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IN VIEW
SPEAKERS WITH A COMMON VOICE
By Ged Henderson
Imposing images of those who played their role in the history of the nation look down from the walls of the magnificent State Rooms of the Speaker’s House in the Palace of Westminster.
This grandest of residences was the spectacular setting for a gathering that Lancashire’s political leaders hope will take its place in the history of the red rose county.
At a ceremony to mark Lancashire Day in November, representatives from county, unitary, district and borough councils came together in the capital for the publication of the Lancashire 2050 Framework document.
Heralded as an important milestone on Lancashire’s journey towards more self- determination, the framework sets out a strategic plan for all 15 councils to work more closely together to benefit people in the county.
Business leaders from across the county were also present for the event, hosted by the speaker of the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who gave the traditional Lancashire Day proclamation.
Those behind the framework say it was drawn up after months of work behind the scenes to create “a shared vision, goals and priorities”.
It will guide the future development of the county in eight key priority areas where the leaders believe they can work together “most effectively”.
These include economic prosperity, employment and skills, transport and infrastructure and environment and climate.
We need to unlock much needed resources to directly benefit our residents and ensure we prosper
In a statement the leaders said: “The plan sits above the ground-breaking work already undertaken on developing a County Deal for Lancashire, where political leaders have made the case to government for more powers and resources with a collective voice.”
It was also stressed that Lancashire 2050 is a long-term plan which is not dependent on local government reorganisation.
The framework’s economic priorities include building a pipeline of strategic development sites and infrastructure opportunities. There is also a mention for Lancashire tourism and the priority of maximising the sector’s economic benefits.
When it comes to employment and skills, one of the ‘theme priorities’ is to increase the employment rate to “at least equal to any other region of the UK outside London” and to improve economic activity rates. So too is retaining a higher percentage of local graduates and placing them into graduate level jobs.
Phillippa Williamson, leader of Lancashire County Council and chair of the Lancashire leaders group, said: “This hugely important document will help shape the future of Lancashire for many years to come.
“It is incredibly fitting that we are able to announce its publication during a celebration of Lancashire Day, where dozens of businesses and organisations that represent the very best of our county are showcasing their work in the Palace of Westminster.
“While we know there is more work to do, this is a major step forward which shows how unified the county is and how focused we are on the needs and aspirations of our residents.
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