10 11315°

THE RDA MAGAZINESEPT 2005 ISSUE 07

315°

Destination NorthwestOverseas companies

energise economy

Era of opportunityNew vision

for Cumbria

Hidden gemRediscovering

Salford’s beauty

PanopticonsArchitects take

the high ground

Back to the futureNew museums herald

cultural renaissance

26

9 Brewing up waste solutions

10 Food students serve up new dishes

Chairm

an’sm

essage

315° Contacts

Trevor Batesemail@trevorbates.fsnet.co.uk

Editor

Erica Boardman01925 400 217erica.boardman@nwda.co.uk

NWDA

Bryan Gray

Chairman

I am very pleased with this encouraging response,which demonstrates the increasing importance thateveryone in the Northwest is placing on shapingthe future economic regeneration of the region. Inleading the review process, it is vital that we ensurewe develop a Strategy for the region, by the region.Whilst it is impossible to produce a Strategy thatsuits everyone, by taking into account the issuesthat matter most to our businesses, organisations,and voluntary groups, we can ensure that we focuson the priorities which will have the greatest impacton our economy.

The positive response received so far is due, Ibelieve, to the consultative approach we haveadopted. The Draft Strategy has been developed inconsultation with over 20 regional partners and,through ourSub-Regional Partnerships, over 4,000of the region’s organisations have been consultedduring the process.

Although the response we have had to date hasbeen excellent, we are still keen to hear from asmany people and organisations as possible duringthe consultation period, which runs up to the end ofSeptember. I would strongly urge anyone who hasnot yet contributed to this debate to visitwww.nwda.co.uk/strategy, download a copy of theStrategy and submit comments.

I am convinced that, by working together, we canensure we deliver a Strategy which is clear andfocused on the actions required to deliver realtransformational change across England’s Northwest.

Bryan GraySeptember 2005

Since the launch of the Draft Regional Economic Strategy(RES) in July, we have received unprecedented feedbackfrom the region.

6 Foreign companiesenergise economy

8 Reshaping business support

Cover imageLiverpool’s enlarged andrenamed World MuseumPhotography by Tim Hetherington

4 The Third DegreeRobert Runcie

Contents

8

12

16

12 Fast forward forCumbria economy

14 Crewe on track for moreprosperous future

15 New enterprises boostfarm income

16 Salford embarks on ‘city beautiful’ plan

18 New leadership centre opens

19 Youth Enterprise academy launched

20 Budget airlines driveairport growth

25 What the Romans gave us26 Celebration city prepares

for lift-off

28 Whitehall despatches29 Event highlights30 Partner Focus

6

18 20

4

Enterprise & Innovation

Regeneration

Skills & Employment

Image

Infrastructure

22 Public art takes the high ground

24 Inspired setting forstudy centre

Image

“Our waterways are the cleanestthey have been for 100 years and36 out of 37 bathing waters havereached European standards”

How much progress has the region made in cleaning up thelegacy of its industrial past?There have been a number of key benefits over the past few years,largely as a result of planned partnership action. Industrial emissionshave declined steeply with sulphur dioxide and particulates dropping45% and 75% respectively, so that shows that effective regulation andgood brisk business practice is working. Air quality continues to be achallenge because of the increasing use of cars but a third of our localauthorities now have designated air quality management areas toreduce traffic pollution.

Major investment by companies like United Utilities has had adramatic impact on water quality. Our waterways are the cleanestthey have been for 100 years and 36 out of 37 bathing waters havereached European standards. The Mersey supports 50 species of fish,including salmon, and we now have a situation where fishermen arecompeting with seals for the same catch. But we must not becomplacent. We still have a high proportion of poor quality rivers whichrequire a sustained programme of continuous improvement.

How can individuals play their part in good environmental citizenship?One of the things we do every year is support and promote WorldEnvironment Day. This is about asking people to make simplepledges, like minimising the amount of waste they generate, reducingwater consumption, using low energy light bulbs, that sort of thing.Over 20,000 people in the Northwest have already joined thecampaign and others can pledge their commitment by visiting our website www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wed

Is the Environment Agency happy with the way industry is behaving?Big companies in the Northwest take their environmental obligationsvery seriously. It’s very much part of their corporate governance ethos.We now have a situation where 53% of the 300 companies weregulate reuse and recycle materials. That’s the highest on record.Water companies have reduced pollution incidents by a third and the waste industry by a quarter so the trend is in the right direction.

Waste disposal is a key national and regional issue. How is the Environment Agency and its partners tackling the problem?Legislation is driving away the low cost option of just dumping ourrubbish in holes in the ground. It requires and encourages us to workclosely with industry and local authorities to segregate the wastestreams and reuse what we can. Since the hazardous wastelegislation came in, the volumes of mixed waste going to landfill hasplummeted. People are consciously removing hazardous materialsbecause there is a big cost differential. Being environmentally friendlydoesn’t always mean we must take the least-cost option, turn thelights out and go and live in caves. It’s about doing things in asensible, pragmatic way.

Are you trying anything new?All the time. For example, we are piloting a one-year BusinessResource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme at Preston wherewe are working with companies and communities to ensure legitimatedisposal of waste that cannot be reused or recycled. This is to avoidmaterials being dumped in lay-bys or public spaces so we will actuallysee an improvement in behaviour and reduction in costs. If theseenvironmental crimes have to be cleaned up it’s the public at the endof the day that has to pick up the bill.

Parts of the region suffered devastating floods in January. What action is being taken to protect vulnerable communities?We are spending £40 million a year in the Northwest on maintaining,operating and creating new assets to reduce flood risk. Over the nextfive years we will be improving flood defences in Carlisle, Lancaster,Wigan and Warrington. Flood warnings are also an important part ofthe equation but to be effective people need to know about them and to feel confident about what to do when they receive a warning. On average only 30% of people in flood risk areas are on theautomated voice messaging service and I would like many more toregister with us for what is a free service.

How seriously should we take the threat of global warming?We have to be more responsible in the way we use resources likeenergy and water. Here in the Northwest we have seen a 20%increase in the number of cars on the road in the last decade and it’s this unregulated pollution combined with other emissions that ishaving a direct impact, not just on the environment, but on our ownhealth. What we do does have an effect on our quality of life and wehave to make that connection clear and what we do about it is clear.

Last year the Environment Agency signed a collaborativeagreement with the Northwest Regional Development Agency.How is it working?Signing a Memorandum of Understanding is easy. Saying what youare going to do and then doing what you say is the real challenge.Since the signing we have forged an active relationship and areworking well on things like resource efficiency programmes. Thishelps make the link between economic growth and environmentalimpact so they are seen as complementary rather than a blockon each other.

Do you have a message for the region?Yes. There is now a solid evidence base to show we are building aquality environment here in the Northwest and we must parade thisprogress as strongly and widely as possible in any way we can. TheEnvironment Agency, for example, publishes up-to-date informationabout the state of the region on its website and I’m pleased to say wehave had 50,000 hits since the site was established in 2004, mostlyfrom businesses seeking help and advice. We have much to be proud of in the Northwest and should not hesitate to say so.

For further information: www.environment-agency.gov.uk

4 5315° The Third Degree

RuncieRobert

“Being environmentally friendlydoesn’t always mean we musttake the least-cost option, turnthe lights out and go and live incaves. It’s about doing thingsin a sensible, pragmatic way”

Robert Runcie is the Regional Director of the Environment Agency whose commitmentto sustainable development is reflected in two other personal roles. He chairs theENWORKS Board and is also a Director of Sustainability Northwest. A civil engineer by profession, he has worked in both the private and public sectors in this countryand abroad.

6 7315°

Foreign companiesenergise economy

China kicks into gear

American multinationals continued to dominate the investmentlandscape by providing over a third of projects but there areincreasing signs that China is beginning to use the region as alaunch pad for new European business ventures.

John Cunliffe, Head of Investment at the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), was pleased by the region’sperformance in 2004-05 despite being just edged out of the top spot for creating the most jobs by the North East for the first time inthree years.

“The number of new investment projects has increasedsignificantly compared to last year. Two thirds of jobs flowing fromthese projects are new jobs, which contrasts strongly with the previousyear when the majority of jobs were in the safeguarded category.That is a good effort by everyone linked with investment in the region.”

Merseyside did well by securing four flagship projects. Two ofthem, the German-owned Bertelsmann media group’s £115 milliongravure printing facility at Speke (now a joint venture called PRINOVISLiverpool) and Gertrag Ford’s new automotive transmission project atHalewood, underlined the region’s impressive showing in attractingnew manufacturing investment.

Between them, the projects secured 1,200 new or safeguardedjobs. Another 450 jobs will be added to the total by JPMorganINVEST’s decision to set up a new pension business in Liverpool

and ComputerScience Corporation’s software project at Knowsley toservice the US company’s £1.2billion contract digitising NHS recordsfor the North and Midlands.

“Normally you are happy to get one large investment a year.Winning four is exceptional”, commented Mark Basnett, Director ofInvestment for the Mersey Partnership.

“We have seen quite a strengthening in the level and seriousnessof enquiries as the reputation and image of the Liverpool regioncomes into line with what the area has to offer. Potential investors are bowled over by the buzz and enthusiasm of the place.”

Figures collated by the NWDA for 2004-05 on behalf of UKTradeand Investment (UKTI) showed the Agency was involved with sub-regional partners in 37projects, creating 2,949 new jobs andsafeguarding 1,219. Fifty other projects delivered 2,431new jobs and protected 371.

A feature of last’s year performance, according to John Cunliffe,was the high value and high quality of many projects and the jobscreated by these projects.

“We have to focus on winning betterquality investment for the region.While this is likely to result in fewer projects it will have a significantlymore beneficial effect on the region’s economy in the long term.”

Only 19 of the 92projects recorded received government grants.Among the largest were Gertrag Ford (£5 million) and Bank of NewYork (£1.9 million). America’s oldest bank has opened an office inManchester to support the growth of its operations in the UKandEurope and expects to create 350 jobs by 2006.

“After December 2006 most of the UKwill lose assisted area statusso we need to be winning projects that come here because of theregion’s high skills base and competitive advantage, not because of government aid packages,” observes Cunliffe.

The 2004-05 figures support the view that the region’s energyindustry will become an important generator of investment, specialistknow-how and key skills in the years ahead.

Three US companies, The Shaw Group, E2and CH2M Hill, have opened operations in Cumbria on the back of the NuclearDecommissioning Authority establishing its main base in West Cumbria.

“There is a strong pipeline of companies wanting to be in closeproximity to the NDA” reports Cunliffe.

Other overseas investors are targeting the renewable energysector. The newest arrivals include two Danish firms, West UKwhichis opening a manufacturing facility on Merseyside, Vestas(Warrington), and two Norwegian companies, Geoenergy andBergen Energi (both Greater Manchester)

For further information:Investment Services Team 01925 400 495

More Chinese high-tech companies are moving into the Northwest as the world’s fastest growingeconomy targets new business opportunities in Europe.

Two of the three new investments recorded in 2004-05 were acquisitions, one of which was theLeyland Technical Centre, an indication of China’s desire to plug into UK technology.

China’s potential as a valuable new source of investment recently prompted MIDAS, the investmentagency for Greater Manchester, to ‘piggy-back’ on Manchester United’s pre season tour of the Far Eastto woo Chinese investors.

“The pulling power of the Manchester United brand helped attract 50 Chinese companies to areception at our embassy inBeijing,” observes MIDASChief Executive Neil Fountain.

MIDAS is already workingwith the NWDA, ManchesterCity Council and ManchesterScience Park on a SinoVentures project offeringspace to Chinese high-techcompanies to test theEuropean market.

“So far three small Chineseoperations have been

attracted to Sino Ventures in Manchester and hopefully as a result of this latest visit to China we willsee another four of five companies starting there in the next six months,”says Fountain.

In June MIDAS, which has revised its structure to represent all ten GreaterManchester local authorities,signed a three-yearstrategic partnership deal with the NorthwestRegional DevelopmentAgency (NWDA).

It is hoped the closer collaboration will help attract or safeguard 3,500 jobs and achieve investmentof over £50 million in the current year for the region.

The Agency has strengthened its own investment team by appointing Jing Chen, formerly a seniorinward officer with UKT&I in Shanghai. Although based in Warrington, Jing will spend a lot of time inChina developing new investment projects for the region.

For further information: www.investinmanchester.com

Figures published by the DTI show that the NWDA andits partners created 11,208new jobs in the region in 2004-05, created or attracted1,094 new businesses,regenerated 357 hectares ofbrownfield land and created26,198 learning opportunities...

Northwest Vision is extendingthe Regional Attraction Fund(RAF) until April 2007 after the NWDA agreed to invest afurther £1 million in the fund in a bid to attract moreindependent film and televisionmakers to the region...

Career civil servant ElaineHoward has been appointedBusiness Crime ReductionAdvisor for the Northwest. She will work with partnersincluding the NWDA, to sharebest practice and promoteservices and initiatives thathelp reduce the impact of crime on businesses...

NWDA investment in DaresburyInternational Science andTechnology Park (DISTP) willincrease from £25.7 million to £50.3 million to exploit thepark’s full potential to attractscience-based ventures...

Enterprise Plc is to expand itscommercial operations byopening a new business supportcentre in Liverpool with fundinghelp from the NWDA. Theproject will create 270 skilledjobs over the next three years...

News

Foreign-owned companiesgave the Northwesteconomy a major uplift lastyear by investing in over92business and industrialprojects - nearly 30 morethan the previous year -creating 5,376 jobs, one of the highest figures ofany region in the UK.

It is hoped the closer collaboration will help MIDAS attract or safeguard 3,500 jobs and achieve investment ofover £50 million in the current year.

The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) programmeis focusing on a number of ways of dealing with the problem.

This includes the development of a communications strategy to ensure effective dialogue with regional businesses and thecommissioning of a ‘wider waste’ action plan to evaluate currentwaste management strategies in the Northwest.

Northwest companies produce 6.5 million tonnes of industrialwaste and 3.1million tonnes of commercial waste each year,although the total figure is nearer 28 million tonnes whenconstruction/demolition and agricultural waste is taken intoconsideration.

Landfill disposal accounts for just under half of the totalCommercial and Industrial (C&I) waste but with many sites filling up,the government is raising the standard rate of landfill tax by £3 pertonne each year to a long term maximum of £35 per tonne tostimulate reductions in business waste.

BREW is a £284 million programme set up by Defra to recyclethese additional landfill tax receipts back to business in a mannerthat will encourage and support resource efficiency.

First year funding of £43 million has been allocated to a range ofestablished programmes and organisations including the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA), which will receive£555,000 per year over three years to co-ordinate the BREWprogramme within the region.

Regional Co-ordinatorVicky O’Kelly says the programme is abouthelping businesses to manage their resources more efficiently and to reduce waste at every stage of the business cycle.

“Measures funded by the programme will assist businessresource efficiency through a variety of means including advice andsupport, direct incentives, removing barriers, and support for thedevelopment and use of innovative technologies.”

“The aim of regional co-ordination is to reduce the risk ofduplication, communicate a clear message and clarify access tosupport programmes available to businesses.”

The region is already a leading provider of waste minimisationsolutions for business through programmes such as ENWORKS and organisations like Envirolink Northwest, which has engaged

23 Northwest companies in the Transformation ofWaste to Product(TW2P) programme.

One business, Innovia Films (formerly Surface Specialities UCB),has found that waste can be a sustainable and profitable opportunityrather than a landfill burden.

Based in Wigton in Cumbria, the company makes cellulose films to package foods and confectionery, and until recently disposed of1,800 tonnes of small off-cuts and waste to landfill.

Now 80 tonnes a month - more than 50% of its better quality waste- is being compacted into 20 tonne container loads and shippedprofitably to the American oil industry where it is used in controllingthe porosity of borehole walls during oil well drilling.

Funded by the NWDA, the TW2Pproject uses the combinedexpertise of the University of Manchester and three Northwestconsultancies: Enviros Consulting for the chemical industry, ENTECUK for paper and ADAS consulting for food.

“We were seriously considering how to put the high quality portionof our wastes to productive use,” says Innovia’s Wayne Horsley.“Working with Enviros is helping us to focus on all possible outletsfor what otherwise would be lost material.”

For further information:www.brew-nw.co.ukVicki O’Kelly 01925 400 100

8 9315°

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) hasrecently completed a restructuring of its Enterprise & Innovation,Skills Policy and Business Skills Northwest activities, resulting in their amalgamation into a single Directorate - Enterprise,Innovation & Skills (EI&S).

The reorganisation - the biggest since the Agencywas formed in 1999 - reflects the need for the NWDAto achieve greater strategic leadership, integrateits business and skills activities, improve ease ofaccess to businesses and partner organisations,and improve efficiency and effectiveness of delivery.

Existing projects and initiatives have beenreallocated across the six core teams that make upthe new structure. Four team leaders have beenappointed and a further two are being recruited.

Policy & Enterprise (headed by Tim Sheward)will integrate the overall EI&S Strategy for theDirectorate providing a greater focus on theEnterprise agenda and a range of activities fromstart-ups to major firms.

Science & Innovation (headed by GeorgeBaxter) will focus on the increasing national andregional priority for developing a knowledge-based economy.

Skills (headed by Fran Hulbert) covers issuesfrom pre-school to post graduate attainment,integrates regional and national policies and alsoresponds to skills issues related to regeneration,social inclusion and opportunities for individuals.

Business Relations brings together all theNWDA’s direct-to-business and clusterdevelopment activities into one unit. It alsoincludes the Investment Services team, which can be accessed through a single contact point(01925 400495).

Business Support - Product Developmentconsolidates into one team all the Agency’s directbusiness support products such as GRAND, theGrant for Research and Development (formerlySMART), Selective Finance for Investment inEngland (SFI), venture capital and business withICTexploitation support.

Business Support - Business Link Delivery(Headed by Mike Hill) manages the Business LinkService across the region and the NWDA’srelationships with key intermediary organisationssuch as Chambers of Commerce and Enterprise Agencies.

In another move designed to increase efficiencyand improved partnership working, RegionalDirector of UKTrade and Investment (UKTI) VickiTreadell will operate as part of the EI&SDirectorate’s management team, led by ExecutiveDirector Mark Hughes.

He believes the reorganisation will deliver bettervalue for money and help transparency andaccess for outside clients and partners.

“The Agency is committed to effecting atransformational change in the region’s economyand the service and investment we provide tobusinesses is an essential part of delivering thatvision,” he explains. Hughes, who was formerlywith DTZPieda and ErnstYoung, manages anannual budget of £120 million.

The Agency is currently undertaking a review of Business Support and Business Link services in the region. Over the next five months the workwill identify how the Business Link service can bestrengthened and developed.

Hughes says, “The review will also look at thewider Business Support environment where thereare a variety of public sector funders - includingthe NWDA - who purchase or deliver services tobusinesses that potentially cut across or duplicateBusiness Link and each other. We believe there isan opportunity now to tackle this.”

For further information: Mark Hughes Executive Directorof Enterprise, Innovation & Skills01925 400 100

Reshaping business support

Brewing up waste solutions

1

A new three-year initiative has been launchedto help Northwest businesses reduce themillions of tonnes of industrial and commercialwaste being generated in the region every year.

1 New game planMark Hughes leads a reshaped Enterprise,Innovation & SkillsDirectorate

1 2

1 New solutionsRecycling is easinglandfill pressures

2 Valuable collectionEmpty cans are melted down to formmetal slabs

“The Agency iscommitted toeffecting atransformationalchange in theregion’s economy”

10 11315°

Food students serve up new dishes

Food producers, judges and guests joined Lancashire’sMichelin-starred chef in sampling a mouth-watering menu of newdishes that included a Lancashire cheese pastie, Cumberlandsausage wrapped in basil and Cumbrian air dried ham, and aMorecambe Bay shrimp dip cocktail with chilli.

“Twenty years ago the Northwest was a food desert but all that haschanged. The region is now leading the way in getting farmers, foodproducers and restaurants to work together,” said Paul Heathcote.

Jo Ives used the event to urge local food producers, large andsmall, to use the expertise available in LJMU to improve aspects oftheir business.

“A lot of people think our role is just focused on turning outgraduates but we have a range of facilities and activities to helplocal business and community groups.”

Her department is currently working with a bakery on developingnew products and is also looking at extending the shelf life ofcooked meats. LJMU also delivers food industry training and over2,000 people have gone through its courses over the past few years.

The Northwest Fantastic Food Partnership was established withsupport from the Northwest Regional Development Agency to helplocal food businesses become more sustainable and competitive.

For further information: www.nwfantasticfoods.co.uk

1 Top of the classPaul Heathcote with award winnerDiane Rogers

1

“Twenty years ago theNorthwest was a fooddesert but all that haschanged. The region isnow leading the way ingetting farmers, foodproducers and restaurantsto work together.” Paul Heathcote

When food and nutritionstudent Diane Rogers heardon television that EcclesCakes were losing out tomuffins in consumer appealshe decided to give thefamous product aflavoursome new twist.

Instead of using traditional currants for the filling she opted for atasty mix of apples, pears and Lancashire Cheese. It was winningcombination earning the Wirral student the £250 first prize in theNorthwest Food Innovator Awards.

Seven finalists from Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU)showcased their culinary creations to regional food producers atLiverpool’s Anglican Cathedral after being asked to originate tastynew dishes using well-known regional foods.

Andria Konnari, a student from Cyprus, took the second prize of£150 with her ‘cheesy vegetarian sausages’ and Julie Bell of Penrithscooped the third placed award of £75 for her ‘Cumberlandsausage and apple bites’.

Chef-entrepreneur Paul Heathcote, who presented the awardsthought some of the dishes, like the highly commended ‘whitechocolate rice pudding’, had commercial potential with othersmaking great canapé dishes.

“Competition can inspire and I hope this can be a starting pointfor a successful career in the food industry,” he told the students.

Sponsored by the Northwest Fantastic Foods Partnership andorganised by Jo Ives, Senior Lecturer in Food Studies at LJMU, thecompetition was used to give students hands-on experience ofdeveloping new products by utilising Northwest specialityingredients, highlighting the fantastic foods the region has to offer.

12 13315°

Fast forwardfor Cumbria economyA new era of opportunity is opening up in Cumbria as moreflagship projects get underway and regeneration agenciesprepare to pool their ideas and resources in a concerted driveforeconomic parity with the rest of the region.

Doug Garrett, who has played a key role in the transformationof Belfast’s Laganside area,has been appointed as ChiefExecutive of ReBlackpool, theUrban Regeneration Companywhich will deliver the resort’s£1.4 billion regenerationMasterplan...

Hope Street, the road linkingLiverpool’s two cathedrals andthe hub of the city’s creativecommunity, is undergoing a£2.9 million facelift. The work,which is supported by theNWDA, the city council andEnglish Partnerships, will becompleted in Spring 2006...

Ambitious plans to transformKings Waterfront, Liverpool, intoa world-class visitor destinationwith arena, conference andexhibition facilities cleared thefinal hurdle when Brusselsconfirmed that the EuropeanUnion will invest £46 million of Objective 1 funding in thescheme...

After considering the findings ofa joint study into the economicpotential of casino developmentin the region, the NWDA Boardhas decided to support Blackpoolas the preferred candidate forthe single regional casino pilotscheduled to be announced bythe government in 2006...

Millom in Cumbria is to receivefunding of £1 million from NWDAto kickstart regeneration. The investment is aimed atdeveloping new businesses in the town centre, creating 40jobs, and providing a NetworkCentre to deliver skills training...

News1 Tourist trap

Carlisle wants to be a quality visitordestination

Higher Education is a cornerstone of the new vision with the city council revealing that it is putting“significant resources” behind a proposal for a new University of Cumbria which would have a strongpresence in the city.

Chris Collier, Chief Executive of Cumbria Vision, says: “One of the issues in Cumbria is the sheernumber of organisations delivering regeneration and economic development.

“The task ahead is to get better co-ordination of the various programmes and also to identify thingsthat will be transformational. We need to identify the big projects that will make a difference and decidehow to bring them to reality.”

Covering the whole of the sub-region, the new regeneration company will be formally established onApril 1, 2006, and will integrate the work of Rural Regeneration Cumbria, West Lakes Renaissance andthe NWDA’s Cumbria team.

It will work alongside the Cumbria Strategic Partnership, which has a wider remit than economicdevelopment. The NWDA will continue to invest substantial resources into Cumbria Vision.

“What we are about is making that investment deliver economic growth more effectively,” stressesCollier, former Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board. She and her board are working on a businessplan for 2006-07 that will go out for consultation in October.

The reorganisation comes at a time of increasing challenge and change in Cumbria on a number offronts from nuclear decommissioning and the e-economy to agriculture and tourism.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Draft Strategy, launched last month, captures the keyissues involved in the decommissioning process and sets out the proposed approach to tackling them.How the NDA will adopt an open and transparent approach to its work and in particular how it willengage with stakeholders remains a fundamental part of the strategy.

Stewart Swift, Area Manager of the NWDA’s Cumbria Office, thinks the NDA, which has itsHeadquarters in West Cumbria, presents the county with unrivalled business opportunities.

“There is no reason why the expertise we develop in the county cannot be transferred acrossEurope and the rest of the world. If we do become the world’s experts on nuclear decommissioningthe region, not just Cumbria, will benefit.”

Reports suggest that of the £56 billion cost of dismantling 20 civilian nuclear sites in the UK£31.5 billion will be invested in removing installations in Cumbria. Swift also thinks the county could be amajor beneficiary if the government decides to embark on a new nuclear power generation programme.

Prospects for a turnaround in Cumbria’s economy have brightened in past months as momentumbuilds on other key regeneration projects.

Located on the A74 and one of 26 Regional Strategic Sites, the Kingmoor Park development has sofar delivered over 970,000 sq ft (90,000 sq m) of industrial/office space, which has been occupied by150 companies employing 1,400 people.

Construction of a new bypass (the Northern Development Route) is now at the tender stage andwhen completed will create major new development and diversification opportunities.

An effective communications infrastructure is becoming increasingly important for business and the NWDA is keen to ensure that Cumbria is able to benefit fully from the digital revolution. Working with Your Communications, the NWDA has invested £20 million in a resilient ring network enablingbroadband services to be delivered to 95% of businesses and individuals in Cumbria and NorthLancashire.

For further information: Chris CollierChief Executive of Cumbria Vision 01768 867 294

“What we are about is making thatinvestment deliver economic growth more effectively”

Chris Collier Former Chief Executive of Cumbria Tourist Board

Aspirations for Cumbria Vision, the private sector led delivery bodyfor economic development in Cumbria, include a national nucleartraining academy, and an Innovation Park and marina village onBarrow waterfront.

Carlisle has also set its sights on a bold renaissance of the city’scentral area following the disastrous floods in January, which affected2,000 properties and caused damage estimated at £250 million.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, on his recent visit to Carlisle,stated that the city can emerge from the disaster stronger than ever.Launching Carlisle Renaissance, a bold new regeneration vision forCarlisle, Mr Prescott praised the Northwest Regional Development

Agency (NWDA), other agencies, and the Carlisle community itself,for their “quick and decisive” response to get the city back on its feetfollowing the devastation. This view was reinforced by GovernmentOffice for the North West, in their annual report on RDA performance,which gave positive feedback concerning the agencies response tocrisis including the Carlisle flood.

Strategic objectives outlined in a new prospectus published inAugust by Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council includeexpanding the city centre towards the west and south, makingCarlisle a quality visitor destination and forging a link between the‘Learning City’ agenda and business creation.

14 15315°

Projected investment from town centre developments, the openingup of new business parks and Manchester Metropolitan University’sexpansion of its Cheshire campus is expected to create thousands of new jobs over the next decade or so.

Chris Koral, Cheshire Area Manager for the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), stresses the importance of theBasford employment site - one of the region’s 26 strategic sites - in unlocking Crewe’s full economic potential.

“Basford could be a really significant gateway to the region. It’shighly visible from the West Coast Main Line services and hopefully,over the next six or seven years, could provide a much better imageof the region for inbound travellers.”

Basford West is linked to major sidings where Channel Tunnelfreight trains are assembled and is earmarked for distribution typebusinesses. Basford East is zoned for manufacturing, offices and distribution.

“We have critical developer interest and commitment for both partsof Basford with a potential to create up to15,000 jobs over20 years”,says Tim Harrison, Economic Development Manager for CheshireCounty Council.

Crewe’s industrial base has undergone major restructuring inrecent times with only 2,000 now employed in its rail workshopscompared with 22,000 thirty years ago.

The town’s transformation owes much to the success of the almostfully developed Crewe Business Park, home to such names as FocusDIY, Fujitsu, Barclays and Defra. A new road has recently opened upa further eight hectares, which is currently being sold to a developer.

Several other pieces of the regeneration jigsaw are falling intoplace, notably the completion of a masterplan for the South EastQuadrant (the area between the town centre and J16 of the M6),

the Modus Developments-led scheme, which includes newshopping, public spaces and a bus interchange, and the £35 millionredevelopment of Crewe Station.

“A start is expected on the station project in 2007once fundingnegotiations have been completed,” says Harrison. The schemeincludes a new traffic interchange.

Capital cost of regeneration projects over the next few years isestimated at £600 million. One of the biggest is ManchesterMetropolitan University’s £80 million enlargement of its Crewecampus on Crewe Green Road to facilitate the transfer of studentsfrom the nearby Alsager site.

When completed in 2012 the Cheshire campus will provide over300 degree courses for 6,000 students in a wide variety of subjectsfrom teacher training and management studies to contemporary artand sports science.

The NWDA is investing £3 million in an economic renewal project,‘Driving Crewe Forward’which targets four deprived wards in thewest of the town. It has also invested £1million in the AXIS trainingand education project and £230,000 in road improvements outsidethe Bentley factory.

“Crewe has all the ingredients to become a more prosperoustown and gateway. The challenge foreveryone is to unlock thatpotential”, adds Chris Koral.

For further information:www.crewe-nantwich.gov.ukChris KoralCheshire Area Manager01925 644 220

Crewe on track for more prosperous futureFamed as the home of luxury car-maker Bentley and strategically located onBritain’s rail network, Crewe will soon have more to sing about when regenerationprojects currently underway or in the pipeline begin to bear fruit.

1 Home of craftsmanshipThe Bentley factory

2 Japanese investmentCrewe Business Park has attracted big names

1 2

New enterprises boost farm incomeOverone third of farmers in the Northwest have now diversified theirbusinessbase and in 2003-04 they reaped £10 million from new commercial ventures,according to the Department forEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The NWDA will invest

£100 millionin the rural economybetween 2003-2008

Land that once grazed cattle or grew crops is now home to the likes of a sculpture park, a nationaleventing course, and a bird sanctuary whilst buildings that once housed livestock now provide holidayaccommodation and commercial office space.

Families whose livelihood depended totally on farming are exercising new skills in both developingalternatives to their traditional income and promoting and marketing their new initiatives.

But although tourist-related diversification is an attractive option to many farmers - a recent study revealsthat nearly half of all Northwest farmers are already operating a farm tourism venture - farming and tourismform only part of the wider rural economy.

Steve Heaton, Head of Rural Affairs for the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which isinvesting £100 million in the rural economy between 2003-08, says: “We see ourselves as playing a majorcatalytic role in trying to broaden the rural economy.

“Farming and tourism are both very important, but we want to encourage farmers to embrace the fullpotential breadth of that economy. That includes, for example, creating workspace which is beneficialboth to the farmer and to businesses who want to operate in rural areas.”

The NWDA’s support for Project ACCESS, bringing a Broadband service to 95% of Cumbria, has alsoenabled some companies, particularly in the creative industries, to compete globally from ruralHeadquarters in the Northwest.

Farming partners Steve and Charlotte Proudlove and Doug and Sue Sheard began to consider a range ofdiversification ideas at the mixed dairy and arable Somerford Farm at Congleton, Cheshire, in the late 1990s.

They decided on the conversion of a group of traditional barns to high-quality office space, with a grantfrom the NWDA, to create Somerford Business Court which attracted its first tenant in March 2002.

“Although we were given help and advice, there was little formal research into the demand foroffice spacein rural areas,” says Charlotte. “So in the end we went with our gut feeling that it was the right thing to do.”

Originally they created six offices for the first tenants who included call centres, financial and ITcompanies.But subsequently the owners have divided the space into ten units to meet the demands of new companieswho require smaller offices.

“It is important to be flexible, both on space and lease arrangements,” says Charlotte. “It is also importantto accept you may have to change some aspects of your farming to make sure it does not conflict withyour new source of income - it’s no good having smelly silage next to the offices!”

Charlotte says she and her partners have completed most of the letting arrangements themselves andurges farmers to have confidence in their ability to sell their new venture themselves.

That role appears to come easier to young farmers who are playing a leading part in diversifying anddeveloping tourism products, according to the recent North West Farm Tourism study.

In a survey of 600 farmers, it estimates the average turnover from farm tourism activity for individualoperators in the region was almost £60,000, generating a higher profit margin than their traditionalagricultural revenue streams.

For further information: www.nwda.co.uk/rural Steve Heaton, Head of Rural Affairs 01925 400 100

16 17315°

It is a phrase coined by Felicity Goodey, Chair of Central SalfordUrban Regeneration Company (URC), who says Salford is “a citywaiting to be discovered.”

Launching the Draft Vision and Regeneration Framework forCentral Salford, Goodey says: “ ‘Beauty’ is a word not often used by experts in regeneration but our team use it all the time. ThisVision is built on the natural beauty of people and places in Salford,assets, which for too long have been hidden, overgrown andneglected. But there are signs of re-growth pushing up everywhere.”

Published by the URC and its core partners - the NorthwestRegional Development Agency (NWDA), English Partnerships andSalford City Council - the Vision is “an ambitious approach to thecity’s regeneration”.

The Framework was developed by an international consortiumcomprising Joe Berridge of Urban Strategies, Italian architectMassimiliano Fuksas, regeneration expert Professor Stuart Gulliverand Locum Consulting.

Joe Berridge says: “Salford has hidden itself from the world. Andabove all we want to make it an enjoyable place, like the best partsof the best cities. This is not an impossible dream - the proximityto booming central Manchester, the right array of heritage buildings,the extraordinary river - these are a great mix for a great city.”

Massimiliano Fuksas, working on his first UK project, says: “I thought our mission was a tough one at first but having seenwhat Salford already has to offer, I can guarantee it is possible tochange in a clever, intelligent and very different way. By 2025Salford will have undergone a magnificent metamorphosis.”

The consortium worked alongside local communities andstakeholders on a long-term plan to transform the city into onecharacterised by “dramatic waterside vistas, high quality greenpublic spaces, pedestrian-friendly streets, rejuvenated heritagebuildings and modern architectural gems.”

The Vision is the subject of a three-month consultation exerciseinvolving business and community events and a major public drop-in session in early September. Feedback will help to shapethe final Framework to be published this Autumn.

Using the analogy of a beautiful garden, the RegenerationFramework acknowledges that the city’s transformation requires asuitable climate, both economic and social, an improvement of thephysical landscape and the planting of seeds - specific projectsand initiatives that will develop into distinctive features of the future.

“Some of these initial seeds must be planted through publicinvestment to create structure and momentum,” says the Visiondocument. “The success of these first seeds will feed later growthto be undertaken by the private sector.”

Emphasising the city’s existing natural attributes, Goodey says: “I have an etching dating from 1820 of The Meadows and St Philip’s Church and it is still a good likeness of what is theretoday - you just can’t see it. This once beautiful riverfront isovergrown and hidden by a six-lane highway.”

“The plan is to make Salford not just a nice place, but an exceptionally beautiful one and therefore an attractive leisure destination.”

Five ‘transformation areas’ have been identified whereinvestment in the short to medium term will stimulate long-termregeneration. The first priority will focus on the Chapel Street area - the strand linking the river, the regional centre, the historic centreand Salford University to its surrounding neighbourhoods - transforming it into the city’s Creative Quarter.

But there is also a need to attract inward investment, emphasisingSalford’s location as a western gateway to the regional centre, atthe heart of the Northwest’s motorway, train and air travel networks.Financial and professional services, specialist manufacturers andknowledge-based industries will be specifically targeted.

NWDA Chief Executive Steven Broomhead says: “The plannedprogramme of renewal will guide the transformation of the area,creating jobs, improving transport and infrastructure and promotingSalford as a prime investment location.”

For further information: www.salford.gov.uk

Salford embarks on ‘city beautiful’ planThe Secret Garden is a new and surprising soubriquetfor industrial Salford, aimed at raising the profile ofa city determined to emerge from the shadow of itsmetropolitan neighbour to become “the most beautifulpart of Greater Manchester.”

Salford’s Vital StatisticsCentral Salford covers over 2,100 hectares and is home to 72,000 people

60% of Salford is green space with nature reserves,mossland and hundreds of acres of parks

Salford has 30 miles of rivers and canals, six waterwaysand 14 waterway bridges

Salford Quays is home to the world-class Arts Centre oftheatres and galleries, including the permanent home to thepaintings of L.S.Lowry, and the Imperial War Museum North

The city is the birthplace of actors Albert Finney, RobertPowell and Ben Kingsley, film director Mike Leigh and artistHarold Riley

Salford is host to the UK’s 1st Triathlon World Cup

Salford is home to the Northwest’s first five-star hotel

City of Liverpool DesignChampion Beatrice Fraenkelhas been appointed Chair ofRENEW, the Northwest’s Centreof Regeneration Excellence. She is Chairman of SouthLiverpool Primary Trust and an NHS Design Champion...

Work is underway on claddingthe 400ft high CIS building inManchester with 7,000 solarpanels. The ambitious £5.5 millionproject, the largest in the UK, is supported by an £885,000investment from the NWDA andwill be completed by December...

Staircase House, a 550-year old dwelling in the heart ofStockport’s £500 million towncentre regeneration scheme,has been opened to the publicafter a 10-year restorationprogramme to repair seriousfire damage. The £3.8 millionproject has been part-funded by the NWDA...

Fleetwood Marsh has beenopened to the public as anature park after LancashireCounty Council reclaimed aderelict power station site onthe Wyre Estuary with supportof nearly £1 million from the NWDA...

The NWDA is providing £1.3 million to help transformderelict land at the heart ofKnowsley Industrial Estateinto a prestigious businesspark. The development of the28-acre site, based in aStrategic Investment Area, is expected to create 300 jobs...

News

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1 Green oasis Salford plans to makebetter use of the river

2 Bright future A new vision forChapel Street

3 River magic New ideas can change the watersideenvironment

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New leadership centre opens

18 19315°

Jeremy Hall is a leadership convert. And as such he will shortlybe leaving his own small specialist furniture company to takecharge of a different business venture for one week.

The business exchange is the climax of the innovativeLeadership and Development programme for owner managers of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), an important focusof the new Lancaster Leadership Centre (LLC).

Its aim is to allow ‘graduates’ of the programme to leave theirown company for a week, building on the premise that SMEowners should feel able to stand back from the day-to-day runningof their businesses to take a more strategic view.

Based in Lancaster University’s Management School, the LLCwas officially opened in May by Sir Digby Jones, Director General of the CBI. Housed in a £10 million building, and co-funded by theNorthwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and theUniversity, it already boasts the largest and highest rankedcommunity of leadership scholars in Europe.

But when Jeremy Hall, owner of cabinetmakers and furniturerestorers Peter Hall & Son, based near Kendal in Cumbria, was firstapproached to join the Leadership and Development (LEAD)programme, his reaction was that he did not have the time.

“But as soon as I found out more, I realised it was reallyappropriate,” he says. “When you are the boss, you are often alone with problems that you cannot take to anyone else. I likedthe idea of learning from the experiences of similar people indifferent businesses.”

Using a mix of masterclasses, coaching, mentoring and teambuilding, LEAD aims to provide over 1,500 SMEs over the next10 years with practical advice on how to grow and develop theirbusinesses. The programme will also focus on the business needsof women, ethnic minorities and rural communities.

“I considered growth in terms of people’s development ratherthan numbers,” says Jeremy, who nevertheless has increased hisworkforce from 18 to 20 since starting the programme lastDecember. “But I accept that profit growth means the business is more sustainable and much stronger.”

The ten-month programme, aimed at the “micro SME” sector -companies employing between 4 and 20 people - is free thoughparticipants are liable to be charged the actual cost of £15,000 perperson if they drop out.

Sue Peters, Director of the LEAD programme, says: “Until thisprogramme was established, there was no such provision forthese companies, which all have the potential to grow. Our ultimateaim is to create more job opportunities and therefore help thewhole region’s economy.”

She advises owners that the course demands two days permonth, including attendance at masterclasses given by“inspirational” speakers such as mountaineer Sir Chris Boningtonand Chris Moon who survived imprisonment by the Khmer Rouge.

“What we are finding is that most people love to come here tothe Centre, to use the facilities and network with colleagues,” saysSue Peters.

NWDA Chief Executive, Steven Broomhead says: “The Agency is firmly committed to developing and promoting effectivemanagement and leadership skills, which are essential elements of a successful economy.”

For further information:www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/leadership

It’s not surprising that James, who became self-employed at 19 without any qualifications, wasnamed ‘Best Young Business Person’ in the borough by Knowsley Economic Forum last year.

A catalyst in his success is the UK’s first purpose-built Youth Enterprise Academy in Knowsley, a £1.2 million project funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and MerseysideObjective One. It is now set to be a model for other regions.

Located on Knowsley Industrial Park, the Academy provides 12 incubation units - 11,500 sq ft ofspace - within the North Mersey Business Centre, a mini-to-corporate enterprise park operated byKnowsley Development Trust.

The Academy is not just a property provider offering discounted rent to would-be entrepreneurs,stresses Chief Executive Steve Dumbell, who recently received the new Queen’s Award for EnterprisePromotion for his work in Knowsley.

“We are working with the Prince’s Trust and other business support agencies to help enterprise-minded young people with a wide range of business and mentoring support.”

James, whose company ‘TekTrick Computers’ supplies and maintains computers for a range ofprofessional and business clients, was the first person to move into the Academy.

He is now passing on the early lessons he learnt on self-employment. Two weeks after enrolling atKnowsley Community College he switched from being a student to a college-employed IT technician -to young people visiting the Academy.

“I tell them about the hard work involved in starting up on your own and the valuable help I havereceived from the Academy,” says James, who has recently won a contract to supply computersystems to a leading Liverpool law firm. He has also managed to buy his own house in Kirkby.

The Academy was established following research into the low business start up rates for youngpeople in Knowsley where a third of the borough’s unemployed are under 25.

Steve Dumbell explains: “These young people have been brought up in a branch plant culture andalthough that type of economy died out some years ago it has left a legacy of unemployment andunder achievement.”

He is adopting a two-tier approach: working with Knowsley’s 60 secondary and primary schools tointegrate enterprise into the curriculum and providing a facility for enterprise incubation in the Academy.

Steven Broomhead, NWDA Chief Executive, says: “Enterprise and entrepreneurship are essentialelements of a successful economy and we recognise the importance of driving them forwardthroughout the region, at all levels, particularly among our young people.”

James was recently joined in the Academy by Lindsey Shelley, whose company Shelley Fabricsspecialises in soft furnishings, and other young entrepreneurs have expressed interest.

“We are setting out our stall to create a sustainable future for these young people,” asserts Steve Dumbell.

For further information: www.knowsleyacademy.org

Youth Enterpriseacademy launchedJames Kildare already has both feet firmly on the enterprise ladder. At 22 he runs hisown computer company within businesscentre premises in Knowsley and has becomea first-time buyer in the property market.

11 Best practice

Kendal cabinetmakersPeter Hall & Sonbenefited from theLEAD programme

“When you are the boss, you are oftenalone with problems that you cannottake to anyone else. I liked the idea oflearning from the experiences of similar people in different businesses.”

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1 Royal occasionThe Academy wasofficially opened by theDuke of Kent

2 Catch them youngThe Duke meetsenterprise-mindedpupils fromSimonswood PrimarySchool, Knowsley

20 21315°

Budget airlinesdrive airport growth

Twenty-three new routes into Europe have been added in the pastyear as the three main low cost carriers, easyjet, Ryanair and flyBe,expand their networks. In response to business pressure the airportis also working to establish the first-ever air links with the US.

Accommodating future growth - Government planners suggest theairport could grow to handle 12million passengers by 2030 - isbecoming an important issue for airport owners Peel Holdings, whoacquired the airport in 1997.

“We are currently considering the next phase of our expansion and are hoping to engage in consultation with the city and the regionabout further development of the existing terminal, apron andinfrastructure,” explained the airport’s Managing Director Neil Pakey.

Peel has invested £100 million in developing Liverpool and hastotally repositioned the brand moving it from a “tin shed” facility in the 1990s with an annual throughput of less than half a millionpassengers to a strong regional airport with global aspirations.

Passenger growth has soared from 1.9 million in 2000 to 3.3 millionin 2004 on the back of Liverpool’s popularity with low-cost airlines,making it the fastest growing UKairport, according to figures from theCivil Aviation Authority. Airlines are also experiencing 80% load factors.

Ryanair’s decision to base four Boeing 737-800 aircraft at JohnLennon Airport has allowed it to introduce 11new European routesduring 2005. Europe’s third largest low cost carrier, flyBe, has alsoannounced it would make Liverpool its northern base.

Ten airlines currently fly from Liverpool to 43 destinations includingmajor European cities like Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Milan andWarsaw. There are also five services a day to London City Airport.“We have found that the market has closely followed capacityallowing a small regional airport to become a major internationalgateway,” says Pakey.

The surge in growth is having a strong impact on the Merseysideeconomy. Nearly 1,500 jobs have been created since 2000,including 240 by the airport company itself. Ryanair’s investmentcould add hundreds more jobs to the workforce and an estimated£12million in economic benefits.

Neil Pakey refutes any suggestion that Liverpool’s success couldhave a dampening effect on Manchester’s growth, claiming thatwhenever Liverpool has competed on a similar route Manchesterhas benefited through market stimulation.

“Services to Berlin from Manchester were attracting only about20,000 passengers during 2002-04 but when easyjet beganservices from John Lennon Airport it helped boost numbers out ofManchester to 40,000.

“A similar thing happened on the Barcelona route. easyjet hastaken the whole market to 400,000 with Manchester growing from50,000 to an annual throughput of 150,000. Every single route wehave introduced has increased demand from Manchester and thereal winner is the customer.”

There is now a groundswell of opinion among business and civicleaders for direct air links with New York, according to Mark Basnett,Director of Investment forThe Mersey Partnership.

“Over 10 million people sailed from Liverpool in the 19th century to make a new life in America and there were passenger lineservices in being until 1970. We now have an impressive regionalairport and it seems the right time to re-establish those links.

“Liverpool is one of the top four UKcity brands in America yet itsimply doesn’t feature on the radar of airline connections. They aresimply routed via Heathrow or Gatwick or if they fly into Manchesterthere are simply not the public transport links to Liverpool.”

Improving surface transport links to facilitate further expansion ofLiverpool John Lennon should be a top regional priority, says Pakey,who has thrown his weight behind the second Mersey Crossingproject. “This is where the Northern Way initiative to grow the Northof England economy could be helpful.”

For further information: www.liverpoolairport.co.uk

The increasing popularity of cheap, ‘no-frills’ air travel is fuelling the rapid growth ofLiverpool John Lennon Airport.New figures suggest theairport will handle a record 4 million passengers this year,strengthening its position as a major international gateway to the North of England.

Below us only seaLiverpool’s famous Yellow Submarine structure has a new

home for the next few years at the city’s John Lennon Airport(‘above us only sky’) after the City Council agreed to loan the 51-ft structure to the airport while developers forge ahead withthe massive Paradise Street retail scheme.

Built by apprentices from the Cammell Laird Shipyard inBirkenhead for the International Garden Festival in 1984, the 25 tonne ‘vessel’was sprayed with champagne in true nauticalfashion at a ‘launch’ opening on the public walk way outside thepassenger terminal.

The Yellow Submarine - the famous song was recorded by theBeatles 40 years ago - is the second major artwork linked to theBeatles to be located at the airport. A statue of John Lennonlocated inside the terminal was unveiled to the public in 2002byCherie Blair and Yoko Ono.

Also to be built next year is The Halo, by landscape architectJohn Kennedy, which is destined for a site atTop o’Slate, nearHaslingden, an area that has attracted funding for enhancementsincluding seating and picnic areas, new paths and stiles and theplanting of trees and flower beds.

Already nicknamed “the flying saucer”, the project has been thecatalyst for bringing forward a larger related derelict land reclamationinitiative for the location, for which REMADE, Lancashire’s landreclamation project will be one of the sources of funding.

The Atom by Bristol-based architect Peter Meacock - from theoutside a bronze egg in the style of Hepworth or Henry Moore andfrom the inside a “medium-sized room” structure with viewing spaces- will be placed in Wycoller Country Park, Pendle. It has beendesigned to be significant in the landscape yet sympathetic to it.

The final two designs and specific locations - by architect PeterBeard for a site near Accrington and artist Nayan Kulkarni for theRibble Valley Panopticon - are still under discussion, with ongoingconsultation with the local communities.

Nick Hunt, Director of Mid Pennine Arts, on behalf of the ELEANpartners, says: “Completing Colourfields will put a first Panopticonon the map, and will be a huge milestone for the project. With theother five designs in progress, we have a very exciting year ahead.”

Cany Ash, Senior Partner in London-based Ash Sakula Architects and architectural adviser to the Pantopticons project, saysthe regeneration effects of ‘striking interventions like this’ are well-documented.

“One thinks of The Angel of the North and the Yorkshire SculpturePark as exemplars,”she says. “The Panopticons will help to increaseinward investment, local pride and tourism by reminding the publicthat East Lancashire not only has a past, but is confidently looking to the future.”

For further information:www.panopticons.uk.net

22 23315°

Public arttakes the high groundSix 21st century landmarkPanopticons - literally “all-seeingstructures” - are heading for thehills of East Lancashire. Thedesigns, chosen through aninternational architecturalcompetition, will be visible onhighpoints of the region’slandscape, standing as symbolsof its regeneration.

First off the architect’s drawing board is Colourfields, due to becompleted in September, on the Cannon Battery in Blackburn’sCorporation Park, which during the late 19th century became thetown’s most popular promenade.

Designed by Jo Rippon Architecture of London, in collaborationwith artist Sophie Smallhorn, Colourfields aims to reveal the beauty of the Battery itself, making it “a work of art and not just the base foranother folly.”

Jo, whose design involves the surface of the battery being inlaidwith flashes of intensely coloured resin terrazzo strata, says: “Thepark is full of grey concrete surfaces and I wanted to create a designwhich glowed no matter what the light, which is visible whatever theweather. It also responds to shades which people might see in thedistance such as those of heather or moss.”

The bold £600,000 Panopticons initiative is part of the widerEast Lancashire Regional Park development, led by LancashireEconomic Partnership (LEP), which covers the districts of Blackburnwith Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valleyand Rossendale.

Funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the East Lancashire Regional Park Single RegenerationBudget (SRB) Programme, Panopticons is a project of the EastLancashire Environmental Arts Network (ELEAN), and aims todemonstrate the positive role of the arts and cultural activity in thesocial, economic and physical regeneration of East Lancashire.

Carole Lythall, NWDA’s Regeneration Manager for Lancashire andthe Panopticons project champion, says: “This project will provide sixstriking and unique additions to the East Lancashire landscape.

“Such public art, incorporating high quality design in stunningsettings is a very important factor in showcasing the area as a greatplace for business to invest in and for people to live, work and visit.”

Burnley’s Panopticon design, The Singing Ringing Tree byarchitects Tonkin Liu Ltd, has already picked up an internationalaward and received recognition by an exhibition at the Victoria andAlbert Museum in London.

The tree-like form, built from pipes which will create sounds as thewind passes over and through them, was commended in aninternational design competition sponsored by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

And the design by Anna Liu was included in a V&A exhibition - AJCorus 40 Under 40 - highlighting the top 40 architectural trendsettersin the UK, under the age of 40.

“This is further proof that Burnley is going to get a piece of publicart which is genuinely exciting and has now received further nationalrecognition,” says Marcus Johnstone, Lancashire county councillorfor Padiham and Burnley West.

The design, which is awaiting planning permission, is due to bebuilt on a site in the Crown Point area of Burnley in 2006.

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1 Out of this world An impression of the Halo structure

2 New attractionThe Atom at Wycollerresembles a bronze egg

3 Setting the pace The Singing Ring Treehas won a Design award

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“This project will provide six strikingand unique additions to the EastLancashire landscape.”Carole Lythall, NWDA’s Regeneration Manager forLancashire and the Panopticons project champion

24 25315°

Inspired setting for study centre

Dr Robert Woof, Director of the Wordsworth Trust,likens it to a “very well tailored” new suit of clothes.“I’m almost embarrassed at how smart it is,” he adds.

The Centre, which was built using traditionalLakeland slate and materials, was designed to fitinto a difficult site next to the Trust’s Grade ll-listedWordsworth Museum and a stone’s throw fromthe poet’s home at Dove Cottage in Grasmere.

It has already been nominated for the long listof the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA)annual Stirling Prize, to be announced nextmonth (Oct 15). The judges described thebuilding as “beautifully crafted” and praised its“simple yet elegant design.”

But its journey from conception to completionhas not always been easy as the Lake DistrictNational Park Authority at first refused permissionbecause the building was within an historicconservation area.

It was in 1992 that architects Benson & Forsythof Edinburgh were asked to design a 21stcentury building using traditional Lakelandmaterials, a concept taken forward by NapperArchitects of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

RIBA judges paid tribute to the architects andthe Wordsworth Trust for “persevering through a difficult planning process to achieve a sensitivecontemporary solution where it would havebeen easier to resort to pastiche.”

Dr Woof says: “I think it’s wonderful that theNational Park now has a building of its timewhere form and function meet. And we look onit as a beginning for our future work.”

And poet and Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaneywho opened the centre said: “Like Dove Cottageitself, the Jerwood Centre is earthed in theWordsworthian ground and will stay earthed in it.Also like Dove Cottage, in the days when Wordsworth lived in it and ever since the time whenthe Trust acquired it, the Centre is destined to be

a work-house and a word-hoard, a power pointand a meeting place, a treasury and a library.”

The Centre consists of a three-storey buildinglinked by a glass bridge to a separate drum-shaped two-storey Rotunda, designed for intimatereadings, talks, lectures and small exhibitions.

The main building provides a permanent climate-controlled home for the Trust’s collection of35,000 manuscripts, 12,000 books, 11,500 piecesof fine art and 700 documents of social history.

The Centre was built with funding from theHeritage Lottery Fund, the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency (NWDA), the JerwoodFoundation and the European RegionalDevelopment Fund.

NWDA Chairman Bryan Gray says: “We arepleased to have assisted the development of thisbuilding, which adds yet another cultural jewel tothe many already in the Lake District.”

For further information: www.wordsworth.org.uk

Stretching for 73 miles from Newcastle, across a sparsely populatedrural hinterland to Carlisle, and down the coast as far as Ravenglass,the historic attraction has seen visitor numbers decline steadily tojust 65% of the total recorded in the Wall’s heyday in the mid-1970s.

But over the next eight years £50 million is to be invested intothe ‘Greatest Roman Frontier’, transforming the Wall into a must-see attraction, with facilities befitting one of the Northwest’s twoWorld Heritage Sites.

And while Phil Reddy, Tourism Strategy Manager at theNorthwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), concedes theWall lacks some of the drama of international heritage sites suchas Petra or the pyramids, he maintains “it is capable of doing farmore in terms of generating social and economic benefits for thecommunities which it passes through.”

In 2003 the NWDA joined forces with neighbouring regionaldevelopment agency (RDA) One NorthEast to produce a majorstudy into the role the Wall could play in the wider regeneration of the North of England.

“It’s a very good example of two RDAs working together on across–regional issue,” says Reddy, “and it’s indicative of how we

can work together on wider Northern Way issues too.”Among the study’s key finding was the need to establish

a single body to take over ownership of the Wall, a move whichReddy believes will bring a new strategic vision and end thefragmented way in which the story of the Wall is presented to the public.

The new organisation is set to take over in April 2006, andalthough its structure is still to be finalised, plans for the Wallalready include a new visitor centre, supporting ‘preview centres’and new approach to interpretation reflecting the latest researchinto the Wall’s history.

Other plans being considered include more events and festivalsalso linked to the Wall, and an artificial reconstruction of onesection that would give visitors a better idea of what life was reallylike policing Rome’s northern frontier.

Reddy is also keen to encourage people to get out of their carsand use sustainable forms of transport. Extra bus tours will allowvisitors to explore several sections of the Wall in one day, andgreater use will be made of rail lines that run close to the Wall anddown the Cumbrian coast.

Funding will come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, ERDF, the two RDAs and various other sources. It is estimated that the workwill create over 1,600 new jobs, while leading to a 34% increase in visitor numbers, and a 72% growth in visitor expenditure.

“We’re not just looking at more visitors,” says Reddy, “but atpersuading more visitors to stay in the area and to spend moremoney, so it’s about working with businesses to improve thequality and range of their offer, and harnessing a local asset tohelp change the economic situation in the area.”

For further information: www.hadrians-wall.org

Cumbria has added a new contemporary icon to its uniquecultural heritage with the opening of the Jerwood Centre, asensitively designed £3.1million building dedicated to the studyofWordsworth and British Romanticism.

1 Lakeland eleganceThe Jerwood Centre hasbeen beautifully craftedin local materials

2 Fount of knowledgeInterior of the newstudy centre

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What the Romans gave usBuilt by the Romans in AD 122 to mark the limits of the Roman Empire, Hadrian’sWall is now set to play a leading role in drawing more visitors to the Northwest,with a new vision that will delivera step change in the contribution it makes to theregional economy.

1

“If you want to studyShakespeare you have to go to the Folger Library inAmerica,” says Dr Woof. “Butto study Wordsworth and theRomantics you now come toGrasmere, right in the centre of the landscape thatprovided their inspiration.”

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1 Frontier heritageHadrian’s Wall stretches73 miles from Newcastleto Ravenglass

6 7315° 26 27315°

Celebrationcity preparesfor lift-offIf Liverpool’s staging of its Champions Leaguewinners’ homecoming at 24 hours notice isanything to go by, the celebration of EuropeanCapital of Culture in 2008 is safe in the city’s hands.

Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of theLiverpool Culture Company, says: “We were able tostage the city’s single biggest event in which 750,000people came out to see the team with not one arrest,not one casualty. Not bad with 24hours notice.”

The Culture Company, which expects Liverpool08 to attract an extra 1.5 million visitors, has alreadycompleted over 18 months of planning and theevidence is visible.

This year (2005) was themed Sea Liverpool,adding the Honda Power Boat Grand Prix and thestart of the 05-06 Clipper round-the-world yachtrace to the series of annual maritime events,including the Mersey River Festival.

The two-year artistic programme begins in 2007,which will include Liverpool’s 800th birthdaycelebrations. Alongside cultural events, the city will see the completion of the new Liverpool Arenaand Convention Centre and Paradise Streetregeneration scheme.

Jason Harborow thinks 2008 is a “life-changing”opportunity for Liverpool. “It’s the launch pad tomake the city a better place in which to live, work,learn, relax and to visit. A wealthier Liverpool is ahealthier Liverpool and one of our key objectivesis to ensure people access these benefits andtake pride in their city.”

It has been estimated that Capital of Culture willgenerate between two and three billion poundsworth of investment, create 14,000 jobs and boosttourism spend by £200 million.

Already major companies and agencies in thewider region have responded to Liverpool 08’sdrive to attract 12official partners by 2008.Sponsorship agreements have been signed withthe Northwest Regional Development Agency(NWDA), law firm Hill Dickinson, United Utilities,Radio City 96.7and Enterprise PLC.

Peter Mearns, Director of Marketing for theNWDA, which supported Liverpool’s bid and is nowinvesting £2million over the next fouryears in thedelivery of the Capital of Culture programme, says:

“This is the most significant event in the regionover the next few years. Our primary purpose is toensure that the benefits are felt throughout thewhole region and for that reason 2009 is asimportant as 2008. The legacy of the year is vital.”

Already, the NWDA has brought together theregion’s tourist board chiefs with the Capital ofCulture team to identify opportunities throughoutthe Northwest. It is also working to build confidencein Liverpool as a location for business investment.

Discussions are also taking place about thepossibility of using Liverpool 08 as a springboardfor the cultural festival planned for the 2012LondonOlympics. The timing, following the Beijing Olympicsin the summerof 2008 - midway through Liverpool’sdefining year - would be significant.

“We want to raise the profile of how culture canchange people’s lives,” says Harborow.

For further information: www.liverpool08.com

Museum projectsshowcase city culture

Liverpool’s cultural renaissance has alreadybegun. World Museum Liverpool - formerlyLiverpool Museum, which has been one of thecity’s attractions since 1853 - re-opened in April2005 following a £35 million mixed-usedevelopment project to double its size. In the first12weeks it attracted more than 7,500 visitors.

The launch marked the completion of Into the Future, a £45 million capital developmentprogramme across three venues, LiverpoolMuseum, the Walker Art Gallery and the Museumof Liverpool Life.

And they may soon be joined by anothermuseum close to the city’s historic Pier Head onceplans for the proposed £65 million ultra modernbuilding are finalised. The development will alsoincorporate enclosed public realm areas.

Designed by Danish team 3XN, whose projectsinclude the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

and Museum and the NASA Kennedy SpaceCenter in Florida, the new Museum of Liverpoolwill explore the story of a nation through theexperiences of one city and its people.

Although the exhibition areas will not be open in time for 2008, it is hoped the exterior may becompleted to coincide with the Culture year.

In July, the NWDA agreed funding of £32.7million for the development of the museum, plus a further £7.5 million for an extension to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal on the same Mann Island site,one of the most important on the waterfront.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of theNWDA, says: “This site provides a gateway fromthe waterfront to the city centre. I am confident itwill become a majorworld class visitor destination,contributing to the economic development andregeneration of not only Liverpool and Merseysidebut the whole of the Northwest region.”

The Tour of Britain cycle racecame speeding through theNorthwest on August 31st, with96 of the world's elite cyclistscompeting for the covetedleaders jersey. Starting inCarlisle and finishing onBlackpool's seafront, Day 2 ofthe Tour was won by GreatBritain's very own RogerHammond...

Visitors are flocking to CrosbyBeach, South Sefton, to seesculptor Antony Gormley’snewly installed artwork‘Another Place’, a collection of100 cast-iron life-size figuresspread out along threekilometres of foreshore. The project will remain in place until November 2006...

Simply Heathcotes (The Tasteof England) and ManchesterPride (Tourism Experience ofthe Year) picked up the mainawards in two new categoriesat the Manchester TourismAwards ceremony 2005 atGMEX/MICC. All eight awardwinners will go forward to theNorthwest Regional Awardslater this year...

The Central Plaza feature at the RHS Tatton Park FlowerShow, sponsored by the NWDA,was designed to depict theregion’s unique biodiversity and diverse natural habitats. The Central Plaza was openedby TV gardening presenter Chris Beardshaw. The gardenwon an award of merit from the RHS...

News

“We were able to stage the city’ssingle biggestevent in which750,000 peoplecame out to seethe team with notone arrest, notone casualty. Not bad with 24hours notice.”

Jason Harborow, Chief Operating Officer of the Liverpool Culture

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Whitehalldespatches

Chorley resident David Maughan,Purchase Director of BentleyMotors, Crewe, and LorraineEdwards, previously Director ofeFunds International, who livesin Ormskirk, have beenappointed as new members of the North West IndustrialDevelopment Board (NWIDB)...

Construction work is expectedto start in Spring 2006 on a £22 million bypass to removeheavy traffic from the villagesof High and Low Newton,Cumbria. Extensive landscapingwill take place to minimisevisual intrusion into the LakeDistrict National Parklandscape...

St. Helens’s refurbishedTransport Museum and therejuvenation of the BaytreeEstate, Harpurhey inManchester are among 14 new solar voltaic projects in theUK that will share governmentfunding of £1.35 million...

New league tables on regionaldomestic energy consumptionreveal that affluent Macclesfieldhas the highest average gasconsumption per household in the Northwest and Barrow-in-Furness and Liverpool,which both have relatively lowaverage earnings, have thelowest rates of consumption...

Salford’s Langworthy terracesproject has picked up a covetedprize in the annual HousingDesign Awards. Urban Splashwill begin work later this yeartransforming 400 terracedhouses in Seedley andLangworthy into affordablemodern apartment-style homes...

News

Kendal Mountain Film FestivalScreening the exploits ofinternational mountaineers Kendal

Nov 13-20

Business EnterpriseExchangeEntrepreneurial event aspart of Enterprise WeekManchester InternationalConvention Centre

Nov 24

CBI NWBusiness AwardsBusiness gongs fortop achieversMidland Hotel, Manchester

Dec 02

BBC Northwest Sports AwardsSaluting the region’ssporting heroesMidland Hotel, Manchester

Dec 05

Start ofWorld Clipper RaceMaritime tour de forceLiverpool

Sept 18

Northwest Tourism AwardsRecognising tourismexcellence throughout the regionHope University, Liverpool

Oct 10

National Football MuseumHall of Fame AwardsRewarding the UK’sfootballing stars Lowry Hotel, Manchester

Oct 20

National Competitiveness SummitUS ideas on boostingenterpriseMICC, Manchester

Oct 25

NWDA Annual ConferenceReviewing the past year’sachievements MICC, Manchester

Sept 16

Catalyst EU CulturalConferenceExploring the future ofcultural entitlementLiverpool and Manchester

Sept 16

NWFood Lovers FestivalTasting the region’s top foodsTatton Park, Knutsford,Cheshire

Oct 29-30

Small Business and EntrepreneurshipNational ConferenceShowcasing the latest advances inenterprise creationBlackpool

Nov 01-03

Manufacturing SummitSpreading the bestpractice messageReebok Stadium, Bolton

Nov 09

2005 NWExcellence AwardsAccolades forbusiness excellenceSt. Georges Hall, Liverpool

Nov 10

Eventhighlights

SeptemberSept 20Energy through the LookingGlass ConferenceLancaster University

Sept 20-21EU Broadcasting ConferenceCrowne Plaza, Liverpool

OctoberOct 9Pride of Cumbria BusinessAwards 2005Carlisle Racecourse

Oct 20EU Science (CREST) ConferenceThe Lowry, Manchester

NovemberNov 10-11New Landscapes International ConferenceCarlisle Racecourse

Other key events

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

More resources for needy neighbourhoodsAdditional Government funding of £340 million is being made available to Northwest local authorities

and their partners over the next two years to combat crime and anti-social behaviour, improveeducational attainment and deal with worklessness.

The money will go to 30 of the region’s most deprived areas to improve quality of life for localresidents through investment in cleaner, safer and greener public spaces.

Allocations of £285 million from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) will be made to 21Northwest local authorities during 2006-08 with Manchester and Liverpool each receiving over £60 million,Knowsley £21 million and Salford £18 million.

A further £60 million from the Safer, Stronger Communities Fund will go to 24 of the region’s localauthorities. The SSCF allocation is made up of two elements - money to tackle deprivation throughsmall neighbourhood initiatives (£27 million) and resources to provide a cleaner, safer, greenerenvironment (£33 million).

Reduction in Northwest crimePolice recorded crime in the Northwest fell by 5% in the past year, according to the latest British

Crime Survey. Burglary was down 21%, theft of and from a motor vehicle by 13% and drug offences by 4%. Violent crime, however, was up by 9%.

The survey presents a mixed picture of crime and attitudes to crime in urban and rural areas. GreaterManchester accounted for 42% of crime in the region and recorded significantly higher than averagerates of burglary and vehicle theft. Merseyside experienced lower than average rates of burglary and violent crime.

People in Greater Manchester had significantly higher levels of worry about burglary and violent crimethan the national average, in contrast to Cumbria where residents showed significantly lower levels of concern about burglary and car crime, a reflection in part of Cumbria’s lower than average rates of vehicle theft.

Region scoops most green flag awardsGreen Flag awards have gone to 100 parks in the Northwest, more than any other region. This year’s

winners include Egremont Castle and grounds, Witton Country Park, Blackburn, Heaton Park inPrestwich, Botanic Gardens in Southport and Cheshire’s Tatton Park.

Administered by the Civic Trust, the Green Flag scheme is the national benchmark of excellence for parks and green spaces. Sites must be welcoming, safe and well maintained with a strongcommunity involvement.

Five sites in the Northwest have also landed Green Pennant awards, which recognise and rewardhigh quality green spaces that are managed by voluntary and community groups.

The winners were Banktop Community Garden in Astley Bridge, the Sefton Park Palm House in Liverpool, Walton Lea Nursery in Higher Walton, the Wesham Jubilee Doorstep Green and theMillennium Commemorative Garden in Goosnargh.

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Feeding theenterprise culture

Partner Focus

As a farmer’s daughter, born and bred in Cheshire,and a farmer’s wife, it’s not surprising that I’mpassionate aboutboth agriculture and the Northwest.My father’s intention was always to provide afarming future for my two brothers, but his adviceto me was ‘go and paddle your own canoe.’

So when I was 14 I attended a taster course atReaseheath Agricultural College, which inspiredme to make a career around agriculture and food. I was captivated.

Today there are not enough young peopleconsidering careers in farming and food technologyin particular, which is why I had the idea threeyears ago of producing learning resourcesmatched into the national curriculum for primaryschool and secondary school pupils.

So next term, Myerscough with the WiganEducation Business Partnership, is distributing a creative learning CD “From Friesian to Fridge” toinform and teach children in a fun way. It’s modelledon a real farm and enables them to pull cows intothe parlour for milking, to look round a bottlingplant, visit a supermarket and interview the farmer.

But the rural economy of the region is about muchmore than farming. Over the past seven years atMyerscough, we have developed a Rural BusinessCentre, with training as our core activity, but alsooffering advice to all types of rural businesses.

I’ve learned that those businesses require trainingto be delivered in a special kind of way. For farmersand other rural businesses timing is important -courses have to be at the right time, in the rightplace and tutors have to use the right languageand relate to the specific needs of the business.

One woman who established a successfulchildren’s fashion shop in Clitheroe, on her own,

from nothing, came to our IT courses at an inn in the Trough of Bowland because she said shewould never have the nerve to step over thedoorstep of a conventional college.

More recently the Business Centre has become involved in encouraging innovation andentrepreneurship in the rural community throughthe Rural Business Incubator, established withNWDA funding.

And the Fantastic Foods Partnership, whichaims to assist regional producers to develop theirbusinesses and market their products, has hadgreat successes. The first 3,000 copies of the firstNorth West Food Lovers Guide sold out in fourweeks and has been reprinted.

And earlier this year 16 cheese producers fromthe Northwest exhibited at the International FoodExhibition in London, giving them opportunities fornew trade and for export.

In 2008, when Liverpool celebrates its EuropeanCapital of Culture status, we have a terrificopportunity to incorporate a programme ofactivities around the region’s food.

Food is one way in which the region can promoteitself regionally, nationally and internationally. The image of the Northwest is vital in attractinginvestment and tourism and I believe we don’tshout loud enough about what we have to offer.

It’s important that the region has a clear identityand vision and the role of the NWDA in providingthat is vital. Their branding of the region asenglandsnorthwest is very clever and enablesmany organisations to use that tag line. There aremany partners who contribute to the ‘big picture’and we see the NWDA as the custodian of that‘big picture.’

Visit: www.nwda.co.uk & www.englandsnorthwest.com

The Northwest Regional Development Agency managesall operations from its Headquarters at:

PO Box 37Renaissance HouseCentre ParkWarrington WA1 1XBTel: +44 (0)1925 400 100Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400e-mail: information@nwda.co.uk

In addition, there are five area offices for the implementation of local activities as follows:

Key Contacts:

Steven BroomheadChief Executivesteven.broomhead@nwda.co.uk

Bernice LawExecutive Director, Operations - Deputy Chief Executivebernice.law@nwda.co.uk

Helen FranceExecutive Director, Development and Partnershipshelen.france@nwda.co.uk

Ian HaythornthwaiteExecutive Director, Finance and Corporate Resourcesian.haythornthwaite@nwda.co.uk

Mark HughesExecutive Director, Enterprise and Innovationmark.hughes@nwda.co.uk

James BerresfordDirector of Tourismjames.berresford@nwda.co.uk

Fran HulbertDirector of Skills Policyfran.hulbert@nwda.co.uk

Peter MearnsDirector of Marketingpeter.mearns@nwda.co.uk

Peter WhiteDirector of Strategypeter.white@nwda.co.uk

All of the above can be contacted on +44 (0)1925 400 100

Greater ManchesterGiants Basin Potato WharfCastlefieldManchester M3 4NBTel: +44 (0)161 817 7400Fax: +44 (0)161 831 7051

MerseysideStation HouseMercury CourtTithebarn StreetLiverpool L2 2QPTel: +44 (0)1925 400 100Fax: +44 (0)151 236 3731

Cheshire and WarringtonBrew HouseWilderspool ParkGreenalls AvenueWarrington WA4 6HLTel: +44 (0)1925 644 220Fax: +44 (0)1925 644 222

CumbriaGillan WayPenrith 40 Business ParkPenrithCumbria CA11 9BPTel: +44 (0)1768 867 294Fax: +44 (0)1768 895 477

Lancashire13 Winckley StreetPrestonLancashire PR1 2AATel: +44 (0)1772 206 000Fax: +44 (0)1772 200 049

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

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

Lorna Tyson MBE

Directorof Business & Enterprise atMyerscough College,and Chair of theNorthwest FantasticFoods Partnershipand the region’sRural TrainingPartnership, bothsupported by theNorthwest RegionalDevelopmentAgency (NWDA).

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