Business
Darren Briggs of Ascona wins ‘Scale-up Entrepreneur of The Year’
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DARREN BRIGGS, Ascona Group’s CEO and founder, was awarded the Wales Scale-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2023 this week (Nov 20).
The award recognises Darren’s leadership at Pembrokeshire-based Ascona as the Group embarked on a redevelopment programme across its portfolio of sites. In keeping with Ascona’s strategy to evolve unloved forecourts and transform them into vibrant, world-class roadside retail destinations, Darren’s team has made some significant investments in Wales over the last 12 months.
Since Ascona was founded in 2011, the team has focused its attention on the Group’s “Asconarisation” strategy which focuses on transforming forecourts into first-rate roadside assets that cater for their local community’s needs, with a view to sustainable and profitable growth. This year has seen annual run rate revenues in excess of £300m and operational EBITDA of £25m.
Recognised annually as one of the most prestigious accolades in the entrepreneurial world, The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards received over 5,000 applications this year alone.
The judges were thoroughly impressed with Ascona Group and all the hard work Darren and the Ascona team have done over the years, noting Ascona’s “remarkable ability to transform neglected assets into thriving retail destinations”, which left a lasting impression on the panel. The judges also commended the Group’s growth trajectory and forward-looking vision for the future.
Darren Briggs, CEO and Founder of Ascona Group, told The Herald: “I am thrilled to be awarded the Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year award for our work in transforming unloved forecourts in Wales into some of the best retail destinations in the country.
“As always, my thanks must go to everyone at Ascona. This is not an individual achievement but a reflection of the whole team’s unwavering commitment to delivering excellence in everything that we do.
“This is a proud moment for all of us at Ascona and the award reflects the success of our transformative redevelopment programme and we look forward to delivering on some exciting projects in 2024 and beyond.”
Francesca James, founder of The Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards, said: “I am thrilled to witness the extraordinary achievements of this year’s winners. Their success stories are a testament to the dynamic and innovative spirit that thrives within UK entrepreneurship. These inspiring entrepreneurs embody the creativity, determination, and passion that are at the heart of our nation’s business success. Their accomplishments not only celebrate their own journeys but also light the way for future generations of innovators and business leaders”.
Richard Davies, CEO of Allica Bank said: “It has been a real honour to sponsor this year’s GBEA awards. Hearing the inspiring stories from this year’s winners really brings to life the important contribution British entrepreneurs make to our economy. At Allica, we couldn’t be more excited to see such a talented group of individuals making their mark in the business world and we’ll be keeping a close eye on what they do next.”
Business
West Wales airport most people have never flown from under new management
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A NEW group has taken over the operation of Swansea Airport after what were described as high-level talks with the site’s owner, Swansea Council. Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance is running the airport on a temporary basis after the previous leaseholder agreed to relinquish its lease.
The airport will continue to operate, and the council said it would soon start a process to find a long-term tenant. Council leader Rob Stewart said: “We’re delighted to have the alliance in place as a temporary new leaseholder. They’ve started running the airport and its members are eager to make a success of it.”
Council joint deputy leader David Hopkins said: “We’ll start to look for a long-term solution through a competitive tender process. The alliance will have the opportunity, with others, to bid in that process. There’ll be opportunities for future investment in Swansea Airport.”
The council said a range of issues with the previous tenant had arisen over recent years, resulting in the existing lease being brought to an end. It did not envisage any additional cost to the taxpayer and said the airport would remain open.
Bob Oliver, chairman of the alliance, said: “Today marks the culmination of three years of intensive work by the alliance. I pay tribute to the skill and professionalism of alliance members, of our stakeholders and of the council, who have put their faith in us to secure a brighter future for the airport.
“Our first task is to take stock of what we have inherited and then begin to bring the airport back to life – to make it a welcoming place to visit, to start delivering social, environmental and economic benefits to the council and the people of Swansea and to make it a facility we can all be proud of.”
Business
Local builder named as top finalist in Screwfix Tradesperson Awards 2024
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SOLVA builder Chris James is constructing his way to the top after being shortlisted for the final ten of the 2024 Screwfix Top Tradesperson Award.
The 37-year-old, who has been in the construction industry for the past 15 years, will now go head-to-to-head with nine other finalists from across the UK and Ireland after beating off fierce competition from over 1,000 applicants.
Chris’s company, Kingsmere Carpentry and Construction, is also committed to raising funds after securing over £50,000 for the children’s charity ‘Farms for City Children’. The charity enables children from disadvantaged communities to find out about working on farms in the countryside.
Chris is also committed to working sustainably bu using waste responsibly by using excess wood to fuel fires. He also plans to invest in a new fleet of electric or hybrid vehicles for use in his company.
In addition to gaining the coveted title, the, the winner will take home a trade bundle of tech, tools and training worth £20,000.
The finals take place at Screwfix LIVE on Friday, September 27 where a panel of industry experts will put Chris and the other finalists through their paces before selecting this year’s overall champion.
Business
Nearly 100 new homes ‘for local people’ approved in Tenby
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A CONTROVERSIAL Tenby housing scheme with nearly 100 “local houses for local people” which will be visible from the island of Caldey has been approved by national park planners
In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council, which already owned the 15-acre Brynhir site on the edge of Tenby, ‘bought’ the land for £4million using its Housing Revenue Account.
Campaigners fought a two-year battle against the use of the land for housing, calling for protection for ‘Tenby’s last green space’ and fearing it would become a ‘concrete jungle’.
The county council was granted outline planning permission by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority for the development of 144 properties – including up to 102 affordable units – in 2020.
It is now proposed that only 125 houses will be built, 93 of them affordable, and, of the 32 Open market dwellings, 16 are shared ownership properties.
Amendments also included the removal of a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA), one of two Local Equipped Area for Play Spaces (LEAPS) instead providing a multi-use space for ball games.
The reserved matters application, backed in principle by Tenby Town Council, was recommended for conditional approval at the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park development management committee meeting of September 4, despite being contrary to the provisions of the Development Plan.
Tenby Civic Society has raise numerous concerns to the scheme and 20 objections were also received from members of the public, raising concerns including loss of green space, traffic issues, privacy, design, visual impacts and the scale of the development, sewage capacity, the site being no longer allocated for housing, potential antisocial behaviour within the play area, and a limitation on second homes/holiday lets being required.
At the September meeting, concerns about the proposal were raised by Jane Merrony of 1,100-member Tenby Green Space Preservation Society, who said it was inappropriate in its proposed location and “a visual intrusion which will be seen from Caldey Island”.
She told members the scheme would place “extreme pressure” on existing waste water infrastructure and questioned the viability of the development, with fears it could be sold off to a private developer.
The application was passed by park planners after approval was moved by Cllr Di Clements, who expressed her difficulty in weighing the balance between green spaces and housing needs.
Speaking after the meeting, local county councillor, and committee member, Cllr Sam Skyrme-Blackhall said building work was expected to start next year, adding: “These will be let on a local letting policy – they will be local houses for local people. They can’t be sold, they will always be council housing.”
She added: “I believe that this is a hugely important decision for Tenby. We need housing for local people and I am delighted that 93 properties will be council housing. This is good news for our Schools and good news for Tenby. Properties will be let on a strict local letting policy, which means Tenby and the immediate surrounding area only.
“I would like to congratulate the teams from Pembrokeshire County Council on getting to this stage but I also say loudly and clearly that the real hard work starts now and we have to do all that we can to ensure that these properties are built as soon as possible. We have a housing crisis now and need these properties built and let to local people.
“I know that not everyone will be happy. There are people who opposed the scheme for quite legitimate reasons but in the end, for me the balance of the argument was in favour of the scheme and the housing it will provide.”
Fellow Tenby councillor Michael Williams welcomed the scheme but raised concerns about foul water drainage.
“The initial proposal was to run foul water in a North Westerly direction with a new pipeline and despite reassurances from Dwr Cymru I still have major concerns about the capacity of the existing system to deal with such a large development. There are also in my opinion unaddressed concerns regarding storm water runoff and inadequate landscaping on the southern boundary.”
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