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Leisure 2006
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The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
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Swansea Council is planning to set up a new indoor bowls centre and football academy at the Landore Sport Ground in Plasmarl. 20-Dec-2006 Springs Leisure is to close its health and leisure club at the Teesside Retail Park in Stockton in January 2007, with the loss of up to 30 jobs. 20-Dec-2006 Perth & Kinross Council is to consider outline plans from Loyal Leisure for the multi-million pound expansion of Strathmore Golf Centre in Alyth, including various leisure facilities and a 20-acre retirement village. 20-Dec-2006 Rocco Forte Hotels is looking to raise £75m for expansion from the sale of the property assets of its luxury hotels in Manchester and Cardiff. 20-Dec-2006 Racecourse Holdings Trust is planning to invest £50m in capital projects at its 13 racecourses in 2007, and will change its name to Jockey Club Racecourses. 20-Dec-2006 Yo Sushi is planning to expand its chain of 34 restaurants to 50 over the next year, having secured £17m of new funding from Barclays. 19-Dec-2006 Travelcare is to close its Justflights office in Bolton by February 2007, with the loss of 17 jobs. 19-Dec-2006 East Cambridgeshire Council has approved plans from Darley Stud Management for the £25m expansion of the Dalham Hall Stud near Newmarket. 19-Dec-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund is to award £3m for the restoration of Durlston Castle in Dorset, £2.3m for Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall, £3.7m for Stockwood Park Museum in Luton, £4.7m for Ulster Museum, £4.3m for Watts Gallery in Surrey and £3.8m for South Marine Park in South Shields. 18-Dec-2006 Liverpool City Council is seeking proposals from developers to restore the former ABC cinema on Lime Street, and possibilities include a museum, concert hall or sporting venue. 14-Dec-2006 CT2, the Manchester-based travel company with 100 staff, has ceased trading due to financial problems. 14-Dec-2006 Aquaclear is planning to expand its chain of bars and restaurants from six to 20 over the next three years, and is currently working on new sites in Cramlington and Sheffield. 13-Dec-2006 The Anglesey Charitable Trust is to help fund a £1.5m project by the Kyffin Williams Trust to set up an art gallery in Llangefni by the end of 2007. 12-Dec-2006 The Lakeland Motor Museum has been acquired by Winander Leisure, and will relocate to a new site in Backbarrow in October 2007. 12-Dec-2006 LA Fitness is to relocate its head office and up to 120 jobs from London to a 14,000 sq ft site at the Centrix Business Park near Doncaster by March 2007. 12-Dec-2006 TUI is planning to shed up to 4,000 jobs in its European travel business, which is expected to affect hundreds of staff at the 730 Thomson Holidays shops. 11-Dec-2006 Mid Beds District Council is to provide a £5m grant for the development of a £10m leisure centre in Flitwick. 08-Dec-2006 Glasgow City Council is to provide funding of £15m for the development of a £67m National Music Arena on the banks of the Clyde. 07-Dec-2006 The Victoria & Albert Museum is considering plans to relocate its national theatrical collections to a new site in Blackpool, and a feasibility study is being conducted by Blackpool Council. 06-Dec-2006 The Highland Folk Museum is to relocate its Kingussie museum to its other site at Newtonmore, at a cost of £7.3m. 06-Dec-2006 Wolverhampton & Dudley, the pub operator, is planning to change its name to Marston's. 04-Dec-2006 The MAC arts complex in Birmingham has won Arts Council approval for a £13m modernisation project, and work is due to start in early 2008. 01-Dec-2006 Richmondshire Council is to consider plans from the Army for private developers to transform Catterick Garrison with new shops, bars, offices and an 84-bed hotel. 30-Nov-2006 Wyre Borough Council is planning to invest £2.1m in the transformation of Memorial Park in Fleetwood, and a new £1m site will be provided for the Fleetwood Gymnasium Club. 29-Nov-2006 Ayr United has unveiled plans for the development of a £15m 7,650-capacity football stadium at Heathfield. 29-Nov-2006 Dundee City Council is to consider plans from local firm AIM for the development of a £3.5m 60-room luxury hotel and five-star restaurant on Riverside Avenue. 29-Nov-2006 Finesse Hotels is planning to invest £2m in the transformation of a former police museum in Derby into a 38-bedroom four-star hotel by mid-2007. 29-Nov-2006 Aberdeenshire Council has received plans from the Trump Organisation for the development of a £1bn golf resort at Menie Estate, including championship golf courses, a five-star hotel and holiday homes. 28-Nov-2006 Cardiff City is planning to start work on the development of a new £38m 30,000-seat football stadium in Leckwith in March 2007, as councillors are now recommending approval for the business plan. 28-Nov-2006 University of Leeds is to seek planning permission to build a new £9.7m swimming pool and fitness complex. 28-Nov-2006 First Choice is considering plans to sell off its main tour operating business for about £500m, in order to focus on specialist holidays. 28-Nov-2006 Luhrs Marine is to close its luxury yachts factory at the Osprey Quay development in Portland with the loss of 65 jobs, in order to transfer production to parent company Hunter Marine in the US. 27-Nov-2006 BDL Management is planning to set up a chain of 40 hotels across the UK over the next seven years, in partnership with US hotel brand Wyndham Worldwide. 27-Nov-2006 Gymbox is to open a 21,000 sq ft gym in London's Covent Garden next month, and is also looking to open another site in London and one in Manchester. 27-Nov-2006 GI Partners is looking to sell the Bar Room Bar pub chain for about £20m. 27-Nov-2006 Geronimo Inns is to secure an equity investment of up to £10m from Penta Capital to fund the expansion of its pub chain. 27-Nov-2006 Leeds City Council is to build two new sports centres in Armley and Morley, at a cost of £30m. 24-Nov-2006 The Point Hotel in Edinburgh is to refurbish its 138 rooms at a cost of £4m. 23-Nov-2006 One NorthEast is to provide funding of £2.3m to the RSPB and Teesside Environmental Trust to develop a £7m wildlife visitor attraction and nature reserve at Saltholme near Stockton, which will create 23 jobs. 22-Nov-2006 Holidaybreak is to relocate its York-based Superbreak Mini-Holidays office and 250 staff to a new £13m site at Heworth Green in December 2007. 22-Nov-2006 Palace Hotel is planning to invest £15m in improvements to its four-star hotel in Torquay, including the creation of 142 luxury holiday apartments in a crescent. 20-Nov-2006 Armagh City & District Council is to refurbish the Orchard Leisure Centre in Armagh by 2009, at a cost of £5m. 20-Nov-2006 Young & Co is looking to spend about £100m on acquisitions to expand its chain of 221 pubs. 20-Nov-2006 Macdonald Hotels is planning to open a £33m 215-bedroom hotel near Piccadilly station in Manchester in October 2007, with the creation of 120 jobs. 17-Nov-2006 Nottingham City Council has announced proposals for the £27m overhaul of Nottingham Castle, including a new exhibition hall. 16-Nov-2006 Colchester United has won the support of Colchester Council to build a new £14m football stadium at Cuckoo Farm by spring 2008. 15-Nov-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to receive plans from European Development Co for the development of a £25m hotel complex near the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre, including a four-star hotel and a budget hotel. 15-Nov-2006 Torquay United is considering plans to relocate its football club from Plainmoor to a new stadium at the Recreation Ground on the seafront. 13-Nov-2006 Teignbridge District Council is considering plans from Arnold White Estates for the development of a £20m motorway-style service area on the A38 at Drumbridges, including an 80-bedroom budget hotel. 13-Nov-2006 Screen Cinemas has appointed Livingstone Guarantee to find a buyer for its chain of seven cinemas, which could lead to a £10m sale. 13-Nov-2006 Esporta has unveiled plans to build a £4.6m tennis centre at its Thorpe Wood fitness club in Peterborough by spring 2007. 10-Nov-2006 Crerar Hotels has agreed a deal to operate 13 former Swallow hotels in Invergowrie, Glasgow, Carlisle, Northumberland, Durham, Harrogate, Newcastle, Gateshead, Ipswich, Essex, Samlesbury, Rushyford and Stockton. 09-Nov-2006 Ironbridge Gorge Museum is to invest £10m in improvements to its Blists Hill Victorian Town attraction over the next 18 months. 08-Nov-2006 Arena Leisure is to take over the catering at all seven of its venues from the Letheby & Christopher division of Compass Group. 08-Nov-2006 Football Fever is planning to set up a chain of ten five-a-side football centres across southern England, having raised £25m for site acquisitions. 08-Nov-2006 Salford City Reds has won government approval to build a new £35m rugby stadium at Barton, as part of a £130m leisure development that includes a hotel, casino and shopping mall. 06-Nov-2006 Hampshire County Council has approved plans from Prudential for the development of a £25m leisure centre in Eastleigh, including a nine-screen cinema, restaurants and a bowling centre. 06-Nov-2006 Halton Borough Council and St Modwen Properties are planning to develop a £10m Reel Cinemas multiplex and Leisure Living ice rink in Widnes by summer 2008. 06-Nov-2006 The Vale Hotel Golf & Spa Resort in South Wales is to invest £1m in the development of new conference facilities by summer 2007. 03-Nov-2006 Hampshire Cricket has unveiled plans for the £35m expansion of the Rose Bowl stadium by 2010, including 23,500 seats, a 175-bed hotel and championship golf course. 03-Nov-2006 Darlington Borough Council is to consider plans from Linlathen Developments for the development of a £14m cattle market at Humbleton Farm, including an agricultural and equine centre. 03-Nov-2006 Tendring Council has approved plans for the £2m refurbishment of Clacton Leisure Centre, and work will start in spring 2007. 02-Nov-2006 Talarius, the chain of almost 200 gaming centres, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 02-Nov-2006 Orchid Group is to invest £2.5m in the refurbishment of its six London restaurants. 01-Nov-2006 Sunsail is to shed 12 finance jobs at its Port Solent-based yacht charter and holiday business. 30-Oct-2006 Harvey World Travel is to close its travel agent call centre in Barnstaple later this month with the loss of about 20 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Cannock. 26-Oct-2006 First Choice Holidays is planning to shed 200 jobs by outsourcing back-office functions in the UK and by closing some operations in Portugal and Germany. 26-Oct-2006 Pochin Developments has won planning permission to build a 112-bed four-star Ramada hotel and 85,000 sq ft of offices at Electra Way in Crewe. 25-Oct-2006 City of York Council is to consider plans from the owners of the Vudu Lounge club to develop a £8m casino complex at Foss Islands Road, including restaurants and a club. 25-Oct-2006 West Berkshire Council has approved plans for the development of a seven-screen cinema in Newbury town centre. 24-Oct-2006 Durham City Council is to build a new £12m swimming pool complex in Providence Row by July 2008. 24-Oct-2006 Studio Daniel Libeskind is in talks with Rainforest Ventures Ltd about plans to build a £75m indoor tropical rainforest and hotel, and RVL is considering sites in Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester. 23-Oct-2006 Kettering Borough Council is considering plans for the development of a 100-room hotel and conference centre at Kettering Leisure Village. 23-Oct-2006 Brighton & Hove City Council is to consider plans for the development of a £55m international sports complex, including two ice rinks, a 10,000-seat arena and the creation of 126 jobs. 23-Oct-2006 JJB Sports is planning to expand its chain of 37 health clubs to more than 70 over the next two years. 20-Oct-2006 Lazaat Hotel Bar Restaurant is seeking permission for the £4m expansion of its hotel in East Yorkshire, which would create more than 50 jobs. 20-Oct-2006 Greene King is looking to sell about 150 pubs, mostly tenanted properties in the South. 18-Oct-2006 Gleneagles is to invest £18m in improvements to its luxury Perthshire hotel, in preparation for hosting the Ryder Cup in 2014, but has dropped plans for a £100m project to add 600 acres to its grounds. 17-Oct-2006 The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust is to invest £1.1m in improvements to the museum displays at the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire by May 2007. 17-Oct-2006 McKever Hotels is to invest £1m in the refurbishment of six Scottish hotels acquired over the past six months, and is also looking to expand into England next year. 16-Oct-2006 GuestInvest is planning to develop a 200-room hotel at The Brewery, the historic banqueting venue in London's Chiswell Street, having acquired part of the site for about £25m. 16-Oct-2006 City Inn has won planning permission to set up a 600-bed hotel at Mariner House in the City of London. 16-Oct-2006 Carmarthenshire County Council is to set up a £2.5m Cultural Enterprise Centre at Trinity College, Carmarthen, by July 2007, with the creation of 30 jobs, in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. 13-Oct-2006 Cambridge City Council is in negotiations with O'Callaghan Hotel Group of Ireland about plans to build a 150-bedroom hotel and conference centre in Station Road. 12-Oct-2006 British Waterways is planning to shed 180 jobs, following a decision by the Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs to cut its budget by 15%. 11-Oct-2006 Portsmouth Football Club is considering proposals to build a new 40,000-seater stadium on the King George V playing fields in Cosham. 11-Oct-2006 Hull Kingston Rovers is looking to build a new rugby stadium next to its existing Craven Park site, and talks are taking place with Hull City Council. 11-Oct-2006 Forestry Commission Scotland is planning to set up a new visitor centre in Glentress Forest on the Scottish Borders, catering for up to 300,000 visitors a year. 11-Oct-2006 Hurstwood Group has submitted outline plans for the £50m redevelopment of the historic Weavers' Triangle area of Burnley, including a music venue, restaurants, offices and homes. 09-Oct-2006 Worcestershire County Council is considering plans to shed up to 200 jobs, including 28 through the expected closure of the Malvern Hills Outdoor Education Centre, in order to make savings of £18m over the next three years. 06-Oct-2006 Hand Picked Hotels is to invest £10m in the refurbishment of the Rookery Hall hotel in Nantwich by summer 2007, including 39 new bedrooms and a health club. 06-Oct-2006 Apex Hotels has raised £54m from the sale and leaseback of two properties in Edinburgh, in order to fund the expansion of its hotel chain. 06-Oct-2006 Inspired Gaming Group is to set up a customer service and software development centre at Parc Menai, Bangor, with the creation of up to 190 jobs. 06-Oct-2006 Watford Football Club is planning to redevelop its Vicarage Road stadium at a cost of £32m, with work starting in summer 2007. 03-Oct-2006 Southend United is to submit plans to build a new 22,000-seater football stadium at Fossetts Farm, and hopes to relocate to the new site in 2008. 03-Oct-2006 Tragus Holdings has appointed Close Brothers to advise on the strategic options for its Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia restaurant chains, which could lead to a sale or flotation. 02-Oct-2006 Queens Moat Houses is looking to sell the Oakley Court hotel in Windsor for more than £50m. 02-Oct-2006 GuestInvest is forming a £140m joint venture with Bank of Scotland Corporate to develop buy-to-let hotels in major European cities, and has just acquired its third London site for £25m. 02-Oct-2006 Worcestershire County Cricket Club is to submit plans for the £10m expansion of its New Road cricket ground in Worcester, including new facilities for members, the public and the media. 29-Sep-2006 The National Maritime Museum and Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust have secured funding of £10m for the development of a new museum for maritime, military and science exhibits in the Thames Gateway area of Kent by 2010. 29-Sep-2006 NEC Group is to relocate 370 staff to its main exhibition complex in Birmingham over the next 12 months, and its existing NEC House headquarters will be converted into a £20m 164-bed hotel by Alfred McAlpine and New World Leisure. 27-Sep-2006 Buffalo Joes is seeking suitable sites to expand its Gateshead-based chain of Wild West-themed bars into Birmingham, Sheffield and Bristol over the next few months, with the creation of up to 270 jobs. 27-Sep-2006 AFC Bournemouth is to submit plans to build a 120-room hotel, leisure complex and new stand at its Dean Court football stadium. 27-Sep-2006 Audley Travel is to expand its 125-strong workforce with 13 new staff, and its headquarters will relocate from Bicester to Witney in November. 27-Sep-2006 Masala World is looking to expand its chain of five Masala Zone restaurants with new sites in London next year. 27-Sep-2006 Motability, the mobility charity, is in negotiations to set up a 100,000 sq ft office at the Windmill Hill Business Park in Swindon. 27-Sep-2006 South Lanarkshire Council is to consider plans for the development of a £17m training complex and football academy at Bothwell for the Scottish Football Association. 26-Sep-2006 The United Nations is to build a £4m training centre in Moray, in order to host global seminars for local government officials and diplomats. 25-Sep-2006 Bewleys Hotels has sold its 104-bedroom hotel in the centre of Glasgow to Rossmark Hotel Group for more than £10m, in order to focus on larger properties. 25-Sep-2006 Clapham House is planning to expand its chains of Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Tootsies restaurants from 64 to 600 over the next ten years. 25-Sep-2006 Southend Council is to consider plans for the development of a 100-bedroom hotel at Southend Airport, as part of a wider strategy to expand facilities at the site. 22-Sep-2006 Reading Football Club is to seek planning permission to extend the capacity at the Madejski Stadium by at least 10,000. 22-Sep-2006 Worcester Rugby Club is seeking permission for the £23m expansion of its stadium, including a new 13,000-capacity stand, health centre and racquet club. 22-Sep-2006 Arena Leisure has resubmitted plans to build a casino and hotel at Wolverhampton racecourse. 21-Sep-2006 Gretna Football Club is seeking permission to build two new 3,000-seater stands at its football ground. 20-Sep-2006 Luminar is in talks to sell its 74 Jumpin' Jaks and Chicago Rock bars to TDR Capital, as part of a strategy to focus on branded nightclubs. 20-Sep-2006 Thomas Enterprises is planning to invest £150m in the development of a luxury hotel at the Willis building at Ten Trinity Square in London. 20-Sep-2006 InterContinental Hotels has signed an agreement with property developers CUSP and The Kennedy Group to build more Express by Holiday Inn hotels in Northern Ireland, which could lead to the creation of 300 jobs. 19-Sep-2006 Goals Soccer Centres is planning to expand its chain of 21 five-a-side football centres with five new sites by the end of 2007. 19-Sep-2006 Betbrokers, the sports betting clearing house, is to raise £5m in a flotation on Aim to fund marketing and the recruitment of additional dealers. 18-Sep-2006 Arena Leisure is leading a racing industry consortium that has submitted a bid to the government to acquire the Tote, the Wigan-based chain of 540 betting shops. 18-Sep-2006 Kellys of Portrush is planning to replace its night club and Golf Links Hotel with a new £30m four-star hotel called the Cloughorr House Hotel & Spa. 15-Sep-2006 The Titanic Heritage Trust is looking to set up a £100m tourist centre dedicated to the Titanic by 2012, and is seeking a 100-acre site in the West Midlands. 14-Sep-2006 Dumfries & Galloway Council is to receive plans from Equestrian Villages for the development of a £30m equestrian village at Peel Farm near Lockerbie, including a hotel and holiday chalets. 14-Sep-2006 Copeland Council has approved plans from Cumbria Leisure Park for the development of a £90m holiday complex in Lowca, including 449 timber lodges, a cinema and the creation of 170 jobs. 14-Sep-2006 Prezzo is planning to expand its chain of 90 restaurants with up to 30 new sites a year. 13-Sep-2006 Belfast City Council is to consider plans for the development of a £25m 161-bed luxury hotel at the former Crumlin Road Courthouse. 12-Sep-2006 Perth & Kinross Council is to consider plans from James Farquharson and Scotia Homes for the development of a 60-bed hotel and roadside services at Errol. 11-Sep-2006 Staffordshire County Council is to consider plans from Claymoss Properties for the development of an eco-friendly holiday complex on a 159 hectare site at Whitmore, including 800 timber lodges and the creation of up to 1,600 jobs. 11-Sep-2006 Saga is said to be considering plans to move into the hotel market by investing up to £100m in the acquisition of properties across Europe. 11-Sep-2006 Exeter City Council is to consider plans for the £15m redevelopment of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, including an extension and new galleries. 06-Sep-2006 Quarmby has won a £9.8m contract from Hull Truck Enterprises to build and fit out the new Hull Truck Theatre, including a main auditorium of 440 seats. 05-Sep-2006 Keswick Museum & Art Gallery in Cumbria is considering plans for a £3.5m redevelopment, in order to create a leading visitor destination. 05-Sep-2006 The Savoy hotel in London is to undergo a £100m refurbishment, and is likely to be closed for most of 2008. 04-Sep-2006 Vue Entertainment is to create 40 jobs at a new multiplex cinema due to open in Exeter in November. 04-Sep-2006 Lumsden & Carroll is to develop a new £2.5m Hotel Bannatyne in Durham by early next year. 04-Sep-2006 Rank is to close its London head office with the loss of 40 jobs, in order to transfer its central functions to its gaming division in Maidenhead. 04-Sep-2006 Exeter City Council is to conduct a feasibility study into plans for the development of an Olympic-sized swimming pool at Clifton Hill. 01-Sep-2006 Thomson is to close its holiday call centre in Glasgow in December with the loss of 450 jobs, due to the rise in online bookings. 31-Aug-2006 Glasgow City Council has approved plans from Union Street Properties for the restoration of the historic Egyptian Halls building, with work on the £3.7m first stage starting next spring. 29-Aug-2006 Hays Travel is planning to create a further 50 jobs at its Sunderland-based holiday business by the end of the year. 28-Aug-2006 Crawley Borough Council is to consider plans from Kew Green Hotels to build a 220-bedroom Courtyard Marriott hotel at Gatwick by summer 2008. 28-Aug-2006 Itsu is planning to open four new sushi restaurants in London, as part of a strategy to open between five and seven sites a year. 28-Aug-2006 UK Holiday Group is looking to expand its nationwide chain of hotels from nine to 15, having just acquired a 42-bedroom property on the Isle of Wight. 25-Aug-2006 Chester City Council has approved plans from Opus Land for the development of a 60-bedroom boutique hotel, restaurant and shops in St John Street. 24-Aug-2006 Hope Street Hotel in Liverpool has won planning permission to almost double in size and develop new conference facilities, and is now looking to set up more boutique hotels around the country. 24-Aug-2006 Scottish Borders Council is to consider plans from auctioneer John Swan for the development of a £5m livestock auction market and visitor centre at St Boswells. 24-Aug-2006 Wedgwood Museum Trust has awarded a £4m contract to Mansell to expand its ceramics museum in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent. 23-Aug-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced grants of £76m for sites across the UK, including Buxton Crescent & Spa, the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry, the Museum of Bristol, the Tank Museum in Dorset, the V&A in London and Summerlee Heritage Park in Coatbridge. 23-Aug-2006 The Wolfson Foundation has awarded grants totalling £4m to 43 English museums and galleries to improve displays, public spaces and access. 18-Aug-2006 JJB Fitness Clubs is planning to expand its chain of 37 fitness clubs with a further 15 sites by the end of 2007. 18-Aug-2006 Highland Council is to help fund the development of a £1.5m artificial white water canoeing course in Fort William by the Fort William Tailrace Development Group. 17-Aug-2006 Travel World International of Essex has ceased trading, and the Civil Aviation Authority will step in to help fly 500 holidaymakers back to the UK. 17-Aug-2006 Odeon is to set up a multiplex cinema at the Victoria Square development in Belfast, which is due to open in March 2008. 16-Aug-2006 Bournemouth Borough Council is considering plans from Licet Holdings for a £50m leisure complex overlooking Bournemouth Gardens, including a multiplex cinema and 20 restaurants. 16-Aug-2006 Darlington Borough Council is to consider plans from Middlesbrough Football Club for the development of an 18-hole golf course at Hurworth-on-Tees, as part of the £32m redevelopment of its training ground. 16-Aug-2006 Macdonald Hotels is planning to invest about £70m in new acquisitions and the refurbishment of its existing chain of 60 hotels over the next year. 16-Aug-2006 Pembrokeshire County Council is planning to build a new leisure centre in Haverfordwest by the end of 2008, including a swimming pool and fitness suite. 14-Aug-2006 Land Securities has won planning permission to develop a 96,000 sq ft leisure scheme next to the Westwood Cross shopping centre in Thanet, including a hotel, cinema and casino. 14-Aug-2006 Tapestry Holidays of West London has ceased trading, and its package holiday customers will be reimbursed through the Civil Aviation Authority. 14-Aug-2006 Luminar is to create more than 100 jobs at a £5m Oceana nightclub due to open in Wolverhampton in September. 11-Aug-2006 Malmaison is to invest £8m in the transformation of the former Tyne Tees Shipping Company building in Newcastle into a Hotel du Vin, with the creation of more than 50 jobs. 09-Aug-2006 Highland Council has held talks with Jacobite Cruises about proposals for the £3m development of a new tourist attraction at a derelict lighthouse on the north shore of Loch Ness. 07-Aug-2006 MyTravel is said to be planning to transfer up to 160 jobs from Direct Holidays in Glasgow and a further 150 jobs from Panorama and Manos Holidays in Brighton to the Airtours office in Rochdale. 07-Aug-2006 Whitbread has sold its 50% stake in the Pizza Hut UK chain of 650 restaurants to joint venture partner Yum Restaurants for £112m. 07-Aug-2006 Esporta, the chain of more than 50 health and fitness clubs, has been put up for sale by Duke Street Capital with an estimated valuation of £460m. 07-Aug-2006 City Inn is planning to invest £330m in the expansion of its chain of four hotels over the next four years, including new sites in London, Leeds, Manchester and the Netherlands. 07-Aug-2006 Best of the Best is to raise £2.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its airport competitions business. 31-Jul-2006 Tate Modern has announced plans for the £165m extension of its London art gallery by 2012. 26-Jul-2006 The Civil Service Sports Council and Penta Capital have raised £15m to fund the opening of a further seven sports and fitness centres for the Sports & Leisure Group. 24-Jul-2006 The New Forest National Park Authority is to consider plans from the New Forest Show Society to build a £5m visitor centre and offices in Brockenhurst. 21-Jul-2006 European Boating Holidays of Norwich has secured £30m from investment company RJD Partners to fund the expansion of its Locaboat and Cardinal Cruisers boat holiday operations in continental Europe. 19-Jul-2006 Fife Council has awarded outline planning permission for the expansion of the John Smith Business Park in Kirkcaldy, including a hotel, conference centre, shops and 30 offices. 18-Jul-2006 Oxford University is planning to build a £19m sports complex at its Iffley Road site, providing facilities for up to 100 sports. 17-Jul-2006 The Scottish Football Association has won permission to set up a new £15m football training facility in the Toryglen district of Glasgow. 14-Jul-2006 Basildon Council has secured the backing of Sport England for plans to build a £35m sports complex at Gloucester Park, including a training camp for the 2012 Olympics. 14-Jul-2006 The Welsh Rugby Union is looking into the possibility of setting up a national rugby museum at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 13-Jul-2006 The Horserace Betting Levy Board is looking to sell its Horseracing Forensic Laboratory, which employs 130 staff in Cambridgeshire, for up to £30m, having appointed Cavendish Corporate Finance to find a buyer. 13-Jul-2006 Gloucester City Council has unveiled proposals for the redevelopment of the historic Blackfriars site, including a new four-star hotel, shops, housing and a theatre. 12-Jul-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund is to award £1.3m to the John Clare Trust to buy and restore poet John Clare's Cottage in Peterborough. 11-Jul-2006 Whitbread has announced plans to open a £10m 60-bedroom Premier Travel Inn hotel in Lisburn within two years. 10-Jul-2006 Mellinsus and Johnson Design Architects have drawn up plans to build a £55m eco-dome with a skating rink, concert venue and fishing pools on a 27-acre site at Gorleston in Norfolk. 10-Jul-2006 Hilton International is planning to expand its chain of UK hotels from 70 to 140 over the next seven years, as part of a worldwide expansion programme. 10-Jul-2006 Perth & Kinross Council has approved plans from JWK Property to build a 300-bedroom five-star hotel at Kinfauns near Perth. 07-Jul-2006 Diamond Holidays is to set up a new coach holidays call centre in Swansea next year, with the creation of up to 20 jobs. 07-Jul-2006 Galgorm Resort is to open a £10m spa at its site in Antrim early next year. 07-Jul-2006 Vue Entertainment is planning to open about 15 new cinemas over the next three years, partly funded by the sale and leaseback of six existing sites. 06-Jul-2006 Rank is considering plans to sell its Hard Rock cafe business for up to £500m, having appointed Merrill Lynch to conduct a strategic review. 05-Jul-2006 QHotels is to invest £5m upgrading the Ashford International Hotel in Kent, having acquired the property for about £13m. 04-Jul-2006 Golfrate is to submit plans to build a 100-bed Etap budget hotel at the St Nicholas Centre car park site in Sutton, London. 03-Jul-2006 The Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) is to relocate from London to the English Institute of Sport Sheffield in September, with the creation of ten jobs. 03-Jul-2006 Wakefield Council has secured a £5m lottery grant to build a £26m Hepworth gallery and arts centre by October 2008. 03-Jul-2006 Forest Heath District Council has approved plans from Darley Stud Management to build a new multi-million pound stud farm near Newmarket. 30-Jun-2006 Newark & Sherwood District Council is seeking lottery funding for a £3m project to bring the historic Tudor Hall in Newark back into public use. 30-Jun-2006 Formby Hall Golf Club on Merseyside has secured planning permission to set up a £10m golf training academy by the end of 2007, with backing from the Professional Golfers Association. 30-Jun-2006 Cardiff Council has secured £3m of lottery funding for the £5.6m restoration of Bute Park. 30-Jun-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £3.3m for the development of a local studies centre in Wolverhampton, £4.2m for the Derby Roundhouse and £4.3m for a Highland Archive Centre in Inverness. 30-Jun-2006 Stanley Leisure has won permission to relocate its 9,000 sq ft Berkeley casino in Princes Street, Edinburgh, to a new £6.5m 30,000 sq ft site at Fountain Park in 2007. 28-Jun-2006 Peckforton Castle Hotel in Cheshire is to undergo a £1m refurbishment in order to create a leading venue for conferences and product launches, having just been acquired by BDC Designs for £5m. 28-Jun-2006 Stockton Borough Council has approved plans from Tees Active to extend the Splash sports centre, at a cost of £3.5m. 26-Jun-2006 Bedfactory Hotels is planning to set up a chain of nine budget hotels across the country over the next three years, having already secured sites in Cheltenham and Exeter. 26-Jun-2006 Newport City Council is to consider plans from Vinedale and AWG to develop a £11m luxury hotel with 120 bedrooms at the Celtic Springs Business Park. 23-Jun-2006 Gwynedd Council has approved plans to develop a £5m five-star hotel on the site of the White House Hotel in Abersoch by summer 2007. 23-Jun-2006 QHotels is spending £3.8m on the refurbishment of the Park Royal Hotel in Warrington this year, as part of a £50m investment across its eight sites. 22-Jun-2006 Honeycombe Leisure, the Preston-based chain of 115 pubs, has put itself up for sale through Rothschild with an estimated valuation of £36m. 22-Jun-2006 Jurys Doyle is said to be looking to sell its chain of 20 Jurys Inn hotels for up to £350m. 22-Jun-2006 Verve Venues is to transform the former Prudential headquarters at Holborn Bars in London into a conference and training centre by October. 22-Jun-2006 Tasty is to raise £1.7m in a flotation to fund the expansion of its chain of three London-based Oriental restaurants. 21-Jun-2006 Giraffe is planning to expand its chain of 12 restaurants to more than 25 by the end of 2009. 21-Jun-2006 Leeds City Council has unveiled plans to build a £10m sports and leisure complex at Killingbeck Fields. 19-Jun-2006 Corby Borough Council has approved plans for the development of a £18m 50-metre swimming pool in 2007, as part of a new civic hub with an arts centre and library. 19-Jun-2006 The Connaught hotel in London is planning to start work on an estimated £30m extension and refurbishment project next year. 19-Jun-2006 De Vere Hotels is to revamp the Oulton Hall hotel in Leeds at a cost of £7.5m, in order to create a leading golf destination resort by March 2007. 19-Jun-2006 St Edmundsbury Council has unveiled plans for the development of a £9m multiplex cinema in Haverhill, and negotiations are underway with a cinema operator. 16-Jun-2006 Whitekirk Golf & Country Club is planning to invest £15m in the expansion of its golf and leisure resort in East Lothian, including a 100-bedroom four-star hotel and conference facilities. 16-Jun-2006 Cardiff Council is to consider plans from Trinity Mirror for the development of a new 50,000 sq ft headquarters at the existing Thomson House site in the city centre by late 2007. 16-Jun-2006 The Royal Shakespeare Company has unveiled plans for the £100m rebuilding of its main theatre in Stratford, including a new tower offering panoramic views of the local area. 16-Jun-2006 Everton Football Club is in preliminary talks with Tesco and Knowsley Council about plans to build a 55,000-capacity stadium, supermarket and hotel in Kirkby. 16-Jun-2006 Peel Holdings is seeking permission to build a £22m hotel and car park at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. 16-Jun-2006 Worthing Borough Council is considering plans from Hanson Capital Management for the £100m transformation of the former Teville Gate site, including 250 homes, shops, swimming pool, cinema and sports complex. 16-Jun-2006 Bourne Leisure is considering plans for the £10m expansion of the Seton Sands Holiday Village in East Lothian. 16-Jun-2006 Portsmouth City Council is considering plans from the owners of Clarence Pier for the development of a £2m 180ft observation wheel on Southsea seafront. 13-Jun-2006 Derby Playhouse is to shed 36 jobs at its theatre, and the site will close for refurbishment between July and December. 12-Jun-2006 Hotel Du Vin is to open boutique hotels in Edinburgh and Newcastle, and additional properties are now being sought in Aberdeen and St Andrews. 12-Jun-2006 Chariot has raised £2.6m in a share placing to secure the future of its recently-launched Monday lottery. 12-Jun-2006 Golfrate is seeking permission for the £145m redevelopment of the London Trocadero at Piccadilly Circus, including a hotel, shopping centre and leisure facilities. 12-Jun-2006 Kirklees Council is to consider plans for a 153-bed four-star hotel in Huddersfield, as part of the £50m HD1 Developments scheme at St George's. 09-Jun-2006 The St Andrews Bay Hotel in Fife has been acquired by Apollo European Real Estate Fund and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for undisclosed terms, and will undergo a £10m refurbishment programme. 09-Jun-2006 London Clubs International is to open a new £13m 46,000 sq ft casino at the Great Northern Warehouse in Manchester in October, with the creation of 350 jobs. 09-Jun-2006 Bristol City Council has approved plans from Holland House Hotels to build a £35m four-star hotel at the Phoenix House site in Redcliffe by next March, with the creation of up to 200 jobs. 09-Jun-2006 Natural England, the new government environmental agency, is considering plans to house up to 160 staff at the Met Office in Exeter. 09-Jun-2006 The Olympic Delivery Authority is planning to set up a white-water canoe slalom course at Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. 08-Jun-2006 Carlisle City Council is considering plans to build a £4m swimming pool complex at the Sands Centre, following a review of its facilities by leisure consultant PMP. 07-Jun-2006 Kerrier District Council is to consider plans from Redruth Rugby Club to build a new £5m stadium at Tolgus Farm. 07-Jun-2006 Clapham House has identified 100 potential sites for its Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurants and 60 sites for its Bombay Bicycle Club chain. 07-Jun-2006 The Camelot Theme Park in Lancashire is expected to close within seven years, as Prime Resorts is looking to build a 1,000-home village on the site. 06-Jun-2006 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from Combined Property Services for the development a £135m De Vere hotel, housing estate and business park at Darnley Mains. 05-Jun-2006 Starwood is seeking suitable sites to open W-branded boutique hotels in London, Birmingham and Manchester. 05-Jun-2006 Luminar is in discussions with Plymouth City Council about plans to set up a £6m Oceana superclub at the Barbican Leisure Park in Coxside, which could lead to the creation of 100 new jobs. 02-Jun-2006 Bradford Council is considering plans from Manchester-based Mi7 Developments to build a £90m student village at Listerhills, including a hotel, shops and restaurants. 02-Jun-2006 La Tasca is planning to open at least 14 new restaurants this year, to add to the existing 64. 01-Jun-2006 The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) has unveiled plans for the development of a 42,000-capacity sports stadium at the 360-acre Maze prison site in Belfast. 31-May-2006 Radisson Edwardian has unveiled plans to open a £40m 184-bedroom hotel at the Belgrade Plaza development in Coventry in 2008. 31-May-2006 Derby City Council is considering plans for the £7.5m renovation of the Silk Mill museum and £3.4m of improvements to Derby Museum & Art Gallery. 31-May-2006 Esporta is said to be one of about four bidders remaining in the £100m auction for The Club Company, the chain of 11 golf courses. 31-May-2006 Chester City Council is considering plans from Steeltower for the £100m development of a Hilton hotel, leisure centre, fire station, 700 homes and a country park. 30-May-2006 Malmaison is to acquire the One Devonshire Gardens luxury hotel in Glasgow for about £9m, and is now looking to open properties in Cambridge, York, Brighton, Birmingham, Bristol, Tunbridge Wells and Harrogate. 30-May-2006 Tragus Holdings is to spend £20m opening up to 40 Cafe Rouge and Bella Italia restaurants over the next few years. 30-May-2006 Wolverhampton & Dudley is to invest £20m on patios and shelters for its pubs, in preparation for the introduction of a smoking ban. 29-May-2006 Gurnard Pines Holiday Village is seeking permission to build a £9m hotel and sports complex at its site on the Isle of Wight. 29-May-2006 Next Generation Clubs is planning to open tennis clubs in Leicester, Swindon, Glasgow, Blackpool and Hertford, following its recent acquisition by London & Regional. 29-May-2006 The Museum of London is seeking permission from the Corporation of London for the £18m expansion of its site by 2009. 29-May-2006 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans for the £10m transformation of Provan Hall and Blochairn House in Easterhouse into major tourist attractions. 26-May-2006 Golden Tulip is planning to open a £9m hotel at St Mary's Gate in Sheffield in 2008, as part of a mixed-use scheme by Tiger Developments. 26-May-2006 The Casino Advisory Panel has shortlisted eight potential locations for a super casino, including Wembley, the Millennium Dome, Blackpool, Cardiff, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle and Manchester. 25-May-2006 Buckingham Bingo is looking to double its chain of 11 bingo halls, and has just acquired the Stardust Bingo Club in Corby. 24-May-2006 Nexum Leisure has acquired the Syndicate night club in Blackpool and The Works in Bristol. 24-May-2006 X-Leisure Fund is looking to sell the Star City casino and cinema complex in Birmingham for about £90m. 23-May-2006 Coventry City Council is in negotiations with US-based Isle of Capri about plans to build a 400-bedroom four-star hotel next to the Ricoh Arena. 23-May-2006 Stafford Rangers is looking into the possibility of building a new football stadium, and is currently considering a number of potential sites in Stafford. 22-May-2006 Dumfries & Galloway Council is to consider plans for the £81m development of Gretna as the "Gateway to Scotland", including the £40m expansion of the historic blacksmith's shop, a £3m care home and a £5m football stadium. 22-May-2006 Kirker Holidays, the upmarket short breaks specialist, is to be put up for sale by ECI Partners with an estimated price tag of up to £30m. 22-May-2006 Corsie Group is to raise £1.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its Musselburgh-based sports equipment business. 22-May-2006 Sportscotland has announced plans to relocate its national headquarters and up to 130 jobs from Edinburgh to a new National Indoor Sports Arena in Glasgow in 2009. 19-May-2006 Derby City Council is to consider plans from Woodford Cedar for a £50m office, leisure, residential and retail development on a 12-acre site at Pride Park. 19-May-2006 Powys County Council is to consider plans for the transformation of the former Celtica heritage centre in Machynlleth into a cinema, arts venue and office complex. 19-May-2006 Southend Council is to consider plans for the £10m expansion of the seafront theme park at Marine Parade and the Sealife Adventure Aquarium on Eastern Esplanade. 18-May-2006 Keele University has secured outline planning permission to build a four-star hotel, student halls, offices and teaching blocks over the next 15 years, which is expected to involve a £60m investment and the creation of 1,000 jobs. 18-May-2006 Lancashire County Cricket Club has opted to stay at Old Trafford and invest £30m in improvements to the site, and plans may include a hotel and conference centre. 18-May-2006 Hull City Football Club is looking to invest £120m in hotel, conference and leisure facilities at the KC Stadium, regardless of whether it wins permission for a super-casino. 17-May-2006 The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has awarded a £50m contract to HBG to build a six-storey extension by 2008. 16-May-2006 Marriott International is planning to open up to 50 Courtyard by Marriott hotels in the UK over the next five to ten years. 15-May-2006 Million-2-1 has secured a £3m equity investment from Pi Capital to fund the expansion of its Manchester-based gambling games business, with plans to launch a digital TV channel and create 15 jobs. 12-May-2006 Plymouth City Council is to consider plans from Stanley Casinos for the development of a new casino at Derry's Cross, to replace its existing site in Union Street. 12-May-2006 National Museums Liverpool is to invest £1m in improvements to the Lady Lever art gallery in Port Sunlight. 11-May-2006 Chardon Management is planning to expand its Glasgow-based chain of 12 hotels into a nationwide business with 17 sites. 11-May-2006 Reading Borough Council is to consider plans from Stanley Casinos for the development of a £7m 30,000 sq ft casino at the proposed new greyhound and speedway stadium in Whitley. 11-May-2006 Preston North End is to submit plans for the £6m development of its Deepdale stadium, including a new 8,000-seat stand and a 40,000 sq ft building for "non-football related" activities. 10-May-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund is awarding grants totalling £5.6m to enhance landscapes in the Isle of Wight, the Wye Valley and the Tywi Valley. 10-May-2006 Swansea Council is in talks with Planet Ice about the possibility of setting up an ice rink in Swansea. 10-May-2006 Cineworld, the cinema chain, is planning a flotation in June, in order to reduce debt and purchase shares from Blackstone. 10-May-2006 The Scottish Arts Council has announced plans to invest an additional £7.7m a year in Scottish dance, literature and visual arts. 08-May-2006 North Kesteven District Council is to consider plans for the development of a £2.5m Olympic-sized ice rink in North Hykeham, Lincolnshire. 08-May-2006 South Ayrshire Council is considering plans for the development of a £3.5m 105-bedroom Express by Holiday Inn hotel in Ayr. 08-May-2006 Ashfield District Council has approved plans for the development of a £15m leisure centre and ice rink at the Lammas Recreation Ground in Sutton-in-Ashfield. 05-May-2006 Barnsley Metropolitan Council has approved plans from Ramada and Toby Inns for the development of a 120-bed hotel and pub at Capitol Park, which will create 60 jobs. 04-May-2006 Essex County Cricket Club is planning to expand the capacity at its ground in Chelmsford by 25% to 8,000 by 2009, and is currently seeking developers. 04-May-2006 Regent Inns, the chain of 75 bars and clubs, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 02-May-2006 Arena Leisure has submitted plans for the £20m redevelopment of Lingfield Park racecourse in Surrey. 02-May-2006 Premier Holidays is planning to shed about 14 of the 140 jobs at its tour operating business in Milton Road, Cambridge. 28-Apr-2006 Saltire Taverns is to invest £60m in the development of a nationwide chain of Le Monde hotels and bars, including sites in Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow and London. 27-Apr-2006 Stanley Leisure is to set up a 30,000 sq ft casino at St Paul's Place in Sheffield in 2008, and is also planning new sites in Liverpool, London, Edinburgh and Southampton. 26-Apr-2006 Whitbread is looking to sell up to 260 pubs for an estimated £500m, and is also considering the future of its Pizza Hut and TGI Friday's restaurants. 26-Apr-2006 The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is planning a share issue to raise funds for the restoration of regular steam trains on the six-mile line between Grosmont and Whitby. 25-Apr-2006 Mid Suffolk District Council has approved plans for the development of a £350m Snoasis indoor winter sports complex in Great Blakenham. 24-Apr-2006 Multitrax is planning to open two 30,000 sq ft health clubs at Fulham and Tower Hill in London by January 2007. 24-Apr-2006 Whitbread has submitted plans to build a £4.5m 61-bedroom Premier Travel Inn hotel in St Austell, with the creation of 70 jobs. 24-Apr-2006 Initial Style Conferences is to spend up to £30m refurbishing its 29 conference properties, and will rebrand itself as Verve Venues. 24-Apr-2006 City of Edinburgh Council is planning to build a £15m arena to replace the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens. 21-Apr-2006 Celtic Football Club has secured planning permission from East Dunbartonshire Council to build a new training complex on a 50-acre site in Lennoxtown, at a cost of up to £10m. 21-Apr-2006 Punch Taverns is said to have appointed corporate finance house McQueen to sell its Old Orleans restaurant chain for up to £35m. 20-Apr-2006 Carlisle City Council has secured a £4.8m lottery grant to transform Lady Gillford House into a new archive, exhibition and research centre by 2009. 18-Apr-2006 Ultimate Leisure is planning to open Prohibition bars across the country and is currently in negotiations for four new sites. 18-Apr-2006 X-Leisure is planning to open a further four Xscape entertainment centres at retail parks across the country over the next five years, and is particularly interested in Bristol, Southampton and London. 18-Apr-2006 Punch Taverns is looking to sell 290 managed pubs, having appointed Merrill Lynch to find a buyer. 13-Apr-2006 Lion Salt Works in Cheshire has secured a £5m lottery grant to transform the historic site into a visitor attraction. 12-Apr-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £3.2m to help transform Barking Park, while nearby Eastbury Manor House in Barking is to get £1m to open the site up for more visitors. 12-Apr-2006 Abode Hotels is to acquire the Hotel Rosetti in Manchester from Alias Hotels for about £10m. 12-Apr-2006 Trentham Leisure is to invest £20m in the expansion of the Trentham Gardens complex in Staffordshire over the next two years, with the creation of 400 jobs. 07-Apr-2006 The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh has been awarded £6.2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Executive to develop a biodiversity centre. 06-Apr-2006 Gambado is to open a £1.7m 16,000 sq ft children's play site at London's Imperial Wharf in Chelsea this spring. 05-Apr-2006 The Big Lottery Fund is in negotiations to set up a 58,000 sq ft office at Apex House in Birmingham. 05-Apr-2006 Brighton West Pier Trust has announced proposals for the development of a £20m 600ft observation platform on Brighton seafront, in order to attract more than 500,000 visitors a year. 03-Apr-2006 Scottish Enterprise is co-operating with Trump International over plans for the development of a world-class golfing centre at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire. 03-Apr-2006 Stanley Leisure is considering plans to relocate its Cromwell Mint casino in London to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. 03-Apr-2006 Wirral Council is seeking lottery funding for the £3m development of the Wirral Way country park, including a new visitor centre and exhibition space. 31-Mar-2006 Abode Hotels is to set up an 80-room luxury hotel at the £50m Liberty Properties development in Chester. 30-Mar-2006 Summerlee Heritage Park is to refurbish its industrial machinery museum in Coatbridge over the next two years, at a cost of £10m. 30-Mar-2006 Scottish Ballet has submitted plans to transform part of the historic Tramway building in Glasgow into a £9m dance centre by summer 2008. 30-Mar-2006 The Mary Rose Trust is planning to set up a new £23m museum for the Mary Rose ship at Portsmouth's historic dockyard by 2011. 29-Mar-2006 Ladies Workout Express is planning to open up to 150 franchised fitness centres in the UK over the next four years. 28-Mar-2006 Bath & North East Somerset Council is to consider plans from the Trevor Osborne Group to build a £25m five-star hotel and spa complex near the soon-to-open Thermae Bath Spa. 27-Mar-2006 Kent County Council is expected to support plans from Roger de Haan for the complete revamp of Folkestone seafront, including a new marina, university and fast ferry service. 27-Mar-2006 Travelodge, the budget hotel chain owned by Permira, is considering plans for a flotation or sale of the business for up to £1bn. 27-Mar-2006 Delancey is launching a new business called Hillwood Resorts & Hotels to operate four and five-star hotels, and has already acquired The Grand in Jersey from De Vere Group for £15m. 27-Mar-2006 Olive Press is planning to open three more Pizzeria Bar & Grills in Clitheroe, Knutsford and Alderley Edge this year, and hopes to develop a chain of between 15 and 20 sites. 27-Mar-2006 Instone International is to relocate its travel operations centre and about 37 staff from Lowestoft to a 6,500 sq ft office in Yarmouth this month, and expects to create 20 new jobs over the next two years. 24-Mar-2006 Plymouth Dome is to create 70 new jobs at its Plymouth-based tourist attraction following an investment in new facilities by the Wykeham Group. 23-Mar-2006 Southwark Council has approved plans from Oakmayne Properties for the development of a 214-bedroom hotel, cinema, shops and 219 homes at Elephant & Castle. 23-Mar-2006 Alnwick Garden is seeking £25m of lottery funding to expand its Northumberland-based visitor attraction with a futuristic playground, ice rink and six new theme gardens. 22-Mar-2006 Bradford Council is considering plans for a multi-million pound revamp of the St George's Hall into a major concert venue. 21-Mar-2006 Hull City Council is to seek lottery funding for the development of a £16m visitor attraction to tell the story of the Earth's rivers, wildlife and ecosystems at the Central Dry Dock on the River Hull. 21-Mar-2006 Holidaybreak is considering plans to sell off its camping division for up to £150m, in order to focus on adventure holidays. 21-Mar-2006 National Assembly for Wales is to relocate about 100 tourism, transport and enterprise jobs to a new site in Llandudno Junction in spring 2008. 20-Mar-2006 Park Resorts is to spend £3.6m upgrading five holiday parks in Essex, as part of an ongoing £35m nationwide investment programme. 20-Mar-2006 City of Edinburgh Council is to spend £5.6m upgrading the city's parks and gardens over the next three years, and is seeking further funding from various agencies. 20-Mar-2006 Carrick Council is to consider plans for the development of a £2m dry ski-slope centre near Newquay, under the name of Winterpark Cornwall. 20-Mar-2006 Pathfinder Pubs is planning to invest more than £25m in 20 new pubs over the next six months, to add to the existing 550. 17-Mar-2006 EISS is setting up a 6,000 sq ft World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, in order to provide a training base for both amateur and professional players. 15-Mar-2006 Kent County Cricket Club is considering plans to sell part of its Canterbury ground to fund the development of improved facilities, including a 100-bed hotel, a conference centre and a museum. 15-Mar-2006 Mitchells & Butlers, the chain of about 2,000 pubs, has received a preliminary takeover approach from investment vehicle R20. 14-Mar-2006 Talarius is considering plans to convert 20 of its Quicksilver gaming centres to its new Quick-Bet electronic betting format. 14-Mar-2006 Holiday Retirement is planning to build a six-storey retirement "hotel" at Clarence Embankment in Cardiff, including 120 apartments, with the creation of about 50 jobs. 13-Mar-2006 Stanley Leisure has sold its 50% stake in Coastbright, the operator of the Maxims Casino in Kensington, to Genting International for £8.5m. 10-Mar-2006 The Croydon Park Hotel has been acquired by Clarion Hotels of Ireland for about £24m. 09-Mar-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £17m grant to the National Library of Scotland to provide a permanent home in Edinburgh for the John Murray Archive. 09-Mar-2006 English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund have announced grants worth £18m for repairs to 147 listed churches and chapels. 09-Mar-2006 Bedfordshire County Council is considering plans for the transformation of the Luton Hoo mansion into a conference centre and 85-bed hotel. 09-Mar-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to seek bids from private companies to develop its three golf courses at Hazlehead. 08-Mar-2006 The Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast is to receive £9m of public funding for the development of a new centre of cultural excellence by 2010, including a 350-seat theatre and exhibition space. 08-Mar-2006 British Waterways is looking to set up 50 new inland marinas, in order to benefit from the growing popularity of canal boat holidays, and developers and landowners are being invited to devise plans. 08-Mar-2006 Lancashire County Cricket Club is looking into the possibility of moving away from Old Trafford, and possible sites are being considered in Wigan and Eastlands. 07-Mar-2006 Goals Soccer Centres is planning to open four new five-a-side football centres this year and at least five next year. 07-Mar-2006 Hartford has acquired two sites in Chelmsford and Wimbledon from Luminar Leisure for £0.8m, and will convert them to its Henry J Bean's format. 06-Mar-2006 Edinburgh Zoo has secured a £1.8m Scottish Enterprise grant to go towards the development of a new £5.6m enclosure for chimpanzees. 06-Mar-2006 Western & Oriental is planning to raise £5.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its luxury travel business, and has also announced the acquisitions of Ranch America for £0.4m and Lynton Cooper for £0.9m. 06-Mar-2006 Hilton Hotels Corporation has appointed Christie & Co to sell its London and Birmingham Metropole hotels on a "sale and manage-back" basis. 06-Mar-2006 Travelodge is planning to increase the number of rooms in its chain of budget hotels from 17,500 to 23,500 by the end of 2007. 03-Mar-2006 The Strategic Investment Board is to handle the allocation of a £50m government grant to improve sporting facilities in Northern Ireland, in order to attract new events in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games. 03-Mar-2006 Balnagown Estate is considering plans to set up a £10m oil rig visitor centre in the Cromarty Firth, including a 50-room hotel, conference centre and naval museum. 03-Mar-2006 Warrington Borough Council has approved plans for a £110m development at Winwick Street, including a cinema, 600 homes, a hotel and a health centre. 02-Mar-2006 Northern Racing has sold a 1.8-acre site at Fontwell Park Racecourse in West Sussex to Mitchells & Butler for £0.9m, in order to develop a 40-room Vintage Inn and Innkeepers Lodge. 02-Mar-2006 Gala has been selected as the operator of a new casino that will be part of the £100m Belgrade Plaza development due to open in Coventry in 2008. 02-Mar-2006 Whitbread is planning to expand the number of rooms in its Premier Travel Inn budget hotel chain from 30,000 to 45,000 over the next five years. 02-Mar-2006 Down Royal Racecourse in Lisburn is to be acquired by the Merrion property group of Ireland. 01-Mar-2006 East Sussex County Council has unveiled plans for the possible transformation of 1,500 acres of wasteland at Pebsham Countryside Park into a nature park and visitor centre. 01-Mar-2006 Stafford Borough Council is considering plans from Chaseregen for the development of a new entertainment complex at CastleWharf, including a cinema, ice rink, bowling alley, bingo and gym. 28-Feb-2006 Derby & Sandiacre Canal Trust is seeking £24m of lottery funding to restore the former Derby Canal, but is facing competition from eight other waterway improvement projects in the region. 28-Feb-2006 Westminster City Council is considering plans from United Leisure Gaming for the £8m restoration of the Hippodrome in Leicester Square, including a new casino and cabaret performance area. 28-Feb-2006 Camden Council is to proceed with plans for the £14m refurbishment of the Kentish Town Sports Centre. 28-Feb-2006 Wakefield Council is to consider plans to extend the Theatre Royal, including a new foyer, bars, box office and education suite. 28-Feb-2006 Thomas Cook is planning to shed 325 jobs in its travel business, which will mainly affect the 1,600 staff at its Peterborough headquarters. 27-Feb-2006 The Scottish Arts Council is to merge with Scottish Screen to form a new body called Creative Scotland, and the SAC has secured an extra £7m of funding from the Scottish Executive. 27-Feb-2006 Laurel Pub Company has put 55 of its 400 pubs and restaurants up for sale, including the Forno Vivo and Santa Fe chains. 27-Feb-2006 Gwynedd Council is considering plans from Beicio Llanberis Cyf for the development of a £12m mountain bike centre near Llanberis. 24-Feb-2006 Bradford Council is considering plans for the development of a new £35m canal from Shipley to Bradford, following a feasibility study by Arup. 23-Feb-2006 BIL International of Singapore is looking to open up to 16 casinos in the UK, including both new applications and the acquisition of existing sites. 23-Feb-2006 Waterworld is transforming its aqua park in Stoke-on-Trent into a multi-leisure destination complex at a cost of £10m, including a hotel and the creation of 175 jobs. 23-Feb-2006 The Children's Play Council has secured a £15m lottery grant to invest in the five-year Play England project, which aims to develop opportunities for children's play across the country. 23-Feb-2006 Oldham Athletic has appointed the Frank Whittle Partnership to draw up plans for the development of a new £80m 16,000-capacity football stadium. 22-Feb-2006 Punch Taverns has announced plans to convert 215 pubs from managed houses to leased venues over the next two years. 21-Feb-2006 Prezzo has raised £7.5m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its chain of 73 restaurants. 21-Feb-2006 Brighton & Hove Council is to consider plans for the development of a £70m skating arena at Black Rock, including two ice rinks, a cinema, shops and an 11,000-capacity concert hall. 20-Feb-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to consider plans for the development of a 192-room four-star hotel at the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre. 20-Feb-2006 The Royal Institution has awarded a £10m contract to InteriorExterior for the refurbishment of its central London headquarters. 20-Feb-2006 QHotels has acquired the Westerwood Hotel and golf course in Cumbernauld for about £15m. 20-Feb-2006 Hotel Du Vin is planning to set up a £9m 42-bedroom four-star hotel at a historic building on Scarcroft Road in York by next year. 17-Feb-2006 One NorthEast has awarded a £5m grant for the development of a £26m Great North Museum at the Hancock Museum building in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 16-Feb-2006 Glasgow City Council is to approve plans for the £27m development of two new sports arenas at Scotstoun Stadium and Toryglen Regional Centre, in order to host football, rugby and athletics. 15-Feb-2006 The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is planning to open a £14m hotel and conference centre at the Surgeons' Hall Complex this summer. 15-Feb-2006 Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is seeking lottery funding for the £4.2m renovation of Reigate's historic Priory Park. 15-Feb-2006 Little Chef, the chain of 235 roadside restaurants, is to relocate its headquarters from Bedfordshire to Sheffield in April, with the creation of 60 jobs. 15-Feb-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to seek £4m of lottery funding for the renovation of Duthie Park. 15-Feb-2006 Everton is in discussions with Peel Holdings about the possibility of building a new football stadium at Switch Island on Merseyside. 14-Feb-2006 Macdonald Hotels is looking to sell a package of about 20 hotels in a sale and manage-back deal, in order to fund the development of more five-star sites. 13-Feb-2006 Wakefield Council is to receive plans from Waystone for the development of a £200m rugby stadium in Glasshoughton for Castleford Tigers. 13-Feb-2006 The England & Wales Cricket Board is to receive a £10m lottery grant to fund the development of new cricket facilities and benefit from the renewed interest in the sport. 10-Feb-2006 National Assembly for Wales is considering proposals for the £45m restoration of the Montgomery Canal in mid Wales, which could create up to 100 jobs. 09-Feb-2006 Sheffield United is to raise up to £11m in a share offer, in order to fund the £2.7m development of the corner stand at its Bramall Lane football stadium and the £1m acquisition of the Thames health club in Staines. 09-Feb-2006 Tussauds Group has taken complete control of the London Eye with the acquisition of the remaining 33% stake, and £50m will now be invested at the visitor attraction with the creation of 100 jobs. 09-Feb-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to consider proposals for the £10m transformation of the Hazlehead golf course, including a new clubhouse, swimming pool and 20 holiday cabins. 08-Feb-2006 Bristol City Council is considering plans from Rightacres of Cardiff to set up a £35m luxury hotel in a disused office building in Redcliffe. 06-Feb-2006 The Design Museum is planning to relocate to an undisclosed site in London by 2012, at a cost of £50m. 06-Feb-2006 Lake District National Park Authority is to close three of its tourist information centres with the loss of 29 jobs. 06-Feb-2006 Grantside is expected to acquire the former Terry's site in York for about £26m, in order to develop a new hotel, spa and health club, with the creation of about 200 jobs. 03-Feb-2006 The National Forest is seeking £25m of lottery funding to develop a leading tourist attraction in Leicestershire, including a water sports centre, a Creative Forest Experience and the opening up of the Ashby Canal. 03-Feb-2006 The Youth Hostels Association is to invest £18m upgrading its chain of 227 hostels over the next ten years, but 32 loss-making sites will close. 01-Feb-2006 Travelodge is to shed 80 jobs in its budget hotel business, as part of a £3m cost-cutting programme expected to involve the replacement of cluster and area managers with 19 district managers. 31-Jan-2006 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £7.2m grant for the modernisation of the People's History Museum in Manchester, while London's Chiswick House is to get £7.9m. 31-Jan-2006 Jurys Doyle is to submit plans to build a £25m 200-bedroom hotel in the centre of Derby by the end of 2007. 30-Jan-2006 Urban Dining, the owner of the Tootsies restaurant chain, has received a number of takeover approaches and BDO Stoy Hayward has been appointed to conduct a strategic review. 30-Jan-2006 UKbetting is planning to raise £11m in a share placing to fund the development of content for its sports and gaming websites. 30-Jan-2006 ExCeL is planning to invest up to £90m expanding its London exhibition centre by 260,000 sq ft. 30-Jan-2006 Stanley Leisure has secured a licence to open a 30,000 sq ft casino in Nottingham at the end of the year. 30-Jan-2006 Pagebet is looking to expand its Durham-based chain of 51 betting shops by opening about ten new sites a year. 27-Jan-2006 Durham County Council and training charity Endeavour are seeking lottery funding for a new £25m outdoor training and conference centre on the former Lafarge site in Eastgate. 26-Jan-2006 Astra Games is to relocate its amusement machines manufacturing business and up to 90 jobs to a larger site on the Bridgend Industrial Estate, with the creation of 50 new jobs. 26-Jan-2006 Cardiff Initiative has ceased trading with the possible loss of up to 35 jobs, and Cardiff County Council is expected to establish a new organisation to market the city as a tourist and business destination. 26-Jan-2006 Gloucester Rugby Club is looking into the possibility of building a new stadium on derelict land behind Gloucester railway station. 26-Jan-2006 Teignbridge Council has welcomed proposals from Devon & Cornwall Business Council to develop a £50m weather-based tourist attraction called Weather World, and one of the sites being considered is Seale Hayne College campus near Newton Abbot. 26-Jan-2006 Cadbury World is investing £2m in the refurbishment of its chocolate-themed visitor attraction in Birmingham. 25-Jan-2006 Bournemouth Borough Council is to consider preliminary proposals for the development of an Olympic-sized indoor ice rink at King's Park. 25-Jan-2006 The South West Regional Development Agency has been approached by local consultancy Mike Leece & Associates to help fund the £40m transformation of the disused Millbay grain silo in Plymouth into a marine science and sports centre. 25-Jan-2006 Luminar is considering plans to sell or rebrand its chain of 16 Jumpin' Jaks nightclubs, in response to an increase in competition from pubs offering extended opening times. 25-Jan-2006 Talarius has raised £9m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Quicksilver slot machines business. 24-Jan-2006 Newcastle Borough Council is to consider plans for the £1m expansion of the New Vic Theatre, including a new building to house an activity centre for its education department. 24-Jan-2006 McKever Hotels is investing £8m in the transformation of Glasgow's Theatre Hotel into a 53-room luxury Glasgow City aparthotel by May 2006. 24-Jan-2006 Milton Keynes Council is considering a number of options for the future of the Milton Keynes Bowl open-air venue, including a possible £100m redevelopment as a sporting centre for the 2012 Olympics. 23-Jan-2006 Kodak Weddings, the Harlow-based photography services agency, is to close at the end of the year with the loss of 137 jobs. 23-Jan-2006 Henderson Private Capital is looking to sell its Top Golf chain of four hi-tech driving ranges for about £25m. 23-Jan-2006 Aston Villa, the Birmingham-based football club valued at £51m, has been put up for sale, having appointed NM Rothschild to conduct a strategic review. 23-Jan-2006 Hartford is to change its name to The Food & Drink Group, as part of a reorganisation that will include the expansion of its recently-acquired Henry J Bean's restaurant chain. 23-Jan-2006 Brinker International of the US is planning to expand its UK chain of five Chili's and Romano's restaurants with up to 75 new sites over the next ten years. 18-Jan-2006 Rugby Borough Council is backing plans from an unnamed company to build a 111-bedroom four-star hotel in the town centre, including conference facilities. 17-Jan-2006 Ultimate Leisure is planning to invest £4m in the refurbishment of its nightclubs and bars this year. 17-Jan-2006 The Town House Company is to transform the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club in Glasgow into a £10m 109-bedroom luxury hotel by late 2007, including conference facilities and a leisure club. 16-Jan-2006 Thomas Cook is to conduct a strategic review of its UK tour operating business, prompting speculation that it will seek buyers for Club 18-30, Style villa holidays, Neilson skiing and Sun World. 16-Jan-2006 Bristol City Council is considering plans for the £20m refit of Colston Hall into a leading music venue by 2008. 13-Jan-2006 Darlington Borough Council is to consider plans from Rockcliffe Hall Developments for the development of a £50m golf course and five-star hotel on the Rockcliffe Hall estate. 12-Jan-2006 The Department for Culture, Media & Sport is to offer funding of £9.4m to museums and galleries across England over the next three years, in order to support young people's education. 12-Jan-2006 Dundee City Council is looking to privatise the management of the city's leisure facilities, which would involve the transfer of 118 staff to a newly-formed leisure company. 11-Jan-2006 Odyssey Health Clubs is to refurbish its Glory Mill club in Buckinghamshire this year, at a cost of £1.2m, and is also in talks to acquire two additional clubs. 11-Jan-2006 Billing Aquadrome, the 235-acre holiday park in Northampton, is said to have been acquired by Park Leisure of York. 11-Jan-2006 Middlesbrough Council has approved plans for the development of a 10,000 sq ft casino at the Thistle Hotel in Fry Street. 10-Jan-2006 Aberdeen City Council is to receive plans from the Dyce Sports & Leisure Development Trust to build a £3m sports centre at Pitmedden Road in Dyce, including an indoor sports hall and outdoor football pitches. 10-Jan-2006 St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa has announced plans for the £20m development of additional accommodation and leisure facilities, with the creation of 80 jobs. 09-Jan-2006 Nottingham City Council is seeking lottery funding for the £25m transformation of Victoria Embankment into a riverside park, while Notts County Council wants £50m for a conference and visitor facility at Sherwood Forest Country Park. 09-Jan-2006 Neath Port Talbot Council has approved plans from Express Parks Developments to build a £2.5m leisure complex at Aberavon beach, including bowling and bingo. 09-Jan-2006 Alton Towers is looking to recruit up to 300 staff at its theme park and hotels, with the theme park jobs being permanent in order to give greater job security. 09-Jan-2006 Watford Borough Council has approved plans from Travelodge for the development of a five-storey 94-bedroom hotel in the town centre. 05-Jan-2006 Gold's Gym of the US is planning to set up a network of franchised health and fitness clubs in the UK, with the first opening in London's Park Royal later this year. 05-Jan-2006 Hop Farm Country Park has secured government approval to build 64 upmarket holiday homes at Paddock Wood in Kent by 2008. 05-Jan-2006 London Clubs International is seeking permission to open a £9m 19,000 sq ft casino at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London's Park Lane. 03-Jan-2006 The information below comes from the UK Activity Report. 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