Betting empire set to
create 400 new jobs
by Gary Skentelbery
THE former Spectrum Arena at Birchwood, Warrington, is set to create a major jobs boom for the town after being transformed by the world’s largest independent bookmaker.
During the official opening of the new look Spectrum, Fred Done, founder of the Done Bookmakers empire, revealed the centre would be creating up to 400 new jobs over the next 12 months.
It is already home to 200 employees and is where the company is developing BETFRED.com, its new internet betting service, which has already registered 750 users and turned over ?400,000 in just two weeks, even before being launched!
It’s still small change compared to the company’s annual turnover of ?500 million, from 450 shops, eight in Warrington.
Fred, who still runs his empire as a “family business” has turned down the lure of other big players in the market and says he will “never” become a plc.
He has come a long way from his early days when he launched his first shop in Salford in 1967 with his younger brother Peter, who is the backbone behind one of their other business interests, Peninsula Business Services, the UK’s leading Employment Law, Health and Safety and Personnel consultancy.
After out growing their premises in salford the Spectrum Arena was seen as the ideal venue for expansion.
Now in his 60’s Fred has no plans to retire and sees a huge future in internet betting.
“A total of ?15 billion was spent over the internet on poker alone last year – this market didn’t exist in the year 2000!” he said.
“We are lucky that bookmakers in the UK have a good reputation worldwide as we are licensed and regulated by the Government. People know that if they win they will get paid.”
He added: “I am lucky to have the support of my wife Mo behind me. She has always been a great support and whenever there has been a problem more common sense has come out of her mouth than mine!”
His decision to move into the Spectrum Arena has delighted members of the local town council, who realise the “boom” it will create in the area, in particular with the new jobs.
The Spectrum had been a “white elephant” for many years after failing as an entertainment and leisure complex and latterly as a set for movies.
Now after being re-developed by Fred it at long last looks set to be a success.
Parr Hall “threatened
by financial crisis”
by David Skentelbery
WARRINGTON’S main concert venue, the historic Parr Hall, is facing a financial crisis and could be at risk of closing.
The 109-year-old hall is losing ?800,000-a-year – “a huge sum of money to be losing” according to Liberal Democrat councillors.
Coun Ian Marks, the Liberal Democrat leader, said there was a risk of the hall, in Palmyra Square, going the same way as Warrington Baths, which closed earlier this year.
A Town Hall scrutiny team has been investigating the hall’s plight and their recommendations will be presented to the education and culture scrutiny sub- committee next week.
But Coun Marks said: “The recommendation is just to sit back and support the Parr Hall in its current role and ‘to respond reactively to repair/updating requirements as they arise.’
“This is no way to run such an important feature of the town. If we do this, there is a risk that the Hall will go the same way as the Baths and face closure. That would be a tragic loss.”
Coun Marks said another option of looking at the costs and benefits of developing the venue to meet the requirements of performers and audiences was rejected, despite an admission that it was not known which was the cheaper option in the long term.
“Accepting an annual loss of ?800,000 and not having any facts on the options for the way forward is quite unacceptable.”
Lib Dem Councillor Trudi Wood added: “I led a small task group that worked for 18 months gathering information on the Parr Hall and consulted with local people. I am very disappointed because all this work appears to have been wasted if we’re sitting back and doing nothing.”
The report to be considered by councillors next week says much of the equipment at the hall is outdated and, in some instances, will not meet new health and safety legislation. An increasing number of performers and companies will not use the hall because it does not meet their needs.
In addition, the hall is facing increasing competition from out-of-town venues, particularly Liverpool and Manchester.
Ex-councillor to
steer bus company
by David Skentelbery
AN ex-councillor who lost his seat in the borough council elections in June is to take over as chairman of Warrington’s flagship bus company.
Former parish, county and borough councillor Eddie Coop has taken on the key role after a unanimous decision by the board of the council-owned Warrington Borough Transport.
But his appointment has angered the Liberal Democrat opposition group on the council who were denied a place on the company board.
They say Mr Coop has no particular expertise in passenger transport and the job is nothing short of a “consolation prize” for an ex-councillor.
Liberal Democrat leader Ian Marks accused Labour of “hogging” places on the board.
He said: “Transport is a major issue for the town and it is right that the major opposition party should be represented. There is no justification for this behaviour. I thought that after the election the Labour Party had changed its ways, but clearly it hasn’t.”
Mr Coop, who takes over from former chairman Les Taylor-Duff, has served in a number of high profile roles, including most-recently chairman of the borough council’s scrutiny committee.
He has been active in a number of external organisations including Cheshire Fire Authority and the North West Regional Assembly.
He said: “I am proud to take on the role of chairman at this very important point in the history of the company.
“Warrington Borough Transport has made huge strides forward in recent years, which has seen major investment in the bus fleet, the introduction of a real time passenger information system and the reaching of Investor in People status.
“Everyone at the company is determined that we continue to build on our success and the next few years promise to be equally exciting and progressive. We are already helping to drive forward plans for a new bus station by 2006 and public transport will play a major strategic role in plans to tackle traffic congestion in our town.”
Managing director Nigel Featham added: “Eddie brings with him a vast amount of wide-ranging experience and his skill as a chairman will be invaluable to the company. This is a very welcome appointment. I know Eddie will help us build on his predecessor’s good work and we are looking forward to a successful period under his leadership.”
“Lift off” for the
“hidden shopping gem”
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON town centre’s “hidden shopping gem” Hatter’s Row is set to benefit from a lift to ease the pains and strains of shopping.
A recent review of the centre has resulted in a number of changes and the decision to provide a customer lift is seen as an important factor to attract quality shops on the first floor.
Centre manager Stephen Pickering said: “For a number of years disabled people and young mothers with prams have struggled to get to the lovely caf? on the first floor, and now I am delighted that this new facility will improve access for everyone.”
The units inside Hatter’s Row have recently become sought after properties following proposals to relocate the bus station and the redevelopment of Golden Square Shopping Centre. Within the last few weeks there has been a flurry of activity with six exciting new shops taking units in the centre, all of which will be open by early October.
The lift is due to be in place by early November – just in time for the Christmas rush and a major promotional campaign
has been organised to put Hatters Row firmly on the retail map.
Crack down on
untaxed vehicles
by John Hendon
TRAFFIC police at Warrington joined forces with the DVLA in a crack down on motorists who don’t have an up to date tax disc.
Untaxed vehicles were clamped and removed from the road by DVLA as part of the intelligence led operation involving static road side checks and “on street” checks. The operation was designed to recover outstanding vehicle excise duty and to deny offenders the use of the borough’s roads.
Sergeant Ian Stott, of the Warrington Road Policing Unit, said: “These vehicles are often poorly maintained, are not insured and from experience, the drivers of untaxed vehicles are likely to be committing other criminal offences.
“This kind of initiative denies criminals the use of the borough’s roads.”
An Automatic Number Plate Recognition Unit (ANPR Unit), staffed by DVLA officers, and supported by traffic officers, was located on the A49 Winwick Road on various days.
It scanned the registrations of passing vehicles to see if any match those on DVLA’s database of untaxed vehicles.
On street checks were carried out by DVLA and traffic officers patrolling the streets of the borough.
Health chiefs speak of
“courageous” 12 months
by John Hendon
COMMUNITY health bosses in Warrington say they have been “courageous” over the last 12 months in tackling difficult issues and long standing problems.
Their role across the borough has blossomed and they have been imaginative in initiating schemes aimed at improving the health of the population, according to chief executive Jonathan Smith.
But he accepts that, inevitably, there is cap between expectation and the capacity of the organisation to deliver.
“We have found that in some of the high priority national policy areas we have some way to go in being able to achieve and sustain a high level of performance.
“The decrepit state of many of the buildings that we inherited from our predecessor organisations and the basic lack of office space have become ever more apparent. This has left many of our staff still working in unsatisfactory conditions and some of our collective potential untapped.
“Furthermore, we have yet to fully bring the views of our patients and public into the heart of the way we work. Nevertheless, the prospects for further development in 2004/05 are encouraging. We value the feedback from our patients, their families and the wider community in helping us in our focus to improve health in every neighbourhood across the town.” Mr Smith’s comments are made as part of the second annual report of Warrington Primary Care Trust (PCT), the organisation which runs GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacists, district nurses and other community health services across the borough.
Highlights of the report included:
More than 645,000 appointments were provided by GP practices.
Some 30,000 first visits to out-patients were organised.
There were 22,000 planned operations carried out; 15,000 as day cases.
About 18,000 emergency admissions to hospital were made.
The maximum waiting time for patients put on a list until their operation fell from 12 months to nine months .
The maximum waiting time for outpatient appointments fell from 21 weeks to 17 weeks.
PCT chairman Robin Brown (pictured, above) said much had been accomplished in two years but much remained to be done.
He said: “We have high quality leadership, excellent management skills, a willingness to innovate and good relationships with other organisations, all of which will help us achieve our aims. This is linked to good local knowledge and an understanding of the communities we serve.
We have worked hard to give the best and most appropriate service to the people of Warrington within the set budget.”
Four homes approved
for bungalow site
by David Skentelbery
PLANNERS have given the green light to a development of four houses on the site of a large bungalow at Winwick, near Warrington.
The bungalow – Ferndell, in Newton Road – will be demolished to make way for the scheme.
But developers Geldart Properties have amended their proposals considerably from earlier ones which brought objections from neighbours.
Originally, the four properties were smaller but had balconies, bringing protests from neighbours of loss of privacy.
They also claimed the scheme would damage the character of the area and that the site would be over-developed. Valuable trees could be lost and there would be a loss of daylight for adjoining properties.
Winwick Parish Council also objected on the grounds of over-development.
But planning officers recommended the scheme be approved, pointing out that although the properties were larger, the balconies had been removed from all but one property which would not cause any loss of privacy.
On balance it was considered the development would not have a significant harmful affect on the area.
Disruption as men
threaten to jump
by staff reporter
POLICE and fire service chiefs have expressed concern after three incidents in as many days involving men threatening to throw themselves in the Mersey at Bridge Foot, Warrington.
In each case, police managed to “talk down” to people involved.
But in each case, traffic was brought to a standstill and fire crews deployed an inflatable boat and lowered booms across the river to enable the man to be rescued if he jumped.
A spokesman said: “This is diverting police and fire officers from other duties. It is a waste of police and fire officers’ time.
“Two of the incidents were on the same day, within a couple of hours of each other and they caused considerable distruption in the town centre.”
In at least two cases, the men were taken to hospital after questioning at the police station. In one case a man was cautioned for a public order offence.
A Fire Service spokesman commented: “It would appear that threatening to jump at Bridge Foot is becoming something of a Warrington past-time.”
