Lancashire's economic strategy 'heavily biased towards Preston' (From Preston and Leyland Citizen)

Lancashire's economic strategy 'heavily biased towards Preston'

6:10pm Sunday 13th December 2009

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CHIEF executives and councillors in East Lancashire have criticised a county economic strategy for being ‘heavily biased’ towards Preston and Lancaster.

Blackburn is mentioned just once in the four-page document drafted by Lancashire County Council, and Pennine Lancashire, also covering Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, merits three meaningful mentions.

But Preston, Lancaster and central Lancashire are included no fewer than 10 times specifically in the same strategy.

And the phrase ‘there is much untapped economic potential in Preston (and wider Central Lancashire)’ and a commitment to ‘maximise opportunities for Preston (and wider Central Lancashire) to consolidate and grow’ have infuriated East Lancashire leaders.

Burnley-born county council leader Geoff Driver has defended the strategy, in a letter to all Pendle borough councillors, and his colleagues have insisted the area is ‘close to his heart’.

However the county council’s economic development head Martin Kelly has been urged to ditch a ‘40-year-old obsession’ with regenerating Preston, dating back to its New Town status in the 70s.

Coun David Whipp said that the strategy was ‘absymal’ and would leave Pennine Lancashire as the ‘poor relations’ of the county.

He said: “Although our area has world class companies such as Rolls Royce, generally jobs round here are less well paid than in the wealthier parts of Lancashire.

“It’s crazy to invest even more in the better off areas at our expense, the gap will get even greater.”

Coun Tony Greaves added: “This is the policy we had 40 years ago for the old Central Lancashire Development Corporation and it is the one we would be signing up for with this document.”

Elsewhere a resolution has been passed by the Pennine Lancashire Chief Executives group, covering the six eastern boroughs, also questioning the strategy.

The statement said: “We don’t dispute there is untapped potential in Preston and Lancaster but believe that this is the case in Pennine Lancashire too.”

The chief executives have also queried another assertion, claiming jobs in Preston and Central Lancashire would ‘trickle down to the eastern boroughs, as there had been little evidence of this in the past decade.

But Coun Driver said in his letter that the strategy would support growth in all areas of Lancashire and claimed any opposition was politically-motivated.

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