The Northwest Regional Development agency has confirmed more than 100 projects will lose out after the Coalition Government cut £52m from its budget. The announcement is a massive blow to regeneration plans across the region.
Whilst I acknowledge the establishment of Local Economic Partnerships in their place the big issue is whether the changes will be used to underfund areas like East Lancashire and Haslingden and Hyndburn.
Haslingden and Hyndburn has already been targeted by the coalition and has suffered around £100million to £120million in cuts, mainly from the cancelled Building Schools for the Future programme covering the 8 local schools and the cancellation of Pennine Reach .
Without these strategic (and long term) investments, this area will once again go backwards to the day's when parents held community raffles to pay teachers wages.
Around £3million of cuts from Area Based Grants in Hyndburn and Housing Market Renewal cuts again in Hyndburn. Cuts to the Police budget of around 3% so far. The £50million Pennine Reach - Accrington Bus Station project has also been cancelled.
Local projects affected by the NWDA cuts are; Manchester - Burnley - Accrington direct rail link; Rossendale Vocational Training Centre; Rawtenstall Town Centre Public Realm; Haslingden Public Realm projects.
Table 1 includes the position for projects in East Lancashire and Table 2 the NWDA affected projects.
Table 1 - East Lancashire Cuts - the latest information
| Project / intervention - Regional Projects | Lost or Retained | 2010/11 |
| Salmesbury Site - Potential development of Advanced Man. Business Park | Decision Awaited | |
| Committed GBI spend | Decision Awaited | £2,281,000 |
| Manufacturing Advisory Service | Decision Awaited | £723,000 |
| Business Link | Decision Awaited | £900,000 |
| Other access to finance (GRAND, small loans) | Decision Awaited | £530,000 |
| Cluster Programme | Decision Awaited | £440,000 |
| Business Start-Up | Decision Awaited | £350,000 |
| High Growth | Decision Awaited | £299,500 |
| Innovation Vouchers | Decision Awaited | £269,500 |
| Other Innovation Support | Decision Awaited | £331,600 |
| Other Low Carbon Support | Decision Awaited | £600,000 |
| Other Business Support | Decision Awaited | £219,200 |
| Cluster Programme D&C element (see above for total cost or programme) | Decision Awaited | - |
| NW Framework for Next Generation Access (NGA) | Decision Awaited | - |
| NGA - Support the bringing forward of NGA in Pennine Lancs within the Regional Framework | Decision Awaited | £0 |
| LEAD | Decision Awaited | £700,000 |
| Expanded Train to Gain | Decision Awaited | £295,000 |
| Higher Level Skills | Decision Awaited | £210,200 |
| Monitoring | Decision Awaited | £68,500 |
| Other skills programmes | Decision Awaited | £186,300 |
| Skills gaps - Ensure that skills supply meets demand and this fits with and aligned to the Regional Skills Strategy | Decision Awaited | £0 |
| Pennine Lancashire Employment and Skills Board Joint Priority Themes | Decision Awaited | |
| Total Regional Projects | £8,403,800 | |
| Strategic Projects | Lost or Retained | Funding |
| Rolls Royce Fan Blade | RETAINED | £2,000,000 |
| SAMULET (National advanced engine project – linked to Rolls Royce) | RETAINED | £600,000 |
| Aerospace Supply Chain Programme 1 and 2 | RETAINED | £1,210,000 |
| Auto Supply Chain | RETAINED | £47,000 |
| Whitebirk Site | LOST | £8.500,000 |
| Adrenalin Gateway | LOST | £2,500,000 |
| Media Access Bureau (UCLan – Burnley Campus) | RETAINED | £250,000 |
| Manchester-Burnley-Accrington Rail Connection feasibility study | RETAINED | £75,000 |
| Clitheroe - Mcr feasibility | LOST | £150,000 |
| Clitheroe - Mcr | LOST | £3,000,000 |
| Todmorden Curve | LOST | £7,800,000 |
| Rawtenstall - Manchester Commuter Rail Service | LOST | £5,000,000 |
| Burnley Bridge | Decision Awaited | £1,040,000 |
| Knowledge Zone Blackburn | LOST | £2,040,000 |
| Total Strategic Projects | £25,712,000 | |
| Local Projects | ||
| Michelin Site - Development of Business Park | LOST | £3,000,000 |
| Michelin Site Estate Management Costs | RETAINED | £773,000 |
| Michelin site | LOST | £200,000 |
| Burnley Enterprise zone - additional on site work | LOST | £2,600,000 |
| Barrow Brook | LOST | £50,000 |
| Pennine Gateway | LOST | £4,000,000 |
| Church Canal Gateway | LOST | £100,000 |
| Burnley Land Assembly | RETAINED | £30,000 |
| Sustainable Construction Centre - Feasibility study - concept to be developed with NWDA | LOST | £100,000 |
| Freckleton Street, Blackburn | RETAINED | £536,000 |
| Blackburn Town Centre Renaissance | RETAINED | £92,000 |
| Brierfield Mills | LOST | £2,000,000 |
| Burnley Technology Centre | RETAINED | £50,000 |
| Weavers Triangle – land assembly | RETAINED | £230,000 |
| Weavers Triangle - Site Improvement | LOST | £900,000 |
| Nelson Town Centre 1 | RETAINED | £24,000 |
| Lee Road Bacup | RETAINED | £12,000 |
| 19 Cannon Street | LOST | £75,000 |
| Remade Programme | RETAINED | £182,000 |
| Blackburn Cathedral Quarter | LOST | £2,400,000 |
| Pendle Town Centre Schemes | Nelson TC Phase 2 (£1,332,012) RETAINED Remainder LOST | £2,300,000 |
| Valley Centre | LOST | £50,000 |
| Total Local Projects | £19,704,000 | |
| Grand Total | £53,819,800 | |
| Capacity Funding | ||
| Regenerate PL | TO BE AGREED | £350,000 |
| Pendle Vision | TO BE AGREED | £17,000 |
| PLACE Programmes and Strategy | RETAINED | £230,000 |
| Total Capacity Funding | £597,000 | |
| Non JIP - Other significant Projects | ||
| Salmesbury – infrastructure works at motorway junction improving access | £800,000 | |
| Salmesbury Advanced Manufacture Park feasibility study | £200,000 | |
| ERDF NWOP 2007 - 2013 | £7,120,000 | |
| Rural Programme - Ensure that Rural programmes are better aligned to wider economic development programme | £1,800,000 | |
| Total Non JIP Other Significant Projects | £9,920,000 | |
| Non JIP Total | £10,517,000 |
The £220m Talbot Gateway plan in Blackpool, the Skelmersdale College Campus Renewal, Chester Zoo’s £225m Natural Vision project, the new £28m Everyman theatre in Liverpool and the International Festival in Manchester are just some of the projects that were expecting to secure funding support and will now miss out.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg admitted some RDAs ‘do a good job’ when he was challenged by North West MP Gordon Marsden during Deputy PMQs in the House of Commons today (Tuesday, July 27).
Table 2 - North West high profile projects affected
Media Sector Development Plan - Audio Visual Skills 2001/12
Manchester Metropolitan University - Birley Fields Education & Health Campus
All Souls Church Restoration, Bolton
Preston Guild 2012
English Half Marathon
World Series Netball
Manchester International Festival
Midpoint 18 Employment Site Development, Middlewich
Parklands Plot 5B, Middlebrook,Bolton
Talbot Gateway, Blackpool
Burnley Bridge Business Park
The Corridor Manchester Public Realm
The Dispensary, New Islington, Manchester
The Manchester Sq, Waterloo and St Chads Headlands, Blackpool
Kingston House, Liverpool - Planning Fees
Leyland Trucks Training Programme
Chester Zoo Natural Vision
Crewe Rail Gateway - Main Project
Ancoats Estate Management Company
Crewe Green/Basford Link Road - Main Project
Preston Vision: Winckley Square Public Realm
Whitefield Economic Development Programme
CBC Aintree
Getrag Training Project, Halewood
MakeMedia Centre
Manchester Ship Canal Aeration (Salford Quays)
Trafford Park Masterplan
Parsonage Colliery Phase 1
Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester - Enabling Works
Next Generation Access Broadband Manchester
Citadel - Court Square,Carlise
Roman Maryport
Lancaster Science Park
Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, Liverpool
Liverpool Science Park Innovation Centre 3
National Football Museum , URBIS
Blackburn TC Knowledge Zone - Cathedral Quarter
Sportscity Major Destination Site
West Float Land Remediation - Wirral
Trafford Wharf land remediation
Preston Vision: Flag Market Public Realm
Riverside Park 2b - Wirral
The Liverpool Institute of Vaccine Research (LIVR)
Regional Aero Park - Samlesbury - Phase II
BAE Submarine Solutions Training Programme
Blackpool - Central Corridor Phase III
Horwich Loco Works (remediation)
Church Wharf, Bolton
Manchester - Burnley - Accrington direct rail link
Carlisle Historic Core Public Realm
Process Innogateway 2
Town Wharf, Middlewich
Crewe Vision Partnership contribution to costs
Frodsham Gateway
Faithful Enterprise
Cibitas - Chester review
Lake District National Park Authority - Employment Sites Programme
Lake District Electric Vehicle demonstration
Environmental Technologies Business Park
Solid State Lighting Demonstration
St Annes public realm - Open Golf 2012
Gen-Probe UK Consolidation at Wythenshawe
Aviation Power Up
Climate Change Action Plan Northwest Climate Fund Phase 2
Jaguar Land Rover Training Project
Leyland Trucks Hybrid Demonstration
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Arts Project
Manchester is my Planet Phase 3
Incubation National Nuclear Lab
NW Autonomous Systems Programme - Innovation
Centre of Excellence for low carbon vehicles technologies
Mersey Tidal Test Centre
Preston Vision: Innovation Trail
Royal Institute for British Architects Second National HQ
Rossendale Vocational Training Centre
Rawtenstall Town Centre Public Realm
Haslingden Public Realm
Skelmersdale College Campus Renewal
Co-op Office Development Skemersdale
Stobart Air
Thomas Storey Stockport
Stalybridge West
Trinity Mirror Transformation Project
Wirral HE Campus
University of Chester - County Hall refurbishment
Chester University Food Research & Development
Cumbria Higher Learning
Sands Centre, Carlisle
Centre for Genomics Research
NW Clinical Fellowships Industry Programme
Strategic Affordable Manufacturing in the UK Leading Environmental Technology
Smart Grid Centre of Excellence
Nuclear Fuel Applied Research Centre
Warrington Bank Quay Station Business Lounge & Subway
Nuclear Low Carbon Economic Area
Wigan On Side Centre, Mesnes Park
Turnpike Centre, Leigh
Fleetwood Fish Park
Centre for Exploitation of Energy Research
City Centre North - the Co-operative Quarter
NW Autonomous Systems Programme - Regional Sectors Project
