Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described the planned multi-million pound Beatles attraction in Liverpool as "a big deal" for the city, during a visit to the region of his birth.
Mr Burnham was at the National Resilience Centre of Excellence in Aintree on October 23 for the Wildfires '27 Resilience Summit, held to develop a better response to the devastating wildfires the country experienced this summer. He spoke with staff and firefighters about the increased challenges they face.
Beatles Attraction Backed by McCartney and Starr
While in Merseyside, the ECHO asked the Prime Minister for further reaction to this week's news that Apple Corps will launch a major, multi-million pound Beatles attraction in central Liverpool in 2028. Backed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the attraction will take over the iconic St Johns Beacon and the vacant St John's Market Hall to create a visitor experience expected to rank alongside Graceland and Dollywood in the US.
A Beatles fan himself, Mr Burnham said: "I back him all the way on everything but I think that Steve and everyone working with him at the Combined Authority have done a great thing by working with Apple and bringing forward this plan."
"Credit to Paul and Ringo for supporting it too and all of those responsible for The Beatles. It is a big deal isn't it? It puts the city well and truly on the global map in terms of visitors attractions. People will come around the world to come to this attraction."
"It will remodel the city, I think it is truly fantastic news and obviously it is made possible through some of the powers that we are providing to Steve to do this."
Wildfire Resilience Summit
Aside from The Fab Four, Mr Burnham was in Aintree to look at the challenges facing the fire service and other services due to extreme weather. He then chaired the resilience summit, where he said he had brought together fire chiefs, industry leaders, ministers and academics to take action and build resilience "for the next time".
Speaking at the summit, the Prime Minister said: "I'll never forget Stourbridge on that day. You know, we saw homes lost in a heartbeat, that's the only way to put it. The way the fire developed – devastating for those families that I'm sure they're still recovering."
"But I just want to say again, you know, we saw in that moment the best of Britain, as always, people out there pulling together. It was a great response, in very challenging circumstances. And we thank everybody who was part of it, but also we commit to them now, to learn from it, to come back even stronger, next time, because sadly, there will be a next time."
The Prime Minister told the summit, also attended by Communities Secretary Angela Rayner, "words are not enough" and there needs to be action. He added: "I do believe we need to build up the resilience of the country, from the bottom up, and that does mean looking at our fire and rescue services and supporting them."
New Measures to Tackle Wildfires
Earlier, the Government announced new measures to tackle wildfires by equipping military planes and helicopters to tackle blazes, including the RAF's Chinook helicopters and A400M aircraft. This will provide the first military aerial firefighting capability based permanently in the UK.
Frontline firefighters will also get lightweight, wildfire-specific personal protective equipment, which is lighter and more breathable than the current kit designed for buildings, so it can be worn for longer periods.
There are also measures to stop fires taking hold in the first place, including £25 million to restore dried-out peatlands in England so they hold more water and do not catch light, acting as natural firebreaks, with financial support for farmers to dig ponds and remove burnable materials in high-risk areas.
