30 RIBBLE VALLEY
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making it easier for staff to get to and from work. She says: “We would love to have apprentices in the kitchen. They don’t really exist.”
As a result, the family-run hotel has spent a lot of time streamlining processes, “so that it’s easier when people get here and we need fewer people and, therefore, can pay them better and have better working conditions.”
Downham Continued from Page 29
Mark Sutcliffe, founder of Clitheroe based PR and communications agency Salar Media, agrees. He says: “Creating that connectivity between the great cities of Leeds and Manchester, it’s an absolute game changer.
“It requires the whole business community to come together and support Ribble Valley to really push that forward.”
Rail links aren’t the only connectivity challenges facing businesses in such a rural borough.
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She adds that the length of the commute can also be off-putting to young people offered opportunities in the Ribble Valley.
Zahra says: “We have one member of our team who leaves the office at 4pm and doesn’t reach Accrington to 5.30pm or 5.45pm. It is really tricky and she does that every day. I don’t think anyone younger would do that.”
Helen Kay is a director at Stirk House, the award-winning hotel and wedding venue that sits on the main A59 road near Gisburn. She
People don’t think being an architect is
something you do in a rural location. They tend to think if you want to work on exciting projects, you have to be in a city centre
The road network and accessibility to public transport can bring their own problems when it comes to recruitment.
Mark says: “It’s not just about the railways. We’ve just got a new bus that goes from Clitheroe through to Horton and again that’s a game changer, not just for people in remote villages in the Forest of Bowland who want to get a job in Clitheroe, but also for tourism.
“Walking tourism is almost as much of a driver of the local economy as weddings now. Being able to dump the car and just get a bus through the beautiful, rural countryside of Ribble Valley is an attraction. Certainly, other places that are known as walking destinations market good public transport as a boost to their offer.”
Paul Sharples is commercial director at Stonyhurst College, the leading private boarding and day school. It employs 400 people and he says: “Where we are is amazing, but it does bring us challenges in terms of accessibility. The road system is a challenge for our staff.
“It is particularly challenging for those who don’t have access to their own vehicles and the school has invested in taxis to ferry people to and from Clitheroe.”
However, he says, there are still employability issues and he adds: “It does affect us if a younger member of staff can’t get here. We want to be in a position to offer apprenticeships, but we can’t if they can’t get here.”
Zahra Hanif is a family solicitor at law firm WHN and is based in its Clitheroe office. She says transport is a challenge for older members of staff who can spend up to 90 minutes on buses as they commute.
says recruitment is a “real struggle” with accessibility an issue.
She says: “We look after them, we have great schemes, but finding new people is increasingly difficult, even finding students for the summer.
“Rates of pay have gone up but finding people that can get here and are then willing to do the job, it is our biggest challenge.”
Helen says the venue has looked at ways of
Danielle Robinson, founder of Clitheroe based marketing agency Love to Brand, says the area is missing out “massively” when it comes to transport links, in comparison to other parts of Lancashire.
And she believes that people in those areas have a perception that it is a difficult place to get to and from, which doesn’t help when it comes to recruitment.
She says: “I had a short stint working in Accrington and the trains are amazing. You can hop on and get to places like Hebden Bridge.
“Here I do still get on the train to Manchester, but I have to wait 40 minutes at Blackburn to get to Preston. I don’t do it for that reason.”
Danielle also believes the bus network that exists locally could be better publicised, highlighting the services that are available to the community.
Zara Moon’s architecture studio and planning consultancy is based outside Whalley. She feels the business is at a disadvantage given the current level of connection to Manchester.
Being based outside a major city also has its recruitment challenges. She says: “People don’t think being an architect is something you do in a rural location. They tend to think if you want to work on exciting projects, you have to be in a city centre.
“They see the city as vibrant and it has the night life and everything for younger people. We’ve struggled recruiting high-quality staff and trying to poach them from Manchester because, if they’re not from this area, it’s quite a difficult sell.”
PANEL:
Richard Slater, Lancashire Business View (Chair) Zahra Hanif, WHN Solicitors Nicola Hopkins, Ribble Valley Council Helen Kay, Stirk House
Zara Moon, Zara Moon Architects Danielle Robinson, Love to Brand Paul Sharples, Stonyhurst College Mark Sutcliffe, Salar Media
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