20 January 2005
Shadow Board appointed for Blackpool URC
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is pleased to announce that the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Board have now been appointed for the shadow Blackpool Urban Regeneration Company (URC).
The URC, which is still to be approved by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, is an independent company dedicated to maximising public and private sector investment to drive forward the economic regeneration of Blackpool. It brings together local authorities and businesses and will be responsible for the delivery of the Blackpool Masterplan, which aims to transform the resort into a 21st century world class resort.
The Board members are:
Chairman - Sir Peter Hall Vice Chairman - Pauline Clare
David Bayliss Reg Chapman
Helen France Eric Kuhne
Derrick McCormick Mark Mills
Brian Rees Kathryn Revitt
Steve Weaver Nicholas Thompson
Roy Fisher
Bryan Gray, NWDA Chairman, said: "The NWDA fully supports the establishment of a URC for Blackpool, and the crucial role it will play in spearheading the co-ordinated regeneration of the resort. I am delighted that we now have a shadow board in place with such a wealth and variety of experience and expertise to ensure that the ambitious plans for Blackpool's renaissance are delivered successfully."
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Notes for Editors
- An Urban Regeneration Company (URC) is a special vehicle for maximising public and private sector investment to assist the economic regeneration of a specific area.
- This will be the fourth in the region, following three successful URC's in Manchester, Liverpool and Furness and West Cumbria.
- The NWDA submitted the proposal for ODPM approval in December 2004.
For further information please contact Sarah Harvey, Press Officer on 01925 400552 or 07810 528471 or Sarah.Harvey@NWDA.co.uk
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England"s Northwest and has 5 key priorities: Business Development, Regeneration, Skills & Employment, Infrastructure and Image
SIR PETER HALL
Sir Peter Hall FBA, MAE, PhD, HonMRTI is Professor of Planning at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, University College London.
From 1991-94 he was Special Adviser on Strategic Planning to the Secretary of State for the Environment, with special reference to issues of London and South East regional planning including the East Thames Corridor and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. He was member of the Deputy Prime Minister"s Urban Task Force (1998-1999). He has received the Founder"s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society for distinction in research, and is an honorary member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, which awarded him its Gold Medal in 2003 for his services to planning.
He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a founder member of the Regional Studies Association and first editor of its journal Regional Studies. He was Chairman of the Town and Country Planning Association (1995-1999).
PAULINE CLARE
Pauline has had a very successful and high profile career in the Police Force and also complements this with voluntary and charity work and more recently private sector work. She retired as Chief Constable in July 2002 and has since built a portfolio including the coaching of senior executives in the public and private sector and she also sits on the Boards of Airwave mm02 and Chorley and District Building Society.
DAVID BAYLISS
David is a former Director of Planning for London Transport. Before joining London Transport in 1984, he held senior positions in Manchester City's engineering and planning departments. At London Transport, he led major planning efforts for the Docklands Light Railway, the Jubilee Line subway extension and the Croydon Tramlink. He has served as Chairman of London Transport International and as an advisor to projects undertaken by the World Bank and European Conference of Ministers of Transport.
REG CHAPMAN
Reg is ex-principal of Blackpool and Fylde College. He also has extensive experience of regeneration in Blackpool and has an excellent track record of contacts including Blackpool Challenge Partnership, Lancashire LSC, Oldham Training and Enterprise Council and other local and national educational bodies.
HELEN FRANCE
Helen France has extensive rural and urban regeneration experience. She was Single Regeneration Budget Director at Government Office North West until 1999. She continued this role following the programmes transfer to the NWDA where she also assumed responsibility for rural regeneration and social inclusion.
In 2000 Helen was appointed Greater Manchester Area Manager until 2003 when she assumed the role of Executive Director of Development and Partnerships. Helen currently has responsibility for rural affairs, health and social inclusion as well as managing economic development through NWDA's Area Offices.
ERIC KUHNE
Eric is an Architect and Masterplanner with his own practice, Civic Arts (Eric R. Kuhne and Associates), established in 1983 and with projects in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Australasia, aiming to create "great civic spaces" in retail, leisure, commercial office, waterfronts, public buildings, parks and gardens. He was the architect-planner of Bluewater in Kent, Europe's largest shopping centre, and is now actively involved in masterplanning the Bluewater Valley area connecting to the new Ebbsfleet train station on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
DEREK McCORMICK
Derrick has a successful career at Director/MD level in the construction industry. Most of his career was with Alfred McAlpine from where he has recently retired. He is currently doing consultancy work. He has relevant strategic and high profile property development experience on projects such as Eden, M6 Toll and M60 ring road.
MARK MILLS
Mark is the Founder and Chief Executive of Carpoint Plc, a national business which specialises in the provision of stand alone cash machines at retail outlets. He was born in Blackpool and has recently relocated his business to Blackpool.
BRIAN REES
Brian has had a successful career in marketing, hospitality and events management. After an earlier career in marketing he founded his own marketing consultancy, which he sold to Interpublic in 1999, and is currently CEO Europe of Momentum, a major events management group.
KATHRYN REVITT
Kathryn is a Commercial Property Lawyer working for Trevor Hemmings Business Group, one of the most prominent Northwest business leaders. She has been instrumental in acquisitions and property development and she is now involved in strategic Board level decision making.
NICHOLAS THOMPSON
Nick's family have owned and run the Blackpool Pleasure Beach during its entire history - so he shares an obvious interest in the future prosperity of Blackpool and a determination to continue investing.
STEVE WEAVER
Steve is Chief Executive of Blackpool Council. He was formerly Executive Director at Blackburn-with-Darwen Borough Council with responsibilities for Education, Social Services, Leisure and Rights Advice Entitlement.
As Head of Policy he was responsible for Urban Programme, European Funding, Single Regeneration Budget and City Challenge as well as policy development, community relations and research, before which he spent 13 years as a Town Planner.
He has an Honours Degree from Sheffield University in Geography and Geology, followed by a teaching qualification and 2 years teaching. He also has a Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning.
He is a Member of SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives) and Adviser to the Key Priority Group for Economy and Society in the North West Regional Assembly.
ROY FISHER
Roy was first elected as a Councillor on 8 May 1991 and serves on Layton Ward. He became Deputy Leader of the Council in 2000 and Leader in 2001.
He worked at BNFL at Springfield for 24 Years and has been Trade Union Convenor for AMICUS (AEEU) for the past 10 years.