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STOREY ADDRESSES LABOUR CONFERENCE
LIVERPOOL City Council leader, Mike Storey, is to address an influential meeting at the Labour Party Conference tonight.
Councillor Storey will be sharing his views with an audience of Labour Party delegates on a panel including local government minister Nick Raynsford.
The council leader will outline how he believes joint ventures with the private sector can benefit people by providing better quality local services.
According to the council leader Liverpool has made the progress it has by setting up partnerships with companies that are interested in the strategic objectives of the city, and not just their profit margins.
He also stresses the political dogma is irrelevant on this issue - With more joint ventures to be given consideration and feedback as to what they will deliver to the city.
Liverpool City Council has been behind two pioneering joint ventures, delivering a raft of key services.
One, Enterprise-Liverpool, is a partnership with Enterprise plc and manages street cleaning, highways maintenance and the council's housing repairs.
The other, Liverpool Direct, is a joint venture with BT, which saves council taxpayers £5m per year. It is responsible for the management of a 24-hour call centre handling enquiries from the public.
THE BUSINESS GENERATOR IS BACK
THE Business Generator, Merseyside's largest business exhibition is back. After a short absence, the exhibition with a reputation for producing results is being held again on 12 October at Knowsley Hall.
"We had so many requests for the event to be held again, that we just had to respond. We decided to bring our plans forward and hold the event again this year and it looks as though it could be the best year ever, especially with the involvement of other Merseyside Chambers of Commerce"
says Paula James, Chief Executive of Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.
"It's good to see many exhibitors from previous years returning again. It shows we're doing things right. The event has grown each year it has been held and this year is no exception. With an increased exhibition area and different activities, we are expecting another superb event."
A programme of seminars has been designed to help businesses innovate and grow. Presented by sponsors O2, Merseyside Special Investment Fund, MMBI and Business Link, the seminars are free to visitors.
Also Starchaser, the UK's leading space technology company, will be bringing their NOVA 4 rocket and talking about the ups and downs of commercial space flight, innovations they have made and key messages relevant to all businesses about how they have succeeded despite setbacks.
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OLYMPIC SIZE POOL SET FOR APPROVAL A
green light is set to be given to a £12 million Olympic size swimming pool in Liverpool due to the city councils recommendation of approval to build a new facility in Merseyside.
The city council's Executive Board today recommended a proposal to build the 50-metre facility at Picton Leisure Centre in Wavertree.
The state-of-the-art pool will be one of only a handful of Olympic size pools in the UK.
The majority of funding is coming from the city council, with £4m of Lottery investment from Sport England.
Council leader Mike Storey said:- "This will be a valuable facility not just for our own elite swimmers, but also the local community including recreational groups, mothers and toddlers and schools.
It will also be used by up and coming junior swimmers who are rising through the ranks and are potential Olympic and Commonwealth medal winners of the future. Who knows - this facility may even create heroes and heroines in the pool at the 2012 London Olympic Games!
We are delighted that Sport England has pledged its support for the project, to help us make this dream a reality,"
Allerton's Olympic and Commonwealth medallist Stephen Parry, who currently faces a round trip of almost 100miles per day to train in Stockport, is backing the new pool:-
"I am absolutely thrilled that this scheme looks set to get the go ahead.
Liverpool has a strong tradition of producing fine sportsmen and women, and the 50 metre pool will mean the swimming stars of the future will be able to train locally without facing the additional hassle of having to travel in order to train."
The scheme will replace the worn out 80-year-old pool on the Picton site - which had to close two years ago because of structural problems.
Councillor Warren Bradley, Executive Member for Leisure said:- "Liverpool is one of the most successful sporting cities in the country and it is only right that we have the best training facilities for our athletes.
We already have first class athletics, football, gymnastics and tennis facilities in Liverpool, and the pool will allow us to bid for national swimming championships so that people can cheer on our athletes in their home city."
The proposal also includes a 20-metre training pool, 400-seat spectator arena and refurbishment of the existing changing rooms and Lifestyles fitness suite.
Stewart Kellett, Regional Director of Sport England North West, said:-
"We are extremely pleased to be able to invest such a substantial amount into the development of a 50m pool for Liverpool.
As an organisation, we are committed to increasing participation in physical activity and sport across the North West and the likes of Picton Leisure Centre and a 50m swimming pool will play a huge part in helping us to achieve this.
Not only will it be a world-class training and competition facility, but a place for us to nurture our young talent and somewhere for the local community to enjoy."
If given the go ahead, the scheme is expected to start on site later this year, with completion expected in 2006, which is themed as the Year of Sport and Performance in the build up to European Capital of Culture 2008.
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