logo
Wrexham Kop to be new centrepiece of city gateway project

Wrexham Kop to be new centrepiece of city gateway project

Leader Live01-05-2025
Councillors on the Employment, Business and Investment Scrutiny
Committee will review the updated masterplan for the Wrexham Gateway Project next Wednesday.
The latest version of the plan includes the recommendation to relocate the hotel, which was supposed to be built next to the STōK Cae Ras.
"The original intention was that the hotel, situated on the junction of Mold
Road and Crispin Lane, would be a landmark feature at this important
gateway to the city," according to the updated masterplan.
"With the evolution of the football stand into an iconic, internationally recognised building, there is little logic to hiding this behind
a new hotel.
"As such, the Wrexham Gateway Partnership, Wrexham County Borough Council and Wrexham AFC are currently in discussions as to whether a hotel is the best use for the site and if it may be better suited for another use."
The plan also reveals that there is a study underway into the realignment of Crispin Lane and the potential impact of that on traffic and pedestrian flows.
When councillors first approved the plans in 2022 they insisted on assurances that both the western and eastern side of the development would be completed.
The Wrexham Gateway project has scaled back its office space plans as the sector faces challenges caused by hybrid and home working. (Image: Wrexham County Borough Council)
The updated plan remains committed to the developing the eastern side of the gateway but due to land and funding issues it will now treat the east as one single development.
Discussions have begun with Wrexham Lager to move their brewery into the former Jewson warehouse in the eastern part of the development, although these talks are at an early stage.
Wrexham General train station car park will also move to the Jewson site.
Office space planned for the scheme has been reduced to 600 desks due to the commercial challenges facing the office space sector due to hybrid working and work from home.
Councillors will review the changes at committee on Wednesday, May 7.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Very telling sign that the US is on course for recession
Very telling sign that the US is on course for recession

Daily Mail​

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Very telling sign that the US is on course for recession

More than half of US industries are already cutting jobs — a glaring red flag that a recession is near, a leading economist has warned. Moody's Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi said that, although the country hasn't officially entered a downturn, cracks are widening in the jobs market. He said on X that 'far and away' the most important recession indicator is 'payroll employment.' 'If employment declines for more than a month consecutively, we are in a downturn,' he wrote. Though payrolls haven't fallen yet this time, growth has stalled since May — and recent data revisions suggest employment could already be shrinking. The most recent federal jobs reports showed hiring for for May and June was much lower than initially thought. On the basis, the report for July is expected to show a decline. 'It wouldn't be surprising if we learn with the coming revisions that employment is already declining,' he explained. Zandi's warning comes a week after a report showed layoffs have risen 140 percent from a year ago. Zandi said that historically, it's not clear exactly when a recession starts until well after the fact. However, he added that 'in the past, if more than half the ≈400 industries in the payroll survey were shedding jobs, we were in a recession. In July, over 53% of industries were cutting jobs, and only healthcare was adding meaningfully to payrolls.' Zandi also issued a terrifying 'red flare' warning to homeowners last month. A 'red flare' warning suggests the market is experiencing major instability and a fall is imminent. 'I sent off a yellow flare on the housing market in a post a couple of weeks ago, but I now think a red flare is more appropriate,' he wrote. It comes as construction of new homes has slowed and sellers are being forced to reduce their prices or pull their homes off the market entirely. 'Home sales are already uber depressed,' Zandi wrote, adding that the housing market could become an issue for the wider economy. 'Housing will thus soon be a full-blown headwind to broader economic growth, adding to the growing list of reasons to be worried about the economy's prospects later this year and early next,' he wrote. Companies have already announced more than 800,000 job cuts this year alone If the housing markets woes do tip into the wider economy it could increase the likelihood of a recession, Zandi warned. On Sunday Zandi offered a ray of hope in the otherwise gloomy outlook, writing that 'things could still turn around if the economic policies weighing on the economy soon lift. 'But that looks increasingly unlikely,' he added. In June the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned that the US would tip into recession as a result of Trump's aggressive trade policies. The OECD also criticized other key Trump policies including his vast reductions in the federal workforce and curbs on immigration, both of which are also dragging on the economy. The report also warned that the US budget deficit will expand further as weaker economic activity will override the gains made by spending cuts and revenue from tariffs.

UK firms' hiring intentions remain at record low amid rising employment costs
UK firms' hiring intentions remain at record low amid rising employment costs

The Guardian

time19 hours ago

  • The Guardian

UK firms' hiring intentions remain at record low amid rising employment costs

Hiring intentions among Britain's businesses remain at a record low as they grapple with rising employment costs and worry about the economic outlook, with young people hit hardest by the drop in recruitment. Three separate surveys issued on Monday painted a gloomy picture on hiring activity, pay and business confidence, with claims that bosses were 'stuck in limbo' and waiting for greater clarity in the autumn budget. Only 57% of private sector employers plan to recruit staff in the next three months – down from 65% in autumn 2024 as they deal with the combined £25bn rise in employer national insurance contributions (NICs) that took effect in April and other rising costs, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Another report, from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), showed that recruitment across the UK fell sharply in July, for permanent and temporary jobs. This was often linked to employers' gloomy outlook, and increased pressure on recruitment budgets. The report showed the steepest reduction in vacancies since April, while availability of staff rose at a rate that was among the fastest since the survey began in 1997. This has hit pay growth, with starting salaries rising at the weakest rate in almost four and a half years, it said. Demand for permanent staff was said to be down across all 10 employment categories apart from engineering. Retail remained at the bottom of the table with 'a rapid fall in vacancies', while the smallest decline happened in the construction sector. 'With starting salaries and temp pay rising only modestly, it was right to cut interest rates last week,' said Kate Shoesmith, the REC deputy chief executive. 'More action like this, to stabilise the business cost-base, is what will support growth and boost the jobs market this year. That is what the chancellor should be keeping firmly in mind when preparing this year's autumn budget.' On Thursday, the Bank of England cut interest rates for the fifth time in a year as it warned that rising food prices could drive inflation to 4%, amid mounting concerns about the strength of the UK economy. Shoesmith noted that construction, a key economic bellwether, 'has seen a rise in temp vacancies – an early sign of confidence returning', adding: 'Demand for blue-collar temp roles and permanent engineering jobs also remains steady, offering another glimmer of optimism.' The hospitality and care sectors, and organisations that hire young people, had been hit the hardest by mounting employment costs, the CIPD said. About 37% of employers that hired people under 21 reported that the NICs changes had increased their employment costs to a large extent, compared with 23% of employers that do not hire young people, despite under-21s being exempt from employer NICs. The organisation is urging the government to step up efforts to support the employment and training of young people and ensure that proposed changes to the employment rights bill do not act as a further barrier to their recruitment. James Cockett, the senior labour market economist at the CIPD, said: 'Business confidence is faltering further under rising employment costs.' Meanwhile, weak GDP growth and high labour and energy costs coupled with continued uncertainty around Donald Trump's global tariffs continue to weigh on confidence, the business advisory firm BDO's latest monthly snapshot showed. Scott Knight, the head of growth at BDO, said: 'There are signs of recovery but they are fragile … Business leaders are stuck in limbo, waiting for clearer signals from the government that further investment will be worth the gamble.'

Connecticut town manager pulls down $210k-a-year side hustle — 2,000 miles away in Wyoming
Connecticut town manager pulls down $210k-a-year side hustle — 2,000 miles away in Wyoming

The Independent

time2 days ago

  • The Independent

Connecticut town manager pulls down $210k-a-year side hustle — 2,000 miles away in Wyoming

The chief financial officer in Wilton, Connecticut, resigned last week after town officials discovered she was simultaneously serving as a town administrator in a Wyoming town 2,000 miles away. However, Dawn Norton claims she fully complied with her employment terms when she took on the role of Town Administrator and Finance Director in Greybull, Wyoming, and says she kept Wilton's leadership fully informed about the arrangement. Norton began serving as Wilton's CFO in March 2022 and took on the Wyoming position in May, Wilton Town Administrator Matt Knickerbocker told CT Insider on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Norton told Good Morning Wilton that she had been working remotely for Wilton from Wyoming since February of this year while on Family Medical Leave, caring for her injured husband. In April, she applied to the Greybull job and was initially hired on a part-time trial basis before being offered a permanent full-time position. 'I gave him my retirement notice — I gave it to him when I went full-time,' Norton told the outlet. 'My notice said I'd give them full support, whatever it is, up to Nov. 3… when all department head contracts are … renewed. I said, 'I'll do 100 percent of everything. I will get the audit done. I will attend meetings. I will do whatever it is that you need me to do in my full capacity.' But Knickerbocker tells CT Insider, 'On Sunday night, our HR director … alerted me that Dawn was listed as the town administrator ... for Greybull, Wyoming.' 'On Monday morning, I called her to verify that and found that yes, she had" taken on the new role. Once HR confirmed with Norton that she held both positions, she resigned from Wilton. Both Knickerbocker and First Selectwoman Toni Boucher say Norton never told them about her confirmed job in Greybull. Norton disagrees, pointing to a written notice she sent on April 7, 2025, to Boucher and the HR director stating she was 'actively seeking employment elsewhere.' The Wilton officials say the town allows occasional part-time external roles only in limited, emergency situations, not another full-time public office, which would have prevented approval had they known. The Independent has contacted representatives for the Town of Wilton, the Town of Greybull, and Norton for comment. This controversy arose amid a recent Town Hall review triggered by concerns over Wilton's Finance Department, including auditor findings of 'material weakness,' chronic understaffing, unauthorized tax credits, and a difficult budget process. Town officials had focused on the department being overworked, unaware Norton was also employed elsewhere. Norton said these ongoing issues at Town Hall motivated her decision to leave Wilton. '[It] is one of the reasons why I was actively seeking to get the heck out of dodge because I can't handle the work that was being dumped on me, and I was not getting any support whatsoever in hiring positions in my office. For a year, I did accounts payable — I paid the bills, I filed the invoices, and that is not my responsibility, that is a clerk's responsibility,' she said. She said that 'negativity' surrounding the audit's material weakness and the senior tax credit issue added to the stress of her job. 'I want out. I'm tired of the negative that I keep getting pushed on me. People aren't listening to the situation,' she told Good Morning Wilton. 'I can't do it all, and there's no help in my office, and there's no help and support from Toni or from Matt.' 'Everybody keeps saying, 'Well, the assessor and the [tax] collector report to the finance director.' No, they don't. They report to Matt. I have nothing to do with tax collection and assessment. The only thing I review is what gets posted to the ledger. And as for the material weakness, the material weakness is because we don't have the staff in my office to get all the work done that we need to get done,' she continued. Wilton's Board of Selectmen swiftly posted the CFO vacancy upon Norton's resignation, setting a revised salary range of $160,000 to $200,000, down from Norton's $210,108 in 2024, removing Board of Education responsibilities from the role, and creating a search committee to appoint an interim CFO immediately. In Greybull, council meeting minutes show Norton was officially appointed as Town Administrator on May 12, and she has since participated in municipal meetings, delivered financial reports, and signed official resolutions.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store