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Top story
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Liverpool will benefit, says BBC boss
The BBC director-general last night defended the corporation’s decision to set up as Peel’s anchor tenant on MediaCity in Salford and said that allied industries across the region would benefit from the development. Speaking at the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce annual dinner at the BT Convention Centre, he said: “Why Salford? The crucial issue is sustainability,” he said. “You can’t just have isolated pockets of expertise around the region – strategic centres of expertise build creative clusters with links to the community and the region.” But Jim Barclay, director of resources at Merseytravel, said public transport provision between the two cities would need to be improved in order to maximise opportunities. “We are lobbying for extra trains between Liverpool and Manchester to match the number between Manchester and Leeds,” he said. “We also need enhanced platform capability at Salford Central.”
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Today's news
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Cool and sexy – it’s the Liverpool way
The sixth annual Livercool awards dinner hosted by Downtown Liverpool in Business (DLIB), took place last night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Simon Edwards of Midas Capital won the Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2008. Professional of the Year went to Richard Mathias of law firm DWF, while Louis Anastasiou was named as Property Professional of the Year. The gongs everyone was waiting for though – the Sexy Networker prizes – went to Paul Knowles of Gregory Abrams Davidson and Holly Wood of My Networking PA. Lifetime Achievement awards were presented to Kathleen Flanagan of the Flanagan Group and Brabners Chaffe Street head honcho Michael Brabner. 
St Helens unveils new growth strategy
St Helens has launched its revised City Growth Strategy (CGS), a business plan that includes 90 projects with a collective value of more than £1.8bn. The town, selected by the government in 2002 as one of only four areas in the UK to pilot the original CGS, has updated its ten-year strategy following the completion of several of the original programme. The new strategy focuses on four main themes: transforming the business base, heightening ambition, achieving physical regeneration and changing perceptions.
Rock around the dock
Albert Dock bar and restaurant PanAm has secured two contracts for early 2009 to entertain conferences being held at the BT Convention Centre. The Institute of Travel Management and the Renal Association have booked post-conference festivities at PanAm, with both events catering for up to 1,000 delegates. Jacquie Rogers, general manager of BT Convention Centre said: “We work closely with all the venues in Liverpool to ensure that we are giving conference organisers the very best options.”
More bad news for Port
With uncertainty over Vauxhall’s future still rife, Ellesmere Port has received a further blow with the confirmation by BP Castrol that it intends to close down its manufacturing operations in the town and transfer its operations to Europe. The closure of the blending plant would mean the loss of 100 jobs. Trade union Unite is to meet with managers on 1 December.
Lane lands top regeneration job
Bob Lane, the former chief executive of Speke Garston Development Corporation and the man widely credited with that area’s regeneration, is to be the new chairman of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation. In recent years, Lane has been chief executive of Catalyst Corby, playing a key role in securing a new railway station for the Northamptonshire town, previously Europe’s largest without a station.
Atlantic Park launched
Merseyside’s largest speculatively-developed Grade A office building was officially launched yesterday by the Mayor of Sefton, Councillor Paul Tweed. The 54,000 sq ft five-storey grade A office building provides the frontage to the 800,000 sq ft Atlantic Park mixed-use scheme on Bootle’s Dunningsbridge Road and is aiming for a rental price of £14.50 per sq ft.
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Something for the weekend
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Deal of the week
Good news for David McLean Homes. The Flintshire-based property group was rescued this week by Elan Homes, a new business formed by the former senior management team of the business, fighting off a rival bid from Redrow founder Steve Morgan. Former group finance director John Kendrick led the deal and is confident of maintaining trade until the market returns. The buyout secures jobs and was backed by equity and senior debt funding from Barclays Bank.
It’s a cracker, Jack
To the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool for the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner, where chief executive Jack Stopforth was in buoyant mood. After hailing the many achievements of the city in its Capital of Culture year, it came down to this: the MTV Europe Music Awards, held earlier this month. “I was here,” he boasted. “Me and Beyoncé are ‘like that’.”
LFC pulls bird application
Insider is pleased to see that Liverpool FC, always a bastion of magnanimity, has agreed to withdraw its application to trademark the Liver Bird logo after Liverpool City Council warned the club it would lodge an objection with the UK Intellectual Property Office, with feisty councillor Flo Clucas to the fore. Wasn’t the Liver Bird originally Everton’s badge anyway?
Canapé won’t pay
Law firm Brown Turner Ross clearly knows how to throw a party. The champagne and cocktails were flowing at this week's Liverpool office launch and, with fellow Stanley Street resident Delifonseca providing sumptuous nibbly things, it couldn't go wrong on the canapé front. Not to mention the goody bag from online boutique Benna, an after party at Kingdom and a set from Xander and the Peace Pirates, or “that guitarist with the hook” as some refer to him.
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