PANEL:
Nick Gerrard, Blackpool Council Lukman Patel, Burnley Council Adrian Philips, Preston City Council Rose Rouse, Pendle Council Simon Lawrence, Lancashire County Council
Continued from Page 35
Work is also ongoing to create a year-round visitor economy, with money pumped into the resort’s famous illuminations, which has increased visits by three million, the opening of the new Backlot Cinema.
Blackpool’s Airport Enterprise Zone is a large- scale development, not just for Blackpool but for the whole of the county, through its Silicon Sands project.
The aim is to attract major inward investment and create thousands of jobs through the creation of a data centre cluster which will have a massively innovative approach to its energy needs.
The aim is for the data centres to be liquid cooled, using a third of the energy of current air-cooled operations.
They will be powered by sustainable energy from a solar farm on the enterprise zone and wind turbines in the Irish Sea. The waste heat that will still be generated will be used for a district heating scheme.
Nick said: “This is project of national significance, facing a challenge that all of us nationally are going to have to have to deal with: net zero and data.”
Rose Rouse, chief executive at Pendle Council, told the conference that Lancashire’s strength lay in packaging all the initiatives and developments together and she reminded delegates the county has the second-biggest
economy in the North West. Rose said that Pendle was continuing to push for the restoration of the Colne to Skipton rail link.
She said: “The re-opening of the line into Yorkshire would be a game changer for generations and for the economy. It would bring benefits we can’t even imagine today.”
Rose also highlighted the regeneration work taking place in the borough’s towns. The council has bought the Arndale Shopping Centre, built in the middle of Nelson in the 1960s.
She said: “We are going to demolish it and that will help us to reimagine Nelson town centre. It’s not just about a new shopping centre but all the shops in the surrounding areas. The work will really help the town perform in the way it needs to.”
Colne’s regeneration has centred on the renovation of its three theatres. Rose said: “They are looking magnificent and that evening economy is really vibrant.”
Northlight, the impressive £32m rebirth of a historic former cotton mill at Brierfield into a mixed-use development, remains the jewel in the borough’s crown.
Rose said: “It is our big flagship project that sits above the M65 as a gateway to the borough.”
She added: “There is a lot of regeneration going on, culture is an important part of our economy.
“We are home to a lot of aerospace companies and if they want to grow and attract the next generation of workers it is really import that
they have an interesting place to live. We are trying to deliver that whole package: a great place to work, live and visit.”
Adrian Philips, Preston’s chief executive, told the conference the city was in the middle of a £1bn investment programme.
Describing the city as a “really ambitious, growing place” he highlighted its partnership approach with UCLan, the county council and the Preston Partnership.
He explained how the investment programme had initially centred on the city centre and its heritage assets as it looked to deliver “heritage- led regeneration”.
That included the £17m investment in the Harris grade-1 listed museum, art gallery and library. He said: “It has been totally reinvented and will open next spring/summer.”
Adrian also spoke of Preston’s new Youth Zone, currently under construction, and the work to convert other listed buildings into attractive, modern workspaces.
He added: “There has been an immense focus on the look and quality of the city centre. The university has undertaken a massive regeneration of its campus and that is looking truly fantastic.”
Preston has also seen “enormous” housing growth, with 6,000-7,000 new units already delivered in the area to the north west of the city and a similar amount of growth anticipated once a new local plan is signed off.
Adrian said: “There is immense interest in investing in the city. Our city centre living strategy has also borne fruit with major investment new build and the conversion of former office buildings.”
Rose Rouse Nick Gerrard
He added: “A large amount of work has gone into creating a city for the future and a gateway to the new National Cyber Force, making sure we embrace every opportunity that multi-billion pound investment brings.”
36 BUILT ENVIRONMENT
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