Blackpool business hub to open in revamped Art Deco building
The council spent £2.8m on the Town Deal projects, with £4.5m in government funding and £200,000 coming from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.The building, which was originally designed by 1930s borough architect, John Charles Robinson, is located between Caunce Street, Church Street and Cookson Street.A council spokesperson said the business hub at the building would be named The Robinson in honour of the renowned architect.He also designed former civic landmarks including Derby Baths and South Shore Open Air Baths.The building has been converted into 44 offices and meeting rooms, with a co-working space on the ground floor.Work has also included facade repairs, a new roof, new windows and eighteen new shopfronts.Three long-established shops in the building, Records and Relics, Mankind Designer Menswear and Hermosa Boutique, are to remain on the Church Street side of the property.
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The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
Electric car grants and discounts round up – Citroen first to get grants, while Vauxhall and Fiat are the latest with discounts
Citroen is the first car maker to offer discounts on its electric car range as part of the official government Electric Car Grants that were announced three weeks ago, with the eligible Citroen models now showing on the official government website as being available with grant money applied to the list price. Models including the Citroën e-C3, e-C4, e-C4 X and e-Berlingo are getting £1,500 off with immediate effect, with customers automatically benefiting from the discounts without having to do any paperwork. The upcoming e-C3 Aircross and e-C5 Aircross models are also set to get the same £1,500 discounts when they go on sale in the coming months. The first official discounts come three weeks after the government's announcement of the Electric Car Grant, and as news broke of a drop in car sales. Overall car sales were down five per cent in July, while there was a clear slow down in the rate of growth of EV sales. It had been expected that there would be a pause in electric car sales as buyers waited to see which cars would be eligible for discounts and which cars wouldn't. One car company executive, speaking anonymously to The Independent, confirmed that dealers were reporting customers cancelling orders until it was clear which cars were and which cars weren't eligible for grants.. The electric car grant was announced on Monday 14 July and went live on Wednesday 16 July. Car makers must apply for the grants, which are available on EVs up to the price of £37,000 and where car makers have signed up to low-carbon 'science-based targets' around manufacturing. Grants of between £1,500 and £3,750 will be available for eligible cars. While the announcement of the EV grant has been broadly welcomed by car makers, it took many of them by surprise, with some learning about the government plan via the media. As car companies grapple with the process involved in getting approval for the grants, many of them have introduced their own discount schemes to incentivise customers to keep buying their electric cars. The latest discounts come from Vauxhall and Fiat – fellow Stellantis brands to Citroen. Vauxhall is offering £1,500 off its entire range of Corsa, Frontera, Mokka, Grandland, Astra and Astra Sports Tourer, with additional benefits including up to £1,500 deposit contribution on zero per cent finance on some models, or a £2,500 deposit contribution towards finance on the Grandland. Vauxhall's 'Electric All In' offer of £500 towards a home charger or public charging also still stands. Fiat is offering £1,500 off its 500e, Fiat 600e, Abarth 500e and Abarth 600e all-electric models, with zero per cent finance still available on the 500e. Volkswagen Group brands VW, Skoda and Cupra have launched a 'Grant Guarantee' discount scheme while waiting for news from the government. VW is offering £1,500 off selected ID. 3 and ID. 4 all-electric models. 'We welcomed the Government's announcement of its Electric Car Grant and wanted to make sure customers could start benefitting from lower-cost electric motoring as quickly as possible. We have already seen an uplift in enquiries since the Government's grant was announced, which is great news for Volkswagen's electrification plans,' said Rod McLeod, Director of Volkswagen UK. Skoda is offering the same £1,500 discount across its Elroq and Enyaq model range, but not the Enyaq Coupe, while Cupra is offering £1,500 off many of its Cupra Born models. VW, Skoda and Cupra offers apply to cars bought during August and registered for the new 75 registration plate with deliveries starting on September 1. However, VW, Skoda and Cupra have all made it clear that if the government's EV grant comes through, the brands' Grant Guarantee scheme will end – customers won't be able to receive both. Last week, Volvo introduced a discount in lieu of any government grant, with £1,500 off any of the brand's EX30 electric models, even those that cost over the £37,000 limit. Smart also offered its own 'EV grant' with £1,500 off the whole range of Smart #1 and #3, in addition to existing incentives. That means you could save a total of £3,500 off a Smart #1, for example. Hyundai has its own electric grant, with the biggest discount available on Hyundai's smallest model. The Hyundai Inster – recently voted World Electric Car of the Year – gets a £3,750 'grant' bringing the entry-level car's price down to £19,755. There's still an additional £500 off if you go for Hyundai's low-rate PCP finance, too. The rest of the Hyundai electric car range, including models over £37,000, are also getting a £1,500 discount as part of the offer. Buyers of Chinese-made EVs were also left to reconsider their purchases with news that the government wasn't expecting those models to be eligible for the Electric Car Grant. Speaking on Radio Four, Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood, said: 'We don't expect any cars that are assembled in China to be eligible for this scheme. 'The grant is restricted to those manufacturers that reach minimum environmental standards. And, frankly, if you generate a lot of the electricity that powers your factory through coal power stations, then you are not going to be able to access this grant." The Department for Transport told The Independent: 'We expect dozens of models will be eligible but manufacturers will need to apply for the grant before we can confirm eligibility. We have held multiple calls with vehicle manufacturers to explain vehicle eligibility and how to apply for the grant. These discussions will continue to ensure manufacturers have all the information they need. 'All eligible models will be published on once the application has been approved. Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis and as quickly as possible.' Chinese car brands have been quick to react by introducing their own 'EV grants' to stimulate demand among private buyers. Leapmotor was first out of the blocks with its Leap Grant, offering £1,500 off the Leapmotor T03, making it Britain's cheapest car at £14,495, while the Leapmotor C10 family SUV gets a £3,750 discount, taking the price down to £32,750. MG followed with its own EV grant, offering a discount of £1,500 off the MG4 and MGS5 EVs on top of existing offers, while another Chinese brand, GWM, has taken the full £3,750 off its GWM ORA 03 models with its Green Grant, bringing the starting price down to £21,245. Relatively unknown Chinese brand Skywell is also throwing its own EV grant of £3,750 on top of a £6,000 dealer deposit contribution if you buy the Skywell BE11 on finance. That brings the potential list price down to just £27,245 for the entry-level car. The BE11 is far from the best EV you can buy, but at that price it represents a lot of car for the money. It's not just Chinese brands applying discounts, though. Alfa Romeo is offering £1,500 off its Alfa Junior Elettrica range, on top of existing zero per cent finance offers and the promise of a free EV home charger with standard installation.
Daily Mail
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
This isn't a case of 'WILL they get it right'? This is a case of 'WHEN they get it right'... GRAEME SOUNESS is backing the new revolution at Rangers
Almost 40 years after being at the vanguard of one revolution at Ibrox, Graeme Souness is now content to be bear witness to another. In the past three months, Rangers have moved into new ownership, with their American custodians quickly identifying Russell Martin as the man to instigate a change of fortunes on the park. While the new manager's nine recruits to date have been much lower profile than the cast of international A-listers assembled by Souness, the wind of change throughout the club feels reminiscent of that which blew in during the summer of 1986. When Souness arrived from Sampdoria as player-manager, the club had long become strangers to the winner's podium. With just one league title in the past 14 years, Martin has also arrived on the scene at a point when losing has become the norm. While 72-year-old Souness purposefully stops short of predicting that the latest incumbent can follow his lead by winning the Premiership at the first time of asking, his instinct tells him that something special is brewing again at his old stomping ground. 'I think the new guys (in charge) have started well,' said Souness of the consortium which includes 49ers Enterprises. 'The noises that have come out sound very professional and it's as if they know what they're doing. Former Rangers manager Graeme Souness is thrilled with the positive signs under new regime 'This is not a case of 'Will they get it right?' This is a case of 'When they get it right'. 'This is not their first dip into soccer. Like in any new business, they will have made some mistakes down in England with Leeds United. 'I expect them to hit the ground running to a certain point. From what I'm hearing from within the club, and how it comes out publicly, I'm very much encouraged. 'It would appear, from the outside looking in, it's settled down. People know what roles they've got within the organisation. And I think there's a clear path that's being led from the top. I think everyone now knows their job and they can get on with it.' His heart tells him that Martin's newly moulded side can come up trumps at the first time of asking. His head tells him that's still a very tall order, 'I think it's a bit like dealing with a politician, asking Rachel Reeves or Keir Starmer when they're going to get it right,' he added. 'In football terms, it's the same. I think you're putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. The US-led revolution at Rangers has been warmly welcomed after years in the doldrums 'I'm a Rangers supporter and, like every other Rangers supporter, I hope it's sooner rather than later. I hope it's this year. The minute you try to attach logic to football, you'll come unstuck.' Souness is sure about one thing, though. When asked if he agreed with former director Paul Murray's view that this felt like the biggest moment for the club since he walked in the door, he fully concurred. 'Yes, 100 per cent,' he replied. 'These people understand soccer. Do they fully understand what Glasgow Rangers is about? I'm sure they have realised that this is a unique football club and a unique football experience. It's a very special football club. And working in the west of Scotland is quite unique, trust me.' Martin will feel more comfortable today than he did on Saturday evening. On the back of a feeble display at Motherwell, the 39-year-old publicly flayed the majority of his players for going through the motions throughout an opening-day draw. Anyone who was in any doubt as to who he felt was responsible was enlightened when the team-sheet for Tuesday's match with Viktoria Plzen dropped. James Tavernier, Nico Raskin, Danilo and Kieran Dowell were nowhere to be seen. 'He went early, but that's his style,' Souness said. 'You'd have to say that he's put his foot down pretty quickly. And I don't see that as a bad thing. 'I think you're putting a marker down that: 'I have my standards and you're going to have to come up to my standards to be a regular member or a starter in this team'. 'It's not about him dropping his standards to accommodate players.' This view is offered with the benefit of considerable experience. 'I expected the senior players to be the standard-bearers,' reflected Souness. 'They were the ones that had to set the standards within the dressing room. And that's how it should be. 'I'm a great believer that you don't have a successful football club unless you have good senior pros. And maybe he's expecting a bit more from some of the senior pros than he got at the weekend. 'I've been talking about Jock Stein a lot recently. I always felt Jock was harder on Kenny Dalglish and me with the Scottish team. 'I was frightened of him, although I'm not sure Kenny was! But the message was: 'If I can do that to them, you make sure you're on it'. 'Some people need a lot more love than others. I was lucky I didn't need any love.' Souness was present on Tuesday as the tough love imparted by Martin did the trick. A three-goal win against Viktoria Plzen planted one foot in the play-off round. Barring a disaster in the second leg, Rangers will face either Club Brugge or Salzburg for a place in the Champions League proper. Despite the last trip to the promised land under Giovanni van Bronckhorst being the most chastening experience imaginable, Souness refutes the suggestion that his old club would be better off in the Europa League. 'I was at the Liverpool game (a 7-1 loss) and it was a sore one,' he recalled. 'That night, Rangers just didn't believe they could get a result against them. They got rolled over far too easily. 'But you want to be in with the big boys. Every professional football player thinks he's proper. And, if you think that, then you want to be in against the very best. 'The Europa League might be more rewarding in terms of results, and you might go further in it. But I would take my chance in the Champions League. I want to play against the best.' As welcome as it was to see a largely positive sequence of European results continue on Tuesday, the main desire of Rangers supporters is for their side to return to the top of the pile in Scotland. Only then would the second revolution feel complete. 'Same old story. It's no good finishing second,' said Souness. 'I'm much-travelled, worked in several different countries. And I come back to this. It's the biggest rivalry in football, that I know of. The next one would be Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and Manchester United and Liverpool. But this (Glasgow) is above that. 'The way I see football in this country, and I'll upset lots of football supporters, there are four institutions that are football clubs in this country: Liverpool, Man United, Rangers and Celtic. 'And why is it? It's because, as I see it, the passion that the supporters have for their own football clubs is beyond what I've seen anywhere else. It can certainly, if you're involved as I was, keep you awake at night.'
Times
22 minutes ago
- Times
Self-employed contractors make comeback after budget tax rise
There has been a marked increase in companies looking for self-employed contractors since the government changes to employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) back in the spring. There are 326,068 jobs for contract workers listed on Adzuna, the job search engine, a fifth more than at the beginning of April. James Neave, head of data science at Adzuna, said employers had been 'increasingly favouring contract workers' since the government raised the amount of national insurance paid by employers on April 6. For a worker earning the average UK salary of £33,000, employers are having to pay an extra £900 a year in NICs. The government thinks the increases will raise £25 billion a year. Economists have said the national insurance increase is already having a larger effect on the jobs market than expected. Recent labour market statistics show the biggest impact on employment in leisure and hospitality, industries that employ millions of people. The economy has shed a quarter of a million jobs in the past 12 months and unemployment has risen to a four-year high of 4.7 per cent. Adzuna's data demonstrates the shift in the labour market. While companies are looking for more contractors, there has been a 9 per cent drop in permanent roles listed on its website since April. Back then, there were 573,167 permanent vacancies; now there are 519,767. • Businesses to cut staff and raise prices after national insurance rise Anecdotal evidence suggests some companies are pivoting to contractors because they typically receive no employee benefits such as healthcare and, importantly, employers do not have to pay NICs on their behalf. Neave accepted that companies' growing preference for temporary workers could reflect a 'knee-jerk reaction to rising employment costs', although he added that there were likely to be other factors at play. Companies focusing more on hiring contractors rather than permanent staff has been a feature of the jobs market for the past two and a half years. Neave said it was usually quicker to bring in a freelancer on a fixed-term contract while there has also been an element of 'try before you commit', he said. The big recruiters have blamed the enduring geopolitical and economic volatility for bosses not wanting to commit to permanent increases in headcount. With Donald Trump's flip-flopping on tariffs, the outlook for many companies has only become more uncertain in recent weeks. • Trump doubles India's tariffs to 50% in response to Russian oil row '[Temporary hires offer] a little bit of flexibility where someone's not so confident, so they'll bring in a temp for six months and see how it goes,' James Hilton, chief financial officer at recruiter Hays, said recently. On the other side of the equation, permanent employees are reluctant to move jobs for fear of being last in and first out if their new company starts to struggle. That is likely to be another reason why companies have started to look for more contractors. Neave said that business owners needed to be mindful that contractors were 'typically [on] higher rates' and can lead to 'lower levels of control and knowledge retention in the business'.
