Carlisle’s first four-star hotel and the creation of more than 1,500 jobs is just the tip of the iceberg of positive moves by Kingmoor Park that will help Cumbria lead the way out of recession.

Kingmoor Park is Cumbria’s Strategic Employment Site with over 100 companies and 1,500 employees currently on site. 

The site is located near to Junction 44 of the M6 and will soon enjoy a direct link following the completion of the Carlisle Northern Development Route which is a new arterial road currently being built that passes straight through the middle of the site before joining the M6. 

On completion of this project the numbers of employees could rise to over 3000 thanks to two associated multi million pound projects that are in the pipeline for this 400 acre industrial estate.

The “Hub Development”, is timed to open in conjunction with the new road in the summer of 2012.  This project is likely to create the city’s first purpose built four-star hotel.  It is a mixed use development that will be based around one of the new roundabouts being created on the site as part of the CNDR project. 

The flagship, 130-bed, four-star hotel, with conference suite and a fitness centre, will be a focal point of the ‘Hub’ that will also include restaurants, a convenience store, cafes, offices, neighbourhood shops, a bus terminus, petrol filling station and crèche.  The realisation of this development will change the face of Kingmoor Park for the future moving it away from a traditional industrial estate to an attractive hub where people can work, live, shop and unwind.  

As part of the development, new pedestrian and cycle links will be created and existing ones enhanced throughout the business park.  Native tree and hedge planting will increase the amenity and environment of the park and encourage greater ecological diversity.

Meanwhile, another 90 acres of land has also received planning permission for B1, B2 and B8 usage and has the capability of housing in excess of 1.2million sqft of purpose built business and distribution accommodation.  This new development, which has been named “The Brunthill Estate” will firmly establish Kingmoor Park’s position as the largest industrial estate in Cumbria and in the North West.  These two major projects together with the site’s excellent location and transport links and the availability of a diverse range of units, warehouses, development land for sale and office space also ensures Cumbria’s viability as a business location capable of holding its own on the national economic development stage.

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Barrow MP, John Woodcock has sent a video message of support for the launch of eBusinessCumbria

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Uncovering the Duvet Day with legal law solicitor Hazel Phillips 

As the new flu season approaches, sickness absence will start to become a hot topic for employers. Although every employer accepts that people are ill from time to time, repetitive short term absences can put a considerable strain on other staff and can have a significant impact on an organisation’s performance. Short term absences are often more annoying and costly than long term sickness absence because, being unexpected, such absences are difficult to plan for.

Tackling ill health absence is always a sensitive issue but an employer is entitled to tolerate only a certain level of intermittent sickness absence. Any employee who exceeds that level should be subject to disciplinary action.   However, it is important that there is a sickness absence policy, or some other written guidance in place, which sets out clearly for both the employer and the employee what level of attendance is required.

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The Cumberland Society of Chartered Accountants’ is hosting an intensivehalf-day course for finance experts working for charities.

The Society’s event will be looking at the Charities Act, topical tax issues and other regulatory developments and the speaker is Phil Frost, who was the Midlands regional director of Financial Training before joining Mercia in 2001.

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Read related article: Why chartered accountant Faye Armstrong specialises in charity.

Providing specialist services to people and their families living with the consequences of brain injury or a neurological condition, Neuro Partners has grown from a one-city, three man team to a north of England service in just five year.

The company has created 100 new jobs in Cumbria and their expansion plans will see a further 40-60 new positions created in coming months. And it’s not the qualifications but the personalities that MD Jonathan Wade and one of the three founding members of the business is looking for when recruiting. And he puts this emphasis on people at the heart of the company’s success.

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A few places are still available for tomorrows, October 7 Financial Diversification Workshop for Social Enterprise  at Strickland House, Kendal.

Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership in association with SELNET (Social Enterprise Lancashire Network) is providing free workshops for Social Enterprises in Cumbria.

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Read related article on invitation to tender for Social Enterprise North West annual event.

A round up of just some of the business stories covered in the past seven days on eBusinessCumbria the daily local business news website.

Westmorland MP, Tim Farron, has called on the Chancellor to pilot the rural fuel tax cut scheme in the South Lakes

In the last budget the Chancellor outlined plans for a pilot of government plans to remove some tax from the cost of fuel bought in rural areas.  South Lakes MP Tim Farron – who ensured that this policy was in the Liberal Democrats’ election manifesto - is calling for the pilot area to be in the South Lakes. The fuel duty rebate would mean fairer fuel prices for remote areas such as ours.

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A Cumbrian council is asking developers, landowners and members of the public to let it know about sites which could be suitable for housing.

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Financial cuts to business support agency Business Link are not preventing them from providing information and advice for new and established business people in the county.

Following a detailed review of its operations to bring it in line with Government budget reductions at the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Business Link Northwest is undergoing restructuring, to deliver a streamlined Business Link service.

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A significant step forward in hazard reduction work on the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond has been taken at Sellafield with the commissioning trial of a new pond purge unit to treat radioactive pond water. 

The expected benefits are a reduction in radioactive dose rates in the immediate vicinity of the fuel storage pond, a reduction in aerial discharges to the atmosphere and reduced operator doses during fuel retrievals. 

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Kendal Festival of Food just keeps getting feistier. The Festival, which showcases the very best local produce and food prepared within Kendal and the South Lakes has announced new elements for 2010, to take visitor numbers to even higher levels than in 2009.

The Festival runs October 22-29 with activities mainly happening in the fields, farmyards, restaurants, cafes and hotels where food is produced, or cooked. Backing the samplings, demonstrations, food offers and other activities participating businesses stage are exciting public events.

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The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, based in Bowness-on-Windermere has been accredited as a Quality Assured Visitor Attraction by Visit Britain.

The Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service (VAQAS) Marque is a top accolade, which recognises high-quality tourist attractions.

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Over 180 Sellafield Ltd project managers attended the latest Project Management Forum in Lancaster. 

With an eclectic agenda consisting of presentations, interactive workshops and facilitated sessions the forum was designed to engage the project management community in driving forward improvements, generate a feeling of empowerment and make a difference to our project delivery. 

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Alard Properties Ltd (APL), the management team behind Kingmoor Park in Carlisle, together with HOW Planning have secured approval for a major mixed use development close to the heart of the town centre in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

 Now known as Bridgewater Place, the scheme is set to transform over 25 acres of aging industrial space into a vibrant commercial and residential location following approval of an outline planning application and accompanying Masterplan by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council.

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A new facility for young people with profound disabilities will be created in Carlisle.

The Trustees of Carlisle Mencap were given the “virtual” designs for the proposed Grace Little Centre which have been created by Carlisle based Architects Plus. 

The Centre, when built will be the only respite facility for parents with profoundly disabled children in the area.  The designs, including a computer generated fly-through, were launched in the offices of Architects Plus, Victoria Galleries, Viaduct House, Victoria Viaduct, Carlisle, CA3 8AN.

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Cumbrian business people are driving a new project to benefit young people in the county – and the Mayor of Carlisle has been hosting a charity dinner to raise funds for the project.

The new Carlisle Youth Zone project at Victoria Place will be a great opportunity for the young people of the City and the surrounding area.

 It will be open seven days a week to all children and young people aged 8-21, and older for those who may have disabilities or learning difficulties.

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Pictured the Mayor of Carlisle and her husband at the charity dinner in aid of CYZ.

Local knowledge is vital in business, which is why eBusinessCumbria has invited local business experts to write regularly for you.

Our regular writers include: networking guru Allison Timmins, communications expert Sally Seed and Hazel Duhy, Cumbrian representative on the North West Women’s Enterprise Forum (NWWEF), an Enterprise UK Ambassador and also Proprietor of Woodrom Services (Virtual Administration, Secretarial and Graphic Design Service) and The Ripple Effect (promoting small businesses across Cumbria).

More writers will be joining the team over the coming weeks and months. 

This month Allison looks at "Networking as a business activity".

Building your business through word of mouth networking is not a contest to see who can attend the most meetings. It's about building the best relationships! Therefore, you must be selective about your efforts and focus not only on attending meetings but also on building bonds with the people you meet at those meetings. Unfortunately, it's all too common for businesspeople to focus on breadth--not depth--in their networking.

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Virtual Administration - creating more time for you to run your business

Ask most people what the least appealing aspect of running their business is and they will answer “administration”… it is time consuming, uses skills you may not be proficient in, isn’t a direct profit-making activity and, frankly for many, it is unexciting. So imagine doing nothing but admin every day – that’s what we do.

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When clarity is crucial

You can define clear communications in lots of ways – Plain English, no jargon or even just sufficiently large type not to have to grab your glasses.  For me, it’s all about the right words so that people quickly understand what you’re saying and what you want them to do.

That last bit is sometimes forgotten but crucial.

What’s the use of a beautifully crafted text if your reader is left thinking “So what?”

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