▲ The takeover of Preston North End by potential new owners is making progress, according to the Championship club’s chairman. In a statement to supporters, Ian Penrose has confirmed the club is in negotiations with ‘parties’ who have made offers that are acceptable to the current owners, the Hemmings family.
▲ Morecambe’s Business Improvement District (BID) will continue for a further five years after local businesses voted for its continuation. Of the 115 businesses that took part in the ballot, 111 voted for renewal. The result secures Morecambe BID’s work, covering the town centre and promenade through to 2031.
▲ Preston College has been awarded £3.6m from the government to transform and expand its Construction Skills Centre. The college says the project will create greater capacity for a ‘modern, industry-standard facility’ to train the future workforce Lancashire needs to support its housing, infrastructure and economic growth.
Karen Tems, director, The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
Karen Tems
GET FACE-TO-FACE TO AVOID THE
‘GEN Z STARE’ As AI drives our working days down an ever-deeper digital rabbit hole, making time to get face-to-face will help us all avoid getting caught in the headlights of progress.
You’ve probably heard people joking recently about the Gen Z Stare – a half- jokey phrase to describe the supposedly blank look some younger people are said to have in social interactions, after growing up communicating more through screens than face-to-face.
Whether the stereotype is fair or not, it does raise an interesting question for the rest of us.
As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday working life, more and more people are spending a greater proportion of their days working alone in home offices, typing prompts, staring at their screens that stare joylessly back.
▲ The transformation of Amounderness House in Preston is gathering pace, with the refurbishment works well under way including the installation of the mezzanine deck which marks a major milestone in the £10m project. Preston City Council is delivering the ambitious scheme to transform the historic building. Built in 1857 as a police station, it later became a magistrates’ court. The council is working with Maple Grove Developments (MGD) to deliver the scheme and has appointed Preston based Eric Wright Construction to carry out the works. The design work has been carried out by Preston headquartered FWP.
The irony is that, just as technology gets better at doing many of the technical parts of our jobs, the human side of business is becoming even more valuable.
AI can help write reports, analyse data and answer questions in seconds. But it can’t build genuine trust over lunch. It can’t read a room. It can’t spot when someone needs introducing to the right person or recognise the enthusiasm in someone’s voice when they talk about their business.
DOWN
▼ New company registrations in the north west fell in the second quarter of 2026, according to R3’s latest Quarterly Business Health report, based on data from Creditsafe. It said 18,875 new companies were registered in the north west during Q2 2026, seven per cent lower than the same period last year (20,394) and six per cent down on the previous quarter (20,006). However, despite the decline, the region had the third- highest number of UK start-ups overall.
▼ Up to 200 jobs are facing the axe after the operators of the former ICI chemical plant in Thornton announced proposals to stop production on the site. AGC Chemicals Europe has launched a consultation with staff at the Fylde coast plant, which it says has experienced ‘significant financial and
operational challenges’, generating a loss for the past four years.
▼ UK-listed companies in the north west issued nine profit warnings during the second quarter of 2026, triple the number issued during the same period last year (three) and marking the region’s highest Q2 total since 2020, according to EY-Parthenon’s latest Profit Warnings report. Almost half of the warnings (four) came from businesses operating in the Industrials FTSE super-sector.
Other warnings came from a variety of sectors, highlighting that current headwinds are affecting businesses across the region’s economy.
The south east (19 profit warnings) and London (15) were the only regions to see more warnings issued than the north west during the second quarter.
LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
IEW.CO.UK
That’s why networking matters more than ever. Business has always been, and probably always will be, built on relationships. So, as AI takes on an increasing number of our technical tasks, the businesses that succeed will be the ones with the strongest people skills. After all, relationships are what make the world go round.
Who’s up for lunch? The Business Network Central & East
Lancashire hosts a variety of networking events at quality venues across Lancashire. To find out more, go to
www.bncel.co.uk.
#LBD26 In association with:
Celebrate Lancashire Day with the county’s business community!
Date: Friday 27 November 2026 Time: 12.00pm – 5.00pm Venue: Burnley Football Club
• Network with like-minded leaders from businesses of all size and sectors
BOOK NOW Become a patron
Put your business at the heart of Lancashire Business Day.
Show your support for the county and raise your profile across Lancashire’s business community.
Contact Joanne Hindley on 07442 949697 or email
joanne@lancashirebusinessview.co.uk.
Brought to you by
Patrons:
Charity Partner:
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IN VIEW
BAROMETER
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