Lancashire’s voice crucial to Northern Powerhouse agenda

Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive of Manchester City Council, offered encouragement to Lancashire that it can play a full role in the Northern Powerhouse agenda, when he addressed an audience of county leaders.

Hosted by Downtown Lancashire in Business, Sir Howard was guest speaker at the Leaders Lunch held at Barton Grange Hotel, Preston, for 80 business and civic chiefs including Edwin Booth, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Sir Howard said: “What we’ve got to do is collectively work together and there will be consultation with the LEP, otherwise the narrative doesn’t have credibility.

“This is about the sectors of global significance, or at least have the potential for that, because that’s what going to drive our productivity over the next decade, and that’s what’s going to attract the investment and trade that we need to grow our economy.

He said of Manchester’s head start in negotiating devolved powers including transport, planning and housing: “We knew we had to get our deal over the line to create the momentum for everywhere else. Now it’s trying to continue building on the platform.”

“We will be taking to market some seriously large projects such as the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal and the enterprise zones to developers, investors and occupiers. “We will have that focus and people will see a very vocal Lancashire over the next 12 months.”