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Evening Post, Tuesday, January 27, 2009
College calls on experts PRESTON College has appointed an expert in business rates to advise it on how to handle its property portfolio. The rating team at Knight Frank’s North West office has been retained as an advisor to the college which has plans for a £90m expansion of its Fulwood campus, Partner Martin Howard said: “We pride ourselves in guiding our clients through the good times as well as the bad. “The fact that so many of our existing clients have already reinstructed us for the forthcoming rating revaluation in 2010 demonstrates the team’s ability to deliver.”
Unions give output a lift TRADE unions are back on the increase at companies in the North West, a study shows. Two-thirds of bosses surveyed said they found unions helpful in improving performance. However, the survey showed that communication between bosses and staff was still weak. Regeneris director Neil Evans said: “Despite evidence that communication with employees can deliver tangible benefits, employers are again polarised, between those keen to communicate with employees and those which are not.”
MP welcomes move to help truck makers David Coates
Time for a reverse in the parking debate
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GOVERNMENT announcement this week will help ailing truck manufacturer Leyland Trucks, a Lancashire MP has claimed. South Ribble MP David Borrow said he expects Chancellor Alistair Darling to announce plans to guarantee finance for firms which specialise in lending to hauliers looking to buy trucks. The move is expected to support the car-building industry by offering guarantees to motorists, but Mr Borrow has vowed to press his colleague to include the truck industry in any measures. Jim Sumner, Leyland Trucks’ managing director, announced more than 300 job losses at the firm’s factory in Farington, near Leyland, last year. He has now met with Mr Darling and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to push for the changes to support the truck industry in recent months. Mr Borrow said: “A lot of big companies can borrow on the
PAUL HEATHCOTE
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SHIFTING METAL: David Borrow, right, expects special measures for lending by hauliers to ease Leyland’s plight financial markets and lend it direct through there own subsidiaries, and hopefully this will allow them to pick up hauliers that are struggling to get finance from banks for more vehicles. “I am hopeful that while this will support the car industry this will also apply to Leyland Trucks and immediately give access to finance to hauliers which otherwise would not have access to it.” Recent reports have suggested the government intends to
provide credit guarantees to the finance houses that offer loans to motorists, enabling them to offer more 0% deals to people looking to buy cars and commercial vehicles. Mr Borrow visited Leyland Trucks’ factory in his constituency as workers returned to work last Friday, after an extended month-long lay-off. The South Ribble MP said: “There appears to be enough work there to keep the company going for the first quarter of the year, albeit at re-
duced workforce levels they are currently operating at.”
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Related stories on www.lep.co.uk:
● Plea to help truck firm ride out crisis, January 22, 2009 ● Truck firm 'needs level playing field', January 8, 2009 ● Trucks chief asks for recession bail-out, December 11, 2008
THE BIBAs
VIP hosts on board for the big night With Lancashire’s biggest business awards just a matter of weeks away, Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board has joined the BIBAs 2009 as VIP hosts. Mike Wilkinson, chief executive of the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board said: “We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of local companies in the magnificent surroundings of the Blackpool Winter Gardens. We are proud to play a role in supporting an event that not only recognises local excellence but also plays a vital part in using local businesses to supply services and products to these awards”. Hailed as the “one they all want to win” the BIBAs 2009 has attracted an exceptional level of entries from many of Lancashire’s top performing companies – almost 900 entries were submitted, 20 sponsors have pledged their support, 14 BIBAs are up for grabs and 1000 guests are expected to attend on the night. Babs Murphy, chief executive of the organisers North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Com-
merce added: “We are delighted that the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board are supporting this year’s event. They join a star line of sponsors and the extent of this support has helped the BIBAs to be the most recognisable and important endorsement of corporate and individual achievement in Lancashire.” Mike Wilkinson said: “ Building on the huge success of the previous year, which gathered more than 750 businesses at the most prestigious business event in Lancashire, BIBAs 2009 is set to be an even grander showcase of the best of Lancashire business.” A 1000-strong audience of leading businesses, will gather for BIBAs 2009 at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool on March 6, 2009 where the winners will be announced. Tickets for the event are now on sale and can be booked online at www.thebibas.co.uk or by calling 01772 653000. ● Find out the final 65 shortlisted entries in next week’s lepbusinessweek
AST week I mentioned in my column about out-of-town shopping parks and how they are part of the problem affecting our city centres these days. In that I mentioned one of the big things the likes of the Deepdale Retail Park or even the Trafford Centre in Manchester has going for them is free parking. Compare that to Preston city centre and the draconian way which parking is enforced in areas like Winckley Square and even some of the major car parks; if you're a minute late getting back to your car, you get a ticket. Over Christmas it always works – we want to get more people to come and shop in Preston, so we ease off on people and give them some free parking here and there. My question is, why now when our shops are struggling and, in some cases, dying on the vine, don't we do the same? Councils have the power to ease up on parking and while I appreciate it is a massive source of revenue which keeps our business rates and council tax bills down, we have to think of our priorities. Do we really want people to walk down a Fishergate full of empty shops, or for those small businesses down side streets off the main high streets to die off? These businesses all rely on people being able to get easy access to them to survive and that means easier parking. Who knows – a little bit of clever marketing in parking tickets might go a long way – how about buy one ticket and get one free? Seriously worth a thought?
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These businesses all rely on people being able to get easy access to them to survive
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