0800 389 8392 - Preston City Council

Publicity
Business news from Preston, New City… New Opportunities
0800 389 8392
www.preston.gov.uk/prestoncity
Welcome
Welcome to issue fifteen of Publicity
– the business newsletter from Preston
City Council. Read about the exciting
plans and new developments taking
shape in the city.
Green Light for Tithebarn
Landmark development to go ahead after
high court rules against opposition.
Preston is Hot Stuff
Survey reveals city to be a hotbed of
successful businesses.
Guild-en Chance
A unique opportunity to showcase your
business during Preston Guild 2012.
Autumn 2011 Issue 15
Publicity
BIBA Fever
Is Your Business Game?
Preston City Council is pleased to announce that the UK
Corporate Games 2012 will be hosted in Preston. The
world’s largest multi-sport and mass-participation festival for
businesses and organisations, the UK Corporate Games is
organised around the globe in a variety of destinations each
year.
Preston fought off stiff competition from a selection of potential UK-based
games destinations to be crowned the host city for 2012. The timing
is perfect, tying in with the Guild celebrations and the city’s status as
European City of Sport.
Taking place from 12th-15th July 2012 at various locations across the city,
the Preston games will feature 22 popular sports, including cricket 8s,
football, hockey, karting, rugby 7s, swimming, tennis, and tenpin bowling.
Corporate teams can be any size and can be made up of colleagues,
clients, suppliers, family and friends of all abilities.
Two Preston-based businesses were recognised at this year’s
Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBAs), scooping a total of
five accolades. Motorcycle accessories specialists, UK Good
Deals, based in Deepdale, received three awards in the Small
Business of the Year, Excellence in Customer Service and
Leadership Team of the Year categories.
Mumtrepreneur and former UCLan student, Kirsty Henshaw, was also
recognised on the night and walked away with the Entrepreneur of the
Year and New Business of the Year awards. The owner of frozen dessert
business, Worthenshaws, said: “I want to put Dragons’ Den behind me
now and get back to business which means building the brand, launching
new products and creating a successful business here in Preston.”
Guild-en Chance
Preston Guild 2012 festival director, Stella Hall,
has sent a rallying call asking businesses to
support the year-long festival. Sponsors at
a range of levels are required in order to
host the full events programme, which
launched in September.
The festival, which is expected to attract up to one
million additional visitors to Preston throughout
the year, includes major events alongside a civic
and community events programme. Stella said: “If we are to make the
dream more real we need the support of local companies. Because there
will not be anything like it for another 20 years, it is the perfect platform to
showcase your business and your brand to an international audience.”
Sponsorship opportunities range between £10,000 to £250,000. For
more information visit www.prestonguild2012.com/business or call
Fran Kohlisch on 01772 906769.
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Complete with sport, socialising and networking opportunities, the UK
Corporate Games will also include opening
and closing ceremonies, a great games party
and a business enterprise day. To find out more
visit www.corporate-games.com,
call 01733 380890
or email [email protected].
New Staff Check-in at Stanley
House
The multi-million-pound
expansion of Stanley
House Hotel is
expected to create
up to 20
permanent
roles. The
construction
work, which is
being undertaken
by Barnfield
Construction, consists of a
new three-storey spa and 18-room hotel building.
The new phase is expected to open in spring 2012 to take advantage of
the number of visitors coming to Lancashire for the Preston Guild and
Open golf tournament in Lytham. Simon Glassbrook, director at Stanley
House, said: “We are making a substantial investment in challenging times
which highlights our confidence in the hotel, our team and the region. We
expect to create more than 20 permanent jobs and the new phase will
provide a timely economic boost to Lancashire.”
0800 389 8392
www.preston.gov.uk/prestoncity
We Want Your Views As a member of the local business community, we want to
know how you like to receive information about developments
around the city, local corporate news and where to go for further
support. We want to deliver information in the most effective
way and would be grateful if you could complete the short
survey enclosed or online at www.preston.gov.uk/publicity.
As a thank you for your time, all completed questionnaires will
be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a Preston
Business Directory, worth £400.
Businessbriefs
n New Ikea for City
Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, has announced plans to open a new
store in Preston. The retailer has scouted a number of sites in and
around the city, with the frontrunner being a huge plot of land at
South Rings, Bamber Bridge.
n Retail Investment
Royal Development
Preston’s Debenhams store is to receive a refit as part of a
nationwide project. The unit is one of 20 being refitted by the
department store giant and it is expected that the work will create
up to 30 new jobs.
n Winning Streak
Ribbleton-based creative arts producer, Bluestreak Arts, has
been commended for its work delivering creative activities. The
company, which was founded in December 2009, received the
Social Enterprise and Outstanding Business of the Year awards at
Young Uns 2011, held by UCLan to recognise the achievements of
fledgling businesses and professionals.
Plans for a £40m mixed-use development have been
submitted to Preston City Council. Located on the former
Horrocks cotton mill site just off Queen Street, the
Brookhouse Group development ‘Horrockses Quarter’ has
been designed by Preston-based architects, Cassidy and
Ashton. Subject to planning approval, the development will
comprise a supermarket, shops, public realm and highways
improvements. It is also expected to create up to 350 new
jobs.
n Expansion is Petty Good
Burnley-based national surveyors, Petty Commercial, has opened
a new office in Preston city centre in response to a high number
of enquiries from the area. A team of senior surveyors will operate
from the office, which is located at Fishergate Court.
Speaking of the proposed development, Preston councillor, Drew Gale,
who represents Town Centre ward, said: “It will be a gateway to Preston
and has been designed with
that in mind. It is a fabulous
development and is much
needed because, not only
will it bring jobs, but also
facilities which have not
been in this area of the
city for a number of
years.”
3
Publicity
Full Steam Ahead
City is One of Nation’s Favourites
Preston’s Tithebarn will
go ahead after a High
Court judge rejected an
appeal from Blackburn with
Darwen Borough Council.
A survey carried out by Rightmove has identified Preston as
one of the UK’s favourite places to live. More than 25,000
people in Britain rated their own towns and cities and Preston
came in the top bracket for healthcare, schools, parks and the
outdoors, character and personality.
Department store, John Lewis
and retail giant Marks and
Spencer, which have remained
committed to the project,
confirmed that they will now be
working with the Council and
developers Lend Lease as they look to redraw plans.
Stephen Myerscough, manager at Preston estate agency, Farrell
Heyworth, said: “The transformation of Preston has been unbelievable.
There are glorious green spaces, good schools and there’s lots of
character property from the city’s great mill-owning days.”
It is estimated that Tithebarn, which is being advised by Manchesterbased legal firm, Pannone, could create up to 5,000 jobs and breathe new
life into the east end of the city centre.
Peter Rankin, leader of Preston City Council, was at the helm in the late
90s when the Tithebarn dream was first conceived. He said: “Now we can
move forward with renewed energy and positivity to meet the challenges
ahead to deliver the development and the investment it will bring.”
County councillor, Geoff Driver, added: “We are very pleased because
Tithebarn is essential to growing the economy, not only in Preston, but
across Lancashire. A thriving Preston city centre will help the county
to keep up with other growth areas in the North West, competing for
investment, jobs and visitors. Now we and other partners in the scheme
can get on with the challenge of turning these exciting plans into a reality.”
The revelation came just two months after Preston was officially
recognised as one of the safest, cleanest and most enjoyable places
for a night out. The city received ‘purple flag status’ – similar to the blue
flag scheme for beaches – which it shares with Manchester, Oxford and
Bristol.
Run by the Association of Town Centre Management, an organisation
focused on improving towns and cities, the scheme assesses crime rates,
hygiene standards and range of visitor attractions.
Green Light for Brickworks
Driving Forward With Tram Plans
Preston City Council has given the go ahead for phase one of
the proposed Cottam Hall Brickworks scheme, with outline
permission granted for the second phase.
Trampower, the company behind plans to establish a tram network in
Preston, has submitted a renewed bid to the Regional Growth Fund. The
firm has revised its initial submission to include information on the number
of jobs that will be created both directly and indirectly from the network,
also drawing attention to the project’s green credentials. Trampower has
submitted a planning application for a 1km demonstrator line, and the
company is focussing its efforts on securing the necessary permissions
and funding to bring this into operation.
4
The £80million transformation will comprise a huge Tesco supermarket, a
marina and a nature reserve, with the second phase including more than
200 homes, offices and a pub.
Ian Rankin, chairman of Cottam Hall Properties, which is leading the longawaited development, said: “This project has been talked about for a long
time and is a positive step forward for Preston demonstrating how well
different urban uses can complement each other.”
Construction work is expected to start on site early next year.
0800 389 8392
www.preston.gov.uk/prestoncity
Deal Fenced In
Enterprising Ideas
Building firm, Forrest, has landed a deal worth almost
£9.5million to build more than 30 miles of fences. The firm,
based on Longridge Road, Preston, is one of three contractors
appointed by Halton Housing Trust to carry out work to 4,000
homes in Runcorn and Widnes. Work involved in the four-year
deal will also include installing access and driveway gates.
Earlier this year Forrest received the Environmental, Social and
Governance Management Team of the Year award at the annual British
Venture Capital Association’s Portfolio Company awards held in London.
Trade Unions
Businesses are being urged by the TUC to consider the
benefits of trade union recognition. Although some employers
prefer to deal directly with their workers, or their elected
representatives, without trade union involvement, recognising
and working closely with a trade union has a number of
benefits.
• Single point of contact – negotiating terms and conditions with a single body is simpler than dealing with multiple individuals
• Worker involvement – consulting workplace issues with a recognised union may improve staff retention rates as they are likely to feel more involved in the running of the business
• Experience of employment relations – representing not only employees, but a wide range of similar organisations, trade unions are more likely to have a broad perspective on many issues facing your organisation
Consulting with experienced union representatives together with input
from workers can help employers to make better-informed business
decisions, for example, in relation to shift patterns or the kind of
equipment that should be invested in. To find out more visit www.tuc.org.
uk.
New Directions
Have you got the latest Preston Business Directory? The 2011/12 edition
contains comprehensive details of more than 2,000 local businesses,
products and services on CD-ROM. If you would like a free copy, please
contact [email protected] or telephone 01772 903 414. You
can also add a business or check your details at www.the-directory.biz/
preston
Following the appointment of its executive board earlier this
year, Lancashire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has
been driving forward with bids to establish an Enterprise Zone
and super-fast broadband system in the county.
The board, which is led by chairman, Edwin Booth, is made up of
ten business people and five politicians, including Mike Tynan of
Westinghouse UK, Lancashire County Council’s Geoff Driver and
former chief executive of the North West Regional Development Agency
(NWDA), Steve Broomhead.
Following the submission of two bids back in June, the LEP gave its
backing to a proposal for an area linking the BAE Systems factories at
Warton and Samlesbury to become one of the ten new Enterprise Zones
to be created this summer.
Although the bid was not successful, Edwin Booth has vowed to continue
to press for improvements to boost enterprise in the county.
He said: “We had some very positive feedback from government about
the quality of the Lancashire bid and it’s important to recognise that in
a very short space of time partners pulled together to develop and get
behind a strong proposal that we all agreed would benefit the county.
“The LEP must now build on that technical expertise and spirit of
partnership to explore other ways of stimulating economic growth and I
have every confidence we will do so successfully.
“We are already looking at taking forward all of the schemes the LEP
considered as potential enterprise zones here in Lancashire.”
The LEP has also submitted a multi-million pound bid to bring superfast broadband to Lancashire. The government has allocated a total of
£530million nationwide for broadband access and Lancashire has applied
for £13million from the pot. A further bid for £16.5million has been put in
to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
If successful, it would be up and running by 2015. “Next-generation
broadband could help to transform businesses by increasing the ability of
companies to develop new products and expand into other services,” said
Edwin Booth.
5
Publicity
Driving Down Parking Costs
Preston is Hot Stuff
Preston City Council is offering the opportunity for drivers
to significantly reduce the cost of bringing their car to work.
The Council’s contract parking offering means that drivers
can purchase a five-day, three-month pass to park in the city
centre from just £160. Rates are detailed below:
Nearly a third of the companies listed in the top 100 SMEs in Lancashire
are from the Preston area. The league table, compiled by Hawthorns
Chartered Accountants, ranked 100 companies by their pre-tax profit,
turnover and number of employees. Preston’s highest-ranked firm was
Fish Administration Ltd located on Riversway Business Village. With more
than 70,000 policy holders, the company is one of the country’s biggest
disability and independent living insurance providers.
Car Park
Mon - Fri
Mon - Sun
Bus station
multi-storey
Market
multi-storey
Avenham
multi-storey
£199
£230
£240
£260
£160
£192
Full Throttle at BAE Systems
Payment can be made by cash or cheque and parking permits can also
be applied for part-way through a quarter. For further details please call
01772 906882 or 01772 906886. For email enquiries, please send
messages to [email protected] and put ‘contract parking trial’ in
the subject line.
The Pie’s the Limit
After moving to Bowland View in Fulwood earlier this year,
Spar distribution giant James Hall and Co has unveiled plans
to expand its current site and also transform its former depot,
based in Ribbleton, into a retail park.
Following the acquisition of famous Lancashire pie maker, Clayton Park
Bakery, the firm has submitted a planning application to Preston City
Council to add a factory and a storage building on a six-acre plot of land
alongside its new £65million base.
The firm has also submitted a planning application for a £25million mixeduse development at its former headquarters, located at Blackpool Road in
Ribbleton, from which it operated for more than 40 years.
The company has teamed up with development giant, Centros, to carry
out the project, which could include a supermarket and petrol station, 20
affordable homes, a community centre and sports pitches.
The aerospace industry is of critical economic importance
to the North West and the key player in the region is BAE
Systems.
In terms of high-end military aircraft, the skills of the BAE Systems
workforce and the technical capability of the company’s facilities are not
found anywhere else in the UK. Through its partnerships and supplier
base, the company has shown a real capacity to work in partnership with
others delivering crucial future capability.
Continued investment in technology and infrastructure, as particularly
evidenced by the development of BAE Systems’ Samlesbury site, is
helping strengthen the future of aerospace in Lancashire. The company’s
investment in world-leading manufacturing processes and technology
and their regional presence is of great value to an economy which suffers
geographical imbalances.
The North West remains the most important region within BAE Systems
UK accounting for about half of its UK employment. The latest report
by the independent Oxford Economic group shows that in 2009
BAE Systems accounted for one in eight jobs in knowledge-intensive
production within the North West. In Preston and the Fylde one in four
residents working in manufacturing were employed by the company.
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Publicity
Recent
Developments
Free Property Search
Relocation Works
For details of these and other recent developments
contact Preston City Council on:
0800 389 8392
The Council operates a free sites and property register for Preston – covering
all available industrial units, offices, shops and commercial development sites.
View and search for properties using our online service at:
www.preston.gov.uk
Fulwood Filling Up
IT Works Recruitment has relocated to Fairways Business
Park, Fulwood, with plans to more than double the size of
its workforce. The firm, which moved from premises on
Friargate, specialises in finding IT experts and will share
the space with its sister business, accountancy recruitment
specialists, Agility Resourcing.
Hundreds of jobs will be created in Fulwood in a double
boost to the city’s economy. IT giant IBM and breakdown
specialists the AA have taken three units at Fulwood Park, off
Pittman Way, and have signed deals to move around 400 staff.
Meanwhile, Fulwood-based renewable energy firm, Touch
Solar, has revealed plans to create 100 new jobs in the city
installing free solar panels.
Roundhouse Properties has one office to let which offers space from
2,680sq ft. For more information call 01539 448730 or visit
www.roundhouseproperties.co.uk.
Tim Bashall, managing director, said: “Our new home is in a great location
as it’s close to the city centre whilst being easily accessible by car and
also provides us with the space to expand.”
Making a Splash
Successful tapas restaurant, Pond, has expanded its offering
by branching out into new premises. Situated on Cross Street,
where the former Alpenhof restaurant was located, the aim of
the move is to target the city’s lunchtime and late afternoon
diners in a continental environment with its delicatessen
service.
Restaurant owners, Andrea Mellon and Michael Worrall, founded pond
two years ago following the success of sister restaurant, Duk, established
in 2006. Andrea said: "We had outgrown Cannon Street and thought it
would be better to move into bigger premises rather than open a third
smaller building. The new place gives us the space and flexibility to do
much more and that is why I want to develop the delicatessen in there.”
7
A number of the projects featured in this issue are supported through; European Regional Development Fund, Northwest Regional
Development Agency, Preston Strategic Partnership, Preston Vision and Business Link Northwest.
Publicity
Free Business Event is Back
Business as Usual
Although this year’s Central Lancashire Business Support and
Networking Event, taking place on Wednesday 5th October,
sold out in record time, businesses are being urged to add
their name to the event’s waiting list.
With Business Link Northwest
closing in November, businesses
are being reminded of other
support services available
both locally and online.
Organised by Preston, South Ribble and Chorley councils, the free
marketing and sales-themed event, hosted at the Invincibles Lounge,
Preston North End Football Club, will provide delegates with the
opportunity to network and gain valuable insights into how they can
promote their businesses more effectively.
The evening will feature presentations from local marketing experts, such
as Angela Smith from PR and marketing agency, The Write Angle, and
Keith Bradshaw from the Leyland Leader.
To reserve your place on the waiting list, visit www.
centrallancashirebusinessevents.co.uk, call 01772 336639 or
follow the event on Twitter @LancsBusEvents.
Innovative Idea
The University of Central
Lancashire (UCLan) has
won a funding boost
for the work it does
with the North West
business community.
The university is to
receive £2.25million
per year from the Higher
Education Innovation Fund
(HEIF 2011-15)
over four years
to help it deliver
knowledge
transfer activities
to the region.
The new Business Link helpline (0845 006 6888) will be delivered by
Careline Services in partnership with the Business and Enterprise Group
and will support the online advice available from the www.businesslink.
gov.uk website. The helpline will provide information and support to
small businesses and those starting their own company.
Mentorsme (www.mentorsme.co.uk) is a new website that will provide
small business owners with access to a range of experienced mentors.
The initiative is an online replacement for the face-to-face services
provided by Business Link and connects companies with mentoring
organisations that can support and guide their growth.
Orvia, formerly Business Venture Group, is a business and enterprise
support organisation based in Leyland. Building on 25 years’ experience,
Orvia provides professional, confidential and impartial information to
anyone who wants to start their own enterprise or grow an established
company. With an aim to be “your best friend in business”, Orvia provides
a comprehensive range of enterprise, skills, property and financial
services tailored to meet your specific needs. Call 01772 422 242 or visit
www.orvia.co.uk.
Fund is Blooming
Lancashire County
Council has shifted
the focus of the
Rosebud Finance
Fund to target creating
15,000 new jobs in the
county’s fastest-growing industries.
Part of this funding
will build upon the idea of ‘innovation vouchers’ linking businesses in
to universities to help develop new products, research new markets or
prototype new developments.
Bede Mullen, Director of Knowledge Transfer at UCLan said: “We have
a wealth of expertise in our academic staff, students and graduates,
and through initiatives like this we can ensure businesses tap into that
expertise for the benefit of their organisation.”
The fund, which has invested in more than 1,000 companies over the
last 25 years, is to focus on establishing new business generation in the
county by prioritising sectors including advanced manufacturing, creative
industries, low carbon energy and intellectual property.
Michael Welsh, county councilor, said: “Without excluding worthwhile
prospects, we want in particular to focus on supporting a number of
key sectors where we believe Lancashire has particular advantages so
that we can develop local centres of excellence which will attract private
sector investment.”
Preston City Council, Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL
Tel 0800 389 8392 E-mail [email protected]
www.preston.gov.uk/prestoncity
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