Blackpool nostalgia in the year 2000

Air Ambulance first birthday marked

Lancashire’s life-saving helicopter reached a special milestone - its first birthday.

The emergency helicopter, based at Blackpool Airport, had saved countless lives in its first year across the North West including victims of serious road accidents and other life-threatening situations.

Its speed meant it could get a critically ill patient to hospital within minutes, making the difference between life or death.

The first successful year of operation was commemorated by ambulance chiefs, airport staff and fund-raisers at a special celebration at Blackpool Airport.

David Hill, chief executive of Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, described the North West Air Ambulance as a real success story.

He said: “It is a real delight for me to be here 12 months to the day that we launched the North West Air Ambulance.

“It has proved to be a real success story which is appreciated by the public across the North West.”

It costs nearly a quarter of a million pounds a year to keep the helicopter flying across Lancashire’s skies.

TVR hit list of top 100 profit makers

A Blackpool car manufacturer was among Britain’s top 100 profit makers.

Sports car maker TVR was in the list of firms with the fastest-growing profit margins. It was among 13 companies from the North to make the table of top unquoted companies, those not listed on the Stock Exchange. TVR had a workforce of about 700 at its factory in Bispham, Blackpool. But its exact position in the league table were being kept secret pending publication. Analysts surveyed the books of more than one million companies to compile the Sunday Times PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit Track 100.

Sean Mahon, of PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Northern region, said: “Private companies are critical to job and wealth creation. Growth in profit is a clear and easily understood measure of their success.”

Powerpass launched to ease days out cost

Three top Blackpool attractions were among almost 40 across the North West helping to cut the cost of days out.

Blackpool Tower, the Pleasure Beach and the Sandcastle signed up to the Powerpass card which allowed families two-for-one entry while raising thousands of pounds for charity.

The card costs £1 from tourist information centres and was launched by the North West Tourist Board in association with Northern Electric and Gas, Century Radio and Max Spielmann.

North West Tourist Board head of marketing Nick Brooks-Sykes said: “Powerpass is excellent value for money because the card can be used over and over again during the summer and throughout the rest of the year - at the wealth of attractions the North West has to offer.”

Plans off at Norbreck but were replaced with bigger scheme

Controversial plans for a giant housing and office complex on a green field site in Norbreck were withdrawn - and replaced with proposals for an even bigger scheme.

Original plans by developers Nordicline for a housing and office development at Warren Drive had sparked furious protests from local residents and opposition councillors.

Agents Drivers Jonas acting for Nordicline withdrew the application - but said that a revised planning application would be submitted.Nordicline had bought the land they were asking to develop from the council and intended to purchase more of the green field site for its revised scheme.

The land was designated for office but not housing development in the Local Plan.

Nick Taylor, consultant from Drivers Jonas, said: “The new planning application is for employment use and should be submitted in a few days time. Offices will be built on the site.

“The local plan does allocate for employment use and the revised proposal which identified the land up to the boundary was drawn up on advice given to us by the council.”

No details of how many offices would be included in the scheme were revealed.