Devolution, development hot spots, mayor or no mayor? They were all subjects debated at the 2022 Lancashire Development Update, held at the Crow Wood Hotel and Spa in Burnley.
The event was sponsored by LUC, Blackpool Council, FI Real Estate Management and ITS. It was chaired by Place North West senior reporter Dan Whelan, who highlighted the £5.6bn devolution deal on the table, something which could ‘turbocharge the county’s recovery from the pandemic’ – if Lancashire can put the past’s false devolution dawns behind it.
Scroll down to see photos from the event.
Presentation – Lancashire County Council
The first presentation came from Angie Ridgwell, chief executive, Lancashire County Council.
She began by explaining why Lancashire is right for a county deal, explaining its distinct and diverse geography, the fact it is home to 1.5 million people and 55,000 businesses and has an economy of £3.4 billion pounds – the second largest economy in the North West.
But, she said, the county’s voice was often ‘crowded out’ by its neighbours in Merseyside and Manchester, which is why working with policymakers to realise its true potential was the way to ensure it genuinely levels up.
Angie Ridgwell is the chief executive of Lancashire County Council. Credit: PNW
Ridgwell added: “We’ve got national and international sector strength in cyber, digital, aerospace, advanced engineering and manufacturing, hospitality, energy and chemicals. Our clusters of economic strength are anchored by four universities. We’ve got critical research assets, major public and private sector companies, as well as strategic employment sites.
“Our expertise in cyber artificial intelligence, technology and skills has been accelerated by the announcement of the location of the UK National Cyber Force at Samlesbury – a £5bn government investment – and there will be advantages way beyond, through the supply chain and the ambient business that will come along with that.”
Ridgwell also detailed the Lancashire 2050 report, which has brought together all the Lancashire leaders in a joint campaign which reaches beyond economic growth, encompassing health and wellbeing, social and cultural activity. Ridgwell added: “The document will seek to create a single narrative and a unified, influential voice for Lancashire. We need government to devolve to us so that we can achieve the vision that’s going to be set out in Lancashire 2050.”
She also talked about how there are currently 11 sub regions benefiting from devolution deals, the majority of which have a mayoral authority or combined governance structure, and explained how Lancashire now needs to determine the right leadership model for its region.
She added: “We’ve identified key themes. The first is about economic growth and investment. What we’re seeking is local control of strategic investment decisions, which will unlock opportunity. Is there the ability to try and unlock land, which we know will be useful for development in terms of economic growth, or housing, transport connectivity? Infrastructure is naturally a major feature. Early years education and skills are really important because we need a fit and able workforce, and, of course, environment, climate change and housing quality are significant.
“If we can grow, Lancashire will attract more foreign direct investment and will attract more local investment, and that will create a growth cycle which is really important.
“What I would remind everyone is we just have received a white paper. We will have to go through a legislative process to give us the tools we need in order to enact a county deal. We want to use a county deal to put Lancashire’s population in charge of Lancashire’s future.”
From left: Preston Partnership’s John Chesworth, Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Debbie Francis, David Cox Architects’ David Cox, LUC’s Lucy Wallwork, and Lancashire County Council’s Angie Ridgwell. Credit: PNW
Panel – Devolution and Levelling Up
- Lucy Wallwork, principal planner, LUC
- Angie Ridgwell, chief executive, Lancashire County Council
- John Chesworth, chair, Preston Partnership & Preston Towns Fund Board
- Debbie Francis, chair, Lancashire Enterprise Partnership
- David Cox, director, David Cox Architects
Whelan kicked off the first panel discussion on devolution with a question of whether a Lancashire mayor would give the county a high-profile voice – and a show of hands from delegates demonstrated their enthusiasm for the creation of such a role.
Angie Ridgwell replied: “The important thing is to have a clear and unified voice for Lancashire and certainly a mayor could do that. But we also have 15 local authority leaders -15 voices could surely drown out a single voice. So I think if we can work together to make sure that everyone is talking the same talk and talking up Lancashire, then we can have that powerful voice.”
Debbie Francis added: “We’ve got a potential county deal here, where the leaders have come together, that first step to getting some of those powers devolved and to be able to get more of a consensus approach to how we deal with some of the spending across the area. So embrace that, support the local leaders in making that achievable. But let’s get one thing at a time – a devolved deal. Support the leaders to get through that, not keep pushing for something that’s not there at this point in time.”
John Chesworth said: “There are 15 regional leaders, but I used to play rugby and trying to get 15 people to run in the same direction is quite difficult. I think what’s proved difficult in the past is getting those 15 voices together and I think the mayoral figure for Lancashire would have that effect.”
Lucy Wallwork was reluctant to enter the mayoral debate but said: “I’m based in a city region with a very noisy mayor and we’ve seen the benefits of that kind of local leadership, certainly in Greater Manchester.”
Debbie Francis: “I think the last few years have really driven home the problems that we’re facing globally over climate issues.” Credit: PNW
Whelan moved on to how Lancashire was going to keep its leaders together amid devolution.
Ridgwell said: “The white paper has bought some changes to the landscape. All 15 leaders had to agree which has been problematic in the past. What the white paper is suggesting is that while areas can choose not to support it, they cannot prevent other areas from moving forward.”
David Cox referenced the Lancashire 2050 report and said community input was vital: “I think people in Lancashire need to buy into the 2050 mission. Everybody in the county needs to know about it, needs to sign up to it and needs to feel a part of it, and I think that’s going to be a huge challenge for the county council. But if we can do it, and if we collaborate across the north, then perhaps it won’t be up to Westminster.”
Whelan brought the discussion back to the newly published levelling up white paper.
Wallwork responded: “With a lot of people that we work with, the main reaction to the white paper was ‘where is climate change and where is the environment?’ I’ve not got through every page, but it does feel like there’s a big gap. You’ve got the 25-year environment plan and journey to net zero here, and you’ve got the levelling up white paper there, and there’s very little crossover between them.”
Cox added: “Lancashire could jump on, not wait for central government to lead on it. It could be one of the centre points of our mission for 2050 to actually be the county that leads the country in environmental leadership.”
The panel went on to elaborate on some success stories and challenges around the environment, such as how there needs to be a focus on the life cycle cost of a building, rather than the short term capital costs, and about how perceptions need to change to get people to buy into an environmental mission.
Francis said: “I think the last few years have really driven home the problems that we’re facing globally over climate issues. We’ve all seen this growing need for corporate social responsibility, not just in order to win business, but for the younger generation coming through today. That’s what you’re going to need to do if you want that talent to come and work for you. But there’s this difficult balance because as customers, we all just want everything cheaper. We all just want everything faster. There’s no getting away from that.”
There was a question from the floor about funding and who decides what wins in the bids for levelling up cash.
Chesworth said: It’s a really difficult one. I think the only way to resolve this is by longer-term devolved funding.”
Ridgwell added: “We need to be very clear in devolution deals that have been made to date, the powers of the mayor are incredibly limited. The mayor is generally only the voice piece. The decisions made are made by the cabinet of elected leaders that the mayor has working with them. We do need that long term strategic pot, so we can reflect the local situation, but it is never going to take away those tensions because it will never be sufficient to do everything. That’s where the evidence base is really critical. We have access to local businesses, local residents, local community groups who can influence those decisions in a way that can’t happen when the decision has been made in Whitehall.”
There was also strong debate about city centre living. Chesworth said: “We need to attract and keep young talented people in the county. You do that by offering good quality living space, but also good quality, cultural and leisure offerings. That includes the towns and the cities.
Wallwork added that there needed to be long term thinking: “I’m not anti-high-rise. I think that the quality of life like Preston offers really needs to be protected, not do exactly what Manchester has done. Because it is largely dominated by one and two-bedroom flats, families generally do not stay in the centre. It’s about thinking decades in advance.”
The final words went to Ridgwell who said: “The Lancashire 2050 plan is a game-changer. We’ve never had that evidence-based single narrative which everyone has got behind in order to achieve what’s best for Lancashire. Now a county deal would give us more control over that journey.”
Karen Hirst is the managing director of Maple Grove Developments. Credit: PNW
Presentation – Maple Grove Developments
The second presentation was from Karen Hirst, managing director of Maple Grove Developments. She explained how the company is part of the Eric Wright Group, a Lancashire-based business and charitable trust which employs around 750 people.
She discussed some of their newest developments, including Pioneer Place in Burnley town centre, on a site identified by the council for regeneration. The anchor tenant is Reel Cinema, which is relocating from Manchester Road. It’s next to the Market Walk shopping centre, and there’s a strong focus on local supply chains and apprentices, job creation and working with the local schools and colleges.
Over in Preston, Maple Grove also has a development opposite the Market Hall which will feature a mobile event tent space, building on lessons learned from the pandemic about blending indoor and outdoor spaces. Hirst added: “The first occupier is Hollywood Bowl, and then we’re looking for future occupiers so we can start on site in summer this year. We are talking to a cinema operator, there will be six restaurants here, including a food hub, and also some competitive socialising.”
No names were revealed but these increasingly popular leisure activities include the likes of Junkyard Golf or axe throwing attractions.
Another plan is to relocate Preston’s Morrisons store then regenerate with residential, employment and mixed-use space, linking it with the bus and train station and the Cathedral quarter.
She also talked about the site ats Cuerden, off the M65, which hit the headlines when Ikea pulled out in 2018. Maple Grove has now developed this for industrial logistics, mixed-use and smaller industrial units. Hirst added: “When I look back, [Ikea pulling out] might be a positive because I think what we can come forward with is a better opportunity and better job creation.
“It wouldn’t happen without the support of the public sector. Every single project I’ve talked through is about public sector partnerships. And there are many others that we’re working on in Lancashire and all of this, I think, will help towards the levelling up. It’s just getting that cocktail of funding to make that happen.”
From left: FIREM’s Emily Armstrong, Cassidy + Ashton’s Alban Cassidy, Burnley Council’s Kate Ingram, Blackpool Council’s Alan Cavill, and Maple Grove Developments’ Karen Hirst. Credit: PNW
Panel – An Active Development Scene
- Kate Ingram, strategic head of economy & growth, Burnley Council
- Alan Cavill, director of communications & regeneration, Blackpool Council
- Alban Cassidy, director, Cassidy + Ashton
- Karen Hirst, managing director, Maple Grove Developments
- Emily Armstrong, asset & development manager, FI Real Estate Management
Alan Cavill was asked for a whistle-stop tour of Blackpool’s projects. He referred to the Blackpool Central scheme, a £300 million leisure and tourism project, and said: “That’s really exciting because it’s on a site that’s been vacant since the station closed in 1964. It’s taken a little time to pull the cocktail of funding together for that one!”
He was also asked about the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove’s recent trip to the town: “It was very encouraging. They were well briefed. Michael Gove in particular seems like a doer and he made some promises, which normally we expect never to hear anything ever again, but we’ve been contacted twice since then.”
Kate Ingram was quizzed on Burnley Council’s purchase of the Charter Walk shopping centre. She said: “It’s a big part of our town centre. We own the freehold so we had a vested interest. We haven’t bought a distressed asset, it is well occupied and we have a commitment that any surplus that we make out of the centre will be reinvested into regenerating the centre, we’re not purchasing it to prop up our day to day services as a council.”
Whelan went on to ask about Lancashire’s connectivity and Alban Cassidy said that, north to south, he thought it was one of the best-connected places in the North West, but that there was a way to go from east to west. He added: “In terms of levelling up agendas, that’s going to have to be a key emphasis and I hope devolution takes us in that direction.”
Emily Armstrong was asked about her company’s base at Lancashire’s iconic Botany Bay building. She said: “We construct property, we plan and develop, we’re involved in every stage of the property cycle, and we hold all of our assets. We’ve got the Botany Bay development which previously had a retail consent on for Cheshire Oaks-type setup. Obviously, the retail market changed and then we looked at an employment centre site, which has gone down very well. We’re just waiting on planning for that.”
Emily Armstrong: Developing on Green Belt “has to be done sensitively”. Credit: PNW
That prompted a discussion on planning processes and local authorities. Cavill said: “I very much doubt levelling up will address planning delays. The challenge that local authorities have is that 15 years ago, our budget was split roughly 60% on social care and 40%, everything else, which includes planning. Today, it’s 87% children’s and adult social care and 13% on everything else. Everything else gets squeezed. “
Cassidy agreed: “It’s lack of resources. If it takes several months to get a reply, that’s not because it’s been pushed to the side or under a big pile of papers, it’s because you’ve got so much on.”
Ingram added: “Even if someone turned on a magic tap with lots of money for those planning departments, there are not enough planners for the local authorities or the private sector.”
Armstrong commented on the sensitive issue of building in the Green Belt: “If you look at the major employment hubs, unfortunately in some areas the only way to increase the floor space is by going into Green Belt. But it has to be done sensitively. It needs serious consideration if there are no other available assets to bring forward major employment size.”
Cassidy added: “Green Belts are always controversial because they’re always the best and the least understood of planning policies. When Green Belts first arrived, it was all about containment to stop the growth of the major metropolitan area, London. Obviously, that’s spread elsewhere. I believe it’s probably time, radical as it is, to actually review the approach to Green Belt and integrate a much more sustainable approach.”
The panel discussed Green Belt development and working with planning officers in the region. Credit: PNW
The pandemic’s impact on retail was also discussed. Karen Hirst said: “I’m sure everyone in the room does more shopping online, so you’re not going to need those premises in the high street. But I think what COVID did show is that being cooped up certainly made you want to go out when you could. People want to do different things when they come into a town or a city. It’s the food markets and food hubs that have really taken off. That’s challenging from an income point of view because it isn’t as secure as some of the nationals, but it’s how we can support those regional, local and independents.”
Cavill was asked about Blackpool’s enterprise zone: “It is to run to 2041, a 25-year lifespan. The idea is to create up to 3000 additional jobs, and to secure in the region of 300 million pounds of private investment on top of what the council and Towns Fund is investing in the site. It’s focused on a number of different areas, including high tech manufacturing, but also to repurpose the airport to meet changing demands and requirements.”
Whelan also asked how the national cyber defence headquarters might impact the wider economy.
Cavill said: “I think the massive challenge and opportunity here is about skills. We’ve got this amazing thing coming to our doorstep with cutting edge technology, are we ready for our population to take those jobs and the spin-off jobs that will come with it?”
Armstrong added: “Where are people going to live, work and play? And then there is the relationship with the universities and the schools to make sure that we’ve got the readymade talent to go into these jobs.”
The conversation then returned to what the panel wanted to see from a devolved Lancashire.
Cavill concluded: “I think it’s the opportunity to plan for the future, to make our own decisions and to and to be able to deliver the developments that we want to deliver, to influence and punch above the weight that we punch now.”
The crowd during the networking break. Credit: PNW
The presentation slides can be accessed below:
Angie Ridgwell, Lancashire County Council
Karen Hirst, Maple Grove Developments
The next Place North West event is Net Zero on 31 March. Tickets are currently on sale for the in-person event.
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Story by Suzanne Elsworth for Place North West.
