U K
The information below comes from the
UK Activity Report.
The National Railway Museum has secured a £1m lottery grant to go towards the development of a £3.5m public gallery to display its archive of photographs and documents. 30-Dec-2005
CHE Hotel Group has raised £19m in a share placing to fund the development of Sleep Inn hotels across the country, and 60 possible locations have been identified. 27-Dec-2005
The Countryside Council for Wales is to set up a new £3m visitor's centre at the 438-hectare Newport wetlands site in 2007. 27-Dec-2005
Croydon Council is to consider plans from Westmead Business Group and US-based Century Casinos for the development of a 16,000 sq ft casino at the Aerodrome Hotel in Purley Way. 22-Dec-2005
Calderdale Council has secured a £4m lottery grant to fund the refurbishment of the 90-acre Shibden Park in Halifax. 22-Dec-2005
Carlisle City Council is looking to raise £14m for the revamp of the Tullie House Museum, including refurbished art galleries and a new history of Carlisle exhibition. 21-Dec-2005
Center Parcs is planning to open a leisure complex at the Jardins de la Mer development on Jersey, including 90 beachfront residential apartments and 70 leisure apartments. 21-Dec-2005
Euro Hostels is looking to open budget hotels in Newcastle, Edinburgh, Leeds and Liverpool. 20-Dec-2005
Gleneagles is hoping to start work next year on the £100m expansion of its Perthshire hotel complex from 850 to 1,450 acres, including a luxury spa and a village of holiday homes. 20-Dec-2005
Nottingham City Council is considering plans for the development of a £5.8m arts centre in Hyson Green. 20-Dec-2005
Northamptonshire County Council is considering plans to close Grendon Hall, the summer schools and training centre, as part of a cost-cutting proposal. 20-Dec-2005
Gymbox has raised £3.2m from Hotbed and HSBC to fund the development of three new fitness clubs. 19-Dec-2005
Advantage West Midlands and the Heritage Lottery Fund are to help fund the development of a £10m Wedgwood pottery museum at Barlaston near Stoke-on-Trent by 2007. 16-Dec-2005
North Tyneside Council has announced plans for the £60m revamp of the Whitley Bay seaside resort by 2010, including a hotel, new homes and a refurbished leisure pool. 16-Dec-2005
Luton Borough Council has announced plans to build a National Centre for Carnival Arts in St Mary's Street by 2007, and £6.2m has already been raised. 16-Dec-2005
The Great Eastern Hotel in the City of London has been put up for sale by Conran Holdings and Wyndham International with a price tag of £150m. 15-Dec-2005
La Tasca is planning to open a further eight restaurants over the next six months, and is also launching a new Sam & Maxie's brand of family bar and grill outlets. 14-Dec-2005
Sheffield United is to acquire Chengdu Five Bull, the Chinese football club, for undisclosed terms. 13-Dec-2005
Arts Council of Wales is to award a £3.1m grant to go towards the development of a £4.3m craft centre in Ruthin. 12-Dec-2005
Hilton International is looking to open five new golf and spa complexes in Scotland and Ireland over the next three years, and also wants to reintroduce the Scandic hotel brand on at least 50 properties. 09-Dec-2005
Yotel is to open its first two budget hotels at Heathrow and Gatwick in 2006, and is co-operating with BAA on a global expansion plan. 09-Dec-2005
Vale Royal Borough Council has approved plans for the development of a £8m leisure complex at The Drumber in Winsford, in order to replace Winsford Civic Hall, the Dingle Centre and Winsford Sports Complex. 08-Dec-2005
Lafarge is planning to develop an ecological leisure complex at the former Magheramorne quarry in Northern Ireland, and proposals include a mountain biking centre, a museum, a heritage steam railway and up to 450 eco-friendly houses. 07-Dec-2005
Glasgow City Council is to seek lottery funding for the £30m development of the Glasgow Necropolis into a major tourist attraction. 05-Dec-2005
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is planning to build a £35m visitor attraction on the banks of the Clyde in Glasgow, including a covered rainforest environment with endangered animals. 01-Dec-2005
Nottingham Rugby Club is to relocate to the Lady Bay Sports Complex in West Bridgford at the end of the season. 01-Dec-2005
Newcastle City Council has awarded a £4.2m contract to Rok to refurbish and extend the Waygood Art Gallery. 01-Dec-2005
Ultimate Leisure, the bar and night club operator, is to open two more Blubambu sites in Derby and Northampton this month, and aims to refurbish 13 existing sites during the current financial year. 30-Nov-2005
North Lincolnshire Council is to consider plans for the development of a new £4m leisure centre in Barton, including a swimming pool, dance studio and fitness suite. 30-Nov-2005
Next Generation Clubs, the chain of 14 leisure clubs, is expected to be put up for sale with a price tag of £200m, having appointed UBS to conduct a strategic review. 29-Nov-2005
The East of England Development Agency is to award a £0.7m grant to go towards the development of a £3m visitor centre at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire. 28-Nov-2005
Highland Council is expected to work with local businesses and development agencies on proposals for the multi-million pound transformation of Wick's waterfront, including a five-star hotel, a marina and a water sports centre. 28-Nov-2005
Cinque Ports Leisure, the chain of 19 caravan parks, is in talks to be acquired by Graphite Capital for up to £130m. 28-Nov-2005
Clapham House is planning to expand its chain of 27 restaurants by opening a further 15 in the year to March 2007 and 20 the following year. 28-Nov-2005
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £5m grant for the completion of restoration work at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. 25-Nov-2005
Exeter City Council has approved plans from Macdonald Hotels for the £6m expansion of the Southgate Hotel in Southernhay. 25-Nov-2005
Glasgow City Council has approved plans from Blythswood Developments for the development of a 140-bedroom five-star hotel at the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club in Blythswood Square. 25-Nov-2005
Sport England is to invest a further £75m of lottery money in the grassroots development of sport across the country, including £46m for the nine regional sports boards. 24-Nov-2005
Travelodge is considering plans to close its hotel reservations call centre in Dudley with the loss of up to 170 jobs, and 40 back-office staff are expected to relocate to its head office in Thame. 24-Nov-2005
Hilton has sold 15 UK hotels to the Managed Hotels Unit Trust for £382m, but Hilton will continue to manage the sites for 30 years. 23-Nov-2005
InterContinental Hotels is planning to sell the 284-room Crowne Plaza hotel in Birmingham to Centre Island for about £25m. 23-Nov-2005
Enterprise Inns is looking to sell up to 1,000 pubs for commercial or housing redevelopment over the next five years. 23-Nov-2005
North East Lincolnshire Council is set to receive plans for the transformation of Healing Manor into a £5m luxury hotel with 65 bedrooms to serve the Grimsby area. 22-Nov-2005
Merseyside Fire Service is considering plans to set up a £8m Fireworld fun park at its Bootle headquarters, in order to teach children the dangers of fire. 18-Nov-2005
Vale Royal Borough Council is to consider plans for the development of a multi-million-pound equestrian and polo centre in Oakmere. 17-Nov-2005
Luminar is in negotiations to acquire ten large venues from The Nightclub Company for about £1m each, in order to convert the sites to its Oceana format. 14-Nov-2005
Reading Borough Council is to seek £25m of lottery funding to build a riverside theatre and arts venue to replace the Hexagon. 11-Nov-2005
Belfast City Council is looking to spend £40m transforming the city's parks and gardens over the next 15 years. 10-Nov-2005
Gourmet Holdings is to raise £5.2m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Richoux and Bel and the Dragon restaurant chains. 10-Nov-2005
Argyll & Bute Council is seeking £25m of lottery funding to regenerate the seaside town of Dunoon, including a revamp for the Victorian pier and the replacement of the Queen's Hall with a new genealogy centre and theatre. 10-Nov-2005
Vue Entertainment is in negotiations to set up a multiplex cinema at the Land Securities Summerland Gate development in Exeter. 10-Nov-2005
Top Ten is seeking acquisitions to expand its chain of bingo clubs from 38 to about 100. 10-Nov-2005
London Clubs International has secured a licence to set up a 40,000 sq ft casino and restaurant complex in London's Leicester Square by the end of 2006. 08-Nov-2005
Castle Leisure is to expand its Stirling-based chain of nine pubs and nightclubs across Scotland, having agreed a £13m finance deal with HBOS. 07-Nov-2005
The National Railway Museum in York is seeking permission to build a 60m-high observation wheel in the style of the London Eye. 04-Nov-2005
Ribble Valley Council is seeking £2m of lottery funding to help with the £3m renovation of Clitheroe Castle and its museum. 02-Nov-2005
Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council is seeking a contractor to build a £20m entertainment venue in Frankwell, including an auditorium, dance studio and studio theatre. 02-Nov-2005
Aston Villa has received a preliminary takeover approach from an Irish property consortium that values the Birmingham-based football club at more than £60m. 01-Nov-2005
Chester Zoo has unveiled plans for a £100m expansion project that could see the 110-acre attraction treble in size. 31-Oct-2005
Pizza Hut is to create about 270 jobs in the North West by opening restaurants in Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton, Lancaster, Leyland and Manchester. 31-Oct-2005
Brighton & Hove Albion has secured government permission to build a new 23,000-capacity football stadium at Falmer. 31-Oct-2005
SECC has unveiled plans to build a £62m Scottish national arena next to the Clyde in Glasgow by 2009, including 12,500 seats. 28-Oct-2005
First Choice Holidays is looking to spend up to £100m on bolt-on acquisitions next year, in response to the rising demand for niche holidays. 27-Oct-2005
Dairyland is planning to build a new £3.5m hotel and holiday cottages complex at its fun park near Newquay. 26-Oct-2005
Renaissance Southend is proposing a £200m investment in new tourist facilities by 2020, including the restoration of Southend pier, a casino, a conference centre and a hotel. 24-Oct-2005
Bristol Rovers has announced a £26m plan to transform the Memorial football and rugby stadium into an all-seater venue with 18,000 capacity. 24-Oct-2005
Ebookers, the online travel agency, is to set up a 39,000 sq ft office at 140 Aldersgate Street, London. 24-Oct-2005
The London Development Agency is looking to build a £300m conference centre in the West End, including an auditorium capacity of up to 5,000, and hopes to secure 50% of the funding from hotel groups and other businesses. 24-Oct-2005
Grimsby Town is to submit plans to build a new 12,000-capacity football stadium at Great Coates. 21-Oct-2005
St Modwen expects to start work on the £75m revamp of Dudley zoo and castle next year. 20-Oct-2005
Northacre and Minerva are to acquire the Odeon cinema on London's High Street Kensington for £24m, where they plan to develop a new multi-screen cinema and apartments. 19-Oct-2005
The RSPB and the Teesside Environmental Trust are to set up a £4.1m urban wetland nature reserve on 1,000 acres of industrial wasteland in the Tees Valley, which could attract up to 100,000 visitors a year by 2008. 19-Oct-2005
North East Lincolnshire Council is to consider plans for the development of a £2m 10,000-seater outdoor arena in Cleethorpes, as part of a £5m revamp of the town's visitor attractions. 18-Oct-2005
Liverpool City Council is considering plans to build a five-star spa hotel at Oxford Gardens, in preparation for the 2008 Open golf championship at Royal Birkdale. 17-Oct-2005
Esporta has appointed Citigroup to advise on acquisition opportunities in the premium health and fitness club sector. 17-Oct-2005
Cruise Control UK, the Romford-based cruise holidays call centre, has ceased trading with the loss of 230 jobs. 13-Oct-2005
Parkdean Holidays, the operator of 20 caravan parks, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 13-Oct-2005
Southend Council is expected to rebuild Southend Pier following this week's major fire. 11-Oct-2005
Fife Council is planning to revamp Lochore Meadows Country Park at a cost of about £40m, including a new 60-bedroom hotel and an extension to the golf course. 11-Oct-2005
The Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast is planning a £4.8m refurbishment project, having secured funding from the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure, and work will start next year. 10-Oct-2005
Canterbury City Council has approved plans for the £23m expansion of the Marlowe Theatre, including more seating, additional performance space and new catering facilities. 10-Oct-2005
Virgin Group has acquired full control of the Virgin Active chain of 77 fitness clubs, having bought a 55% stake from Bridgepoint for £134m. 07-Oct-2005
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £4.6m grant to go towards the £8.2m restoration of the historic Strawberry Hill house in Twickenham. 06-Oct-2005
Glasgow City Council has approved plans from Hanover Property Unit Trust to build a £20m hotel and leisure development at Queenslie in Easterhouse, which will create 500 jobs. 06-Oct-2005
The London 2012 Olympic Games Organising Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority are planning to set up a 30,000 sq ft headquarters at One Churchill Place in Canary Wharf. 04-Oct-2005
Newbury Racecourse is due to seek planning permission next year for a redevelopment programme, including a £5m all-weather track, a new entrance, shops, stables and a hotel. 03-Oct-2005
The Broads Authority is planning to excavate a new £25m broad on the outskirts of Yarmouth by 2012, in order to attract 200,000 visitors a year. 03-Oct-2005
The Scottish Executive is to provide £3m of funding to British Waterways to help with the regeneration of Scotland's 137-mile network of five canals. 03-Oct-2005
Hayley Conference Centres has secured a £41m private equity investment from 3i, which will help fund the £80m expansion of its network of eight conference centres over the next four years. 30-Sep-2005
Liverpool City Council is to consider a £6m scheme to open up the crypt at the city's Metropolitan Cathedral to visitors. 30-Sep-2005
Breckland Council and private partner Parkwood Holdings have announced plans for the development of new leisure facilities in Dereham and Thetford, and the Dereham site will include a swimming pool, sports hall and fitness centre. 30-Sep-2005
Manchester City Council is to consider plans from Teesland iDG to develop an Irish World Heritage Centre in Cheetham Hill, including a museum, a Gaelic football field and a 100-bed hotel. 29-Sep-2005
Lochs & Glens Holidays is planning to build a £8m 124-room hotel at Ardgartan on Loch Long by 2007, with the creation of 45 jobs. 29-Sep-2005
The Saatchi Gallery is to relocate its art collection from London's County Hall to the Duke of York's Headquarters Building in Chelsea in 2007. 28-Sep-2005
Coral Eurobet, the betting shop chain, has received a takeover approach from Gala. 28-Sep-2005
Oswestry Borough Council is to consider plans from TNS of Wales for the development of a new £5m 3,000-seater football stadium by 2008. 27-Sep-2005
Whitbread is planning to shed some of the 800 jobs at its head office in Luton, as part of a corporate restructuring programme aimed at eliminating duplication with its recently-acquired Premier Lodge hotel business. 27-Sep-2005
Essex County Council is to consider plans from Bunting & Sons for the development of a £20m tourist attraction at Great Horkesley, including a country park, leisure complex, gardens and an art gallery. 26-Sep-2005
Glasgow City Council is planning to develop a £2.8m restaurant and visitor attraction at the Botanic Gardens next to Kibble Palace, and there will also be improvements at other parks across the city. 26-Sep-2005
Belfast City Council is to consider plans from Cordia Hotels for the development of a £25m four-star hotel on Hope Street, which will create 200 jobs. 23-Sep-2005
Restaurant Group is planning to expand its chain of 279 eateries with up to 13 Frankie & Benny's and four Chiquito outlets in the second half of the year. 22-Sep-2005
Glasgow Rangers Football Club and Las Vegas Sands have won planning permission to build a £120m entertainment and casino complex. 21-Sep-2005
Jurys Doyle has been selected as the preferred operator of a new 280-bedroom hotel due to open at Liverpool's Kings Dock in late 2007. 20-Sep-2005
Belfast City Council is to consider plans from Andras House to build a four-star 215-bedroom hotel between Hope Street and Wellwood Street. 19-Sep-2005
Cannock Chase Council has unveiled a multi-million pound plan for the redevelopment of sports and leisure facilities, including new swimming pools, restaurants and a 600-seat theatre. 19-Sep-2005
Bristol Zoo has unveiled proposals to set up a National Wildlife Conservation Park on a 132-acre site at Cribbs Causeway, which could attract 600,000 visitors a year. 19-Sep-2005
Modus Properties and the Iliad Group are to submit plans for the £100m Wireworks urban regeneration scheme in Warrington, including a cinema, a hotel, flats and offices. 16-Sep-2005
South Bedfordshire District Council has approved plans from Complex Development Projects to build a £16m theatre complex at Queensway Hall by spring 2007. 16-Sep-2005
Forestry Commission Wales has unveiled plans for a £1.6m visitor centre at Coed y Brenin. 15-Sep-2005
Birmingham City Council is planning to spend £12m building a new park on an eight-acre site at Eastside on the edge of the city centre. 15-Sep-2005
Diggerland has won planning permission to set up its fourth theme park in Wakefield by next summer. 15-Sep-2005
Chorus has won a £20m contract to refurbish the Berners Hotel in the West End of London, and plans to start work early next year. 15-Sep-2005
The Rambert Dance Company is planning to build a £16m six-storey dance centre on the South Bank in London by 2008, to replace its existing site in Chiswick. 15-Sep-2005
The Lawn Tennis Association is looking to sell the Queen's tennis club in London for about £40m, as part of a plan to relocate its headquarters to Roehampton in 2007. 14-Sep-2005
City of Edinburgh Council is planning to spend up to £100m transforming the Royal Commonwealth Pool and building a new sports complex and football centre. 12-Sep-2005
National Museums Liverpool is to close the Museum of Liverpool Life by next April. 12-Sep-2005
Yarmouth Pleasure Beach has reached agreement with Vue Entertainment to build a £8m multiplex cinema in Great Yarmouth by 2007. 12-Sep-2005
Bournemouth Borough Council is planning to build a new £8m arts and education centre to replace the Winter Gardens concert hall. 09-Sep-2005
Richmondshire Council is to help fund the development of a £15m sport and leisure complex at Catterick Garrison, with final approval expected to be granted by the Army Infrastructures Organisation next summer. 09-Sep-2005
Powys County Council is planning to close Celtica, the Celtic heritage tourist attraction in Machynlleth, next March with the loss of up to 14 jobs. 07-Sep-2005
Buckingham Bingo, the Manchester-based operator of ten bingo halls, is expected to be sold for more than £90m. 07-Sep-2005
Trentham Leisure is considering plans from Birdline UK to set up a £4m parrot aviary with 700 birds at the Trentham Gardens site in Staffordshire. 06-Sep-2005
Forest of Dean Council has approved plans for the development of a £0.6m extreme cycling centre at Cannop. 05-Sep-2005
Teesdale District Council is to consider plans from Primula for the development of a 120-room hotel and leisure complex at Humbleton Camp near Barnard Castle, including golf course, spa and holiday lodges. 05-Sep-2005
Derby City Council is to consider plans for the development of the £9.8m Quad Arts Centre for media and visual arts in Derby. 05-Sep-2005
Plymouth City Council has approved plans from Yelverton Properties for the development of a £20m nine-storey JurysDoyle hotel, which will create about 100 jobs. 05-Sep-2005
Salford Council is to consider plans from the Salford Reds rugby league club for the development of a £70m 20,000-capacity stadium designed by Arup Associates, and the plans also include leisure and retail facilities. 01-Sep-2005
Chelsea Football Club has awarded a contract to Dean & Dyball to build a new £15m training ground at Cobham in Surrey. 01-Sep-2005
Scottish Natural Heritage is to launch a four-month recruitment campaign for up to 70 staff at its new headquarters in Inverness, where it already employs 125 staff in five offices. 31-Aug-2005
Manchester United is to shed 25 administrative jobs following an internal structural review. 31-Aug-2005
Sefton Council has approved plans for the development of a £8.5m water park at Dunes Leisure Centre in Southport, which will create up to 137 jobs. 29-Aug-2005
Sheffield United has announced plans to build a four-star 146-bedroom hotel and a new 2,200-capacity stand at its Bramall Lane football stadium. 29-Aug-2005
Preston Council is seeking £2.8m of lottery funding to restore the historic Avenham and Miller parks. 29-Aug-2005
Bath Rugby Club is to seek outline permission to build a 15,000-capacity stadium on the Recreation Ground in Bath. 29-Aug-2005
Alchemy Partners is in negotiations to acquire the City Day & Night business from Spirit Group for up to £200m, including the Bar 38 chain and 180 properties. 29-Aug-2005
Southend Council is to consider plans from Dedman Planning & Regeneration to revamp the area between the Kursaal and the Pier, including new homes, a casino, restaurants and a hotel. 26-Aug-2005
Liverpool City Council has secured a £16m government grant to restore the historic Picton Reading Room in Liverpool library. 25-Aug-2005
Leeds City Council is to secure £30m of government funding to build new swimming pools, sports halls and fitness centres across the city. 24-Aug-2005
Weymouth & Portland Sailing Academy is to receive a £9.6m government and lottery investment to prepare the site for the 2012 Olympic Games. 24-Aug-2005
Jackson Construction has won a contract from Dartford Borough Council to build a £6m 5,000-capacity football stadium for Dartford FC by July 2006. 24-Aug-2005
Stockton Council has approved plans for the £4.8m development of Preston Hall Museum in Eaglescliffe into a leading tourist attraction, but Billingham Art Gallery and the Green Dragon Museum will close. 23-Aug-2005
Rose Bowl, the owner of Hampshire county cricket, is considering plans to float on Aim in 2007. 22-Aug-2005
Gala, the bingo and casino operator, has secured a £200m equity investment from Permira, and is looking to acquire large retail gaming companies. 22-Aug-2005
Staffordshire County Council is to consider plans for the development of a £6m arts centre in Stafford, including a gallery, exhibition space and conference facilities. 19-Aug-2005
Redcrest Holidays, the Carlisle-based tour operator that provides coach, self-drive and air holidays to Spain, has ceased trading with the loss of 25 jobs. 18-Aug-2005
Belfast City Council has received detailed proposals for the development of a £100m visitor attraction on the shore of Belfast Lough, in order to tell the story of the Titanic. 18-Aug-2005
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is seeking permission to spend £6m expanding its Sophia Gardens stadium in Cardiff from a capacity of 6,000 to 16,000, and an indoor ice hockey arena is also included in the plans. 15-Aug-2005
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is considering plans to transform the former Calder Hall nuclear reactor in Cumbria into a visitor attraction. 15-Aug-2005
Queens Moat Houses is to transfer up to 13 of its UK hotels to InterContinental Hotels Group's Holiday Inn franchise, and three could be converted to the upmarket Crowne Plaza brand. 15-Aug-2005
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport and the Wolfson Foundation have awarded £4m to 40 museums and galleries in England to improve displays and access. 12-Aug-2005
Travelsphere, the provider of escorted holidays, has been put up for sale with an estimated price tag of £200m. 09-Aug-2005
Haringey Council in London is planning to invest £4.6m in the development of new health and fitness facilities across the borough. 09-Aug-2005
Highland Council is to consider plans from Tulloch Dounreay for the development of a £20m leisure and business complex at Upper Dounreay Farm in Caithness, including hotels, a swimming pool and self-catering apartments. 05-Aug-2005
Norwich Sport Village is to undergo a £4m refurbishment, in order to transform the site into a 78-bedroom Express by Holiday Inn. 04-Aug-2005
Vale Royal Borough Council has approved plans to expand the Nunsmere Country Hall Hotel in Oakmere, with the creation of up to 80 jobs. 03-Aug-2005
Marylebone Warwick Balfour has raised £105m to fund the expansion of its Hotel du Vin and Malmaison hotel chains throughout the country, including about nine new sites over the next four years. 27-Jul-2005
Carmarthenshire Council and Llanelli Scarlets are planning to build a new £45m 15,000-capacity rugby stadium and athletics stadium in Llanelli by 2007. 25-Jul-2005
The Scottish Executive has awarded a £9m grant to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority to set up a new headquarters at Balloch for 120 staff. 25-Jul-2005
Inverness Harbour Trust is planning to build a new £8m marina at the mouth of the River Ness. 25-Jul-2005
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £38m to fund improvements at three museums: the Victoria & Albert, the Museum of London and the Royal Museum in Edinburgh. 25-Jul-2005
Total Fitness is to open a health and fitness centre at Thornaby on Teesside in September, with the creation of 55 jobs. 20-Jul-2005
Stanley Leisure is to invest £100m in the expansion of its chain of 41 casinos over the next five years. 19-Jul-2005
London Zoo is planning to remove cages and provide a more natural setting for its animals, including a £5m investment in a "gorilla island". 18-Jul-2005
The Science Museum has formed a joint venture with Fleming Media called Science & Media LLP, which will develop a series of exhibitions to tour other museum and venues. 18-Jul-2005
Luton Borough Council is to consider plans for the development of a casino and 1,000 new homes at the former Vauxhall site. 15-Jul-2005
Sheffield City Council has approved plans for the development of The Mayfield Astronomy & Space centre, and the Sheffield Astronomical Society is now looking to raise £0.5m for the project. 15-Jul-2005
Oak Holdings has been appointed to oversee the possible development of two new visitor attractions - Shakespeare’s World in Banbury and Outlaw’s Kingdom in Mansfield. 14-Jul-2005
Spa & Resort Operations is to invest £40m in a series of expansion projects, with the creation of up to 400 jobs at sites including Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire and Eden Hall near Newark. 14-Jul-2005
The East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham is to spend £1.6m on improving its facilities, with work starting early next year. 13-Jul-2005
Urbium, the chain of bars, has rejected a £101m takeover approach from Regent Inns, and other companies are now expected to consider bidding. 13-Jul-2005
The North West Development Agency has approved funding of £33m for the redevelopment of the Pier Head site, including a new Museum of Liverpool and a canal link. 12-Jul-2005
Jarvis Hotels, the chain of 60 hotels, is expected to be put up for sale by Lioncourt Capital for about £200m. 11-Jul-2005
The Mill Hotel in Chester has revealed plans for a £10m extension, including a conference centre and 50 new jobs. 11-Jul-2005
Wythall Transport Museum in Birmingham has secured lottery funding for a £1m facelift, with work starting early next year. 08-Jul-2005
Ebac is planning to open a chain of luxury spas under the Waterfall name, depending on the success of a £1m site due to open in Leeds this autumn. 08-Jul-2005
Travelsupermarket is planning to invest £6m in the expansion of its online travel price comparison business over the next 12 months, with the creation of up to 50 jobs at its site near Chester. 07-Jul-2005
London 2012 has succeeded with its bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, which will lead to a £4.9bn investment in the regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley in east London, including a new £250m stadium. 07-Jul-2005
Boston Borough Council is looking into the possibility of building a new arts centre and theatre in Boston. 06-Jul-2005
Rotherham United is planning to build a new £4m stand at its football stadium by next February. 05-Jul-2005
Monkwearmouth Station Museum in Sunderland has secured a £0.5m lottery grant to fund the £1m restoration and development of its historic building. 05-Jul-2005
The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £15m to revamp five historic parks, including South Marine Park in South Shields, Castle Gardens in Lisburn, Towneley Park in Burnley, Lydiard Park in Swindon and Wollaton Hall in Nottingham. 04-Jul-2005
Southampton City Council has secured a £5m Arts Council grant to set up an arts complex at Guildhall Square by 2008, including equipment for performers, artists and film-makers. 04-Jul-2005
Duke Street Capital has appointed NM Rothschild to conduct a strategic review of Sporting Index, the spread betting company, which could lead to the business being sold for up to £200m. 04-Jul-2005
Hilton is looking to raise more than £300m from the sale of 16 of its UK hotels, but will retain management contracts on the properties. 04-Jul-2005
The Glasgow School of Art is expected to receive lottery funding for the £4m restoration and development of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh building. 01-Jul-2005
Healthy Living Centres is planning to expand its chain of 33 Motorcise healthy living centres, having agreed a new financing package. 01-Jul-2005
Deep Sea Leisure has secured £3.3m of new funding from NatWest Commercial Banking to upgrade attractions in Ellesmere Port and Fife. 30-Jun-2005
Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) is submitting plans to build a new £5m four-storey dance centre at its city centre headquarters. 30-Jun-2005
Cardiff County Council has awarded a £3m contract to Opco Construction to refurbish Cardiff Castle. 30-Jun-2005
Barracuda, the chain of 160 pubs and bars, has been acquired by Charterhouse Capital Partners for £262m. 28-Jun-2005
Sefton Council has selected Neptune Developments to redevelop the Floral Hall Gardens in Southport as a 100-bed hotel, leisure and casino complex. 27-Jun-2005
Seasons in Style, the tour operator with 45 staff, is to relocate its headquarters from Wirral to St David's Park, Chester, in October, and plans to create 20 new jobs. 27-Jun-2005
Celtic Football Club is considering plans to relocate its training facilities from the east end of Glasgow to Lennoxtown. 27-Jun-2005
Quintessential Hotels has changed its name to QHotels, and will invest almost £40m in a refurbishment programme. 27-Jun-2005
Coventry Sports Foundation has announced plans to build a £7m sports centre in Canley, and hopes to start work in January. 24-Jun-2005
Whitbread is planning to build up to 20 pubs, restaurants and hotels in Northern Ireland over the next ten years, at a cost of £30m. 23-Jun-2005
The London Borough of Merton, Greenwich Leisure and Merton College are to spend £4.5m refurbishing the Wimbledon Wellness fitness centre, the Morden Park Pool Wellness fitness centre and Cannons Leisure Centre over the next two years. 23-Jun-2005
Lancashire Wildlife Trust is planning to set up a £1.2m regional headquarters in Bolton in July 2006. 22-Jun-2005
Carmarthenshire County Council is considering proposals from the Walters Group to build a new racecourse at Ffos Las in Trimsaran, and private sector investment is being sought. 22-Jun-2005
Bicester Golf & Country Club is planning to build a 52-room four-star hotel by 2007. 22-Jun-2005
Liverpool City Council is planning to set up a £13m botanical garden in Calderstones Park, with three domes being used to house the city's collection of 16,000 plants. 20-Jun-2005
Canterbury Travel is seeking a substantial capital injection to fund its move into the summer holiday market, which will involve building a new hotel in Finland. 20-Jun-2005
Peterborough City Council is considering plans from Travelodge Hotels to build a 79-bedroom hotel in the city centre. 17-Jun-2005
Cosalt Holiday Homes is planning to shed up to 120 jobs at its factory in Hull, following a fall in demand for caravans and holiday homes. 17-Jun-2005
Edinburgh Crystal Glass has awarded a £2m contract to J Smart to build a visitor centre in Edinburgh. 16-Jun-2005
Forest Pines, the hotel and leisure complex near Brigg, has been acquired by Q Hotels of Leeds for an estimated £50m, and will now undergo refurbishment. 15-Jun-2005
Lincolnshire Agricultural Society is planning to build a £8m music and conference venue at the Lincolnshire Showground. 15-Jun-2005
Marylebone Warwick Balfour is considering plans to demerge its lifestyle hotel division, including seven Hotel du Vin sites and eight Malmaisons, for an estimated £300m. 15-Jun-2005
Middlesbrough Borough Council is considering proposals for the development of a multi-million pound 2,500-seater music and conference arena. 14-Jun-2005
The Horniman Museum Aquarium in London is planning a £1.5m refurbishment by spring 2006. 14-Jun-2005
Arena Leisure is to soon seek planning permission to develop racecourses in Windsor, Lingfield Park and Doncaster. 14-Jun-2005
Drayton Manor Park in Staffordshire has announced plans to spend £29m building an 86-bedroom hotel, a water park and new log cabin accommodation. 13-Jun-2005
The Cadbury House Hotel & Country Club near Bristol has secured a £1.2m investment from Puma VCT to help fund the £12m development of a new fitness centre, a 50-room hotel wing and new conference facilities. 09-Jun-2005
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is to provide £2m to a £12m project to rebuild the Lyric Theatre in Belfast. 08-Jun-2005
Leicester City Council has approved revised plans for the development of a new theatre to replace the Haymarket Theatre, despite the cost rising from £26m to £48m. 08-Jun-2005
Belhaven is planning to spend £2m on new beer gardens and roof terraces for its chain of 270 pubs, in response to the proposed smoking ban in Scotland. 07-Jun-2005
Fylde Council is considering plans from Kensington Developments for the £700m transformation of a 75-acre site at Lytham Quays into a housing, business and leisure complex. 06-Jun-2005
Gwynedd Council has approved plans for the £3.8m extension of the Hafan marina at Pwllheli. 03-Jun-2005
Truro City has announced proposals to build a new £16m 16,000-seater football stadium in Truro. 03-Jun-2005
Ark Alive is looking to raise £144m to fund the development of a Christian theme park in Yorkshire. 02-Jun-2005
Crealy Adventure Park near Exeter is planning a multi-million pound investment programme in new facilities next winter. 01-Jun-2005
St Mirren Football Club is looking to sell its Love Street stadium in Paisley to a supermarket chain for about £10m, in order to fund the development of a new stadium in the town's Ferguslie area. 27-May-2005
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is considering plans from Parkwood leisure to build a new £11m leisure centre at Tudor Grange Park. 27-May-2005
O2 and Anschutz Entertainment Group have announced plans to reopen London's Millennium Dome as a 23,000-capacity indoor arena in April 2007, including a music hall of fame, a theatre, restaurants and bars. 26-May-2005
East Lancashire Partnership is in discussions with an international business consortium about the possibility of building a multi-million pound racecourse and five-star hotel complex on a site between Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley. 26-May-2005
Sunderland Council has approved plans for the development of a £12m Olympic swimming pool next to the Stadium of Light over the next two years. 26-May-2005
Sealand Cruising, the North Yorkshire-based cruise company, has ceased trading with the loss of 22 jobs. 25-May-2005
Yorkshire Forward has announced grants worth £2.6m for new arts and entertainment projects in Leeds, including a new city museum, a large outdoor screen and new headquarters for Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance. 25-May-2005
Derby City Council is to consider plans from Heartwood Homes for the development of a £35m marina village at the derelict 10-acre Acordis landfill site, including 250 homes, bars, restaurants and a hotel. 25-May-2005
Loch Fyne Restaurants, the chain of 28 restaurants, is said to be looking to sell the business for up to £40m. 25-May-2005
The North West Regional Development Agency has secured a £19m government funding package for the transformation of the former Bickershaw Colliery in Leigh into a residential, retail and leisure complex. 24-May-2005
Hilton is said to be considering plans to sell off its global chain of 122 LivingWell fitness clubs, including 86 UK clubs, for about £80m. 23-May-2005
Glasgow City Council is planning to revamp the city's parks, at a cost of £10m. 20-May-2005
Oxford United has won approval to build an 87-bed hotel next to the Kassam football stadium. 20-May-2005
Hull City Council is considering plans from Luminar Leisure for the £5m transformation of the Waterfront nightclub into an Oceana superclub. 20-May-2005
English Heritage is planning to spend £2.5m revamping Kenilworth Castle, including a new timber-framed visitor centre. 19-May-2005
Fishworks is planning to expand its chain of seafood restaurants from five to 19 over the next three years, and will to seek a listing on Aim. 19-May-2005
Taylor Woodrow has won a £20m contract from the Harefield Academy Trust to build a £20m football academy in Hertfordshire. 19-May-2005
Holiday Discount Centre is planning to expand the 120-strong workforce at its Newcastle-based travel agency business with about 30 additional staff this year. 18-May-2005
East Riding Council is to refurbish Bridlington Spa at a cost of £10m, which will involve closing the entertainment complex for 18 months from next January. 18-May-2005
Lydd Airport in Kent is planning to build a £7.5m hotel, which is linked to an application to expand the runway and increase the number of passenger flights. 18-May-2005
South Cambridgeshire District Council is considering plans for the development of a £5m Airborne Forces centre to celebrate the history of the Parachute Regiment at the Imperial War Museum site in Duxford. 18-May-2005
Moyle District Council is to consider plans from Kennedy Group to build a £12m leisure and conference hotel in Portrush, with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 18-May-2005
Forest Heath District Council is planning to build a new £8.5m swimming pool and leisure centre in Newmarket. 13-May-2005
Glasgow City Council is considering proposals to set up a new leisure centre at the derelict Maryhill Burgh Halls building, at a cost of £10m. 13-May-2005
Manchester United and Las Vegas Sands are proposing to build a casino complex next to the Old Trafford stadium, including a five-star hotel. 10-May-2005
Ambassador Theatre Group is looking to expand its chain of 23 theatres by acquiring a further ten sites, and Deloitte & Touche has been appointed to raise up to £30m of development funds. 10-May-2005
Walsall Football Club has reached agreement with Ramada Encore to build a 100-bedroom hotel at the Bescot Stadium site, and work starts next month. 09-May-2005
Darlington Borough Council is to consider plans from High Point Estates to build a leisure complex in Yarm Road, including restaurants, shops, bingo, bowling and a cinema. 05-May-2005
Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn Garden City is planning to build a new £5.5m sports facility, including a fitness suite, saunas, treatment rooms and a golf driving range. 05-May-2005
Noble House Leisure has secured £9m from Royal Bank of Scotland to fund the development of at least 12 new restaurants over the next three years. 05-May-2005
Glasgow City Council has set aside £1m to acquire a 22-acre site to build a £24m 5,000-seater indoor sports arena near Celtic Park by 2008. 04-May-2005
Thistle Hotels has sold six of its 49 hotels to Topland in a £185m sale and leaseback deal. 02-May-2005
Hilton is planning to open up to 200 Ladbrokes betting shops. 02-May-2005
Syngenta has closed The Forum conference centre in Huddersfield, with the loss of up to 50 Eurest catering jobs. 28-Apr-2005
Liverpool City Council has secured a £5m provisional lottery grant to fund the restoration of Sefton Park. 28-Apr-2005
Queens Moat Houses is looking to sell nine of its UK hotels for about £100m, and Christie & Co has been appointed to handle the sale. 28-Apr-2005
Dartford Borough Council has awarded a £3.5m contract to Mace subsidiary Como to build a judo centre in Dartford. 28-Apr-2005
Westminster City Council has approved plans from Number One Venues to set up a £5m corporate and indoor sporting events venue in Piccadilly by January 2006. 26-Apr-2005
Powerleague, the operator of 30 five-a-side football centres, is to raise £12m in a flotation on Aim, and plans to open a further 11 sites over the next three years. 25-Apr-2005
Spirit Group is looking to sell about 170 of its high-street bars and pubs for up to £250m. 25-Apr-2005
Derwentside District Council is considering proposals to develop a new sports centre in Consett, including swimming pool, tennis and a 6,000-capacity football stadium. 22-Apr-2005
Highland Council has approved plans from the National Trust for Scotland to build a new £7m visitor centre at the historic Culloden battlefield by February 2007. 21-Apr-2005
Newmarket Racecourse has announced plans for the £13m revamp of the facilities at its July course, with work starting in autumn 2006. 21-Apr-2005
Plymouth City Council is to consider plans from Trathen Estates to build a £50m 19-storey tower at Derrys Cross, including a five-star hotel, 200 apartments and office space. 21-Apr-2005
Southampton City Council is considering plans from Weyly to build a £35m luxury hotel in lower High Street. 20-Apr-2005
Urban Dining is planning to expand its chain of Tootsies grill restaurants from 24 to 32 this year. 20-Apr-2005
Thomas Cook is to create 100 new sales and customer service jobs at its travel business in Peterborough. 19-Apr-2005
Avebury Taverns is looking to sell about 250 pubs, in order to reduce its chain to about 450 sites. 18-Apr-2005
Yo Sushi is to expand its UK-based chain of 17 restaurants with four new sites this year. 18-Apr-2005
Eatonfield Leisure is planning to set up a £1.5m luxury day spa in Mold by early 2006, with the creation of 40 jobs. 15-Apr-2005
Restormel Borough Council is to consider plans from CMR Leisure to build a £20m four-star hotel and spa in St Austell, which would create 240 jobs. 15-Apr-2005
McLaren Construction has won a £15m contract to build the shell of a theme park based on Charles Dickens at Chatham in Kent, and the South East England Development Agency expects the park to open in April 2007. 14-Apr-2005
JJB Sports is to invest £110m opening 29 new health clubs in its stores over the next two years. 14-Apr-2005
Jarvis Hotels has sold the Bear hotel in Hungerford to Considered Hotels for about £3m. 14-Apr-2005
East Lindsey District Council has announced plans to build two leisure centres in Louth, at a cost of £12m. 12-Apr-2005
Gala, the casino and bingo operator, is considering plans for a flotation that could value the business at up to £1.8bn. 11-Apr-2005
Westminster City Council is to spend £6m revamping London's main theatre district, including wider boulevards, improved security and traffic restrictions. 08-Apr-2005
The Scottish Arts Council is supporting plans for the development of the £4m Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, an international sculpture centre in Newhaven that will include studios and exhibition space. 07-Apr-2005
Harlow Council has approved plans for the development of a new 3,000-capacity stadium at Barrows Farm for Harlow Town Football Club. 07-Apr-2005
Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council has secured almost £3m of lottery money to fund the restoration of the historic Queen's Park. 07-Apr-2005
Ah-So is planning to sell franchises to set up a chain of up to 70 Japanese teppanyaki restaurants around the country over the next five years. 07-Apr-2005
Multibuild has won a £4m contract to build a hotel in Gretna Green for the Gretna Green Group. 07-Apr-2005
InterContinental Hotels is planning to open two long-stay hotels at Brentford and the South Bank in London next year, under the Staybridge Suites brand. 07-Apr-2005
Burford is looking to sell the Trocadero leisure complex in London's Leicester Square for £210m. 05-Apr-2005
The Museums, Libraries & Archives Council has announced a £100m funding package for regional museums across the country over the next three years, as part of the Renaissance scheme. 05-Apr-2005
Test Valley Borough Council has announced plans to build a £1.5m theatre and cultural centre on the site of the present Cricklade Theatre block in Andover by next year. 05-Apr-2005
Sandwell Council has approved plans for the development of a new leisure centre at the former Brierley Upholstery site in Cradley Heath, including a range of sports facilities and 25 new jobs. 05-Apr-2005
Wolverhampton & Dudley is to close the Warrington head office of its recently-acquired Burtonwood pubs business, with the loss of more than 50 jobs. 04-Apr-2005
British Waterways is to spend £3m revamping Stourport's historic canal basins into a tourist attraction, with the creation of about 70 jobs. 04-Apr-2005
Bet365 is recruiting an extra 20 staff for its online gambling call centre at Festival Park in Staffordshire. 04-Apr-2005
IG Group, the spread betting company, is planning to return to the stock market next month in a flotation that values the business at up to £375m. 04-Apr-2005
Chorley Council has secured a £2m lottery grant to fund the refurbishment of the historic Astley Park. 01-Apr-2005
Sheffield United is to form a £50m property venture with Scarborough Property Company, in order to raise funds for new players and training facilities. 01-Apr-2005
Leeds City Council has been approached by London-based developer Patrick Nally about plans to build a £65m entertainment arena in the centre of Leeds, including a 12,000-seater indoor bowl and Olympic-sized ice rink. 30-Mar-2005
Betfair, the internet betting exchange, has appointed NM Rothschild to advise on strategic options, which could lead to a flotation. 30-Mar-2005
TUI is planning to shed 2,000 jobs in its UK travel operations, including Thomson Holidays and Lunn Poly, with 900 back-office jobs being lost from the relocation of its head office from London and Luton. 30-Mar-2005
Bristol City Council has selected a consortium of SMG, Orion Land, Bellway and Sir Robert McAlpine to build a 10,000-seat stadium at Temple Meads by 2009, for use as a sporting and music venue. 30-Mar-2005
Marylebone Warwick Balfour is planning to raise £30m of equity funding to expand its Hotel du Vin and Malmaison hotel chains. 30-Mar-2005
British Canoe Union is planning to set up a white-water canoeing facility in Norwich, at a cost of up to £1m, including various recreation and conservation facilities. 29-Mar-2005
Yarmouth Borough Council is to release a 10-acre riverside site at Cobholm to Landfast Anglia, for the development of a multi-million pound marina. 29-Mar-2005
Camden Council has approved plans for the £100m refurbishment of the former Midland Grand Hotel at King's Cross into a luxury hotel and flats. 29-Mar-2005
Liverpool City Council is inviting expressions of interest from private companies about forming a partnership to operate the city's leisure centres. 29-Mar-2005
The Church Mission Society is planning to relocate from London to Oxford, and its 60,000 sq ft property in Waterloo could be transformed into a 300-bedroom hotel. 29-Mar-2005
Bovis Lend Lease is expected to win a £30m contract to build a luxury Mandarin Oriental hotel at Great Shelford in Cambridge. 29-Mar-2005
The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham has announced plans to spend £40m upgrading it facilities over the next three years, including more seating areas and catering outlets. 24-Mar-2005
Zoological Society of London is to set up a £80m aquarium called Biota by 2008, as part of the £1.5bn Silvertown Quays riverside development. 24-Mar-2005
Node Management of Usk has secured a £0.5m investment from Finance Wales to fund the development of a virtual guide that can be taken around tourist attractions. 23-Mar-2005
Highland Council is to consider plans for the development of a £20m golf course at Castle Stuart, including a 57-bedroom hotel, 36 self-catering apartments and 200 new jobs. 23-Mar-2005
Tussauds Group, the owner of various theme parks and tourist attractions, is expected to be sold to Dubai International Capital for £800m. 23-Mar-2005
Numis is to provide advice to Talarius, a new company that aims to raise £5m in a flotation to develop a chain of betting shops and amusement arcades through acquisition. 21-Mar-2005
Hempel, the London hotel, has been sold by O&H Property to Irish investors for more than £16m. 21-Mar-2005
Aberdeen City Council is planning to build a £2.7m skate park and extreme-sports centre at Aberdeen beach by summer 2006. 21-Mar-2005
Plymouth City Council has approved plans for the development of a £4m sports centre in Devonport, which will also act as a grandstand for Plymouth Albion rugby club. 18-Mar-2005
Luminar is considering plans to sell off its 90 Chicago Rock Cafe and Jumpin Jaks outlets as part of a strategic review of its entertainment business. 17-Mar-2005
Ramside Estates is planning a £12m expansion of the Ramside Hall hotel near Durham, with the creation of 100 jobs. 17-Mar-2005
First Choice Holidays is planning to close its call centre in Kilmarnock in June, with the loss of up to 160 jobs. 17-Mar-2005
Millennium & Copthorne is to operate a 200-bedroom Ocean Village hotel and conference centre in Southampton for Marina Developments, and construction will start later this year. 17-Mar-2005
Arena Leisure is seeking contractors for a £20m project to build new facilities at Doncaster racecourse, including a conference centre. 16-Mar-2005
The East of England Development Agency has announced that the National Institute for Research into Aquatic Habitats is to build a £250m 40-hectare aquarium at Stewartby near Bedford by 2010, with the creation of 2,500 jobs. 16-Mar-2005
Leisure Connection has won a £16m contract to provide the London Borough of Brent with a sports and leisure centre to replace Willesden Sports, and construction is due for completion at the end of next year. 16-Mar-2005
Whitbread is to exit from the operation and ownership of its franchised Marriott hotels by forming a joint venture with Marriott to hold the properties, which will involve the transfer of all staff currently employed by Whitbread Hotel Company. 15-Mar-2005
Reading Borough Council has approved plans from Durham Investment Six to transform the Old Shire Hall in The Forbury into a 24-bedroom luxury hotel. 14-Mar-2005
The Imperial Hotel in Torquay is to undergo a £50m revamp by owner Dawnay Shore Hotels, with the creation of 350 jobs. 14-Mar-2005
Po Na Na, the chain of 28 bars valued at about £15m, has been put up for sale by Avanti Capital. 14-Mar-2005
Travelodge is planning to expand its chain of 258 budget hotels, adding 2,500 rooms this year and a further 15,000 over the next six years. 14-Mar-2005
Greenwich Council is to consider plans from Anschutz Entertainment Group to set up a football training centre called the Beckham Academy. 14-Mar-2005
Peterborough City Council has approved plans from the First Active Health & Leisure Club to set up a new £3m indoor tennis centre, with the creation of 20 jobs. 11-Mar-2005
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Museum has secured a £0.9m lottery grant to help it relocate within Edinburgh Castle, while the Gordon Highlanders museum in Aberdeen has secured a £0.5m grant. 11-Mar-2005
Parkdean Holidays has secured a £152m financing package from Lloyds TSB and Barclays to fund organic growth and acquisitions for its holiday parks business. 10-Mar-2005
Plymouth City Council is considering proposals for the development of a £30m leisure complex in Central Park, including swimming pool, ice rink, sports hall and conference facilities. 10-Mar-2005
Carlisle City Council is considering plans from Kingmoor Park Properties for the £25m development of a factory and hotel complex on a 100-acre site at Kingmoor Park. 10-Mar-2005
Brazz is planning to establish a chain of up to ten restaurants over the next five years, and potential locations include Swansea and Cardiff. 04-Mar-2005
Elmbridge Borough Council is to build a £12m swimming and leisure complex in Walton-on-Thames, and Willmott Dixon will start construction work later this month. 04-Mar-2005
Wellingborough Borough Council is planning to build a £8m swimming pool and dance studio in Cannon Street by autumn 2006. 03-Mar-2005
The Northcott Theatre in Exeter is planning to undergo a £3.1m expansion project by October 2006, in order to add extra seats and extend the hospitality facilities. 03-Mar-2005
Jurys Doyle is planning to open three new Jury Inns hotels in Brighton, Milton Keynes and Liverpool. 03-Mar-2005
Dundee University is to spend £7m building new sports facilities, including football, hockey, squash and a fitness suite. 01-Mar-2005
Highland Council is considering plans for the development of a £8m historical research centre next to Inverness Cathedral, in order to benefit from rising interest in genealogy. 28-Feb-2005
Aussie UK has appointed investment bank Altium to help it raise £30m to fund the expansion of its chain of six Outback Steakhouse restaurants from six to 50 over the next five years. 28-Feb-2005
Barracuda, the chain of 155 Varsity and Smith & Jones bars, is expected to be put up for sale with a valuation of £150m. 28-Feb-2005
Hilton is looking to sell hotels worth up to £400m this year, and an announcement about the sale of 11 properties is expected soon. 28-Feb-2005
North Wales Watersports has been established as a not-for-profit company with the aim of creating more than 400 jobs and doubling the annual revenues of the watersports industry in north Wales to £60m. 25-Feb-2005
Paddy Power is planning to open a further 30 betting shops in London over the next two years. 24-Feb-2005
Urbium is planning to increase its chain of nightclubs in the City of London to 15 over the next three years. 24-Feb-2005
Gladstone, the supplier of leisure management systems to local authority sport centres and fitness clubs, has raised £1.5m in a share placing. 23-Feb-2005
Tote, the bookmaker, is to relocate its head office from London to the Wigan Investment Centre in March, to be closer to the 600 staff already employed in Wigan. 23-Feb-2005
Pleasurewood Hills is investing £2m in improvements at its amusement park in Suffolk. 23-Feb-2005
Glasgow City Council has approved plans from London Clubs International and Heron International to set up a £8m casino at Springfield Quay by next year, with the creation of 200 jobs. 23-Feb-2005
Millennium & Copthorne is planning to treble the size of its 11-strong chain of Copthorne hotels in the UK over the next five years, mainly through franchising and management contracts, and 20 potential locations have been identified. 22-Feb-2005
London Clubs International and Henry Boot Developments have won permission to include a £8m casino at the Axis retail and leisure development in Nottingham. 21-Feb-2005
Iglu.com, the online travel company, is considering plans for a £50m flotation on Aim. 21-Feb-2005
Travelscope, the tour operator, has awarded a £5m contract to Galliford Try to build a new headquarters in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. 17-Feb-2005
Multibuild has won a £3.2m contract from Goals Soccer to build a sports facility in Sheffield. 17-Feb-2005
Liverpool City Council has announced proposals to spend £11m transforming historic Stanley Park, including the restoration of its conservatory. 17-Feb-2005
Trinity House is to close the National Lighthouse Centre museum in Penzance. 17-Feb-2005
North Norfolk District Council is to consider plans from Thrigby Hall Wildlife Garden to develop a new zoo in Cromer, which could attract up to 50,000 visitors a year by 2008. 15-Feb-2005
The East of England Development Agency is to help fund the development of a £16m arts complex at the St Botolph's Quarter in Colchester by 2007, including an art gallery, conference centre and auditorium. 11-Feb-2005
Eastbourne Borough Council has approved plans from Rick Mather Architects for the development of a £8.5m art gallery and cultural centre next to the Congress Theatre. 10-Feb-2005
Harlequins has awarded a £8m contract to Metnor Construction to build a new stand at the Stoop rugby stadium in west London. 10-Feb-2005
Wentworth Golf Club's new owner is planning to invest £60m in an expansion programme, including a new five-star hotel. 10-Feb-2005
The National Trust is planning to shed 250 jobs from its 4,000-strong workforce, which will affect offices across the country. 09-Feb-2005
Wembley is seeking a buyer for its UK gaming division, which includes greyhound tracks in Manchester, Birmingham, Wimbledon, Oxford and Portsmouth and is valued at up to £50m. 09-Feb-2005
London Wasps has appointed Drivers Jonas Sport to find suitable sites in west London for a 20,000-capacity rugby stadium and training ground. 07-Feb-2005
Directski.com, the Irish tour operator, has received a £2m equity investment from ACT to fund the expansion of its UK operations. 07-Feb-2005
Vale of Glamorgan Council is considering plans from Decourcy for the £6m redevelopment of the Beach Cliff buildings on the seafront in Penarth, including a number of new restaurants. 03-Feb-2005
Forest Heath District Council is expected to receive plans from Orion Land & Leisure for the development of a water-sports centre and 4,000 homes at Kentford Heath, near Newmarket. 03-Feb-2005
South Ayrshire Council has approved outline plans for the £35m development of new facilities at Ayr racecourse, including a hotel, casino and cinema, which will lead to the creation of 300 jobs. 03-Feb-2005
The Old Course Hotel and the Duke's golf course at St Andrews are to undergo a £12m refurbishment over the next two years. 02-Feb-2005
The Big Lottery Fund is planning to set up a lottery grant processing centre in Newcastle with the creation of 180 jobs, and a second site will be established in Birmingham. 01-Feb-2005
Sandwell Council is working on proposals for the multi-million pound transformation of the historic Soho Foundry in Smethwick into an industrial and museum complex. 01-Feb-2005
Archerfield Links is to create more than 350 jobs this year with the £50m development of two championship golf courses and associated accommodation in East Lothian. 01-Feb-2005
Rotherham Council is considering plans from Oak Holdings to build a £300m leisure resort near Orgreave, which will include 1m sq ft of entertainment facilities and create up to 2,700 jobs. 01-Feb-2005
Marylebone Warwick Balfour is looking to sell the 157-room Marriott Hotel on London's Park Lane for about £110m. 31-Jan-2005
The Gaming Board of Great Britain has selected Birmingham as the preferred location for a 30,000 sq ft headquarters for the new Gambling Commission. 31-Jan-2005
Tate Modern has announced proposals to expand its London art gallery by 2012, including a new building with galleries for performance and new media. 28-Jan-2005
Sheffield City Council is to consider plans from Ski Village to build an £80m indoor ski resort at Parkwood Springs. 28-Jan-2005
Northampton Borough Council has approved plans from Northampton Saints for the £3m expansion of the Franklin's Gardens stadium, while Northampton Town is to submit plans to extend Sixfields. 28-Jan-2005
The Heritage Lottery Fund is to award £13m to London's Cutty Sark, £15m to Glasgow's Riverside Museum, £9m to Newcastle's Great North Museum, £9m to Exeter's Royal Albert Museum, £9m to Dorset's Tank Museum and £18m to the National Library of Scotland. 27-Jan-2005
The South West Regional Development Agency is planning to build a £30m four-star hotel and hotel school next to the Bournemouth International Centre. 26-Jan-2005
Claridges, the Connaught and the Berkeley hotels in London are to receive a £100m investment from owner Quinlan Private, including new rooms and swimming pools. 25-Jan-2005
Mill House Inns, the chain of 62 pubs with an estimated value of £80m, has been put up for sale by Phoenix Equity Partners. 25-Jan-2005
The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry has secured £1.9m from Advantage West Midlands to help fund a £10m redevelopment scheme, which will involve a second auditorium and a rehearsal facility. 25-Jan-2005
Colchester United is to seek permission to build a 10,000-capacity football stadium at Cuckoo Farm by 2007. 21-Jan-2005
The Yorkshire Agricultural Society has announced plans for the £10m transformation of the Great Yorkshire Showground into a regional centre for agriculture, including a new hotel and exhibition hall. 21-Jan-2005
Jennings Brothers of Cumbria is to spend £5m expanding its pub acquisition programme into Lancashire and West Yorkshire this year. 19-Jan-2005
Barracuda is planning to expand its chain of 155 pubs and bars with 30 new sites this year. 18-Jan-2005
Highlands & Islands Enterprise is seeking a developer to build at least one new hotel on Lewis. 17-Jan-2005
Hull City Football Club has announced plans to spend £12m increasing the capacity of the KC Stadium from 25,000 to 34,000. 17-Jan-2005
Anglesey County Council is considering plans from Leeds-based LDC to build a 20-bed three storey hotel overlooking the Menai Bridge. 14-Jan-2005
Stafford Borough Council is to build a new £12m leisure centre to replace the Riverside Recreation Centre in South Walls. 14-Jan-2005
The Restaurant Group is planning to spend about £25m refurbishing its chain of high street restaurants and opening up to 30 new sites this year. 13-Jan-2005
Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from Pacific Quay Developments for the £150m redevelopment of the former Garden Festival site on the banks of the Clyde, including a 150-bed hotel, offices and homes. 13-Jan-2005
The Life Science Centre in Newcastle is to undergo a £4.5m refurbishment, in order to improve its exhibition facilities. 12-Jan-2005
Redcar & Cleveland College is to revamp its site at Corporation Road in Redcar at a cost of £15m, including new facilities for visual and performing arts. 12-Jan-2005
Whitechapel Art Gallery has secured a £3.3m lottery grant to help fund the £12m expansion of its exhibition space. 12-Jan-2005
The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green has secured a £3.5m lottery grant to set up new galleries and an entrance. 12-Jan-2005
Hampshire Wildlife Trust is planning to establish a £1.5m nature reserve and visitor's centre at the Broadmarsh Coastal Park. 12-Jan-2005
Future Inns is seeking private investors to help finance the development of a £10m hotel and conference centre at Plymouth International Business Park. 12-Jan-2005
Creswell Crags has secured £4.3m of lottery funding to expand facilities at its cave art museum in Derbyshire. 11-Jan-2005
Scottish Racing is to invest £23m in improvements to Scotland's five independent racecourses over the next 12 months, including a £10m all-weather track at Musselburgh, a £10m redevelopment at Ayr and a new £2m grandstand at Perth. 11-Jan-2005
La Tasca, the chain of 47 restaurants, is considering plans for a £50m flotation this year to fund the opening of ten new sites a year. 10-Jan-2005
Inventive Leisure is looking to expand its chain of 40 Revolution vodka bars to between 80 and 100 sites. 10-Jan-2005
InterContinental Hotels has sold its Holiday Inn hotel in Swansea to Park Lake Hotels for about £5.7m. 10-Jan-2005
Southend Council is considering the future of the Palace Theatre in Westcliff, which could lead to closure or a transfer to private ownership. 10-Jan-2005
Castle Point Council is planning to build a new multi-million pound sports and leisure village to replace the Waterside Farm centre in Canvey. 06-Jan-2005
The Galleries of Justice in Nottingham is to become the new home of the National Prison Museum, which is to relocate from Rugby over the course of the next 15 months. 05-Jan-2005
Darlington Borough Council is considering plans for the £3.4m refurbishment of the Dolphin leisure centre. 04-Jan-2005
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Leisure 2005
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