#BrilliantBurnley – a Lancashire Hotspot!

By Dean

08 Apr 2016

More than 80 Lancashire business representatives gathered in Burnley to discuss the opportunities for growth and development in the borough.

DSC_4142

The Question Time-style panel event was hosted by Lancashire Business View in association with Burnley Council and PM+M Chartered Accountants at Prairie Sports Village.

Pam Smith, who was appointed chief executive of Burnley Council in 2015, took part in a Q and A before the main panel discussion.

She said: “One of the biggest highlights of my first 12 months in post is the Manchester rail link which links us in to the Northern Powerhouse and enables us to make more connections, but also bring people here and show them what Burnley has to offer.

“We are one of the top five North West boom towns, we were named the UK’s most enterprising area, and we need to get the word out more.

“The fluidity of communication and long term relationships between ourselves and businesses in the town is critical.”

Guest panellists at the event included Rupert Gatty, CEO, CoolKit; Kate Ingram, head of regeneration and planning policy, Burnley Council; Helen Binns, director, PM+M; Andrew Henderson, managing director, Lanway and Colin Birchall, executive chairman, Birchall Foodservice.

Kate Ingram, who is responsible for major regeneration projects in the town such as Burnley Bridge and Vision Park, said: “The key message is that Burnley is well connected, well located and there is easy access. We will always pull together as a community to make sure doing business in Burnley is a smooth process.

“Our aim is to improve the economy, create more jobs and get more people to come and live in Burnley. We’re achieving all of our goals and have had year on year employment growth since 2009, way above regional and national levels. We’re now also in a period of positive population growth.”

Helen Binns, who was instrumental in the relocation of PM+M’s Burnley office to Finsley Gate, said: “With the amount of investment here, there’s a really good feeling and we wanted to be part of that. There are big opportunities to do business in Burnley and be a big part of the community.

“It’s a civic town with a strong business community. The Bondholders network is really important for people to tell their stories and get involved. We come across a lot of businesses with real tenacity and determination to get things done for themselves and for the town.”

Rupert Gatty, who relocated his firm in 2015 from the Shuttleworth Mead Business Park to a larger site at Farrington Place, said: “Burnley’s location, with its proximity to areas of outstanding natural beauty, neighbouring towns and the great road and rail networks the town has are all real positives.

“We get a lot of support as a Burnley-based business and well informed.”

Andrew Henderson, who has been doing business in Burnley for more than 20 years, said: “We want to tell as many people as possible to come to Burnley; it is a great place to be. Burnley is a forerunner in the respect that its private and public sectors work together so well.

“One thing I hear a lot about is skills shortages, but certainly for us, we don’t feel that so much. There’s an enormous number of training providers in the area.”

Colin Birchall, whose growing business relocated to a new £3m site at Burnley Bridge in 2015, said: “There’s a lot of collaborative work and that is the way forward. We need to keep the focus on Burnley, continue to change the perception of the town and get people to work with us.

“We are Burnley and we should be shouting about the town. We are in a wonderful location and are fortunate to have so many good things going for us.”

Richard Slater, publisher of Lancashire Business View, said: “Events like this help the business and public sector communities to learn from each other and share ideas. “Creating a better understanding of what’s happening on the ground is good for business.”

  • The next Lancashire Hotspots event will take place in West Lancashire in June.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Dean

Latest news

1

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns David Waddington and John O'Neill

Morecambe shortlisted in National Visa Awards celebrating the UK’s thriving towns

04 Jul 2025

2

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document Coun Stephen Atkinson

County council sets out 'areas of focus for 2025-26 in document

04 Jul 2025

3

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

Warden Construction completes project to help Preston school double pupil numbers

04 Jul 2025

4

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum Jamie Roberts

Grant Thornton advises RJ Power Networks on sale to Ipsum

04 Jul 2025

5

College principal resigns Karen Buchanan

College principal resigns

04 Jul 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV123 July/August Launch Event
Lancashire Business View magazine launch
Networking
16 Jul 2025

LBV123 July/August Launch Event

Burnley

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase
unnamed (2).jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
09 Jul 2025 - 09 Jul 2025

Tri-Site Survey Equipment Showcase

Crow Wood Hotel, Burnley, BB12 0RT

09:30 - 16:00

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers
Champagne-Jewellery 10 07 25_page-0001.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Blackburn Cathedral hosts Champagne and Diamonds Event with Ainsworth Jewellers

Blackburn Cathedral, Blackburn, BB1 5AA

18:00 - 20:30

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast
talentreimaginedbb.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Jul 2025 - 10 Jul 2025

Choose Chorley for Business - Talent Reimagined Business Breakfast

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR71PS

08:00 - 10:30

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past
1750160034867.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Jul 2025 - 16 Jul 2025

Shaping Preston's future by remembering its past

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 20:30

Chamber Summer BBQ
LBV Hub Social
17 Jul 2025 - 17 Jul 2025

Chamber Summer BBQ

The Borough, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

17:30 - 20:00

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?
July Longer Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
29 Jul 2025 - 29 Jul 2025

Preston Tech Connection: Web3 is Dead. Or is It?

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July
Longer July Banner.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
31 Jul 2025 - 31 Jul 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: July

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin