It is the fifth extension to Holes Bay Premier Inn since it was first built 30 years ago

Premier Inn has received planning permission to extend one of its hotels in Poole. The Holes Bay Premier Inn on Sterte Avenue is set to grow following the submission of plans incorporating 17 extra bedrooms and a revamped restaurant with outdoor seating.

The changes mark the fifth extension to the building since it was first built in 1996. At present, the hotel has 146 bedrooms alongside an adjoining restaurant.

The proposed development will see the existing restaurant demolished and replaced with a brand-new extension. This addition will house a new restaurant and bar, guest rooms and staff facilities.

The restaurant will feature outdoor seating beneath a canopy, with direct access from the reception area.

Five new ground-floor bedrooms will be complemented by a further 12 on the first floor, accessible via a new corridor linking to the reception.

A design and access statement submitted alongside the plans highlights the necessity of the extension.

It argues it is essential for “helping to secure its future and enabling it to continually support the local economy and provide important services to its customers”.

The Society of Poole has voiced its backing for the hotel’s expansion.

BCP Public Health has put forward recommendations regarding improvements to cycle storage, lighting and electric vehicle charging facilities.

The hotel currently employs 33 members of staff, equivalent to 23 full-time positions. It has been confirmed that the expansion will raise each figure by two.

The approval comes attached to a series of conditions that must be satisfied prior to any work starting.

These include carrying out investigations into potential land contamination, securing nutrient mitigation credits to safeguard Poole Harbour, and obtaining council sign-off on drainage, flood management, and biodiversity proposals.

The expansion plan also requires the installation of four new bat boxes, the protection of existing trees throughout the construction period, and a dedication to habitat management and landscaping for no fewer than 30 years.

Evidence must be submitted demonstrating that a minimum of 20 per cent of anticipated energy consumption is drawn from on-site renewable sources.

The restaurant will cater exclusively to hotel guests, ensuring adequate parking provision remains available.

Work must begin within three years of planning permission being granted.

Up to 90,000 banking, legal and accountancy jobs based in London are forecast to move to other parts of the country over the next five years, bringing an estimated £9 billion boost to regional economies including Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, according to analysis by Robert Walters, the listed recruitment company.

The recruiter estimates that figure could rise to £15 billion once the spending of relocated workers in their new home towns, and the extra work generated for local supply chains, is taken into account.

Robert Walters said more companies were looking to move some of their teams out of London because of the cost of running a business in the capital, where a shortage of prime office space has pushed rents to record highs.

The 90,000 roles represent 2.5 per cent of London’s overall workforce. Robert Walters predicts that up to 12,000 jobs will have moved out of the capital by the end of 2027, rising to 45,000 by 2029. Senior leadership teams are expected to remain in London, with companies instead bolstering junior ranks with local talent.

“Our forecast indicates a rebalancing of the scales towards stronger regional jobs growth over a widespread shift of business activity away from London,” said Jonny Bohane, of Robert Walters’ market intelligence team.

The analysis used past job relocations by major UK employers to establish a baseline, then combined Robert Walters’ own placement volumes with LinkedIn movement data to project regional hiring demand. The model also factored in office capacity, hybrid working levels, the depth of local talent pools, regional development initiatives and government decentralisation programmes.

The northwest of England, including Manchester and Liverpool, is forecast to be the biggest beneficiary, with 22,500 jobs expected to move there by 2031. Bohane’s team estimates this could inject up to £2.25 billion into the region’s economy, “reinforcing its status as the UK’s second hub for growth and innovation”.

About a fifth of the relocated positions, up to 18,000, could end up in the Midlands, principally Birmingham, bringing a £1.8 billion economic boost, the report said. Yorkshire stands to attract about 13,500 roles, adding £1.35 billion to the local economy. Most of the remaining 36,000 or so jobs are expected to move to other major regional cities including Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cambridge, Newcastle, Liverpool, Reading and Cardiff.

Daniel Harris, UK managing director at Robert Walters, said he expects the trend to accelerate as “cost considerations remain high, and hybrid working allows organisations to build more geographically diverse teams”.

“Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham are the engine rooms of activity,” Harris said. “Over the last decade, these regional centres have become key career destinations for UK white-collar workers. They offer a significant presence of high-profile, multinational employers, vibrant cultural scenes and leisure opportunities, as well as a lower cost of living compared to the capital.”

Several large employers have already made similar moves. Birmingham is home to Deloitte’s second-largest UK office, Siemens moved its UK headquarters from Surrey to Manchester in 2019, and the Bank of England has committed to basing one in ten of its staff in Leeds by 2027, although only 156 employees had registered interest in transferring to its Leeds hub by late last year.

The forecasts align with the devolution agenda of Andy Burnham, the prime minister, who has promised to deliver “good growth in every postcode” and wants to reduce the country’s reliance on London, which accounts for about a quarter of the UK’s economic output. Last month he opened a northern branch of Downing Street, No 10 North, as part of his plans for wider political devolution and regional economic growth.

“The appeal of these regional cities shouldn’t be underestimated. But growth isn’t determined by businesses relocating or creating new jobs alone,” Bohane said. “When professionals move into an area, the benefits ripple through the local economy. Increased demand supports everything from transport and housing to cafés, co-working spaces and the wider network of local businesses that keep these cities running.”

Jamie Young

Jamie Young is Senior Reporter at Business Matters, covering SME finance, employment law and Westminster policy since 2016. He has reported on every Budget and Autumn Statement since 2018, helped make sense of the ‘covid era’ and the bounce-back loan scheme from launch through the fraud investigations, and broke the magazine’s coverage of the 2024 late-payment reforms. He joined Business Matters straight from completing his BA in Administration from Exeter University and is NCTJ-qualified. Reach him at jyoung@cbmeg.co.uk

US prices rose 3.4% in the year to July, slightly lower than the 3.5% in the year to June, new figures show.

Energy remained volatile as the Middle East conflict has continued, with gasoline up 24.6% over the year. The sharp rise reflects ongoing strains in global energy markets, even as overall energy costs dipped in July.

Month to month, inflation rose 0.1%, mainly due to an increase in housing costs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Even small moves in rent can lift the overall headline figure as it makes up a large share of household spending.

Food prices rose only slightly in July and at a slower rate than in June, while energy prices fell, offering some relief for consumers.

Prices excluding food and energy rose 0.2% after staying flat in June, with medical care and airline tickets edging higher and car insurance continuing to fall.

The new Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, has said the central bank’s priority is to “keep inflation moving down” while avoiding unnecessary shocks to the economy.

President Donald Trump has also said inflation is still too high for many families, pointing to rent and grocery bills as signs that the cost of living remains a major concern.

Financial markets reacted calmly to the latest figures, with stocks little changed as the figures were broadly in line with market expectations.

Recent labour market concerns have also softened expectations for a rate increase, after July’s report showed a loss of jobs.