food producers,a bio-fuel station and carefully-managedactivities such as boating and fishing.

The scheme will integrate a number of theregion’s key agendas – regeneration,tourism, the natural economy, sustainability,health, education and climate change – in asingle package.

Its backers are particularly excited by theopportunities that Brockholes presents forsocial and economic inclusion. Located inthe heart of the Central Lancashire CityRegion it is offers new hope to disadvantagedcommunities living on the eastern fringes ofPreston where there is little tradition of‘green’ recreation.

ECONOMIC CATALYSTKeith Jones, Regional Director of the

Forestry Commission, the key partner in theNewlands programme, sees parallels withCornwall’s Eden Project, a highly successfultourism attraction, which has been used as acatalyst for economic and social regeneration.

“You couldn’t get a better location for anature reserve. It’s close to some of the mostdeprived wards of England and one of thecentre’s key functions will be to provide peoplein those areas with a training, skills,employment and educational resource.”

A mosaic of lakes, reed beds, flower-rich

grassland and woodland, Brockholes boasts awide diversity of wildlife including water voles,Great Crested Newts, bats, dragonflies anddamselflies. The Ribble Way also runsthrough the site.

Bird watchers and conservationists haverecorded 163 different varieties of birdsincluding vulnerable species like theWhimbrel, Skylark and Reed Bunting andbelieve the reserve could become one of theNorthwest’s major wetland sites on a par withLeighton Moss and Martin Mere.

It is encircled by the River Ribble andbordered by the largest ancient woodland inLancashire – also owned by the LWT – wherebadgers, roe deer and bluebells thrive.Conservationists hope to encourage otters tore-establish themselves in the area.

Brockholes is the biggest land purchase bythe Lancashire Wildlife Trust who will managethe site. “The Trust first contested thequarrying of this site some 15 years ago andit’s fantastic that we now get to develop thesite to its full potential,” says Anne Selby,LWT’s Chief Executive. The Trust manages35 nature reserves and last year welcomed7,000 children to its education centres to learnabout nature.

The first phase will include restoration ofthe wetlands, creation of ponds, seeding ofmeadows, planting new hedgerows and trees,making access paths, building proper birdwatching hides and developing clear signage.

Brockholes is expected to drive investmentin the area and deliver long-term benefits forthe people and wildlife of Lancashire. One ofits key aims is to inspire young people to carefor their environment.

Two managers have been appointed to runthe site and the LWT is planning a grandopening in June. Mick Weston, the Trust’sHead of Operations, says one of thechallenges the Trust face is “managing publicaccess without damaging wildlife.”

For further information: Peter Mallon email: pmallon@lancswt.org.uk tel: 01772 324129 www.lancswt.org.uk

Brockholes will be used to spearhead anew phase of the acclaimed Newlandscommunity woodlands programme. A further20 possible sites have been identified and thefive sub-regional partnerships will be urged toinvolve themselves in the selection process.

Launched by the Agency and the ForestryCommission in July 2003, the first phase ofthe programme focused efforts on reclaiming435 hectares of brownfield land in the MerseyBelt for tree planting and recreational greenspace.

Two sites, Moston Vale and Bidston Moss,have been fully restored and another four,the Lower Irwell Valley (LIVIA), Brickfields(St. Helens), Town Lane (Sefton) and Belfield(Rochdale) are in varying stages of design anddevelopment.

The NWDA is investing £23 million inNewlands One and the Forestry Commissionhas generated a further £3.6 million. Whenthe initiative was first launched the Northwesthad 25% of all derelict land in England, morethan any other region. This has since beenreduced to 23%.

“Newlands One was a Mersey Beltexperiment to establish a successful modelfor restoring and greening worn-outlandscape,” explains Richard Tracey, theNWDA’s Land Regeneration Manager, “Newlands Two will be designed to roll theprogramme out to the rest of the region.”

23

MORE COMMUNITYWOODLANDS

NEW LANDSCAPES

Watching brief – Brockholes isa bird lovers’ paradise

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24

Renowned sculptor Richard Wilson hasunveiled his most radical interventioninto architecture to date, turning abuilding in Liverpool’s city centreliterally inside out. Turning the PlaceOver has been co-funded by the NWDAand The Northern Way.

Top squash players will converge onManchester this year to compete in theDunlop British Open,the ‘Wimbledon ofSquash’. Thetournament will takeat the NationalSquash Centre atSportcity from September 18-24with support from the NWDA.

More regional food will be on the menuwhen Lancashire and BlackpoolTourist Board and Liverpool CultureCompany join forces to promote TasteLancashire 08, a year long celebration oflocal food and eateries in support ofLiverpool year’s as the European Capitalof Culture.

Aintree Racecourse reached a milestonein the £35 million upgrading of facilitiesat the Grand National racecourse whenbuilding contractorshanded over twonew five-tieredgrandstands,equestrian centre andpavilion. The NWDAis among several organisations that haveprovided funding support. The facilitieswere recently named the Northwest’sfavourite modern building at the InsiderProperty Awards.

Steam train enthusiast Pete Watermanhas opened a new £500,000 visitor centreand ticket office for the Ravenglass andEskdale Railway at Dalegarth, Cumbria.It was built with funding support fromthe NWDA through Cumbria Vision.

Investment in quality modernisationprogrammes, websites and culinaryexperiences hashelped Lake Districttourism businessesturn in a strong tradingperformance in 2006.New figures show 62%of businesses reported visitor numbersup or level in the final quarter.

NEWS

QUALITY OF LIFE

Iconic, home-grown figures from theentertainment world have been enlisted toprovide an artistic lift-off for the Northwest’sfirst national campaign to promote itscultural excellence.

Actors like David Morrissey (Blackpool andBasic Instinct 2), and comedian Johnny Vegasfeature in a short star-studded, filmic odysseyaround the region’s cultural landmarks.

It will be shown to art house cinemaaudiences in London and the South East inJune, three weeks before the opening of the£6 million Manchester International Festival,the world’s first international festival oforiginal, new work.

Filmed on location in Manchester, Liverpooland the Lake District, the two-minute filmwas directed by Daryl Goodrich, the manbehind the inspirational films used by LordCoe’s London 2012 team in their final bidpresentation to the International OlympicCommittee,“Sport at Heart.”

It is targeted at the increasing numberof potential visitors to the region for whomcultural festivals and attractions play animportant part in influencing their choice ofholiday or short break.

In the film actress Maxine Peake,(Shameless, Confessions of a Diary Secretary),on a walking tour of Manchester’s NorthernQuarter, provides an eloquent summation of

the region’s cultural vitality.“This spirit of creativity is what defines the

Northwest. It flows in the blood. You can tasteit in the water. It’s inventive, eccentric, it cravesfreedom of expression and doesn’t give a damnwhat you think.”

The rich cast also includes novelist andbroadcaster Howard Jacobsen, comedianCraig Cash, and from music Dave McCabe(lead singer for the Zutons), Damon Gough(Badly Drawn Boy) and Ian Broudie (TheLightning Seeds). Art is represented by theMerseyside-based Singh Twins.

Popular entertainer Johnny Vegas broke offfrom filming in Liverpool’s Chinatown for aserious reflection on the film’s message.“The film reminds people what we have to offerin the Northwest. We should allow ourselves tobe slightly big-headed and make a noise aboutthe talent we have here.”

Vegas will be performing at the ManchesterInternational Festival, combining his comedictalents with straight acting in Interiors, a Fringe-like show that takes place in a local house.“It will only be able to accommodate of audienceof 20 so it should be less daunting,” he says.

The film was launched at Manchester Square,London, on June 5, as the first phase of asubstantial two-year marketing campaign by theNorthwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA)to promote the region’s cultural offering.

STAR-STUDDEDLIFT-OFF FORCULTURE CAMPAIGN

Fan club – Musicians Ian Broudie(right) and Dave McCabe flipthrough classic albums atProbe Records watched by anadmiring Johnny Vegas.

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25

It will receive a second burst of viewing inSeptember to promote the Turner Prizecoming to Liverpool. Landmarks featured inthe film include The Lowry, Bridgewater Hall,the Albert Dock, the Walker Art Gallery andLake District panoramas.

Producer Simon Wells and director DarylGoodrich used a seamless walking tournarrative and rich mix of actors and entertainers,all from Northwest backgrounds, to capturethe essence of the region’s cultural dynamism.

“We have to get a message across asvisually as we can that the Northwest has a lotto offer the cultural tourist, “says Goodrich.“We hope the film will entice people to comeand find out for themselves.”

HIGH VISIBILITYViewers will be encouraged to visit the new

website (see below) exploring the region’scultural offer, order a new cultural guide to theregion and make their own itinerary from themany activities taking place.

This will promote the Northwest’s lesserknown venues, exhibitions, and performances.The film is one of the first to be made availableon HD streaming on the web.

Peter Mearns, the NWDA’s Director ofMarketing and Communications says the newcampaign will ensure high visibility for the

Manchester International Festival, theTurner Prize and the Liverpool Capital ofCulture celebrations.

“We want to become synonymous withcultural excellence and we believe that usingcultural icons from the region in a quality filmbrings the cultural offer to life and builds itscredibility in a competitive marketplace. Oneinteresting point from developing thiscampaign is how keen our cultural icons are tosupport the Northwest.”

Cultural aficionados can expect something tosatisfy every artistic taste over the next 18months. The Manchester International Festival(June 26-July 15) for example, will stage 25mainly world and some UK premieres across awide cultural spectrum including UnknownPleasures, a Manchester Academy celebrationof the up-and-coming stars on the music scene.

Lovers of contemporary art will be able tofeast on the 2007 Turner Prize Exhibition at TateLiverpool, the first time the competition hasbeen held outside London since it began in 1984.

It will feature the work of the four Britishartists shortlisted for the £25,000 first prizeand will run from October 19 to January 13,2008. The winner will be announced at anawards ceremony on December 3.

Supported by the Arts Council England, the

Liverpool Culture Company and the NWDA, theevent is seen as a curtain-raiser for theLiverpool Capital of Culture celebrations.

Completing the cultural trilogy is ArtTreasures in Manchester (Oct 6 – Jan 27, 2008),a mixture of art and social history atManchester Art Gallery to mark the 150thanniversary of the famous Art Treasures ofthe UK exhibition, the largest showcase of artever seen in Britain.

For further information:www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

REGION EXCELS AT TOURISM OSCARSFour Northwest tourism businesses wongold awards at the Enjoy England Awards forExcellence 2007, more than any other region.

Stanley House, Mellor, Lancashire, aGrade II listed hotel, was named Small Hotelof the Year, the third year running England’sNorthwest has won the category. It waspraised for its use of local produce andcommitment to sustainability within thelocal community.

The Chester Grosvenor Hotel and Spa wonan ‘Oscar’ as the Large Hotel of the Year withthe judges highlighting its “amazing attention topersonal service to each and every customer.”

This year’s Bed and Breakfast championis Number One Blackpool, a stylish andchic property on the resort’s South Shore,while Skelwith Fold Caravan Park inAmbleside, Cumbria, triumphed as HolidayPark of the Year.

Inspirational landscape - writerHoward Jacobsen and film crew onlocation in the Lake District

Oscar winner – The Chester GrosvenorHotel and Spa

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FESTIVAL OFGARDENINGEXCELLENCE

Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 2008, a £2 millionproject aimed at unlocking one of thecounty’s most important resources, will belaunched to the public next month (July).

The year-long celebration, designed toattract some of the two million visitorsexpected during the 12 months of Liverpool’sEuropean Capital of Culture, will be launchedat the Royal Horticultural Society show atTatton Park.

Along with a programme of music, art,theatre and food and drink events, the Year ofGardens – many of which have internationalimportance – is being organised by thetourism development organisation, VisitChester & Cheshire.

Felicity Goodey, who chairs the event’ssteering group, says: “Cheshire has moregardens open to the public, per head ofpopulation, than anywhere else in the country.

“By promoting, developing and sharing thisrich cultural heritage, Cheshire can attract morevisitors from outside the county. In turn this cancreate real economic benefits for the peopleof Cheshire and the Northwest as a whole.”

LASTING BENEFITSFollowing the announcement of the Year of

Gardens at the British Travel Trade Fair inMarch, the event is being developed acrossthree main themes – promoting the airports,rail and road links to the county, a 2008activity and events programme, andcommunity engagement.

Gardens Development Executive LouiseGarforth has been appointed to organise theevents programme aimed at expanding theregion’s cultural and visitor economy andpromoting its image. The Year will alsoinvolve community participation and leavelasting benefits.

“Gardens are our biggest untappedresource,” says Louise. “Despite our superbgarden heritage, the majority of our visitorscurrently come from within our own area andthe surrounding counties.”

Peter Mearns, Director of Marketing andCommunications at the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency, one of the partnerorganisations, also expects the Year of Gardens

to spread the benefits of Liverpool08. “It’s critical that we seize the opportunities

that it offers and help to ensure the whole ofthe region benefits from the Capital of Culturelegacy beyond 2008.”

The spotlight will fall on the county’s ‘top ten’garden attractions, which include Ness BotanicGardens, part of the University of Liverpool.It was created in 1898 by Liverpool cottonmerchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley, who wanted toshare his passionate interest in plants.

With a fine collection of trees, includingSorbus (mountain ash), which has recentlyreceived a National Plant Collectionclassification, Ness opened a new £2 millionvisitor centre in 2006.

Director Kevin Reid, formerly PropertyManager at Lyme Park, says: “Arthur Bulleybrought plants in through the port of Liverpool,which was a gateway to the world. Next yearit will attract visitors to the Capital of Cultureand we want to show them that Ness displaysa world of gardens on the doorstep.”

For further information: Cheshire’s Year of Gardens 2008:www.yearofgardens08.com

RHS Flower Show 2007 at Tatton Park, July 18-22; www.rhs.org.uk/flowershows tel: 0870 842 2229

CHESHIRE’S TOP TEN GARDENSArley Hall, Near Great Budworth,Northwich.

Capesthorne Hall, Siddington,Macclesfield.

Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Malpas.

Chester Zoological Gardens,Upton-by-Chester.

Gawsworth Hall, Macclesfield.

Jodrell Bank Arboretum,Near Macclesfield.

Lyme Park, Disley, Stockport.

Ness Botanic Gardens, Ness, Neston.

Norton Priory Museum & Gardens,Runcorn.

Tatton Park, Knutsford.

26

QUALITY OF LIFE

www.yearofgardens08.com

Oriental tranquility – Tatton Park’s Japanese garden in autumn

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REGION BIDS FOR OLYMPICS LEGACYThe Northwest has fired the starting pistol onits own preparations for the London 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games by unveilingproposals on how to use the Games toachieve lasting economic, sporting, and socialbenefits for the region.

‘Be Inspired’, the Northwest LegacyFramework for the 2012 Games, sets out howthe region will use the inspiration of the 30thOlympiad to increase sports participation,improve recognition of volunteers, drive upstandards in the tourism industry, build on theregion’s vibrant cultural life, and increasebusiness competitiveness.

Launched at the City of Manchester Stadiumby the Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) in the presence of SebastianCoe, Chairman of the London OrganisingCommittee of the Olympic Games andParalymic Games (LOCOG), the strategy aimsto establish the Northwest as the ‘premier’legacy region. It identifies 50 goals across sixcore legacy themes.

“The main message,” explains Rob Young,the Northwest Coordinator for 2012, “is yes;there are opportunities, but not guarantees.We want to encourage people to be moreproactive so they can benefit from theseGames. They should be seen as the catalyst tohelp organisations deliver their existingstrategic priorities.”

Produced by the Northwest 2012 SteeringGroup chaired by Andy Worthington, theFramework has been formulated following

wide consultation on what the region should bedoing to capitalise on the Games.

The launch kickstarts a whole series ofactivities within the region including anothervisit from the 2012 Roadshow, which will set upshop at the European Hockey Championships,at Belle Vue, Manchester, in August.

Detailed action plans will be publishedshortly covering each of the core themes –Sport & Physical Activity, Business, Tourismand Visitor Economy, Major Events, CulturalOlympiad and Skills & Volunteering. Leadorganisations have been identified foreach theme.

SPORTING FACILITIESBusiness is a key area of activity with

companies already seeking to engage with thegoods and services procurement process.

Environmental technologies, foodmanufacturing, creative and digital industries,business and professional services and sport -areas where the region is strong - are singledout as sectors aligning to the requirements ofthe 2012 supply chain.

Anne Thompson, Sector Leader for Sport atthe NWDA, which has lead responsibility onthree of the core themes, Business,Tourism and Major Events, says the region isbeginning to be more proactive on 2012business opportunities.

“Most of the contracts for small supply chaincompanies are not going to be let until 2009but we are not waiting until then. We areputting in place support mechanisms to

optimise those opportunities when they arise.”Efforts are also underway to promote the

region’s world-class sporting facilities astraining venues for the 203 national OlympicCommittees and 161 National ParalympicCommittees expected to participate in the2012 Games.

The response in the region has been verypositive with over 120 facilities submitting anexpression of interest to be included in thePre-Games Training Directory, which will bedistributed at the 2008 Beijing Games.

The region is enhancing its sportingcredentials by staging a number of world-class sporting events in Manchesterincluding this year’s European HockeyChampionships, the 2007 World TaekwondoTournament at the MEN Arena (Sept 28-30)and the World Short Course SwimmingChampionships in 2008.

Another opportunity for the region is theCultural Olympiad, a four-year cultural andeducational programme that begins at the endof the Beijing Olympics.

It will have three main elements – theopening and closing ceremonies, signatureevents and a UK-wide cultural festival wherethe Northwest can capitalise on its experienceof staging the 2002 Commonwealth Gamesand Liverpool 08.

For further information: tel: Rob Young 01925 400100email rob.young@nwda.co.ukwww.nwbeinspired.com

27

Star performers – a galaxy of Northwest sporting talent

315-12 P26-27 1/6/07 10:31 Page 2

The rural economy has a new regional champion in DavidHunter who steps up from being Rural Policy Officer at theNWDA to become Head of Rural Affairs.

He joined the Agency in 2001 as Senior Rural PolicyOfficer and was closely involved in developing andmanaging a range of regional projects to aid ruralrecovery following the foot and mouth outbreak.

One of his early responsibilities will be toensure that the Rural Development Programme forEngland brings real benefits to the Northwest.Another priority will be to implement the successfulregional delivery of the Rural Delivery Framework,Defra’s rural policy.

He has 20 years of experience inenvironmental management andrural affairs having worked oncommunity and environmentalinitiatives with a Scottish unitaryauthority and managingconservation and accessinitiatives at Central ScotlandCountryside Trust.

28

NOTEBOOK

PEOPLEIN THEREGION

Eddie Smith, formerly Head ofRegeneration for Manchester City Council,has been appointed as Deputy ChiefExecutive for New East Manchester,which is transforming the city’s formerindustrial heartland.

During his six years with the council heled teams working on a range of projectsincluding setting up the Housing MarketRenewal Pathfinder programme and theredevelopment of Manchester City FC’sformer Maine Road ground.

A member of the Town Planning Institute,he previously worked for Blackburn withDarwen Borough Council and OldhamMetropolitan Borough Council, from wherehe was seconded to develop the EuropeanObjective 2 programme for the Northwest.

EDDIESMITH ISGIVENNEW ROLE

Visionary leader – Alice Morrison

New challenge – Lynne McFadden

HUNTER GIVEN AWIDER RURAL REMIT

FILM ANDMEDIA LEADERSJOIN FORCES The region’s two leading mediaorganisations, North West Vision andMedia Training North West, are mergingto form a new company with the aim ofcapitalising on emerging growthopportunities in the media industry.

Alice Morrison has been appointed ChiefExecutive of the North West Vision and Mediaorganisation and Lynne McFadden takes onthe role of Managing Director. They are thecurrent heads of the respective organisations.

Alice has extensive expertise in thedevelopment of the region’s media sectorand Lynne has many years experiencewithin the skills, training andcommunications industry.

Industry leaders believe that a single,sharply focused organisation will be moreeffective in maximising opportunitiesgenerated by the mediacity:uk project andthe move of five BBC departments toSalford Quays.

315-12 P28-29 1/6/07 16:32 Page 1

29

Dr Lis Smith is the new Director of Skills Policy for the NWDA. Her remit will be towork within the framework of the Regional Economic Strategy to improve skills,employability and productivity within the region.

She joined the Agency in 2004 as National Skills Policy Analyst becoming NationalSkills Policy Manager in 2005. Her appointment follows the retirement of the previousDirector of Skills Policy, Fran Hulbert at the end of 2006.

A chemistry graduate who has previously held key posts at the University of Salford,Dr Smith will drive forward the Agency’s work as the lead RDA for employment, skillsand higher education and will be a national ambassador for skills and employment.

TOP JOB FOR REGION’SSKILLS EXPERT

Blackburn-born Neil McKay, a formerBAE Systems executive, has agreed tocontinue as Chairman of the Northwest Aerospace Alliance afterserving in an interim capacity sinceDecember following the retirement ofDennis Mendoros.

A graduate in Mechanical Engineeringfrom the University of Salford he workedon many of the company’s programmesduring his 36 years with BAE Systemsand led the development of the carbonfibre composites facility at Samlesbury,Lancashire, which produced the firstCFC wing.

MCKAYTO STAY ASNWAACHAIRMAN

Your chance tomake a differenceREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD

MEMBER APPOINTMENTS2 days per month – £8,371 per annum

Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) do so much more than drive economic

growth throughout England. They help businesses compete, create opportunities for

employment, facilitate innovation and promote sustainable development. And as well

as improving regional infrastructure, they revitalise both urban and rural areas.

The context for the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s work is the Regional

Economic Strategy (RES). Widely accepted as the economic blueprint for the

Northwest, it clearly identifies key challenges for the next decade.

The NWDA Board is business-led and members have a real understanding of the

region as well as a passion to represent the interests of a wide range of key

stakeholders – including business, education, local government, the voluntary sector

and trade unions.

The Board draws on members from diverse backgrounds but with specific and

substantial experience in several key areas. To replace those members retiring this

year, the Board has three vacancies for members with a business background

(including one with rural experience) and two vacancies for local councillors.

The positions require a commitment for an initial period of approximately three years.

For further information and to apply please visit www.rdaappointments.co.uk.

If you are unable to access the website please call 08700 435060 for an

application pack.

Applications must be returned by 29 June.

Applications are particularly welcome from women, minority ethnic and disabled candidates who are

under-represented at this level in public life.

315-12 P28-29 1/6/07 11:06 Page 2

PARIS AIR SHOW

Northwest companies chase exports Le Bourget

18-24JUN

FOOD NORTHWEST AWARDS

Showcase of regional food heroesMidland Hotel, Manchester

28JUN

NORTH WEST REGIONAL ASSEMBLYANNUAL CONFERENCE

Keynote speaker – Industry MinisterMargaret HodgeTheatre by the Lake, Keswick

10JUL

RHS FLOWER SHOW

The North’s ‘Chelsea’Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire

18-22JUL

EUROPEAN HOCKEYCHAMPIONSHIPS

Direct qualification route to 2008 Beijing OlympicsBelle Vue, Manchester

18-26AUG

LIVERPOOL BUSINESS OSCARS

Organised by Downtown LiverpoolSefton Park Palm House, Liverpool

19JUL

JUNE

MANCHESTERINTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

The only one of its kind in the worldVarious venues

28JUN-15 JUL

OCTOBER

ART TREASURES

The famous 1857 exhibition revisitedManchester Art Gallery

6 OCT-27JAN

THE TURNER PRIZE

Curtain raiser for Capital of CultureTate Liverpool

19OCT-13 JAN

AUGUST

DUNLOP BRITISH OPEN

Championship squash eventSportcity, Manchester

18-24SEPT

IOD DIRECTOR OF THE YEARAWARDS 2007

Hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald City of Manchester Stadium

20SEPT

ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST TOURISMAWARDS

Toasting the best and brightest tourismbusinessesManchester Central

10OCT

ART07 AWARDS

Spotlight on the region’s best creative talentsManchester Town Hall

17OCT

NWDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Celebrating another year of economicachievementManchester Central

18OCT

SEPTEMBER

JULY

EVENTS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

30

Designer gardens – a major attractionat the RHS Flower Show

Centre stage – the Northwest Tourism Awards

Pedal power – the Tour of Britain Cycle Race

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

TOUR OF BRITAIN CYCLE RACE

Top cyclists battle it out across the region Liverpool to Kendal

14SEPT

OPENING OF THE INTERNATIONALSLAVERY MUSEUM

Exploring the slave trade legacy Albert Dock, Liverpool

23AUG

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31

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

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

KEY CONTACTS

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The NWDA’s ExecutiveTeam are based at itsHeadquarters inWarrington.

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

BERNICE LAWChief Operating Officer,Deputy Chief ExecutiveTel: 01925 400 548Email: Bernice.Law@nwda.co.uk

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

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

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

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

PETER MEARNSDirector of Marketing and CommunicationsTel: 01925 400 212Email: Peter.Mearns@nwda.co.uk

FIONA MILLSDirector of HR, OrganisationalChange & DevelopmentTel: 01925 644 422Email: Fiona.Mills@nwda.co.uk

PATRICK WHITEDirector of Policy Tel: 01925 400 274Email: Patrick.White@nwda.co.uk

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

The NWDA manages alloperations from itsHeadquarters at:

HEAD OFFICE

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

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

315-12 P30-31 1/6/07 10:37 Page 2

Chester Grosvenor & Spa, CheshireLarge Hotel of the Year 2007

Number One, Blackpool, LancashireB&B of the Year 2007

Stanley House, LancashireSmall Hotel of the Year 2007

Skelwith Fold Caravan Park, CumbriaHoliday Park of the Year 2007

Where can you find England’s bestB&B, small hotel, large hotel andholiday park?

Large Hotel of the Year 2007 Chester Grosvenor & Spa, CheshireSmall Hotel of the Year 2007 Stanley House, LancashireB&B of the Year 2007 Number One, Blackpool, LancashireHoliday Park of the Year 2007 Skelwith Fold Caravan Park, Cumbria

www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

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