Bath-based landscape architecture practice Grant Associates is to co-design a new ‘living laboratory’ science centre in Singapore 10 years after it helped create the city-state’s world-renowned Gardens by the Bay. The 101-hectare (250-acre) gardens in central Singapore have become a national icon, boasting the largest glass greenhouse in the world, while its Supertrees, 18...
The boss of the South West’s largest business group has urged firms to ‘stay positive’ this year in the face of huge challenges. Phil Smith, managing director of Business West – which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce – also said companies could benefit in 2023 by being based in an innovative region at the...
Outsourced human resources consultancy The HR Dept is partnering with small business support specialist Cool Ventures to provide free advice for Bath firms under a regional business initiative. The scheme, which runs until next March, provides a range of free business support to SMEs and individuals based in Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire needing...
Bath’s Christmas Market, which returned this year for the first time since 2019, has been described as a “resounding success” by business and tourism chiefs, while Google has revealed it was the second most searched for festive market in the UK. Visitor numbers were up on some days compared to three years ago, while...
New occupiers for a shopping centre that changed hands this summer in a multi-million pound deal are being sought by its recently appointed property agency – with an emphasis on restaurant, leisure and health operators. National property consultancy Carter Jonas was taken as the sole leasing agents for the Emery Gate centre in Chippenham,...
Businesses and venues from Bath’s tourism and hospitality industries have again landed an armful of accolades at a regional awards ceremony. The Roman Baths and Pump Room, Lucknam Park & Spa and No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath were among the top winners at the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards, with a number of first-time entrants also...
Bath’s only Michelin-starred chef, Chris Cleghorn of the Olive Tree Restaurant, has been named the Hotel Restaurant Chef of the Year at the hotel industry ‘Oscars’, the Hotel Cateys. The prestigious awards celebrate the UK’s most successful hotel operators and their employees and are the industry’s only truly independent benchmark of operational excellence, with...
Heat pump installation firm Igloo has been snapped up by 100% renewable electricity provider Good Energy as it continues to look for growth opportunities in other green energy markets. The Chippenham-headquartered group, which also part owns electric vehicle charge point mapping app Zap-Map, is paying £1.75m for Igloo. It said the takeover “represented a...
Work on a £4m redevelopment of Bristol Airport’s departure lounge has started as passenger numbers continue to approach pre-pandemic level. The airport, which this summer claimed to have the fastest recovery of any in the UK, said the scheme would improve the pre-flight shopping and dining experience for passengers with enhanced facilities to its...
Confidence levels among South West firms about their prospects and those of the UK economy have unexpectedly increased, according to a new survey – although optimism remains far lower than it did just months ago. While confidence fell by four percentage points during October to minus 4%, last month it picked back up to plus 5%...
