The information on this page comes from the
UK Activity Report.
Norwich City Council and other Norfolk councils are to help fund the £8.5m refurbishment of the Theatre Royal in Norwich. 30-Dec-2003
Tottenham Hotspur is planning to raise £15m in a share issue to fund the purchase of new football players. 24-Dec-2003
The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is to undergo a £12m revamp over the next six months. 23-Dec-2003
Teesdale District Council is to consider plans for the £6m refurbishment of the Witham Hall arts theatre in Barnard Castle. 23-Dec-2003
EasyGroup is to invest £2m in the development of its first low-cost hotel in central London, and then plans to set up 50 franchised Easyhotels over the next three years. 22-Dec-2003
Punch Pub Company is to sell 252 pubs to a consortium of London & Edinburgh Inns and commercial property companies William Pears and Flodrive for £57m. 22-Dec-2003
Nuvo is seeking suitable sites to establish five cafe and restaurant outlets in London. 22-Dec-2003
South of Scotland European Partnership has announced a £7m EU grant to go towards a £20m investment in a series of economic regeneration projects across the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, with the creation of more than 800 jobs. 19-Dec-2003
Derbyshire County Council and High Peak Borough Council have awarded a contract to Trevor Osborne for the £23m redevelopment of the Crescent and Spa site in Buxton, including a new hotel. 18-Dec-2003
Cumbria County Council has awarded a £6m contract to Kier to expand the Eden leisure centre in Penrith. 18-Dec-2003
Hartlepool Borough Council is in talks with Sager Management about plans for a £8m investment in the naval frigate HMS Trincomalee, including a visitor centre and hotel. 18-Dec-2003
WestLB is said to have received three offers to acquire the Odeon chain of cinemas, which is valued at more than £300m. 17-Dec-2003
Bannatyne is planning to open a £4m casino on Newcastle Quayside in 2005, with the creation of 50 jobs, which could lead to the development of a nationwide chain. 16-Dec-2003
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council has announced plans for the £1.4m refurbishment of the Civic Hall theatre in Bedworth. 15-Dec-2003
Liverpool Vision has secured £43m of government funding to proceed with the £228m Fourth Grace building project on the waterfront, and the developers are Neptune Developments and Countryside Homes. 15-Dec-2003
Sefton Council is in informal talks about plans for the development of a £7m five-star hotel on the site of a former cinema in Southport. 15-Dec-2003
Linden Hall Hotel in Morpeth is planning a £4m expansion project, including 47 new bedrooms, eight conference rooms and a fitness suite. 15-Dec-2003
North Norfolk District Council has approved plans for the development of a £2m lifeboat museum in Cromer. 15-Dec-2003
Purbeck District Council is to consider plans from Welfare Dwellings Trust for the development of a multi-million pound holiday complex in Swanage, including 103 self-catering chalets. 15-Dec-2003
Center Parcs is creating 100 new jobs at the Oasis holiday park near Penrith, having just completed a £15m expansion project. 15-Dec-2003
Hardys & Hansons is seeking new sites to expand its chain of 253 pubs, and has about £14m available in cash. 15-Dec-2003
Barracuda is planning to open about 25 pubs in the current financial year, taking the total to 170, and has £20m to spend on acquisitions. 15-Dec-2003
Jarvis Hotels is looking to sell the Regents Park Hotel in London for more than £60m, in order to help fund a £229m management buy-out. 15-Dec-2003
Watford Leisure is planning to raise £5.2m in a share placing to help fund the re-purchase and development of the Vicarage Road football stadium. 15-Dec-2003
Reading Borough Council is considering proposals to build a new £50m theatre to replace The Hexagon, and four potential sites have been identified. 15-Dec-2003
Rotherham Council and Oak Holdings have announced plans to build a £250m leisure scheme called the Yorkshire Entertainment Sensation, including a theatre, TV studio and hotel. 15-Dec-2003
Prudential Property Investment Managers has selected Cordwell Leisure Developments as preferred partner for a leisure scheme in Eastleigh, Hampshire, including cinema, hotel, casino and bingo hall. 15-Dec-2003
Galliford Try has won a £2.4m contract to build a new health club for Bannatyne Fitness in Folkestone. 12-Dec-2003
Milton Keynes Borough Council has approved plans for the development of a 30,000-cacpacity stadium for Wimbledon Football Club, including hotel and conference centre. 12-Dec-2003
British Waterways is set to start work on the £5.5m regeneration of the canals of North Staffordshire, in order to attract new investment and create leisure opportunities in the area. 12-Dec-2003
Liverpool City Council is to unveil proposals for a £35m scheme to combine the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Museum and the Central Library into a single World Discovery Centre. 11-Dec-2003
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is expected to help fund a £6.4m project to restore and extend the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, with work starting in February 2005. 10-Dec-2003
Nottingham City Council is hoping to secure a £5m lottery grant to develop a new £13m arts centre in the Lace Market, including galleries, performance areas and studios. 10-Dec-2003
RSM Robson Rhodes has sold 32 pubs from the Balaclava chain out of administration to Community Taverns. 09-Dec-2003
Rank has submitted plans for the development of a £8m casino and bingo hall in Bolton. 09-Dec-2003
Carmarthenshire County Council has approved plans from Plas Newydd Manor Hotel to spend £2m developing a five-star hotel in Burry Port. 09-Dec-2003
Charterhouse Development Capital is considering plans to acquire another European theme park, having abandoned its attempt to sell the Tussauds leisure business. 08-Dec-2003
The Rugby Football Union has won permission for the £70m redevelopment of the South Stand at the Twickenham stadium in London, including a four-star hotel and conference facilities. 08-Dec-2003
Lincoln City Council has been approached by an unnamed company interested in bringing horse racing back to the city following a 15-year absence, which would involve renovating the historic Grandstand in Carholme Road. 05-Dec-2003
Tote, the state-owned betting organisation, is expected to be sold to a racing trust, raising between £100m and £200m for the government. 04-Dec-2003
Travelodge is planning to shed up to 40 management jobs from its budget hotel chain. 04-Dec-2003
Midas Construction has won a £12m contract from Future Inns of Canada to build a hotel in Cardiff. 04-Dec-2003
Amec has won a £5m contract from Defence Estates to refurbish a leisure centre at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. 04-Dec-2003
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council is looking into proposals to build a new £8m leisure centre to replace the Victoria Community Centre and Coppenhall Leisure Centre. 04-Dec-2003
Radisson SAS has started recruiting 100 staff for a new 4-star hotel due to open in Liverpool's Old Hall Street in February, and recruitment is being handled by Jobcentre Plus. 04-Dec-2003
Liverpool City Council is in talks with Ballymore about plans for a £100m leisure and residential development on a four-acre site behind Central Station. 04-Dec-2003
One NorthEast is to help fund a feasibility study into the development of a £150m indoor skiing centre at the Widdrington opencast mining site in Northumberland. 04-Dec-2003
Glasgow City Council and the European Regional Development Fund are to help finance the £2.4m restoration of the Old Fruitmarket music venue, and the site will reopen in 2005. 04-Dec-2003
Herne Hill Velodrome in London is looking to raise £6m to fund a series of improvements, including an all-weather cover for the track and a new gym. 03-Dec-2003
Honeycombe Leisure has won a 10-year contract from Great English Pub Company to manage the Ma Hubbards pub restaurants in Derbyshire, and has also raised £1.1m in a share issue. 02-Dec-2003
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter is to seek lottery funding for a £20m expansion project. 02-Dec-2003
The Glencoe Ski Centre is to be closed during this winter's skiing season, and talks are taking place to secure the future of the site. 01-Dec-2003
Travelodge is in talks with a number of potential partners to expand its budget hotel operations in Spain and Ireland, while its UK plans include an additional 1,500 rooms in 2004 and 2,500 in 2005. 01-Dec-2003
The FA Premier League is considering plans to relocate its London headquarters from Paddington to Mayfair, while the Football Foundation is moving to a 5,500 sq ft office on Pall Mall. 01-Dec-2003
Saga, the supplier of holidays, insurance and other services to retired people, has been put up for sale for £1bn. 27-Nov-2003
InterContinental Hotels Group is planning to develop 20 Express by Holiday Inn hotels in Spain over the next six years, in partnership with Midland Iberia. 27-Nov-2003
Chelmsford Borough Council has secured a £3.2m lottery grant to restore the grounds and outbuildings of Hylands Park by 2007. 27-Nov-2003
British Waterways is seeking a partner to help develop a nationwide network of waterside pubs on its 2,000-miles of canals and rivers. 27-Nov-2003
Spirit Group is to close its recently-acquired Scottish & Newcastle Retail headquarters in Northampton in May, and some staff may relocate to Burton-on-Trent. 25-Nov-2003
Tragus Holdings is planning to convert 50 Bella Pasta restaurants into a chain of Italian trattorias called Bella Italia over the next six months, and is also in the process of refurbishing its Cafe Rouge outlets. 24-Nov-2003
North Sunderland & Seahouses Development Trust is planning to set up a £3m Northumberland Coast visitor centre at Seahouses. 21-Nov-2003
Redditch Borough Council is considering plans from Atlantic Beacon to develop a £50m sports, leisure and entertainment complex on the site of the Abbey Stadium. 21-Nov-2003
Plymouth City Council has reached agreement with Henry Boot on outline proposals for the £25m redevelopment of Bretonside bus station into a 120-bedroom hotel, shops and residential units. 21-Nov-2003
Penwith District Council is considering plans from Parkwood PFI Leisure to build a £6m leisure centre in Penzance by the end of 2004. 21-Nov-2003
Macdonald Hotels is to invest £7m in the expansion of the Hill Valley hotel complex in Whitchurch, Staffordshire, including 80 new bedrooms and a leisure club. 19-Nov-2003
Tameside Council has approved plans for the development of a £3m football stadium in Ashton under Lyne, and both Ashton United and Curzon Ashton will relocate to the new site. 19-Nov-2003
Allerdale Council has approved plans to build a £6m visitor centre in Maryport, which will tie in with a proposed offshore wind farm and create up to 60 jobs. 19-Nov-2003
Le Meridien has put its international hotels business up for sale, while Royal Bank of Scotland is trying to secure the future of the 11 hotels operating under the Le Meridien brand in the UK. 18-Nov-2003
Burtonwood Brewery is looking to spend up to £40m on acquisitions to expand its chain of 447 pubs in north-west England and Wales. 18-Nov-2003
Queens Moat Houses is to sell the 263-room Moat House hotel in Liverpool to a subsidiary of Grosvenor for £20m, as it is subject to a compulsory purchase order for the redevelopment of the Paradise Street area. 17-Nov-2003
Oriel Mostyn Gallery in Llandudno is to undergo a £1.5m expansion project, in order to nearly double the exhibition space. 17-Nov-2003
Parkdean Holidays has started a recruitment drive to expand the 70-strong telesales staff at its new call centre in Newcastle. 17-Nov-2003
Ufford Park has won permission for the multi-million pound expansion of its hotel and golf complex in Suffolk, including the addition of 53 bedrooms. 17-Nov-2003
Camping & Caravanning Club is to relocate up to 100 staff to a new £6m headquarters at the Westwood Business Park in Coventry next spring, and about 40 new jobs will be created. 14-Nov-2003
Swansea Council has closed the Swansea Leisure Centre indefinitely, as it needs £14m spent on repairs, and is now expected to seek a private partner to develop a £35m replacement. 14-Nov-2003
Gosport Borough Council is planning to redevelop the High Street library as a £2m "Discovery Centre". 14-Nov-2003
Luminar has announced a £100m plan to refurbish its chain of nightclubs, with 54 sites being converted into four nationwide brands - Oceana, Liquid, Life and Lava-Ignite. 13-Nov-2003
English Partnerships has awarded a £5.6m contract to Jackson Construction to build a sports and leisure centre in Leyton, east London. 13-Nov-2003
Talacre Beach is to close its caravan sales call centre at the St Asaph Business Park this month, with the loss of up to 20 jobs. 13-Nov-2003
The Tourism Partnership for North Wales is to increase spending on key attractions by £50m a year, including a water sports centre in Rhyl, a ski-dome in Llanberis and a new building on Mount Snowdon. 11-Nov-2003
Bourne Leisure Group is seeking permission from South Lakeland Council to extend the Lakeland Leisure Park, with the creation of about 60 jobs. 11-Nov-2003
JJB Sports and Stadium Group are planning to develop Soccerdome leisure schemes in North Shields and Blackburn, each with 11 football pitches, a JJB store and fitness facilities. 10-Nov-2003
MGM Mirage of the US has secured a UK gaming licence and will acquire a 25% stake in Metro Casinos, the developer of a site in Bristol. 10-Nov-2003
Merlin Entertainments, the operator of 22 leisure attractions in eight countries, has appointed Hawkpoint to consider plans for the possible sale of the business. 10-Nov-2003
Travelodge, the budget hotel group, is to create dozens of new jobs in finance, sales and marketing, following the relocation of its head office from Toddington to Thame. 07-Nov-2003
Wembley is to close the Catford greyhound racing track in London, to make way for redevelopment of the site. 06-Nov-2003
The Arts Council has awarded £4.5m to help build a new art gallery in Middlesbrough, and work is due to start in January. 06-Nov-2003
Regent Inns is to raise £18m in a share placing, in order to reduce debt and fund the acquisition of new sites for its Walkabout bars and Jongleurs comedy venues. 06-Nov-2003
Mowlem Building Midlands has won contracts to build a £12m hotel and leisure club for De Vere and a £11m school for Elmhurst Ballet School, both in Birmingham. 05-Nov-2003
Lancashire County Cricket Club is looking into the possibility of relocating from Old Trafford to a new site near the City of Manchester Stadium. 05-Nov-2003
Luminar Leisure is to open a new £1.5m nightclub in Peterborough in December, with the creation of 35 jobs. 05-Nov-2003
Newcastle City Council is planning to build a new £27m library in Princess Square. 04-Nov-2003
Newcastle City Council is seeking lottery money to help fund the creation of a £36m Museum of the North, in partnership with Tyne & Wear Museums, the university, One NorthEast and others. 04-Nov-2003
Co-operative Group is to invest £18m in its travel business, including the expansion of its branch network, refurbishments, new technology and acquisitions. 03-Nov-2003
The North West Development Agency is in discussions with North Allerdale Partnership about plans to develop a £2m Viking village near Aspatria, as part of a £12m series of 40 projects being considered for North Cumbria. 03-Nov-2003
Strathmore Hotels has acquired the Alexandra and Milton hotels in Fort William from the Milton Hotel chain for undisclosed terms. 03-Nov-2003
Wolverhampton & Dudley is to create up to 2,500 jobs as part of a £35m investment in its chain of pubs over the next 12 months. 03-Nov-2003
Quintain Estates has submitted plans to Brent Council to regenerate 42 acres of land around Wembley Arena in north London, including a 400-room hotel and 3,727 new homes. 03-Nov-2003
West Berkshire District Council is considering plans for the installation of an all-weather track at Newbury Racecourse, which would double the number of race meetings. 30-Oct-2003
Whitbread is considering plans to raise about £200m from the sale of some of its Marriott-branded hotel assets, and is seeking sites for its Brewers Fayre, Brewsters, Beefeater, David Lloyd and Costa Coffee chains. 30-Oct-2003
The South West Regional Development Agency is inviting tenders to build and operate a £85m indoor sports and leisure complex in Bristol. 29-Oct-2003
Earls Court & Olympia Group has confirmed plans to set up a joint venture with MGM Mirage of the US to create a new gambling and entertainment complex at its site in west London. 29-Oct-2003
Aberdeen City Council is considering plans from John Codona Pleasure Fairs to build a new casino on the seafront. 29-Oct-2003
The South West Regional Development Agency has carried out a feasibility study into the development of a new marina at Portland Harbour, and has already received interest from commercial operators. 29-Oct-2003
Permira is planning to separate its Travelodge budget hotel business from the Little Chef chain of roadside restaurants. 28-Oct-2003
Golden Tulip is planning to build a 106-room three-star hotel at North Harbour in Portsmouth, with work starting in spring 2004. 28-Oct-2003
Esporta is considering plans to sell its nine fitness clubs in Spain, Germany and Sweden, and has also announced the £3.5m acquisition of a greenfield site in Swindon. 27-Oct-2003
Georgica is to raise £24m in a share placing to fund the acquisition of Duke Street Capital's 50% stake in Megabowl, the operator of 50 ten-pin bowling sites. 27-Oct-2003
Scottish Enterprise is considering plans for the £45m transformation of Loch Lomond Shores into a major visitor destination, including a hotel, leisure centre, shops and holiday apartments at the 17-acre West Riverside site. 27-Oct-2003
Wirral Council and private firm Neptune are drawing up plans to rebuild the outdoor swimming pool at New Brighton, as part of a £260m tourist strategy for the area. 24-Oct-2003
SpringHealth Leisure is planning to sell off seven health clubs across the north of England to a company controlled by a non-executive director for £4m. 24-Oct-2003
Macdonald Hotels is looking to sell 15 of its smaller hotels through Robert Barry & Co for about £50m. 23-Oct-2003
Luminar is said to be planning to place 63 of its 158 unbranded nightclubs into a new trading division, and the remaining 95 will be branded over the next four years. 23-Oct-2003
UGC Cinemas is planning a £20m refurbishment of its Ealing cinema, in order to create a larger venue with 17 screens and seating capacity of 3,000. 23-Oct-2003
Yarmouth Borough Council is considering plans from PowerGen for the development of a visitor centre for the Scroby Sands offshore wind farm project. 23-Oct-2003
Oxford United is being put up for sale, including the Kassam football stadium, the hotel and the new Ozone leisure centre. 23-Oct-2003
Killigarth Manor Holiday Park in Cornwall is planning a £4m expansion programme over the next five years, including the construction of 121 luxury lodges. 23-Oct-2003
Claridge's, the 203-room London hotel, is said to have been put up for sale by Blackstone Group and Colony Capital for up to £300m. 22-Oct-2003
Cambridge United has announced plans for the £5.5m development of the northern end of its football stadium, including a new stand, hotel and fitness club. 22-Oct-2003
Vale of Glamorgan Council is supporting plans for the development of a £35m international centre for hospitality, tourism and leisure, as part of a new Uwic campus at the former Butlin's holiday camp at Barry Island. 21-Oct-2003
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is planning to build a five-star 400-bedroom hotel at Parkview International's Battersea Power Station redevelopment scheme in London by 2008. 20-Oct-2003
Von Essen Hotels is said to be planning to invest £4m in improvements at the Sharrow Bay country house hotel on the shores of Ullswater in the Lake District. 17-Oct-2003
Liverpool City Council is seeking a £5m lottery grant to fund the restoration of Sefton Park. 17-Oct-2003
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council is to consider plans from Liberty Properties for the development of a £7m leisure park called Crewe Central, including cinema, bowling and bingo. 16-Oct-2003
Nantwich Town Football Club is seeking funding from the Football Foundation to build a new £2m stadium. 16-Oct-2003
Air Miles is planning to expand its travel call centre in Warrington with the creation of 150 jobs. 15-Oct-2003
SECC has unveiled plans for the development of a £350m entertainment, conference and exhibition complex at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre in Glasgow by 2007. 15-Oct-2003
Scottish Ballet is seeking lottery funding to relocate its headquarters to the Tramway arts venue in Glasgow. 15-Oct-2003
Forest Green Rovers is to submit plans for the development of a £3m football stadium at Nailsworth. 15-Oct-2003
Inventive Leisure is planning to expand its chain of 32 bars by opening eight new outlets this financial year and six next year. 14-Oct-2003
Leeds Grand Theatre is to undergo a £26m transformation in order to provide a permanent home for Opera North, and Leeds City Council will seek funding from both the Arts Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund. 14-Oct-2003
Fareham Borough Council is planning to build a £2m swimming pool and fitness complex in Locks Heath. 14-Oct-2003
Swindon Borough Council is planning to build a £16m central library, museum and art gallery in Theatre Square. 14-Oct-2003
Bannatyne Fitness is investing £0.4m in the extension of its fitness club in Darlington, and expects to expand its 30-strong chain with 12 clubs over the next 14 months. 13-Oct-2003
Center Parcs UK, the operator of four holiday villages with 4,000 staff, is expected to be floated on the stock market or put up for sale by private equity firm MidOcean. 13-Oct-2003
Tussauds Group, the owner of various leisure attractions with a valuation of about £900m, is to be sold by Charterhouse Development Capital, and the shortlist of bidders includes four private equity groups. 13-Oct-2003
Aberdeenshire Council has approved plans for the development of an equestrian centre on a site close to Brucklay Castle, near Maud. 10-Oct-2003
Edaw has unveiled plans to develop a new parkland in east London, connecting Hackney Marshes to the Thames, as part of the 2012 Olympics bid. 10-Oct-2003
The George Washington Hotel in Sunderland has announced plans for a £5m expansion over the next three years, with the creation of 150 jobs. 09-Oct-2003
Carlisle Racecourse has announced plans to invest £2.5m in new facilities over the next three years. 09-Oct-2003
Scottish Enterprise is looking to sell Drumkinnon Tower, the mock tower at the Loch Lomond Shores tourism scheme, and Merlin Entertainments is thought to be interested. 08-Oct-2003
South Ayrshire Council is to consider plans from Dawn Group for the £12m revamp of Ayr Racecourse, including a concert venue, a multiplex cinema, a casino, housing and a hotel. 07-Oct-2003
The Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort is planning to expand its site in the Vale of Glamorgan following the £5m acquisition of neighbouring Hensol Castle. 06-Oct-2003
St Helens Council is working with private investors on proposals for eight new tourist attractions, including the transformation of Sherdley Park into an outdoor music venue. 06-Oct-2003
Aberdeen City Council has approved plans from Kenmore for the inclusion of a casino, bar and restaurant at the Shiprow development. 06-Oct-2003
Punch Taverns is in negotiations to acquire the Pubmaster chain of 1,485 pubs. 06-Oct-2003
Alchemy Partners is looking to sell its Paramount chain of 13 hotels for about £250m, and Jones Lang LaSalle has been appointed agent. 06-Oct-2003
Birmingham City Council has secured funding for the £8m restoration of historic Handsworth Park, and work will start this autumn. 03-Oct-2003
Gamestec has closed its gaming machines depot in Pewsey, and 44 staff are being offered work in Exeter and Bristol. 03-Oct-2003
Exeter City Council is considering plans from Mowlem for the construction of a £50m 8,200-capacity rugby stadium near the M5 motorway. 02-Oct-2003
Eldridge Pope is to sell 18 pubs to Inntown Pub & Property Company for £3.9m, while a further £1.5m is being raised from the disposal of five other pubs. 01-Oct-2003
Dean & Dyball has won a £5.6m contract to build a sailing academy at Portland in Dorset, with funding from Sport England and the South West RDA. 01-Oct-2003
Sheffield City Hall is planning a £9m-15m refurbishment of its 2,300-seat concert hall, and Sheffield City Trust is seeking a contractor. 01-Oct-2003
The National Botanical Garden of Wales could be closed over the next few weeks with the loss of 40 jobs, unless a government grant can be secured. 30-Sep-2003
Hull City Council is to consider plans from De Vere for the construction of a 123-bed five-star hotel at Priory Park. 30-Sep-2003
Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London has been acquired by private equity firm Blackstone for undisclosed terms, and will undergo a £4.5m refurbishment. 30-Sep-2003
Aberdeen City Council is expected to approve plans from Aberdeen Curling Club for the development of a £2.8m curling rink in Summerhill. 29-Sep-2003
Farmer Studios, the Leicester-based provider of special effects for leisure attractions, has gone into voluntary liquidation with the loss of 37 jobs. 29-Sep-2003
Ultimate Leisure is raising £21m in a share placing to develop its chain of clubs and pubs, including new sites in Leeds, Derby and Durham. 29-Sep-2003
Taylor Woodrow and Mars Pension Fund are planning a £100m leisure development in the Fiveways area of Birmingham, including a hotel, homes and offices, and a planning application is expected by February. 29-Sep-2003
Whitbread is to refurbish the Marriott Hotel in Bristol city centre at a cost of £6.5m. 26-Sep-2003
Swindon Borough Council is to support a £4.5m restoration project at Lydiard Park, which will involve new visitor facilities and landscaping improvements surrounding the Georgian house. 26-Sep-2003
Kerzner International of the US is said to have reached agreement with Anschutz Entertainment Group Europe to build a £211m casino and hotel resort on the site of the Millennium Dome in London. 26-Sep-2003
VisitScotland is planning to relocate its Edinburgh head office and up to 125 staff, and a shortlist of ten potential locations has been drawn up. 25-Sep-2003
Clubhaus, the country clubs operator, has put itself up for sale and may consider a management buy-out. 25-Sep-2003
Parkdean Holidays, the caravan park operator, is planning to move to a larger site at the Gosforth Business Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, due to a rise in direct holiday sales. 24-Sep-2003
Swansea Council is to consider plans from Dublin-based Niall J Mellon for the development of a £40m leisure and residential scheme at Swansea Marina, including a 25-storey tower block. 22-Sep-2003
Capital & Regional is considering plans for a £30m revamp at the Star City leisure complex in Birmingham, in order to provide more shops, restaurants and a ski-slope. 22-Sep-2003
Earls Court & Olympia Group is in discussions with a major US casino group about plans to transform part of its West London site into a gambling venue. 22-Sep-2003
Penwith District Council is to consider plans from MDL Developments for the £57m transformation of Newlyn quarry into a marina, including a luxury hotel and holiday villas. 19-Sep-2003
Urbium, the bar and nightclub operator, is planning to increase its capital expenditure to £15m next year and open about six venues in London. 19-Sep-2003
Walsall Council is considering plans from Blue Chip Casinos for the development of a £0.5m casino on Lichfield Street. 17-Sep-2003
Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from Celtic Football Club for the development of a new £3m facade at the Parkhead stadium, in order to increase the office and hospitality space. 16-Sep-2003
Dorset County Council is to support plans for the £1.2m transformation of Durlston Castle near Swanage into a visitor centre for the region's "Jurassic Coast". 15-Sep-2003
Enterprise Inns has raised £350m in a bond issue to finance its pub acquisition programme. 15-Sep-2003
Whitbread is interested in acquiring the Premier Lodge chain of 132 budget hotels from Scottish & Newcastle, having approached all three bidders in the auction of the S&N estate. 15-Sep-2003
Ebookers is seeking acquisitions to expand its online travel business, and is interested in car rental, travel insurance, hotel booking and Caribbean holidays. 15-Sep-2003
Liverpool City Council is to receive £4m from Sport England to part-finance the development of a £11m swimming pool at Wavertree Playground. 12-Sep-2003
Wembley, the gaming group valued at £168m, is in discussions with a private equity firm and its largest shareholder Active Value about the possibility of a management buy-out. 12-Sep-2003
The Scottish Executive is to provide £7.5m for the creation of a Scottish national theatre, which will be a Glasgow-based commissioning organisation designed to develop the work of local dramatists. 12-Sep-2003
Rotherham Council has identified a suitable site on St Ann's Road for the development of a new sports and swimming centre. 11-Sep-2003
Derbyshire County Cricket Club has awarded a £4.2m contract to Bowmer & Kirkland to build a school of excellence in Derby. 11-Sep-2003
Bristol City and Bristol Rovers are considering plans to build a new 30,000-seater football, rugby, athletics and greyhound stadium near Easter Compton, in partnership with Gaming International. 10-Sep-2003
The Scottish Arts Council is considering plans to relocate its headquarters and up to 100 staff from Edinburgh to another city. 10-Sep-2003
Johnstons, the Elgin-based cashmere producer, is planning to set up a £1m heritage centre at its Newmill site by 2005. 09-Sep-2003
Towcester Racecourse has won permission from South Northamptonshire Council to build a new £4.5m grandstand. 09-Sep-2003
Punch Taverns is planning to remortgage most of its 4,500 properties, in order to raise £400m to fund the acquisition of a further 500 pubs. 08-Sep-2003
Rank is looking to open five bingo and casino gaming complexes over the next five years at a cost of up to £30m, as part of its strategy to benefit from the changes to gambling legislation. 08-Sep-2003
InterContinental Hotels Group has announced plans to expand in China over the next two years, including 20 new hotels under the Crowne Plaza brand. 08-Sep-2003
Gedling Borough Council has approved plans for the relocation of Arnold Town Football Club to a new 3,000-capacity ground at Oxton. 05-Sep-2003
Hilton is moving into India for the first time through a joint venture with EIH, which will involve rebranding nine hotels as Trident Hiltons. 05-Sep-2003
Done Bookmakers is planning to double its chain of betting shops to 800 over the next five years with the creation of 500 jobs, and a further 500 jobs are being created at a new call centre and head office in Warrington. 04-Sep-2003
Bristol Zoo is working on plans to establish a £20m zoo and conservation visitor attraction at Almondsbury, and details could be announced later this year. 04-Sep-2003
Lastminute.com has raised £72m in a bond issue, in order to fund acquisitions for its online travel agency and to rebrand some businesses. 04-Sep-2003
Essex University has announced plans for the £20m restoration of the Palace Hotel in Southend, including a new conference centre and student accommodation. 03-Sep-2003
Mansell has won a £8m contract to build a sports facility in Aberdeen for the Robert Gordon University. 01-Sep-2003
Everton Football Club has won permission to build a £9.5m football academy in Halewood, and the move will be funded by the sale of the Bellefield ground. 01-Sep-2003
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is planning to build a £16m entertainment centre at the historic Cattle Market building in Bury St Edmunds. 01-Sep-2003
Le Meridien has sold the four-star Terrace Hotel in Edinburgh to Prima Hotels for £8m, and a £1.5m refurbishment is now planned. 29-Aug-2003
Whitbread is to build a £0.6m Touchbase business meeting centre close to the M6 Toll Road at Burntwood. 29-Aug-2003
Royal Naval Museum is considering plans for a multi-million pound overhaul of its display halls in Portsmouth. 29-Aug-2003
Forest of Dean District Council is in discussions with Mayr Health Spas of Austria about plans to set up a luxury health spa at Cannop, with the creation of 100 jobs. 29-Aug-2003
Barnsley Council is to consider plans from Springwood Group for the multi-million pound extension and refurbishment of the Pharaoh's nightclub. 28-Aug-2003
Coventry City Football Club has awarded a £9m contract to Galliford Try to build a football academy. 28-Aug-2003
Wyre Forest District Council is to consider plans to develop an arts centre as part of the £3m revamp of Kidderminster town hall, including theatre and cinema facilities. 27-Aug-2003
Highland Council is to consider plans from Cliffs Legacy Club of the US for the development of a £20m upmarket holiday resort at Aldourie Castle, near Dores, with the creation of 50 jobs. 27-Aug-2003
Vimac Leisure has acquired Dontino's nightclub in Hexham for £1m, and will spend £0.5m on refurbishment. 26-Aug-2003
Ryedale District Council has approved plans for a visitor centre at the Scampston Hall stately home near Malton. 25-Aug-2003
The London May Fair Hotel has been sold by Intercontinental Hotels to Radisson Edwardian Hotels for £115m. 25-Aug-2003
Scottish & Newcastle is to invest £15m in the development of 14 new Premier Lodge budget hotels, despite proceeding with plans to sell the chain. 22-Aug-2003
Suffolk Coastal Council is to consider revised plans from Palatial Leisure for a £3.2m entertainments complex in Felixstowe, including a hotel, fitness centre and bingo. 22-Aug-2003
Topnotch, the chain of 19 fitness clubs, has asked for trading in its shares to be suspended in preparation for crisis talks with creditors. 21-Aug-2003
The Towers Hotel in Swansea has raised a further £1.4m to develop new conference and banqueting facilities. 20-Aug-2003
St Edmundsbury Borough Council has approved plans for the creation of a holiday complex at Houghton Hall Farm in Cavendish, including fitness centre, gym and swimming pool. 19-Aug-2003
London Clubs International is to spend £2m refurbishing Les Ambassadeurs casino in London. 19-Aug-2003
Oakmoor Estates is to build a £100m development on a 3.5-acre site in Coventry, including two hotels, retail space, offices and 310 apartments. 18-Aug-2003
Port of Felixstowe has unveiled multi-million pound proposals to expand the viewing area overlooking the port, in order to provide a heritage centre and other facilities for visitors. 18-Aug-2003
TRX Europe is to create up to 100 jobs at its call centre in Leicester over the next few months, to handle a contract with online travel network Opodo. 18-Aug-2003
Northern Racing, the operator of nine racecourses, is planning a flotation later this year with a valuation of about £30m. 18-Aug-2003
Diamond Touch Golf is planning to raise £5m to fund the marketing of its diamond-reinforced golf clubs. 18-Aug-2003
Scottish & Newcastle Retail is to invest £3.5m in the expansion of its chain of John Barras pubs, with six new openings and six refurbishments by the end of the year. 15-Aug-2003
Borough of Poole is to consider plans from the RNLI lifeboat charity to build a £5m visitor centre, which could attract 200,000 visitors a year by 2007. 15-Aug-2003
Anglesey Boat Company is planning to create a chain of safe haven ports around the Welsh coast, following the previously-announced plan for a £7m 400-berth marina at Fishguard. 13-Aug-2003
The Scottish Executive is to consider proposals to move the law courts out of Inverness Castle and transform the site into a tourist attraction. 13-Aug-2003
Jurys Doyle is said to be planning to build a £50m hotel in Station Street, Nottingham. 12-Aug-2003
Birmingham City Council has appointed St Bernard's Property as preferred developer for a £65m mixed-use leisure scheme on the site of the former Museum of Science & Industry in Newhall Street. 07-Aug-2003
Bury Art Gallery & Museum has announced plans for a £1.2m revamp of its facilities by 2005. 06-Aug-2003
Castle Morpeth Borough Council is to consider plans from Northumbrian Leisure for a £15m holiday village in Cresswell, including 300 static caravans and the creation of 120 jobs. 06-Aug-2003
Tolent has won a £10m contract to build a cinema and Gala bingo hall complex in Sunderland for Helios Properties. 06-Aug-2003
Caddick Construction has won a £7.7m contract to build a new City & County Museum in Lincoln by April 2005. 06-Aug-2003
Leicester City Council is seeking contractors to build a £26m theatre and arts centre. 06-Aug-2003
Ultimate Leisure has acquired two more bars and a nightclub in Belfast for £4.2m. 05-Aug-2003
The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham has unveiled plans for a £36m rebuilding project, in order to create new exhibition space, a refurbished main entrance and better banqueting facilities. 05-Aug-2003
MyTravel is to sell the Oasis Lakes holiday resort in Florida to Bluegreen Vacations of the US for £15m. 31-Jul-2003
Manchester United is in talks with MGM Mirage of the US about the possibility of developing a themed casino. 28-Jul-2003
Whitbread has raised £52m from the sale of the 13 remaining Swallow hotels to a property investor, and the sites will be leased to London Inn Group. 28-Jul-2003
London Clubs International is considering plans to open betting kiosks in its casinos, and has also announced plans to apply for new casino licences in up to seven cities. 25-Jul-2003
Burtonwood Brewery has raised £2.6m from the sale of 31 pubs, and the money will be used to acquire new sites. 18-Jul-2003
West Bromwich Albion is drawing up plans to build a £10m sports academy for the residents of Sandwell, including football pitches, an athletics track and a swimming pool. 17-Jul-2003
Carmarthenshire County Council is to consider plans from Pembrey Racing for the development of an all-weather racecourse at Ffos Las near Trimsaran. 16-Jul-2003
The Carlisle Lonsdale Arts Centre Trust has announced plans for the £3.8m transformation of the Lonsdale Cinema into a 400-seat theatre and arts centre. 16-Jul-2003
Arena Coventry is linking up with Isle of Capri Casinos of the US to build a casino and entertainment complex at its football stadium development in Coventry, with the creation of up to 1,000 jobs. 16-Jul-2003
Stockton Council is to consider plans for a £80m expansion at the Tall Trees complex in Yarm, including the development of 350 residential apartments, a hotel extension and improved leisure facilities. 15-Jul-2003
The Ashmolean museum in Oxford is seeking a £23m lottery grant to fund the development of 44 new galleries and an education centre. 14-Jul-2003
The Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) has announced proposals for a new £130m fund to build multipurpose sports centres across the country. 14-Jul-2003
Hanover International, the operator of 12 hotels and three conference centres, is expected to put itself up for sale. 14-Jul-2003
Queens Moat Houses is looking to sell the Kensington Moat House and Sloane Square Moat House hotels in London for about £28m. 11-Jul-2003
Wrexham County Borough Council has approved plans from Wrexham Theatre Trustees for the development of a £7m theatre and conference centre at the Wrexham Library. 11-Jul-2003
North Somerset Council is to consider plans for the development of a holiday park on farmland at Kewstoke near Weston-super-Mare, including 42 log chalets and 300 static caravans. 10-Jul-2003
Amber Valley Borough Council has awarded a £15m contract to Mowlem to build and refurbish leisure centres in Heanor, Ripley and Alfreton. 10-Jul-2003
London Borough of Lewisham has awarded a £12m contract to Alfred McAlpine to build a leisure centre on the Downham estate. 10-Jul-2003
Paignton Zoo is in talks to acquire Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, in order to create a combined group under the control of the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust. 09-Jul-2003
Fuller Smith & Turner has sold The Pilgrims Rest Hotel & Pub in Ashford, Kent, to Shepherd Neame for £2.2m. 08-Jul-2003
Rotherham Council is inviting the private sector to help develop the Rother Valley Country Park into a major tourist attraction, and ideas include a theatre, hotels and shops. 08-Jul-2003
Aberdeen City Council has earmarked a site in the Torry area for the development of a multi-million pound arts venue, providing concerts, dance, theatre performances and exhibitions. 08-Jul-2003
The Coal Authority has announced plans to transform the former Calverton Colliery site in Nottinghamshire into a beauty spot, at a cost of £3.5m. 08-Jul-2003
The National Museum of Scotland is planning a multi-million pound revamp of its main Royal Museum site in Edinburgh, and is also looking to invest more in educational programmes and redevelop its Museum of Flight. 07-Jul-2003
Carlisle City Council has helped to secure a grant from the Football Federation for the development of a £2.6m athletics and football centre at Sheepmount. 04-Jul-2003
Reading Borough Council is looking to build three new swimming pools - at Palmer Park, Chatham Street and the university - and will seek funding from the private sector. 04-Jul-2003
Whitbread is planning to spend £300m opening 35 new pub restaurants a year in the next five years, and is seeking suitable sites on the edge of towns and in business and leisure parks. 04-Jul-2003
The Lowry Hotel in Manchester is planning a £7m expansion project to provide new leisure and banqueting facilities. 03-Jul-2003
North Norfolk District Council has awarded a £2.1m contract to Jackson to build a leisure centre in Fakenham. 03-Jul-2003
Darlington Railway Museum is to seek lottery funding for a £2m expansion to provide new facilities and exhibits. 02-Jul-2003
Sunderland Area Regeneration Company has proposed the development of a multi-million pound sports village at Sheepfolds and Stadium Park, as part of a series of schemes designed to regenerate the city. 02-Jul-2003
Savoy Group has sold the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds to Furlong Hotels for about £15m. 02-Jul-2003
Hilton Group has been selected to operate a 285-room hotel that is part of a £150m city centre development being considered by Manchester City Council. 02-Jul-2003
Buckinghamshire County Council is considering plans from Jack Barker Golf Centres for the development of a £1.7m golf course on a 165-acre site near Milton Keynes. 01-Jul-2003
Southampton City Council is to seek funding of £5m from the Arts Council to include an arts centre in plans for the redevelopment of the former Tyrrell & Green site in Above Bar. 01-Jul-2003
Surrey County Cricket Club has won approval to build a new £21m stand at the Oval in London. 30-Jun-2003
British Waterways is seeking lottery funding for a £40m project to restore the Cotswold Canals. 30-Jun-2003
The Royal Parks Agency and the Royal Parks Foundation are planning to organise the £100m restoration of London's eight royal parks, including projects at Bushy Park, Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Greenwich Park. 30-Jun-2003
Whitbread is planning to open a further 200 tennis courts at its chain of David Lloyd fitness centres by 2010. 30-Jun-2003
English Heritage is considering plans to vacate its 100,000 sq ft Savile Row headquarters, either to another site in London or to the south-west. 30-Jun-2003
Westminster City Council is to consider plans for the development of a new 500-seat theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, to be called the Sondheim, as part of a £35m plan that will also upgrade the Prince of Wales, Strand, Wyndham's and Albery theatre. 26-Jun-2003
Gala has confirmed plans to set up eight Las Vegas-style casinos in the UK in partnership with Harrah's Entertainment of the US, in a £600m project that will create up to 8,000 jobs. 26-Jun-2003
Salisbury District Council has approved plans for the development of a 120-room hotel and service station near Amesbury, three miles from Stonehenge. 25-Jun-2003
Next Generation Clubs is to invest £38m in the expansion of its chain of health and fitness clubs. 25-Jun-2003
Parkdean Holidays is looking to spend up to £33m on the acquisition of caravan parks. 25-Jun-2003
Hardys & Hansons has bought five pubs in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire for £2m, four of them from Peak Taverns. 24-Jun-2003
Leicester City Council is looking into the possibility of privatising De Montfort Hall and selling off sports centres and golf courses, in order to save £38m and improve services. 24-Jun-2003
Coventry City Council is to consider plans for the £9m refurbishment of the Belgrade Theatre, including a seven-storey extension and a new 300-seat auditorium. 23-Jun-2003
Rezidor SAS Hospitality is to open a new hotel on Belfast's Ormeau Road in 2004 with the creation of 110 jobs, while new properties will also open in Athlone, Letterkenny and Sligo. 23-Jun-2003
Earls Court & Olympia Group is looking to sell the Earls Court concert and conference venue in London in a sale and leaseback arrangement that could raise more than £165m. 23-Jun-2003
Alias Hotels is planning to expand its chain of eight hotels to about 60 over the next five years. 20-Jun-2003
Gwynedd Council has approved plans for the development of a 10-pin bowling facility at the Glasfryn Parc & Quad Bikes Centre near Pencaenewydd, with the creation of 15 jobs. 20-Jun-2003
Jennings Brewery is planning to acquire about 20 pubs a year in the north-east, at an annual cost of £5m. 20-Jun-2003
The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust has raised £1.8m to help fund the transformation of the Strathpeffer Spa Pavilion into a new arts and music venue. 20-Jun-2003
Belhaven Brewery has raised £25m in a share offer in order to fund acquisitions to expand its pub chain from 200 to 300 over the next two years. 20-Jun-2003
Kenmore has acquired a 50,000 sq ft tourism and retail development at Blackford near Gleneagles, and the £10m project will include restarting whisky production at the Tullibardine distillery. 19-Jun-2003
Macdonald Hotels, the operator of more than 100 hotels in the UK and Spain, has received a £145m takeover approach from its founders. 19-Jun-2003
Rank is linking up with Sol Melia to expand the Hard Rock hotel chain across Europe and Asia, with up to £600m of financing from Becker Ventures. 19-Jun-2003
Glasgow Zoo is to close in September due to financial difficulties, prompting speculation that some of the land will be sold to developers for £4m and the proceeds will be used to build an environmental discovery centre elsewhere in the city. 18-Jun-2003
Gala is to set up a casino complex at Crest Nicholson's Harbourside development in Bristol by 2005. 18-Jun-2003
The English Volleyball Association is relocating its headquarters from West Bridgford, Nottingham, in order to share specialist accommodation with other sporting bodies in Loughborough. 18-Jun-2003
Wigan Council is to consider plans for the development of a £75m sports village in Leigh, including a 10,000-seat stadium, conference facilities, a hotel, 72 homes and 45 apartments. 17-Jun-2003
Hearts and Hibernian are looking into the possibility of sharing a new football stadium in Edinburgh. 17-Jun-2003
Aberdeen Football Club is considering proposals to build a £30m stadium on the city's beachfront. 17-Jun-2003
The British Horseracing Board is seeking a new 15,000 sq ft head office in London. 16-Jun-2003
Gala is in discussions with Harrah's Entertainment of the US about plans to introduce Las Vegas-style casinos in the UK, which could lead to an investment of hundreds of millions of pounds. 13-Jun-2003
Stroud District Council has approved plans from Manchester-based Streetlands for the development of a £7.2m cinema, bowling alley and retail complex on the site of the town's Merrywalks bus station. 12-Jun-2003
Tendring District Council has approved plans for the development of casinos at three amusement arcades in Clacton, but the projects will have to wait for the expected relaxation in gambling laws. 12-Jun-2003
Regent Inns is to open a Jongleurs comedy club in Edinburgh by the end of July, with the creation of 50 jobs. 11-Jun-2003
Aberdeen City Council is to consider revised plans from the Queen's Road Development company for a new £12m tennis and sports centre near Kingswells. 11-Jun-2003
Cotswold District Council is considering plans from Cirencester Town Football Club for the development of an indoor training centre at its Corinium Stadium complex. 10-Jun-2003
Springwood Leisure is to sell the Spondon Snooker Club in Spondon, Derbyshire and the Three Cranes Public House in Leicester to Swithland Timber for £0.8m. 09-Jun-2003
Swansea Council and Capital & Regional have reached agreement for construction work to start on the £24m Morfa Stadium in October, providing a new home for Swansea City Football Club and the new regional rugby team. 09-Jun-2003
Derby City Council and Urban Catalyst are discussing proposals to include a casino and arts venue as part of the £20m redevelopment of the historic Roundhouse building in Pride Park. 09-Jun-2003
Hardys & Hansons is looking to spend up to £11m on acquisitions to expand its pub chain. 09-Jun-2003
Topnotch has sold its flagship fitness club in Tower 42 in the City of London to Bannatyne Fitness for £1.7m. 09-Jun-2003
Whitbread is planning to set up a health spa chain and is seeking about six pilot sites in the London area. 09-Jun-2003
Scottish & Newcastle is expected to receive at least 15 bids during the £2.3m auction for its chain of 1,450 pubs. 06-Jun-2003
Hotel Du Vin is to build a £5m 42-room hotel on the site of the former Brakspear brewery in Henley-on-Thames, and is now seeking suitable locations in places such as Cambridge, Glasgow, Chester and Guildford. 05-Jun-2003
Dudley Council is considering plans to transfer its leisure centres to private operators, and independent consultant Peter Mann Partnership has been appointed to look at the options. 04-Jun-2003
Whitbread has announced plans to build a £8m David Lloyd Leisure tennis and fitness club in Worthing, with the creation of 130 jobs. 04-Jun-2003
Golden Tulip UK has unveiled plans to build a £5.2m 116-bedroom budget hotel in Gateshead by summer 2004. 02-Jun-2003
SECC, the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, is preparing plans to create a major new conference venue in Glasgow, including a 2,000-seat banqueting centre. 28-May-2003
Macob Projects is to proceed with plans to build a rugby centre of excellence at Island Farm near Bridgend, including indoor arena, four pitches and running track. 27-May-2003
Yates Group has raised £85m in a loan facility with Royal Bank of Scotland to help fund future growth and the refurbishment of its chain of 154 bars. 27-May-2003
Whitbread has agreed a deal with BT to install internet cafes in all 54 of its David Lloyd fitness clubs. 27-May-2003
MGM Mirage of the US has acquired a 25% stake in Metro Casinos, the UK casino operator, for undisclosed terms. 27-May-2003
Crest Nicholson Marinas is to invest up to £5m at the Royal Quays Marina in North Shields, in order to double its size and open more leisure facilities. 23-May-2003
Loch Fyne Restaurants is planning to open four or five seafood restaurants a year for the foreseeable future. 22-May-2003
The London Tourist Board is to carry out a feasibility study into the development of a major convention centre capable of seating up to 5,000 people, located on a brownfield site in central London. 22-May-2003
Carmarthenshire County Council has announced that a new National Theatre for Wales will be built in the county for the Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, with the creation of 15 jobs. 22-May-2003
Abercrombie & Kent is to relocate the headquarters of its luxury travel business from London to Cheltenham in July, with the creation of 25 jobs. 22-May-2003
The Leicester Haymarket theatre is to close from August until the middle of next year due to financial difficulties, with the loss of 76 jobs. 21-May-2003
Worcester City Council is considering whether to include a new stadium complex for Worcester City Football Club in the city's Local Plan. 21-May-2003
West Lindsey District Council is to consider plans from Leonard Marine Services for the development of a £10m marina in Gainsborough. 20-May-2003
Goals Soccer Centres is to open a £2m five-a-side football complex in Leicester in July, with the creation of 20 jobs. 19-May-2003
Camelot is planning to increase national lottery sales by launching betting games based on the Olympics and games on the internet and mobile phones. 19-May-2003
Permira has won planning consent to transform the former Forte offices at High Holborn in London into a 186-bedroom Travelodge hotel. 16-May-2003
Esporta is to set up a £3.1m health and fitness centre in Birmingham, with the creation of up to 60 jobs. 14-May-2003
East Surrey Primary Care Trust is seeking permission to build a new health centre in Horley. 14-May-2003
Neath Port Talbot Council has appointed Atkins Design Environment & Engineering to draw up plans for a £5m sports arena in Pontardawe. 09-May-2003
Insignia Hotels has helped Globetrotter Inns raise £20m to fund the development of a chain of 25 budget inns across Europe over the next five years, with the first opening in Edinburgh in July. 08-May-2003
Springwood, the nightclub operator, is to transfer its share listing to Aim as part of a cost-reduction programme. 08-May-2003
Portsmouth Football Club has announced that Barr will carry out the £26m redevelopment of its Fratton Park stadium, with the capacity eventually rising to 36,000. 08-May-2003
Stockton Council is to consider outline plans from a local businessman for the development of a multi-million pound sports and leisure complex at Billingham Beck, including greyhound racing, baseball, speedway and American football. 07-May-2003
Topnotch has sold four health clubs to Vision Fitness for £3.5m, in order to reduce debt, including sites in Maidstone, Colchester, Brentford and New Malden. 07-May-2003
Tussauds Group, the operator of tourist attractions, is considering plans for a flotation, while other options include a trade sale or refinancing. 06-May-2003
Hays Travel is to create 50 new jobs at call centres in Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, as well as 36 jobs at three new shops and 70 jobs for homeworking staff nationwide. 02-May-2003
Sheffield United is planning to raise £5m in a share offer, in order to reduce debt and fund the development of its youth academy, while its listing will move from the Stock Exchange's main market to Aim. 02-May-2003
Whitbread is considering plans to expand its David Lloyd Leisure chain into Spain, and talks are taking place with a potential partner. 01-May-2003
South Gloucestershire Council is in talks with a number of interested parties about the possibility of building a multi-million pound aviation museum in Filton. 01-May-2003
Von Essen Hotels has acquired Dalhousie Castle near Edinburgh for about £10m, its first site in Scotland. 30-Apr-2003
Sportingbet, the online betting company, has received an informal takeover approach from an unnamed party. 30-Apr-2003
Chiltern District Council has approved plans for the development of a £3m interactive museum in Great Missenden to celebrate the work of author Roald Dahl. 29-Apr-2003
Aberdeen City Council is to consider plans for the development of a £3m sporting centre of excellence on the Rubislaw and Harlaw playing fields, including rugby, hockey, football and cricket. 29-Apr-2003
Middlesbrough Borough Council is evaluating proposals to re-open the TAD training centre at Berwick Hills, which recently went into liquidation with the loss of 40 jobs. 28-Apr-2003
Lichfield District Council is to consider plans from Pergola Properties for the transformation of an arts centre at Minster Pool into a multi-million pound gallery, cafe and tourist information centre. 28-Apr-2003
Scottish & Newcastle is considering plans to sell off its chain of 1,450 pubs for an estimated £2bn, in order to focus on brewing. 28-Apr-2003
Tote has acquired 41 Seymour & Story betting shops, taking its total estate to 435. 28-Apr-2003
Malvern Hills District Council has approved outline plans from Walton Marine for the £3.5m expansion of Upton Marina, including new moorings, holiday lodges and 20 new jobs. 23-Apr-2003
Punch Taverns is to buy 13 pubs in the north-west and Yorkshire from Western Castle for £3.9m, taking its estate to 4,517 sites. 23-Apr-2003
Forest Heath District Council has approved outline plans to build a casino at the Mildenhall Stadium in West Row. 22-Apr-2003
St Pierre Park Hotel in Guernsey is planning a £20m refurbishment programme, under plans by parent company CI Traders to create a five-star hotel and casino complex. 22-Apr-2003
Exeter City Council is hoping to acquire the historic Rougemont Castle when the Crown Courts move out in 2005, in order to establish a new tourist attraction. 18-Apr-2003
Kirklees Council is to help fund a £1.7m refurbishment programme at the historic Greenhead Park in Huddersfield. 17-Apr-2003
Capital & Regional is to invest up to £150m in its Xscape and X-Space leisure centre brands over the next three years, including sites in Leeds and Glasgow. 16-Apr-2003
SFI is to cancel its stock market listing as it continues to investigate the finances of its Slug & Lettuce and Litten Tree pub chains. 16-Apr-2003
Norwich City Council is to consider plans for the £3.2m expansion of Cinema City into a three-screen digital complex. 16-Apr-2003
Tyne & Wear Museums has secured £7m from the government's £70m Renaissance in the Regions programme to modernise museums, libraries and galleries across the north-east. 16-Apr-2003
Eldridge Pope, the pub operator with an estimated value of £35m, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 15-Apr-2003
Carmarthenshire County Council is to help fund a £2m investment in tourist facilities in the Tywi Valley, as the area has been given Tourism Growth Area status by the Wales Tourist Board. 15-Apr-2003
TradingSports is planning to raise up to £4m in a share placing on Aim, in order to expand its gambling technology business. 14-Apr-2003
The National Trust has unveiled plans to establish a new £10m headquarters in Swindon by 2005. 11-Apr-2003
Kerzner International of the US is to set up a 30,000 sq ft casino in Northampton, and will follow this up with additional investments worth "hundreds of millions of pounds in the UK". 10-Apr-2003
Sunderland Football Club is to shed 80 jobs, with the playing squad being cut from 40 to 25. 10-Apr-2003
LA Fitness is planning to expand its chain of 64 health and fitness clubs with three new sites this year and four in 2004. 09-Apr-2003
Cheshire Waterlife, the bird sanctuary near Northwich, is planning to transform a 20-acre site into a £0.5m wildlife visitor attraction. 08-Apr-2003
Okells, the Isle of Man-based brewery, is looking to acquire at least ten pubs on Merseyside as the first phase of an expansion campaign on the mainland. 07-Apr-2003
The Salford Reds rugby league club has unveiled plans to build a £35m stadium at Barton Bridge, as part of a £60m scheme that will include a 4-star hotel, casino and shopping mall. 07-Apr-2003
City Inn is planning to develop hotels in London, Manchester, continental Europe and the US in a joint venture with Bank of Scotland. 07-Apr-2003
Clubhaus has sold the Fox Club in London to Fox Club Capital for £1.5m, as part of a strategy to focus on its Country Club format. 04-Apr-2003
Ceredigion County Council has acquired the 12th century Cardigan Castle for an estimated £0.5m, and plans to repair the site and open it up for the public. 04-Apr-2003
The Broads Authority is considering plans to seek government funding to help find a new headquarters, as its existing site in Norwich is deemed unsuitable. 04-Apr-2003
Cannons is to invest £21m in the development of nine new health and fitness clubs across the country, including sites in London, Nottingham and Bristol. 04-Apr-2003
MyTravel is to shed 2,000 jobs from its 23,000-strong global workforce following a strategic review of its travel business, including 700 job cuts in the UK. 03-Apr-2003
Arena Leisure and Gala have announced plans to develop the country's first joint racecourse and casino at Arena's existing course in Wolverhampton by autumn 2004. 03-Apr-2003
Charnwood Borough Council has awarded a £5m contract to Gleeson to build a leisure centre in Mount Sorrell. 03-Apr-2003
Le Meridien has sold the former Chesford Grange hotel near Warwick and the Queens Hotel in Leeds to Quintessential Hotels, while the Queen hotel in Chester has been sold to the Feathers Group. 01-Apr-2003
Scottish Executive is planning to move 300 Common Services Agency jobs out of Edinburgh, with some going to Aberdeen and some to the west of Scotland. 31-Mar-2003
Derbyshire Dales District Council is considering outline plans from the Matlock Area Recreation & Sports Group for the development of a £10m leisure centre in Matlock. 28-Mar-2003
Feltham Football Club is considering plans for a £1m relocation from Feltham Arenas to nearby Green Lane. 27-Mar-2003
First Choice Holidays is seeking 60 extra staff for a new Travel Choice call centre due to open at Dunedin House, Teesdale, in April. 27-Mar-2003
South Norfolk Council is to consider plans from the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association to build a 150-bedroom hotel at Costessey, with the creation of up to 120 jobs. 27-Mar-2003
Enterprise Inns is looking to sell 137 sites following an annual review of its tenanted pubs business. 27-Mar-2003
Dudley Zoo has unveiled a £100m redevelopment plan, in order to create a "world class" attraction with new leisure facilities, hotels and restaurants. 26-Mar-2003
Brighton & Hove Council has announced plans to demolish the Brighton Centre and build a new concert and conference venue, with work starting in 2006. 26-Mar-2003
The Northern Ireland Office has announced plans for a £4m facelift of the historic Custom House Square area at Laganside, in order to create a new outdoor venue for a range of events. 26-Mar-2003
Blaenau Gwent Council has announced plans to spend £10m improving public amenities in the former mining village of Llanhilleth, including sports facilities and industrial units. 26-Mar-2003
Mid Suffolk Council is to consider proposals from the Onslow Group for the development of a winter sports centre at a former quarry in Great Blakenham, including a snow dome, ice-rink, cinema, hotel, ski lodges and conference centre. 26-Mar-2003
Scottish Enterprise is to provide £3m of funding for the development of a £22m 70-acre national garden for Scotland in Perth, which will create about 100 jobs and attract 700,000 visitors a year. 26-Mar-2003
The Arts Council has announced details of a £75m spending programme to benefit hundreds of organisations by 2006, including £3.1m for the Royal Opera House and £2.4m for the Royal National Theatre. 26-Mar-2003
Trinity Community Partnership has unveiled plans for the development of an arts centre, theatre and cinema in Clitheroe, which could create 80 jobs. 25-Mar-2003
The Scottish Executive is to invest £30m in the development of a network of multi-sport training facilities across Scotland, although no decisions have been made on the form or location of the facilities. 25-Mar-2003
Whitbread is to invest £10m in the development of 15 additional Touchbase meeting centres at Travel Inn sites. 24-Mar-2003
Bournemouth Borough Council is planning to refurbish the Pavilion theatre at a cost of £15m, and a 200-seat community arts centre will be established. 24-Mar-2003
Newark & Sherwood District Council has identified two potential sites for the development of a £9m leisure and swimming centre. 21-Mar-2003
Scottish Natural Heritage is to relocate its headquarters and up to 270 jobs from Edinburgh to Inverness. 21-Mar-2003
City Centre Restaurants is to invest £9m opening about 12 additional outlets on leisure complexes, and is also in talks with Six Continents about becoming a franchisee of O'Neill's Irish themed pubs. 21-Mar-2003
The National Stone Centre has unveiled plans to build a multi-million pound science discovery and astronomy centre in Derbyshire, in partnership with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the White Peak Observatory. 20-Mar-2003
The South West Regional Development Agency is to help fund a £3.9m project to improve heritage mine sites at St Just and Pendeen in Cornwall, with the creation of 177 jobs. 20-Mar-2003
Lincoln City Council is to conduct a feasibility study into plans for the development of a new £10m arts centre and concert hall at Brayford Wharf in Lincoln over the next three years. 20-Mar-2003
The West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee is to award £1.4m to museums, festivals and theatres in West Yorkshire, and 58 applications are being considered. 19-Mar-2003
The National Maritime Museum is planning a £12m refurbishment programme at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, in order to create an Astronomy Centre. 19-Mar-2003
MyTravel is thought to be planning to close at least 180 of its 700 Going Places shops, and about 90 jobs could be lost at the Going Places head office in Rochdale. 18-Mar-2003
Cardiff County Council is to consider plans from Macdonald Hotels and property developer Rightacres for the development of a £20m four-star hotel at Newport Road in Cardiff. 17-Mar-2003
Groupe Chez Gerard, the chain of 23 restaurants, has received a £16m takeover approach from cash shell Paramount. 14-Mar-2003
The Northern Ireland Office has announced grant aid of £2.7m to 36 organisations to develop angling and other water-based recreation projects. 13-Mar-2003
Bannatyne Fitness is to set up a new head office for 50 staff at Haughton Road in Darlington later this year. 13-Mar-2003
Warner Village, the chain of 36 cinemas, is up for sale and negotiations are taking place with Scottish start-up Spean Bridge. 13-Mar-2003
Reit Asset Management is in negotiations to acquire a portfolio of 37 Thistle hotels from Jersey-based Orb. 13-Mar-2003
Celtic Manor is seeking permission to expand its hotel resort in Newport with 79 extra apartments, in preparation for the 2010 Ryder Cup golf tournament. 12-Mar-2003
South Bucks District Council is considering revised plans from Slough Town for the expansion of the Wexham Park football stadium. 11-Mar-2003
Vida, the Edinburgh-based provider of five-a-side football venues, is planning to set up seven new sites this year and expand into Ireland and continental Europe. 11-Mar-2003
Six Continents is to relocate its headquarters from London's West End to Windsor and sell the Mayfair Intercontinental and several US hotels, in order to reduce costs and fend off a hostile takeover bid. 10-Mar-2003
Barracuda is planning to spend £18m on acquisitions to expand its chain of 142 pubs this year. 07-Mar-2003
Royal Bank of Scotland is to outsource the management of its 22 hotels to ServeCo, and £250m will be spent upgrading the properties. 07-Mar-2003
Sefton Council is considering plans to spend up to £8m transforming Crosby Marina into a watersports centre. 06-Mar-2003
Thistle Hotels has rejected a £554m takeover approach from BIL International of Singapore. 05-Mar-2003
Parkdean is planning to spend up to £10m on acquisitions to expand its chain of 12 holiday parks across the country. 05-Mar-2003
Gwynedd Council is to consider plans from Rhiwlas for the development of a scale replica of the Snowdonia national park in Bala, in order to attract more tourists and create 30 jobs. 04-Mar-2003
Urbium is in negotiations to open two Tiger Tiger nightclubs at sites in Edinburgh and Aberdeen. 03-Mar-2003
Harrogate International Centre is planning a £15m expansion programme, in order to provide more conference facilities and restore the Royal Hall. 03-Mar-2003
Liverpool Football Club is planning to raise up to £100m later this year, in order to fund the development of a new 60,000-capacity stadium by 2005. 03-Mar-2003
Sefton Council is planning to build a £1.3m athletics track in Litherland, and a further £2m will be spent on smaller sports projects throughout the borough. 28-Feb-2003
Brighton & Hove Council has approved plans from for the Brighton West Pier Trust and developer St Modwen for the £30m restoration of the historic West Pier. 27-Feb-2003
Swansea Council has approved plans from Red Kite for the £1.5m transformation of the historic Patti Pavilion into an entertainment venue, with the creation of 70 jobs. 27-Feb-2003
Widnes Golf Club has announced proposals for a multi-million pound relocation to a larger 165-acre site near Norlands Lane, as part of a deal with Redrow to transform its existing site into housing. 27-Feb-2003
Cheshire County Council is planning to transform 170 acres of wasteland at Ashton's and Neumann's Flashes in Northwich into a £2m nature reserve. 27-Feb-2003
Manchester City Council is considering plans for the relocation of the Sale Sharks rugby union club to the Maine Road football stadium, which would involve reducing the capacity to 20,000. 27-Feb-2003
Paddy Power of Ireland is planning to expand its chain of UK betting shops from three to 12 this year. 26-Feb-2003
Sandwell Council is drawing up proposals to build a multi-million pound civic centre, theatre and heritage facility in West Bromwich, as part of a long-term redevelopment scheme in the town centre. 25-Feb-2003
The North West Development Agency has announced a £2.7m investment in a four-year project to create a North West Farm Tourism brand, offering help to local farmers wishing to diversify into tourism. 24-Feb-2003
Rugby Borough Council is looking to establish a new hotel in the town centre over the next year, and talks are taking place with at least one firm interested in building a 120-room property near the Chapel Street area. 24-Feb-2003
JD Wetherspoon is recruiting up to 40 staff for its new £1.2m pub venue in Whitehaven, which is due to open next month. 24-Feb-2003
Eldridge Pope is looking to sell about 12 pubs from its total estate of 119 managed houses and 55 tenancies. 24-Feb-2003
Co-operative Group is planning to merge its five travel operations to create the Co-operative Travel Trading Group, which will include 600 outlets and seven national call centres. 24-Feb-2003
Park Plaza Hotels Europe is planning to open new hotels in Leeds, Cardiff and London over the next two years. 21-Feb-2003
Wyre Forest District Council is to receive plans from Victoria Carpets for the transformation of its cricket ground in Kidderminster into a community sports and leisure complex. 21-Feb-2003
Scottish & Newcastle is to operate a new 116-bed hotel to be built in Wind Street in Swansea, and at least 200 jobs will be created when construction is complete in 18 months. 21-Feb-2003
Dundee United and Dundee FC are drawing up joint plans to develop a £5m 42-acre football academy. 21-Feb-2003
Thanet District Council has approved plans for a £11m art gallery in Margate, to show works by Turner and other artists. 21-Feb-2003
Blaenau Gwent Council has awarded a £4.1m contract to Midas to build a sports and day care centre in Abertillery. 20-Feb-2003
South Ayrshire Council is considering plans from Ayr United for the development of a football academy in Ayr, in partnership with Ayr College. 18-Feb-2003
North Lanarkshire Council is considering plans from Hamilton-based Strathquay for the development of a tourist and rambler information centre, craft workshops and retail outlets at the former Geest factory in Garrion. 18-Feb-2003
Bourne Leisure is creating 150 new jobs at the Devon Cliffs holiday park in Exmouth, following a recent expansion programme. 18-Feb-2003
Six Continents is planning to demerge its hotels division and rename it InterContinental Hotels Group. 17-Feb-2003
Punch Taverns has bought 12 pubs from Honeycombe Leisure in a £12m sale and leaseback arrangement. 17-Feb-2003
South Northants Council is to consider plans for the development of a £2m theatre and cyber cafe at Halls Lane in Brackley. 14-Feb-2003
Blooms of Bressingham is to start work on a £8m leisure complex at its garden centre in Bicester next year. 14-Feb-2003
The Deep is planning a £6m expansion at its aquarium in Hull, in order to include more education facilities and a new exhibition. 14-Feb-2003
Esporta has awarded a £2.2m contract to Midas to build a health and fitness club in Taunton. 13-Feb-2003
Tulloch is to build a £5.5m leisure complex in Stornoway for the Western Isles Council. 13-Feb-2003
Ipswich Town, the first division football club, is seeking a temporary financial administration order. 11-Feb-2003
Plymouth City Council has announced that Plymouth Museum Service is expected to receive up to £3m from a government funding initiative, which will help to improve facilities at the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery. 11-Feb-2003
The Arts Council of England is seeking suitable premises to set up a new 40,000 sq ft headquarters in central London. 10-Feb-2003
Jurys Doyle is to set up a £22m eight-storey budget hotel at Heathrow airport, with construction starting this summer. 07-Feb-2003
The RSPB is planning a £3m expansion of the Old Moor Wetland Centre in the Dearne Valley, and expects to attract some 80,000 visitors a year. 05-Feb-2003
MyTravel is considering plans to shed up to 700 jobs, sell some businesses and cut capacity in its charter holiday operations. 05-Feb-2003
Carlisle United is looking into the possibility of moving to a £10m 15,000-seat stadium in Warwick Road. 04-Feb-2003
The Oxford Apollo theatre is to undergo a £1m refurbishment this year. 04-Feb-2003
Northwich Victoria has won approval to sell off its Drill Field site to Wilcon Homes, in order to build a new football stadium at nearby Wincham. 03-Feb-2003
Brighton & Hove Council is backing plans from Parkridge Developments for the development of a £100m seafront resort at Brighton Marina, including bars, shops and leisure outlets. 03-Feb-2003
Cinven has put the Odeon cinema chain up for sale with a valuation of £450m. 03-Feb-2003
Living Ventures is planning to open up to 15 Mosquito cocktail bars over the next four years. 31-Jan-2003
Reading Borough Council has secured a £2.1m lottery grant to restore the Forbury Gardens and Abbey Ruins. 31-Jan-2003
The Roundhouse theatre in London is to undergo a £25m refurbishment by spring 2005. 29-Jan-2003
Strathclyde Park is to get a new 51-bed hotel as part of an expansion programme that will create 35 jobs, as owner M&D Leisure has agreed a £6m funding deal with Royal Bank of Scotland. 28-Jan-2003
Newcastle Racecourse has unveiled plans for a £3m expansion programme to provide a caravan park, football pitch and other facilities, but owner Northern Racing has dropped plans for an all-weather race track. 28-Jan-2003
East Lothian Council has unveiled proposals for a £25m development at Musselburgh racecourse, in order to establish a centre for golf tourism, a football academy and a hotel. 27-Jan-2003
Torbay Council is to help fund the £1.7m transformation of the Palace Theatre into an arts centre. 24-Jan-2003
Kier's Wallis subsidiary has won a £17m contract from De Vere to build a Village Hotel & Leisure Club near Maidstone. 22-Jan-2003
IG Group, the spread betting company, has been put up for sale by its founder. 21-Jan-2003
Groupe Chez Gerard has put its Livebait fish restaurant in Oxford up for sale, and may consider selling some of its other eight sites. 21-Jan-2003
Amber Valley Borough Council is considering plans for the expansion of the American Adventure theme park in Shipley, including a holiday village, golf course, holiday lodges and equestrian centre. 21-Jan-2003
University of Wolverhampton has won outline permission for a £20m upgrade of its Walsall campus, including a new sports hall. 20-Jan-2003
Radisson SAS is to open a new £14m four-star hotel in Belfast city centre next year, with the creation of more than 100 jobs. 17-Jan-2003
Derby City Council is to consider plans for the development of a £5m community sports village at Derbyshire County Cricket Club. 16-Jan-2003
The Castle Hill Casino in Dudley is to set up a training centre and two new gambling operations this year, with the creation of about 150 jobs. 15-Jan-2003
Luminar Leisure has started work on the £2.5m refurbishment of The Palace nightclub in Aberdeen. 15-Jan-2003
North Warwickshire Borough Council is considering plans for the development of a 150-room hotel at the Purley Chase Golf Course in Atherstone. 14-Jan-2003
Six Continents is to expand its hotel reservations call centre in Brierley Hill, with the creation of 90 jobs over the next nine months. 14-Jan-2003
North Norfolk District Council is to receive a planning application later this year from a local landowner for the development of a £30m 150-berth marina in Cromer. 13-Jan-2003
Aberdeenshire Council is set to approve plans from Aspire-to-Golf for the development of a 50-acre golf academy at Haugh of Ardoe. 13-Jan-2003
Plymouth City Council is in talks with the University of Plymouth about plans to build a 50-metre swimming pool in Central Park. 13-Jan-2003
Sodexho is to drop its Rhodes stand-alone restaurant business with the expected closure of sites in Edinburgh and London, in order to focus on restaurants in schools, hospitals and hotels. 13-Jan-2003
Loch Fyne Restaurants is to open five new restaurants over the next year, including sites in London, Portsmouth and Harrogate. 10-Jan-2003
Bannatyne Fitness has announced plans for three new health clubs in Eastbourne, Wakefield and Chester-le-Street with the creation of 90 jobs, and the company is still considering plans to relocate its headquarters to Durham. 08-Jan-2003
Bristol City Council is to seek up to £14m of lottery funding for the development of a local history museum. 08-Jan-2003
Ascot Racecourse is to select Laing for a £50m redevelopment project, and work on the new grandstand is expected to start next year. 08-Jan-2003
Urbium is to expand its chain of 25 nightclubs with a £25m capital expenditure programme this year. 08-Jan-2003
Jurys Doyle is to expand its chain of 30 hotels with six new sites by mid-2004, and plans to use lease finance to fund low-cost business hotels. 08-Jan-2003
Hilton has closed 50 poorly-performing Ladbrokes betting shops, but most of the staff will be transferred to other sites. 07-Jan-2003
TAD Centre, the Teesside training and hotel complex, is being placed into voluntary liquidation with the loss of 40 jobs. 06-Jan-2003
Dundee City Council is considering plans for the £3.7m restoration of the McManus Galleries, including an educational centre and pedestrian square. 06-Jan-2003
Wychavon District Council is to consider plans for the development of a £2m late-night entertainment complex at the Green Dragon pub in Evesham. 06-Jan-2003
Scarborough Borough Council is planning a £120m facelift for the North Bay seaside resort, including leisure centre, hotel, shops and family entertainment facilities. 03-Jan-2003
The Spacex Gallery is seeking new premises in Exeter in order to attract more visitors to its contemporary art gallery. 03-Jan-2003
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