Slight growth for East Lancs economy (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Slight growth for East Lancs economy

2:11pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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EAST Lancashire’s economy grew by just 0.17 per cent as it crawled out of recession, it has emerged.

Data shows how the region finally returned to growth in the last two quarters of 2009 after the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

The figure shows East Lancashire grew marginally more than the North West statistic of 0.12 per cent, but below the national growth of 0.2 per cent, according to research group Gavurin.

The growth equates to 336 new jobs across Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale when new positions and redundancies are taken into consideration.

The research also shows how the six boroughs’ nominal growth compared.

Pendle enjoyed the largest margin with growth of 0.19 per cent, but Blackburn with Darwen’s and Hyndburn’s economies increased in size by just 0.15 per cent.

The data also outlines the make-up of East Lancashire’s economy, with most of the job gains in manufacturing and restaurants, despite the areas being hit hard by the recession.

Coun Alan Cottam, Blackburn with Darwen’s regeneration chief, said: “When we have been fighting the recession we have been creating jobs but others have been disappearing around us.

“I don’t think we have yet seen the green shoots of recovery in Blackburn with Darwen, as these figures attest.

“Our manufacturing base has been hit really hard and those are types of jobs that are hard to replace.”

However, Pendle Council leader John David said he believed the borough had 'coped better' than other parts of Lancashire during the downturn.

He added: “As a council, we have set up initiative to get people into work.

“But we have also got companies like Daisy in Nelson and Euravia in Kelbrook which started in Pendle, and have a commitment to stay here.”

Newcastle-based Gavurin uses gross domestic product data to produce pictures of the effects of the recession on Britain.