Latest news with #JohnPugh
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Emergency Sefton Council meeting calls rejected after disruption
A council leader has rejected calls from opposition parties for a full emergency meeting despite the previous one being scrapped due to a Sefton Council's leader Marion Atkinson said an extra meeting was not needed, even though some items on the agenda at last month's meeting had been left were called to Southport Town Hall on 10 July after reports of "people shouting from the public gallery".Sefton Mayor June Burns halted proceedings after one of the protestors shouted at a councillor to "shut up". One of the decisions due to be taken at that meeting concerned plans for Southport's Town Hall Square and Democrat group leader John Pugh requested an extraordinary meeting of the council to pick up issues which were not debated or agreed said they included money for pothole repairs, road resurfacing and funds for children with Special Educational next full council meeting is scheduled for September. 'Baffling decision' "I cannot understand the logic of letting a disturbance in the public gallery lock up council business," said added that he found it "baffling" when he compared his life as the MP for Southport between 2001-2017 with life in the council chamber."During my time in the [House of] Commons I witnessed chemicals thrown into the chamber and terrorist attacks that cost lives, but the democratic process continued as normal."Sefton has keeled over because of a bit of shouting in the public gallery and let it mess up business as usual."Atkinson accused Pugh of "petty political posturing" and said the mayor's decision to halt the meeting on safety grounds had been "sensible".She said some of her female colleagues had faced misogynistic abuse from protestors."Aggressive and bullying behaviour must and will be met with a zero-tolerance approach," said added that Pugh "should not belittle the genuine fears that councillors and staff had about their safety, in addition to the fact children were also in the gallery on the night." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Southport: 'Slap in the face' as council gives own firm contract
Business owners who said they were refused financial help by a council said they were furious to learn it had awarded a £140,000 contract to itself. Traders around Market Street and King Street in Southport have reported losing trade and income since roadworks started in after being turned down for financial help, they found Sefton Council had awarded a contract to Sefton Hospitality Operations Ltd (SHOL), a company wholly-owned by the council said the SHOL deal offered value for money for "industry-specific expertise", and that it was committed to "bringing more people into our town centres". SHOL is described as "focussed on the operation of assets in the hospitality sector from hotels through to bars and restaurants as well as outside catering, food delivery and events". Sefton Council confirmed that SHOL had done any consultancy work such as that it had won the contract for, but said its staff had "strong experience". It was set up in 2021 and last year posted a loss of close to £1.5m, up from £813,000 the year before. Market Quarter ward councillor John Pugh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there were questions over the contract. The Liberal Democrat group leader added: "It will come as a horrible irony to traders around the market that £41,000 of the new contract has been spent on further subsidy for the council-owned market." Rosie Coates, 43, who owns the Crystals & Crowns shop, said the news of SHOL's contract felt like a "massive slap in the face". "I am currently 87% down on taking from this time last year and its getting worse," she said many traders including herself were already struggling to keep the doors open."So if there's no money in the pot for compensation for any of the businesses from 10 months of road works – that's been planned for years – how have they magically found £138,000 to give to their own agency?" she said."It feels wrong," she added. Julie Goodwin has previously said she had to temporarily close her pub, Connolly's, due to the collapse in revenue while Tracy Jones who owns The Plant Room shop said she had to take a second job to pay the store Marion Atkinson, leader of the council, said if the council had gone to external consultants it would have cost about three times more than it paid to SHOL. Not investing in bringing more people into town centres would be "a dereliction of duty", she said, adding: "With this contract the money stays within the borough and comes back to the council ultimately." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Rebuilding Southport Pier will restore pride and visitors, MP says
Rebuilding a Victorian pier and reopening it for business will help "restore pride" in the seafront and boost the local economy, a town's MP has said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves named Southport Pier in the Spending Review on Wednesday as one of the projects which would benefit from a new Growth Mission Fund. The pier, which was built in 1860, has been shut since December 2022 due to health and safety concerns. Labour MP for Southport Patrick Hurley said its restoration would be "a turning point" for the town. He said: "This is about more than just rebuilding a pier, it's about restoring pride, boosting the local economy, and welcoming visitors back to Southport's seafront." The announcement was also welcomed by the town's former MP, now leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Sefton Council, John Pugh. He said: "This proves that pressure pays."The council has no further excuses to delay restoration, albeit, it will probably have to find some more capital to match any the chancellor funds." Julie Rudge, a volunteer at Kings Gardens, who was sitting in the sun outside a fish and chip restaurant at the start of the pier when she heard the news, said she was "thrilled". "It was one of the original iron piers in England, so it's nationally significant, not just local," she said. Fellow volunteer Beryl Davey said: "[The town has] had such negative press over the last year with the attacks, and this would bring such positive vibes."The pier was initially closed following a period of "extreme weather", but a subsequent inspection found rotting wooden slats and other defects. The council previously said it could not afford the £13m restoration costs. Hurley said details of exactly how the fund would work would be published "in the summer" along with "the specific amount of funding, the timescales for construction work and when the pier will reopen".A spokesperson for Sefton Council said the authority was ready to begin repair works once it had the funding in place. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apterra Infrastructure Capital Names John Pugh as Chief Risk Officer
NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apterra Infrastructure Capital LLC ('Apterra'), a leading infrastructure finance platform and affiliate of Apollo, today announced that John Pugh has joined as its Chief Risk Officer. Pugh brings to Apterra more than 25 years of experience in project finance, with investing experience in energy and infrastructure, and will report to Co-CEOs Ralph Cho and Michael Pantelogianis. Ralph Cho and Michael Pantelogianis, Co-CEOs of Apterra, stated: 'We are thrilled to welcome John to the Apterra team. He brings extensive risk management and infrastructure experience that will be invaluable as we continue to expand the Apterra franchise, reinforcing our position as an innovator in infrastructure financing. As we scale our operations and strengthen our leadership roster, we remain committed to shaping Apterra into the premier provider of flexible, forward-thinking financial solutions for the infrastructure sector.' John Pugh, Chief Risk Officer of Apterra, said: 'I am excited to join Apterra's highly skilled team as the company continues to scale, helping to address the substantial capital needs of next-generation energy and infrastructure projects. Apterra, backed by outstanding institutional partners, has built a reputation as a leading provider of innovative infrastructure finance solutions.' Since inception in 2023, Apterra has executed approximately $8 billion of infrastructure transactions globally and continues to grow its team of professionals in North America, Western Europe and Asia. Prior to joining Apterra, Pugh was Chief Risk Officer at GE Vernova Financial Services. He spent most of his career in GE's Energy Financial Services business, where he held several leadership positions, including serving as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Oil & Gas Infrastructure portfolio. He earned an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a BS in Finance from Montana State University. About Apterra Apterra, an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, is a premier platform specializing in innovative financing solutions for infrastructure projects. Our tailored capital services empower clients, including financial sponsors and developers, to optimize assets and achieve sustainable growth. Fuelled by strong relationships, our distribution network ensures seamless access to capital through partnerships with banks, investors, and asset managers. We are focused on driving growth and operational integrity in the infrastructure sector, while creating enduring value for our clients. Visit to learn more. Contacthttps:// in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business News Wales
01-05-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
Construction Workloads Boosted in First Quarter by Public Housing Activity
Construction workloads in Wales rose through the first three months of 2025 according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Construction Monitor, as a rise in public housing activity bolsters the sector. A net balance of 10% of surveyors in Wales reported a rise in overall construction activity, up from 3% seen in the final quarter of 2024. Public housing continues to see the highest workloads balance, with a net balance of 50% reporting an increase, the highest this balance has been in three years. Workloads in the private industrial subsector fell flat, and the net balances of the rest of the subsectors were all in negative territory; private housing (-14%), private commercial (-26%), infrastructure (-7%) and other public works (-5%). Surveyors in Wales remain optimistic about future workloads, with a net balance of 20% of respondents expecting an increase over the next year, up from 16% in the survey previous, and above the UK average of 17%. In saying this, profit margins are still expected to fall over the next 12-months. A net balance of -7% of surveyors in Wales anticipate that profit margins will decline. Welsh surveyors continue to report shortages in skilled workers. 60% report a shortage in quantity surveyors, down from 65% in Q4 2024, and 48% note a shortfall in other construction professionals compared to the 50% reported in the previous survey. 47% report a deficit in bricklayers which is down from 66% that was reported in the final quarter of 2024. Survey respondent John Pugh, chartered building surveyor and conservation consultant in Ruthin noted that the sector appears to be very buoyant. Jodie O'Connor of Penfro Consultancy Limited in Pembroke Dock said: 'Improved access and additional investment in training and retaining professionals across the West Wales region is essential to support the growth and development of sustainable energy projects and related infrastructure.' Commenting on the UK picture, RICS Chief Economist, Simon Rubinsohn, said: 'Construction activity was largely flat over the quarter with respondents expressing a little more caution in the face of the heightened level uncertainty both at a global and domestic level. In particular, concerns about the implementation of tariffs and what this might mean for costs and economic activity as well as the potential impact of the uplift in employer NI contributions are highlighted in the feedback. 'Significantly, aside from financial issues the most cited obstacle to activity referenced in the survey is planning and regulation which chimes neatly with the government's agenda. Addressing this issue is critical if the ambitions around housing and infrastructure are to be met. 'That said, for now the forward-looking metrics point to a relatively modest uplift in construction workloads over the next twelve months with profitability in the sector remaining under pressure.'
