News Summary 1 February 2010
News Summary
H
LL Humberts Leisure
News summary:
01/02/10
Sutcliffe: Clubs missing out on tax benefits
Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has called on thousands of amateur sports clubs across the UK to join the Community Amateur ports Club (CASC) scheme in a bid to benefit from major tax savings. More than 5,500 sports clubs are currently registered with the CASC initiative, which has saved organizations more than £60m in tax relief over the past seven years and is designed to provide more money to drive a sporting legacy post-2012. Launched via the 2002 Finance Art, the CASC scheme enables amateur sports clubs that meet certain eligibility criteria to receive mandatory business rate relief for 80 per cent of total rates bills and the potential to reclaim Gift Aid on donations.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/1/2010
M&B activists seek "urgent" business review
A boardroom row between Mitchells and Butlers (M&B) and majority shareholder Piedmont has continued after the pub group was urged to produce a new plan of action "within 60 days". The investment vehicle headed by Joe Lewis has also rejected an offer proposed by M&B, which would see the pub group pledge its support for the appointment of two of the four directors put forward for election by Piedmont. Piedmont said that it viewed M&B’s offer of compromise as an "entirely unrealistic proposal", designed to secure the reappointment of Simon Laffin, who would revert to senior independent director with John Lovering as chair. Piedmont has accused Laffin of being "a relentless, baseless, yet highly damaging, campaign" against it, while M&B has suggested that the investment vehicle was looking to take control of the firm in tandem with other shareholders.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/1/2010
Cotton takes up tourism post
Bob Cotton, the outgoing chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, and current chair of Tourism Alliance, has been named as the new chair of the London Business Tourism Group (LBTG). He will take up the position with immediate effect.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/1/2010
New commissioners of Englsih Heritage announced
David Fursdon and John R Walker CBE have been appointed commissioners of English Heritage. Making the announcement, culture minister Margaret Hodge said that their terms of appointment will run from 1 February 2010 to 31 January 2014. Fursdon is a Crown Estate commissioner also serving on the Commission’s Audit and Remuneration Committees, a board member of the South West Regional Development Agency and director on the board of the Historic Houses Association. Until November 2008, Walker was chief executive of English Partnerships, the UK government’s national regeneration agency. He is a board member with both the Esh Group of companies and the Wynyard Park trust and serves on English Heritage’s Audit Committee.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/1/2010
Mixed 2009 for British film industry
Record box office figures and an increase in inward investment enabled the UK film industry to weather the recession during 2009, despite ongoing challenges facing production. More than 173 million people visited the cinema last year – the highest level for admissions in seven years, while box office receipts exceeded the £1bn mark for the first time. Inward investment increased to £752.7m. Independent films made in the UK also secured the largest market share – 8.5 per cent – for a decade, while the number of independent films produced in the UK remained stable, despite a slight decline from 77 films to 71 in 2009.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/1/2010
Local authority to discuss Trump land sale
A former car park at the Menie Estate, Balmedie, owned by Aberdeenshire Council could be sold as part of Trump International Golf Links Scotland plans to develop a £1bn resort in the area. The council’s Formartine Area Committee resolved to enter into talks with the US-based tycoon, Donald Trump, regarding a possible deal after it was decided that officials would enter into negotiations with the Trump Organisation. Several bids for the land were submitted to the council for consideration, although it was deemed that the economic benefits expected to be generated by the resort development meant the Trump Organisation is regarded as a "special purchaser". Plans for the £1bn golf resort have already received outline planning permission, and the site which is now set to be sold is wholly surrounded by land already owned by the Trump Organisation.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 25/01/2010
"Staycations" blamed for hotel insolvencies
The rising number of hotels gong bust outside London has been blamed on the "staycationing" trend, as consumers are increasingly swapping hotel nights to accommodation offered by caravan parks and camping sites. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the rate at which hotel companies became insolvent increased by 68 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, when compared to the previous three-month period. The year-on-year figure increased by 31 per cent.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 26/01/2010
International tourism market seeks growth
The international tourism market experienced growth during the last quarter of 2009, according to the World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) latest World Tourism Barometer. International tourist arrivals for business, leisure and other purposes are estimated to have fallen by 4 per cent worldwide in 2009 to 880 million, which is a slight improvement on previous estimates, thanks to a 2 per cent upswing in the last quarter of the year. Arrivals fell 10 per cent, 7 per cent and 2 per cent respectively during the first three quarters. Asia Pacific and the Middle East led the recovery, with growth already turning positive in both regions in the second half of 2009.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 26/01/2010
Revenues tumble at Park Plaza
Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts suffered a 14 per cent fall in group revenue during 2009, as the upper-midscale hotel operator continued to suffer from the effects of the recession. Revenue per average room (RevPAR) fell across all of its markets, with hotels in the Netherlands €91.40 (down from €113 in 2008), the UK €109.6 (€127 in 2008) and Germany €43 (€48.8 in 2008) all seeing a decrease in revenue. In a trading statement the group added that it does not see conditions to improve over the next year.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 01/02/2010
British tourism set for "bumper" 2010
Britain’s tourism industry is set for another "bumper" year after new research by BDRC Continental revealed that more than two-thirds of adults said they were likely to book a UK holiday in 2010. According to the survey, the weak pound and frustration with air travel has contributed towards an increase, from 25 per cent in 2009 to 31 per cent this year, in the number of people who believe the UK is a more attractive holiday destination. Seaside breaks are expected to retain their popularity in 2010, despite last summer’s poor weather conditions after it was reported that 38 per cent of all UK holidays already booked will be taken in coastal locations.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 01/02/2010
FA unveils National Football Centre vision
Plans for the development of a new National Football Centre (NFC) on a 330-acre (133.5 hectare) site near Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, have been unveiled by the Football Association (FA). Kit supplied and sponsor Umbro is working alongside the national governing body on the venture, which will see the new facility named St George’s Park in a bid to reflect the national identity of the site. It is anticipated that the new St George’s Park centre will enable the FA to deliver its coach education agenda, as well as providing a learning and development site for refereeing, administration, sports science and medical disciplines. England’s 22 FA-supported football squads – including the senior team – will use the complex as a training base, which will include 12 full-size pitches and a multi-purpose sports hall. A 150-bed, four-star hotel and an 80-bed, three-star hotel are also planned as part of the NFC plans, as well as a regional conference venue, a banqueting suite and training and seminar rooms with a 90-seat lecture theatre and library. The sports hall will boast facilities for Futsal and partially sighted football and a full-size indoor pitch, while the buildings will be linked by players’ changing facilities, a gym and a hydrotherapy suite.
Source: Leisure Opportunities, 21/01/2010