North West business briefs: LCRCA; Cheshire and Warrington Opportunities Portal; Salford City Council; Merseyrail

Many more homes across the Liverpool City Region are set to be fitted with energy-saving solar panels and battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging points with the repeat of a successful money-saving, group-buying scheme.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, launched Solar Together last year to enable residents to cut their energy costs while also reducing their carbon emissions. It is part of a raft of measures to enable the city region to reach the ambitious target to be Net Zero by 2040 or sooner.

A total of 585 installations were completed during the first round of the scheme, which reduced installation costs by up to 33% for a typical 14-panel layout. The £5m invested by residents is predicted to deliver 10,300 tonnes of carbon reduction over 25 years – equivalent to taking 5,700 cars off the roads for a year.

Cllr David Baines, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority portfolio holder for net zero and air quality, said: “There is clearly a demand for solar panels to cut energy bills and to help the environment but for many people the process can seem complicated and finding a trustworthy contractor daunting. Solar Together helps to address those concerns by offering a simpler way to make the leap – last year’s scheme was popular and hopefully that success will encourage and reassure others.”

A fresh round of registrations runs from August 28, to October 27. It is free to register and there is no obligation to go ahead with an installation. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is working in partnership with Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral councils, and independent experts iChoosr, to make the transition to clean energy as cost effective and hassle-free as possible. Once registrations have closed, pre-approved solar installation specialists will bid to complete the work in a reverse-auction. Purchasing at scale in this way offers residents better value than buying as an individual.

After the auction, registered households will be emailed a personal recommendation which is specific to the details they submitted in their registration. If they choose to accept their recommendation, the specifics of their installation will be confirmed with a technical survey after which a date can be set for the installation of their solar PV system. All installations will be completed by June, 15, 2024.

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Pat Jackson

A trailblazing Cheshire and Warrington LEP-led online jobs portal that updates thousands of jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities every 30 minutes is getting even bigger and better after 13 organisations committed funding and their support to the one-stop shop window to the world of work.

The Cheshire and Warrington Opportunities Portal offers a single place to search for a range of opportunities across the region and is free to use. There are currently more than 18,000 vacancies on the platform. The portal also has information about more than 250 apprenticeships in the region. Thousands of jobs and opportunities have been highlighted since it was launched three years ago.

The 13 partners backing the portal comprise a range of organisations including local councils, colleges and housing associations and have collectively contributed around £20,000 to fund the portal for the next year. Crucially they have also helped develop the website to provide a more streamlined experience.

The portal was initially funded by NP11 – a business-led voice for the North that brings together the 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across the North of England – when it was created as a pilot in October 2020. Cheshire and Warrington LEP took over in April 2021, before a partnership funding model was formed with eight partners in 2022, growing to 13 partners in 2023. To search for opportunities the portal can be accessed from: https://www.candwopportunities.co.uk/

Pat Jackson, director of skills and education at Cheshire and Warrington LEP, said: “We’re really proud of the portal and the work it is doing to assist people across the region to find relevant opportunities and help find the right career for them. The platform has gone from strength to strength, and we’re delighted that the funding from our partners has enabled us to enhance the Portal and secure its future for a further year.”

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Katy Conway, 75Media, Cllr Robinson-Smith, Mike Duty, Wildstone

Outdoor advertising operator, 75Media and outdoor media infrastructure owner, Wildstone, have announced a new partnership with Salford City Council.

An innovative new partnership is serving the dual purpose of helping Salford City Council to deliver vital income into the local area while also sharing important communications with local residents. Wildstone has worked in partnership with the council to develop four new digital billboard sites, which will be managed and operated by 75Media. The sites will generate a significant annual rental for the council, as well as providing the council with access to the state-of-the-art digital screens at no extra cost.

The new sites are situated in key roadside locations in and out of the city, on redundant council land. They include two digital 48-sheet billboards and Salford’s first digital 96-sheet billboards in the following locations: Albion Way (A5063), Salford (D48); Broad Street (A6) Eastbound, Salford (D48); Liverpool Road (A57), Salford (D96); and Broad Street (A6), Salford (D96).

A Salford City Council campaign is currently running on these sites, encouraging people to take pride in their local area and not drop litter. Recruiting more foster carers, encouraging people to vote in upcoming elections and highlighting important services, initiatives and support residents can access are some examples of other campaigns planned for the future.

Cllr Hannah Robinson-Smith, Salford City Council’s executive support member for culture, communications and strategic priorities, said: “As an organisation, we understand the importance of good communications. Making local residents aware of key services, support and initiatives that are available and helping them access support they need is vital. Outdoor media plays a crucial role in the marketing mix and we have always used this channel for key campaign activity.”

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Neil Grabham

Merseyrail has been named as the best train operator in the UK for families travelling with young children, according to new research by the Campaign for Family-Friendly Trains.

The lobby group assessed factors such as the availability of dedicated space for unfolded pushchairs, step-free access, baby changing facilities and information for families. Merseyrail was praised for introducing new trains, purchased and owned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, designed to accommodate unfolded pushchairs throughout using wide aisles, single seats with space for a pushchair next to them, and dedicated pushchair bays.

The operator was also commended for its plan to have step-free boarding between trains and all platforms via a sliding step once the roll-out of the new fleet is completed. The Campaign for Family-Friendly Trains said: “Merseyrail, a commuter network, and LNER, a long-distance operator, have both taken significant steps towards introducing family-friendly facilities and services.”

Neil Grabham, managing director of Merseyrail, said: “We are dedicated to ensuring all customers are able to travel with us as safely and comfortably as possible. I’m proud that the hard work that is currently being undertaken in introducing the groundbreaking new trains has been reflected in this research.

“It also complements other improvements being made across our network as lifts are introduced at more and more stations. Merseyrail will be striving to ensure that we remain an industry leader and a welcoming place for families.”