30 LOOKING AHEAD
Rupert Gatty, CoolKit
Hannah Churchman, Lancashire County Council
A combination of targeted business growth enablers at a grass roots level, together with an overarching economic strategy which has been developed in collaboration with our academic and industry partners, gives us an incredible opportunity to transform Lancashire’s economy – starting right now.
Jeremy Hartley, Eric Wright
Supported by the devolution deal and opportunities particularly from within our core growth sectors such as energy, defence and advanced manufacturing, there is every reason for growing optimism. We also have some of the best colleges and universities in our region providing a growing pool of talent to support the growth and inward investment.
There may always be a challenge to retaining talent in Lancashire, but our diverse economy, excellent infrastructure and quality of life are increasingly powerful retention factors. We are very well positioned for sustained growth and future inward investment.
Nikki Whittle, partner and head of corporate in Lancashire at law firm Brabners
It’s an exciting time. In addition to the progression of Lancashire’s devolution journey, which will bring investment and decision- making powers, the Convention of the North, in Preston in February, will also give the county additional profile among political leaders.
Lots of companies are investing in their future, including electric vehicle charging platform Fuuse, which has taken equity investment on multiple occasions and recently acquired another company. Another example is Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, which became the UK’s largest independent soft cheese maker last year.
Lancashire will continue to prosper as a real hub of world-class engineering and manufacturing; with such a strong infrastructure and network of superb businesses we are well placed to take advantage of whatever comes our way.
Steph Gemson, TaxGem
Lancashire’s economy is resilient and brimming with potential, particularly in the manufacturing, tech, and renewable energy sectors. However, like the broader UK economy, it faces headwinds such as inflationary pressures, rising interest rates and ongoing uncertainty around global markets. Over the next 12 months, I anticipate businesses here will focus on innovation and sustainability to stay competitive.
David Robinson, FWP
Overall people are going into 2025 waiting for more signs that they can move things forward. The next 12 months will undoubtedly see a commitment from government to encourage business to invest. Hopefully this time next year we will be looking back at a year when things have started to progress on all fronts.
IF YOU WERE CHANCELLOR WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIORITIES AND WISH-LIST OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
Steve Murphy, Ultimate Visual Solutions
Bring in measures to assist SMEs to grow and reduce the costs for growth to encourage the employment of
additional staff, rather than increasing the costs via taxation.
Andy Brown, Crow Wood
Revise business and agricultural property relief to 10 per cent, reverse the previous government’s reduction of employee NIC’s Remove the increase in employer NIC’s.
Put 5p on petrol and diesel, scrap the crippling EV levy on vehicle manufacturers, order six small modular nuclear reactors off Rolls-Royce and treat the planning and infrastructure of these as if it was a wartime situation. Bulldoze through all of the many obstacles in the way and get them installed.
Helen Clayton, PM+M
Firstly, I would review IHT for working farms. As a firm with a significant farming client base, I believe that ensuring IHT policies are fair and sustainable for working farms is critical. Revisions could help protect rural livelihoods and support long-term agricultural resilience.
Secondly, I would Iower employer NIC rates
Rory Southworth, fhunded
We need more investment in skills and education focused on upskilling our workforce to meet the demands of emerging tech and digital sectors. We’ve got some great programmes like Code Lancashire and Tech Lancaster, and the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub is doing some amazing work around cyber, but we need more of it.
as this would alleviate a significant burden on businesses, enabling them to reinvest in workforce development, pay rises and innovation. This change could create ripple effects by boosting disposable income and driving broader economic growth.
Thirdly, I would introduce tax incentives or grants to support sustainable investments that would encourage businesses to adopt greener practices with the aim of advancing the transition to net zero.
Finally, I would allocate more funds to vocational training and apprenticeships so more people from less advantaged
backgrounds can reach their full potential – there is so much amazing talent that is lost due to a lack of opportunities.
Graham Blanchard, Fort Vale
My priorities would be to look in-house at where money is being wasted, rather than putting it on the general public to cover the costs of mismanagement in government departments. My wish list would be to see serious investment in Lancashire and specifically in the surrounding areas to Fort Vale where all our employees reside.
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