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Top story
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Broomhead praises 08 "inspiration
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, paid tribute to Liverpool's Capital of Culture efforts at the agency's AGM at ACC Liverpool this morning. He said: "Liverpool's regeneration has played a great part in the North West's success, not least through Capital of Culture where it has shown that the region is capable of inspiring and delivering. The 08 effect has spread through the North West and estimates say it has generated £100m for the regional economy."
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Today's news
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City calls for public feedback on cultural strategy
Liverpool is inviting comments on its cultural strategy post 2008 as it launches a five-year masterplan to build on the success of Capital of Culture. The cultural strategy, which makes recommendations such as developing the role of parks in the city and a new public art programme, has today opened for consultation and is available to view on the Liverpool First website for the public and stakeholders to provide feedback over the next six weeks. The strategy will be driven by a Culture Task Group, created by the city’s local strategic partnership, Liverpool First, and chaired by councillor Gary Millar, executive member for enterprise and tourism. The draft document covers key themes, including economic growth, skills development and cultural vibrancy.
£275,000 in the pot to fight Everton
Everton FC looks to have a heavyweight legal battle on its hands if it is to get its way over the proposed stadium move to Kirkby. Sefton, St Helens, West Lancashire and Lancashire councils will pool their resources into one barrister, who will be joined by counsel representing Liverpool City Council. Legal counsel is estimated to cost around £100,000, while the four councils working together will pay £75,000 for specialist retail advice.
Opening the envelope
Dobson & Crowther, the UK's largest manufacturer of litho printed envelopes, has announced a £1.6m investment in new technology at its North Wales site after securing funding from Lombard, the asset finance arm of The Royal Bank of Scotland. The company, which was established over 100 years ago and moved to Llangollen in 1946, has purchased a new printing press, intended to boost production capacity by 30 per cent. Dobson & Crowther produces 600 million litho-printed products each year. The company, which underwent a management buyout in 2006, has a turnover of £11m and employs over 130 people.
Precision deal
Precision Products, which manufactures high-specification small steel castings, has been acquired by Bonds. The business will now operate under the name Bonds Precision Castings. Based in Alston, Precision Products is the biggest employer in the area, with 65 staff. Bonds, which specialises in acquiring businesses in traditional engineering sectors, already owns Bonds Foundry in County Durham. Bonds chairman Paul Duncan said: "Following years of rationalisation in the UK steel foundry sector, those companies remaining typically have solid foundations, mainly in niche sectors with specialist applications. Through consolidation in the sector we aim to obtain cost savings from scale and joint marketing benefits of an expanded product range."
Ronnie struggles to turn JJB juggernaut
JJB Sports has dropped its interim dividend as the group slid into a loss for the first half of 2008. With sales down by 5.6 per cent, the company reported a pre-tax loss of £9.7m, against a pre-tax profit of £8.3m for the equivalent period in 2007. Both new subsidiaries, Original Shoe Company and Qube, lost money. Chief executive Chris Ronnie said: "My board colleague David Jones has described the current climate as the worst retail recession he has ever known. This is borne out by our trading results." Ronnie expressed confidence in the new acquisitions and fitness clubs to take the business forward, but admitted retail's short-term future looks bleak.
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Something for the weekend
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Deal of the week
With an air of increasing inevitability surrounding the deal, Sudarghara and Ajmail Dusanj bought back Cains brewery and nine pubs, just over six weeks after Robert Cain & Co was placed into administration. The former owners saw off 50 potential buyers to take the business back, more or less, to where it was before the 2007 reverse takeover of Honeycombe Leisure.
Carry on cabbie
Sort yourselves out, taxi drivers! Guardian hack Alfred Hickling’s highly entertaining look around the Liverpool Biennial was given a slight crimp by a recalcitrant cabbie. Hickling reported: “Liverpool's cab drivers have famously been briefed for the big year of culture, and are supposed to be able to tell you anything you want to know about Gustav Klimt or what that Rattle fella will be doing with his German band at the Phil. But not this one. He doesn't want to take me to the A Foundation galleries on Greenland Street because it will mean ‘going all the way round’.” For shame!
Stirring quote of the week
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency at the agency's AGM this morning: "Our work is far from complete. I believe in the old adage âif you think everything seems to be going right, you have no idea of the reality'. In challenging economic times we cannot afford to be complacent."
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