business 28th november 2012

19 W

DP-E01-S2BusinessMessage toGeorge: ratesare sky highBY JEFF [email protected]

Businesses across the GreaterBristol area face a combined£506 million tax bill unless theGovernment changes courseon business-rate increases.

Last year, companies inBristol, South Gloucester-shire, North Somerset andBath and North East Somersetpaid combined business ratesof £490.3 million, in figuressupplied by CVS CommercialVa l u e r s.

That will rise tied to therecent inflation figure of 3.2

Smith said: “There is no ques-tion that the business-ratessystem is broken. This is a taxthat hits companies of all sizeslong before they a make profit,and acts as a drag on businessgrowth and investment.

“The cost of spiralling busi-ness-rate bills is without adoubt the main issue facingfir ms’ ability to grow.”

Rating expert Ben Batchel-or-Wylam, from Colliers Intern at i o n a l ’s Bristol office, said:“Business rates are a make-or-break issue. They are the mainreason why potential occupi-ers do not take new space.Worse still, the incrementalcreeping cost of rates is push-ing many businesses over theedge. Enough is enough. Theretail sector is certainly notout of the woods, and recoveryremains very patchy acrossthe region, let alone the UK.

“Freezing rates will givemany shops the breathingspace they need to see out there c e s s i o n .

“Realistically, fundamentalchanges will not happenovernight – but change isneeded.”

He said that in the longerterm, changes to the systemcould include dropping thelink to RPI, addressing issuesaround online retailers andbrining forward the next re-va l u at i o n .

The Confederation of Brit-ish Industry has called for theGovernment to commit to fullreform, and in the short termto cap the annual business-rates increase at 2 per cent andintroduce an incentive forcompanies to move intovacant property to boost localhigh streets.

In the meantime, CVS Com-mercial Valuers and Survey-ors is urging firms to appealtheir bill.

Rates are based partly onthe rateable value of businesspremises, something that hasnot been reviewed since 2008and is not due to be looked atagain until 2017.

But three quarters of busi-nesses do not appeal their rate-able value.

Chancellor George Osborne looks at the jet engine of land speed record car Bloodhound during a visit to theBloodhound Technical Centre at Avonmouth near Bristol on September 12. Business leaders in the West arecalling on Mr Osborne to change the business rates procedure PICTURE: CHRIS ISON/PA

A new course at UWE Bristolaimed at producing graduateswith degrees plus experienceof running their own busi-nesses has just welcomed itsfirst cohort of 37 students.

The course structure isground-breaking – noclassrooms, compulsory lec-tures or exams – and has beenintroduced to the UK for thefirst time this year. CalledTeam Entrepreneurship, thedegree course is based onmethods pioneered in Finlandand also run successfully inSpain and Hungary, and hasbeen described as a revolutionin management education.

Course leader Carol Jarvisfrom UWE’s Bristol BusinessSchool said: “Running a realbusiness – devising a productor service and selling it tocustomers – is what drives thestudents’ learning. All stu-dents have an equal financialstake in the companies they

Students startrevolutionarydegree course

create and will learn tomanage the risks and rewardsthis entails.

“We believe they learnbetter, and the information isretained, as they acquireknowledge when they need it.They learn by applying theoryto practice and by reading ma-terial as it becomes relevant tothem. The first group of stu-dents are already showingthemselves to be confident, re-silient, highly motivated teamm e m b e r s. ”

The students meet in a high-tech ‘hub’ rather than a tra-ditional classroom, with areasfor team meetings, workshopsand ideas sessions. Along withthe novel surroundings, therecruitment process was dif-ferent too, based on a ‘taster’day, group interviews and per-sonal profiling. They have noset timetable, although theycan attend any lecture fromthe Faculty of Business andLaw, and work 9-5 each dayduring a longer academicye a r.

This year, students have gotthe challenge of raising an av-erage of £2,500 per person fromtheir enterprises.

Phil Smith ofBusiness Westsays the ratessystem isbroken

Carol Jarvisis runningthe newbusinesscourse atUWE Bristol

per cent RPI, adding £15.6 mil-lion to the bill. RPI is generallythe higher of the two commoninflation measures.

A growing number of busi-ness organisations are callingon Chancellor of the Ex-chequer George Osborne tochange the system in hisAutumn Statement to be de-livered on December 5.

Business West and the Brit-ish Chambers of Commerceare calling for a two-yearfreeze in rates, costing theTreasury £1.7 billion, andwholesale reform thereafter.

Managing director Phil

West Country careeropportunities Page 25

The length in months of theproposed rates freeze

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20 BUSINESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S2

Thousands ofpost offices tobe modernisedBY MARCUS [email protected]

Thousands of post offices areto be modernised under a£640 million investment boostaimed at maintaining the net-work over the next few years.

The Government said thecurrent number of 11,500branches will be maintaineduntil 2018, services will be im-proved and a “new style” ofbranch introduced.

The Communication Work-ers Union said up to 4,000 post-masters faced compulsory re-dundancy under the planswhile the postal consumergroup said the announcementwill pave the way for com-pulsory changes to thousandsof post offices and will “rad-ically reshape” the network.

34,400 additional openinghours across the UK.

“The size of the branch net-work will be maintained ataround its current position ofover 11,500 post officebranches. Customers havebeen clear, that they want PostOffice services in their com-munities and on high streets;we want this too whilst alsomeeting their changing needs,and in turn helping subpost-masters thrive.”

Jo Swinson, Postal AffairsMinister, said: “We recognisethe important service thatpost offices provide to smalland often remote communit-ies, sometimes even as theonly shop in the area. This iswhy we are dedicating specificfunding to support modern-isation and strengthen the ex-istence of these branches.”

Meanwhile, Governmentministers yesterday defendedthe controversial privatisationof Royal Mail amid questionsover whether they were“conned” over the share price.Business Secretary VinceCable and Business MinisterMichael Fallon faced a grillingby MPs over the setting of theshare price, which soared fromits opening level of 330p withinminutes of trading last month.

The coalition has been ac-cused of selling the companytoo cheaply after shares ini-tially increased by more thana third and broke through the500p mark within a week.

Mr Cable told the BusinessSelect Committee that he “c at -e gorically” rejected claimsthat taxpayers had lost out,insisting it would take time forthe share price to settled ow n .

Just before the committeehearing, Royal Mail revealedoperating profits nearlydoubled to £283 million for thesix months to September 29from £144 million a year earli-er, although figures were boos-ted by £95 million after a VATcredit and lower-than-expec-ted costs of its overhaul pro-g ramme.

Workers in Bath have been working out. Staff from lawyers to supermarket workers have been encouraged totake part in a keep fit routine during their lunch break. The Beefcakes and Healthy Shakes event saw Bath Rugbyplayers Will Skuse, Tom Heathcote and Dave Sisi visiting workplaces across the city and taking employees througha mini-fitness programme. They were joined by TV presenter Charlie Vernon and Mark Hawthorn from Beyond theKale, who provided the participants with healthy shakes. Among the sites the group visited was the Sainsbury’sstore at Green Park Station, where deputy manager Dave Boddy was an enthusiastic participant

New atrium will have part to play in restoring Bristol theatrelandOne of Bristol’s best-knownvisitor attractions will get amuch needed shot in the arm ifplans are approved for a newfrontage at the city’s Old VicT heatre.

T hat’s according to heritageexpert James Edwards fromColliers International. He be-lieves the rethink is about 250years overdue.

The West planning and her-itage specialist said: “T heBristol Old Vic is one of thebrightest jewels in the city’scrown but elements of thefrontage have been a blot onthe streetscape for decades.

“King Street is one of the

city’s most resonant visitor at-tractions and the drab front-age has struck a jarring chordsince it was installed back inthe Seventies.

“This is a shame as the his-toric thoroughfare has alwaysbeen close to the city’s heartwhisking visitors back hun-dreds of years in just a fewhundred yards.”

The ambitious £12 millionfacelift envisaged by designersHaworth Tompkins includes alight and airy new atriumfronting onto King Street. Theplans are presently being con-sidered by Bristol City Coun-cil planners.

James Edwards said: “Whenit was first built back in the1760s the theatre was hiddenaway behind a row of housesin order to avoid falling foul ofGovernment censorshipc o d e s.

“The refurbishment in theearly 1970s brought the front ofhouse space forward ontoKing Street which was nodoubt a logical thing to do butit is a pretty uninspiring pieceof 70s architecture and notreally consistent with the fant-astic historic propertieswhich surround it.

“The external brick colouris at odds with other prop-

erties and it appears to thepasser-by as completely deadfronta g e.

“This is totally at odds withthe rest of King Street – wh i chis a thriving visitor attractionin its own right with a realbuzz about the place day andnight. The present buildingd o e s n’t even have any win-dows at ground level andreally stifles the streets c e n e. ”

James, who has lobbied ex-tensively to perserve Bristol’smaritime and built heritage,said the planned atrium wouldrejuvenate the Old Vic inmuch the same way as the

Heritage expert James Edwardsbacks plans for Bristol’s Old Vic

The number of businesses re-quiring offices in Bath hasdramatically increased in thelast 12 months, according tothe Carter Jonas Bath’s latestresearch report on commer-cial property in the city.

Commercial Edge Bathshows a 39 per cent increase to114,200 sq ft in the take-up ofoffice space in 2012 comparedwith 2011, with two of thebiggest relocations being Bathsolicitors Withy King at Mid-land Bridge House and high-tech engineers Altran at StLawrence Court, Southgate.

Philip Marshall, commer-cial partner and head ofCarter Jonas in Bath said:“Encouragingly, letting activ-ity has increased for threeyears in a row and withmarket sentiment continuingto improve during 2013, take-up is expected to marginallyexceed its 2012 level by the endof the year.

“Bath tends to be resilient torecession and this still seemsto be the case today.”

City sees bigrise in take-upof office space

Paula Vennells, chief exec-utive of the Post Office, said:“We are investing to dramat-ically improve what we offer,making it easier for customersto do business with us andenabling us to become morecommercially sustainable inthe future.

“We are modernising ourbranch network, increasingthe range of financial productswe offer and providing newdigital platforms. We are goingto be wherever our customersare, whether it is close tohome, to work or online.

“The additional funding con-firmed today allows us to de-velop our branch investmentprogramme and bring its be-nefits to more customers. It willsee up to 8,000 branches mod-ernised and additional invest-ment in over 3,000 communityand outreach branches. Over1,400 have already been mod-ernised since April 2012 with

Letting activitycontinues toincrease, saysPhilip Marshall

An area identified for futuregrowth is the creative and ICT(information and communic-ations technology) sector. Thesector is currently the fourthlargest in Bath contributingaround £220 million to theGVA (gross value added) em-ploying 6,700 people. Thesector is forecast to witness a20 percent growth by 2026.

Mr Marshall said: “The pro-vision of suitable office accom-modation should be con-sidered as a matter of urgency.It’s essential to ensure suffi-cient capacity is provided forthe expansion of Bath andNorth East Somerset to createa viable and successful officemarket capable of driving for-ward an integral part of thelocal economy. At present thequality of the office stock inBath is very poor.”

To request a copy of Com-mercial Edge Bath contact JoyFortune in the Bath office,01225 747263, or email bath@c a r t e rj o n a s. c o. u k

recent refurbishments had thenearby Colston Hall.

He concluded: “The planscreate an exciting new spacefor the venue and turns whatwas a broadly uninviting en-trance into an exciting andcontemporary meeting placebringing a much needed boostto this city institution.

“It really is great to see thismost important of theatresbeing improved in this way.”

For further details contactJames Edwards, Planning andHeritage, Colliers Interna-tional, Bristol 0117 917 2000.

THEATRE FRIDAY

‘We recognise theimportant service thatpost offices provide’

Postal Affairs Minister Jo Swinson

WESTERN DAILY PRESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 BUSINESS 21WDP-E01-S2

Clear quality in tourism award finalsBY MARCUS [email protected]

After assessing nearly 350entries, a record 213 visits and20 hours of panel meetings, 63finalists and 34 highly com-mended entries have been an-nounced in this year’s SouthWest Tourism ExcellenceAw a rd s.

From theses, 59 finalists willcarry the South West’s flag inthe national VisitEnglandawards in May.

Considered the “of ficial”tourism awards for the region,covering Somerset, Bath, Wilt-shire, Gloucestershire, Bristoland the Isles of Scilly, as wellas linking closely with theawards in Cornwall andDevon and the new awardsscheme in Dorset. Eligiblewinners will also progress tothe national VisitEnglandawards in London.

All entrants will receivefeedback, giving them the bestopportunity to hone theirentry in future years andmake improvements.

Alongside numerous first-time entrants, this year’s listof winners includes manyformer entrants whose pastfeedback has helped them.Pippa Griffith, curator ofrecent winner, the TivertonMuseum of Mid-Devon Life,

Curtis from Brownsea Island,Poole, Dorset; Dickon Allen fromMontacute House, Montacute,Somerset; Christine Horsnbyfrom Perran Sands HolidayPark, Perranporth, Cornwall;Matt Druce from WestwardLiving at Duckhaven Stud,Westward Ho! Devon.Taste of South West award –finalists Bybrook Restaurant atthe Manor House, Castle Combe,Wiltshire; Eastbury Hotel,Sherborne, Dorset; The Herring,Mawgan Porth, Cornwall; RiverCottage Canteen & Deli,Plymouth, Devon.Highly commended Ju l i e t ’sGarden Restaurant & Bar, StMary’s, Isles of Scilly; NorthcoteManor Country House Hotel,Umberleigh, Devon;Porthminster Beach Cafe, StIves, Cornwall; TudorFarmhouse Hotel & Restaurant,Clearwell, Gloucestershire.Tourism pub of the year – finalistsThe Cornish Arms, St Merryn,Cornwall; The New Inn, Tresco,Isles of Scilly; Pandora Inn,Mylor, Cornwall; Start Bay Inn,Torcross, Devon.Highly commended The Inn atCranborne, Cranborne, Dorset.The Jack in the Green,Rockbeare, Devon; The LambInn, Sandford, Devon.Sustainable tourism award –finalists Arundell Arms Hotel,Lifton, Devon; Compton PoolFarm, Marldon, Devon; LittleWhite Alice, Carnmenellis,Cornwall; Railholiday,St Germans, Cornwall.Highly commended Hedgeho gCorner, Uplyme, Devon;Pennywell Farm, Buckfastleigh,D evo n .Large visitor attraction of the year– finalists The Big Sheep,Bideford, Devon; Cotehele,Saltash, Cornwall; Longleat,Warminster, Wiltshire; TrebahGarden, Mawnan Smith,Cor nwall.Highly commended Eden Project,Bodelva, Cornwall; The LostGardens of Heligan, Pentewan,Cornwall; RHS Rosemoor, GreatTorrington, Devon; PennywellFarm, Buckfastleigh, Devon.Access for all award – finalists ALittle Bit of Heaven, Lostwithiel,Cornwall; Calvert Trust Exmoor,Kentisbury, Devon; CountrysideMobility South West, Exeter,Devon; • Mortons House Hotel,Corfe Castle, Dorset.Highly commended Wingz Bird &Animal Sanctuary, Par,Cor nwall.

The stunninglylocated Hell Bayhotel on the tinyScilly island ofBryher is one of thefinalists in the smallhotel category. It isjoined by theBarnsley HouseHotel inGloucestershire, TheOld Rectory Hotel inDevon and theTalland Hotel inCornwall

The Yeovilton International Air Day is among thefinalists for the South West Tourism Awards, as isBrownsea Island

said: “The rewards have beenfantastic. Winning two presti-gious awards has really helpedus to raise our profile.”

Sponsor support meantentry was free, with 16 cat-egories to choose from. Up tofour finalists have been an-nounced in each category, butall will have to wait until Janu-ary 30 to learn whether theyhave won gold, silver orbronze at the awards cere-m o ny at the Holiday Inn inP ly m o u t h .

This year’s judging was thetightest ever, with winnersseparated by fractions in theirmystery shop scores and re-quiring lengthy debates byjudging panels, which met formore than 20 hours.

Chairman of the South WestAwards Panel, AlistairHandyside, said: “This yearsees a truly excellent collec-tion of winners across theSouth West, with many newentrants as well as well-knownestablished beacon busi-nesses. The awards nightpromises to be a spectaculars h owc a s e t.”� Full details can be found atw w w. s o u t h w e s t t o u r i s maw ards.org.uk

ROLL OF HONOUR

Listings are in alphabetic orderBed & breakfast and guestaccommodation of the year –finalists Launceston Farm B&B,Blandford Forum, Dorset;Pendragon Country House,Davidstow, Cornwall; Pentillie

Castle, St Mellion, Cornwall;The Seafood Restaurant –restaurant with rooms,Padstow, CornwallHighly commended T heElmdene, Torquay, Devon; TheVillage Pub, Cirencester, GlosSelf catering establishment of theyear – finalists The Big HouseCompany, Wellington,Somerset; Greenwood Grange,Dorchester, Dorset; HeadlandHotel, Newquay, Cornwall;Seahorse Apartments &Westward Living at DuckhavenStud, Westward Ho! DevonHighly commended Little WhiteAlice, Carnmenellis, Cornwall;West Pitt Farm, Tiverton,D evo nTourism event of the year –finalists Ageas SalisburyInternational Arts Festival,Salisbury, Wiltshire; DorsetSeafood Festival, Weymouth,Dorset; Falmouth OysterFestival, Falmouth, Cornwall;RNAS Yeovilton InternationalAir Day, Yeovilton, SomersetHighly commended E xe t e rFestival of South West Food &Drink, Exeter, Devon; VeuveClicquot Polo on the Peach,Watergate Bay, CornwallHoliday park of the year –finalists Cofton CountryHolidays, Dawlish, Devon; Gwelan Mor Resort, Portreath,Cornwall; Highlands EndHoliday Park, Bridport, Dorset;Wooda Farm Holiday Park,Poughill, Cornwall.Highly commended F i n l a keHoliday Park, Chudleigh,Devon; The Park MawganPorth, Mawgan Porth,Cornwall; Perran SandsHoliday Park, Perranporth,Cornwall; South LytchettManor Caravan and CampingPark, Lytchett Minster, Dorset.Tourist information service of theyear – finalists Dartmouth TIC,Devon; English Riviera VisitorInformation Service, Devon;Lyme Regis TIC, Dorset; PooleWelcome Centre, Dorset.Highly commended BodminVisitor Information Centre,Cornwall; Ilfracombe TouristInformation Centre, Devon;Launceston TIC, Cornwall.Venue & business tourism award –finalists Arundell Arms Hotel,Lifton, Devon; Deer ParkCountry House Hotel, Weston,Devon; Dartington Hall,Dartington, Devon.Small visitor attraction of theyear – finalists Geevor Tin Mine,Pendeen, Cornwall; St AustellBrewery Visitor Centre, StAustell, Cornwall; TivertonMuseum of Mid-Devon Life,Tiverton, Devon; NationalTrust Coleridge Cottage,Nether Stowey, Somerset.Highly commended N at i o n a lTrust Trerice, Kestle Mill,Cornwall; Wild FuturesMonkey Sanctuary, Looe,Cor nwall.Tourism activity, sport &experience of the year – finalistsArundell Arms Hotel, Lifton,Devon; Calvert Trust Exmoor,Kentisbury, Devon; NationalTrust Brownsea Island, Poole,Dorset; Polkerris Beach,Polkerris, Cornwall.Highly commended Big ZooAnimals Keeper Experience atNoah’s Ark Zoo Farm, Wraxall,Somerset; Le Vignoble,Plymouth, Devon.Tourism superstar award forcustomer service – finalists Geof f

Large hotel of the year – finalistsBedruthan Hotel & Spa,Mawgan Porth, Cornwall;Headland Hotel, Newquay,Cornwall; Lucknam Park Hotel& Spa, Colerne, Wiltshire; TheManor House Hotel & GolfClub, Castle Combe, Wiltshire.Small hotel of the year – finalistsBarnsley House Hotel,Cirencester, Gloucestershire;Hell Bay Hotel, Bryher, Isles ofScilly; The Old Rectory Hotel,Martinhoe, Devon; Talland BayHotel, Looe, Cornwall.Highly commended The Alverton,Truro. Cornwall; Bridge HouseHotel, Beaminster, Dorset;Pe rcy ’s Country Hotel,Virginstow, Devon.

Entries into the contest, withwinners being named in 2014

350

01452 880000brutonknowles.co.uk

For Sale – C2 Building and Grounds164 Hucclecote Road, Gloucester, GL3 3SH

Contact: [email protected]

• 1,022 sq m (11,000 sq ft) GIA

approx. (EPC=C)

• 0.54 ha (1.33 acres) approx.

• Potential for alternative uses,

conversion and new build

development (STP)

22 BUSINESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S2

Students’ digsincreasingly inprivate handsBY JEFF [email protected]

The South West and Wales hasthe highest proportion ofprivately owned student ac-commodation in the UK.

The first research of its kindhas revealed who owns stu-dent accommodation in theUK. With 53 per cent of own-ership in the hands of the uni-versities themselves, it is es-timated 47 per cent are nowprivately owned, with thelargest of these providersbeing Unite and UPP combin-ing to make up 35 per cent ofthe private market.

GVA, the UK’s largest in-dependent commercial prop-erty adviser, has presentedthis unique study of the struc-ture of the UK’s student hous-ing sector by analysing 27 ofthe main student towns andcities, including Bristol,Cardiff and Exeter, coveringover 70 universities to provide

is the extent of the privatesector market share in studentaccommodation, and one thatcontinues to grow. With theinflux of overseas investmentinto this sector, particularlyfrom the US, we expect theextent of privately owned stu-dent housing to grow beyond50 per cent of total marketshare well before 2016.”

The research covers almost325,000 beds in approximately1,000 schemes across the UK.172,076 beds or 53 per cent oftotal purpose built stock isowned by universities ensur-ing they remain the main keyplayer within the student ac-commodation sector. However,over the past 20 years, theprivately owned market sharehas seen major growth, nowstanding at 47 per cent, ac-counting for 150,000 beds.

The largest private owner inthe UK is Bristol-based Unite,with 34,000 beds accountingfor 22 per cent of the privatemarket. Its closest competitoris UPP, which boasts a 13 percent market share. Brandeauxremains the third largest pro-vider with 10 per cent.

Other providers include Vic-toria Hall, Mansion, MCR,Roundhill Capital, Knights-bridge and IQ.

The top 10 providers have amarket share within theprivate bed sector of 68 percent. Across the regions, thisshare falls no lower than 51per cent. There are three re-gions, the Midlands, Yorkshireand North West, where marketshare is above 70 per cent,while in the South West andWales it increases to 80 percent.

The research also highlightsthe ratio of private to uni-versity owned accommoda-tion at individual universities;rental values; which privateoperators own what; domesticand international demand;and the nature of the existinginvestment and developmentmarkets in this growings e c t o r.

The story of the Great Western Railway is being told in Bath. A treasure trove of railway posters, paintings and19th-century prints forms part of a new exhibition at the city’s Victoria Art Gallery. Bath and the Great WesternRailway, which runs until February 2, tells the story of the way that Britain’s transport system was radicallychanged for ever. It features posters from the early 20th century, urging people to journey to ‘the Georgian City’with the slogan ‘it’s quicker by rail’. The exhibition, with 60 exhibits, is complemented by a model railway basedon Oldfield Park station. Gallery manager Jon Benington is pictured admiring one of the exhibits

Investment in new training centres for engineers and scientists of futureHundreds of millions ofpounds is to be pumped intotraining postgraduates towork in engineering and sci-ence, it has been announced.

Around £350 million ofpublic money is to go towardsfunding 70 new trainingcentres for students to gain aPhD alongside the work-basedskills and knowledge neededin these key industries.

These Centres for DoctoralTraining (CDTs) will be set upat 24 UK universities, accord-ing to the Engineering andPhysical Sciences ResearchCouncil (EPSRC), which hasallocated the money.

It said that the funding has

been targeted at the areaswhich are vital to the UK’sfuture economy.

Science Minister David Wil-letts said: “Scientists and en-gineers are vital to our eco-nomy and society. It is theirtalent and imagination, aswell as their knowledge andskills, that inspire innovationand drive growth across arange of sectors, from man-ufacturing to financial ser-v i c e s.

“I am particularly pleased tosee strong partnershipsbetween universities, in-dustry and business amongthe new centres announcedtoday. This type of collabor-

ation is a key element of ourindustrial strategy and willcontinue to keep us at the fore-front of the global sciencer a c e. ”

EPSRC chair Paul Golbysaid: “Centres for DoctoralTraining have already provedto be a great success and themodel is popular with stu-dents, business and industry.These new centres will givethe country the highly trainedscientists and engineers itneeds and they will beequipped with skills to moveon in their careers.”

Sir James Dyson, design en-gineer and founder of Dyson,whose Wiltshire-based firm is

involved in seven CDTs, said:“To compete internationallyBritain needs to export world-beating inventions which arethe result of intellectual prop-erty developed by our com-panies and universities. Wemust support British engin-eers and scientists at all levels,rewarding them properly fortheir work. This investment isheartening, but genuine re-search and development takestime. Continuing robust in-vestment is required if we areto see the breakthroughswhich will deliver the growthwe require.”

As part of the event EPSRC’sCEO, Professor David Delpy

David Willetts, top, and JamesDyson are backing the new centres

Gloucestershire-based com-mercial laundry Paragon haspromoted two of its senior op-erational staff at its biggestUK laundry as part of its con-tinuing focus on efficiencyand productivity.

The appointments are inline with Paragon’s goal to bethe commercial laundry ofchoice for businesses requir-ing workwear or linen ser-v i c e s.

Former Cheltenham laun-dry general manager AndrewGlassford has been promotedto the position of group op-erations support director,with Andy Coulthard appoin-ted to replace Andrew at Chel-tenham as general manager.

In this role, Andrew willhelp Paragon meet its busi-ness objectives, with a focuson the delivery of processingand quality standards, whilsthelping to drive efficiency andcontinuous improvement inall aspects of the operational

Appointmentsto freshen uplaundry firm

side of the business includingthe purchasing of one of itskey products, linen.

Andrew has been with Par-agon since he was a teenager,when his uncle David Stevens,joint managing director, gavehim his first job at their laun-dry in Bridgwater, where hestarted sweeping floors. Overthe space of 15 years he hasworked his way up from shiftsupervisor to production man-ager before being named gen-eral manager of the Chelten-ham site.

To allow Andrew to moveinto this new role, Paragonhas also promoted AndyCoulthard to the role of gen-eral manager of the Chelten-ham laundry from his previ-ous role as factory manager.Andy brings a wealth of ex-perience as a factory managerand general manager for aleading international bespokecarpet business.

Andrew Glassford has beenpromoted, with Andy Coulthardreplacing him at Cheltenham

the most comprehensive studyof its kind in recent years.

According to GVA, the SouthWest now has the highest pro-portion of privately owned stu-dent accommodation in the UKat 80 per cent, with Exeter Uni-versity being the only uni-versity in the study with 100per cent private ownership.Here the university portfoliohas been provided primarilyvia estate transfer, refurbish-ment and new development, amodel which is also repeated tovarying degrees at Plymouth.

Gordon Isgrove, Director ofLand and Development at GVAin Bristol, comments: “Our re-search is the first of its kind inthe UK. What it demonstrates

and BT’s Research MD, TimWhitley will officially sign aMemorandum of Understand-ing to cement collaborativewo rk i n g .

This much closer relation-ship will help to ensure thatlong-term pre-competitive re-search in priority areas,which align with EPSRC andBT’s strategies, delivers notjust academic excellence, buthigh levels of economic andsocietal impact.

The Engineering and Phys-ical Sciences Research Coun-cil (EPSRC) is the UK’s mainagency for funding research inengineering and the physicals c i e n c e s.

Student accommodation in SouthWest that is privately owned

80%

WESTERN DAILY PRESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 BUSINESS 23WDP-E01-S2

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West stocks highlighted

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rubber 5811/2 +12 5861/2 3491/2B AE 4261/4 -31/2 468 3263/4Chemring Group 2027/8 -2 3211/8 187Cobham 2651/4 +1/4 3073/4 2071/8Me g gitt 4935/8 +31/2 5721/2 3821/4QinetiQ 215 -15/8 2165/8 179Ro l l s - Ro yc e 1247 +9 1247 8591/2Senior 2851/2 +1/2 300 194Ultra Electronics 1815 -22 1981 1571

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSGKN 3835/8 +73/4 3835/8 2207/8To ro t ra k 24 -1/2 351/2 231/2

BANKSB a rc l ay s 2621/2 +13/4 3337/8 2433/4Bk of Ireland 225/8 +1/8 223/4 91/8HSBC 6841/4 -21/8 7697/8 6315/8Lloyds Banking Gp 771/4 +2 803/8 453/4Royal Bank of Scotland 3305/8 +3/4 3847/8 2661/8Standard Chartered 1453 +3 18371/2 1395

BEVERAGESBarr (AG) 5471/2 5881/2 4721/2Britvic 642 +18 642 386D i age o 19661/2 -11/2 21361/2 1787SABMiller 3187 +12 3657 2780

CHEMICALSC a rc l o 2851/2 -6 501 281Croda Intl 2339 -2 2841 2251Elementis 2541/4 +4 275 2101/4Johnson Matthey 3190 -30 3268 2201Por vair 2701/4 -2 2981/2 149Synthomer 2331/8 +5 2573/4 1761/2Tre at t 6021/2 6321/2 367Vi c t rex 1597 +18 1765 1459Zotefoams 1811/2 224 179

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSAlumasc 128 137 82Balfour Beatty 2701/4 +47/8 2911/2 2075/8Boot (Henry) 213 +53/4 213 133Boustead 181/2 181/2 181/2Clarke (T) 67 721/4 441/4Costain 3021/4 -1/2 306 2321/4CRH 1562 +11 1617 1130Galliford Try 1117 +16 1157 7071/2Gleeson (MJ) 3445/8 +13/8 3543/4 1671/2Keller Group 1053 -16 1161 635Kier Group 1760 +38 1830 1144Kingspan Group 10375/8 +45/8 1134 6591/4Low & Bonar 711/4 +1/4 80 50Marshalls 178 -1/2 184 971/2Morgan Sindall Gp 784 +12 8391/2 508North Midland Const 134 149 95Po c h i n s 41 +1/2 41 23Titon 45 46 22

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 6921/2 +51/2 7171/2 534SSE 1340 -10 1676 1340

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQDialight 9351/2 +41/2 1399 897Domino Printing Sci 691 +5 717 560Eurodis Electron 1 1 1Halma 590 +31/2 5941/2 4351/2Laird 2571/8 +43/8 2601/4 1711/8Morgan Advanced 295 +1 318 2401/4Oxford Instruments 1490 +20 1752 1209Re n i s h aw 1864 +24 2081 1494Ross Group 7/8 13/8 1/2Spectris 2398 +37 2470 1834TT Electronics 1941/4 +1/2 202 1321/2Vo l ex 1141/2 +11/4 155 84Xaar 984 +74 1015 264XP Power 1465 -1 1605 9611/2

EQUITY INV INSTRUMENTSAberforth Smaller Cos 1007 +7 1014 670Alliance Trust 447 +7/8 4641/4 3743/4Bankers IT 587 +1 5871/2 446BlackRock Wld Mining 445 +2 6221/2 4241/2British Assets Trust 1401/2 +1/2 1433/4 1197/8British Emp Secs&Gen 493 +13/8 522 4581/2Caledonia Investment 1915 +22 1970 1492City of London IT 3703/8 +3/8 3763/4 313Dexion Absolute 155 -1/4 1563/4 138Edinburgh Inv Tst 5831/2 +2 621 506Electra Private Equity 2352 +52 2398 1844Fidelity Euro Value 1517 -5 1569 1221Fo re i g n & C o l o n i a l 3781/2 +1 383 315JP Morgan Japan IT 240 -51/4 2473/4 1541/2JPM Euro IT Gwth 219 -1 224 1641/2Mercantile IT 1490 +10 1519 1046Merchants Trust 501 +5 515 3807/8Middlefield Canadian 102 -11/8 115 991/2Monks Inv Tst 3821/4 +1/4 395 3061/2Murray Income Tst 784 +7 820 665Murray International Tst 1046 -4 1245 1024North American Inc 856 -15 9151/2 679Perpetual Inc&Grwth 360 +4 364 286RIT Cap Partners 1253 +8 1285 1109Scottish Inv Tst 594 +21/2 606 4831/2Scottish Mortgage 991 +16 1023 725SVG Capital 4071/8 +3 416 271Temple Bar IT 1230 +4 1241 9891/2Templeton Emerging Mkts 5521/2 678 514Witan Inv Tst 651 +11/2 6601/2 4901/2

FIXED LINE TELECOMSBT Group 3737/8 +13/4 382 2311/8Cable & Wire Comm 475/8 +1/4 483/8 345/8Colt Group 1273/4 +11/8 1351/2 931/2KC O M 1003/4 -11/2 1051/8 681/4Talktalk Telecom 2667/8 +3/8 2811/2 214Telecom Plus 1875 -54 1929 861

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSG re g g s 4427/8 +31/4 5231/2 3921/8Morrison (Wm) 2633/4 3021/2 2485/8Sainsbury (J) 406 +1/4 4145/8 3217/8Te s c o 3451/2 +1/8 3873/4 3221/2Th o r n t o n s 137 +83/4 137 315/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAnglo-East Plantations 670 -20 750 630Assoc Brit Foods 2292 +42 2351 1465Carr's Milling 1730 +5 1760 9731/2C ra n sw i c k 1165 +11 1189 782Dairy Crest Group 517 +1/2 539 3663/8D ev ro 2851/2 -13/4 380 2851/2Glanbia 8737/8 -53/8 921 6313/4Greencore Gp 1843/4 +37/8 1945/8 91Kerry Group A 39181/8 +227/8 40047/8 3138Premier Foods 120 -2 1851/2 593/4REA Hldgs 4437/8 -73/4 4843/4 3591/4Tate & Lyle 787 -31/2 883 7361/2U n i l eve r 2460 -4 2885 2319

FORESTRY & PAPERMondi 1013 +22 1122 6411/2

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 3637/8 +3/8 3871/2 2111/4Aberdeen Asset Mgt 487 +53/4 4921/8 3331/4Brewin Dolphin 277 +1/4 2871/4 1821/2Close Bros Group 1343 +13 1343 8601/2F&C Asset Mngmt 941/8 -1/4 1103/8 90Guinness Peat 301/4 331/2 231/2Hargreaves Lansdown 1191 +8 1191 6791/2Henderson Group 214 -3/8 2233/8 1191/2ICAP 4151/8 +133/4 4221/4 2803/4IG Group 608 +8 6261/2 422Intermediate Capital 4203/4 -1/2 5011/2 2871/4I nve s t e c 4233/4 +23/8 5131/2 3801/8IP Group 1967/8 +20 1967/8 1051/8London Stock Exchange 1625 1682 971Man Group 871/2 +11/2 1343/8 735/8Pa rago n 3443/4 +31/2 3545/8 2401/4Provident Finl 1601 -9 1773 1287Rathbone Brothers 1545 +20 1691 1208S c h ro d e r s 2461 -6 2690 1596Schroders NV 1969 +12 2217 1303Tullett Prebon 3261/4 +41/4 3957/8 224World Trade Systems 41/2 41/2 41/2

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSBritish Polythene 737 7371/2 383REXAM 503 +121/8 5471/2 436RPC 500 -1 517 378Smith (DS) 3041/4 +77/8 3081/4 2023/4Smiths Group 1386 +8 1455 1091

GENERAL RETAILERSA l exo n 27/8 27/8 27/8Ashley (L) 271/4 +3/4 291/2 24Beale 91/2 201/2 91/2Brown (N) 524 +5 577 3571/2Caffyns 525 +71/2 5371/2 365Carpetright 5851/2 +31/2 700 582Carphone Whse 2801/2 2811/2 1881/2Dar ty 851/2 891/2 39D eb e n h a m s 96 -1 1177/8 783/4Dignity 1341 +2 16871/8 10573/4Dixons Retail 51 +1 51 253/4Dunelm Group 875 -10 1047 613Euro Home Retail 21 21 21Findel 2583/4 +71/2 2583/4 108Flying Brands Units 35/8 51/8 23/8French Connection 383/8 -3/4 421/2 241/2Halfords 4931/4 +51/2 4931/4 299Home Retail 1941/4 +11/4 2011/8 1113/4Howden Joinery Gp 3271/8 +11/2 332 1661/4HR Owen 156 1723/4 61I n c h c ap e 5991/2 +5 645 421JD Sports Fashion 1227 -10 1248 670Kingfisher 396 +11/4 420 2687/8L o o ke r s 123 -1/4 1311/2 73Mallett 78 841/2 611/2Marks & Spencer 4895/8 -11/4 5131/2 359Moss Bros Group 681/2 +1/4 75 531/2M o t h e rc a re 3911/2 -61/2 4923/4 271N ex t 5530 +15 5540 3639Pe n d rago n 351/4 +2 393/4 14Signet Jewelers 4737 -5 4934 3269Ted Baker 1947 +6 2017 996Topps Tiles 116 +12 116 481/4WH Smith 968 -1/2 992 609

HEALTH CARE EQPMNT & SERVBioquell 135 -21/2 160 130Consort Medical 862 -41/2 914 6601/2Smith & Nephew 8121/2 +21/2 813 6571/2Southern CrossH e a l t h c a re

61/4 61/4 61/4

Synergy Healthcare 1038 1165 982UDG Hlthcare 3053/4 -67/8 3605/8 256

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 1501/4 +8 1501/4 665/8

Barratt Developments 3463/4 +91/4 3551/4 1947/8B e l l way 1531 +34 1534 9871/2Berkeley Grp Hldgs 2430 +45 2450 1634Bovis Homes 8221/2 +17 8511/2 550G a s ke l l 21/4 21/4 21/4Headlam Group 4103/8 -5/8 415 3021/2McBride 108 +13/4 1463/4 101Pe r s i m m o n 1246 +18 1305 784Reckitt Benckiser 4883 +2 4950 3879Re d ro w 2883/8 +83/8 2883/8 1583/8Taylor Wimpey 1141/2 +27/8 1141/2 591/4Vi c t o r i a 280 +81/2 280 1871/2

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Assoc Brit Engineering 140 -10 150 115B o dyc o t e 6061/2 -81/2 685 4031/2Castings 427 -3 4551/2 300Fe n n e r 437 +13/4 4571/8 3057/8G o o dw i n 34761/2 +961/2 3820 1600Hill & Smith 5361/2 -31/2 5471/2 393IMI 1475 -8 1563 1040Melrose Ind 2951/4 +11/4 3213/4 2123/4Molins 1921/2 194 1351/2MS Intl 1761/2 2611/2 172Re n o l d 463/4 463/4 191/2Rotor k 2809 -16 3037 2469S eve r f i e l d - Ro we n 627/8 +17/8 1201/2 371/4Spirax-Sarco 2919 +10 3090 2267Tex Hldgs 75 821/2 521/2Tr i f a s t 82 +13/4 871/4 44Vitec Group 641 -2 726 559Weir Group 2148 +17 2474 1787

INDUSTRIAL METALS

First Quantum Minerals 1010 -35 1399 8721/2

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 3217/8 +23/4 3435/8 2111/2Braemar Shipping 5461/2 +31/2 559 350Clarkson 2016 -66 2370 1150Fisher (J) 1126 +2 1148 7833/4Irish Continental Units 20997/8 +411/4 21833/4 15085/8Ocean Wilsons 1055 -221/2 11571/2 8971/2Stobart Gp Ord 1403/4 -1/2 148 741/2UK Mail Gp 605 +41/4 645 292Wincanton 1281/2 +111/2 139 433/4

LEISURE GOODS

Games Workshop 730 8231/2 601H o r n by 85 871/2 64Photo-Me 1413/4 1471/4 517/8

LIFE INSURANCE

Av iva 432 +71/8 4491/8 2941/8Hansard Global 97 -41/2 136 931/8Legal & General 2141/2 +21/4 2177/8 1441/4Old Mutual 194 2215/8 1703/4P ru d e n t i a l 1294 +17 1294 865Re s o l u t i o n 3503/4 +73/8 3591/2 2373/4St James Place 624 +2 679 3971/4Standard Life 3517/8 +2 4213/4 3173/4

MEDIA

4imprint 623 -41/4 650 340Bloomsbury Pub 1713/4 +23/4 1803/4 102BSkyB 819 +2 950 759Centaur Media 553/4 +23/4 60 31Chime Comms 308 -61/2 324 2193/4City of London Group 441/2 75 441/2C re s t o n 991/4 +1/2 109 751/4Daily Mail A 9071/2 +1 915 5241/2Euromoney Instl Inv 1179 +19 1209 765Future 161/8 -1/2 213/8 121/4Haynes Publishing 196 200 157H I BU 1/8 1/2 1/8Huntswor th 681/2 +1/4 681/2 37Indep News&Media 107/8 -5/8 121/2 21/2Informa 5581/2 +61/2 5681/2 4203/8ITE Group 308 +13/8 3221/4 1935/8ITV 1901/8 +31/4 1951/8 987/8Johnston Press 14 -1/4 19 113/4M o n ey s u p e r m a r ke t . c o m 1773/8 -23/4 221 1423/8Pe a r s o n 1350 +9 1365 1119Quarto Group 162 1621/2 137Reed Elsevier 889 +2 889 628R i g h t m ove 2534 +21 2652 1436STV Group 306 330 100Tarsus Group 2477/8 +3/8 2521/4 181Trinity Mirror 1781/4 -13/4 180 791/4United Business 683 -5 788 636UTV 215 +13/4 227 121Wilmington 2251/2 +11/4 227 1417/8WPP 1355 +8 1371 856

MINING

Anglesey Mining 4 151/2 4Anglo American 13381/2 +4 2072 1207Anglo Pacific Res 2023/4 -9 289 161Antofagasta Hldgs 776 -3 1381 776Aquarius Platinum 43 +1/2 751/4 36Avocet Mining 141/4 731/4 63/4BHP Billiton 1844 +3 2236 16661/2Bisichi Mining 110 1261/2 95Coalfield Res 6 87/8 27/8Ka z a k h my s 2233/4 -105/8 826 2233/4Ke n m a re 191/8 +5/8 371/4 181/2Lonmin 3081/4 +3/4 3801/8 2531/2Randgold Res 4235 +34 6665 3972

Rio Tinto 3139 +29 3757 2582Vedanta Res 875 -5 1335 875

MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONSI n m a r s at 6921/2 +5 749 5841/2Vodafone Group 229 + 2343/8 1541/2

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1245 +10 1416 1115Amlin 4531/4 +55/8 4531/4 3733/8B e a z l ey 246 +2 246 1741/4Catlin Group 542 +7 5521/2 4571/2Jardine Lloyd Thom 1026 +5 1028 7571/2RSA Insurance Gp 1063/4 +5/8 1361/4 1021/4

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG Group 1256 +10 1283 10071/2BP 482 -5 4931/2 4241/4Cairn Energy 268 +7/8 2961/8 2513/4Dragon Oil 5611/2 -71/2 662 510For tune 93/8 + 121/2 71/8JKX Oil & Gas 73 -1/2 793/4 481/2Premier Oil 3081/8 -21/4 4001/4 3081/8Royal Dutch Shell A 2055 -10 23091/2 1987Royal Dutch Shell B 21481/2 -12 2365 20771/2Soco International 4023/4 +7/8 430 3467/8Tullow Oil 863 +31/2 1377 8591/2

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1124 -46 1207 9651/2Hunting 8011/2 -2 941 726Pe t ro f a c 1240 +1 1737 1177Wood Gp(J) 7771/2 +6 9151/2 7201/2

PERSONAL GOODSA bb eyc re s t 11/2 11/2 11/2Burberry Gp 1527 +38 1667 1217C re i g h t o n 41/8 6 2Lambert Howarth 181/2 181/2 181/2PZ Cussons 3901/2 +91/2 4321/2 3381/2Worthington Group 3 7 3

PHARMA & BIOTECHArk Therapeutics 3/8 + 33/8 1/4A s t ra Z e n e c a 34201/2 -51/2 35211/2 29091/2B TG 544 +22 544 3171/2Dechra Pharms 683 -51/2 780 575G e nu s 1228 +8 1594 1220G l a xo S m i t h K l i n e 1615 +1 1782 13341/2Hikma Pharmaceuticals 1206 1222 744Oxford Biomedica 21/2 + 27/8 13/8S h i re 2784 -19 2858 1806S k ye P h a r m a 1171/2 +1/2 1191/2 431/2Source Bioscience 123/4 123/4 91/8Ve c t u ra 1071/2 +33/4 117 77

REAL ESTATEBig Yellow Gp 4791/4 +91/4 489 3371/2Bolton Group (Intl) 15/8 15/8 15/8British Land 609 658 540Capital & Regional 411/2 -21/2 451/4 267/8Cardiff Property 845 845 730CLS 1215 +15 1260 6711/2Daejan Hldgs 4290 +31 4290 2850Derwent London 2430 +8 2574 2056Development Secs 2263/4 +1 244 143G ra i n ge r 2041/2 +21/2 2061/8 1111/2Great Portland Est 576 +9 598 4655/8Hammerson 5141/2 +6 554 468Helical Bar 326 +51/2 326 2051/2Highcroft Invs 710 710 575Intu Properties 322 -11/4 366 3005/8Land Securities 9551/2 999 799London & Assoc Prop 421/4 43 211/2McKay Secs 185 200 1311/2Mountview Estates 70371/2 +25 7075 45621/2Mucklow (A & J) 505 +3 515 3501/4Panther Securities 3221/2 3421/2 2921/2Primary Health Props 338 +5 3641/2 3121/2Quintain Est & Dev 95 +3/4 100 521/4S av i l l s 6401/2 +101/2 6641/2 441Schroder Real Est 351/4 351/4 351/4S E G RO 3323/4 +33/4 3363/4 2335/8Shaftesbur y 6251/2 +101/2 668 550Smart (J) 91 91 721/2St Modwen Props 3595/8 +85/8 3611/2 2173/4Stewart & Wight 525 600 525Town Centre 2321/2 +51/2 233 1783/4TR Property IT 227 +2 2337/8 1641/2Unite Group 399 -1 4081/2 2661/8

SOFTWARE & COMP SERVAnite 87 162 763/4DRS Data & Research 24 24 16Electronic Data Proc 701/2 721/2 521/2E m bl a ze 491/2 61 44Fidessa Gp 2085 +12 2190 1400Gresham Computing 1241/2 -1/4 1401/2 661/2Innovation Group 323/4 +3/4 323/4 221/4I nve n s y s 502 +1 5091/2 3811/4Ko f a x 3813/4 +133/4 388 2603/4M i c ro ge n 125 1551/2 112Pa r i t y 30 -2 44 181/2RM 1103/8 +1/8 124 64Sage Group 3473/4 +11/4 3871/4 3043/8SDL 2633/4 +33/4 553 252Triad Group 151/4 +3/4 161/2 51/2

SUPPORT SERVICESAcal 339 +4 355 1573/4A g g re ko 1558 +2 2254 1442Ashtead Gp 6931/2 +14 730 3781/2

Atkins (WS) 1337 +3 1337 7401/2Babcock Intl 1307 -4 1333 9651/2B e re n d s e n 9211/2 +81/2 980 576B ra m m e r 4411/2 -31/2 500 289Bunzl 1394 -2 1414 1009Capita Group 9771/2 +61/2 1057 754Carillion 2981/4 +37/8 3313/4 2443/4C o m mu n i s i s 58 -3/4 68 343/4DCC 2900 -15 2915 231/4De La Rue 861 -55 1046 8231/2Diploma 715 -191/2 7341/2 479E l e c t ro c o m p o n e n t s 291 -11/4 301 2041/4E s s e n t ra 810 +16 830 543Experian 1142 -3 1288 980G4S 261 -1/8 3131/2 2071/2Harvey Nash 92 953/8 56H ay s 1217/8 +7/8 1253/4 771/4Homeser ve 2561/8 -31/4 2935/8 1855/8Hyder Consulting 625 625 397Interser ve 6421/2 -13 6551/2 357Intertek Group 3083 +12 3453 2922Jar vis 93/8 93/8 93/8Journey Group 149 150 1151/2L a t ch wa y s 13371/2 14071/2 940L ave n d o n 182 +3/4 1961/2 132Litho Supplies 5 5 5Macfarlane Grp 39 393/8 243/4Management Cons 261/2 +1/4 32 211/4Mears Group 4433/4 -61/4 4521/4 3121/4Menzies (J) 770 -11/2 8411/2 590MICE Group 6 6 6Michael Page Intl 4663/8 +77/8 5021/2 356MITIE Group 3081/4 -57/8 317 248Nor thgate 4101/2 +41/2 4583/4 2531/4Office2office 381/2 126 333/4Pay p o i n t 1068 +3 1185 8141/2Premier Farnell 2211/8 -23/4 2383/8 1743/8Re g u s 196 +7/8 2141/8 963/8Rentokil Initial 1023/4 1123/4 87Ricardo 574 +4 6611/2 358Robert Walters 3151/8 +13/8 336 193RPS Group 2931/4 -51/8 2991/4 1951/2Serco Group 438 +1/4 6831/2 4185/8Shanks 1081/4 +1 1101/4 73SIG 2145/8 -1/4 2161/4 1123/8Smiths News 2221/4 -21/4 2241/2 149Speedy Hire 643/4 +3/4 70 343/4St Ives 1783/4 -31/4 188 100S Th re e 3263/4 +101/2 370 3031/2Travis Perkins 1832 +12 1858 1060Tribal Grp 1831/2 +51/4 2061/2 971/4Vp 5421/2 +71/2 5421/2 313Waterman Group 571/2 -1/2 633/4 361/2Wo l s e l ey 3395 +46 3483 2796

TECH HARDWARE & EQUIPMENTARM Hldgs 1004 +1 1097 743BATM Adv Comms 173/4 21 133/4Bede 3/4 3/4 3/4CML Microsystems 565 565 3731/2CSR 5031/2 +31/2 607 332F i l t ro n i c 611/4 831/4 333/8Imagination Tech 2451/2 -41/2 552 2351/8Nor thamber 36 401/2 271/2Pa c e 3181/4 -1/4 3233/4 181Plasmon 3/8 3/8 3/8Spirent Comms 1073/4 +3/4 1691/4 1003/4Vi s l i n k 47 +21/4 521/8 251/4Wolfson Microelectronics 1493/4 +1/4 2261/4 136

TOBACCOBritish Amer Tobacco 3273 +5 3784 3091Imperial Tobacco 2361 +6 2534 2120

TRAVEL & LEISURE888 Holdings 1641/2 +1 186 1071/4Air Partner 557 +2 5841/2 275Bwin.Party Digital 127 -15/8 156 1011/4C a r n iva l 2230 -9 2628 2030Compass 9381/2 +12 9381/2 721e a s y Je t 1444 +15 1448 709Enterprise Inns 1431/4 -13/4 1573/4 86F i r s t G ro u p 1143/4 -11/4 2233/4 92Fuller S.T.A. 9701/2 +5 9901/2 7531/4Go-Ahead Gp 1616 -5 1738 1232Greene King 864 +191/2 8971/2 610Intercontl Htls 1907 +2 2039 1644Intl Cons Airl 3761/2 +1/2 3841/4 1683/4L a d b ro ke s 1761/8 -11/4 2431/8 1673/8Marston's 1551/8 +31/4 1651/2 1183/4Millennium & Copth 5891/2 +1 6151/2 4803/4Mitchells & Butlers 4001/8 -45/8 460 296National Express 2563/4 2747/8 1721/4Paddy Power 4630 -141/8 5876 45841/8Punch Taverns 111/4 +1/4 151/2 65/8Rank Group 1421/2 -21/4 1771/2 1371/4Restaurant Grp 576 +4 581 364Ryanair Hldgs 5097/8 +101/8 6231/4 3891/2Spor tech 86 -1/8 108 66S t age c o a c h 3591/4 -3/8 3593/4 2861/2Thomas Cook 1531/4 +5/8 1705/8 253/4TUI Travel 3623/4 +11/4 4011/2 269Wetherspoon (JD) 7191/2 +3 767 4933/4Wh i t b re a d 3553 +11 3553 2378William Hill 3783/4 +1/4 4941/2 3335/8

UTILITIESCentrica 3401/4 +33/4 4021/4 3257/8Dee Valley 1555 15621/2 1325National Grid 7751/2 +1/2 8471/2 682Pennon Group 638 +51/2 7271/2 601Severn Trent 1746 -15 2090 1550

United Utilities 6561/2 -1/2 7871/2 649

AIM1pm 371/2 457/8 135/821st Century Tech 73/8 16 5600 Group 21 -1/4 211/2 103/4A bb ey 8491/2 8491/2 530Advanced Medical S 991/2 +1/2 106 54Alkane Energy 413/8 +17/8 413/8 23Alliance Pharma 347/8 381/2 307/8Amerisur Resources 49 -1 58 391/4A m i n ex 15/8 - 53/4 15/8Andrews Sykes 320 342 200Antisoma 11/4 2 11/4Aor tech 131 1311/2 411/2API 801/2 92 543/4Ashley House 271/4 273/8 107/8ASOS 5721 -85 5944 2460Aukett Fitzroy Robinson 61/4 61/2 21/4Avanti Capital 125 -11/2 1261/2 531/2Avesco Gp 221 +6 235 154Bailey (CH) 1901/2 204 1521/2BCB Holdings 141/4 213/4 131/2Berkeley MineralRe s o u rc e s

21/4 - 3 21/8

Best of the Best 58 +11/2 611/2 20Billington Hldgs 1011/2 1031/2 38Braime (TF & JH) 'A' N/Vtg

5571/2 5571/2 480

Capital Mngt & Inv 210 +10 210 32Celtic 661/2 661/2 381/4Chamberlin 81 -2 168 76Clean Energy Brazil 13/4 71/2 15/8Clear Leisure 21/2 -1/4 5 13/8Coal of Africa 73/4 -1/4 23 71/8Colefax 3921/2 3921/2 2221/2Concurrent Tech 361/2 541/2 361/2Connemara MiningC o m p a ny

51/8 91/4 43/4

CPL Resources 545 545 2621/2Crimson Tide 15/8 13/4 11/8Cropper (J) 3731/2 420 1701/2Daisy Gp 1871/2 +11/2 1871/2 85Dart Group 236 +103/4 2691/4 115Densitron Tech 75/8 91/8 51/4D ew h u r s t 495 5421/2 440Dewhurst A 310 3721/2 2721/2Dillistone Group 106 -51/2 1241/2 701/2Dolphin Capital Investors 393/4 +3/4 411/2 26Ebiquity 1211/2 122 92E c ko h 281/4 +1/8 291/8 141/4Eco Animal Health 1951/2 +1 270 1921/2Egdon Resources 73/4 117/8 73/4Eleco 20 241/8 7Faroe Petroleum 1241/4 +1/2 1491/2 1051/2Fe e d b a c k 7/8 -1/8 1 3/8FII Group 63/4 63/4 63/4Finsbury Food 68 773/4 38Fletcher King 35 361/2 25Forbidden Technologies 363/4 363/4 181/2Futura Medical 511/4 -21/4 80 503/4F y f fe s 71 721/4 40Global Energy 97 1221/2 69Gooch & Housego 6991/2 +4 6991/2 415G ra fe n i a 181/2 -1/4 31 181/2Great Eastern Energy 170 2731/2 170Green Compliance 11/8 45/8 7/8Griffin Mining 321/4 381/2 261/2GW Pharmaceuticals 1903/4 +163/4 1903/4 391/2Hampden Underwriting 1361/2 1361/2 100Havelock Europa 191/2 +1/2 223/8 111/4Hayward Tyler 651/2 691/2 161/2Heavitree Brewery 325 3371/2 325Heavitree Brewery A 1821/2 1921/2 175Helphire Grp 53/8 +1/8 53/4 13/4Highland Gold Mining 60 -1/2 116 521/2H i rc o 20 523/8 191/4Hydro Intl 106 126 871/2I S Solutions 53 541/2 371/2ILX Group 83/8 125/8 7I m ag i n at i k 1/8 - 3/8 1/8Independent Res 73/4 111/8 47/8I n d i go Vi s i o n 3571/2 +4 4211/2 2871/2Interior Services 264 +1/2 2831/2 1321/2Iomar t 2611/2 +41/4 319 192James Halstead 3003/4 +81/4 655 2373/4Jelf Group 851/4 941/2 68Johnson Service 501/4 -3/4 531/2 335/8Latham (J) 3921/2 4041/2 270Leed Petroleum 1/8 - 1/4 1/8Lok'n Store 1911/2 -1 2161/2 1131/2London Capital 351/2 513/4 271/2London Security 18871/2 1900 16871/2M&C Saatchi 3243/8 -11/8 3283/4 176Majestic Wine 5791/2 +4 590 397Mercer Resources 3/4 13/4Metro Baltic Horizons 121/2 131/2 43/4M i ra d a 91/8 141/2 87/8Miton Group 48 +7/8 481/4 203/4Mulberry Group 1009 -40 1449 850Nanoco Group 1411/2 -3 199 711/2Nasstar 101/2 133/8 93/4Nationwide Accid Repair 651/2 78 481/2Netcall 441/4 +13/8 45 28Next 15 Comms 86 115 711/2Nichols 1182 +7 1237 825Nighthawk Energy 107/8 +7/8 12 3North River Resources 5/8 11/8 3/8Northern Bear 271/2 +11/2 271/2 13Numis Corp 275 -1 276 117Optimal Payments 3323/4 -43/4 3371/2 108Ottoman Fund 33 37 29

O xe c o 153/8 +1/4 157/8 83/4Panmure Gordon & Co 1761/2 225 1321/2Patagonia Gold 121/2 -1/4 243/4 8Paternoster Res 3/8 5/8 1/4Penna Consulting 90 971/2 621/2Pennant Intl 80 -1/2 891/2 411/2

Personal Group 4271/2 +23/4 455 320Petra Diamonds 109 132 103Petrel Resources 131/4 -1/8 23 131/8Pittards 27/8 31/4 17/8

Por tmeirion 710 +21/2 710 505Prime Active Cap 81/2 81/2 5Prime Focus London 3 91/2 25/8Prime People 76 76 461/2Publishing Technology 5871/2 -15 6221/2 1191/2Pursuit Dynamics 23 -1/4 32 9Qihang Eqpt 61/2 10 61/4Qonnectis 481/2 511/2 25RAM Active Media 2 91/4 2Rangers Intl 421/4 -3/4 93 411/2Real Good Food 653/4 -33/4 713/4 36

Redhall Group 52 -1/2 75 411/2Re d s t o n e 3/4 103/8 3/4Renew Holdings 1601/2 -2 1641/2 85RGI International 1293/4 134 1121/8Rockhopper Exploration 143 +3 1751/2 1123/4RTC Group 16 17 11Sabien Technology 37 433/4 20S a fe l a n d 28 +1/2 28 51/2Sagentia Gp 1441/2 -41/2 153 871/2Scapa Group 913/4 +1/4 951/2 611/2SciSys 705/8 +1/8 821/2 62

Services Power Tech 51/8 53/4 35/8Ser voca 61/2 7 23/8Sinclair (Wm) 881/2 1531/2 841/2Sirius Minerals 7 +1/8 291/4 6Slingsby (HC) 375 5371/2 375Software RadioTechnolog y

285/8 -5/8 361/4 177/8

Sopheon 90 150 741/2SPDI Secure 681/2 74 601/8S t at p ro 88 +3 105 731/2Sterling Energy 40 -11/2 435/8 331/4Stilo International 33/4 47/8 35/8

Strategic NaturalRe s o u rc e s

43/8 263/4 41/8

Sutton Harbour 263/4 -1/4 35 213/4

S wa l l ow f i e l d 861/2 1091/2 721/2

Synetics 615 +121/2 615 2841/2Taliesin Property 1625 16471/2 1125Ta s t y 1201/2 1211/2 501/2Taw a 17 451/2 17Telford Homes 3651/4 -93/4 375 175Telme Group 136 +1/2 1391/2 86Ten Alps 1 23/4 1Terrace Hill 311/8 -1/4 315/8 101/8Thorpe (FW) 130 -1 136 98Total Produce 711/2 711/2 39Trakm8 Hldgs 341/2 -1/2 351/2 16

Transense Techs 65/8 13 63/8Tr ave l ze s t 13/8 53/4 1/4

Turbo Power Systems 1/2 7/8 1/8TVC Holdings 551/2 +1/8 84 47Ultima Networks 7/8 11/4 3/4U n iv i s i o n 3/4 +1/8 11/8 1/2URU Metals 23/8 31/2 17/8Ve r n a l i s 321/2 +1 321/2 193/8Vertu Motors 571/2 +2 613/4 37VPhase 1/8 7/8 1/8Walcom Group 3 3 21/2Walker Greenbank 164 +11/2 164 70Weather Lottery 1/8 1/8 1/8West African Diamonds 11/8 - 31/8 7/8W YG 1081/2 +31/2 1113/8 62Wynnstay Group 630 6371/2 4161/2Wynnstay Props 310 310 2721/2XXI Century Inv 13/4 33/4 15/8Young Brewery A 10421/2 -5 10821/2 6971/2Young Brewery N/Vtg 7621/2 7621/2 5671/2Zincox Resources 151/4 42 141/2Zoo Digital 11 +11/4 153/4 61/4

BRITISH FUNDS

Consol 21/2% 581/4 -1 5/32 653/4 561/16

Consol 4% 941 1/32 -1 3/32 1002 9/32 902 3/32

Conv 2.5% 801/2 -1 1/32 901/2 76Tres 21/2% 583/4 -1/4 671/2 533/4War Ln 31/2% 821/16 -1 9/32 927/16 792 7/32

Tres 8% 15 1157/32 -3/32 123 1157/32

Tres 21/2% IL 16 3401 1/32 -1/4 3537/8 3397/8Tres 83/4% 17 1277/8 -1/8 1373/8 1277/8Tres 8% 21 1392 1/32 -1/4 1535/32 1385/8Tres 5% 25 1205/32 -9/32 1331/8 1185/32

Tres 6% 28 1332 3/32 -1 3/32 1492 5/32 1311 5/32

Tres 41/4% 32 1112 9/32 -1 5/32 1252 3/32 1091 1/16

Major movers

IP Group 19678 +20 +11.31 +27.86

NMC Health 420 +3912 +10.38 +10.53

Xaar 984 +74 +8.13 +5.13Hochschild Mining 1337

8 +678 +5.43 -0.30

BTG 544 +22 +4.21 +21.97Polymet Int 527 +20 +3.94 -2.59Sports Direct Intl 7321

2 +25 +3.53 +6.24Kenmare Resources 191

8 +58 +3.46 -4.35

ICAP 41518 +133

4 +3.44 +6.38Ferrexpo 1771

2 +538 +3.14 -0.67

FTSE 100 Index

Risers▲ Price Rise p % rise Wk% chng

De La Rue 861 -55 -6.00 +3.11Kazakhmys 2233

4 -1058 -4.52 -6.83

AMEC 1124 -46 -3.93 -2.94Lancashire Hldgs 797 -23 -2.80 -0.75Telecom Plus 1875 -54 -2.80 +3.88Diploma 715 -191

2 -2.65 +2.143i Infrastructure 1271

4 -3 -2.30 -4.29UDG Hlthcare 3053

4 -678 -2.21 -2.64

Ophir Eng 34014 -67

8 -1.99 -3.79Interserve 6421

2 -13 -1.98 +4.64

Fallers▼ Price Fall p % fall Wk% chng

6630

6640

6650

6660

6670WEDNESDAY

8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 cls

Close - Up 13.25 at 6649.47

TOURIST POUND ABROADEURO 1.14 euroDOLLAR 1.55 dollarsAUSTRALIA 1.68 dollarsBRAZIL 3.33 realsCANADA 1.63 dollarsCHINA 8.83 yuan

HONG KONG 11.93 HK dollarsINDIA 88.96 rupeesJAPAN 156.90 yenSOUTH AFRICA 15.40 randSWITZERLAND 1.40 francsTURKEY 3.07 lira

WESTERN DAILY PRESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 BUSINESS 25WDP-E01-S224 BUSINESS THURSDAY NOVEMBER 28 2013 WESTERN DAILY PRESS WDP-E01-S2

Royal Mail shares were up by6 per cent last night as it con-tinued to deliver for investorsfollowing strong half-year res-u l t s.

The group lifted 32p to 565pand is now 71 per cent higherthan its starting point of 330pat its flotation at 330p lastmonth – and with a marketvaluation of £5.6 billion lookson course for admission to theFTSE 100 Index next month.

The top-flight edged 13.2points higher to 6649.5 afterfalling heavily in the previoussession as consumer stockswere hit by a profits warningfrom drinks maker RemyC o i n t re a u .

There was also a lack ofimpetus to activity on WallStreet as traders geared up forthe Thanksgiving holiday –and where New York’s DowJones Industrial Average wasonly able to muster slightgains by the time of the closein London.

Ger many’s Dax rosestrongly on improved con-sumer confidence and the pro-spect of the formation of a newgovernment – later confirmedwith Angela Merkel returningfor a third term as chancellor.F rance’s Cac 40 was also up.

The biggest FTSE 100 riserswere Sports Direct, up 25p to732.5p, Lloyds Banking Groupup 2.1p to 77.3p, Burberry up38p to 1527p and Rexam up12.1p to 503p.

The biggest fallers wereAmec, down 46p to 1124p, BPdown 5p to 482p, Johnson Mat-they down 30p to 3190p andSevern Trent down 15p to1 7 4 6 p.

Strong resultsboost sharesin Royal MailYESTERDAY IN THE CITY

The Atlantic Array has beenstirring up tides of passion inNorth Devon since it was firstmooted – Martin Hesp hasbeen taking an overview of theebbs and flows of opinion nowthe development has beenshelved

Tsunamis are, thankfully, rarein the Bristol Channel – oneraged east up its ever-narrow-ing course in 1607, killing thou-sands of people, but an alto-gether more benign waveswept across its shallow tidalwaters this week…

It was a tsunami of relieftriggered by the announce-ment that the massive AtlanticArray offshore wind farm pro-posed for an area just north ofLundy is to be shelved.

RW E ’s decision to abandonthe Atlantic Array project,whose cost was reportedly£4 billion, was said by the Gov-ernment to have been made“on purely technical grounds”,though the German group,which also owns Big Six sup-plier npower, said the costs ofthe project were “p ro h i b i t ivein current market condi-tions”.

The scheme had drawn cri-ticism from environmentalistswho were worried about itsimpact on marine wildlife inthe Bristol Channel, and cam-paigns who branded the pro-ject’s 720-ft high turbines asu n s i g h t ly.

Paul Cowling, director of off-shore wind at RWE Innogy,said: “This is not a decision wehave taken lightly.

“However, given the techno-logical challenges and marketconditions, now is not the righttime for RWE to continue toprogress with this project.”

Mr Cowling said RWE wasstill backing offshore wind andwould be pressing ahead withother projects off Britain’sc o a s t l i n e.

Generally speaking, plansfor off-shore wind farms createfewer waves of human emotionthan the land-based alternat-ives – but the 240-turbine At-lantic Array had managed toswim against such a tide ofpassion.

Some 1,775 interestedparties had signed up to takepart in an inquiry looking atthe scheme – eight times morethan for any other offshore de-ve l o p m e n t .

There were some who lovedthe idea of such green energy,but since the news was an-nounced they’ve been out-numbered on social network-ing sites as the sluice gates ofopinion opened.

Typical of the commentspowering the tsunami of reliefwere these words tweeted byMike Collins, a senior pressofficer for the National Trust:“Atlantic Array… Wrong scale,

wrong place. But we need toharness power of nature inBristol Channel.”

Such thoughts are shared bythe many people who see thech a n n e l ’s massive tidal range– the second highest in theworld – as being key to thefuture of clean renewableenergy, rather than the lessreliable power that comes fromthe wind.

As one anti-Array protestertweeted: “Engineers say thetechnical problems were nothelped by the massive tidalmovements – why not turn theturbines upside down and har-ness that power instead?”

A spokesman for an amal-gamation of groups against thedevelopment, called Slay theArray, was another riding highon this week’s joyous wave:“This plan brought togetheran unprecedented array ofopponents, including manypeople and organisations whohave never before opposed arenewable scheme.”

The tsunami of relief beganin one of the remotest com-munities in southern England.Lundy, which plays host tofewer than 30 human residentsbut thousands of seabirds – notto mention seals, black rabbits,Soay sheep and Sika deer –would have been closest towhat would have been one ofthe biggest offshore wind-farms in the world.

“We are absolutely delightedby the news,” said the island’sgeneral manager, DerekGreen. “We had many con-cerns about the proposal and,while we understand the needfor renewable energy, it wasgoing to be too close to Lundy.It would have overwhelmed theisland.”

“There would have beenmassive disruption, especiallywhen it was being built,” MrGreen said. “For example, eventhe massive amount of lightingthey’d have needed at nightduring the building wouldhave changed this island – wed o n’t have a single street light– you couldn’t imagine whatthat might have meant for ournesting birds.”

However, every tsunami hasa backwash – and yesterday’swave of relief was accompan-ied by a lesser wall of dis-appointment. One of the firstpeople hurtling down thebreaker of despondency wasJames Craigie, secretary of theAtlantic Array Supporters’Group – who also runs North-ern Devon Sustainable Energy,a social enterprise organisa-tion tackling youth unemploy-ment in the area.

“This is a sad day for NorthDevon as much-needed em-ployment now seems furtheraway than it was last week,” hesaid.

“The thousands of jobsduring the construction phaseand minimum of 200 perman-ent, well-paid, full-time jobs

Decision to abandonwind farm unleashesarray of emotions

A VICTIM OF ATTRITION

The Atlantic Array is ‘likely’ to bejust the first of many offshorewind farms shelved asGovernment policies wage a warof ‘attrition’ on investors,industry experts have warned.Supporters of green energy saythe cancellation of the giantproject highlights the danger ofrelying on overseas energysuppliers to make keyinvestments about future powergeneration. However, the LiberalDemocrat MP for North Devon,Nick Harvey, has cautionedagainst ‘hubris’, saying thescheme has not been ‘tested’through the planning processand could well re-emerge. Hesaid if more utilities beganwithdrawing from major projectsthe Government may be forcedto step in. Regen South West,the regional trade body based inExeter, admitted the withdrawalwas a blow to the industry andcalled for more local control ofenergy resources. Director JohnnyGowdy said the move had to beseen in the context of RWEslimming and shedding 6,750jobs. He added: ‘It is likely to bethe first project cancelled in anattrition process that could resultin the withdrawal of a number ofprojects. The offshore windindustry is likely to bereassessing viability due to morecertainty about the Government’snew market incentive schemeand renewables road map.’

would have made a huge dif-f e re n c e.

“We have nearly 400 out-of-work under-25s in this district,whose hope for opportunitiesto work must be diminishednow. The cost of this projectnot going ahead is too high forthis to be anything more than atemporary set-back.”

Some years ago when theAtlantic Array was first pro-posed John Butterwith, chiefexecutive of North Devon Fish-er man’s Association, said thehuge development woulddecimate fish stocks in thearea – but he added: “Fish-ermen have always been ex-treme optimists. This is whywe go to sea – we are the last ofthe original hunters.”

It turns out Mr Butterwith’soptimism was based on a bed-rock of fact, rather than theshifting breezes…

I can’t help thinking that theAtlantic Array Project is sub-ject to the same judgement asMarmite; you either love it oryou hate it.

I expect there to be a greatdeal of frustration amongthose on the steering commit-tee who have reported spend-ing the last fifteen monthsthrashing out the details of alocal impact plan, only to seetheir hard work swiped awayby RWE Innology’s decision.

I sympathise with thosewhose passion is for all thingsenvironmental; after all, thesheer scale of the proposed At-lantic Array developmentwould undoubtedly have given

the Lundy puffins somethingugly to stare at and there isfierce debate about wind farmefficiency and cost. Some areblaming it on David Cameronat last saying what many real-ists think – puffin guanosprings to mind. Others aresaying that it’s to do withmoney – after all, less thanthree weeks ago, RWE an-nounced that Innogy’s renew-ables unit planned to cutalmost half its jobs as it scaledback clean-energy spending ina debt-curbing strategy.

But for a minute, let us forgetabout associations, councils,governing bodies and debt; in-stead let’s imagine the huge

disappointment and restrictedgrowth opportunities for thelocal businesses for which thisproject would have meant in-creased employment, widersupply chain management anda raft of other business de-velopment opportunities.

If you don’t believe me, I urgeyou to check out C Truck inEssex. A shining example ofhow wind farm projects canbring about huge benefits. Thecompany regularly contrib-utes to local community ini-tiatives, provides apprentice-ship and trainingopportunities and has a sig-nificant portfolio of partners,together with an ethos tosource from local suppliers.W h at ’s not to like (other thanthe green levy on every bill)?

So, while the Gower Asso-ciation and North Devon Coun-cil may have objected to the

Amy Reynolds After months ofhuffing, the puffins are happy

Atlantic Array on the groundsof damage to the tourism in-dustry, C Truck’s announce-ment that it now employs 150staff across two companies,whereas three years ago theyhad no workforce, is far toostrong a comment to ignore.

Let’s hope, given the area isstill a Marine Energy Conser-vation Zone in the BristolChannel, for those local busi-nesses who may have viewedthis development as a means totake on new staff, expandpremises or join a new supplychain, that there will hopefullybe another initiative arisingfrom the ashes to give themhope. In the meantime, theHinkley Point build continuesand the puffins can beginbuilding up their guano stocksto help the future debate.

Amy Reynolds is a tax partner at Mazars

Lundy Island, close to the proposedsite of the Atlantic Array windfarm, featuring turbines similar tothe ones pictured right, and NorthDevon MP Nick Harvey who saidthe scheme has not been ‘tested’through the planning process andcould well re-emerge

Lundy has breathed a sigh of relief after RWE Innogy pulled out of the Atlantic Array wind farm planned for the Bristol Channel – but supporters mourned hundreds of jobs that could have been created

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business 28th november 2012

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