4


THELANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW


It was Prime Minister Harold Wilson who famously said that “a week is a long time in politics”. He wasn’t kidding!


With Rishi Sunak now emptying his packing cases at No 10 as he moves in as our third PM in just two months, businesses in all sectors across Lancashire will be looking to see in what direction he will steer the nation and its hard-pressed economy.


They will hope to see an end the turmoil and, in the short to medium term, a focus on properly thought-out and deliverable policies that will tackle rising energy bills, get a grip on inflation and work towards improving productivity.


Lancashire will also be looking closely to see how this new PM’s commitment to levelling-up is carried through.


The appointment of experienced cabinet hand Michael Gove to the levelling-up portfolio does give some reason for optimism. He was the minister who published the White Paper on the subject in February, though that does seem a lifetime ago politically.


The bottom line is that cold hard cash is what will make the difference. Lancashire can do so much if it gets the half a billion pounds it has applied for – including £50m for the game-changing Eden North project.


Rishi Sunak says difficult decisions will have to be made moving forward. But we just won’t have levelling up without investment in infrastructure and in skills.


We’ve been promised decisions by the end of the year, and we wait in hope and anticipation. The submissions made by Lancashire’s local authorities are not for ‘hand-outs’ - they look to dramatically improve our economic future and, as such, benefit the whole of the UK.


The county’s 11 applications for levelling-up cash were put under the microscope at Lancashire Business View’s Built Environment Conference.


Attended by top property professionals and experts the message that came from that gathering was simple: now is the time for Lancashire to present a unified front and to really sell itself.


Tom Higgins, director at construction giant Laing O’Rourke, which is currently working on the new Everton football stadium in Merseyside, told delegates: “Lancashire should have a joined-up approach.”


And it is hard to argue against his belief that Eden Project North should not be seen as belonging to Lancaster and Morecambe but should be heralded, promoted and supported by us all as a Lancashire project.


With increased talk of Manchester and Liverpool as city regions, perhaps now is the time for ‘Lancashire’ to spend more time talking about itself and acting in the same manner.


It is also a question of forgetting about internal political boundaries – they also exist in our neighbouring city regions – when it comes to shouting about and promoting our county to a wider audience, including Westminster.


It is an approach that works well for that other place across the Pennines. Yorkshire is a massive national and international brand which presents itself as one impressive place, not divided by its different local authority areas.


We would argue Lancashire is even more impressive and we should shout loudly and proudly about the whole of our county and what it offers. United, Lancashire is much more than a collection of postcodes and town halls.


Another headline from our built environment conference was the value of culture. Culture, we heard, drives innovation, which in turns drives growth and economic prosperity. That is something we should also seize upon.


Again, it comes down to the vision, and as Tom and others have warned, we will fall short if we don’t come together and act as one Lancashire.


Richard Slater, chairman


richard@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295584


EDITORIAL


Ged Henderson, editor


editor@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295585


SALES


Joanne Hindley, sales director


joanne@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295585


SUPPORT


Abbey Coates, operations manager


abbey@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295585


Anna King, senior administrator


anna@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295582


Kath Bell, LBV Hub manager


kath@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 07385 381073


Tim Aldred, online editor


tim@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 297870


Lancashire Business View is written, designed and produced by Northpoint Publishing.


Lancashire Business View and LBV are registered trademarks. The views expressed by our columnists are not necessarily shared by Lancashire Business View.


Photography: Clive Lawrence, Paul Adams, Liz Henson Photography


Artwork and layout: Magnificent Studio Printers: Peter Scott Printers, Burnley


Northpoint Publishing: East Park Lodge, East Park Road, Blackburn BB1 8DW


t: 01254 297870 ISSN: 1757-479X


Stephen Bolton, managing director


stephen@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295583


Rachael Norris, marketing and events director


rachael@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk t: 01254 295586


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72