A belated happy New Year to all Downtown members and supporters and welcome to DPIB’s first business bulletin of 2008. We anticipate that the next twelve months will be an interesting and challenging one for Britain’s newest city. In this newsletter we reveal a packed programme of events for 08; discuss the major challenges ahead for Preston’s business community and entrepreneurs; Faisaltex feature as ‘Business of the Month’; and there are regular commentaries from DPIB sponsors DWF, Moore & Smalley, and Lancashire Business View. Read on and enjoy...

DPIB Chairman Frank McKenna argues that commentators and analysts are in danger of talking us into a recession. READ MORE

You can read Frank’s weekly Blog at http://www.prestoncitizen.co.uk/blogs/frankmckenna/

Local entrepreneurs Faisaltex release plans for a £100 million iconic building in the heart of Preston to be a lasting legacy of guild year. Faisaltex, the company run by Arif, Munaf and Faisal Patel, want the ‘Guild Legacy Building’. It is hoped the building will help kick start more extensive and higher quality development in the city centre. It was planned for the building to be located on the tradex site which has been identified as an integral site for the Tithebarn development. Reading the blog pages there appears to be strong support for local businessmen to be investing in an iconic structure for their home town. There is no question the Preston skyline needs an iconic landmark. We wait to see if the Patel brothers are allowed to deliver their grand design for the guild year wherever it is located in the City.

With Preston’s guild year only four years away, DPIB, in association with the Northwest Development Agency, DWF and Moore & Smalley, is hosting a ‘Build For The Guild’ property forum, offering business leaders the opportunity to comment on the city’s future, whilst hearing from some of the key players in the regeneration sector. CLICK HERE for further details.

Going any where in a rush, you’ll be lucky in Preston at the minute. In the past nine months an astonishing 11,000 notices of work have been posted, which means 3000 holes have been dug in Preston’s roads. Go anywhere in the city and you will find angry motorists that have had to endure a journey that has taken four or five times longer than it should have done.

DPIB Chairman, Frank McKenna, was quoted in the Lancashire Evening Post saying’ [e]verytime I pick up the LEP there is a story about transport problems and the biggest industry sector that suffers is retail.”

Current roadworks are costing Preston an estimated £12 million a year. This is not good news, especially as there is no end in sight and public transport is not a viable alternative. People are turning their backs on Preston and taking their business elsewhere.

How we can improve our transport system was the hot topic for the Lancashire Business View round table discussion attended by Frank back in December. It was clear there needs to be a balanced approach to tackling the congestion problems, not just an anti-car strategy. Far too many people depend on their cars, especially for workers coming from outside of Preston. We need to be more strategic regionally in developing a road system that meets modern usage patterns. We also need consistency and leadership from our politicians as well. For example, increasing park and ride charges by 40% will not encourage more motorists to use the facilities.

Two of Lancashire most prominent companies have successfully secured new contracts. They are two shining examples of the need for enterprise and investment that is talked about in Totally Frank. Congratulations go to Enterprise Plc and BAe Systems for generating nearly £35 million of new business in two major deals.

Enterprise Plc, a support services firm working for many local authorities, has secured a contracts to the tune of £9m to provide street cleaning and waste recycling services. The deals with authorities in the Midlands and Greater Manchester are a clear indication of Enterprise being at the forefront of its industry. BAe Systems have at the same time secured a £25 million contract to produce parts for the new F-35 jet fighter.

On Thusday 24 January the £15 million Media Factory at Preston’s University of Central Lancashire was officially opened by former ITN newsreader Fiona Armstrong. The facility, part funded by European Regional Development Fund, will provide UCLAN students and external organisations with access to industry-standard performing arts and multimedia facilities.

Bede Mullen, director of UCLan's Knowledge Transfer Service, said:
"Investment in developing a world class creative and digital business sector in the North West has the potential to create up to 10,000 jobs and bring £170 million to the regional economy. The Media Factory will allow students, North West university graduates, budding entrepreneurs and small businesses to develop the skills they need to thrive in the global media economy."

The development includes a publishing house, theatre space, museum facility, art house cinema, digital television studio with control galleries, a film and photographic studio, video editing rooms and industry standard Apple Mac suites.

DPIB are currently working in partnership with UCLan in supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow and develop in Preston. If you want to know about the services and facilities available at the Media Factory then follow the web link http://www.uclanknowledgetransfer.co.uk/project.php?id=58

Christmas 2008 could see Preston with its own Winter Wonderland, if the Chamber of Trade’s ambitious plans happen. The Victorian-themed Christmas event is clearly being designed along similar lines to events in places like Manchester and are hoped to entice hoards of shoppers into Preston City Centre. In an effort to attract local residents and visitors to the event there will be a large temporary ice rink, a traditional carousel ride and wooden chalets from which local traders will sell their goods.

DPIB are fully supportive of the plans put forward by the Chamber of Trade. We hope that the business community, especially the city centre retailers, will fully support this event that can only be good for the City. It can only be an improvement after many people were left feeling disappointed by last year’s efforts, which was marred by acts of vandalism.

The whole of Lancashire has been battered by torrential rains in recent weeks. In a single day two weeks worth of rain fell, which has caused major flooding problems in and round Preston. In Preston the River Ribble burst its banks, which has not happened in nearly 15 years. This adverse weather has had serious impact whether it is people’s homes or businesses that have been affected and will continue to feel the effects for weeks to come. People were prevented from getting into work as their homes were flooded or they had to look after their children as schools closed for safety. Commuters were badly hit as the transport infrastructure collapsed with accident-strewn roads and railways closed down.

Downtown Preston launches its events programme for 2008 with a ‘sexy networking’ evening at one of the city’s coolest establishments ‘The Forum’ on Winckley Street. Good food, entertainment and the opportunity to meet with some of Lancashire’s leading movers and shakers make this a must attend event. For further details please CLICK HERE.

By Jon Keeble, employment partner at law firm DWF in Preston
Bullying at work can be a real drain on a company’s resources, resulting in lower productivity and morale, loss of key staff members and ultimately, employment tribunal claims. CLICK HERE

IT’S that time of year when people should have just finished filling in their self-assessment tax returns for another year.

However, with around 10 per cent of Britain’s self assessors expected to miss the January 31 deadline, their winter blues could continue for many months to come. CLICK HERE

Faisaltex is a family-owned, award winning business that was established in 1987. Since starting out with a few machines the Patel brothers, Arif, Munaf and Faisal have taken Faisaltex to become a leading fashion empire from their home town of Preston. They are underwear suppliers to many leading high street stores.

After 20 years in manufacturing the Patel brothers are now taking Faisaltex in a new direction focusing on developing their property portfolio. They have ambitious plans for their home town with designs to develop the £100 million Guild Legacy building. Faisaltex are committed to supporting local charitable organisations and Chief Executive, Arif Patel, is recognised amongst the top 100 on the accredited Asian Power 100 List. The family is a major shareholder in Preston North End F.C.

To access the Faisaltex website click here http://www.faisaltex.co.uk

A diet of potato cakes and baked beans on toast is an unlikely foundation for a career as one of Britain’s top chefs. But for Paul Heathcote that was what life was like on the tough terraced streets of Farnworth on the outskirts of Bolton. Today, Heathcote is probably the North West’s best-known chef, with a chain of 15 restaurants... READ MORE

Are your diaries at the ready? We can now reveal DPIB’s fantastic, amazing and busy events programme for 2008. It sees the return of old Downtown favourites the Chairman’s Dinners and our sexy networking. In October we will once again be hosting the Six in the City awards dinner.

Here at Downtown Preston In Business we have surpassed ourselves this year. For we bring you not one, not two but three new major events this year. In May we have the inaugural Preston Business Oscars dinner, during June we will host the Lancashire Business Week; whilst September brings the First Annual Downtown Debate. If you to know more about the events planned then please CLICK HERE.

Be one of the first Companies to join Preston’s ‘business club with attitude’. CLICK HERE for details.