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A CLOSURE threat over a Liverpoolcall centre and almost 300 jobs hasbeen lifted.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS)announced on September 30 last yearthat its Stephenson Way business ser-vices centre, in Wavertree TechnologyPark, was earmarked for closure, alongwith 11 other UK locations, by nextyear.

But banking group Santander,

which bases its commercial bankingheadquarters in Bootle’s Bridle Waywhere almost 2,000 people work, hasstepped in to take control of the centreand the 279 staff based there.

The shake-up last year was linked toa European Commission directive thatRBS had to offload banking branches,which meant that there was no longera requirement for most of its “backoffice” services.

Santander agreed last year to takeover 318 RBS branches in its drive toincrease its high street presence.

Now, the Spanish/UK banking group

has agreed to include the Wavertreecall centre in this deal, and staff inWavertree have now been informedthat the threat of closure has been lif-ted.

A Santander spokesman said: “Sant-ander is pleased that the Wavertreesite is now an additional part of theRBS deal, as it will give us extra capac-ity to service the higher numbers ofcustomers we will have once the dealcompletes.

“The addition of the Wavertree sitecements Santander’s commitment tothe region and will boost our existing

operations on Merseyside, with Bootleremaining a key strategic site for thebank.”

An RBS spokeswoman said: “TheWavertree site will now move over toSantander.”

She said the company informed theworkforce once the deal was completedand added: “We will go back to themwith specific details before the end ofthe year.

“It is good news for Liverpool.“The site was earmarked for closure

as part of 12 centres closing before

JobsjoyasSantanderrescuescitycallcentreBANKS led the London

market higher yester-day after French lend-er BNP Paribas deniedit was struggling toraise cash, due to itsexposure to Greek debt.

The market wasalso reassured afterGermany rejected thenotion that a Greekbankruptcy could pro-vide a quick solutionto the eurozone crisis.

Meanwhile, on WallStreet, the Dow JonesIndex rose 44.73 (0.40%),to close at 11,105.85,the Nasdaq rose 37.06(1.49%), to close at2,532.15, and the S&Prose 10.6 (0.91%), toclose at 1,172.87.

MARKET REPORT:PAGE 15

FTSE-1005174.3

44.6▲

insideLawyersequal tochallengeA 28-STRONG group fromLiverpool law firm HillDickinson scaled peaksand raised more than£5,000 for charities, in acorporate team-buildingexercise organised by Liv-erpool-based Life Sur-vival.

They climbed the Northridge of Tryfan, in Snow-donia, and abseiled 110ftdown a cliff face, includ-ing senior partner DavidWareing, who said: “Wewanted to raise as muchmoney as possible forcharity, while benefitingfrom the team-buildingand personal developmentopportunities the chal-lenge presented.”

BUSINESS EDITOR:BILL GLEESON0151 472 2319

DEPUTY BUSINESS EDITOR:TONY McDONOUGH0151 330 4918

BUSINESS REPORTER:PETER ELSON0151 472 2502

BUSINESS REPORTER:ALISTAIR HOUGHTON0151 472 2449

BUSINESS REPORTER:NEIL HODGSON0151 472 2451

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Senior partner David Wareingabseiling in Snowdonia during theweekend’s activities

EXCLUSIVEbyNeilHodgsonLDPSTAFFneil.hodgson@liverpool.com

Evoque drives£4m project atdealershipHATFIELDS plans newshowroom to show-case new Jaguar LandRover models.

PAGE 2

Student spacePARKMOOR Groupbuilds £8m city centreaccommodation block.

PAGE 6

ApprenticeshipsTHE benefits for yourbusiness – specialadvertising feature.

PAGE 4

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2 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

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Updatesthroughoutthe day

HalewoodEvoquebehind£4mHatfieldsdealership

ClosureU-turndelightsunion

2012, including Liver-pool, but it will con-tinue to provide backoffice support.”

Banking union Unitewelcomed the newsthat RBS has decided toreverse its decision toclose the site, alongwith another mortgagecentre location in Nor-wich which wasincluded in the original12-strong hit-list.

Unite said it main-tained that there wasalways a business case,with sufficient workvolumes, to maintainstaffing levels, andadded that the U-turnwill save hundreds ofjobs.

David Fleming, Unitenational officer, said:“Unite is extremelypleased that the RoyalBank of Scotland haslistened to the concernsof staff and reversed itsplanned site closures.

“This news is a sig-nificant boost to theRBS workforce aftermany months of uncer-tainty. Unite has beenworking tirelessly tochallenge the bank onthese job losses and theannouncement to savethese jobs is to be wel-comed.

“We only regret thatthe staff had to enduresuch a stressful periodwhile this decision waschanged.”

Eventaimstoshowfirmshowtheycanhelpcommunities

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

JAGUAR Land Rover dealership Hat-fields is investing £4m in a new Liv-erpool showroom.

The dedicated Land Rover centrewill be situated opposite the family-owned firm’s existing site on RiversideDrive.

Managing director Gareth Williamssaid the new location will create up to20 jobs and work will start on site nextmonth, with a spring opening planned.

He explained the Wakefield-basedgroup needed to move the Land Roversales operation from its currentColumbus Quay site ahead of thelaunch of a new Jaguar sports car in2013 and another new model in 2014.

But he added that another decidingfactor was the anticipated sales boostfrom the new Halewood-built RangeRover Evoque, which is beingdelivered to dealerships all over theUK this month.

He said: “In the short term, all ourhopes are on the Evoque, which isprincipally why we are building thenew facility.

“But there will be a new RangeRover a year from now and a newRange Rover 2 in another year.”

Knowsley’s Halewood plant alsobuilds the highly successful LandRover Freelander 2, and Mr Williamssaid: “Ultimately, there will be a newFreelander, but that is still on thedrawing board.”

He said Hatfields’ Liverpool show-room is the biggest seller of theFreelander 2 of all its eight dealer-ships: “That is probably due to localpride in the car, and the enhancedterms employees at Halewood get topurchase a car.”

The investment is being financedentirely by the company, and willcreate its first location offering sep-arate sites for Land Rover and Jaguarcustomers in a development Mr Wil-

liams said could be repeated elsewherein the future. In terms of investment inLand Rover facilities, it is the first youwill see.”

Hatfields opened its existing Colum-bus Quay site in 1998 on a two-acreplot which includes the new LandRover showroom.

Mr Williams added: “We have spenta lot of time with the planners anddesigners making it a real statement,because it is a gateway into the city.”

TOP FIVE

A computer-generated image of the proposed Hatfields Land Rover dealership, on Riverside Drive

byNeilHodgsonLDPBUSINESSSTAFFneil.hodgson@liverpool.com

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BUSINESS in the Community(BITC) has joined forces withLiverpool Football Club tohost an event that will demon-strate to firms how they canhelp their local communities.

The event, to be held onOctober 11, entitled “Trans-forming business, Transform-ing communities”, will take

place at the BT ConventionCentre.

It will highlight the rolebusinesses can play in trans-forming the communities inwhich they are based and how“effective community engage-ment” can also transformtheir business for the better.

Those attending will hear

presentations from LiverpoolFC, Liverpool Chamber ofCommerce, Liverpool PCT andMerseytravel about the activ-ities which they have under-taken to tackle the challengesfacing Liverpool from lowacademic achievement to highunemployment.

BITC regional manager,

Rachel Komrskova, said:“These organisations willshare their experiences andthe benefits of communityengagement to your business,whatever the size, including;operational effectiveness(health), organisation algrowth (apprenticeships), riskand finance.”

■ TO RESERVE a free placeat next month’s showcaseevent and find out moreinformation about how busi-nesses can make a differencein the Merseyside area, con-tact Sarah Abbott at Businessin the Community atsarah.abbott@bitc.org.uk, orelse call 0161 233 7779.

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3Wednesday, September 14, 2011

issues are, what business contributesto society, and how business gener-ates wealth for the UK.”

Waters says that, above almostanything else, businesses want to seeconsistency from government.

He said: “George Osborne hasdone well in setting out his positionon corporation tax – it will reduceover five years. Collectively, busi-nesses said ‘this is a good decisionand we’ll be able to plan’.

“But there are some positions onwhich they’ve changed their minds,when businesses have made plansbased on the Government’s position.

“For example, the feed-in tariff (tosupport the renewable energy sector)changed, and it made businessdecisions uneconomical.

“It’s another cliché, but it’s likemoving the goalposts at half time. Ifwe’re going for growth, we want tohave consistency.”

Waters is concerned that the lossof the Northwest DevelopmentAgency (NWDA) will disadvantage

watering opportunities” for NorthWest creative firms.

MediaCity may be in Salford butthe development, which will housesix BBC departments, could offer abonanza for Merseyside firms.

Waters said: “It’s not about thephysical location – it’s about theopportunities in the marketplace.

“It would be a shame if peoplethought parochially and said ‘It’sSalford, there’s nothing for us there’.

“There’s a lot of creative busi-nesses in Merseyside that should beknocking on the door.

“It’s not just the BBC there – it’sITV, and the University of Salford.There’s a whole bunch of opportun-ities for people to get involved.”

Waters was born in Birkenheadand grew up on the town’s Wood-church Estate.

After Birkenhead Institute –where, by his own admission, hestruggled with his O-Levels andA-Levels – he studied for an HND atWrexham’s North East Wales Inst-itute, before completing a businessdegree at the University of CentralLancashire, in Preston.

“I took a long-winded route to getmy degree,” he said. “But I got therein the end.

“It taught me that people will helpyou in your life but fundamentally,when push comes to shove, you’vegot to help yourself. Nobody is goingto give you O-Levels.”

Waters’s first experience of theworld of work was a summer job on aNorth Wales farm.

“Seeing farmers work makes youappreciate what hard work is about.”

His first full-time job was at East-ham oil refinery, Wirral.

“No disrespect to the places I stud-ied,” he said, “but I learned more inmy first six months of work than infour years of HND and degree study.”

After spending some time in NorthWales, working at a plant makingribbons for typewriters and dot mat-rix printers, he joined MerseysideEducation Business Partnership in1994 to help forge links betweenschools, colleges and businesses.

In 1998, he joined the CBI as itsassistant director for Merseyside,Cheshire and North Wales. And, in2003, he became regional director.

“We want,” he said, “to make surepeople understand what the business

profile

Wildlifephotographerhuntsthelesser-spottedrecoveryHE’S a veteran at snapping the UK’sshyest creatures, but now DamianWaters is trying to track down therarest best of all – a sign the UK is onthe road to recovery.

Waters is the North West regionaldirector for business lobby group theConfederation of British Industry(CBI) – but also runs his own wildlifephotography business, Drumimages.

During the working week, Birken-head-born Waters spends most of histime out and about meeting businessleaders across the region.

But, at weekends, the father-of-tworelishes swapping his work suit forwellies so he can take pictures ofanimals from red squirrels to deer.

“I’m a bit like Clark Kent,” hesmiled.

“I go from wearing a pinstripe suitto wearing camouflage gear, lying ina ditch, trying to take a picture of abrown hare or a red deer. It’s a verydifferent discipline.”

Waters has been the CBI’s regionaldirector for eight years. The group,whose slogan is “the voice of busi-ness”, has some 4,500 members in theNorth West. Those members havehad a tough time in recent years –and they are telling Waters thatthings are not improving quickly.

“At the start of the year, peoplewere generally quite optimistic andbuoyant,” he said. “We’re at the pointnow where people are saying that itlooks like a long road to recovery.

“I hate to use a cliché, but it’sgoing to be a slow uphill struggle.

“Someone said to me a couple ofweeks ago that they’ll know thingsare getting better when they stop let-ting opportunities go by.

“At the moment, people have justgot their heads down and are focus-ing on making their business suc-cessful on a week-to-week basis.

“They are perhaps not looking forinvestment opportunities. And it’sthose opportunities that will makethe economy start growing again.

“Confidence is a tricky thing togenerate. From the man in thestreet’s point of view, they hear lotsof messages about difficulties in theeconomy and they don’t go out andspend.

“It’s difficult. There’s no magicpill, no button you can press torestore confidence.”

The CBI, Waters is keen to stress,is not just for big business.

“Yes, in my portfolio I’ve gotUnited Utilities (UU), which is theonly FTSE-100 company in the NorthWest,” he said.

“But there’s a great variety in thisjob – you can be sitting in UU’sLingley Mere headquarters for onemeeting, and then the next meetingcould be at a start-up in a semi-detached house where there’s twopeople sitting around a Mac.”

Last week, Waters enjoyed one ofthe highlights of his year – the CBI’sNorth West annual dinner.

The event, at Lancashire CricketClub in Manchester, saw BBC dir-ector-general Mark Thompson pledgethat the MediaCity UK complex inSalford Quays would mean “mouth-

AlistairHoughtonmeetsDAMIANWATERS,NorthWestregionaldirectoroftheCBI

LDPbusiness .co.uk

Damian Waters –has set up hisown wildlifephotographybusiness,DrumimagesPicture: JASON ROBERTS/

jr120911waters-2

Age: 42Highest educational qualifica-tion: Degree in business and fin-ance, University of Central Lan-cashireBiggest regret: I’m not inter-ested in regrets – I’m only inter-ested in looking forwardBest advice received: The onlyperson that can really motivateyou effectively is yourselfStill to achieve: I’d like to winthe BBC Wildlife Photographerof the Year competition

q&a

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some parts of the region: “We haveno referee,” he said. “The NWDA is agood referee to make sure that thesub-regions in the North West get afair stake.

“It’s a bit like taking a referee outof a rugby match. For the first 15minutes, people will play to the rules,but then it ends in a mass brawl.

“The region has become a bit dir-ectionless. All the different parts ofthe region are doing their own thing– there’s no over-riding strategy.

“We have the new Local EnterprisePartnerships, but businesses arescratching their heads, asking whatthey are going to do and how arethey going to do it.”

Other issues regularly raised onWaters’s travels include rising com-modity prices and skills shortages.

“Some skills are about attributes,not things you can show on a piece ofpaper,” said Waters. “It’s about hav-ing the right attitude to become aneffective part of the workplace.”

Waters is also concerned about the

fate of 16-24-year-olds who are not ineducation, employment or training –those who are, in the jargon of thepublic sector, known as NEETs.

“If you’ve not had a connectionwith education or the world of work,”he said, “it’s hard to get back into it.

“We are concerned that there is awhole generation of young peoplethat could be meeting these skillsneeds, but is outside the system.”

Waters, who lives in Greasby withhis wife and two children, has beeninterested in photography since hewas a child. But, a decade ago, hedecided to turn his hobby into a busi-ness, Drumimages.

“I’ve worked in businesses andbeen part of a large organisation,” hesaid.

“But now I’m running my ownbusiness, doing the invoicing, themarketing, everything. The onlyemployee is me – I’m chief cook andbottle-washer.

“So I’ve got a lot of empathy forpeople who run small businesses.”

4 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

5Wednesday, September 14, 2011

and helping people make the most ofthe internet.”

Google is launching its three-monthprogramme at an event in the BalticTriangle tonight. The project is backedby organisations including LiverpoolVision and the Federation of SmallBusinesses.

Mr Brittin said Google had chosenLiverpool as many of its small firmswere not yet online. He said firmscould learn from the success of Wir-ral’s PlumbNation, which RoydenEvans founded in 2007, and which isset to turn over £14m this year.

“Liverpool is not at the top of the listwhen it comes to businesses using theinternet,” he said. “But it’s a proudcity with an entrepreneurial tradition.

“When Liverpool is compared toother cities such as Leeds and Not-tingham, it hasn’t done quite as well.

“We don’t really know what the reas-ons for that are. We will try to spendtime here and see what we can do.”

Google’s workshops in St Helens,Aintree, Liverpool city centre, Birken-head and Speke are already fullybooked. More workshop dates will berevealed soon.

A Google “juice bar” will travelaround the region, offering advice tofirms looking to set up websites.

Mr Brittin said: “We are trying tomake the internet a better place forconsumers and organisations to oper-ate in. If we do that, then we and otherbusinesses that operate online canmake money out of it.”

GOOGLE tonight starts a three-monthpush to help businesses in Liverpoolget online – and says it could launchsimilar projects in other cities if itsMerseyside pilot proves successful.

The internet search giant is holdingthree months of workshops and eventsto help small firms set up websites andsell themselves online.

This is the first time Google hasspent so long in one UK city.

Its UK managing director, Matt Brit-tin, said: “Our intention is to go toother cities. This is the first time we’vedone this – we’re looking to see whatwe can learn from it.

“We’re very excited about it.“About 18 months ago, we started

looking at ways to help businesses getmore out of the internet.

“We did some research and foundthat small businesses using the inter-net were growing four times fasterthan those that weren’t.

“When we talked to them, we foundthat they thought getting online wouldbe too complex and complicated forthem.

“What we’re trying to do now is go abit deeper, to try to understand whatbusinesses are doing and how best toaid their growth.

“For the first time, we’re coming tospend a significant amount of timeworking with people in a community

RestaurantchainexpansioncreatesapprenticeshipsA RESTAURANT chain hasannounced plans to recruit200 apprentices in the next 12months, including opportunit-ies at its Liverpool site.

Red Hot World Buffet & Baris working with the NationalApprentice Service (NAS) torecruit young people that havemissed out on employment,training or further education.

The initiative will includeits current sites in LiverpoolOne, Manchester, Nottingham,Northampton, Milton Keynes,Leeds and Cardiff whichopens next month, and willoffer the chance for appren-tices to learn alongside a teamof chefs and staff that havelearned their trade in five-starrestaurants and hotels.

Director Helen Dhaliwalsaid: “Our apprentices willnot only have the opportunityto learn essential skills infood preparation, presentationand service, they will behelped to develop a work ethicthat will allow them to flour-ish in the hospitality industry.

“We feel the Red Hot WorldBuffet & Bar’s apprenticeship

scheme is an excellent way togive back to the local com-munities that are so integralto our success.

“The company is expandingto 18 restaurants over the nextthree years, and if this schemeis successful we intend onbecoming the biggest providerof apprenticeships in the UK.”

Andrew Barlow, NAS

account manager, added: “RedHot World Buffet & Bar’sinvestment demonstrates theircommitment to developingopportunities for local peopleto gain skilled employment.

“This has the added benefitof ensuring the company isequipped with a highly-skilledworkforce of their own to con-tinue their expansion.”

GoogleusesLiverpoolastest-bedforwebproject

Matt Brittin, chief executive of Google UK – we chose Liverpoolbecause many small firms are not yet online

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

byAlistairHoughtonLDPBUSINESSSTAFFalistair.houghton@liverpool.com

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privatebusinessLogisticsfirm seessigns ofrecoveryCHEMICAL industrysupply chain specialistAgility Logistics Solut-ions (ALS) saw turn-over rise by more thana third as it saw signsof a global recovery.

The Speke-basedcompany reportedturnover of £7.8m in2010 – up from £5.8m in2009.

Accounts recentlyfiled at CompaniesHouse show thatturnover rise helpedthe company post aprofit of £164,000 – upfrom a loss of £733,000in 2009.

ALS is part of AgilityLogistics Internat-ional, based in Hol-land. That group is inturn owned by Kuwaitigroup, Public Ware-housing Company.

In his director’sreport, company sec-retary Nicholas Holmessaid: “Turnover hasincreased by 35% dur-ing the year, primarilydue to Agility introduc-ing a new freight for-warding product offerand because of theglobal economicupturn resulting in anincrease in volumesthroughout 2010.

“The directors con-sider the future pros-pects of the company tobe good, as a result ofcontinuing to managethe global chemicalsspeciality business onbehalf of the AgilityGroup.”

ALS advises organ-isations on how totransport chemicalsand potentially hazard-ous materials.

It says: “Many blue-chip chemical compan-ies, logistics serviceproviders and severalof the UK’s policeforces use our chemicalindustry experienceand expertise.”

ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

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newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

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Developercompletes£8mcitystudentlivingscheme

PWCrevenuesincreaseby6%

Citylanguageschoolsetsup‘win-win’ internshipscheme

Roger Gross, left, and Robert Cooper, of Parkmoor, outside Windsor CourtPicture: COLIN LANE/ tmcl130911windsorcourt-3

DEVELOPER Parkmoor Group hascompleted work on an £8m studentaccommodation development in Liv-erpool city centre.

Parkmoor started work on thescheme – Windsor Court – last year,after winning backing from the Liv-erpool office of Lloyds TSB.

Managing director Rob Cooper toldLDP Business that the quality of theLondon Road development meantthere was “nothing else to match it inLiverpool”.

The block, which is opposite the TJHughes store, comprises 100 ind-ividual units – three two-bedroomapartments and 97 open-plan studios.

Each unit is fully furnished with adouble bed, fully-fitted kitchen withfridge, hob, sofa, desk, chairs and a32” flat-screen TV.

There is also a laundry on site andeach tenant has the option of payingfor one of the 29 secure basement carparking spaces.

Mr Cooper said: “When they movein all, they need is a suitcase and foodfrom the local shop – everything elseis provided.

“There is free high-speed internetand they don’t even have to buy a TVlicence. We believe we have brought aunique product to the Liverpool stu-dent market.”

Mr Cooper added they were mar-keting the units at the post-graduatestudent market, who are usually moremature and have much higher expect-ations when looking for accommod-ation.

“There will be first-year studentsstaying, but we have particularlyaimed at the post-graduates,” headded.

“There are a lot of internationalstudents coming to study here andthey insist on a certain standard.”

Parkmoor acquired the site in 2009,and at that time the building had ten-ants including a couple of retailersand the old Windsor pub.

After securing funding, the firm set

about demolishing the building inJuly last year. Mr Cooper said:“Getting funding is never easy, but Ithink the banks we spoke to wereimpressed with our in-house expertise

A LIVERPOOL languageschool is offering Merseysidefirms the chance of takingforeign students as unpaidinterns.

Liverpool InternationalLanguage School (LILA) sayscompanies can benefit froman intern’s multilingualskills, particularly in dealingwith overseas clients, whilethe students gain invaluablework experience for anythingfrom three weeks to ninemonths.

LILA, on North JohnStreet, piloted the pro-gramme internally over thesummer.

Director Leanne Linacre

said: “It’s the first time wehave worked with interns,and weren’t sure exactly whatto expect.

“We knew from their CVsand university referencesthat they would be hard-working and capable, butthey have completely sur-passed expectations of every-body in the organisation.

“We are manically busyover the summer months andthey have really rolled theirsleeves up and got stuck in.”

Belen, one of LILA’s sum-mer interns from Spain, said:“I decided to do an internshipbecause it is very importantto have some real experience

of what you have learnt inyour degree. Also, most firmsnow want at least an averageof one year of experience, so Ithink it is very useful to takean internship when you havefinished your degree toimprove your chances of get-ting a job.”

Katherine Watson, whodeals with business develop-ment at the school, added:“We are seeing an increase indemand for internship place-ments among our students ascompetition for jobs is heat-ing up in every country, andworking for a British com-pany gives these students theedge on their CVs.”

ACCOUNTANTS PWC recorded a 6% rise inturnover for the year to June 30 of £2.46bn, whileprofit available for distribution among staff wasmaintained at £622m.

Turnover in the assurance division was up 6%to £909m, advisory revenues were 8% better at£907m, and the tax practice saw a 2% improvementto £645m.

Jonathan Main, senior partner at PWC Liver-pool, said: “I am very proud of the contributionmade by our Liverpool office to such a strongperformance by the firm over the last 12 months.

“We have maintained a presence in Liverpool forover 200 years and, with that in mind, we recog-nise the need to fully invest in the local economy.”

Over the year, the firm added 81 new full part-ners. It took on 2,400 people in the UK, including 11at its Liverpool offices on Princes Dock, and 800 inthe Middle East.

byTonyMcDonoughDEPUTYBUSINESSEDITORtony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

– we had done an awful lot of marketresearch. We also have a good relat-ionship with the universities and, inparticular, the School of Tropical Med-icine which is just down the road.”

Mr Cooper said the firm intends tohold onto the property as an invest-ment adding to its existing portfolio.

Parkmoor is now working onanother student project nearby.

A SOUTHPORT busi-nessman’s gamble haspaid off after he defiedthe downturn to open ahigh street showroom.

Richard Jenkinson,39, had run his NWPLPlumbing & Heatingbusiness from home forthree years, butdecided to open a shopon Liverpool Road, inAinsdale village, lastsummer.

The former MeolsCop High School pupilsaid: “It was definitelythe right move for thebusiness because itgave us a lot more cred-ibility and that has, initself, enabled us to tapinto markets weweren’t in originally.

“Technically, therecession ended morethan 12 months agonow, but we are stillfeeling the effects, withpeople spending lessthan they were a fewyears ago.

“But having a shopgives us a degree ofaccountability whichcustomers like – and asa result they come backto us time and timeagain.”

The former Tescosenior retail manager’sbusiness focuses ongreen energy solutions,emergency and routineplumbing services andretail.

And he is now readyto expand beyondNorth Liverpool: “Onething I’ve learned sincesetting up my own busi-ness is that growth isthe key to survival.

“I’ve already takenthe business from mybox room to a showroom – now it’s time tomove it to the nextlevel.”

Thinkingbig helpsNWPLexpand

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7Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Returnofstudentsdrivescitycentrelettingslevels

Claim apod tobackcharitiesTHE call has gone outto businesses to backthis year’s LiverpoolDaily Post and ECHOLiverpool Unites andRadio City Cash forKids charities.

As part of Rossie’s 24hour breakfast show,on September 22, fromPalm Sugar, in Liver-pool One, access hasonce again been givento the ECHO Wheel ofLiverpool for compan-ies or individuals tosponsor a pod.

Each pod is exclusiveto you for 24 hours,either as a tag team of24 people each takingan hour, or one personfor the whole period.

The cost of a pod is£500 which, splitbetween 24 people, is£20.80 each.

Each pod holds up tosix people, so firmscould hold a businessmeeting with a differ-ence.

They also have theopportunity to brandtheir pod with a com-pany logo for the 24-hour marathon.

Katie Mercer, Liver-pool Unites fundraisingmanager, said: “Lastyear’s event was fant-astic. It is such aunique opportunity tobe able to have a pod onthe ECHO wheel exclus-ively for 24 hours.

“Last year, businessmeetings were held onthe pod, people celeb-rated birthdays andanniversaries, andbands wrote songs.

“The pod is yours forthe 24 hours, so don’tforget to be as creativeas you can with whatyou would like to do inyour pod.”

Last year, pods soldout extremely quicklyand this year is expec-ted to have the sameresponse. Call 0151-4726965 to register.

Myfourdaysof frustrationat thehandsofBT’sOpenreach

LETTINGS levels in Liverpool citycentre look like hitting a record as thereturn of students drives up demand,according to the latest figures fromproperty company City Residential.

September is generally recognisedas one of the busiest months of theyear for letting agents, but the firmsays it has noticed a flurry of activityas around 20,000 students return, orarrive, desperately seeking accommod-ation for the 2011/2012 term.

Attendance and intake at the city’s

universities look like reaching anall-time high ahead of the introductionin 2012/2013 of the Government’sincreased university fees.

And City Residential says this isputting a “severe strain” on the stockavailable in the city centre.

City Residential managing directorAlan Bevan said: “We always anticip-ate a busy period during August,September and October, but this yearhas been absolutely manic.

“Indeed, at one point last week, wehad 28 tenants in the office and sevenmore waiting outside to get in.”

He added that, while many com-mentators have previously highlighted

the reported “excess” stock that couldbe found in the city centre, nothingcould be further from the truth.

Instead, he said City Residentialwere almost out of available propertiesto let midway through September, des-pite having one of the largest stocks ofapartments to let in the city.

City Residential chambers director,Phil Hartley, said: “We have had a sit-uation this week where we had 11potential tenants wanting the sameproperty and many tenants wishing toreserve apartments even before theyhad seen them.”

The increase in demand for apart-ments has also led to a rise in rents for

some of the most popular city centreproperties.

City Residential says that somerental levels have jumped by around10%, compared with the asking pricelandlords would have achieved for thesame property in May or June earlierthis year.

It added that the rent increases, lowvoids and prices are also beginning todrive higher interest levels among buy-ers who are attracted by potentialgross yields of around 8%-9%.

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

TUESDAY morning, and I’m in theoffice hoping that today is the daythat – finally – BT install the phoneline into the office.

Much like the way Royal Mail’ssluggish performance meant that

even the Luddites willinglyembraced email, then the best reasonfor SMEs to adopt a mobile-onlysolution is because it means BT arecut out of the loop.

David Walliams’s 140-mile swimdown the Thames is considered afeat of endurance. It may be impress-ive, but I’d rather do that than diveinto the black hole of Openreach.

Here’s the short version: Threeweeks after knocking on the bureau-cratic gates of BT, one of two appoint-ments was pushed back anotherthree weeks. I appealed, it was“escalated” (in BT-speak), refused,escalated again, then offered a Sat-urday appointment.

I had ignored the smirk on thephone engineer’s face when he said“A Saturday appointment? You’vedone well”.

I had an even more directwarning. An hour beforethe start of my five-hourappointment window, Pau-line called to check theorder “because we don'tusually install ISDN lineson Saturdays”. She thenadded: “I'll try and find anengineer who can do it.”

Then, 3½ hours later,came the inevitable call, that theengineer was delayed and wouldn’tbe able to make it.

Openreach’s phone number is aclosely-guarded secret and the num-ber they call you on doesn’t acceptincoming calls. Twitter offered hope,

but @BTCare lost interestafter they sent me theonline form to fill in. Itturns out they only dealwith residential enquiries,but it took 24 hours forthem to tell me that.

An email to Openreach’sMD of sales and customerexperience on Sunday pro-voked a flurry of activity

between 8am and 9am on Mondayand involved BT’s head of customerservices. The result was an engineer

was scheduled for 3pm – although, by5pm, they decided they couldn’t com-mit to anyone being there by 7pm.

And so, for the third time in fourdays, I’m waiting for BT. By the timeyou’re reading this, my problemshould be resolved, but the widerproblem with Openreach will not be.

They are providing a service thatno-one else is allowed to, creating ahuge blockage for start-ups andexpanding firms which there is noworkaround. Except a telecoms solut-ion which requires no landlines.

‘Wedon’tusuallyinstallISDNonSaturday’

FostercarerhelpschildrenstepuptoadultworldFOSTER carer Lola Thomashas set up a social enterprisein Bootle to help vulnerableteenagers.

Supported IndependentLiving Service North West(SILS NW) will provide sup-ported accommodation toyoungsters aged 16 and overwho are reaching the end ofthe care system.

As well as finding a placeto live, SILS staff will helpthem prepare for life whenthey leave care altogether,including developingdomestic and social skills,managing finances andaccessing training and jobs.

SILS is also setting up anetwork of children’s homesacross Merseyside, with thefirst in Cambridge Road,Seaforth, managed by SaraOsborne.

South Sefton DevelopmentTrust helped set up SILS,and Trust chief executive,Cate Murphy, said: “Lola is atrue social entrepreneur. Wewish her every success inthe future.”

Lola Thomas explained:“Our job is to provide a sup-portive environment duringa period of change, and tohelp young people gain theskills they need to live inde-pendently in the future.” Lola Thomas, right, Cate Murphy, centre, and Sara Osborne, outside the first SILS NW home, in Seaforth

byNeilHodgsonLDPBUSINESSSTAFFneil.hodgson@liverpool.com

■ ALEX TURNER is the general man-ager of financial training firm,Ambitious Minds

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

AlexTurner

■ SEE the BIG Property Guide inour sister paper, the LiverpoolECHO, this Saturday

8 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Timeforus totakeadvantageoftheBBC’smovenorth

Upskill for new world of fundingLeadingbusiness lightsdiscuss thenewlandscapeforaccessingfinance.NeilHodgson reports

Members of the debate panel discusshow businesses can best access finance

Pictures: ANDREW TEEBAY/ at070911abusiness-7

LDPbusiness .co.ukLDPbusiness .co.uk

PROSPECTS for business funding areunlikely to change over the next three tofour years – but Merseyside firms canimprove their chances of securing muchneeded investment by improving theirpresentational skills for their all-import-ant funding pitches.

That was the overview of 10 key play-ers on the business landscape who tookpart in the latest LDP Business debate,sponsored by the North West Fund(NWF), on the region’s economic growthand access to finance for businesses andentrepreneurs.

Many agreed that some ludicrous lend-ing decisions in the mid-noughties hadplayed their part in the 2008 creditcrunch, and that it is highly unlikelybanks and institutions will make thesame mistakes, with lending criteria nowprobably tighter than ever.

Andrew Moss, a director of the Liv-erpool Society of Chartered Accountants,said: “There were probably some dafttransactions being done in 2006-07.

“Owners could sell out to a manage-ment team and gear up to the hilt, andthose deals aren’t out there now.”

And Simon Cleaver, investment dir-ector with YFM Equity Partners, high-lighted the hurdles that hopeful venturesmust now clear for funding when herevealed that, of about 150 applications inthe past nine months, only seven or eighthave a good chance of completing a dealby the end of this year.

YFM is one of six managers appointedby North West Business Finance to runthe NWF, which has £185m to invest inbusinesses by 2015.

One of the first companies to benefitfrom the fund was Liverpool-basedAmbitious Minds, which has developedan educational game for schools to teachfinancial responsibility to students.

Co-founder Sean McGuire and his fel-low directors derive from a financialbackground, but he confessed surprise atthe depth and quality of informationneeded to access funding: “I wasstaggered at what was required, but,given our background, we were very for-tunate that we could present our finan-cial projections in a way that was accept-able to the funder.”

He believes many funding bids fail dueto poor business skills, which need to beaddressed: “There is a giganticknowledge gap,” he added.

“If you want lots more youngentrepreneurs with jazzy ideascoming through, I think that iswhy some of these funds aren’tbeing picked up.”

He believes it is vital entre-preneurs can access qualityadvice to help them clinch fund-ing deals, and was disparagingof some of the existing serviceson offer, claiming too few advisors havebusiness experience.

He said: “It’s like asking a militaryhistorian to lead a battalion into battle inall the muck and bullets.”

Rod Holmes, chairman of inwardinvestment body The Mersey Partner-ship, a director of small firms fundingagency Merseyside Special InvestmentFund and a board member of the newLocal Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

which will replace the Northwest Devel-opment Agency (NWDA), agreed that theadvisory sector has to up its game.

He said: “We had the NWDA with 600staff, there was the Chamber of Com-merce, Liverpool Vision and local author-ities giving advice, all of which continuesto an extent, but they are having to learnabout the new playing field.

“There’s an issue of giving advice.There’s a lot of funding available, but it is

about advising and learning tostructure their bids.”

Regeneration agency Liver-pool Vision deputy chief exec-utive Mike Taylor believesadvisory services such as Busi-ness Link, which has beenpared down in the wake of Gov-ernment cuts, were not suited tothe region’s needs, and that newthinking is required onadvising fledgling businesses.

“Business Link was a product that wasdesigned in the south of England andnever worked properly in the North West,or Merseyside.

“What the Government did, once itstarted to cut back on public sector fund-ing, was signal it wants to focus on highgrowth businesses.

“There’s a new entrepreneur scheme,but the bit that’s missing is the bit Busi-ness Link used to perform.”

He added: “We are working with othereconomic development parts of otherlocal authorities on Merseyside to start tofill some of that gap.”

Mark Chadwick, Liverpool City RegionBusiness and Professionals chief execut-ive, agreed with Sean McGuire’s point onthe quality of advice: “There’s an issuearound education for start-ups and anissue about communication.”

But he suggested an element of com-placency is also an issue.

“There’s a comfort zone people don’twant to get out of. A lot of SMEs (small tomedium-sized enterprises) in Liverpooldon’t want to go public or expand,” hesaid

And Mike Taylor argued that someentrepreneurs are simply not businesspeople: “You can’t educate an entrepren-eur to go away and do a business plan.

“You don’t want to send them on abusiness course, because that kills anentrepreneur.”

However, Liverpool Chamber of Com-merce chief executive Jack Stopforthbelieves many businesses are simply bid-ing their time and riding out the storm:“A lot of our members have got good bal-ance sheets right now. There are a lot ofbusinesses who are ready to grow, whenthey choose the time is right.

“I think we have a healthier economythan we give credit for.”

IT’S tempting to seeMedia CityUK as a threatto Merseyside’s creativeindustry – but now is notthe time to be defeatist.

The massive develop-ment in Salford Quayswill house six BBCdepartments, an ITV huband a chunk of the Uni-versity of Salford.

The complex is alreadyfilling up and is rapidlybecoming the centre ofthe creative industries inthe North West.

If it keeps growing asdeveloper Peel expects,then it will in no timebecome the creative cap-ital of the North.

It is disappointing thatMediaCity was not builtin Liverpool. As a citywith a long and proudreputation for creativity,this would surely havemade an ideal home forthe BBC.

MediaCity, however,went to Salford. So whatdoes that mean for Mer-seyside’s creative firms?

It would be easy forthem to resent the invest-ment that has been madein Greater Manchester.But, at a time of econ-omic gloom, when firmsshould be hunting forbusiness wherever theycan, they could look at itin a different way. Whyshouldn’t Merseysidefirms cash in on thatinvestment themselves?

The BBC’s move toSalford means commis-sioning editors andsenior managers willnow be just a few milesaway, rather than hiddenaway in London. Thatshould make it easier forMersey firms to pitch forwork.

Sean Marley, managingdirector of Hollyoaks pro-ducer Lime Pictures, haslong argued thatMediaCity will make iteasier for Liverpool firmslike his to get access tothe BBC’s top brass.

“It’s going to bringmore people to our door-step,” he told me lastmonth.

The CBI’s North Westdirector, Damian Waters,says today – see Page 3 –that Merseyside firmsshould be hammering onthe doors of those man-agers in Salford, sellingtheir skills and their ser-

vices. He said: “It wouldbe a shame if peoplethought parochially andsaid ‘It’s Salford, there’snothing for us there’.”

This message isn’t justcoming from local busi-ness leaders. BBC dir-ector-general MarkThompson, speaking atlast week’s CBI NorthWest annual dinner, saidthe Corporation’sdecision to move most ofits research and develop-ment arm to Salfordshowed it was looking totap into the creativityand innovation of NorthWest firms.

And he said the BBCwould “involve independ-ent producers not justfrom the North West, butfrom the whole North”.

THERE are many greatdigital and creative com-panies in Merseyside,from designers to soft-ware specialists.

In the video games sec-tor, for example, manysmall firms have sprungup following the demiseof Bizarre Creations,while many formerBizarre and Sony staffply their trade as free-lancers.

If any MediaCity ten-ants want gaming expert-ise, they may well look toLiverpool – and so thosecompanies and individ-uals will be able to winwork there while keepingtheir businesses, theirhomes, and – crucially –their spending here inLiverpool.

After all, we in Mersey-side may like to think ofManchester as though it’sanother planet, but it’sjust down the road. Thereis also a challenge herefor Merseyside’s inwardinvestment agencies.

MediaCity will unden-iably be a magnet forother creative and digitalfirms looking to set upNorth West operations.But they will not neces-sarily need to be inMediaCity itself – andcould, if the offer is right,be persuaded to move toMerseyside.

Let’s heed MarkThompson’s rallying cryand see MediaCity as anopportunity, not a threat.

‘An issuearoundeducationfornewstart-ups’

AlistairHoughton

■ TRADING Gossip:Page 16

9Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Upskill for new world of funding

North West Fund canstimulate small firms

Simon Cleaver, from YFM, one of the six funds,speaks at the access to finance debate

Code: at070911abusiness-6

the big feature

David Grundy, senior advisory partnerwith Grant Thornton, agreed: “A lot ofour clients have sorted themselves outover the past couple of years. They areactually reasonably healthy.

“Businesses are actually generatingcash, but there’s a bit of a vicious circlein terms of growth. They’re very nervousof risking what they have in investing,because they have seen what can gowrong. There’s a lot of nervousness forinvestors, so this flat line justcontinues.”

But Ian Foster, regional dir-ector NatWest CommercialBanking, insisted financialresources are there to satisfyrequirements, but agreed busi-nesses are still cautious.

“We are lending. There’s£40bn of unused facilities in Nat-West. We have tried to explainhow to get finance from thebanks, but what surprises me is the lackof SMEs that come to at these confer-ences.”

Andy Leach, North West Business Fin-ance chief executive, said his team wasworking with banks to cover all bases intheir bid to distribute their £185m pot.

“We are looking at their existing cus-tomers that maybe the banks can’t fund.”

But he warned: “It has to be the ownerhas to have an option of full growth that

they want to take. If businesses do wantto grow, they have to bite the bullet atsome stage, because things aren’t going tochange for the next three or four years.”

And he emphasised the tough times,adding: “Since the Second World War – Ithink it was the Macmillan Government –business has recognised there’s a fundinggap.

“But it is probably as big as it has everbeen.”

David Grundy sympathisedwith the banks and suggested itwas time to move on: “We havespent two years kicking thebanks saying they are not lend-ing, but they are not going backto 2006-2007: if we stop bashingthe banks, the corporate worldwill have less of an opinion onthe banks.”

And Andy Leach added thatit was up to business to be part

of the solution, turning specifically toMark Chadwick: “Pro Manchester islaunching an SME club and maybe that issomething that should be done here?

“It is beholden on everybody in theadvisory, investment and support agen-cies to work together and help SMEs.”

Mr Chadwick responded that busi-nesses also had to take a gamble and bemore open to other funding methods: “Weneed to gear ourselves up.

NORTH West Business Fin-ance, headed by chief exec-utive Andy Leach, is over-seeing a £185m investmentpot to stimulate theregion’s small business sec-tor.

Fund managers havebeen appointed to takeresponsibility for six spec-ific funds to support thegrowth of SMEs.

The £185m of Europeanaid will be invested by2015, with 40% earmarkedfor investment in Mersey-side firms.

It is planned to maintainfunding opportunitiesacross the region after2015 through the success-ful realisation of invest-ments in North West andMerseyside businesses.

The fund was officiallylaunched last December,and Mr Leach said: “Inseven months we had1,100 applications for£570m. There’s a fundingrequirement and we arecharged with fundingthat.”

Of the six different funds

targeting different mar-kets, one is based on debtfunding, while the rest areall equity-based, wherebythe North West Fund willtake a stake in an investeecompany, which will, hope-fully, be sold at a later datewhen the company hasgrown and progressed, fora profit on the originalinvestment.

Sectors covered by thedifferent funds includeventure capital; develop-ment capital; businessloans; digital and creative;energy and environmental;and biomedical.

The fund can offerinvestments of between£50,000 to £2m to smallfirms based in the NorthWest, or to firms willing torelocate to the region toqualify for investment,bringing new jobs andopportunities.

Loans of between£50,000 and £250,000 arealso available to smallfirms finding difficulty inobtaining cash from trad-itional sources.

‘Firmswillhavetobitethebullettogrow’

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

“We need to be supporting Andy to getthat money away. It is partly down toeducation and communication. It can’t bethe case where equity is a dirty word.

“Some owner managers need to con-sider equity, as well as funding from thebanks. If people start their discussions inanticipation of a return of confidence,they are ready to press the button.”

Rod Holmes echoed his comments, witha brighter take on the region’s economicsituation than had prevailed duringmuch of the round-table discussion.

“We have some brilliant entrepreneursand some very clever fast-growth busi-nesses. These people know and can com-municate with investors and big corpor-ates. They talk the kind of jargon mostbankers would not understand.

“In the middle, there are SMEs thathave no growth perception, and we haveto engender that. So it is time to mentionthe LEP. It is focused on growing theeconomy, and it is how we go about that.

“But, God willing, the LEP will comeup with some sort of cohesion.

“The private sector is getting very well-organised and these are success storiesled by the private sector, not by quangos,public organisations or the media. Theissue is to build on that and accelerate.”■ LOG onto ldpbusiness.co.uk to seevideo interviews with members of thedebate panel.

10 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

National indeal for USschool busesCOACH and traingroup NationalExpress has beefed upits US business withthe acquisition of thecountry’s fifth largestschool bus operator.

The group, whichruns the c2c and EastAnglia franchises, aswell as being Britain’slargest coach oper-ator, is paying £126mfor Petermann Part-ners, the biggest firmof its kind in Ohio.

Petermann willincrease NationalExpress’s distinctiveyellow bus fleet by afifth or 3,300 vehicles,while the deal willimmediately boost itsearnings.

BT expandsbroadbandTELECOMS giant BThas revealed another114 locations where itwill build newexchanges by nextautumn, giving morethan 1m extra homesand businesses accessto superfast broadband.

BT’s Openreachdivision will revealfurther locations overthe coming months aspart of its plans tospend £2.5bn makingsuperfast broadbandavailable to two-thirds of homes andbusinesses by the endof 2015.

Profits soarHILTON Food, whichpacks meat for majorretailers includingTesco, reported thatpre-tax profits rose8.8% to £12.6m in the28 weeks to July 17.

The group, based inHuntingdon, Cam-bridgeshire, said itsturnover increased10.3% to £496.2m,while volumes rose2.5%.

Buying lessTOY company Charac-ter Group said it willplay it safe by buyingless stock this Christ-mas, amid fears saleswill be hit by thesqueeze on consumerspending.

The group, whichdistributes toysincluding Peppa Pig,Fireman Sam and Doc-tor Who, said it willreduce the company’srisk profile by tighterthan usual stock con-trol, even though itmeans it may notmaximise its salespotential.

briefing Riseinclothesandenergypricespushesupinflation

Soaring energy prices have added to the inflationary spike

Clothes prices saw their biggest annual increase since records began in 1997, the ONS revealed

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

newsLDPbusiness .co.uk

SOARING energy bills and recordincreases in clothing prices helpedpush the rate of inflation to near athree-year high last month.

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI)rate of inflation rose to 4.5% in August,up from 4.4% in July, the Office forNational Statistics (ONS) said.

This was equal to the CPI rate inMay and was last higher in September,2008.

Housing, water, electricity and gasprices increased by 5.1% year-on-year,the ONS said – the highest annualincrease since July, 2009 – in a monthwhen Scottish Power and British Gasboth raised their energy tariffs.

Clothing and footwear saw itsbiggest annual increase since recordsbegan in 1997, up 4% year-on-year,with the largest upward effects comingfrom women’s outerwear, where pricesrose at the beginning of the autumnseason.

There were further record rises inAugust, with furniture, householdequipment and maintenance up 5.8%year-on-year and restaurants andhotels soaring 4.6% – both the highestannual increases on record.

The figures have highlighted thepressure on savers at a time of recordlow interest rates.

They were dealt a further blow lastweek when National Savings & Invest-ments (NS&I) withdrew from sale itsinflation-beating bonds, leaving onlyfive accounts on the market which neg-ate tax and inflation.

And Saga warned today how inflat-ion is proportionately higher forover-50s.

Dr Ros Altmann, director general ofSaga, said: “The over-50s are beingignored in policy terms.

“Their savings have been shot topieces and they are being burdened bysoaring inflation.”

Despite the current spike, the Bankof England’s strongest advocate forpumping more money into the econ-omy argued that high inflation was nota threat to the UK’s recovery, as hereiterated his calls for more quantit-ative easing.

Adam Posen, a member of theBank’s Monetary Policy Committee(MPC), said: “Make no mistake, theright thing to do right now is for theBank of England and the other G7central banks to eng

“If anything, it is past time for us todo so.”

The case for more QE wasstrengthened yesterday when separateONS figures showed the UK’s tradedeficit in goods – the gap betweengoods imported and exported – was flatat £8.9bn in July, raising fears overgrowth prospects.

While exports grew in the month,they were overshadowed by strongergrowth in imports.

Furthermore, analysts warned thatweakened global growth, particularlythe slowdown in the eurozone, doesnot bode well for UK exports in thenear term.

Economists expect the rate of inflat-ion to peak at around 5% this autumn.

Jonathan Loynes, chief Europeaneconomist at Capital Economics, said:

“August’s consumer prices figuresbrought further hope that the peak ininflation is close.

“Lingering inflation worries amongsome MPC members should not standin the way of more quantitative easingfor very long.”

The Bank of England, which hasforecast inflation hitting 5% before theend of the year, would have widelyexpected the increase in the rate ofinflation, which is still well above the2% Government target.

The Bank expects inflation to fallbelow target to around 1.8% in twoyears’ time, particularly as this year’sVAT increase falls out of the calcul-ation.

Scottish Power and British Gasraised their gas tariffs by 19% and 18%respectively last month, alongside bigincreases for electricity, tightening thesqueeze on household incomes alreadyhit by rising food and fuel costs.

The pressure on inflation fromenergy suppliers is not likely to let upas Scottish & Southern Energy andE.ON are raising their prices thismonth and Npower hikes bills fromOctober 1.

The main downward pressures camefrom transport services, particularlytransport by air, sea and rail.

Elsewhere, the retail prices index ofinflation, which includes housing costssuch as mortgage payments and coun-cil tax, increased to 5.3% in August, upfrom 5% in July.

byJamieGriersonLDPDCORRESPONDENTbusiness@liverpool.com

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

Cost of dying is also risingAS THE cost of livingcontinues to surge, sodoes the cost ofdying, an annual sur-vey revealed.

End-of-life costs,including funerals,probate, headstonesand flowers, increasedto an average of£7,248, up 20% since2007 and over £400

since last year, accord-ing to the Annual Costof Dying Report.

Funeral costs haveincreased by 61% overthe past seven years,and will continue toincrease, according tothe survey.

The report was pub-lished as official fig-ures revealed the Con-

sumer Prices Index(CPI) rate of inflation –a broad measure forthe cost of living –increased to 4.5% inAugust, moving closerto a three-year high.

More people arebeing caught offguard by funeral costs,as 53% said they weremore than expected.

11Wednesday, September 14, 2011

‘Rollovers’scrappedinrulingbyOfcom

Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards – concerned over ‘lock-in’ mechanisms

Longslogaheadtoreturntopre-recessionjoblevels

Supermarkettripsrise–butshoppersreininspending

Demoonthedoorstep

SHOPPERS are makingmore trips to supermarketsbut buying less to offset thesoaring costs of food andother grocery items, areport claims.

Market research firmKantar Worldpanel saidgrocery sales rose by 4.5%in the three months toSeptember 4, against a yearago, but prices rose by 5.3%

and indicating volumes fellfor a third month in a row.

Kantar director MartinWhittingham said: “Con-sumers are managing theirbudget by making moreshopping trips but buyingfewer items on each outing.

“These changes are atthe margin, but illustratehow shoppers are trying tocope with the increasing

pressures on their house-hold budget.”

Morrisons and Sains-bury’s were the best per-formers among the majormultiple chains during thequarter, Kantar said.

Discount stores Aldi andLidl continued to makestrong gains. Waitrose con-tinued to power ahead,with growth of 8.9%.

RAIL workers staged a protest out-side the London home of TransportSecretary Philip Hammond yesterday,against rail fare rises and job losses.

Members of the Transport SalariedStaffs Association pushed leafletsthrough the doors of Mr Hammond’sneighbours in Pimlico, London, andheld up placards reading: “I’mAlright Jag.”

The union’s deputy leader, ManuelCortes, led the protest.

ROLLOVER contracts for landlineand broadband customers are tobe banned after the telecomswatchdog accused providers oflocking households into long-termdeals with little additional ben-efit.

The packages see customer con-tracts roll forward to a new min-imum term, often with penaltiesfor leaving, unless the consumeropts out of the renewal. They willbe scrapped from December 31,Ofcom said.

The automatically-renewablecontracts (ARCs) make it harderfor customers to switch providerand subsequently damage compet-ition, the regulator said.

Consumer groups welcomed themove, but BT, the largest com-munications provider to offerARCs, hit out at the decision andclaimed that customers werehappy with the discounts on offer.

Ofcom, which estimates thatroughly 15% of UK residentialconsumers are on rollover con-tracts, said the ban will apply to

ARCs for landline and broadbandservices sold to residential andsmall business customers.

Adam Scorer, director ofexternal affairs at ConsumerFocus, said the rollover ban was“extremely welcome” for con-sumers: “Rollover contracts canbe confusing and penalise custom-ers. Many people have beenunknowingly rolled over intoanother contract. This has leftthem unfairly tied into a contractwhich they had to pay a penaltyfee to escape.

“This move by the regulatorwill help make it easier for cus-tomers to switch and get a betterdeal, and should help to make themarket more competitive.”

Communications ConsumerPanel chairman Bob Warner alsowelcomed the move.

He said: “It will prevent resid-ential and small business custom-ers getting stuck with fixed land-line and broadband contracts thatno longer meet their needsbecause contracts have beenextended for another year withouttheir active consent.”

As well as BT, other residentialproviders which offer ARCs

include Adept Telecom, Axis Tele-com, Eze Talk and iTalk, whileTalkTalk Business, Titan Tele-coms, and Optimum Calls offerARCs to business users.

BT offers ARCs which renewannually, but contacts customersone month before the end to givethem the opportunity to opt out ofthe automatic rollover.

The company said it was dis-appointed by the ban, but wouldimmediately stop offering ARCs,ahead of the deadline.

A BT spokesman said: “We haveworked hard to make sure thatcustomers understand what theyare signing up to, including how

the renewal works and thecharges that apply if they chooseto leave early.”

Ofcom will also require pro-viders to move all residential andsmall business customers cur-rently on rollover contracts toalternative deals, and its chiefexecutive, Ed Richards, said:“Ofcom’s evidence shows thatARCs raise barriers to effectivecompetition by locking customersinto long-term deals with littleadditional benefit.

“Our concern about the effectof ARCs and other ‘lock-in’ mech-anisms led to our decision to banthem.”

LDPbusiness .co.ukLDPbusiness .co.uk

Hotelscount£1m costof riots

byJamieGriersonLDPCORRESPONDENTbusiness@liverpool.com

THE recent riots costbudget hotel chainTravelodge £1m, after itreceived more cancel-lations than bookingsin the two weeks sur-rounding the mayhem.

The group, whichhas 480 hotels in theUK, Ireland and Spain,said sales increased15% in the 13 weeks toAugust 30, as it put onmore cut-price deals,including offering1.5m rooms at £19 orless.

But it said saleswould have been up17% if not for riots andlooting that sweptthrough several citiesin the month andcaused fearful travel-lers to cancel rooms.

Some 81 hotels werein areas caught up inthe chaos, and,although none wereforced to shut, manyreceived high levels ofcancellations, partic-ularly in London.

Chief executive GuyParsons said: “Imagesof London burning andshops being lootedflashing around theglobe stopped domesticand international trav-ellers from leavinghome.

“We had not seen somany cancellationssince the beginning ofthe recession.”

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

THE UK faces a “long and dif-ficult” path back to fullemployment, with up to 2mnew jobs needed to be createdto return to pre-recessionlevels, according to a newreport today.

The IPPR think-tank saidthe public sector had beenfilling in for insufficientprivate sector job creationover the past 20 years, a trend

which will have to be reversedbecause of the Government’sspending cuts.

Forecasts of 1.5m jobs beingcreated over the next fiveyears will not be enough toreplace those lost in the pub-lic sector and bring downunemployment, said thereport.

The report, publishedahead of new unemployment

figures today, warned that aslow recovery in the labourmarket increased the risk thatpeople will become discour-aged from work and perman-ently leave the workforce astheir skills become redund-ant.

Regional disparities inemployment growth over thelast 20 years were found, withemployment increasing by

27% in London between 1993and early 2008, but only by10% in the North East and theNorth West.

The study predicted thatthe vast majority of jobscreated over the next decadewill come in the private ser-vice sector.

Most jobs created in the UKover the next decade will beskilled, while traditional low-

skilled jobs will continue todisappear, replaced by morework in areas such as socialcare and personal services,said IPPR.

Tony Dolphin, of IPPR, said:“There is little evidence tosuggest the private sector willbe able to meet the challengeover the next four yearswithout help from Govern-ment.”

news

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DAILY POST

12 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

by John Morshead, a partner atLees Solicitors in Wirral

LDPbusiness .co.uklocation

viewpoint

byTonyMcDonoughLDPDEPUTYBUSINESSEDITORtony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

Retail tenants shouldseekflexibilityaheadofthenextquarterday

A TOUGH year for retailers will notbe made any easier by the approachof the next quarter day, which willtrigger advance payment of threemonths’ rent.

The deadline is often accompaniedby predictions about the next highstreet chain to follow the likes ofHabitat, Oddbins and Jane Normaninto literally shutting up shop.

A number of high-profile stores –including Whittard of Chelsea,clothes shop, The Officers Club, andrecord retailer Zavvi have gone intoadministration shortly after aquarter day, which falls in lateMarch, June, September and Decem-ber.

They had all struggled to meettheir rental obligations.

Large or small, many retailers willcertainly be concerned to make surethey have enough cash in the busi-ness to meet the payment.

The next payments are due onSeptember 29.

Over the past few years, we haveseen property costs risemuch faster than inflation.

Margins are generallyunder threat as rents, rates,service charges and utilitycosts continue to rise.

With customers reluctantto spend unless they haveto and sales down on a yearago, big bills for the nextthree months' rent can cer-tainly add to the pressuresmany retailers are facing.

Of course, boarded-up shops are inno-one’s interests.

That’s why, for years, retail

industry groups have called for rentsto be payable on a monthly basis,which would put less pressure on

cash flow for tenants.This approach is entirely

sensible and we wouldencourage our tenant cli-ents to pursue monthlyterms in negotiations.

Some of our leasing prac-tices in England and Walesare as much as 600 yearsold, so you could be for-given for using the word“archaic”.

On the other hand, for landlords,having three months’ rent inadvance provides protection againstfinancially unsound tenants.

An alternative would be a rentdeposit or rent guarantees, but thesecreate problems and paperwork oftheir own.

I can also think some landlordswho could fairly say they have beenvery flexible during the recessionand saved some retailers from insolv-ency as a result.

Many tenants have alreadyapproached landlords to seek to varythe basis of the payment of rent byvarying the payment terms of thelease.

There’s no guarantee that a land-lord will listen, but the view that, if“don’t ask, don’t get” applies, thenproperty owners will often recognisethe impact of the recession.

Kirwans takes city space Phaseoneoflakerevampcompleted

Environmental works being carried out at Lingley Mere Business Park, in Warrington

‘Marginsareunderthreatasrentsgoonrising’

LAW firm Kirwans Solicitorshas taken occupation of 6,500sq ft of office space at theSouth Harrington Building,in Brunswick Business Park,Liverpool.

The deal, completed byHitchcock Wright & Partners(HWP), was for a lease of 10years at a rent of £11.50 persq ft.

South Harrington Buildingis a Victorian dock ware-house restored in the 1980sby the Merseyside Develop-

ment Corporation whichunderwent a £1.5m refur-bishment two years ago.

Other tenants at the siteinclude Royal Mail, Vitafloand New Mind.

Nick Harrop, partner atHWP, said: “The building isnow 83% occupied and sincethe refurbishment was com-pleted by Commercial EstatesGroup, we continue toreceive a great deal ofinterest in the last availableunits.”

WORK has been completed on the firstphase of environmental improvementworks at Lingley Mere Business Park,in Warrington.

The lake improvement is part of anongoing scheme to protect andenhance biodiversity across the park.

The works have been carried out bythe Lingley Mere Management Com-pany. The aim of the scheme is toimprove the quality of one of twolakes at the centre of the park.

High nutrient levels in the water,combined with an excessive fish pop-

ulation and bank erosion, haveadversely affected its wildlife habitats,making the eight-month project neces-sary.

Work has included removing poorquality trees and shrubs around thelake, while good quality plants havebeen protected and retained.

The water level was also pumpeddown to allow access to remove theisland and improve the banks.

Nicholas Gage, estate manager atLingley Mere, said: “We have workedextremely hard – in conjunction withthe Environment Agency and UnitedUtilities’ ecology and sustainabilityteams – to improve the biodiversity ofthe lake.”

The lake has been restored toinclude native, oxygenating and float-ing plants, and freshwater molluscshave been introduced.

Future plans include the instal-lation of boxes to further encouragebreeding ducks and wagtails.

Mr Gage added: “This is an ongoinginitiative designed to create a naturalfeature that’s both visually appealingto tenants and visitors, while at thesame time helping to enhance thewater quality and improve the lake asa wildlife habitat.”

Lingley Mere is a joint venturebetween Muse Developments andUnited Utilities, and provides 380,000sq ft of office accommodation.

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BUSINESS to BUSINESS

13Wednesday, September 14, 2011

LDPbusiness .co.uklocation

LDPbusiness .co.uklocation

byTonyMcDonoughLDPDEPUTYBUSINESSEDITORtony.mcdonough@liverpool.com

INASSOCIATION

WITH

LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

Merseysite soldto JolivetSURVEYORS OBI Prop-erty acted on behalf ofJolivet Group in theacquisition of Moor-gate Point, in KnowsleyIndustrial Park.

The property com-prises 398,700 sq ft ofindustrial accommodat-ion, with 37,000 sq ft ofaccompanying officeaccommodation on asite of 21 acres with anadditional 6.3 acres ofdevelopment land.

The property is let to10 tenants and pro-duces a net income of£835,000 per annum.

The site was mar-keted with a price tagof £5.2m, whichexcluded the develop-ment land.

Gary Scorah, invest-ment partner at OBIProperty, said theacquisition “represen-ted a fantastic returnto the purchaser”.

Jolivet Group is aChannel Island-basedproperty investment,development and assetmanagement company.

Storesincallforhighstreetaid

CommercialBIDmembersurgedtojoinLatinfestivalCASTLE Street, in Liverpoolcity centre, will come alivewith the sights and soundsof Latin America later thismonth.

On Saturday, September24, the Fiesta Latina eventwill see Cuban and Andeanbands, flamenco and salsadancers and capoeirademonstrations performedin the street. The one-dayfestival, will also featurestalls selling food and mer-chandise.

Paul Rice, chief executiveof the Liverpool CommercialDistrict Partnership, isinviting all retailers basedin the newly-created Busi-ness Improvement Districtto take up the offer of a freestall at the event.

Mr Rice added: “This is afantastic opportunity forbusinesses within the com-mercial district to takeadvantage of a free place atwhat promises to be afun-filled day.

“Retailers don’t have tohave a Latin American con-nection to take part and arewelcome to bring their ownthemes. The Fiesta Latinahas something for all, and wewould be delighted if mem-bers of the commercial dis-trict were to get involved.” Castle Street, in Liverpool city centre, is to play host to a Latin American festival this month

A TRADE association is calling for a changein planning laws to reverse the growth ofempty retail units in town centres.

The Association of Convenience Stores(ACS) says research shows one in seven shopson the UK high street now stand empty.

Analysis by the Local Data Company (LDC)shows the percentage of retail premises nowvacant across the UK stands at 14.5%.

Although LDC says this figure has stabil-ised after three years of store closures, it addsthat the picture is unlikely to improve sig-nificantly due to the current economic cli-mate, the rise of alternative sales channelsand the number of shops the country has.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said:“Vacancy rates on UK high streets are morethan just a symptom of the recession.

“Towns up and down the country are cryingout for new investment. This investment isnecessary not to prop up but to reshape andmodernise our existing centres.

“However, the problem is that the millionsof pounds that are being invested in retail arebeing invested in out-of-town supermarketsand retail parks.

“Unless we see urgent action, our highstreets will be lost to a final wave ofout-of-town retail construction that threatensto remove retail from the heart of our com-munities. It will also dramatically scale downthe opportunity for new and specialist shops.”

The ACS says there are currently more than40m sq ft of new retail developments in thepipeline. Of that, more than 80% is plannedfor out-of-town locations.

This has increased from 60% in 2006.A prolonged period of uncertainty around

the national planning rules and an aggressivewave of new supermarket development haveled to this change, it claims.

The ACS is calling for a “town centre first”approach in Government planning policy, cur-rently under review.

14.5% of retail units stand empty

OFFICES@DOWNING.COM

ENJOYA RENTHOLIDAYONYOURNEW OFFICE

14 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

LondonStockMarketatClose

Last night, the pound was worth: $1.5804 (down 0.0009) ....... 1.1544 euros (down 0.0053)........ 116.15 yen (up 0.25) ....... Its trade weighted index was 79.40 (down 0.30)Metals in $ per troy ounce: Gold 1820 (down 14)........................ Silver 40.02 (down 0.79) ........................ Platinum 1815 (down 5)........................ UK base lending rate 0.5%

Keep track of all the major share moves of the day with our live FTSE ticker at www.ldpbusiness.co.ukLDPbusiness .co.ukLDPbusiness .co.uk

96 6234 Adv Medical 81 +1 +4

1814 214 AEA Technology 212 -18 -18

28712 242 Albany Inv Tst 24212 +12

1251 834 AMEC 898 +612 +34

92 2614 Anglesey Mining 4714 +12 -134

35714 22858 Balfour Beatty 23112 +214 -314

3912 2914 Beale 32

612 51112 Compass Gp 541 +312 +6

1265 99712 Dee Valley 1240 -15

479 301 easyJet 31114 +358 -1038

1030 726 JD Sports Fashion 855 +13

11712 1112 JJB Sports 19 +18 -114

36 2014 Johnson Serv 3058 -58

579 410 Nichols 526 xd +4 +1212

14912 10112 NWF 118 xd +12

50 28 Park Gp 4314 xd +12

1257 828 Rathbone 1064 +14 +31

139 9838 Redrow 11018 -78 -514

14312 10778 RSA Insurance 10812 xd +58 -34

34 2214 Speedy Hire 2412 -112

4634 3412 Sportech 4078 +112

4634 2714 Telme Gp 4112 +1

5514 3234 UK Coal 4014 +34 -234

2 1 Ultima 118 -18

2081 1750 Unilever 1922 xd -19 -99

63112 54312 Utd Utils 584 +2 -112

UNIT TRUSTS

DAILY POST REGIONAL INDEX 1129.78 up 2.31 ▲ 0.20%

In order to give a greater range of Unit Trustinformation, covering a larger number of trusts, thelist of funds changes each day as follows:UNIT TRUST MANAGERS DAYS PUBLISHEDA to Com ................................................... TuesdayF to Inv....................................................WednesdayJP to Pru...................................................ThursdayRoy to T.........................................................Friday

FUNDS

Consols

£88532 £761132 Cons 4%.................£7734

£601516 £50 Cons 212% ........... £601516

Conversions

£7912 £69 Cnv 312%.................£7212

Treasury

£6514 £50 Tr 212%....................£6514

£11512 £1062132 Tr 9% 12.............. £107332 -1332

£1061132 £10218 Tr 5% 12................£10218

£12034 £1143132 Tr 8% 13............. £1143132 -132

£114132 £109532 Tr 5% 14.............. £112916 -332

£109532 £105732 Tr 734% 12-15........£10614

£3402932 £310532 Tr 212% IL 16 ....... £340316 -316

£142116 £1322132 Tr 834% 17........... £141532 -18

£1511732£1332732 Tr 8% 21................£15138 -532

War

£86732 £6712 War Ln 312%......... £853132 +1932

High Low Price Var 5Day High Low Price Var 5Day High Low Price Var 5Day Country Currency Tourist Buy Sell

FTSE 100 INDEX

SPOTLIGHT

KEYs............ dealing suspendedxd.............price ex-dividendxs........ price ex-scrip issuexr ........ price ex-rights issuexc ..... ex-capital distributionxa................................ ex-all£......price value in £ sterling

Those securities which haveincreased in value since the previ-ous close are shown in bold type.

To assist in the analysis of themarket two figures are given foreach sector. Firstly an index (setat 100 on January 1 1992) togive a comparison in the perfor-mance of various market sectors.Secondly an indication of the per-centage change in the price of allthe securities within a sector sincethe previous close.

Mar 13, 2011 Sep 13, 2011MITCHELLS & BUTLERS

Share price (pence)

180

220

260

300

340

FTSE-Rebased

£ ABROAD

Australia dollars 1.45 1.529 1.534

Canada dollars 1.50 1.564 1.566

Denmark krone 8.22 8.593 8.603

European Union euro 1.11 1.154 1.155

Japan yen 116.15 121.480 121.580

New Zealand dollars 1.79 1.915 1.920

Norway krone 8.52 8.917 8.918

Poland zlotys 4.40 5.003 5.011

Sweden krona 10.09 10.542 10.552

Switzerland francs 1.33 1.389 1.390

Turkey new lira 2.68 2.796 2.805

United States dollars 1.51 1.580 1.581

Cancel Bid Offer Yield

Fund Terms Price Price Gross

FIDELITY INVESTMENT SERVS

Amer Spec Sits - 530.90 -

American - 1601.00 0.32

Income Plus - 185.80 4.69

Japan - 208.80 0.56

Jpan Spec Sits - 130.40 0.10

Spec Sits - 1592.00 0.01

Sth East Asia - 647.50 0.01

GARTMORE FUND MANAGERS

Euro Sel Opps - 698.67 1.37

Pratical Inv -150.49 161.48 4.58

GUARDIAN

Index-Linked Acc -539.59 567.99 -

International Acc -861.48 906.83 -

Pacific Acc -232.17 244.39 -

Property Bonds -2093.04 2093.04 -

HSBC INVESTMENT FUNDS (UK)

Balanced - 92.94 1.27

British -228.00 228.00 3.02

Gilt & FI - 68.08 2.90

Gilt & Fixed -240.30 240.30 5.91

Monthly Inc - 118.60 4.40

HENDERSON HORIZON FUND

European Smllr Cos A - 783.90 0.14

Sterling Bd Unit Tst - 53.67 56.07 4.46

UK Equity Inc A - 381.30 3.26

HILL SAMUEL UNIT TST MGRS

Capital -265.00 275.60 1.20

European - 632.40 0.70

Far East - 532.10 1.80

Inc & Gwth - 169.20 3.40

International - 365.80 0.40

North Amer Acc - 424.90 0.10

INVESCO FUND MANAGERS

Sing ASEAN - 188.11 0.73

High Low Funds Price Var

Closing Indices

FT-SE 100 INDEX 5174.25up 44.63 ▲ 0.87%

20 DAY MOVINGAVERAGE 5204.84down 9.17 ▼ 0.18%

FT ALL-SHARE 2683.03up 20.92 ▲ 0.79%

Aerospace & Defence

Index 2965.59 ▼ 1.00

324 123 Avon Rbbr 29412xd+1212

36978 24818 BAE Systems 27234 +134

73612 485 Chemring 531 -2

24558 17338 Cobham 178 -114

39758 28814 Meggitt 305 xd -1

665 55712 Rolls-Royce 60312 -212

19058 12458 Senior 14018 +3

Automobiles & Parts

Index 4091.62 ▼ 21.04

245 15978 GKN 175 xd -78

Banks

Index 3314.71 ▲ 59.36

33312 14158 Barclays 14814xd +658

859 44634 Bco Santander47734 +2414

73078 49212 HSBC 499 xd +612

5912 612 Ireland 612

7738 2712 Lloyds Bnking 3178 +114

4958 1958 Ryl Scotland 2178 +118

1959 1295 Stan Chart 1339xd +5

Beverages

Index 9317.01 ▲ 34.20

1395 1031 Barr (AG) 1115 +4

50312 28978 Britvic 303 -418

1307 1070 Diageo 1195xd +7

2340 197412SABMiller 217312 +312

Chemicals

Index 6202.40 ▲ 30.67

2081 1367 Croda 1768xd +2

18738 9114 Elementis 13758xd -114

2119 1534 Johnsn Mat 1556 +22

Construction & Materials

Index 2903.11 ▲ 10.10

35714 22858 Balfour Beatty 23112 +214

265 188 Costain 22212 -34

1472 91312 CRH 92134xd +814

1418 1071 Kier Group 1118 -7

7634 3512 Low Bonar 6112xd

12412 96 Marshalls 9812 +12

Electricity

Index 8024.18 ▲ 78.31

53612 35358 Drax Gp 525 +312

44858 27938 Intl Power 32034 +2

1423 1108 Scot&Sthrn 1267xd +13

Electronic & Electrical

Index 2672.12 ▼ 39.36

705 507 Domino Ptg 53812 -312

207 12778 Laird 143 +478

35718 20514 Morgn Cru 24714 -358

1010 429 Oxford Inst 820 +5

377 241 Volex 25614 -2

Equity Inv Instruments

Index 5438.40 ▲ 36.35

39234 325 Alliance 331 xd +158

14012 113 Br Assets 11314xd

777 485 Candover Inv 530 +10

228 19734 DunedinIncGth203 +112

15734 11834 Dunedin Sml 130 +14

49214 41478 Edin Invst 43734 +212

66034 546 EdinUSTrkrTst 58012 +6

32778 26858 Forgn & C 27734xd +414

32334 254 HendSmllrCos 256 +2

385 30934 LawDebenture 323 -18

252 21212 Scot Am 216 xd +134

533 42634 Witan 43038xd +358

Fixed Line Telecoms

Index 1977.57 ▲ 17.35

20418 13878 BT Gp 16412 +214

6118 3114 Cble&WComm 3714 -14

7838 3078 Cble&WWwide3078 -14

84 4712 KCOM 7214 +14

Food & Drug Retailers

Index 4276.54 ▲ 4.47

30814 26234 Morrison W 293 -1

395 27558 Sainsbury 27678 +114

44058 360 Tesco 36418 +38

112 46 Thorntons 4812

Food Producers

Index 5065.33 ▼ 28.35

1182 940 AB Foods 1060 +8

875 590 Carrs Mill 773 +23

896 606 Cranswick 611 -812

42478 33418 Dairy Crest 33812 -34

3518 1138 Premier Foods 1138

656 46158 Tate Lyle 59012 +612

2081 1750 Unilever 1922xd -19

Forestry & Paper

Index 5622.65 ▲ 172.34

664 46834 Mondi 522 xd +16

General Financial

Index 5044.05 ▲ 3.91

340 18838 3i 19378 +512

88812 65612 Close Bros 66912 +4

57012 39114 ICAP 46134 -634

1076 675 London Stk Ex 830 -612

1124 72812 Provident 1071 +13

1257 828 Rathbone 1064 +14

1922 1325 Schroders 1325xd -3

General Industrials

Index 2513.67 ▲ 21.91

72412 42118 Cooksn Gp 42534 +434

6 218 Cosalt 234

400 30112 Rexam 32218xd +258

26614 14578 Smith DS 18812xd -78

1429 90712 Smiths Gp 92512 +1112

General Retailers

Index 1469.50 ▲ 8.48

2514 1512 Ashley L 2012 +38

31114 23214 Brown (N) Gp 270 -3

7738 5114 Debenhams 5212 +114

2812 1058 Dixons Retail 11 +18

48234 26912 Halfords 26912 -14

235 10518 Home Retail 10712 +238

42538 26934 Inchcape 27118 +114

1030 726 JD Sports 855

28718 217 Kingfisher 23378 +118

42712 30134 M & S 31858 +358

62712 34334 Mothercare 344 -238

2426 1868 Next 2335 -4

2986 1840 Signet Jwlrs 2280 +50

523 43334 WH Smith 48134 -534

Health Care Equip & Serv

Index 3357.58 ▲ 27.83

742 521 Smith Nph 59012 +512

Household Goods

Index 6150.16 ▲ 25.40

138 74 Aga Rngmstr 85 -14

119 6712 Barratt Dev 7618 +114

75312 511 Bellway 559 -12

192 11712 McBride 119 +112

3648 3015 Reckitt Benck 3239xd +19

139 9838 Redrow 11018 -78

4314 2214 Taylor Wimpey 2978 -14

Industrial Engineering

Index 6484.50 ▲ 42.63

39734 247 Bodycote 26414 -334

857 53812 Charter 855 -2

42212 231 Fenner 34112

1119 733 IMI 799 xd +2112

116 4312 Molins 90 -12

31212 12112 MS Intl 24212

45 2512 Renold 31 +14

2063 1649 Spirax Srco 1786 +9

2218 1371 Weir Gp 1758 +4

Industrial Transportation

Index 2092.99 ▲ 0.07

24034 156 BBA Aviation 16138xd +138

Life Insurance

Index 3498.01 ▲ 58.02

47778 28914 Aviva 29614 +718

12334 9078 Lgl & Gen 9218xd +114

777 56412 Prudential 57612xd +812

31618 21114 Resolution 23734xd +212

24434 172 Standard Life 19014xd +312

Media

Index 3590.80 ▲ 36.41

850 61812 BSkyB 68112 +8

59412 360 D Mail Tst 36112 +112

9312 5158 ITV 5358 +2

1207 926 Pearson 1070xd +10

59012 46114 Reed Elsevier 46778 -278

168 8934 STV Group 10912 +12

124 3712 Trinity Mirror 3912 +14

725 416 Utd Business 42378xd +778

151 101 UTV 130 +214

84612 57812 WPP 604 +14

MiningIndex 21018.24 ▲ 209.00

3437 2234 Anglo Amer 2409xd+5012

1634 1136 Antofagasta 1238 -11

2631121846 BHP Billiton 1952xd+1812

2150 1168 Fresnillo 1930xd -59

53118 348 Glencore Intl 41034xd +3

1671 918 Kazakhmys 1016xd+1712

1983 1103 Lonmin 1180 +7

7070 4425 Randgold Res 6970 +60

4712 338712Rio Tinto 3547 +37

5514 3234 UK Coal 4014 +34

Mobile TelecomsIndex 3642.61 ▲ 50.60

72412 38934 Inmarsat 48614 +958

18234 155 Vodafone Gp 16014 +214

Nonlife InsuranceIndex 1325.67 ▲ 0.52

1754 1270 Admiral Grp 1270 -10

199512148512Marsh McL 178778 -758

14312 10778 RSA Insurance 10812xd +58

Oil & Gas ProducersIndex 7441.08 ▲ 58.11

156412108212BG 123612 -512

509 36314 BP 38158xd +618

46934 28138 Cairn Energy 287 -2512

535 310 Premier Oil 343 +18

2336 180712Ryl D Shell B 204112xd+25

1493 94512 Tullow Oil 1385 -12

Oil Equipment & ServicesIndex 20973.99 ▲ 61.10

1251 834 AMEC 898 +612

Personal GoodsIndex 20866.35 ▲ 483.62

1600 906 Burberry Gp 1294 +36

409 32012 PZ Cussons 32912xd -258

Pharma & BiotechnologyIndex 8954.67 ▲ 40.60

3359 254312AstraZeneca 2761xd+2212

1385 112712GlaxSmthKln 128412xd +7

50 3112 Vernalis 3434 +14

Real EstateIndex 1958.11

35314 23414 Big Yellow Gp 258 -318

62912 464 Brit Land 50112 -312

2954 2282 Daejan Hldgs 2416 +13

445 32858 Gt Portland 35238 +158

885 62012 Land Secs 670 -2012

33114 23238 SEGRO 24114 -434

Software & Comp ServsIndex 707.92 ▲ 3.84

2530 1271 Autonomy 2530 +13

6312 4014 Emblaze 57 +414

36414 22134 Invensys 22934 -214

108 83 Kewill 84 -338

14714 8014 Logica 82 +14

302 23134 Sage 25414 +578

Support ServicesIndex 3922.89 ▼ 6.66

1814 214 AEA Tech 212 -18

2034 1389 Aggreko 1812 -5

20778 9938 Ashtead Gp 13814xd +58

568 390 Berendsen 44658 -1338

81212 67612 Bunzl 76712 +5

79412 63512 Capita 70512xd

85312 54912 De La Rue 77312 +112

29478 190 Electrocmps 19478 +38

83312 663 Experian 687 +1

291 23734 G4S 25834xd -514

452 305 Hyder Cons 305 -5

34114 18312 Interserve 295 -8

550 425 Menzies J 47934 -312

34634 202 Northgate 26612 +812

30834 15178 Prem Farnell 153 +118

10678 7278 Rentokil 7538 +212

12012 79 Smiths News 84 +1

34 2214 Speedy Hire 2412

1127 722 Travis & P 72412 +212

2261 1404 Wolseley 1525 -22

Tech Hardware & Equip

Index 713.10 ▼ 2.39

651 33878 ARM Hldgs 58612xd -312

2712 1834 BATM 19 +14

10234 5112 Psion 5112xd -312

16014 116 SpirentComs 12218xd -58

Tobacco

Index 30865.23 ▲ 301.54

2871 228212Br Am Tob 2710xd +26

2231 1784 Imperial Tob 2054 +21

Travel & Leisure

Index 3962.97 ▲ 44.43

3153 1742 Carnival 1986xd +55

612 51112 Compass Gp 541 +312

479 301 easyJet 31114 +358

12234 3212 Enterprise Inns3518 +2

41258 31114 FirstGroup 34614 +512

1598 1085 Go-Ahead Gp 1443 +42

518 410 Greene King 44018xd +458

43034 240 Holidaybreak 43034 +18

1435 955 Intercontl Htls 98612xd -712

285 14612 Intl ConsAirlns 14612 -158

15514 120 Ladbrokes 122 xd +2

11718 87 Marston’s 9312 +214

361 21638 Mitchells&Btlrs251 +1538

9038 918 Punch Taverns 1034 +114

15334 10912 Rank Gp 124 xd -2

335 25478 Restaurant Gp 267 -34

26812 18038 Stagecoach 24312xd +414

20434 3334 Thomas Cook 3378xd +18

27178 13714 TUI Travel 13818xd +14

1887 1409 Whitbread 1590 +43

Utilities

Index 4575.26 ▲ 37.01

34534 28614 Centrica 29212 +338

1265 99712 Dee Valley 1240

63212 530 National Grid 619 +3

73712 57912 Pennon Gp 66312xd+1012

1517 1306 Severn 1447 +27

63112 54312 Utd Utils 584 +2

AIM

Index 762.82 ▼ 1.71

4958 15 API Gp 45

1034 178 Armour Gp 218

158 1 Crimson Tide 138

214 112 Dawson Intl 134 -18

838 478 Eckoh 718

11712 1112 JJB Sports 19 +18

36 2014 Johnson Serv 3058

86 3034 Man Brnze 3712 +2

12 518 Metalrax 812 +18

550 385 Portmeirion P 455 xd

17312 55 Redhall Gp 70 -12

6214 1834 Scapa Gp 48 +14

142 99 Swallowfield 11612

96 67 Uniq 95 -58

712 530 Young A 65212

Aug 22 - Aug 26 Aug 29 - Sep 2 Sep 5 - Sep 9 M T W T F4980

5110

5240

5370

5500FTSE-100

20-Day Moving Average

15Wednesday, September 14, 2011

businessdiary

LDPbusiness .co.ukmarket comment

LDPbusiness .co.uk

For all the latest local and national business news online, log on to www.ldpbusiness.co.uk

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LIVERPOOL’SINVESTMENTSPECIALISTS

Tuesday, September 20Chartered accountantsDuncan Sheard Glasssaid its DSG BusinessOwners club will bediscussing how to winnew business at itsnext meeting, featuringguest speaker DamianThompson, of ClearResults Sales Training.

Everton’s GoodisonPark home is the venuefrom 7.45am for an8.15am start.

Contact Sue Galla-gher on 0151-243 1200 orvia spg@dsg.uk.com

Tuesday, September 20The first of AFC Liv-erpool Business Club’smonthly meetings will

be launched to developlinks between theNorth West CountiesPremiership club andthe business com-munity.

The regular venuewill be LFC’s Centen-ary Stand, from8am-10am.

The initial fee is£10, with annual mem-bership of £300. Con-tact Jonathan Martinon 01939 260099 or at

mmsportsgroup@aol.com

Friday, September 23The Civil EngineeringContractors Associat-ion is holding its LiveDebate and annual din-ner in Liverpool, withfour guest speakers.

The venue is theCrowne Plaza Hotel.

The debate startsfrom 12 noon and isfree. The dinner startsfrom 6.30pm and tick-

ets cost £65. To book,contact Ian Robinsonon 01768 352872 or 07703585027, or via ceca.northwest@virgin.net,or www.ceca.co.uk

Thursday, September 29Accountancy and fin-ancial managementfirm McEwan Wallaceis holding a free sem-inar for small firms onmaking the most of taxplanning, includingpresentations by three

tax and financeexperts, followed by aQ&A session and lightbuffet.

The venue isThornton Hall Hotel,Wirral, from 4.45pm.

Call Rebekka Cairnson 0151-647 6681 tobook, or email rcairns@mcwallace.co.uk

Thursday, September 29St Helens RLFC isinviting businesses to aforum explaining how

they can get involvedwith the club ahead ofthe move to its new18,000-capacity towncentre stadium and itsbusiness-friendly facil-ities.

The Newz Bar, inWater Street, is thevenue, between 5pmand 7pm.

For further details,contact John McDon-agh at Saints, on 07825169 223.

MarketswobbleasconfusionreignsineurozoneIN A SIGN of building tensions at theheart of Europe over the deepeningeurozone crisis, a Franco-German mis-understanding yesterday over the issu-ing of a statement on Greece caused awobble across financial markets.

French President Nicolas Sarkozytold his cabinet ministers over break-fast that a Franco-German statementwould be issued during the day onGreece, prompting market expectat-ions of some strong words and sendingthe euro and Greek bank shares soar-ing.

But, in an abrupt turnaround fol-lowing words from Berlin, Paris back-tracked, pulling the plug on adraft statement and denyingone had ever been in theworks.

The euro promptly slumpedversus the dollar and GermanBund futures pared theirlosses.

“A Sarkozy official rejectsthe reports of aMerkel/Sarkozy initiative.EUR/USD was dumped,” aLondon foreign exchangetrader said.

The incident appears tohave been down to differentcommunication styles, ratherthan a disagreement in substance.

But it hints at the strain the twonations at the core of the eurozone areunder as they struggle to convince dis-trustful markets and resentful taxpay-ers that they have the bloc’s debt crisisunder control.

German government sources saidBerlin saw no need to issue a state-ment despite renewed talk among

eurozone policymakers about a Greekdefault as the country fails to meet thefiscal goals set in its bail-out deal.

Instead, Sarkozy and German Chan-cellor Angela Merkel scheduled a con-

ference call for today withGreek Prime Minister GeorgePapandreou.

Sarkozy and Merkel con-ferred by telephone onMonday on the eurozonecrisis, as fears of a Greekdefault buffeted markets, theUS voiced its concern andshares in Greece-exposedFrench banks slid on talk thegovernment might have togive them an injection ofcapital.

“The President is resolute,”a senior French governmentsource told Reuters earlieryesterday, one of two sources

who said Sarkozy had alerted the cab-inet to the planned statement.

“He was in contact with AngelaMerkel yesterday to take positionswhich should be made public today.They are going to take action today.”

According to a blog by French dailyLe Monde’s presidential correspondentArnaud Parmentier, the statement wasto have stated French and German

Whatdoyouthink?Email us withyour views atletters@dailypost.co.uk,or write to usPO Box 48, OldHall Street,LiverpoolL69 3EB

support for their banks and reiteratedtheir commitment to honouring a July21 accord on increasing the clout of theeurozone's bail-out facility.

“There is no need for a reminder ofour support for banks,” the blogquoted a French presidential adviseras saying.

With Germany’s economy farstronger than France’s in the wake ofthe global economic crisis, theever-assertive Sarkozy has been forcedto stand aside in the current eurocrisis and let his more austere Germancounterpart take the lead.

He interrupted his summer holidaylast month, however, to summonMerkel to Paris, where the pair agreedon far-reaching proposals, unveiled tothe media in Sarkozy’s trademarkshowman style, for closer eurozoneintegration.

The euro hit a session high versusthe dollar, European stocks turned pos-itive and Greek banking sharesjumped 5% on mid-morning specul-ation that a statement could spell outsupport to Greece. After the denial, theeuro fell to down from a session highof $1.3711, later trading at $1.3690.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy told his cabinet ministers that aFranco-German statement would be issued yesterday

Picture: JACQUES BRINON

LondonmarketTHE banking sector ledthe London markethigher yesterday, after aFrench lender denied itwas struggling to raisemoney on financial mar-kets as a result of itsexposure to Greek debt.

Banking stocks haveborne the brunt of fearsthat Greece is close to adefault in recent days,with French banks partic-ularly badly hit.

But the FTSE 100 Indexrose 44.6 points to 5174.3,with banks among thebiggest risers, after BNPParibas “categoricallydenied” reports it wasunable to raise dollarfunding, helping it undoits earlier losses andmake late gains.

The market was alsoreassured after GermanChancellor AngelaMerkel rejected thenotion that a Greek bank-ruptcy could provide aquick solution to theeurozone debt crisis.

The pound slipped oncurrency markets afterBank of England Monet-ary Policy Committeemember Adam Posencalled for more quantitat-ive easing to avoid lastingdamage to the economy.Sterling was at 1.58against the US dollar and1.15 against the euro.

The London market,which had been down bymore than 1% in earliertrading amid the euro-zone gloom, was alsoboosted after US importspricing data was not asweak as expected.

The biggest Footsierisers were Royal Bankof Scotland, up 1.1p at21.9p, Barclays, ahead6.7p at 148.3p, LloydsBanking Group, up 1.3pat 31.8p, and ITV, ahead2p, at 53.6p.

The biggest Footsiefallers were CairnEnergy, down 25.5p at287p, Land Securities,off 20.5p at 670p, Fres-nillo down 59p at 1930p,and G4S, off 5.2p, at258.8p.

16 Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Managerwhoisspoiltforchoiceeverylunch

Ian Turner – says Bistro Qui? makes full use of social media to spread the word about its offers

■ THE BBC’s director-general Mark

Thompson, below, was ongood form at last week’sCBI North West dinner inManchester, where hemocked the London-based critics of the Cor-poration’s move toSalford Quays.

He joked: “We ask a lotof our colleagues – longhours, total dedication . . .exposure to some of themost hostile and danger-ous environments on theplanet.

“And now we haveasked some of them tomake the ultimate sac-rifice – we’ve asked themto consider living in thenorth of England.”

Mr Thompson saidthat, despite nationalpress reports, hundredsof BBC staff had enthus-iastically chosen to moveto MediaCity.

But some, he said witha wry smile, had creativeexcuses as to why theycould not head north.

One was: “I cannotmove to Salford becauseI’m a vegetarian.”

Another, cryptically,was: “What is Cheshire?”

One refusenik said: “Iliked Didsbury, but I onlysaw one specialist cheeseshop, which put me off abit.” And anotherinsisted: “My partnerwill never find a job inManchester”

“So what did he do?”asked Mr Thompson,rhetorically. “Diplomaticprotection? Guarding thejewels in the Tower ofLondon? No. He was ahairdresser.”

■ DINERS also saw ashowreel of films

and TV shows that wereshot in the North West inrecent months – with Liv-erpool buildings clearlyvisible in several shots.

But event host AlanWhite made a slight fauxpas when he boundedonto the stage after-wards. “Well,” he smiled,“I bet you didn’t know allthat was going on inManchester!”

Cue disgruntled mur-murings from folk on theLiverpool tables, whohadn’t realised that,when Captain Americawas filmed at StanleyDock, the crew wassecretly conquering thecity for Manchester.

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workingday

7.30am: Start with a strong cup ofcoffee. It will not be the last today. Itake a few minutes to check my emailsbefore heading down to the Hub Ale-house and Kitchen, in Hanover Street.

8am: Meet with executive chef CraigSallery to discuss today’s menus. Craigand the head chefs change the lunch-time menus daily, depending on whatis in season locally.

9am: The Hub has public wi-fithroughout, so it is the perfect place torespond to emails and check yester-day’s sales figures and wages perform-ance.

9.30am: Respond to an email from SKEvents about the Liverpool Food andDrink Festival as Bistro Franc, Pierreand Jacques and The Hub are allexhibiting this year. It will be a goodopportunity for us to showcase thequality and freshness of the food weproduce.

9.45am: Update our social media withtoday’s special offers. Bistro Qui? hasreally embraced social media. It is agreat way to speak directly to our cus-tomers and get honest feedback onwhat we are doing really well – orwhen we may have been able to dothings a little better.

10am: The Hub opens for breakfastservice, so I head to our head office inRodney Street for a management meet-ing with Bistro Qui? owners MarkFriend and Steven Slater.

10.15am: Communication is reallyimportant to us and today I am report-ing back on the standards audit pro-gramme I introduced.

Since joining Bistro Qui?, I haveimplemented a number of new systemsacross the portfolio for things likestock and wage control, so all internalprocesses are standardised.

We are going through a period ofrapid expansion and realise that hav-ing the right systems in place is keyfor our future growth.

12noon: Meeting with a local brewerto discuss adding their cask ale to TheHub’s popular range. These wonderful

ales are presently supplied by just twoNorth West micro-breweries, and areincredibly popular with our custom-ers.

Bistro Qui? is proud to source localproduce wherever possible for all ourrestaurants.

It is important to us as a fam-ily-owned business that we supportlocal suppliers and build relationshipswith other local businesses.

2pm: Walk to Bistro Jacques forlunch. I am lucky enough to be able toeat from our restaurant menus andchoose the grilled loin of cod. The bis-tro is looking great following its refur-bishment, and feedback from dinershas been really positive about the newgreen colour scheme.

3pm: Back at Rodney Street for acouple of hours of admin time, andmeeting with Craig to pull togetherour Christmas menus, which believe itor not are being printed this week.

4.45pm: Call printers to order Christ-mas menus and flyers advertising ourpartnership with Liverpool Playhouse.Bistro Pierre is the official pre-theatrerestaurant for their production ofTartuffe this month.

5.30pm: Visit each one of our fourLiverpool sites to see how the earlyevening service is going. Tonight isour Wine and Dine offer at BistroPierre, so the place is buzzing.

7pm: While at Bistro Franc, have a

quick one-to-one with Alex, our newassistant manager. Since joining Bis-tro Qui? I have implemented a suc-cession policy for all our staff to pro-mote talent within the company.

Alex was previously a waiter in theHub, but his potential to manage ateam was obvious. He was promoted toa position of responsibility and I amproud to say is doing a great job for us.

8pm: Home to the family just in timeto put my two daughters to bed.

8.30pm: My wife and I crack open abottle of our best selling wine Chât-eauneuf-du-Pape. It is one of ourfavourites and its rich spiciness goesperfectly with the Steak Hache fromthe Bistro’s new Les Classiques menu.

IanTurner isgroupoperationsmanageratBistroQui?HeisresponsibleforthesmoothrunningoffourbusyLiverpoolrestaurants.Thiswashisday . . .

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