As reported in ‘they work for you’:

Ben Wallace (Wyre and Preston North, Conservative)

I think that I am on the slow line, Mr Speaker. I warmly welcome my right hon. Friend’s announcement today about High Speed 2. As a good northern girl, she will know that the north of England does not start and stop at Leeds and Manchester. On the route map published today, it seems that High Speed 2 on the north-west line extends further north than Manchester, perhaps to what looks like Preston. Will she give serious consideration to ensuring that Preston is included in phase 2, so that Lancashire and one of the hubs of British manufacturing get direct access to the south?

Justine Greening (Economic Secretary, HM Treasury; Putney, Conservative)

I am delighted to tell my hon. Friend that places such as Preston will gain from phase 1, in terms of connectivity between the west coast main line and HS2. I am as passionate as he is about ensuring that his area has excellent railway links, and we are looking at developing the HLOS2 proposal for shorter and medium-term funding in our railways. I have no doubt that he will continue to represent his constituents’ needs to us as powerfully as he just did, and I will continue to pay very close attention to them.

A win at Hartlepool at the end of November was the first league win since the end of September when PNE were well established in the top 6 of the league. Since then poor results have continued although injuries seemed to fog the issue and PNE are clinging onto the top half of the table.

Now PNE are in the hands of Paul Unsworth and Graham Alexander who will be given a chance to prove themselves. With four games up to new year and then a two week break it could be that decisions will need to be made before the transfer window closes if PNE have any money to spend. Rumours abound that there are clubs after certain players, which in some ways is a good thing, if PNE can hold onto them.

The season is no-where near over and an automatic promotion place is still possible, although in reality a play-off place might be optimistic.

The main speaker was David Davis who raised points about the betrayal of a long history successful work at the Brough plant. That the Hawk still has prospects for sales and that much of it is being offered to overseas companies in ‘offset’ deals to gain more sales. Also the point was raised that BAE had made the error of selling off its commercial aircraft interests which had often taken up the slack when defence orders are slow. A plea to slow the rate of redundancies at Brough was raised.

There was also talk about the terms in the ‘yellow book’ which represents the trading agreements between government and industry. This relates to guaranteeing jobs to maintain capability and covers who pays for redundancy costs. It seems the government pays in this case. Some MP’s think BAE is exploiting this.

Others mentioned large overspends that need to be reduced and ensuring the ability to satisfy future projects.

Each MP spoke. It seemed reading the debate that very little was said that hasn’t been said a dozen times. It is perhaps unusual for redundancies at one company to secure so much time for discussion and it left me wondering what was achieved. At the end there was a resolution which might mean more in politics than it does when reading it. This says;

That this House urges BAE Systems to act to preserve the UK’s defence production skills base and, as a recipient of enormous resources over many years from the UK taxpayer, to deploy those resources in such a way as to protect the nation’s manufacturing capability.

Or it seemed;  Carry on as planned,  if what you make costs more and what you can offer is limited by inflexibility then you reduce the chance to sell it, and so could lose more jobs.

It could be argued that to preserve jobs the government should place contracts that pull work forward or create new research. In the current climate this seems unlikely.

An overview of defence as a whole could read as follows. Over the years the UK aircraft industry has consolidated to a few plants and BAE has changed from an aircraft company to one that delivers systems with a large part in the US. Also the number of projects has declined and it appears that the UK is likely to become an aircraft ‘part’ manufacturer. With UAV’s potentially creating work but it isn’t clear how that will evolve. The alternatives come with large bill. Perhaps a measure of the UK’s decline over the years coupled with increased complexity and the range of military options from tanks to submarines, UCAV’s and very expensive electronics, counter-measures, surveillance and cyber-warfare. Where to focus? Which elements to play a major part in?  Off the shelf, licence build, direct purchase? A lot to consider.  Let’s hope we can maintain a viable aircraft industry producing whole aircraft rather than a bit player. Today we might not be optimistic. Only the French put national glory and maintenance of capability on an equal pedestal to financials e.g. Renault, Airbus, TGV, Nuclear Power, Ships.

The aircraft industry has been recognised as one that generates large export earnings through products and services over long periods of time.  Aircraft also contain a wide range of sophisticated equipment that provides high technology business and employment all over the country and these items are also exported. The business fosters close relationships and partnerships with other countries of all sizes that often leads onto other business, particularly infrastructure, as well as demonstrating a capability to participate in future high technology international ventures. Investment in aircraft projects provides the likes of BAE, Rolls Royce, Martin Baker, Marconi with the foundation for their products. There is a lot to lose without care.

Read the full debate on the website ‘they work for you’.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2011-11-24a.472.1&s=speaker%3A11668#g475.0

One solution to this irritation is to stop voting in local elections because no-one asked for this and yet here it is. To let us know we are in the 21st Century and consistency is a thing long forgotten the motorway speed limit is expected  to go up to 80mph and red tape and regulation is to be reduced. Obviously a significant number of these incidents aren’t on roads that will be part of this exercise.

The leaflet contains no data or targets for improvement. Yet searching the internet it seems that in the last 5 years the number of serious injuries and deaths on Lancashire roads has reduced from about 1100 to around 800 although deaths seem to fluctuate around 60 people.

Who’d deny that saving one life isn’t worthwhile and yet this seems like another handcuff for decent people being spread broadbrush.  Let’s face it there are jobs at stake here, jobs creating rules and how proud you’d feel to have brought in such a rule. How proud you’d be that having landed a job in safety you improved it even though the environmental department got a pasting with increased emissions that created a demand for further restrictions and the NHS got more asthma cases in hospital. Bravo!

After over 10 years of debate and delay it is surprising anyone is still in the project. Blackburn must think they won in the end by delaying it with their legal challenge.

What now? A smaller project is mooted with no bus station and containing an M&S. There must be a clue here and with the Winckley Square on-going discussion that the way to get things done needs to be changed. It might be thought that John Lewis would have come into Preston years ago if the first stage had been to build their shop, and perhaps M&S, along with parking. Shrinking the bus station to half its size would have left part of its iconic shape and been big enough while providing car parking space as well.

Grandiose plans have created an all or nothing state similar to Blackpool when the casino dream died.  Yet after being badly holed Blackpool has obtained a lot of money to rejuvenate its centre, the tram system and its two best known buildings and is now starting on a Central Business District development. So perhaps Preston can dust off its plans and start a more realistic scheme phased sensibly so not to disrupt the centre for years and not to frighten the neighbours.

Whether demolishing the building is good or bad is open to question. The attractiveness and potential uses of a building change with time. Many an old hovel was knocked down and now they are classed as characterful and in demand to live in or as tourist attractions.  At this time the elaborate stonework contrasting with the red brickwork is the main feature of Edwardian buildings and it could be said there are still quite a lot of them around. Also there is a need to build on brownfield sites rather than greenfield and as travelling becomes more expensive building near town centres is likely to become more popular.  On balance the decision seems acceptable.

The other old building in the news is the former Park Hotel, built 1883, a major feature of Preston, having a commanding position over the Grade II listed Miller Park. This building is deemed surplus to Lancashire County Council’s use as offices and staff are being moved into the main Pitt Street offices. The building will then be put on sale. If justice was to be done it would be kept as Council Offices as that is one of the best ways to preserve it.  It might be thought that a preservation grant would be available to councils for this. Let us hope that a good use is found although the recession and general cut backs make this unlikely in the short term.

The preservation of buildings is a controversial subject. There are as many opinions as people and we can’t keep every building. Those no longer fit for a purpose have a difficult time.  The main bus station and Mount Street Hospital being two buildings at risk. Proposals to modernise buildings and places are often sacrilegious, like the hanging letters on Winckley Square.  Careful planning and cash are needed. Of the above buildings it seems the Park School isn’t worth keeping but the former Park Hotel should certainly have its exterior shape preserved at least.

As far as leaving somewhere I’d worked for a long time. On walking out of the gate for  the last time I found that for some reason I couldn’t stop laughing and it carried on for quite a while. Although strangely I dreamed of being at work nearly every night for 3 months. I’ve never been near where I worked and have no desire to. Sometimes I wonder if that’s a psychological condition but if it is I don’t really care.

Would I have anything to do? For quite a few years I’d been building up a couple of hobbies for when I retired. Yet on leaving I found quite a bit to do in addition. I’d also add that I’m not someone who needs a lot of company. So I started by building a new PC, then finished my Open University degree. Stripped the kitchen down to bare bricks and rebuilt it,  regularly attend a fitness centre which to me is also a social activity and joined a couple of local societies, there seem to be dozens of these attended mainly by older people. The week goes at a different pace and meeting someone every day and doing at least one of the hobbies seems to give a sense of achievement. Also need to get out and have some exercise.  Can’t say I’ve had any bored time although I have met people who hate being retired and go to work as sub-contractors or part-time.

To also pass the time, a few of the injuries of an active outdoor life start to need treatment and after having never attended a hospital for 58 years have had a couple of treatment programmes.

On finances, it seems that with the slowing down of pace your needs don’t seem as much. Also you have time to search out better deals and do things yourself. Going into town during the week seems less hurried and shops seem to have better deals than at weekend.  There is no doubt you need to work out what you really need and you might be surprised at what you waste. Heating costs are more being at home but you can limit what you heat. After a while it settles down.

I haven’t regretted it but we’re all different.  I’ve always had a lot of interests where new ones took hold as old ones got boring so it never seemed that I’d be short of things to do.

Recently the example of Edinburgh highlights the risks of what appears a relatively simple task.  Edinburgh’s tram system is years late, has cost around 5 times more than planned and is going to be under half the original length. In the last week there has been a lot debate about whether the track will reach the city centre at a further cost of £250million.  A lot of this seems to be put down to inadequate survey of the route. Most people don’t realise that all utilities under the track are moved so that the track isn’t dug up on a regular basis. In Edinburgh this turned out to be a very major job with unknown tunnels and sewers.  It might be thought Preston has less likelihood of unknown under road obstacles.  It is also said that Manchester and Nottingham did a bigger survey and had less problems although maybe they wouldn’t have had them anyway.

Whether the Blackburn appeal has already done its job might be another factor. The delays to the project have put it into a time when retail on the high street is going through a bad patch.  Investors now need convincing that there is the prospect of a return. In the last week alone well known retailers like Habitat, Jane Norman and TJ Hughes have called in administrators. The battle between the high street and the internet is one reason, not to mention out of town shopping, and it might be thought that over the longer term the internet can only get bigger.

If it is true that John Lewis are looking to open a store they are one of the few retailers that isn’t doing so badly. Although their business tends to be with people who have a decent level of disposable income, whether Preston can still present many of this type of customer might be questioned.

The government is also looking to steer the economy away from the consumer led boom and high borrowing.  Also the cost of Chinese made goods is increasing. Whether this means retail will no longer be a growth area and growth will come from other businesses might tip the balance of the project away from retail and towards business premises. It has seemed possible that Tithebarn is expanding Preston’s retail area more than might be sustainable if you add in out-of-town supermarkets and retail areas.  A watch needs to be kept on potentially conflicting interests; developers, builders, retailers, businesses and the council, to ensure that a white elephant doesn’t appear in the heart of Preston or that it compromises the rest of the centre which is looking quite smart now.