Daily Post

Why Directors Are Determined to Put Liverpool On the Map ; Bill Gleeson Meets Laura Wolfe, Regional Director of the Institute of Directors

FOR years the Institute of Directors has run a regional office in Manchester, ignoring Liver pool. Now all of that is about to change.

Pounds 4.7bn in Over Draft Charges

CURRENT account holders were hit with pounds 4.7bn in overdraft charges in the last year, Which? magazine said yesterday. Penalties of pounds 20 to pounds 30 are the norm for customers who exceed their authorised limits.

Early Birds Make the Most of Big Breakfast Networking Seminar

PRESENTER of BBC2's Working Lunch, Adam Shaw, joined networking expert Will Kintish to launch The Big Breakfast at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall last Friday. The theme for the inaugural breakfast was "How to become a more confident and efficient networker".

Profits at Deep Sea Dip As Costs in Utilities Rise

CHESHIRE aquarium operator Deep Sea Leisure yesterday blamed higher energy costs for a dip in half year profits. The company, which operates two attractions - Blue Planet Aquarium at Ellesmere Port and Deep Sea World in Fife in Scotland - said pre-tax profit for the six months to April 30 was pounds 267,000, down from pounds 309,000 last year. Turnover for the period was pounds 2.77m, up from pounds 2.75m in 2005.

Make a Green Promise for Environment Week

UNITED Nations World Environment Day starts on June 5. The Environment Agency will be encouraging individuals and businesses to promise to do small things that have a positive collective impact on the environment. Last year, more NW people made green promises than any other region. However, the Agency is hoping to get more corporate promises this year.

Nuclear Energy Only Secure Way of Maintaining Supplies ; As the Energy Debate Hots Up, John Heffernan Looks at the Nuclear Option

HALF of Britain's power is currently generated by coal. And coal- generated power results in emissions of 900 grammes of carbon per kilowatt of power produced. For gas generation, the figure comes down to 400 grammes. But for nuclear power, which contributes about a fifth of our power, the comparable carbon emission figure is only 5 grammes. And that is after allowing for the carbon produced in mining and transporting the uranium.

Business Park Work Under Way

WORK on phase two of Bridgewater Place at Birchwood Park in Warrington is under way, creating 79,000 sq ft of speculative office space. After securing the largest letting in Warrington last year - 40,000 sq ft - from the Department of Work & Pensions, MEPC Birchwood Park has given the go-ahead for the next phase of new office development at Bridgewater Place on the Park.

In Brief: Old Benefits Office to Be Converted

In Brief: Lawyers Advise On Estate Sale

In Brief: Letting Challenge

In Brief: New Office

Land and Labour Give Impetus to Construction Boom ; View Point

MUCH is made of the agent's mantra of "location, location, location", and the Merseyside region is certainly benefiting from a construction boom. Developer confidence is being demonstrated in new developments of national significance in retail and office schemes, notably at Grosvenor's Liverpool One and Rumford Investments' Unity scheme.

Joint Venture to Give Building Facelift

ETHEL AUSTIN Properties and Faircroft have formed a joint venture to acquire and refurbish an office building in Liverpool city centre. Yorkshire House in Chapel Street, above, which comprises 30,000 sq ft over nine floors, has changed hands for around pounds 3m with vacant possession.

Prime Site at Greenwich

HITCHCOCK, Wright & Partners has announced that prime space is available to rent in the Greenwich Building located in the Rope Walks area of Liver pool. The 10,200 sq ft office building is at the heart of the East Village Development in the regenerated Duke Street area, close to shops, restaurants and bars.

Vibrancy Pays Off for Culture City ; Office Market Second Best in Uk

LIVERPOOL will have the sixth strongest office market in Europe during 2006, according to a new study. And the report, by property agency Knight Frank, also claims it will be the top performing city in the UK outside London.

On the Move

CHESHIRE Building Society has appointed KEVIN MOUNTFORD as distribution director to head up the society's branch network including its Cheshire Property Services outlets. Kevin, 44, joins the Cheshire from HBOS's Birmingham Midshires, where he led the savings team as head of sales and marketing. BANK of Scotland Corporate in the North of England is announcing three senior appointments to support its new, specialised focus on specific markets. JOHN McCLYMONT has been appointed regional head of...

Executives Flock to Join Fitness Club

A NEW fitness centre aimed at Liverpool's stressed-out executives has already attracted a host of corporate clients, two months before it is due to open. Former professional footballer Brian McGorry is investing more than pounds 700,000 setting up the 10,000 sq ft Executive Fitness Clinic in the Old Haymarket in the city centre. He hopes the outlet will be the first of a chain of similar outlets across the north of England.

Office Internet Crackdown

FIRMS are increasingly taking disciplinary action against workers for inappropriate use of emails or the internet, a new report showed yesterday. A survey of 2,600 employers revealed that more than eight out of 10 had disciplined staff this year, compared with 65% in 2005.

First Step in Scheme for United City Front ; Partnership Plan Closer After Key Stakeholders Meeting

AROUND 30 of Liverpool's key private sector stakeholders met for the first time to discuss the formation of the Liverpool Commercial District Partnership (LCDP). The meeting, which took place at the Racquet Club in Liverpool, was an open debate to elicit business opinion and discuss the successes of Manchester's multi-award winning partnership upon which the LCDP will be modelled.

Crab Catches Dive

CRAB fishermen say one of East Anglia's most famous exports is in doubt after a "catastrophic" season. The number of crabs caught off the Norfolk coast has fallen to what could be an all-time low, leading to fears that the Cromer crab could become a rare and increasingly pricey delicacy.