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 forLancashire, 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
Regeneratewill 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, RibbleValley
• 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.