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City Leaders' Business Breakfast
WE were
invited to a fantastic Business Breakfast, 11 January 2007, run by
08 businessconnect. This was the first event of the year for the
group and hailed as a huge success, with an attendance of over 100
business leaders from all over Merseyside, including Southport.
Despite the bad weather and the 7:00am start, the spirits were high,
thanks to fantastic coffee and free food served in a warm St.
George’s Hall. For more info. about 08 Business Connect go
to:-
08businessconnect.com.
The breakfast provided a very important
networking opportunity for all in attendance. Then Warren Bradley
opened up the morning’s talk, and Eryl Parry superbly chaired the
event, held in the newly opened Concert Hall. Dr Simon Thurley, from
the English Heritage, gave a fantastic and enlightening talk. He
told us that historic buildings are a key part of keeping cities
alive and that is what is helping to make Liverpool to stand out. Dr
Simon Thurley told the audience that:- "We have to invest in
our historic buildings and keep them in good condition!"
He also went on to add that:- "We should support all small
businesses as they are just as important as the buildings.
Without unique shops and buildings, why should anyone visit a
neighbouring town or city? What makes a town or a city successful is
its independence and unique looks, but most councils do not see
this. Often they just see the short term gain in letting cheap
development take place for flats and cheap shopping developments,
often for supermarkets or chain groups, who build the same looking
buildings all over the UK and in some cases the world. Often these
developments have a huge, long term cost to the look and feel of the
town or city. This short sighted planning has taken place all over
the UK and has taken place not far from Liverpool."
Dr Simon Thurley went on to address the march of supermarkets
saying:- "Visiting another town as the supermarket is bigger
in the other town is not the way we should be going. Sadly, more and
more towns are getting stuck in a rut and going for the quick answer
to please local people, but this often leaves the residents of that
town or city in a worse position than before. Taking out historic
buildings or structures rips out the soul of a town or city. All of
us at English Heritage are hoping to combat our lack of respect for
history and to stop the rot by changing the rules. In 2007 we are
changing the rules to make protection of historic sites and
buildings faster and fairer. This will be not only make it better
for the owners of the property or properties affected by listing,
but will also help us to react quicker to developers and bad
planning decisions, by involving the public more. Preserving the
historic legacy we have is our priority. St. George’s Hall is a
stunning venue and a shining example how a historic building can
still fit into a modern city and its needs and we hope we can make
examples like this change perceptions of others, and help them to
see how we can develop what we have. We must support our history and
our small businesses; without them we have no tourism and no future!
We need to keep our individual identities and lose our mind set for
branding."
Val Price, from Val’s Adventures, told 08 businessconnect that:-
“In such a short time, Simon gave me clarity of understanding re
the role of English Heritage. The link between them and the city
leaders regarding heritage becomes so clear and so obviously
important.”
Director of The Children’s Song For Europe Competition, Geoffrey
Jackson said:- "It was a very good networking opportunity and
the information we gained was very interesting and useful."
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