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Vision chairman interviews put on hold
Lancashire Evening Post | 14th July 2010

Interviews for a new heavy-hitting chairman for the body set up to bring regeneration to Preston have been put on hold.

Candidates had expected to be interviewed for the role at the head of Preston Vision at the end of last week but have been told that the process has been “postponed”.

The Evening Post understands that former government advisor David Taylor, Enterprise Ventures chairman Richard Bamford and former Preston College official Malcolm Clarke were among the candidates for the part-time role.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council confirmed the interviews would not take place while Vision’s founding members, which include the county council, Preston Council and the North West Development Agency, assess the “national picture” as far as its finances are concerned.

He said: “We are holding off until it is clear what the future is as far as funding local development is concerned. We have to be sure that we are recruiting the right person with the right skills and that obviously depends greatly on what kind of environment Vision is operating in.”

However, he insisted that there were no plans to halt the bid for a new chairman for the organisation and said it could be as soon as “the next couple of months” before the process begins again.

The job to replace University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) vice-chancellor Malcolm McVicar, who has been chairman since Vision’s formation, was advertised nationally carrying a £15,000-a-year salary for a commitment of “around two days a month” on a three-year contract.

Frank McKenna, chairman of business lobbying group Downtown Preston in Business, said the decision was “absolute madness”.

He said: “We should be reassuring the business community that Vision has a future and this does not do that.”