23 December 2009
Chair selected for new Pennine Lancashire regeneration
company
Leading businessman Dennis Mendoros has been appointed to head a
new company tasked with transforming Pennine Lancashire.
Regenerate Pennine Lancashire was formed to enable seven councils
to take forward a cohesive strategy for Pennine Lancashire and to
work together in order to achieve more than as entirely separate
councils. By working more closely and having a shared vision
between the councils, this will achieve greater value for money and
attract more private sector investment.
The new company is designed to help increase prosperity and life
choices for people living and working in Pennine Lancashire and to
attract in others to work, live or visit. It will deliver major
developments on behalf of local authorities, and continue the
Housing Market Renewal (HMR) work initiated by Elevate. It has
responsibility for delivering the No Limits LEGI scheme which
supports new and existing businesses. It also has the remit to
improve the image of Pennine Lancashire.
Mr Mendoros is the founder, owner and MD of Euravia Engineering
and Supply Ltd, based in Pennine Lancashire, which is involved in
the design, refurbishment and testing of high-speed turbine
aero-engines. He said he was relishing the challenge of the new
role as Chair of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire: "I am delighted to
have been given the opportunity to help make a real difference to
the lives of people across Pennine Lancashire. We face major
challenges going forward but have already embarked upon the right
path to tackling these issues through the close partnership working
between all the Councils and other agencies.
“My role will be to help make sure that measures to improve
housing and the local economy are implemented in a joined-up way,
recognising the close links between job opportunities, prosperity
and the housing market.
“There is a real drive and determination amongst all our partners
to transform the area and provide real opportunities for local
people."
Dennis Mendoros comes into the role with an array of achievements
to his name, including an OBE for services to industry. He has also
been commissioned a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire, and in 2008
he received the ‘Lancastrian of the Year’ Award.
Ribble Valley Borough Council Leader Councillor Michael Ranson, who
is Chair of the company’s Governing Body, said: “I am delighted
that Dennis Mendoros has been appointed Chairman of the Board of
Regenerate Pennine Lancashire. He was appointed from a group of
excellent candidates and I know that his extensive knowledge,
experience and enthusiasm will help the company improve and enhance
the economic regeneration of Pennine Lancashire, as well as deliver
its present projects. I am looking forward to working closely with
him.”
Deborah McLaughlin, Regional Director NW at the Homes and
Communities Agency, said: “These are exciting times and, through
the work of Regenerate, Pennine Lancashire will play a leading role
in shaping our responses. By closely working together, local
authorities and their partners will make a real difference in
tackling serious issues such as low household income, deprivation
and low skills, and in delivering new and better housing.
“By combining forces through Regenerate, these organisations
will help make sure we deliver better places to live and work, use
investment more efficiently, and improve employment and housing for
people across Pennine Lancashire.”
Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency
(NWDA), Steven Broomhead, said: “Dennis has a wealth of experience
and knowledge and is the ideal candidate to chair Regenerate
Pennine Lancashire. Working with the NWDA and the private sector,
Regenerate Pennine Lancashire will help the councils deliver more
new jobs and major developments. By pooling resources across
all the councils it will have bigger, more efficient results in
regenerating the economy of Pennine Lancashire.”
The company’s Management Team has been appointed and staff will
be drawn from the Elevate and Local Enterprise Growth Initiative
(LEGI) teams, council partners and funding organisations.
Funding for the new company will initially come from the Homes
and Communities Agency, partner local authorities, the Northwest
Regional Development Agency and LEGI.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Regenerate Pennine Lancashire senior appointments:
Max Steinberg, Chief Executive
Jackie Mason, Executive Director, Housing Market Regeneration
Steve Hoyle, Executive Director, Economic Development
The company’s main work areas are as follows:
Major projects
Regenerate will provide support for major commercial, housing and
mixed-use developments which are likely to include:
• Whitebirk Strategic Site, Hyndburn, near Junction 6 of the
M65
• Calder Valley Racecourse, on the border of Hyndburn, Ribble
Valley and Burnley
• Nelson Town Centre, Pendle
• Pennine Gateway, Furthergate, Blackburn with Darwen
• Barrow Printworks, Ribble Valley
• Valley Centre, Rawtenstall, Rossendale
• New homes at Phoenix 1, West Accrington, Hyndburn
• New homes at Cog Lane, Burnley
• Eco-friendly house refurbishments at Stanley Street, Nelson
• New homes at Lock 54, Infirmary Waterside, Blackburn.
Housing and HMR
Regenerate will contribute to the delivery of the Pennine
Lancashire Housing Strategy and will continue the Housing Market
Renewal (HMR) work initiated by Elevate. The HMR programme is
designed to tackle the problems of low demand and housing market
collapse in the main towns of Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley,
Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale. Between the initiative’s start in
2003 and the end of March 2009, £219.4 million of HMR funding was
used to improve 4,267 homes, acquire 2,280 properties and demolish
1,963 properties for redevelopment. This attracted £79.2m of other
public and private sector funding to Pennine Lancashire, and 1,506
new homes were built in the HMR areas.
The area has received £50 million HMR funding for the current
financial year (2009-10) and a further £48 million has just been
announced by government for 2010-11.
Economic Development and Enterprise
Regenerate will continue the No Limits programme, a business and
enterprise development campaign for Pennine Lancashire. Working
through a partnership of business support agencies, it supports new
and existing businesses, with advice, support and funding. The aim
is to create up to 13,000 jobs and new 4,000 businesses over a
decade.
In almost three years, No Limits has helped grow 342 businesses,
plus 917 new business starts. It has created or safeguarded 3,100
jobs and attracted £9.6 million of private sector investment.
The company also supports businesses wanting to adopt new
technologies or to bring new products to the market. It can
also assist companies wishing to expand their premises or seeking
to relocate within Pennine Lancashire. To learn more about
how No Limits can help new and existing businesses, call 0800 612
2029 or visit www.no-limits.org.uk.
Image
Regenerate will build on the work already undertaken to promote
Pennine Lancashire as a place to live, visit and do business, and
enhance the area’s image and profile. Past and future projects
include Pennine Lancashire Squared, an international design
competition which aims to develop unique public spaces and world
class landscape design in six Pennine Lancashire towns; the Pennine
Lancashire Festival of Food and Culture, which last year attracted
more than 45,000 visitors to enjoy local produce and attractions;
Chic Sheds, which encourages people to grow their own food and eat
more healthily; Sound Investments, which fosters the local live
music industry; and a new Pennine Lancashire website.
For more information, contact Communications Manager Rachael
Farricker on 01254 304568.