2016 was a record year for Lancashire startups

New figures just out show that more new companies were registered in Lancashire during 2016 than in any previous year.

A total of 10,600 new businesses were established in the county compared to 10,080 in 2015.

The number of registered companies in the county now totals 68,241, up from 65,240 at the end of 2015, which equates to 4.6% growth.

The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of UK Company Formations, using data from Companies House and the Office of National Statistics.

Blackburn with Darwen formed the most new businesses (1,407), followed by Fylde (1,406) and Blackpool (1,226).

John Korchak, director of Operations at Inform Direct said: “These figures underline the positive entrepreneurial culture that fosters new company formations and drives economic growth. So far, at least, we’re not seeing evidence that the Brexit vote has dented confidence among those considering starting up in business.

“Lancashire again delivered an impressive number of new companies in 2016 – more than in any year to date – demonstrating that it offers a fertile environment for new businesses to spring up and prosper.”

Across the UK as a whole, there were a record-breaking 664,720 companies formed – up from 612,565 in 2015. The number of UK companies now stands at 3,962,909. Of the 601,418 formations in England, 209,869 were in London. 35,502 companies were formed in Scotland, 15,795 in Wales and 7,389 in Northern Ireland.