 | Show me the person in charge! September 22, 2009
“If you’ve got a problem, show me the person in charge” said Lord Heseltine, nailing his frustrations at what he perceives as a lack of leadership in “our great provincial cities”.
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 | Who saved the Mersey? September 21, 2009
As the Mersey Basin Campaign prepares for its last ever annual conference tomorrow in Liverpool, we ask who deserves the credit for the Mersey’s amazing clean-up, and how they did it?
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 | Up, up and away September 16, 2009
Stockport-based environmental consultancy APEM has invested in a new high-tech plane that can create amazingly detailed aerial surveys of rivers, lakes and the sea.
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 | Ganges of the North September 8, 2009
Hindu devotees from across the Northwest took part in a colourful ceremony in Liverpool last week, with the River Mersey standing in for the sacred River Ganges.
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 Energy coastJune 23, 2007
Proposals to transform west Cumbria into Britain’s ‘energy coast’ are gathering pace following a meeting with top government ministers and support from Tony Blair.
Secretary of state for trade and industry Alistair Darling, housing minister Yvette Cooper and other leading members of the government were told that west Cumbria could be transformed into a world class centre for excellence in energy and environmental technologies by 2027.
The proposals are a direct response to the current decommissioning of Sellafield nuclear power station, which is expected to have a huge impact on the west Cumbrian economy.
Around 8,000 of the 12,000 jobs on the site are expected to be lost by 2015.
The far reaching programme includes new business parks, a national academy for nuclear skills, a new hospital and major improvements to transport links and housing.
It aims to create 16,000 jobs, give the Cumbrian economy a £700 million boost and help Cumbria make a significant contribution towards the government’s response to climate change.
Mr Darling called the plan impressive and coherent, and called for further discussions between the government departments and the west Cumbrian partners.
Jamie Reed, chairman of West Cumbria Strategic Forum and MP for Copeland, said: “Our Energy Coast plan has been warmly welcomed by government. This is an exciting time for our plan and we must continue to work hard to ensure that it happens.”
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, said, “The NWDA is committed to the development of the West Cumbria Spatial Masterplan, which is identified in the Regional Economic Strategy as a key priority.
“Designed to ensure the area is ready to grasp the opportunities offered by nuclear decommissioning, the programme will help the local economy to successfully adapt to the decline in employment at the Sellafield site.”
Tuesday’s meeting follows on from a presentation of the masterplan to Tony Blair in April, during which the prime minister gave his support in principle, and a recent visit to west Cumbria by senior civil servants.
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