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Leisure 2007
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The information below comes from the UK Activity Report.
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Wigan Council has secured lottery funding for the £3.4m restoration of the 28-acre Mesnes Park. 31-Dec-2007 Barburrito is planning to create a nationwide chain of ten Mexican restaurants by 2010, having already opened two in Manchester. 28-Dec-2007 Bridgwater & Albion Rugby Club is in talks with Sedgemoor District Council about plans to relocate to a new purpose-built ground. 24-Dec-2007 The Football Association is to support plans for the development of a National Football Centre at Burton-on-Trent, but alternative sites nearer London may still be considered. 24-Dec-2007 East Lindsey District Council is to consider plans for the development of a £15m leisure complex on the Grand Parade in Skegness, which could create up to 300 jobs. 24-Dec-2007 Wirral Council is to conduct a feasibility study to rebuild Wirral pier, as part of the redevelopment of the seaside resort of New Brighton. 24-Dec-2007 The National Theatre of Scotland is to set up its main headquarters and rehearsal space at a former Harland & Wolff site in Govan by the end of 2008. 20-Dec-2007 Portsmouth City Council has secured funding from Sport England for the £20m redevelopment of the Mountbatten sports centre by summer 2009. 20-Dec-2007 Essex County Cricket Club is to seek planning permission to expand its ground in Chelmsford, including an increase in capacity from 6,000 to 8,000 and new retail and hospitality facilities. 18-Dec-2007 The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh is to undergo a £17m revamp between 2009 and 2011, in order to double the exhibition space and visitor capacity. 17-Dec-2007 Ceredigion Council is planning a multi-million pound investment at Cardigan Castle, including a heritage centre, language school and self-catering accommodation. 17-Dec-2007 North East Wales Institute has unveiled plans for the development of a £3m conference and performing arts centre in Wrexham, as part of a £8m college expansion project. 17-Dec-2007 Yarmouth Borough Council is to consider plans from Aspers for the development of a £35m casino and leisure complex at the Pleasure Beach, including a 180-room hotel, cinema and bowling. 17-Dec-2007 Steeple Court has unveiled plans for the development of a 220-bedroom hotel at St Mary's House in Norwich. 17-Dec-2007 Plymouth City Council has unveiled plans for the development of a £44m Life Centre leisure complex in Central Park by 2011, including an ice rink, swimming pool and a sports hall. 17-Dec-2007 BT is considering plans to transform the iconic BT Tower building in London into a luxury hotel, with the reopening of the restaurant on the 34th floor. 17-Dec-2007 Oldham Athletic has won permission for the £80m redevelopment of its Boundary Park football stadium, including a hotel, fitness centre and 693 homes. 13-Dec-2007 Aberdeen City Council is looking into the possibility of building a new £53m 22,000-capacity stadium for Aberdeen Football Club in Cove by 2012. 13-Dec-2007 Sustrans has won £50m of lottery funding to invest in the expansion of its cycling and walking network at 79 locations across the country over the next five years. 13-Dec-2007 Ping Pong is planning to expand its chain of seven dim sum restaurants with six new sites next year, including the first outside London. 13-Dec-2007 Drayton Manor Park is to open a Thomas the Tank Engine theme park on a 280-acre site in Staffordshire in spring 2008. 12-Dec-2007 Leeds United has unveiled plans for the transformation of its Elland Road football stadium, including two hotels, shops, a health club and a museum. 11-Dec-2007 Pendle Council has approved plans from Smartlawn for the development of a holiday village with 25 chalets at the former Catlow Quarries in Nelson. 11-Dec-2007 Larne Borough Council is to consider revised plans from Larne Marina Company for the development of a £42m marina village in County Antrim, including a 200-berth marina, a hotel and houses. 07-Dec-2007 Scottish Agricultural College has unveiled plans for the development of a £150m hotel, golf and riding centre at Oswald House in Ayr, in partnership with AWG Property. 07-Dec-2007 Reading Borough Council is to consider plans from CSJ Planning to build a £30m 29-storey Radisson SAS luxury hotel on Station Road. 06-Dec-2007 The Lemon Tree arts centre in Aberdeen has ceased trading with the loss of up to 50 jobs. 06-Dec-2007 The Tate Modern art gallery in London has secured a £50m government grant to go towards a £215m extension project, which will provide an additional 21,000 sq ft of space by 2012. 06-Dec-2007 Falkirk Council is to consider plans from the owner of Airth Castle for the development of a £80m five-star hotel complex in Larbert. 05-Dec-2007 Hilton UK is planning to set up a £18m Hilton Garden Inn hotel at Aberdeen Airport by autumn 2009, with the creation of up to 100 jobs, and is also seeking suitable sites in places such as Inverness, Stirling and Perth. 05-Dec-2007 Nexum Leisure has acquired three night clubs - Mr Smiths in Warrington, Blu Bambu in Derby and Tramps in Worcester - in a £10m investment that includes refurbishment costs. 05-Dec-2007 Flintshire County Council is to consider revised plans for the £25m transformation of Northop Country Park into a leading leisure destination, including a four-star hotel, conference centre and golfing facilities. 04-Dec-2007 The Department for Culture, Media & Sport is to invest £45m in the regeneration of coastal resorts by 2011, and a bidding process will start next spring. 04-Dec-2007 Bristol City Football Club has announced plans to build a new 30,000-capacity stadium at an undisclosed site in south Bristol by 2011. 03-Dec-2007 Sheffield City Council is to consider plans for the development of a five-star Crowne Plaza hotel and a three-star Holiday Inn Express on Blonk Street. 03-Dec-2007 Scottish Borders Council is to consider plans from Roxburghe Estates for the development of a £20m five-star resort in Heiton, including an extension for the Roxburghe Hotel, 60 self-catering lodges and 70 new jobs. 30-Nov-2007 Bath & North East Somerset Council has approved plans for a £10m extension at the Holburne art museum in Bath. 30-Nov-2007 Realpubs is planning to invest up to £50m expanding its chain of seven pubs across London. 30-Nov-2007 Leisure Parcs is investing £3m in improvements to Blackpool Tower, as part of a £10m project to develop tourist facilities in the resort. 28-Nov-2007 The Dunblane Hydro hotel in Perthshire is to undergo a £10m refurbishment to create a luxury spa and golf resort, following its acquisition by The Ability Group. 27-Nov-2007 The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum is to relocate from Bristol to London, in order to reach a larger audience, and negotiations are taking place over a suitable site. 26-Nov-2007 Holiday Extras is to close the Crawley office of its recently-acquired BCP car parks business with the loss of 90 jobs, but 40 new jobs will be created in East Kent. 26-Nov-2007 Nite Nite is looking to raise an initial £50m to fund the opening of up to 30 boutique hotels across the UK, Italy, Germany and Spain over the next six years. 26-Nov-2007 Bristol City Council has approved plans for the development of a £8m 175-bedroom Premier Travel Inn hotel in Lewins Mead. 23-Nov-2007 Rotherham United is considering two potential sites to build a new football stadium within three years. 23-Nov-2007 Oakwood, the Pembrokeshire-based theme park with 45 permanent and 350 seasonal staff, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. 22-Nov-2007 X-Leisure has unveiled plans for the development of a new 171-room hotel and three restaurants at the FountainPark leisure complex in Edinburgh, with the creation of up to 200 jobs. 22-Nov-2007 Aberdeen Performing Arts is considering proposals for a multi-million pound refurbishment of the historic Music Hall. 22-Nov-2007 The Science Museum has secured a £13m government grant to fund refurbishment projects and the creation of new galleries at its museums in London, Bradford and York. 21-Nov-2007 The Ironbridge Gorge Museum has shed 15 jobs, due to the impact of the poor summer weather on visitor numbers. 21-Nov-2007 Chester Racecourse is considering proposals to build a new 3,000-capacity grandstand and conference centre. 19-Nov-2007 Devon & Cornwall Business Council is seeking funding for the development of a £50m Weather World visitor centre at Westpoint near Exeter. 19-Nov-2007 Travelodge is planning to open 100 budget hotels in Spain by 2010, in its first major move into other countries. 19-Nov-2007 HgCapital is looking to sell The Sanctuary health spa and beauty products business in London for about £80m. 19-Nov-2007 The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester is planning a £54m redevelopment project, in order to create a new Museum Quarter between the River Irwell and Beetham Tower by 2012. 15-Nov-2007 Tottenham Hotspur has won permission to build a £30m football training ground in Enfield, with the creation of 70 jobs. 15-Nov-2007 The Big Lottery Fund has awarded a total of £70m to three Living Landmarks projects, including £22m for Cornwall's Heartlands, £23m for the Connswater Community Greenway project in East Belfast and £25m for the Helix in Falkirk. 15-Nov-2007 Newbury Racecourse has received a £33m hostile takeover bid from investment group Guinness Peat. 15-Nov-2007 Ladbrokes is planning to expand its betting call centre in Aintree, once the Vernons Pools business is transferred to Walton by new owner Sportech. 13-Nov-2007 Tasty is to raise up to £2.2m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its chain of seven Dim T dim-sum restaurants. 13-Nov-2007 Hilton Hotels Corporation is to open the UK's first Hampton by Hilton 86-bedroom hotel at Rockingham Leisure Park in Corby next year, in a franchise deal with Hotel Solutions London. 12-Nov-2007 Harrow Council is to invest £36m in new sports and leisure facilities, including the replacement of an existing leisure centre and various refurbishment projects. 08-Nov-2007 Chichester District Council is to consider plans for the £3m refurbishment of the New Park Centre next February, in order to provide improved community facilities. 07-Nov-2007 Starwood Hotels & Resorts is seeking an outside investor to buy the 219-room Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire for up to £100m, in order to fund a major development programme at the site. 07-Nov-2007 Delancey has won planning permission to build a 120-bedroom hotel at the Brooklands racing circuit in Weybridge by 2010. 07-Nov-2007 Wakefield Council is to transform Bretton Hall stately home into a luxury hotel and spa, in partnership with Leeds-based property developer Rushbond. 05-Nov-2007 Virgin Group is considering plans for a £1bn flotation of its worldwide chain of 167 health and fitness clubs next year. 05-Nov-2007 Orchid Group is planning to open 20 new pub restaurants under the Contemporary Carvery brand over the next few months. 05-Nov-2007 EasyHotel is in negotiations to open up to 20 budget hotels in the UK, as part of a strategy to have a global chain of 60 sites within three years. 05-Nov-2007 Kirklees Council has unveiled plans for a new £26m sports centre at an undisclosed site in Huddersfield town centre by 2011. 02-Nov-2007 PlayFootball is to create about 75 jobs at a new football centre and Roko health club due to open at Clifton Moor in York in February. 02-Nov-2007 Leicester Tigers is planning to build a 30,000-capacity rugby stadium and 180-bedroom hotel on its existing Welford Road site. 02-Nov-2007 Sportscotland is to help fund the development of the £29m Ravenscraig sports and leisure complex in Lanarkshire, including capacity for 2,000 spectators. 01-Nov-2007 Welshpool Town Council has unveiled proposals to build a new 3,000-capacity sports stadium to replace Welshpool Town's existing Maesydre football ground. 31-Oct-2007 Targetfollow has submitted plans for the £60m Duke's Wharf office and leisure development at the former Eastern Electricity site in Norwich city centre. 31-Oct-2007 Bluestone is to start recruiting 400 staff for its new holiday village due to open in Pembrokeshire next summer, and a further 300 jobs will be added later. 30-Oct-2007 The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced funding of £13m for the regeneration of 13 towns and cities across the country, including projects in Glasgow's Govan Cross, Morecambe and Evesham. 29-Oct-2007 Vue Entertainment is to invest £4m in a new multiplex cinema in Thanet, Kent, and £2.5m at a new site in Stirling. 29-Oct-2007 The British Film Institute and the National Film Theatre are considering plans to build an underground cinema and film centre at the Hungerford Bridge car park site on London's South Bank. 29-Oct-2007 National Museum Wales is seeking funding for a £8m project to transform the National History Museum at St Fagans in Cardiff over the next ten years. 26-Oct-2007 Alnwick District Council has approved plans from Northumberland Estates and leisure firm Sir John Fitzgerald to build a 54-bedroom hotel in Alnwick by 2009. 26-Oct-2007 InterContinental Hotels is to spend up to £30m on new signs for its worldwide chain of more than 3,000 Holiday Inn hotels, having designed a new logo. 25-Oct-2007 London Development Agency has unveiled plans for the £67m restoration of Crystal Palace Park, including a new sports centre, museum and housing. 25-Oct-2007 Manchester City Council has agreed a development framework with Ask Developments and Reality Estates for the former Boddingtons brewery site, including a £250m investment in a new hotel, offices, housing and leisure facilities. 25-Oct-2007 Stena Line is linking up with Conygar Investment Company to prepare plans to invest up to £100m in the development of a 150-acre site at Holyhead Harbour, including marina, leisure and retail facilities. 24-Oct-2007 Portland Spa is to create 40 jobs at a new conference and banqueting centre in Dorset over the next six months. 24-Oct-2007 Milsom Hotels is to create about 60 jobs at a new £4m hotel and restaurant due to open at Kesgrave Hall near Ipswich next March. 24-Oct-2007 Hereford Rugby Club is considering plans to relocate from Wyeside to a new £4m site at Holywell Gutter Lane. 19-Oct-2007 Zeus Private Equity is looking to invest £50m in the development of a portfolio of up to ten hotels, having just bought the Belfry House at Manchester Airport. 19-Oct-2007 Retallack Spa & Resort is to submit plans for a £25m holiday centre at St Columb Major near Newquay, including an artificial surf machine and the creation of up to 130 jobs. 19-Oct-2007 Islington Council has approved plans to build a 60-bedroom Comfort Inn hotel at Finsbury Park in London. 18-Oct-2007 The Waterways Trust is to close the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester over the winter with the loss of up to ten jobs, in order to update the facilities. 18-Oct-2007 North Tyneside Council and Tyne & Wear Museums have announced plans for the £2.5m transformation of the Stephenson Railway Museum into a Victorian-style tourist attraction. 18-Oct-2007 London Borough of Hillingdon is planning to build a £22m sports and leisure centre in Uxbridge, including a 50-metre swimming pool. 18-Oct-2007 Tottenham Hotspur is considering plans to build a new football stadium, having identified a number of potential sites in North London. 18-Oct-2007 The National Trust is seeking £2.5m of lottery funding to help with a £5m investment in visitor facilities at Chedworth Roman Villa in Gloucestershire. 17-Oct-2007 Fife Council is to consider plans from Crerar Hotels to build an 80-bedroom hotel and health club at St Nicholas Park in St Andrews, with the creation of 60 jobs. 17-Oct-2007 North Cornwall District Council is to consider plans from Marston's Inns & Taverns to build a £5m hotel in Wadebridge, with the creation of 40 jobs. 17-Oct-2007 Pubfolio is said to be planning to sell 100 pubs from its 500-strong nationwide estate for £40m. 17-Oct-2007 Birmingham City Council has unveiled proposals to build a £195m cultural centre in Centenary Square by 2013, including a new theatre and library complex. 15-Oct-2007 Highland Council is considering plans to set up a new £15m Highland museum and art gallery, and three potential sites in Inverness have been identified. 12-Oct-2007 Braintree Town is drawing up plans to build a new 6,000-capacity football stadium, in partnership with WG Developments. 12-Oct-2007 Reading Borough Council has unveiled plans to build a new theatre and library complex next to the proposed £50m civic centre building in Hosier Street. 11-Oct-2007 Cumbria County Council has secured a £4.7m lottery grant to relocate its archive centre from Carlisle Castle to a new extension at Lady Gillford House in Petteril Bank in 2010. 11-Oct-2007 South Derbyshire District Council has approved plans from Madecorn Leisure for the development of a £7m canal marina at Willington by July 2008, with the creation of up to 120 jobs. 11-Oct-2007 Hotel Du Vin has acquired the Sussex Arts Club in Brighton for £2.2m, in order to create its first Pub du Vin outlet. 11-Oct-2007 Western Isles Council is considering plans from the Stornoway Port Authority for the development of a new £2m yachting marina in Lewis. 10-Oct-2007 City of York Council is to consider plans from Indomito Properties to build a 108-bedroom Days Inn hotel on the site of Kent Street coach park. 10-Oct-2007 Cornwall Wildlife Trust is supporting plans for the development of a multi-million pound wildlife education centre at Colliford Lake Park on Bodmin Moor by 2010. 10-Oct-2007 Powerleague is to invest £7m in the expansion of its chain of 37 five-a-side football centres with four new sites over the next year, and is seeking locations near professional clubs. 10-Oct-2007 Worcester City Football Club and St Modwen are to submit plans to build a new 6,000-capacity stadium on a 7.5-acre site at Nunnery Way. 05-Oct-2007 Cedar Court Hotels has unveiled proposals to convert the GNER building at Station Rise in York into a five-star hotel, with the creation of 250 jobs. 05-Oct-2007 Belfast City Council has approved plans for the £6m expansion of Ravenhill rugby stadium, including three new stands with hospitality areas. 04-Oct-2007 Satrosphere has shed 12 jobs at its science exhibition centre in Aberdeen, leaving about 15 part-time staff. 04-Oct-2007 Royal Bank of Scotland is said to be looking to sell four hotels for up to £650m, including the Waldorf Hilton and Cumberland hotels in London, the Park Inn at Heathrow and the Marriott Victoria & Albert in Manchester. 04-Oct-2007 Yeovil Town is considering proposals to expand capacity at its Huish Park football stadium to more than 14,000. 03-Oct-2007 Belfast City Council is to commission a new report into proposals for the development of a new stadium in the city, and all potential sites will be considered. 03-Oct-2007 Hoseasons is considering plans to shed up to 30 of the 270 jobs at its holiday call centre in Lowestoft, as more customers are now booking online. 03-Oct-2007 Balbirnie House Hotel is to invest £5m in the expansion of its hotel in Fife next year, including a new spa and the creation of 30 jobs. 01-Oct-2007 Graves Tennis Centre in Sheffield is planning a £18m expansion project, in order to create state-of-the-art facilities capable of hosting major tournaments. 28-Sep-2007 Ingliston Equestrian Centre in Renfrewshire is to create up to 100 jobs following a £10m revamp of its riding centre and catering facilities. 28-Sep-2007 Village Hotels is to invest £60m in the refurbishment of its chain of 17 hotels over the next three years, and there are five new properties due to open over the next 18 months. 28-Sep-2007 Expedia, the online travel company, is to set up a 31,000 sq ft office at the Seven Dials building in London WC2. 27-Sep-2007 Kirklees Council is to invest £11m in improvements to leisure centres over the next five years, including Holmfirth Pool and Batley Sports & Tennis Centre. 25-Sep-2007 Reading Borough Council is considering plans from Rank Group to set up a new casino in Caversham Road. 25-Sep-2007 Discover Leisure is relocating its support services to its recently-acquired Barrons site near Chorley, but the operational head office will remain in East Yorkshire. 24-Sep-2007 Derby City Council is to consider plans from Jurys Inns for the development of a £25m 226-bedroom Jurys Inn hotel at the former Bridgegate BMW site. 24-Sep-2007 Rew Hotels is to invest £5m in the expansion of three seafront hotels in Torquay over the next five years. 24-Sep-2007 North Tyneside Council is seeking lottery funding for the £6m restoration of Wallsend Parks, including Richardson Dees Park, Prince Road Arboretum and Wallsend Civic Hall. 21-Sep-2007 Perth & Kinross Council is to consider proposals for the development of a six-star hotel and golf course at Dall House on the shores of Loch Rannoch. 21-Sep-2007 Macclesfield Town is looking to build a new 10,000-capacity football stadium, as part of the 58-acre South Macclesfield development scheme that would also include homes, offices and shops. 20-Sep-2007 Somerset County Council is planning a £6.5m renovation scheme at Taunton Castle, including a new Museum of Somerset. 20-Sep-2007 Bottelinos has won planning permission from North Somerset Council to build a £5m restaurant in Portishead Quays by April 2009. 19-Sep-2007 Perfect Choice, the Surrey-based holiday firm, has ceased trading and up to 1,250 people are expected to get refunds on their Turkish holidays. 19-Sep-2007 Neath Port Talbot Council is to proceed with plans for the £5.6m revamp of historic Margam Park, including a new discovery teaching centre. 17-Sep-2007 Pettifer Estates has unveiled plans to build a £95m VerTiPlex leisure and observation tower next to Millennium Point in Birmingham by 2010. 17-Sep-2007 Rossendale Council is to consider plans from Hurstwood to build a £3.5m health club at New Hall Hey, Rawtenstall, as part of the £100m regeneration of the town. 17-Sep-2007 AEG Europe is considering plans to build a deep water cruise liner terminal at the O2 arena in London. 17-Sep-2007 Prezzo is expanding its chain of 112 restaurants with seven new outlets this year. 17-Sep-2007 Lumsden & Carroll has won a £4.2m contract from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to build a Wild Bird Discovery Centre at Saltholme, Teesside. 17-Sep-2007 Liverpool City Council is to consider plans from Brabco for a £44m development at Baltic Triangle in Liverpool, including a 134-bed three-star hotel and 177 apartments. 14-Sep-2007 The Midlands Art Centre in Birmingham is to shed 182 jobs when it closes for a £12m renovation project in spring 2008. 14-Sep-2007 Sheffield City Council is to consider plans for a £38m development near Victoria Quays, including a five-star 198-room Crowne Plaza hotel and a 161-room Express by Holiday Inn. 14-Sep-2007 Black Country Living Museum in Dudley is looking to raise £10m from regeneration and tourism bodies to fund an expansion project. 13-Sep-2007 Aberdeen City Council is to consider plans from C&L Properties for the transformation of the former Esslemont & Macintosh department store into a 120-bedroom hotel with shops on the ground floor. 12-Sep-2007 Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council is to consider plans from Rob Lloyd Racing to set up a horse racing complex in Peckforton, including an all-weather gallop, stables, staff accommodation and the creation of 30 jobs. 10-Sep-2007 Novus Leisure has secured up to £20m of private equity backing from Cognitas to fund the expansion of its chain of Tiger Tiger nightclubs. 10-Sep-2007 North Midland Construction is expected to win a £15m contract from Moto Hospitality to build a service station and Travelodge budget hotel near Knaresborough in North Yorkshire. 10-Sep-2007 Center Parcs has won planning permission to build a £200m holiday village at Warren Wood in Bedfordshire by 2010, with the creation of 1,400 jobs. 07-Sep-2007 Wilson Sporting Goods is to relocate its Irvine-based distribution centre and 35 jobs from Ayr Road to a new site at Crompton Way. 07-Sep-2007 The British Horse Society is considering plans to relocate its headquarters to the Royal Agricultural Society site in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, and is expected to seek planning permission for a new building. 07-Sep-2007 Middlesbrough Council is considering plans from Terrace Hill to build a 100-bed four-star hotel at Central Garden East. 07-Sep-2007 Renfrewshire Council is to consider plans from McGarvey Construction for a £30m development at New Sneddon Street in Paisley, including a 132-bed hotel, offices and apartments. 06-Sep-2007 City of Edinburgh Council is to consider plans from Tiger Developments for the £200m redevelopment of Haymarket, including a five-star 180-bed InterContinental hotel and a 246-bed Travelodge. 06-Sep-2007 Newport Gwent Dragons are planning to build a new £40m 15,000-capacity rugby stadium at Rodney Parade by 2010. 06-Sep-2007 Pritchard Holdings is to unveil plans for the £60m 500,000 sq ft Citygate Plaza mixed-use scheme in Wolverhampton, including a 100-bed hotel and conference centre. 03-Sep-2007 Newcastle City Council is looking into the possibility of building a new convention centre on a site west of Central Station, providing space for up to 1,500 delegates. 30-Aug-2007 Queens Hall is seeking lottery funding for the £10m expansion of its live music venue in central Edinburgh. 30-Aug-2007 Swansea Council is looking to recruit 100 staff to work at its refurbished £32m leisure centre, which is due for completion in December. 28-Aug-2007 Newcastle City Council is considering plans from Downing for a £200m hotel, office and housing development at the former Tyne Brewery site in Gallowgate. 27-Aug-2007 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from European Development Company to build a new 300-bedroom Crowne Plaza hotel and 275-bedroom Express by Holiday Inn at the former Albany Hotel site on Bothwell Street. 27-Aug-2007 Leicester City Council is to consider plans for the development of a new £2.5m speedway stadium for Leicester Lions at Beaumont Park in Beaumont Leys. 24-Aug-2007 Everyman Cinema Club is looking to roll out a nationwide chain of 50 boutique cinemas, to add to its existing site in London's Hampstead Village. 24-Aug-2007 Medway Council has secured a £5m government grant to develop an athletics and gymnastics centre of excellence at the Black Lion complex in Gillingham, in preparation for the 2012 Olympics. 23-Aug-2007 Hotel Partners is to operate a new £20m 131-room Fitzwilliam hotel to be built at Great Victoria Street in Belfast by 2009, with the creation of 100 jobs. 22-Aug-2007 Lowcosttravelgroup is to create 50 new jobs at its travel call centre in East Grinstead, taking the total workforce to 150. 22-Aug-2007 Hearts has announced plans to invest £51m in the expansion of its Tynecastle football stadium in Edinburgh, including a new stand, a hotel, leisure facilities and the creation of 300 jobs. 21-Aug-2007 Carlisle City Council has approved outline plans from Kingmoor Park Properties for the development of a 130-bedroom four-star hotel and conference centre at Kingmoor Park. 21-Aug-2007 Mid Sussex District Council has approved plans from Thornfield for the development of a £10m 100-room hotel in Haywards Heath by 2010. 20-Aug-2007 Heartstone Inns has raised £3m of private equity to fund the development of a chain of up to 30 pubs in the South of England over the next five years. 20-Aug-2007 Marriott International is to invest £120m in improvements to 38 of its four and five-star hotels in the UK by the end of next year, including the £10m refurbishment of its Regent's Park property in London. 20-Aug-2007 Allerdale Borough Council is seeking an organisation to operate the £3m Destination Maryport tourist attraction, which is due to open in summer 2008. 17-Aug-2007 Sheffield Theatres is expected to shed more than 40 of the 200 jobs at the Crucible Theatre when it closes for a £12m refurbishment next May. 15-Aug-2007 Barracuda is to expand its chain of 206 pubs and bars with 14 new sites by the end of the year. 14-Aug-2007 Southend Council is in discussions with the Norman Garon Trust about plans to develop an indoor sports complex and 80-bedroom hotel at Garon Park. 13-Aug-2007 BetFred is planning to expand its chain of 700 betting shops to 1,000 by 2012, and is also considering plans for a £600m flotation. 13-Aug-2007 Las Iguanas has undergone a £27m management buy-out backed by Bowmark Capital, and is now planning to expand its chain of 14 restaurants to more than 100. 13-Aug-2007 South Somerset District Council is planning to build a £21m sports complex in Yeovil by 2011, including a swimming pool and indoor tennis centre. 09-Aug-2007 Vue Cinemas is to set up a nine-screen cinema at the planned £110m Oval shopping centre in Darlington by 2010. 03-Aug-2007 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £8.9m grant for the Great Fen heritage project in Cambridgeshire, which will restore a natural fenland habitat. 03-Aug-2007 Macdonald Hotels is to invest more than £30m a year in the expansion of its existing hotels, in order to increase the number of rooms by 50% over the next five years. 01-Aug-2007 Glenbervie House has submitted plans to build a £30m spa village in the grounds of its recently-refurbished hotel in Stirlingshire, with the creation of up to 400 jobs. 20-Jul-2007 Celtic Manor is to create 40 jobs at a new golf clubhouse due to open at its South Wales resort in the autumn, in preparation for hosting the Ryder Cup in 2010. 19-Jul-2007 Food & Drink Group is to raise £1.5m in a share placing to fund the refurbishment of its restaurants and wine bars. 19-Jul-2007 Quintain has submitted plans to build a five-star Hilton hotel with 441 bedrooms next to Wembley Arena in London. 19-Jul-2007 Morecambe Football Club has announced plans to build a new 6,000-capacity stadium at Westgate over the next two years. 18-Jul-2007 Wrexham Council is considering plans for the £2m expansion of Wrexham Museum, including space for the National Museum & Library of Wales. 18-Jul-2007 East Cambridgeshire District Council is considering a report from Strategic Leisure that proposes the development of a new £10m leisure centre to meet the needs of a growing population. 18-Jul-2007 Serenity in the City is planning to open up 20 urban spa sites across the country by 2012, with the creation of about 200 jobs. 18-Jul-2007 Merlin Entertainments has sold the property assets of Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and Madame Tussauds to Prestbury in a £622m sale and leaseback deal, in order to fund a £270m investment programme. 18-Jul-2007 Center Parcs is to invest £12m in new restaurants at its four holiday villages over the next 12 months, having agreed a deal with Tragus to open nine branded outlets with the transfer of 350 staff. 18-Jul-2007 Sunderland Council is to consider plans from Sunderland Arc for the rejuvenation of Farringdon Row, including a three-star hotel, shops, offices and 124 apartments. 17-Jul-2007 Barnsley Council is planning to transform the Town Hall into a local history museum called Experience Barnsley, and the Heritage Lottery Fund has earmarked £2.6m for the project. 17-Jul-2007 Marylebone Warwick Balfour is looking to sell its Malmaison and Hotel du Vin operations for about £700m, including 19 boutique hotels and a further seven sites due to open by the end of next year. 16-Jul-2007 Capital Pub Company is planning to double its chain of 23 pubs over the next five years, and up to five new sites will open during the current financial year. 16-Jul-2007 West Norfolk Council has unveiled proposals for the development of a £14m marina at Boal Quay in King's Lynn, including a hotel, shops, 900 homes and the creation of 300 jobs. 12-Jul-2007 Soccercity is to sell its indoor football centre in Fareham to Holyrood for £0.7m, in order to focus on its three sites in Yorkshire. 12-Jul-2007 Glamorgan Record Office is planning to set up a 45,000 sq ft archive and visitor centre at Cardiff City's new stadium development site, in order to store and display historical documents. 11-Jul-2007 Twycross Zoo is seeking funding to build a £10m 300-seater restaurant complex at its zoo near Atherstone. 11-Jul-2007 London Town Hotels is planning to open a new £4m four-star boutique hotel at Paddington in London in spring 2008. 11-Jul-2007 Andras House is planning to invest £50m in the development of five Ibis hotels in Northern Ireland, with the creation of 200 jobs. 10-Jul-2007 Rocco Forte Hotels is to invest £8m in improvements at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester, with a new spa and leisure complex due to open in 2009. 09-Jul-2007 The British Museum in London is planning a £100m extension by 2011, in order to provide a new 10,760 sq ft venue in Montague Place. 09-Jul-2007 St Neots Town Football Club is to relocate to a new £4m football centre at Loves Farm by the end of the year. 04-Jul-2007 The Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage have announced a series of grants worth £6.6m for the repair of more than 70 historic places of worship across England. 04-Jul-2007 The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded grants totalling £5.6m to restore Greenhead Park in Huddersfield and Langley Park in Buckinghamshire. 03-Jul-2007 The University of Essex has announced plans for the £12m transformation of the Prudential building in Southend into a teaching, performing and exhibition space. 03-Jul-2007 Barnet Football Club has submitted plans for the £7m expansion of its Underhill stadium, including two new stands. 03-Jul-2007 Bourne Leisure is looking to sell off its chain of 33 AMF Bowling centres for up to £80m. 03-Jul-2007 ProLogis is to submit plans to South Gloucestershire Council for the development of a hotel, car dealership, warehouse and offices at the 65-acre Rolls-Royce East Works site in Patchway, Bristol. 02-Jul-2007 Peacock Visual Arts is planning to build a new contemporary arts centre in Aberdeen by 2010, having secured £8.5m from the Scottish Arts Council, Aberdeen City Council and Scottish Enterprise Grampian. 02-Jul-2007 Fareham Borough Council is to consider plans from Premier Marinas for the £30m redevelopment of Swanwick Marina, including a new pavilion with shops, offices and restaurants. 27-Jun-2007 Lancashire Wildlife Trust has unveiled plans to develop a £6m nature reserve and visitor attraction at Brockholes Wetland near Samlesbury over the next four years. 26-Jun-2007 South Derbyshire District Council has approved plans for the development of a £6.7m leisure and swimming centre at John Port School in Etwall. 25-Jun-2007 JJB Sports is to set up a £10m fitness club and retail store at Victoria Retail Park in Nottingham, and is also due to open new clubs in Llanelli and Thanet soon. 25-Jun-2007 English Partnerships and Gallagher have unveiled proposals for the development of 9,500 homes, shops, cinema, hotel and leisure facilities at Northstowe in South Cambridgeshire. 25-Jun-2007 Planet Beach of the US is looking to open up to 200 tanning salons in the UK and Ireland, and is currently seeking a franchise or joint venture partner. 25-Jun-2007 Peel Holdings has submitted plans for the development of a £100m racecourse at Salford Forest Park near Manchester. 22-Jun-2007 The Royal College of Art is linking up with Imperial College London to establish a £5.8m multidisciplinary arts centre called Design-London at RCA-Imperial. 22-Jun-2007 Reel Cinemas is planning to expand its chain of ten cinemas into new locations throughout the country, and work is under way at five new sites in Andover, Hull, Newark, Swadlincote and Widnes. 21-Jun-2007 Nottingham Forest has unveiled plans to build a 50,000-capacity football stadium near Clifton, as part of the redevelopment of a 300-acre site that would also include a hotel, leisure facilities, housing and industrial units. 21-Jun-2007 Birmingham City Council is to seek £10m of lottery funding to transform the city's museum and art gallery in Chamberlain Square. 20-Jun-2007 Regent Inns is to invest £4m in the refurbishment of its chain of 29 Old Orleans restaurants. 20-Jun-2007 Whitbread is to change the name of its chain of Premier Travel Inn budget hotels to Premier Inn, at a cost of £22m for new signs, advertising and depreciation. 20-Jun-2007 Warwick Conferences is to invest £3m in the refurbishment of its three training and conference centres at Warwick University this summer. 19-Jun-2007 Cunard Line has sold the QE2 passenger liner to Istithmar for £50m, and it will be converted into a tourist attraction in Dubai. 19-Jun-2007 Thwaites is looking to expand its estate of about 400 pubs and has just acquired a further five properties in the north of England and Wales for £1.9m. 15-Jun-2007 De Vere is planning to open at least six new Greens Health & Fitness clubs over the next 12 months, having appointed Savills to find suitable sites. 14-Jun-2007 Derby County has announced plans to expand the capacity at its Pride Park football stadium from 33,597 to 44,000. 12-Jun-2007 Hilton Hotels Corporation of the US is planning to develop 25 Hampton Inns budget hotels in the UK over the next five years, as part of a franchise deal that will cost about £300m. 12-Jun-2007 BDL Management is linking up with Kennedy Group of Coleraine to develop a chain of up to 40 Ramada Encore hotels by 2012. 11-Jun-2007 Carlisle City Council is to discuss proposals for the development of a £21m theatre and arts centre at Rickergate. 05-Jun-2007 Esporta is to invest £1bn in the expansion of its chain of health and fitness centres over the next five years. 05-Jun-2007 Swansea Council is considering proposals from Edglade Properties and Snowmakers UK to develop a winter sports resort in Morfa, including a skiing area, ice rink, hotels and the creation of 460 jobs. 04-Jun-2007 All Leisure Group is to raise £30m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its cruise holidays business. 04-Jun-2007 Laurel Pub Company is looking to double its newly-acquired chain of 58 La Tasca restaurants, while its Slug & Lettuce chain will grow from 50 to 120 and the Ha! Ha! chain will expand from 27 to 50 over the next three years. 04-Jun-2007 MyTravel is to close its travel call centre in Royal Quays, North Shields, with the loss of about 100 jobs. 01-Jun-2007 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from Progress Property Developments to build a £125m six-star Argyle International hotel with 158 rooms on the corner of Argyle Street and Robertson Street. 31-May-2007 Lincolnshire County Council is working with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust over proposals to develop a £10m coastal country park on an eight kilometre stretch of coastline between Mablethorpe and Skegness. 31-May-2007 Hamilton Park Racecourse is to create 204 full and part-time jobs over the next few months, having appointed Prestige Scotland to improve on-site catering and hospitality. 30-May-2007 North Somerset Council is to consider plans from Henry Boot Developments to build a £30m Tropicana leisure complex in Weston-super-Mare by 2010, including a 96-bedroom hotel, cinema and bowling. 28-May-2007 Newcastle United Football Club is considering a £133m takeover offer from St James Holdings and the founder of Sports Direct. 25-May-2007 Uttlesford District Council has approved plans from Airport Property Partnership for the development of two hotels at Stansted Airport, one with 250 bedrooms and one with 100. 25-May-2007 St Moritz Hotel at Trebetherick in Cornwall is to recruit more than 50 staff in preparation for its opening in July. 24-May-2007 Cotswold Water Park is seeking funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £4m project to improve facilities and attract more visitors. 24-May-2007 British Waterways, the government-owned network of canals and rivers, is to conduct a strategic review that could lead to a £1bn sale or flotation. 24-May-2007 Southampton City Council is to consider plans from Imperial Property for a £100m development off St Andrews Road, including flats, offices and a 204-bedroom four-star hotel run by Radisson SAS. 23-May-2007 National Trust for Scotland is planning to shed up to 80 jobs from its 500-strong workforce, in order to save £3m and secure the future of its 128 properties. 22-May-2007 Aberdeen City Council is to receive plans from Bancon Developments to build a £5m 100-bedroom hotel at the former MegaBowl site in the city centre. 22-May-2007 Wyre Forest District Council is to consider proposals from the Kidderminster Carpet Museum Trust to set up a new carpet museum to commemorate Kidderminster's carpet manufacturing heritage. 21-May-2007 Torbay Council is to consider plans from Havana West Development Company for a £9m leisure project in Babbacombe Bay, including an upmarket hotel and apartments. 21-May-2007 Radisson Edwardian has been selected to operate a 200-bedroom four-star hotel planned for the Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre by 2009. 21-May-2007 Travelodge has announced plans to invest £3.5bn in the development of about 40 new budget hotels a year until 2020, with the creation of 10,000 jobs, and is particularly interested in London, Scotland and Wales. 21-May-2007 The MCC is considering plans to expand the capacity of the Lord's cricket ground in London with 10,000 extra seats, as part of a redevelopment that would include a hotel, apartments, cricket academy and ice-rink. 21-May-2007 Radisson Edwardian is to open a new 169-room four-star hotel at New Providence Wharf in London's Docklands in September. 17-May-2007 Capital Pub Company, the London-based chain of 23 pubs, is planning a flotation on Aim with a valuation of about £40m. 17-May-2007 Restaurant Group is planning to open up to 35 out-of-town restaurants during the full year, having already opened eight new sites. 17-May-2007 The Bristol Old Vic theatre is to undergo a £7m refurbishment project by December 2008, partly funded by a £1m grant from Bristol City Council. 16-May-2007 Tadcaster Pub Company of Yorkshire is looking to invest £20m in the development of a chain of 35 town and country inns over the next five years. 10-May-2007 Preston Council is to consider plans from Amadeus Property for the development of a £20m 126-room hotel with 56 apartments in Fox Street, with completion due in autumn 2008. 09-May-2007 Forest of Dean District Council is to seek lottery funding for the £17m regeneration of Lydney Docks, including a boatyard, boat-building school and visitors centre. 07-May-2007 VisitBritain is cutting 80 of the 484 jobs at its government-funded tourism agency. 07-May-2007 Rank is considering plans to sell off about ten of its 103 Mecca bingo clubs, in preparation for the introduction of the smoking ban in July. 07-May-2007 London Clubs International is to open a 50,000 sq ft casino at The Empire in London's Leicester Square this month. 07-May-2007 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from QMD Glasgow for the development of an 85-bedroom hotel and apartments at the BBC Scotland site in West End. 03-May-2007 InterContinental Hotels is to open 11 new Holiday Inn hotels in the UK, as part of a deal with Kew Green Hotels that will involve rebranding former Courtyard by Marriott sites. 03-May-2007 Clayton Hotels is planning to rebuild Gwrych Castle in Abergele, North Wales, into a £6m five-star country house hotel, with the creation of up to 100 jobs. 02-May-2007 West Norfolk Council has approved plans from Searles to transform Manor Farm near Hunstanton into a holiday complex, including a 12-bedroom hotel, cottages, leisure club, golf course and the creation of 50 jobs. 02-May-2007 Golden Tulip UK has reached agreement to open three new Golden Tulip and Tulip Inn-branded hotels at sites in Doncaster, York and Gatwick. 01-May-2007 Derby County has announced plans for a £20m development at its Pride Park football stadium, including a 165-bed hotel, bars, offices and the creation of 250 jobs. 30-Apr-2007 The Macdonald Portal Hotel is recruiting 60 new staff at its hotel, golf and spa complex in Cheshire, following a £12m redevelopment project. 27-Apr-2007 Cherwell District Council is to consider plans from London & Metropolitan for the development of a business park and 150-bedroom five-star hotel with conference facilities in Bicester. 27-Apr-2007 Stockton Council is to consider plans for the development of a £25m golf resort at Wynyard Golf Club, including a 150-bed hotel, golf academy, clubhouse, conference facilities and the creation of more than 100 jobs. 26-Apr-2007 Portsmouth Football Club has announced plans for the development of a new £600m 36,000-seater stadium with 1,500 apartments on the waterfront by 2011, in partnership with Sellar Property Group. 26-Apr-2007 Reading Borough Council has approved plans from Gaming International for the development of a "racino" on Island Road by 2008, including speedway, greyhound racing and a casino. 25-Apr-2007 Cineworld is planning a flotation that will value the chain of 72 cinemas at £240m, and the proceeds will be used to reduce borrowings. 24-Apr-2007 Travelodge is planning to open at least 30 budget hotels this year, including 3,000 rooms, but international expansion has been put on hold. 24-Apr-2007 Milton Keynes Council has announced proposals for the development of a £20m sports village at Radcliffe School by 2011, including a 50-metre swimming pool, running track, tennis and all-weather playing pitch. 23-Apr-2007 North Cornwall District Council is considering plans from the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Association for the development of a £1.5m pavilion at the showground near Wadebridge. 19-Apr-2007 Center Parcs is to invest £60m in improvements to the accommodation facilities at its four holiday parks, having awarded a contract to interior design group Target Living. 19-Apr-2007 Casino Red is planning to set up a £5m casino at the former Princess Cinema site in Huddersfield, with the creation of more than 120 jobs. 18-Apr-2007 Skegness Town Council is supporting plans from Paragon Leisure for a £100m leisure development in Skegness, including a marina, visitor centre, adventure playground and art gallery. 18-Apr-2007 The Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff has submitted plans for a £2.5m redevelopment project, including improvements to its cinema and theatre space. 18-Apr-2007 Hotel Du Vin has won planning permission for a £8m investment in a new hotel in Edinburgh Old Town by 2008. 18-Apr-2007 Sundridge Park Conference Centre is to close its leisure complex in Bromley with the loss of 86 jobs, and the site will be converted into 59 apartments. 17-Apr-2007 Royal Bank of Scotland is to sell 47 Marriott hotels to a consortium led by Quinlan Private for £1.1bn, and the properties will be managed by Marriott International under a 30-year contract. 16-Apr-2007 Sports Cafe is planning to expand its chain of eight licensed venues by opening a number of smaller sites and by acquiring complementary brands. 16-Apr-2007 InterContinental Hotels is to set up a 160-bedroom Crowne Plaza hotel at the £200m Morrison Street Goods Yard development in Edinburgh by 2012, while Travelodge will operate a 200-bedroom budget hotel at the site. 16-Apr-2007 Mere Golf & Country Club in Cheshire is considering plans for a £10m expansion project, including a new 90-bedroom hotel. 13-Apr-2007 Sleeperz is to build a £3.8m budget hotel with 77 bedrooms next to Cardiff Central Railway Station, and additional sites are being sought throughout the country. 13-Apr-2007 The London Development Agency has announced a £11m funding package to boost training and jobs for the 2012 Olympics, with grants going to organisations such as City Gateway, Centrepoint, Peabody Trust and Princes Trust. 12-Apr-2007 Accor has taken control of the 24 hotels sold recently by Macdonald Hotels to Moorfield Real Estate Fund, increasing its Mercure estate by 2,500 rooms. 12-Apr-2007 The Belfry golf course near Birmingham is to undergo a transformation into a world-class hotel and leisure complex by owner Quinn Group, at a possible cost of up to £200m. 11-Apr-2007 Palatial Leisure is to open a new £2m casino in Great Yarmouth in October, with the creation of more than 70 jobs. 11-Apr-2007 Thwaites is investing £9m in the refurbishment of its chain of 425 pubs, partly in preparation for the introduction of the smoking ban in July. 10-Apr-2007 Glasgow City Council is to consider plans from Forrest Developments to build a £40m luxury hotel on the banks of the Clyde at Finnieston. 10-Apr-2007 Rank has secured licensing approval to set up a £6m casino in Southend-on-Sea. 09-Apr-2007 South Lanarkshire Council has awarded outline planning permission to Vinebray for a £100m sports, entertainment and holiday centre at Kersewell Mains, near Carnwath, which could create about 750 jobs. 05-Apr-2007 St Helens Council has approved plans for the development of a £3.2m leisure and sports at the Queens Park site. 04-Apr-2007 Newcastle United has announced plans for the £300m redevelopment of St James' Park football stadium, including a rise in capacity to 60,000, a hotel, a conference centre and apartments. 03-Apr-2007 Clapham House is to raise £4.6m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Bombay Bicycle Club restaurant chains. 02-Apr-2007 LA Fitness is planning to create a further 100 jobs at its new headquarters in Doncaster over the next three years. 30-Mar-2007 Sportingbet is to relocate some of its management, trading and marketing functions from London to Alderney, affecting about 25% of the 325 staff. 29-Mar-2007 The East of England Development Agency is to help fund the £5m transformation of Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea into an education, heritage and nature conservation centre. 28-Mar-2007 Highland Council is to consider plans from the Fort William Waterfront consortium for a £80m waterfront scheme in Fort William, including a 100-bed, three-star hotel and 350 homes. 28-Mar-2007 Scottish Enterprise Grampian is to invest £1m in the development of tourism at the Cairngorms National Park over the next three years. 27-Mar-2007 Hays Travel is to create 140 new jobs in its Sunderland-based holiday sales business, taking the homeworker division to 400 staff by the end of the year. 26-Mar-2007 Kidspace Adventures is planning to operate a £6.5m Life Station adventure playground at Bentley Bridge retail park in Wednesfield, subject to planning permission. 26-Mar-2007 West Wiltshire District Council is to consider plans from Trowbridge Town for the development of a new £4m 2,000-capacity football stadium. 26-Mar-2007 Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian has secured more than £7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Scotland for restoration works and new visitor facilities. 26-Mar-2007 Whitbread is considering plans to sell its David Lloyd Leisure chain of 72 tennis and fitness clubs, having received a number of unsolicited approaches. 26-Mar-2007 Ignite Group is planning to expand its London-based chain of six restaurants with five new sites. 26-Mar-2007 TGI Friday's is planning to recruit 250 new staff to improve customer service levels in its 45 restaurants. 26-Mar-2007 Malvern Hills District Council has approved plans for the development of a £5m hotel and spa resort on Grovewood Road. 23-Mar-2007 The National Trust is to invest £2.5m in its properties in Northern Ireland, including new facilities for the Argory near Moy, Portstewart Strand and the Crown Bar in Belfast. 22-Mar-2007 David Lloyd Leisure is planning to set up a £12m health and fitness centre at the Hampton development in Peterborough. 22-Mar-2007 Darlington Football Club is considering plans for a £12m development next to its stadium, including a centre of excellence, hotel, restaurants and offices. 22-Mar-2007 Clyde Football Club is planning a £8.6m expansion at its Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld, in order to create a community sport and leisure facility funded partly by North Lanarkshire Council. 22-Mar-2007 Punch Taverns is looking to sell up to 1,000 of its 9,300 pubs, in order to reduce the impact of the smoking ban and raise an estimated £400m. 21-Mar-2007 Travelodge is to invest £140m in the development of up to 20 new budget hotels in London before the 2012 Olympics. 20-Mar-2007 TUI UK is to close its travel call centre in Bury, Lancashire, in July, with the loss of up to 200 jobs. 19-Mar-2007 Maclay Inns has raised £7.5m to fund the acquisition of managed bars and inns across central Scotland, to add to its existing chain of 23 venues. 19-Mar-2007 Blackburn with Darwen Council is considering plans from Castleland for the development of a £13m holiday village with 120 log cabins at Pleasington Lakes. 19-Mar-2007 FM Developments has unveiled plans for the £40m transformation of the 1,500-acre Ury Estate near Stonehaven into a luxury leisure complex, including a hotel, championship golf course and the creation of up to 100 jobs. 16-Mar-2007 Creswell Heritage Trust has secured £4.2m of lottery funding to develop a new Museum of the Ice Age at Creswell Craggs in Nottinghamshire. 16-Mar-2007 Sunseeker International is planning to create 500 new jobs at the Legend Yacht boat building facility at Osprey Quay in Portland. 15-Mar-2007 Birmingham City Council is to award £9m to arts organisations across the city, including £3.6m for the Symphony Hall, £1.6m for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and £1m for the Birmingham Royal Ballet. 15-Mar-2007 Aston Hotels is planning to expand its chain of hotels from two to ten by 2012, with the next two sites opening in Sheffield and Neath. 15-Mar-2007 St Mellion Golf Resort in Cornwall is planning a £80m redevelopment project to enable it to host major golf tournaments, including a new 80-bedroom hotel and 265 golf homes. 15-Mar-2007 La Tasca, the Bolton-based chain of 71 tapas bars valued at about £100m, is expected to be the subject of three rival bids from Tragus, CVC Capital Partners and Kaupthing. 15-Mar-2007 Winchester City Council has announced plans to build a new £3m sports centre at Bar End, including athletics and hockey facilities. 14-Mar-2007 Leicester City Council is planning to invest £4.3m in a new £20m cinema and arts complex called the Digital Media Centre, in order to replace Phoenix Arts. 14-Mar-2007 Rezidor is planning to set up a luxury 164-bedroom hotel on Justice Mill Lane in Aberdeen by 2009, as part of a £60m development scheme by Hazledene Estates. 13-Mar-2007 Bristol City Council has approved plans for the development of a £19m Museum of Bristol at the site of the former Industrial Museum on Princes Wharf by summer 2009. 12-Mar-2007 Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design is to relocate to a 300,000 sq ft site at the Granary building at Argent's King's Cross development in London. 12-Mar-2007 Rezidor is to set up a 115-bedroom Park Inn hotel at the former GMO building in Peterborough by summer 2008. 09-Mar-2007 The Scottish Executive is supporting plans for the development of a £27m sports village in Stirling, including swimming, hockey, an ice rink and fitness facilities. 09-Mar-2007 Hull City Council has approved plans from Pure Urban for the development of a new £10m 128-bed hotel on the east bank of the River Hull. 09-Mar-2007 InterContinental Hotels is looking to relocate its headquarters from Windsor, having appointed Cushman & Wakefield to find a 70,000 sq ft site in the Thames Valley. 05-Mar-2007 Warwickshire County Cricket Club has announced plans for the £20m expansion of Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, including a new pavilion and residential development. 02-Mar-2007 Gourmet Holdings is looking to sell its four Bel & The Dragon pub-restaurants in the South East through Coffer Corporate Leisure for about £9m. 01-Mar-2007 Targetfollow is planning to invest £100m in the transformation of Stockport town centre's Grand Central leisure complex by 2009, including a hotel, apartments and new shops. 01-Mar-2007 The Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) has unveiled plans for the £275m relocation of Edinburgh's Royal Highland Show to a new site at Norton Park by 2013. 01-Mar-2007 Goals Soccer Centres is planning to expand its chain of 22 five-a-side football centres with five new sites this year and next year, and will then increase the rate of expansion. 27-Feb-2007 Thomas Cook is planning to base 40 head office jobs in London following its merger with Mytravel, but this is not expected to affect the jobs at its existing headquarters in Peterborough. 26-Feb-2007 Geronimo Inns is planning to open pubs at St Pancras station in London and at Heathrow's Terminal Five, as part of a strategy to double in size over the next three years. 26-Feb-2007 English National Opera is planning to shed 45 jobs across all departments, in order to secure its future. 26-Feb-2007 Tasty is planning to expand its chain of Dim T dim sum restaurants from six to 14 this year. 26-Feb-2007 Blackpool Council has approved plans from Brook Leisure to acquire and revamp the historic Clifton Hotel at a cost of £7.5m. 26-Feb-2007 BetDirect is to close its betting call centre in Knowsley in June, with the loss of 75 jobs, in order to transfer the work to 32Red in Gibraltar. 20-Feb-2007 Luton Town Football Club is to launch a public consultation on plans to build a new 22,000-capacity stadium at Old Park Farm, near junction 12 of the M1 motorway. 20-Feb-2007 Bailbrook House in Bath is planning to invest up to £30m to create a five-star luxury hotel, following its acquisition by Hilwood Resorts & Hotels. 19-Feb-2007 Gullivers Travel Associates, the travel agent, is considering plans for a flotation on the London Stock Exchange, following a review of the business by its private equity owner Blackstone Group. 19-Feb-2007 X-Leisure is considering plans to build a new Xscape snowdome at Lakeside in Thurrock. 19-Feb-2007 Doncaster Council is to consider plans from Basilton Properties for the development of a £12m 122-bed hotel in High Fisher Gate, which would create 50 jobs. 16-Feb-2007 AB Hotels is to invest £12m in the transformation of six town houses near Marble Arch in London into a four-star 84-bedroom boutique hotel by 2008. 16-Feb-2007 Parkwood Leisure has won a contract from Rushcliffe Borough Council to operate five leisure centres in Nottinghamshire. 15-Feb-2007 Rank is to close nine bingo clubs in Hull, Liverpool, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Swansea, Reading and three in London, with the loss of 250 jobs, leaving it with a chain of 103 sites. 15-Feb-2007 Bannatyne Hotels has announced a £15m investment to fund five new hotels, including one opening in Durham City this month and four at undisclosed locations. 13-Feb-2007 Cherwell District Council has announced plans to build a new £14m sports and leisure centre in Banbury. 13-Feb-2007 Land Securities Trillium has acquired 30 IBIS and Novotel hotels in a £439m sale-and-leaseback deal with Accor, and will invest £35m in improvements to the properties over the next four years. 13-Feb-2007 Bourne Leisure is to invest £10m in improvements to its holiday park at Haggerston, near Berwick, over the next five years, including a new spa complex. 12-Feb-2007 Scarborough RUFC is planning to build a new £3m rugby stadium near Scalby, including eight pitches and a 296-seat stand. 12-Feb-2007 Accor is to set up a five-star 205-bedroom Sofitel hotel and conference centre at Mountgrange Capital's £300m Caltongate scheme in Edinburgh by 2010. 12-Feb-2007 Glasgow City Council has unveiled plans for the development of a £6m leisure centre at the historic Maryhill Baths building. 08-Feb-2007 Salop Leisure Group is to invest £1.5m at the Min-y-Don Holiday Home Park in Harlech and £0.8m at the Seven Oaks Holiday Home Park at Crew Green near Shrewsbury by late summer. 07-Feb-2007 Tussauds Group has agreed a deal with IntercontinentalHotels Group to set up a £15m four-star Holiday Inn hotel next to Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey. 07-Feb-2007 The Imax and Wildwalk visitor attractions in Bristol are to close in April with the loss of up to 45 jobs, in order to secure the future of the Explore science centre and the Planetarium. 06-Feb-2007 North Wiltshire District Council has received plans for the development of a four-star hotel and spa at the Bowood Estate near Chippenham by autumn 2008. 06-Feb-2007 Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset is to start work on a £16m expansion project in April, which will create about 100 jobs. 06-Feb-2007 The Clumber Park Hotel near Worksop has submitted plans for a £2.5m expansion project, including 27 new rooms, a spa and the creation of almost 50 jobs. 05-Feb-2007 Milton Keynes Council is to consider plans from British Waterways Trust to establish a £30m water park near Broughton Gate by 2012. 02-Feb-2007 The University of Reading has submitted plans to build a 151-bed four-star hotel and conference centre on its main campus in Reading. 02-Feb-2007 Ascot Racecourse is planning to invest a further £10m in improvements to its recent redevelopment project by May. 01-Feb-2007 Rotherham Council has awarded outline planning permission to Oak Holdings for the development of a £350m leisure, sports and convention centre near Orgreave. 01-Feb-2007 Chester Grosvenor & Spa is to invest £3m in improvements to the conference facilities at its Chester hotel, and project management company Tropus will start work in June. 31-Jan-2007 Manchester City Council has been selected to host the UK's first super-casino, which could create up to 2,700 jobs, and large casinos will also be established in Great Yarmouth, Hull, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newham, Solihull and Southampton. 31-Jan-2007 Macdonald Hotels has sold 24 of its 69 hotels to property investment firm Moorfield for £400m, but will continue to operate the sites on a short-term basis. 29-Jan-2007 Accor of France is planning to open five Etap budget hotels in the UK in 2007, including sites in Sheffield, Leeds and Cardiff. 29-Jan-2007 The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced a £17m grant for improvements to the Royal Museum in Edinburgh, as well as a £5.8m grant for a new Robert Burns museum in Alloway, Ayrshire. 25-Jan-2007 Yesteryear is to invest £1.4m opening two bars in Wigan and St Anne's under the new Fred's brand later this year. 25-Jan-2007 Hartlepool Borough Council has selected Jomast Developments as preferred developer for a three-acre site at Hartlepool Marina, including a hotel, offices, shops and restaurants. 25-Jan-2007 Lincoln Castle is planning a £9.4m redevelopment project over the next five years, including new wall walks, a stage and other facilities. 24-Jan-2007 The Youth Hostel Association has selected Reside Property Management of Castle Donington to oversee a £50m expansion programme, including an upgrade for 200 hostels across the country. 24-Jan-2007 Ultimate Leisure is to raise £25m in a share placing with its two largest investors, in order to fund acquisitions for its Newcastle-based bars and nightclubs business. 23-Jan-2007 The Holiday Inn hotel in Glasgow's Bothwell Street is to be rebuilt at a cost of £100m over the next two years, with the loss of 150 jobs. 22-Jan-2007 Torridge District Council is to consider plans for the development of Downland Holiday Village in Torridge, including 50 cottages around a village green. 19-Jan-2007 Arora International is linking up with Surrey County Cricket Club to seek permission to build a four-star 170-bed hotel at the Brit Oval in London by 2009. 19-Jan-2007 All Star Leisure is to invest £5m opening two new London bowling centres in Bayswater and Brick Lane this year, and further sites will open in Newcastle, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh from 2008. 19-Jan-2007 Caithness Glass has won planning permission from Perth & Kinross Council to set up a new £5m plant and visitor centre at its existing Inveralmond site. 18-Jan-2007 Gateshead Council is considering plans to build a cable car system to improve access to the arts centres on the quayside. 18-Jan-2007 Fitness First is planning to expand its UK chain of 177 health clubs with up to seven new sites in 2007, as part of a global expansion programme that will involve up to 70 new clubs. 15-Jan-2007 The Quilters' Guild of the British Isles is to relocate its museum and office from Halifax to York later this year, with the creation of up to ten jobs. 12-Jan-2007 Newcastle City Council is to consider plans from Trinity Hotels for the development of a 128-room four-star Staybridge hotel on Buxton Street. 11-Jan-2007 Belfast City Council is to consider plans for the £1bn redevelopment of the Titanic quarter, including a tourist centre and 3m sq ft of hotels, shops and apartments. 10-Jan-2007 De Vere has secured planning permission to build a 106-bedroom hotel at Capitol Park in Leeds under the Village Hotel & Leisure brand by spring 2008. 10-Jan-2007 The American Adventure Theme Park is to close with the loss of the 13 remaining permanent staff and hundreds of seasonal jobs, and the site's leasehold will revert to Derbyshire County Council. 08-Jan-2007 Manchester City Council is looking at various options to expand the G-Mex conference centre, in order to increase capacity and improve its appearance. 08-Jan-2007 Apex Hotels is planning to set up a £25m 80-bedroom hotel in Copthall Avenue, London, and a £30m 180-bedroom hotel at Waterloo Place in Edinburgh. 08-Jan-2007 Ceredigion County Council is to consider plans from the Conrah Hotel near Aberystwyth to develop a conference centre and 50 new bedrooms. 04-Jan-2007 Seaham Hall Hotel & Serenity Spa is planning to more than double the size of its five-star hotel in County Durham with the addition of at least 25 new rooms. 04-Jan-2007 JD Wetherspoon is planning to invest £35m opening 30 new pubs in 2007, and up to 1,200 jobs will be created. 03-Jan-2007 Cathedral Group is planning to build a £100m "artisan village" on a 3.3-acre industrial site in Greenwich, including creative workshops, a 150-bed hotel, offices and shops. 03-Jan-2007 Southwell Business Park is to seek planning permission for a £4m four-star hotel at its site on Portland. 03-Jan-2007 Rochdale Development Agency has announced plans for the development of a £13m sports centre in Rochdale, and Barr Construction will start work early this year. 03-Jan-2007 The information below comes from the UK Activity Report. 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