Haslingden, developing an action plan for the centre of Waterfoot, improvements to Victoria and Whitaker Park and the creation of town improvement teams with a business advisor post.
Alyson Barnes, leader of Rossendale Council, said: “The Shared Prosperity Funding announcement is incredibly welcome news for the borough as a whole. This three-year investment plan will allow us to begin to make real strides in numerous projects in Rossendale and we will start allocating the funding in the New Year so the real work can begin as soon as possible.
“This news is encouraging and we hope it’s an indication that the decision on our Levelling Up Fund bid will follow shortly, and that we will see the same success.”
Pendle received £3.6m to be invested in supporting households with energy needs, helping community groups reach out to children and young people, improving town centres and helping businesses become more energy efficient and carbon neutral.
Ribble Valley received almost £2m and Lancashire County Council secured nearly £6m to invest in highways, adult and children’s social and education to the other six boroughs.
Blackpool’s plans to invest £5.1m of the government’s Shared Prosperity Fund in a range of projects including business support and flood protection were also approved.
The schemes will provide a wide range of support from town centre regeneration, through to direct support encouraging existing and new business development, as well as low carbon schemes and community skills and improved learning projects.
Frankly speaking
THERE IS GENUINE CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM
by Frank McKenna Downtown Lancashire in Business
Energy prices through the roof. Economic growth through the floor. Inflation on the rise. Interest rates being hiked. And new taxes just around the corner. Happy New Year!
The past few years have not been easy. A combination of Brexit, the pandemic, and a major European conflict have conspired to create an environment more challenging than has been the case for a very long time.
However, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And in Lancashire, resilience is part of our DNA.
As much as the national and international outlook seems bleak, the county has a series of potential opportunities that offer genuine cause for optimism. Of course, we need to stop talking about some of them and crack on with delivery.
The Eden Project, the regeneration of Preston city centre, Blackpool’s continued renaissance, and the bedrock
of Lancashire’s economy, aerospace, provide a rich tapestry of initiatives and projects that at least provides some light in a dark tunnel.
The other thing that can cheer is hope. Hope that the Ukraine war will, as some predict, end in the spring, thus resulting in a much more positive 2023 than we may currently expect. That really would be a game changer.
If none of that convinces you that it’s not going to be all doom and gloom this year – how about promotion back to the Premier League for Burnley and Blackburn? Surely at least one of the Lancashire giants will return to the big time in May.
Whatever happens, we can all be thankful for the strong business community that exists in Lancashire, ably supported, and marketed by this fine publication Lancashire Business View.
Good luck and best wishes to all of you during the next 12 months.
HR RESOLUTIONS FOR 2023
As we enter 2023, we reflect on what has been a turbulent year for HR and the lessons learnt; from endeavouring to “live” with Covid-19 and put the pandemic behind us, to dealing with the pressures arising from a worsening cost of living crisis, a huge increase in industrial action and ongoing uncertainty about the future status of those employment rights underwritten by EU law – what a year it has been!
What should HR’s top 3 resolutions be for 2023?
1. Attracting and retaining talent – 2022 saw a challenging year for recruitment as a result of the talent shortages, the ‘great resignation’ coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, resulting in the increased use of agency staff and unsteady workforces.
Resolution - Be clear on the businesses priorities, reviewing recruitment processes and consider innovative solutions to become a standout employer.
2. Address “Quiet Quitting” – 2022 also saw the rise of the “Quiet Quitting” trend, the concern that there might be a lack of enthusiasm and engagement with some employees doing the bare minimum to scrape by.
Resolution - Take a more proactive approach to quiet quitting by focusing on employee engagement and nurturing a positive working culture whilst setting clear and achievable performance targets.
consider a financial wellbeing policy to acknowledge the challenges and breakdown any stigma, signpost employees to internal or external help, embrace flexible working, encourage one- to-one conversations with managers and avoid employee burn out.
We are confident that HR will remain
Trishna Modessa-Parekh
3. Support employees – with a recession looming, the rise of energy bills and the continuing cost-of-living crisis, employers are encouraged to take a supportive and sympathetic approach towards employees experiencing financial worry, which may be inextricably linked to a decline in mental health and wellbeing.
Resolution – review benefits and communicate these to employees,
resilient, responsive and proactive this year
Whilst the above resolutions only scratch the surface of the hurdles to come in 2023, we are confident that HR will remain resilient, responsive and proactive this year and will yet again help business leaders to navigate the challenging landscape that lies ahead.
For help setting or implementing your HR resolutions this year, please get in touch with our award-winning employment team at
www.brabners.com.
LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK
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