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Top story
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Liverpool One refinanced in £385m deal
The Grosvenor Liverpool Fund has secured £385m refinancing for the 1.6m sq ft Liverpool One mixed-use scheme. This five-year deal replaces a funding arrangement put in place six years ago, which was designed to cover both the scheme’s development and its initial period of trading.
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Deals
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Administrators remain confident of Pontin’s sale
Administrators at Southport-headquartered Pontin’s, the iconic British holiday-camp operator that collapsed two months ago, have revealed they are confident of selling the business as a going concern.
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Jobs saved through What’s Cooking? sale
A total of 41 jobs have been saved at American dining chain What’s Cooking? after the company’s restaurant in Heswall was rescued from administration. However, 31 jobs are still at risk at the business’ site in Liverpool, Insider understands.
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Fourth quarter deal volume down
A total of 127 deals were carried out in the North West during the fourth quarter of 2010, a drop of 10.5 per cent compared with the previous quarter. The figures, released by Experian, also show that deal value fell, down from £4.3bn in quarter three to £2.7bn in the final three months.
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Business
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Cameron reveals business support plans
Prime minister David Cameron has confirmed that a scheme to help unemployed people set up their own companies is to be expanded to assist up to 40,000 new businesses over the next two years. Merseyside is also to be a test centre for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme.
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Vimto-maker expects profit rise
Nichols, the quoted soft drinks company based in Newton-le-Willows, today revealed that profitability for the full year is expected to be ahead of current market expectations after a strong first half performance continued into the second.
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Weather dampens dry-cleaning business
Johnson Service Group, which is based in Preston Brook and operates its dry-cleaning business from Prescot, this morning revealed that full-year profits in its dry-cleaning business are expected to be £1.6m lower due to “extreme weather conditions” at the start and end of 2010.
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Run adds two
Fresh from opening a new office in Liverpool, community regeneration and social housing contractor Run Services has added two new members of staff to its team.
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NI businesses offered funding guidance
Insider's Northern Ireland Business of Finance summit, which will explore new sources of finance available to businesses to the country, has confirmed another panelist. Ronnie Wilson from Monaghan Mushrooms will join Colin Reid of Consilium and David Surplus of B9 Energy Group in outlining how they attracted finance to fund their growth.
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Brand new North West Top 500 Database 2011
Do you need help sourcing new clients? Insider’s Brand new North West Top 500 Companies 2011 database is our accurate and comprehensive business marketing list. Try our free sample and pre-order to receive a discount offer (expires 31 January 2011).
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Property
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Orchard Street buys Bangor retail park
Property investor Orchard Street Investment Management has acquired the St David’s Retail Park in Bangor, North Wales, for £14m. The deal for the 70,000 sq ft out-of-town park reflects an initial yield of 7 per cent.
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Decision deferred on £3.5m Wrexham dragon
A decision on the proposed £3.5m Waking the Dragon landmark on the Welsh border with England has been deferred by Wrexham councillors.
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For this month only Insider Members can benefit from free tickets and a free trial Membership to the Royal Exchange Theatre. Offer expires 31 January 2011
