Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Thank Frank It’s Friday. This edition we take a look at what has caused the latest delay to the long-awaited Tithebarn scheme, and DPIB chairman Frank McKenna calls on city leaders to look at alternative regeneration plans in the meantime. We also nominate a Man of the Week who is helping to push forward other plans for the city centre, and as usual we highlight the latest DPIB members’ news. Read on, enjoy, have a great weekend, and don’t do anything Frank wouldn’t do…

The Tithebarn project, the long-awaited regeneration scheme set to revolutionise the centre of Preston, has been delayed again after a public inquiry into the scheme was postponed.

The proposals were due to be decided at the inquiry, due to take place in May 2010. Now, because a decision has yet to be made concerning the future of the city’s bus station, Preston City Council has asked for a delay of six weeks.

Downtown Preston In Business has been campaigning for some time for city leaders to move forward with other regeneration plans not affected by the Tithebarn delay.

DPIB chairman Frank McKenna has said this latest delay is even more reason to push ahead: “Further delays to the Tithebarn scheme were inevitable. I am concerned that the city is putting all its eggs in one basket, and not preparing well enough for a future without Tithebarn, or for alternative schemes that can be worked on in the meantime.”

The DPIB Chairman analyses a week of mixed news for Preston.

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Napthens solicitors has appointed well known solicitor Sean Gibbs to its ranks.

Sean takes up the post of commercial litigation partner at Napthens, from a similar role at DWF in Preston.

With 20 years experience of working on all types of commercial dispute, Sean deals regularly with boardroom issues as well as shareholder, partnership and professional negligence and general contract litigation. Sean also deals with defamation and malicious falsehood as well as issues relating to trademark infringement and breach of confidence.

Sean also has extensive High Court experience and often deals with high value cases worth several million pounds. He has acted for both institutional clients as well as owner managed businesses and SMEs, particularly entrepreneurs.

Mick Goode, Director of Kirkham-based Croft Goode Architects has reported a growing number of enquiries from developers in last fortnight. Leading him to believe that a new wave of property developments are set to arrive in the next year.

These include a large number of 'mothballed' developments which have been stalled in recent months, as well as new schemes being brought forward.

Mr Goode said it was seeing strong interest from construction firms operating in the Preston and Fylde area, but warned that the industry still had "a long road ahead" to recover from the plunge in the market.

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A Lancashire family, which has traded as insurance brokers for more than 130 years, is launching a brand new office in Lancaster as part of its ongoing growth strategy.

Garratts Insurance Brokers, founded by the Garratt family, has opened an office on Castle Hill, near to the city’s castle, to provide a full range of corporate insurance and risk management services to clients in Lancaster, North Lancashire and Cumbria.

The family-run firm, which is on target to increase income by at least 30 per cent in 2010, is looking to invest in new staff and recruit experienced commercial brokers to its new offices.

Co-directors and insurance brokers Richard Garratt and John Grindley, who have more than 60 years combined industry experience, will head the operation – which will be one of only a handful of true independent brokers based in the city.

Steve Broomhead, a familiar face to DPIB members thanks to his support of the city’s business community, is our man of the week after announcing a £100 million regeneration fund would begin boosting the city’s regeneration.

The Jessica Holding Fund (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas) is designed to help regeneration in city centres, and is to be used to help move forward with Preston’s office quarter.

The Coolist does exactly what it says on the tin.

A blog literally describing anything that is remotely cool.

And what's more you can submit your own 'cool' ides for submission.

CLICK HERE for a personal favourite of the Downtown office.

http://www.thecoolist.com

This week we return to the Preston Guild Hall. At the start of a year it’s always worth checking to see what the larger city venues have in store for the months ahead, and with the Guild Hall it’s no exception. Rockers, Editors, comedians Jimmy Carr and Dave Gorman, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and reality show dancers Diversity are all appearing.

As signs of local optimism emerge it is important to be mindful that more companies collapse at the beginning of a recovery than in the depths of the preceding recession. This is mainly down to a lack of working capital once demand starts to return and ineffective marketing initiatives.

Stewart Case, corporate business services director from Moore and Smalley and member of the property sector team, will discuss how you can prepare for the upturn and look at the areas which need to be focused on in order to improve cash flow.

David Acland of Begbies Traynor will focus on the more cautious optimism highlighting key indicator statistics as we enter 2010

Date: Thursday 28th January
Time: 2.30pm - 4.00pm
Venue: City Business Centre

Downtown Preston in Business is delighted to announce, the first 'No Ties Networking' event of this calendar year.

Taking place at Vintage on Thursday 18th Feb. Register now and join us for what is guaranteed to be another great Downtown event.

Date: Thursday 18th February
Time: 5.30pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Vintage

Name: Michael O’Flaherty

Company: PINNA

Position: Business Development Manager

Football Club: Preston North End

Brown or Cameron: Frank McKenna!

Favourite Lancashire Bar/Restaurant: The Thurlby

What's your Tipple: Lager

Favourite Band: Paul Weller

Top Tune: Tunnel of Love  -  Bruce Springstein

Favourite Book: The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

Favourite Movie: The Graduate

Who would play you in a film: Derren Brown

Favourite TV Programme: Anything featuring Rick Stein

Most visited Website: www.bbc.goodfood

Celebrity Crush: Grace Kelly

Interesting fact about you: I spend lots of my spare time ironing- I LOVE IT!

Why Downtown: Because Tracey McKenna told me I HAD to join!   -  But I’m glad I have.