Alan Bunce

Stories by Alan Bunce

Below are recent stories by Alan Bunce

• Published: 3 Mar 2009 15:00

  Mandelson and Darling descend on town

  BUSINESS secretary Lord Mandelson and Chancellor Alistair Darling were in Reading this week to see at first hand how the town is selling itself.

• Published: 13 Feb 2009 12:55

  Go ahead for town centre improvements

  ALMOST £2m of new investment will be put into Reading town centre over the next five years after businesses voted to support plans to a new and enlarged Business Improvement District (BID).

• Published: 26 Jan 2009 10:00

  Herrington & Carmichael given the thumbs up

  WOKINGHAM law firm Herrington & Carmichael LLP has given the thumbs up to Government proposals to replace the doctors' sick note with electronic ‘fit' notes.

• Published: 5 Dec 2008 07:00

  World's cheapest electric car

  An inventor is appealing for financial backing to drive forward his designs for the world's cheapest electric car.

• Published: 4 Dec 2008 08:00

  Wintertime and the living is Zizzi

  IF the crowd at Zizzi on a cold Wednesday night was anything to go by, Wokingham residents are scarcely noticing the credit crunch.

• Last updated: 18 Nov 2008 12:44

  Jobs threat at Theale HQ

  BUILDING and plumbing equipment supplier Wolseley would give no indication how the firm's 2,300 job loses would affect its head office at Theale.

• Published: 7 Nov 2008 09:00

  Eden aims for Michelin star

  READING'S most exclusive town centre restaurant opened this week - complete with its own celebrity chef.

• Published: 7 Nov 2008 08:00

  Credit crunch could help independent shops

  THE credit crunch could spark a re-emergence of independent traders according to a local property agent.

• Published: 23 Oct 2008 07:00

  Build family homes, urges planning expert

  READING faces a population imbalance with too few family homes, according to a leading planning consultant.

• Published: 28 Aug 2008 09:00

  Ten years of Royals hospitality

  FOR one Reading fan the Madejski Stadium has not only been a theatre of royal dreams but helped him grow his business alongside the club. Chris Bartlett, a Royals fan of almost 40 years, is a veteran of the Tilehurst End and the South Bank at Elm Park. He is one of the founders of IT recruitment specialists GCS and is now a regular supporter not only of the team on matchdays but of the club through its corporate hospitality. His memories of the hospitality at Elm Park evoked mixed emotions. He said: "I only ever attended the hospitality boxes at Elm Park once - at the invitation of a friend, Kiren Sharma, managing director of Gravity Personnel. "The food and drink was very basic and the boxes themselves had a wooden shed appeal but Kiren was a great host and meeting another businessman or two and a player or two made it a great afternoon." He was quickly sold on the delights of the new stadium though and after a tour of the unfinished structure in 1998, he took executive box number 6 for season 1998/99. The following year he took space in the Royals restaurant where he has remained ever since, occasionally sponsoring the match ball or the match itself. Mr Bartlett said the Premiership took his relationships with clients to a new level: "The excitement of the Premiership was excellent and our table was fully booked with customers, certainly throughout the first season and generally for the second. "Even though we have slipped down a league we have maintained our presence in the restaurant, the food is always excellent and it remains a great way to socialise with customers. It is great for networking around the local and not so local business community." Mr Bartlett added: "The move to the Madejski and the vision that John Madejski had for the club has been a great boom for business in Reading. "Although Elm Park had its own magic and atmosphere, the Madstad has taken the experience to a much higher level and provided local business with facilities that we could only dream about over 10 years ago."

• Published: 28 Aug 2008 09:00

  Rates misery costing tens of thousands.

  EMPTY commercial buildings are costing businesses and individuals tens of thousands of pounds because of legislation brought in this year. In April the Government slashed the rate relief available on empty buildings - meaning shops or offices left vacant for more than three months no longer get a 50% rate rebate. Owners of industrial buildings, who used to get full relief when a building was empty, find their 'holiday' stops after six months. According to property experts in Reading that means charities, businesses and individuals are losing out and firms are knocking down unwanted buildings quicker. Rents are being driven down because major landlords undercut lesser rivals to keep buildings occupied. Serviced offices which typically have to carry on average of around 20% vacant space are among the hardest hit. David Janes, who runs Asmec with serviced offices in Bracknell and Theale, said: "It is quite a serious problem. This last year our rates bill has gone up £46,000 which is a massive amount of money for a small company." He is unable to charge the same rents as last year and he dubs the law change "another stealth tax". Linda Staker, ratings partner at Hicks Baker, said the legislation will discourage development and developers will be more reluctant to market buildings. She added: "Instead of leaving a poor quality building, they are saying. 'Let's knock this down'." That, she said. means charities aren't getting cheap or rent-free short term leases on empty buildings. Rod Thomas, head of rating at Vail Williams, highlighted one warehouse building in Basingstoke Road demolished early as a direct result of the legislation. But he said: "The real pain is for private investors. You or I might have inherited a shop or an old warehouse and the economy goes under so it's empty. "Not only do you not get an income but you are forced to pay tens of thousands of pounds in business rates. Some people must be at their wits' ends."

• Last updated: 3 Jul 2008 11:53

  Road charges will cripple us say bosses

  Peak time congestion charging got a thumbs down from the town's business community.

• Last updated: 8 Jul 2008 11:45

  War hero Walter, 87, joins medal parade

  A WAR veteran who has had a platoon named after him was honoured during the 100th anniversary celebration of the Territorial Army.

• Published: 9 May 2008 11:30

  GreenPark's top man quits

  THE top man at GreenPark is to move on.

• Published: 8 May 2008 12:00

  Campaign for T5 rail loop

  A NEW rail loop has been proposed as a solution to some of the traffic woes affecting Slough and the area around Heathrow Airport.

• Published: 8 May 2008 11:00

  Campaign for T5 rail loop

  A NEW rail loop has been proposed as a solution to some of the Thames Valley's traffic woes.

• Last updated: 24 Apr 2008 12:20

  Branch out at the Tree

  IN JANUARY, locals in Mortimer got their first glimpse of what had become of a popular pub.

• Last updated: 28 Mar 2008 11:35

  Businesses demand 21st century transport

  BUSINESS lobbyists wanting improved access to Heathrow have suggested a monorail along the M4, new motorway toll lanes and even underground busways to link the Thames Valley to the airport.

• Last updated: 28 Feb 2008 14:22

  Yell will move to town's biggest office

  YELL has announced plans to move all its 1,300 Reading-based staff to the town's biggest office building.

• Published: 21 Feb 2008 09:00

  Support group is changing with the times

  AN advisory and support group for ethnic businesses has reinvented itself to adapt to Berkshire's rapidly changing business environment.

• Published: 21 Feb 2008 09:00

  Bank's £8,000 gift saves courses

  BARCLAYS has come to the rescue of specialist training courses to help young offenders stay out of crime by starting their own businesses.

• Last updated: 1 Feb 2008 11:28

  Huge new offices for Green Park

  PRUDENTIAL has announced plans to start work on two new office buildings at Green Park totalling almost 500,000 sq ft.