The £90m construction contract to build the controversial Garden Bridge over the Thames has reportedly been given to a Bouygues Joint Venture.

As reported in the Construction Enquirer, the Franco-Italian joint venture of Bouygues and Cimolai was given the green light to build the bridge designed by Thomas Heatherwick.

The JV pipped two other contractors to the post - Spanish giant Dragados and Bam Nuttall.

The bridge, which was given planning permission in December, will span 366 metres connecting Temple on the north bank to the South Bank.

Transport for London and the Treasury have committed £30m each to the scheme and the construction contract is estimated at around £90m with the total project cost estimated at £175m.

Last December, the Mayor of London said: "The garden bridge will provide a fantastic new landmark for London whilst supporting regeneration and economic growth on both sides of the Thames.

"It will create a stunning oasis of tranquillity in the heart of our city and boost our plans to encourage walking in the city."

The Garden Bridge is due to open in summer 2018

As Warrington based RAM Properties celebrates its silver anniversary, research co-sponsored by the firm shows that the value of investment deals in the town last year was almost triple that of the previous year , with 34 transactions totalling £400 million compared to £140 million in 2013.

With 34 recorded deals, individual transactions totalled £300 million, while portfolio acquisitions accounted for an additional £100 million.

The Warrington Annual Property Review was commissioned by Warrington & Co. The research was compiled by BE Group and co-sponsored by  Muse Developments, RAM Properties, ISG and Omega Warrington and RAM Properties.

 Ram Properties, which has been in business since 1990, is based in Tanners Lane Warrington and specialises in providing quality rental office space within the Warrington and Widnes area.

Back in 1986, Robert A McLaughlin converted a derelict property into offices and showrooms to house his fledgling computer business. So successful was this first fit-out that another occupier quickly wanted to lease the space.

After five years of growth and expansion Robert went on to successfully purchase and redevelop further buildings and so RAM properties was born.

RAM Properties now has over 100,000 sq. ft. of quality office space available within the Warrington and Widnes area including The Boultings, Dallam Court, Ashley House, Ribban Court and Tannery Court office developments and also the 2.1 acre John Street redevelopment opportunity.

The site has planning for 284 apartments and 6,000 sq. ft. of retail space over 6 storeys and is located immediately next door to Warrington Central railway station and opposite Warrington Borough Council’s £190 million ‘Stadium Quarter Scheme’.

RAM’s Managing Director-Bob McLaughlin said: “Over the past 25 years RAM Properties has built up a trusted reputation for providing prestige office space at reasonable rates that meet all of the requirements for modern businesses.

“We’ve worked hard to build up and keep a loyal client base, ranging from small start-ups to multi-nationals and government institutions.

On this, our silver anniversary, we are now looking forward to the next 25 years of business with my two sons Andy and Richard taking over at the helm.“

The Hut Group has been identified as the company with the highest increase in profit over the last three consecutive years in the U.K.

The company describes itself as the UK’s leading, multi-website online retailer. It was placed number one in the BDO/Profit Track 100 2015 list, showing the company to have the highest three year average profit growth of 216.58% at £16 million.

Currently based in Northwich in Cheshire, The Hut Group will be moving to a 64,000m2 new HQ building (approx. 700,000sq ft) at Omega south in Warrington.

The new premises, which will be operational early next year, will create approximately 2 – 3000 jobs in logistics, manufacturing, office and sales when completed.

Managing Director of Warrington & Co. Steve Park said: “This is obviously terrific news for The Hut Group, who appear to be going from strength to strength in terms of their current growth.

“We are delighted that a successful business such as The Hut Group has chosen Omega in Warrington in which to locate their new HQ.

"It will create yet another boost to Omega’s and Warrington’s reputation as a key business location and further define the area as a hub for leading national and international business.“

The Linking the Locks project has been officially launched at events held in Warrington and Widnes.

Delivered by Warrington & Co. the Linking the Locks project is a joint project between Warrington BC, Halton BC with specialist input from the Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS).

Linking the Locks will provide a package of support to businesses and organisations located along the route of the Sankey Canal.

Events were held at True Fit Golf Centre, Cuerdley and Catalyst Science Museum, Spike Island and were attended by a mix of local businesses, partners and key agencies in Warrington and Halton, delegates reacted positively to news of the project’s aims which includes:

Financial support with apprentice wage costs, allowing businesses to pay at least National Minimum Wage to their apprentices, improving retention, long-term development and attracting the best candidates.

Free support with recruitment, including advertising, pre-screening and ongoing support once the apprentice is in post.

Accessing wider business support from local partners.

Additional training/development needs are met using local b2b referrals, accessing relevant funding support wherever applicable

Both Warrington BC and Halton BC aim to re-establish the historic Sankey cCnal to full navigation, thereby generating new leisure/tourism and business opportunities to both boroughs

 Jonathan Aghanian of Warrington & Co., said “This is a unique programme for small-medium businesses based along the historic Sankey Canal route.

“Not only will the project make a valued contribution to improvements in the local environment, crucially it will enable businesses to access financial assistance and expert guidance on recruiting and retaining skilled apprentices/trainees in the local area.

Coupled with the ability to access wider support from our partners in this project, it really does present a fantastic opportunity for organisations within Warrington and Widnes”.

Despite only opening its doors five years ago, Bexhill High in East Sussex is to be redesigned at a cost of £6m.

Bexhill High, which cost £38m to building, moved to a new site in 2010 with the promise of "innovative" teaching and large open plan spaces for 90-pupil classes.

In 2012, the school became an academy run by Prospect Academies Trust but shortly after it was placed in special measures.

It will now be redesigned under new owners, with the head saying the layout impeded the progress of students.

Attwood Academies took over in 2014 after Prospect closed and will redesign the school with traditional classrooms.

Attwood Academies chairman Tom Attwood told the BBC: "The children of Bexhill have in recent years been let down badly by an ill-thought-out building design and, worse, a dreadful implementation of the new build."

"We’ve spent an enormous amount of time trying to make sure that this is going to be done properly.

"The right things will be done. We work very closely with the Department for Education.

"We and they recognise it simply was not fit for purpose and the stuff we’re doing this time will make it fit for purpose."

Image source: interbeat

Here at Bdaily we’re continuing to ask North East businesses about what they want and expect from the forthcoming general election. This weeek we’ve compiled varying views from a range of regional businesses.

Derek Boyd, Director at Tees Valley chartered accountants and business advisers Waltons Clark Whitehill said:

“The new Government can go a long way towards helping businesses by creating a confidence for firms to plan for the next few years, not just the coming weeks or months. Businesses need to be able to make big decisions and they can only do that if they feel the economic environment in the UK is stable.”

Paul McEldon, Chief Executive of the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) said:

“The North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) has seen a great increase in the levels of those becoming self-employment as well as a rise in the availability of start-up loans. However we need more resource and money into small businesses. Reducing bureaucracy and cutting  red tape will help businesses reach the next level. Help out there is still needed.”

“It seems to me that a lot of promises in manifestoes are broken when a party gets into power and yet it is the detail in the manifesto which plays a huge part in getting them into government.”

Pamela Petty, Managing Director of Ebac, said:  

“I would like to see much more emphasis on import substitution, including incentives for retailers. Encouragement to make more of the things we buy, as Ebac is with washing machines and chest freezers, is vital for a healthy economy. Subsidies for new job creation and tax relief to encourage investment would also be very welcome.

“Access to finance must still be a huge barrier to business growth and therefore job creation. There is cheaper money available but this is generally secured against assets so increase in working capital, which manufacturers need to grow is impossible to finance.  A business friendly Government needs to address this.”

Alastair Wilson, Tax Partner at Tait Walker Chartered Accountants, said: 

"That the voice of the North East is listened to by any new Government and we are treated as a region of equal importance to the rest of the “Northern Powerhouse” i.e. that we aren’t seen as a second class cousin of Manchester, Leeds, or Sheffield within the North and that we receive the same levels of financial support and strategic development as these regions.

"That we are delivered a Government which actively seeks to rebalance the increasing financial divide between our region and Scotland. In doing so this would be a Government which recognises that helping Scotland is an aim which must be balanced and not to the detriment of those who border Scotland.  

"That the future Government seeks to ensure that our Local Enterprise Partnerships and Councils work collectively and effectively to generate growth for the North East as a whole. In additions to this, that our regional strengths in the manufacturing, digital, pharmaceutical and offshore engineering sectors are properly supported by strategies which assist the region to grow economically as a whole.  

John Dickson, Group Chairman at Owen Pugh, said:

“After a long and difficult recession in the construction industry we are starting to see some recovery but the biggest threat to that progress is uncertainty and the election itself is the primary culprit right now.  Looking beyond that, we want to see continuity of what is already working: sustained investment in the infrastructure of the North East, continued effort to reduce the deficit, continued low interest rates and a real focus on reducing red tape.”

Amanda Vigar, Managing Partner of V&A Vigar & Co (Darlington) LLP, said:

“Red tape is time consuming, costly and overwhelming for many small business owners and, therefore, policies that would reduce this burden would be of real benefit to SMEs.

“I also would like to see the introduction of a HMRC Service Covenant that would put experienced staff back on the front line who can actually answer queries and which has real teeth when HMRC fail to deliver.  This should make HMRC accountable for the extra administrative costs they inflict on taxpayers.  It would drag the organisation into the modern world in terms of communicating with the people they are supposed to be there to serve.”

Got an opinion? Why not have your say? Contact Jamie at jamie.hardesty@bdaily.co.uk to feature in our final two installments before May 7.

Property development and investment company Opus North has sold the last vacant unit at Opus Park in Stockton-on-Tees to the Jennings Motor Group.

The Ilkley-based company has completed ten lettings and sales at the 400,000 sq ft Opus Park, which is situated in the heart of Stockton’s Preston Farm Industrial Estate, adjacent to the A66.

The Jennings Motor Group has bought the 93,000 sq ft unit for an undisclosed sum. The group also owns the adjacent unit.

Opus Park was developed on the site of the old MFI factory site on Teesside and has been transformed into a modern, fully-occupied industrial warehouse complex with unit sizes up to 150,000 sq ft.

Opus North director Andrew Duncan said: “This final deal is a ringing endorsement of the quality of the development and the investment we made in it.  

“We created 11 high-spec, high-quality, single-storey units for lease or sale – individually or in multiples to suit occupiers.

“This has transformed the old MFI factory into a modern industrial and warehousing complex for the 21st century.

"Opus Park is superbly located in the Tees Valley with excellent access to the national motorway network from the A66.

“It is also close to Durham Tees Valley Airport and Teesport. It suits modern manufacturing and warehousing companies perfectly. It has proved to be a success story for us and we wish all its occupiers well.

“This final sale cements further the sentiment that the North East industrial occupational and investment market has picked up.“

Wizz Air has begun flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) to Riga, the capital city of Latvia.

The new flights between Liverpool and Riga now operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays and this new destination becomes Wizz Air’s third route to be served from Liverpool.

Mark Povall, Director of Air Service Development at LJLA said: “Riga is a great destination for both business and leisure passengers.

“The combination of Wizz Air’s low fares and a value for money, attractive destination such as Riga, should prove popular with the region’s passengers.“

Hermes Investment Management has acquired the building which houses Tiger Tiger, Vue cinema and Virgin Active gym in Croydon for £33m.

Aberdeen Asset Management has sold Grants Entertainment Centre in Middle Street, Croydon, which has 160,840sq ft of space over seven floors, divided into eight units.

Hermes Real Estate chief executive Chris Taylor said: "Our investment strategy continues to focus on areas benefiting from the emerging urbanisation trend and resulting changes to demographics.

"Offering an attractive yield, Grant Entertainment Centre’s position in one of the UK’s major conurbations, undergoing significant public realm, infrastructure and retail/leisure improvements, offers significant opportunities to capitalise on these trends through a proactive asset management approach."

Image source: garryknight

London’s oldest car park, in the iconic borough of Mayfair, is set to be put up for sale this week with several investors having already shown interest in developing the property into luxury flats.

Property experts believe that the half acre site on Carrington Street near Hyde Park Corner could be worth at least £500m when fully developed.

The property is one of the last brownfield “blank canvases” in Mayfair and holds great potential for developers looking to create homes with views across Green Park.

The Evening Standard suggests that development options include conversion into a casino, private members club and hotel complex or one of London’s largest boutique art galleries as well as new homes.

Peter Wetherell, chief executive of Mayfair agents Wetherell, said: “In the last 10 years Shepherds Market has undergone an incredible transformation. At its lowest point a decade ago it was a seedy sister to Soho, and a hangout for Park Lane prostitutes, run down cafes and plant hire shops. The flats that did exist were all tired and outdated and Shepherds Market is where the super-rich of North Mayfair housed their staff who couldn’t stay in the staff wing of their mansions. Now the location has been completely transformed.

“What we have seen on Mount Street further North in Mayfair is now being replicated in Shepherds Market. There’s a host of luxury residential development going on and residential values, retail rents and lettings values are all rising in the local area.“

Experts have suggested the property could attract £20 billion worth of bids from investors from countries around the world including Russia, Qatar, China, Saudi Arabia and America..

71% of SMEs that have participated in Northumbria University’s £1.1m programme to support regional business have had, or are expecting to have, an increase in turnover according to a new report.

Northumbria University launched the Northumbria Graduates into Business project in 2013 to help startup 30 new businesses and to provide graduate interns for more than 50 small businesses in the North East region.

With support from the European Regional Development Fund, the project has provided part-funded interns to bring new skills, knowledge and approaches to the businesses on a six-month contract. The interns are helping SMEs to develop their workforces and improve performance.

An interim evaluation report was commissioned to assess the performance and impact of the project after its first year of operation. A full evaluation will follow after the scheme draws to a close this summer.

42% of businesses who responded to the evaluation had seen their turnover increase as a result of recruiting an intern – some by between £50,000 and £200,000 per annum. A further 29% said they expected their turnover increase within the next year. Six businesses said their turnover has increased by between 25% and 50%.

At the time the report was produced, 20 graduates had been offered full-time posts at the end of their internship. The businesses also reported that they were creating 10 additional full-time equivalent posts, with a further 64 jobs planned in the next 12 months. This equates to 2.38 new additional jobs created by each responding business.

The scheme’s other aim of supporting 30 new start-up businesses is also on track for success. To date, 70 current students or recent graduates have approached the University for advice and support to start their own businesses. They are now in the process of receiving guidance to develop their business plans and put their ideas to market.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Engagement at Northumbria University, said: “The role of universities in contributing towards economic regeneration cannot be underestimated and this further proves the breadth of our impact.

“Our interim report is proving that this scheme has been a resounding success. We have businesses reporting increased turnover and the need to take on additional staff, and we have students and graduates reporting that they feel they have improved their ability to secure a job or start-up a business as a result of participating.”

One company receiving support from the scheme is Consett-based Surgical Dynamics who design and produce medical products and devices. They recruited Design for Industry graduate Rhydian Lewis as an intern to work with their in-house team to develop prototypes for manufacture.

Managing Director, Claire Jessup, said: “Rhydian has clearly had excellent training at university and has brought energy, enthusiasm and a wide range of technical skills to the business. These skills have helped us to achieve our goals and bring projects to fruition and we have been delighted to offer Rhydian a permanent contract at the end of his internship.”

Lucy Winskell added: “Thanks to Northumbria’s reputation as a leading university for working in partnership with business we have been able to actively engage with SMEs in the region. The scheme proved so popular that we received enquiries from four-times the number of businesses we had capacity to work with.

“We are also pleased to see the positive impact it has had on graduate retention by helping to retain highly skilled individuals in the region who will further contribute to economic growth.”

Northumbria has a high success rate in supporting entrepreneurship and graduate start-up businesses. It is the UK’s best university for start-ups based on turnover, having supported the development of more than 100 graduate companies in the last five years.

The companies employ almost 800 staff and have a combined turnover of £54 million. Most of these businesses are based in the North East but are trading nationally and internationally.

Wates Construction has been appointed to redevelop Old Marylebone Town Hall  on behalf of London Business School.

LBS, which acquired the building from Westminster City Council in 2013, is set to build a triangle of educational facilities between Sussex Place, the Taunton Centre and Old Marylebone Town Hall.

Wates will partially demolish the property, followed by restructuring of the former Westminster Council House and annexe buildings, plus the construction of new auditoriums.

The development, which is part-funded by a £25m donation from Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, was designed by architectural firm Sheppard Robson.

The new three-storey building will have six lecture theatres, 35 seminar rooms, a library, offices and faculty spaces.

Wates Construction London managing director Phil Shortman said: “It’s an honour for Wates to be entrusted with the preservation of such an iconic landmark and we are very much looking forward to working with London Business School and Westminster City Council to breathe new life into this exceptional building.“

Image source: Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It.

The Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) project, which is set to safeguard the port’s future and work alongside ongoing regeneration projects in the town, has appointed Bride Hall as developer.

Bride Hall is now exploring development opportunities, which could include shops, hotels and bars.

The port has delivered a record year with over 2.4 million freight vehicles handling an estimated £100bn of goods.

Dover Council said the plans could make "a once-in-several-generations difference" to the community.

The port also wants to build a new £120m cargo terminal at the site creating 600 jobs.

Dover District Council chief executive Nadeem Aziz said: “This is an exciting announcement for Dover.

“We will be working with the port’s new waterfront regeneration arm and Bride Hall to ensure all of our plans for the regeneration of Dover are coherent, joined up and offer the best opportunity to make a once-in-several-generations difference to our community and Dover as a thriving destination.”

Acting on behalf of Baker Tilly, CBRE’s Leeds Residential and Investment team has launched Riverdale Road, a premium residential development in Sheffield.

The residential investment is now on the market and CBRE are considering offers that are in the region of £5m.

Consisting of 10 apartments and 12 townhouses, which form part of the modern Riverdale Road development, the development is located on Riverdale Road within the popular, leafy suburb of Endcliffe.

The property also includes views over Endcliffe Park and Endcliffe Wood, and is just two mile to the east of Sheffield City Centre and the railway station.

Mike Gorman, director at CBRE, said: “Riverdale Road is a good quality, modern apartment block situated in a highly sought-after area of Sheffield close to the city centre and the very popular Ecclesall Road.

“The property offers potential investors an exciting investment opportunity, with the added advantage of vacant possession. Due to the prominent location and strong supportive recent sales evidence, we anticipate high interest in the property."

South Tyneside’s vision for South Shields town centre has reached a milestone as work begins on The Word, the town’s new state of the art cultural venue.

The construction of The Word, the North East Centre for the Written Word, is the first stage in the redevelopment of South Shields town centre as part of Muse Developments’ £100m 365 masterplan.

The Word will boast an impressive range of facilities including exhibition space, computer gaming area, design and innovation studio with 3D printers, digitised archives, meeting rooms, children’s immersive storytelling area, OpenZone IT suite, café and a rooftop restaurant and terrace. The Word will also provide a purpose built home for the region’s writing talent.

Councillor Iain Malcolm, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “The start on site for The Word marks over two years of hard work. Our bold vision will totally transform South Shields and the town centre offer.

“Linking the activities at the Foreshore with Ocean Road and the town centre will help increase visitor numbers and length of stay resulting in greater expenditure in the local economy.

“It is vital that we do all we can to attract jobs and opportunities for local people and The Word is the first part of that jigsaw with work on future phases already well underway.

“Once completed, The Word will give the region a state of the art cultural venue as well as acting as a catalyst for further private sector investment and future economic growth”

When complete, The Word will be a modern three storey structure near Ferry Street on the Riverside. This phase of the redevelopment will also see much needed improvements made to the adjoining Market Place with resurfacing, installation of a new market canopy, improved lighting and traffic calming measures. There will also be a new 40-space car park on the vacant land at Harton Quays.

Martin Swales, Chief Executive of South Tyneside Council, said:  “Our exciting vision for the redevelopment of the town is now becoming a reality.

“South Shields is a buoyant and thriving coastal town with tremendous growth potential and we’re about to see that potential realized with Phase 1 of the masterplan now on site.

“The Word will be a facility of both regional and national significance which will be a design beacon and a catalyst for further private sector investment.“

The redevelopment is being delivered by Muse Developments, one of the country’s leading names in urban regeneration, in partnership with South Tyneside Council.

David Wells, Development Director at Muse Developments said: “We have made significant strides behind the scenes on the 365 masterplan, however getting the physical construction underway is the most significant milestone. ”

“Following planning approval we have worked quickly to appoint Bowmer and Kirkland as main contractor, who we are confident will complete the high quality build project.

“The Word will be a superb facility and the first phase in the plans to re-invigorate South Shields. We will continue to work tirelessly on the ongoing regeneration of the town and future phases, creating a vibrant town and a year round leisure and retail destination.“

Image source: •Việt•

ITC Luxury Travel has become a new tenant of Lancashire’s Roundhouse Properties in its South Preston Office Village development.

The travel company which organises holidays to luxury travel destinations has taken a 646 sq ft space on a six year lease.

ITC’s finance director Karl Lloyd told the Lancashire Evening Post: “The new base at South Preston Office Village is in a great location and very well connected.

“Not only will it provide us with high quality offices in keeping with the company’s desire to provide all of its staff with a great working environment, it will also provide us with the additional space we require this year to expand and continue the growth of our business in the area.”

Procure Plus is a social housing regeneration consortium which dedicates itself to the North West region.

It was set up 10 years ago to meet the social housing demand and aimed to pull landlords together and reduce costs while overcoming skills shortages.

Based in Manchester, the consortium ensures the creating of social housing stock runs as smooth as possible by procuring construction materials and contractors for its members and its methods mean contractors have a steady supply of work.

Chief executive of Procure Plus, Mike Brogan spoke to Bdaily he said: “Working in this way ensures we are more organised and it gives contractors the ability to recruit and train people.

“I set it up myself with 10 members, each put in £25k and the government gave £350k giving us an opening balance of £600k which allowed us to recruit staff.

“Our profit goes up each year but we are a not for profit organisation so we give the profit away, a couple of million a year goes to charity.

“We support trainees like plumbers etc and we have 50 employed people at the moment.

“There are two fronts on which we can expand, firstly other organisations want to copy out set up, and we are supporting other regions to copy us, using the same trading platforms and same buyers, sort of a ‘cookie cutter’ system.

“We are also working on new builds in the North West, working with design companies to create modular houses reducing the cost of the houses.

“The intention is to increase the level of supply, this work with new builds should create another 50 jobs in its first year, then another 50 followed by a further 30 a year after that.

“The biggest challenge is that we are somewhat disruptive, and we challenge the market place with a different way of doing things, we disrupt the old world order and go to them and say things could be done better.

“Nobody wants to hear that.

“There aren’t really any easy bits but the most enjoyable bit of my job is making changes and we have got thousands of people into work since we started.

“The personality of the company is cheeky, independent and free spirited, we don’t accept the norm and we expect you to bring yourself, the individual to work and make things better, make a role yours.

“The industry has really changed since we started, because we engage with local SMEs instead of national contractors, we cut out the middleman.

“We engage the supply chain at a different level and deal directly with the roof tiler or the kitchen fitters, which helps local economies as local companies are getting the profits.

“I want to make sure that everyone with a reasonable income can afford a home.”

Image source: Sterling College

Sheffield’s Benchmark Holdings PLC, the aquaculture breeding, animal health, technical publishing and sustainability science business, continues to sees steady growth as the half yearly mark approaches.

Much of the company’s success has derived from the integration of businesses it has acquired to form a new Breeding and Genetics division.

However, the company has felt an intense pressure in the market for its Salmosan product, a core part of our Animal Health division. As a result, the Company is providing guidance that it expects revenue and profits to be significantly below market expectations for the full year.

To counter this dip in revenue, the sales strategy for Salmosan has been altered to reward loyalty and the company has succeeded in securing new volume supply contracts with a number of major customers, which is expected to stabilise sales volumes into next year.

Benchmark Holdings’ product development pipeline continues to progress and is one of the strongest in the aquaculture arena, comprising 46 products covering a total addressable market of approximately £390m per annum.

The company’s projected profit took another hit as two late stage development products, which were expected to generate first revenues in 2015, have been pushed back. One is a new sea lice treatment which has been impacted by delays in the delivery of application technology; the other was delayed by a change to disease management practices in the field and is expected to be launched in 2016.

The HypoCat product development is progressing as expected, with recent efficacy trials showing successful results and dose ranging trials in preparation for toxicity due to commence in the next quarter.

The Breeding and Genetics division is performing strongly, with results in line with expectations despite the untimely currency conditions affecting the Norwegian Krone. The management teams of SalmoBreed and Stofnfiskur are cooperating and the integration is proceeding to plan with the first phase of operational synergies being realised. Customer response to the acquisitions has been extremely positive, with their support being demonstrated in the increased demand for both companies’ products.

The Technical Publishing division is also performing well, with results in line with projections. The recently acquired veterinary training and CPD business Improve International is having a positive effect on the performance of the division. Training and education programmes are a key component in the division’s growth, and a restructuring of the Publishing division has been completed, establishing a solid platform for the future.  

Despite sales taking a negative impact, the Board remains confident that Benchmark’s overall strategy is succeeding, and, as a result, that the current growth trajectory will continue. Salmosan revenues are recovering, the Technical Publishing division is moving into profitability, and the combination of SalmoBreed and Stofnfiskur to form the Breeding and Genetics division is diversifying the Company’s revenue streams and driving strong growth.  

Malcolm Pye, Benchmark’s chief executive officer, said: "Whilst our profit performance for this financial year is likely to be disappointing, we have continued to deliver on our strategy of pursuing more diversified revenue streams. To this end, our investment in new animal health products, including new generation sea lice treatments and vaccines, together with the launch of the aquaculture breeding and genetics business and our HypoCat product development programme, is on plan and presenting significant opportunities for long term profit growth. We remain confident in our strategic plan and focussed on its delivery."

A £320k skatepark project has begun in Preston and is expected to complete in Autumn 2015.

The skate park will be a regional attraction and has been funded by the Heritage & Big Lottery Funds, but funding support has also come from Preston City Council, UCLan & Community Gateway Association.

The project is part of a wider £2.3m restoration project funding by Heritage & Big Lottery Funds.

Freestyle Skate Parks, one of the UK’s leading skate park construction companies, has worked in partnership with the Preston City Council and Preston Skatepark Projects Community Group to design the area to incorporate the best features for its users.

Mayor of Preston, Councillor Nick Pomfret, said: “The skate park is going to be a great addition to an already beautiful and well-used Preston park.

“It is going to be an excellent facility that will benefit a lot of young people, but also be a draw for people from across the North West.“

Chair of Preston Skatepark Projects, Bob Frost, said: “This will be a great project and encourage more people to use Moor Park, which is what the heritage lottery scheme is all about.

“The skatepark will strengthen what is already a great city centre park and give the youth of the city an alternative to the more traditional sports already on offer.“

Five new jobs have been created as Preston-based Architect secures planning permission for University of Cumbria’s nursery.

Cassidy + Ashton designed the single storey, 325 m2 timber-frame facility as a replacement for the existing 56-place nursery on the campus, which is currently operating out of a prefabricated building.  

It is being co-funded by Lancashire County Council and the existing childcare provider and nursery manager, Mrs Philippa Perks.

Garstang-based timber frame specialist, Lawrence Taylor Construction, will be responsible for building the new facility, which is due for completion in October 2015.

Senior chartered architectural technologist at Cassidy + Ashton, Frank McCabe, said: “The scheme’s prominent location called for a building with a high standard of finish within the agreed budgetary constraints.  

“We also ensured that the new facility offers a practical layout and robust specification to meet the needs of the end user.

“We were able to leverage our experience of previous pre-school schemes, which includes The Rainbow Nursery at Preston East Children’s Centre, and apply our value-driven approach to buildability to the project, working closely with the client and Lawrence Taylor Construction to design a scheme that addresses the planning requirements of the location and the practical needs of the nursery provider.”