Therme Manchester wellbeing resort development at TraffordCity is underway

Demolition of a former events venue is now making way for Therme Manchester - a new c.£250m development at TraffordCity and the UK’s first city-based wellbeing resort. Spanning 28-acres opposite Trafford Palazzo and The Trafford Centre, Therme Manchester at TraffordCity, will be a beacon for the North West of England with attractions for all ages and budgets including Greater Manchester’s first all-season urban beach, a next generation indoor waterpark and thermal pools and spas.

Regeneration business Peel L&P has now finished clearing the 28,000 sq metre former EventCity conference and exhibition centre at its TraffordCity site on Barton Dock

Road in preparation for the flagship development.

The development’s economic impact is estimated to be worth £4.5bn to the region including the creation of 1,200 jobs and with a strong focus on health, wellbeing and sustainability, Therme Manchester is forecast to save over 1 million hospital admission days per year.

There are also plans for an education centre at Therme Manchester for schools and community groups to learn about nature and sustainability. Access to local cycleways and paths will be improved, including to the neighbouring Bridgewater Canal, plus Metrolink now stops close to the site of Therme Manchester.

UK small firms kept at distance from overseas markets by complex customs procedures

Small firms are being held back from international trade by excessive customs paperwork, soaring costs and supply chain issues, according to new research by the FSB. The Customs Clearance report, which looks at small businesses’ experiences of exporting and importing, finds that nearly one in ten (9%) small firms who used to trade internationally have stopped doing so within the past five years, in a real challenge to the UK’s growth plans. The volume of paperwork (56%), overall cost burden (49%) and supply chain and logistical issues (29%) are cited as key drivers.

Small firms who have continued to trade internationally have to battle against stiff headwinds, with six in ten (61%) identifying high shipping costs as the top challenge, followed by losses and delays in transit (56%) and lack of guidance on customs procedures (45%).

Premium Collections joins forces with global debt consolidator Debitura

Debt collection business Premium Collections have announced a new partnership with global debt consolidator Debitura.

The Debitura platform allows users to record each debt, breaking down the minutest of details including invoice date and due date as well as copies of contracts and other documents/ records in place with the debtor. This then gets analysed with the information helping the debt to be recovered quicker than has previously been possible.

With all the information surrounding the initial debt recorded, once the debt collection process has started, all further correspondence and timings can be uploaded into the system, allowing for detailed reporting including keeping clients in the loop when it comes to the progress of the claim.