News Summary
News Summary 16 November 2009
Investment announced
Park Holidays UK has announced a major investment in new accommodation, facilities and jobs at its 25 centres. It is already reporting advance bookings for 2010 up by 66% on last season. Director Tony Clish reports that the figure has continued to rise throughout this autumn which has seen visitors up 45% on 2008. The firm will also be investing in leisure facilities at its parks and is already recruiting extra staff to train in advance of next year’s holiday season. Other new jobs at many different skill levels will be created after the turn of the year, Mr. Clish said.
Source: Caravan Industry and park Operator, November 2009
Long-term development plans
Park Holidays has said it has no plans to sell up either of its holiday parks in the Brixham area of South Devon. Torbay Council has unveiled a consultation plan for the long-term development in the area, which includes replacing holiday parks, including one belonging to Park Holidays, with housing. The council says it is anticipating an expected government order to build 15,000 new homes in Torbay over the next 20 years. Reacting to the plan, Matt Purdom, UK planning director for the firm, commented: "Park Holidays UK currently has no plans to sell its two holiday park operations in the Brixham area, both of which have enjoyed a record summer season for visitors. We work very closely with the local authority, and have always been happy to explore different ways of helping them meet their various objectives".
Source: Caravan Industry and park Operator, November 2009
Big crowds, big sales at bustling NEC show
The Swift Group recorded its highest ever show sales figure of £28 million at International Caravan and Motorhome 2009 held at the NEC last month. The company displayed more than 100 tourers, motorhomes and holiday-homes on a stand which covered nearly 7,000 square metres and was nicknamed "Swift City" by other exhibitors. The level of sales was almost £10 million more than at the same show last year. "The results at the show exceeded our wildest expectations and give us more confidence for the whole of 2010," said Nick Page, commercial director. Bailey Caravans reports that it secured retail orders to the value of £12 million, double the amount achieved at the same event last year, helped by the launch of its Pegasus range. "This represents the Bailey brand’s best ever sales performance at an exhibition in terms of both the volume and value of orders received", the firm stated. The Pegasus range accounted for 65% of the total business written. Lunar sold more than 400 tourers, with a retail value in excess of £7 million, making it the most successful show ever in the firm’s 40 year history.
Source: Caravan Industry and park Operator, November 2009
BAA to pump £500m into London airports
Airport operator BAA has announced plans for a £500m equity injection to help boost its London airports after reporting a further decline in passenger traffic during October. The proposed cash boost will comprise £200m of equity from shareholders and an additional £300m from BAA Airports and FGP Topco - the holding companies of BAA - in a bid to pay off Stansted and Heathrow's debt. It follows the news that BAA reported a 1.4 per cent decline in the number of passengers handled at its seven UK airports during October, compared with the same period last year. Passenger traffic through Heathrow showed small signs of growth with a 1 per cent increase in the number of people it handled, while BAA reported a seventh successive month of growth at Edinburgh Airport. Gatwick, which is to be sold to Global Infrastructure Partners for £1.51bn, saw its first year-on-year growth since May 2008 with a 1.8 per cent increase in passenger numbers. BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said: "This year has been one of the most challenging on record for the aviation industry, and the outlook remains difficult. Nevertheless, the figures across the group appear to be improving."
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 13/11/09
LandSec's Arundel Great Court gets planning permission
Land Securities’ proposals for a 1m sq ft redevelopment of Arundel Great Court in the Strand, WC2 have been granted full planning consent at appeal. The REIT wants to develop 151 apartments, a 116-bedroom hotel and 584,000 sq ft of offices in plans drawn up by architects Horden Cherry Lee and Wilkinson Eyre at the Strand block, WC2. Today’s decision by the planning inspector follows Westminster Council refusing consent in February this year. Westminster planning officers advised the council to not give consent to the plans because of the impact the development would have on historic views in the area, particularly from the bridges over the River Thames and the 18th century Somerset House. Recent lettings have secured income until the end of 2012, with the earliest delivery of the scheme not anticipated before 2015. Colette O’Shea, head of London development at Land Securities, said: "The mixed use scheme will transform the existing site from an uninspiring monolithic office block to a thriving new commercial and residential hub."
Source: Estates Gazette, 13/11/09
Administrator Grant Thornton calls at Kenmore
Kenmore Property Group has placed two of its companies into receivership and 21 into administration. The Times says the collapse of the investment and development property group, which has £1bn of assets under management and a development pipeline of £1.5bn, leaves Lloyds Banking Group chasing debts and investment of more than £700m. Grant Thornton, administrator, is trying to salvage what it can. The Daily Telegraph and The Independent report that Lloyds has given sufficient funding to enable Kenmore to continue to trade while Grant Thornton explores potential restructuring opportunities. The collapse is a dramatic reversal of fortunes for John Kennedy, the main shareholder who The Sunday Times Rich List reported as having a £105m fortune last year.
Source: Estates Gazette, 13/11/09
BA cabin crew strike ballot starts
Ballot papers have been issued to more than 12,000 British Airways cabin crew the day the carrier imposes cost cutting changes to working practices from today (Monday). The ballot for industrial action will close on December 14 the same day as the next mass meeting of the cabin crew is planned. If crew vote in support then strike action could start from December 21 and hit the airline over the busy peak Christmas travel period. A High Court hearing has been set to consider the union Unite’s case further on February 1. Unite claims that BA’s changes will place crew under "additional stress" during flights, with fewer staff required to absorb the work of colleagues who have been removed. This will have a negative impact on health and safety, and that the service crew can provide to passengers will suffer, the union claims. Unite has lodged a collective letter of objection on behalf of its cabin crew members with BA.The letter makes it clear that Unite’s members, making up more than 12,000 of the entire 14,000 crew workforce, do not accept the imposed changes. A firm of leading employment solicitors has been asked to establish an e-helpline to allow crew to feedback on the impact on both working practices and customer service. Brian Boyd, Unite national officer for aviation, said: "The way to deliver change is through negotiation, not imposition. Of course the cabin crew are angry; they care passionately about this business but feel they are not being listened to on serious matters of service delivery. "This business is all about its customers and the crew do not want them to suffer as a result of these changes. We ask BA to signal that it is willing to abandon its plans to impose change and work with us on a way forward, one which delivers for passengers, shareholders and the workforce. Then we could begin to tackle the roots of this damaging dispute and find a way forward."
Source: Travelmole, 16/11/09
Thorpe Park to add another SAW attraction
Merlin Entertainments will add a second SAW-themed attraction to its Thorpe Park theme park next year. Saw Alive, a year round live action horror maze, follows SAW - The Ride, which launched in March 2009. Based on Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures' popular horror film franchise, SAW Alive will be marketed as the "world's most extreme horror attraction". The maze will feature six separate scenes from the six SAW films released to date. The attraction will also incorporate a photo opportunity to capture terrified guests as they're subjected to the horror of the maze. Vicki Smith, spokesperson for Thorpe Park, said: "SAW Alive is definitely only for the brave, and coupled with SAW - The Ride, the new attraction will add an extremely thrilling edge to an already adrenaline packed breadth of thrills on offer."
Source:
Leisure Opportunities, 13/11/09
'Cloud' landmark planned for London
A new landmark tower structure - comprising a "cloud" of transparent spheres to display images and information - could be built in London to celebrate the hosting of the 2012 Olympics. Initially earmarked for the Olympic Park, a number of other sites across the city are now being explored for The Cloud, which has been designed by a team of engineers, architects and artists. The Cloud would boast an observation deck offering views across London, but would also contribute towards the world's first "truly digital Olympics" through a series of LED information feeds. No public funds would be required. Visitors to the Cloud, which the project leaders hope will become a symbol of global ownership, will have the opportunity to ascend the tower on foot or by bicycle. Lifts would form part of the structure, which would also provide a sustainable source of electricity. One of the project leaders Carlo Ratti, head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable Cities Laboratory in the US, said: "Our main idea is to apply to architecture some of the distributed processes that are currently revolutionising the digital world. "We can build our Cloud with £5m or £50m. The flexibility of the structural system will allow us to tune the size of the Cloud to the level of funding that is reached." The team behind the Cloud proposals also includes representatives from Arup, digital designer Alex Haw, lightweight structures specialist Joerg Schleich, landscape architect Agence Ter and internet firm Google.
Source:
Leisure Opportunities, 11/11/09
Capital Investment Funding for sport in Kirklees
In the second round of awards in Kirklees Council's Capital Investment for Voluntary Sports Club scheme over £250,000 has been awarded to 10 voluntary sports clubs. Six of the clubs are in South Kirklees and the remaining four in North Kirklees). The latest round of funding brings the total amount of money distributed by the scheme to £1.2m. The improvements enabled by the funding include a range of projects - such as floodlight installations at a number of football grounds - and it is expected that the revamps will benefit more than 18,000 people who use the facilities.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 13/11/09