Cumbrian location must be exploited, summit told

Cumbria should use its pivotal location between the North West, Scotland and North East as an opportunity for economic growth, Cumbria Vision chairman Roger Liddle told the county's first economic summit.

Liddle told the gathering of 250 delegates at the Rheged Visitors Centre, in Penrith: "We are at the very centre of some of the most successful areas of Great Britain and therefore we have huge potential to become suppliers and distributors to them. The potential can already been seen with the success of Eddie Stobart."

The event, co-hosted by Cumbria Vision and Invest in Cumbria, was held to inspire business leaders to drive forward the economy of the county.

Liddle added: "We have got to be less modest about our strengths, because we have many strengths that are of great significance regionally, nationally and internationally too.

"The Lake District is a tourist gem with a superb reputation across the world. But in order to do this we have to play a part on grappling with climate change – something which I believe also presents us with a great opportunity. We can play a part by addressing the need for nuclear power as part of the energy mix together with the need for other forms of renewable and clean energy production.

"These strengths present us with massive opportunities for growth and something that we all want – a strong economy for Cumbria."

Richard Greenwood, chief executive of Cumbria Vision, said: "The summit was a great success and truly got across the message that Cumbria is open for business.

"Cumbria's economy is beginning turn a corner after years of underperformance but there is a lot of work to do. The summit was designed to inspire Cumbria to step up to the plate and work together because at the end of the day we all want the same thing – a County with a strong economy that is a great place to live, work, relax and visit."