Latest news with #EmersonsGreen
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Family favourite restaurant chain with 800 sites shuts ‘landmark' branch for good in huge blow to locals
A POPULAR restaurant that's become a local landmark has shut for good, leaving nearby residents gutted. The venue at Emersons Green in Bristol, served its last meal on Thursday July 10. 3 3 It's now listed as 'permanently closed' online, with no official signage or farewell notice on the former Beefeater building. However, the neighbouring Premier Inn will remain open with its own integrated breakfast area for hotel guests. Speculation is already circling online about what's next for the site, with some locals suggesting it may be taken over by the Papas Group – the team behind Papas Fish and Chips and Wendy's. Sudden closure A spokesperson for Whitebread Group, which owns Beefeater and Premier Inn, told BristolLive: 'We'd like to thank our wonderful guests and team for their service and custom over the years. 'The nearest Beefeater is now The Gifford (Fox Den Road, Stoke Gifford) and we do hope to welcome people there.' Whitbread added that the site had been sold to another restaurant business, but stopped short of naming which one. The closure comes as part of the company's 'Accelerating Growth Plan', which aims to replace underperforming restaurants with hotel rooms in high-demand areas. Over the next two years, Whitbread plans to exit 126 branded restaurants across the UK, 21 of which are being sold for £28 million . Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down As part of the overhaul, the business will also be converting 112 restaurant spaces into integrated dining areas within its Premier Inn hotels – a format already used at 387 sites across the country. The plan is expected to cut around 1,500 roles out of a workforce of 37,000. However, Whitbread says it will try to offer alternative roles to affected staff through redeployment or its wider recruitment process, which sees around 15,000 hires each year. Dominic Paul, Chief Executive Officer of Whitbread, said: 'When I joined Whitbread as CEO in January 2023, it was clear to me that we had a high performing hotels business, with a strong platform for growth in both the UK and Germany. 'Our strategy of continuing to invest in our brand, teams, and estate for the benefit of our guests and customers has secured a market-leading position for Premier "Inn in the UK and is also delivering strong business performance. 'This plan is a further positive step, delivering a better experience for our hotel guests and helping to extend our market leadership in the UK. 'I recognise that these changes will be unsettling for affected team members and we are committed to working hard to enable as many as possible of those affected to stay with Whitbread... Our teams are at the heart of our guest experience.' This latest shutdown adds to a growing list of closures across the UK food scene. Other recent closures Even Nando's has quietly closed a coup. The Sun has approached Beefeater for further comment. Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming. The number of jobs lost in British retail dropped last year, but 120,000 people still lost their employment, figures have suggested. Figures from the Centre for Retail Research revealed that 10,494 shops closed for the last time during 2023, and 119,405 jobs were lost in the sector. It was fewer shops than had been lost for several years, and a reduction from 151,641 jobs lost in 2022. The centre's director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said the improvement is "less bad" than good. Although there were some big-name losses from the high street, including Wilko, many large companies had already gone bust before 2022, the centre said, such as Topshop owner Arcadia, Jessops and Debenhams. "The cost-of-living crisis, inflation and increases in interest rates have led many consumers to tighten their belts, reducing retail spend," Prof Bamfield said. "Retailers themselves have suffered increasing energy and occupancy costs, staff shortages and falling demand that have made rebuilding profits after extensive store closures during the pandemic exceptionally difficult." Alongside Wilko, which employed around 12,000 people when it collapsed, 2023's biggest failures included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, Planet Organic, Snug and Tile Giant. The Centre for Retail Research said most stores were closed because companies were trying to reorganise and cut costs rather than the business failing. However, experts have warned there will likely be more failures this year as consumers keep their belts tight and borrowing costs soar for businesses. The Body Shop and Ted Baker are the biggest names to have already collapsed into administration this year. 3
BBC News
14-07-2025
- BBC News
Policeman charged after allegedly hitting pedestrian with his car
A police officer has been charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving after allegedly hitting a pedestrian with his and Somerset Police constable Dan Parsons, based in South Gloucestershire, will appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 32-year-old was driving an unmarked car as he responded to an emergency on 24 November, 2024, when the incident happened on a roundabout in Emersons Green. The pedestrian, a 19-year-old woman, was taken to hospital for treatment for her injuries but has since been discharged, police said. The unmarked police car was using blue lights and a siren at the time of the incident.A police spokesperson said: "As is standard procedure in these circumstances, we made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which determined it to be suitable for a local investigation by our Professional Standards Department."An investigation into the collision has also been carried out by our Serious Collision Investigations Team and the case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, resulting in the officer being charged."
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Fears temporary lights will cause fatal crash
People living near a busy ring road have said they fear someone will die because of temporary pedestrian lights. New permanent traffic lights, a crossing, a wider path and a bus stop are being installed on the A4174 in Emersons Green, with a temporary crossing in place on the Wick Wick roundabout while the work is carried out. However, residents have claimed the temporary layout is an "accident waiting to happen", as motorists wrongly think a green pedestrian light is a signal for them to go. South Gloucestershire Council said it had painted temporary give way road markings for greater clarity following feedback from residents. The work began on 16 June and is scheduled to last for 11 weeks. The council said it is being done to "enhance facilities for buses, walking, wheeling and cycling". More news stories for Bristol Watch the latest Points West Listen to the latest news for Bristol To highlight the problems with the temporary road measures, four residents filmed on the roundabout for 20 minutes. In that time, they claimed they witnessed "about 40 near misses". Resident Vanessa Blount said the confusion was caused by green lights at the temporary pedestrian crossing, which motorists mistook for traffic lights signalling for them to go. "As locals, we can see the problem and we're aware of it," Ms Blount said. "But, if somebody's not familiar with what's going on and they come tearing down the ring road, they're going to plough into somebody and kill somebody." Another resident, Martyn Howe, told the BBC the junction was "inadequately signposted" and said many notices and signals were obstructed. He said he had experienced "two or three" near misses as a motorist, while his wife saw a pedestrian "almost run over on the crossing where a car failed to stop". Tracey Blythe, who also lives in the area, has said she fears someone will be killed. "It's not been thought out," she added. "You can see an accident waiting to happen." She called for the roundabout's usual traffic lights to be reinstated while the work is carried out. In a statement, the council acknowledged the feedback on the road layout and said it had installed new, temporary give way markings "to avoid further confusion". "We thank members of the public for bringing this to our attention and apologise for any inconvenience while the work takes place," it added. Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. No plans to finish town's 'road to nowhere' Plans for city centre road changes set to progress Everything we know about Bristol's travel changes South Gloucestershire Council
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Primary school bans smartphones after 9,000 messages sent in just one night in children's WhatsApp group
A school has banned smartphones after a pupil's phone was found with 9,000 messages sent in just one night on a year's WhatsApp group. Children at Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol will no longer be allowed to bring smartphones to school after a debate around safety was sparked by the sheer number of notifications spotted on a pupil's screen by a teacher. In recent years, pupils have been allowed to bring smartphones to school, but had to hand them in to the teacher during lesson time. But around a year ago, a phone was accidentally left in the teacher's cupboard overnight - and was returned to the pupil the next day with 9,000 notifications of activity in a Year Six WhatsApp group. Shocked at the discovery, executive headteacher Simon Botten started a debate with parents on whether smartphones should be allowed in schools - and now pupils can't bring them in at all. Writing on his personal blog, Mr Botten said he had also been concerned at the risk of increased cyber-bullying and online predatory behaviour - and that the move had been broadly backed by parents. A similar ban at Blackhorse's sister school Emersons Green is also set to come into force but needs to be ratified by governors. Recent surveys have suggested more than two thirds of children spend more than two hours a day on electronic devices - with a minority spending more than six hours on screens. Mr Botten wrote of the Year Six pupil's phone: 'The teacher picked up the phone, waking it, only to see a notification of 9,000 missed messages from the Year 6 pupil WhatsApp group overnight. Nine thousand messages in a 15-hour overnight period. 'After nearly two decades in headship, I have watched this technological phenomenon unfold slowly. 'At first it was imperceptible: the odd argument via old-fashioned texts, the odd child seeing something online which they shouldn't (always at home). But over the years I have seen the risks grow ever more significant and ever more frequent.' He said these included rising cyberbullying on WhatsApp, inappropriate images being exchanged, a rise in hanging out online instead of outside and of children 'glued to their phones' once handed the devices back at the end of the day. He continued: 'And then something much darker. A rise in predatory strangers approaching children online in their bedrooms whilst their parents watch Eastenders downstairs. 'Near miss, after near miss. But, the thing is, if you have enough near misses - the chances of a collision rises to 100 per cent.' Groups of parents were set up to consult on the issue before a wider consultation on the possibility of an outright ban - the whole process taking around a year. Some parents were concerned about being able to contact their child. Mr Botten said the counter to this was to allow old-fashioned 'brick' mobiles capable only of texts and calls. Many schools, Blackhorse included, also digitally register pupils' attendance, which can be seen by parents via a mobile app. Schools still, of course, phone parents if pupils don't turn up for school as planned. Mr Botten, who has been a headteacher for almost 20 years, added that removing the need to collect smartphones by banning them altogether also eliminated the 'peer pressure' associated with having the latest gadget. Some pupils, he said, would show off their flashy phones in the playground before they were handed in ahead of class. Collecting the phones before class, he said, amounted to 'tacitly condon(ing)' smartphone ownership. The school also brought in specialists from the police to talk to parents about the dangers of children being unsupervised online. A survey conducted among parents showed 87 per cent at Blackhorse Primary were in favour of the outright ban, while parents at Emersons Green Primary were more split on the issue: 58 to 42 in favour of the ban. Governors at Blackhorse, spurred on by the poll, voted that the ban is to come into force in September. Governors at Emersons Green are yet to vote. Mr Botten accepts that research on how smartphones affect child development remains 'patchy' and tends to be skewed towards older teenagers rather than younger children. However, he said the ban was imposed on the grounds of what he and his staff were seeing in terms of 'safeguarding concerns and negative impact on mental health'. The ban, coming into effect in September, has had a positive reception. He concluded: 'Since announcing the result, I have had zero emails from parents complaining about the ban, whereas I have had a good many parents thank the school for taking a stand.' Speaking outside the school this week, parents welcomed the ban but others questioned the fact the school had previously encouraged children to buy smartphones. Lee Budd, father of Jonnie, eight, said: 'I don't think it's a bad idea at all. Phones consume attention.' A mother of a Year 5 student and a former Blackhorse pupil, now in Year 7 at another school, said: 'It was the school that encouraged us to get a phone for my Year 7 daughter so she could walk to school on her own. 'I feel neutral, really, but I don't see why they need to change the current rule of leaving the phone in a box at the start and end of the day.' A recent poll of children aged eight to 15 found that almost one in four spend more than four hours a day using a computer, phone, tablet or games console. Some 69 per cent of children spend more than two hours a day using electronic devices, while six per cent even said they use them more than six hours a day, the YouGov survey found. Labour recently blocked a proposal to ban the use of phones in schools by law - with the Prime Minister decrying it as 'completely unnecessary'. Sir Keir Starmer told PMQs in March that the 'vast majority' of schools already impose restrictions on smartphone use, including that attended by his children. Challenged by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, he said: 'We need to concentrate on what's really important here, which is getting to the content that children shouldn't be accessing. 'That's where I would genuinely like to work across the House because I think there's a huge amount of work to do. But the battle is not with schools that are already banning phones in school. 'The battle – and this is an important emerging battle – is to work together to ensure that we can ensure that the content that children are accessing wherever they are is suitable for their age.' It comes weeks after the Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, suggested that smartphone use among children should be restricted outside of school as well - suggesting general phone use is a wider issue among young people. 'If we are serious about helping children reap the many benefits of the internet, we need to get serious about regulating what they can see, where they see it and curbing the damage currently being wreaked on their health, attention span and safety by tech companies enjoying unlimited freedoms while refusing to take responsibility for the people on their platforms,' she said. Schools, she said, should be free to regulate as they see fit rather than following a 'direction imposed nationally by the government'. 'Schools are just one part of the solution,' Dame Rachel added. 'Parents and carers need support to become more confident managing their children's online activities and putting in age-appropriate boundaries - and above all, to talk and keep talking at home about what they see and how to respond.'
Telegraph
04-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Primary school bans phones after pupil receives 9,000 messages overnight
A school has banned smartphones after a pupil's phone received 9,000 WhatsApp messages overnight. Children at Blackhorse Primary School in Bristol will no longer be allowed to bring in smartphones after a teacher found a device with thousands of notifications in the class cupboard. For the past couple of years, pupils had been allowed to bring smartphones to school, but had to hand them in to the teacher during lesson time. Recently a phone was accidentally left in the Year 6 teacher's cupboard overnight and returned to the pupil the next day with 9,000 notifications on it. Writing in a blog, Simon Botten, the schools executive head teacher, said the decision to ban smartphones was taken amid fears of a potential cyber bulling risk. A similar ban at Blackhorse's sister school Emersons Green is also set to come into force, but needs to be ratified by governors. Mr Botten wrote: 'The teacher picked up the phone, waking it, only to see a notification of 9,000 missed messages from the Year 6 pupil WhatsApp group overnight. Nine thousand messages in a 15-hour overnight period. 'After nearly two decades in headship, I have watched this technological phenomenon unfold slowly. 'At first it was imperceptible: the odd argument via old-fashioned texts, the odd child seeing something online which they shouldn't (always at home). But over the years I have seen the risks grow ever more significant and ever more frequent.' Groups of parents were set up to consult on the issue before a wider consultation on the possibility of an outright ban. Some parents were concerned about the safety of their children on the way too and from school. Mr Botten added, however, that 'several parents who were also police officers' said parents 'massively over-estimate dangers in the real world and massively under-estimate dangers in the digital world'. Other parents 'pointed out that it was none of the school's business' whether they bought their children a phone, he added. 'We countered this argument by explaining that we would not be preventing parents buying their child a smartphone, just preventing them bringing it to school,' he said. A school survey showed 87 per cent of parents at the larger Blackhorse Primary School were in favour of the outright ban, while at Emersons Green 58 per cent were in favour of the ban. Governors at Blackhorse had the ultimate decision, and voted for the ban, which is to come into force in September. Governors at Emersons Green are yet to have their vote. Mr Botten added: 'Since announcing the result, I have had zero emails from parents complaining about the ban, whereas I have had a good many parents thank the school for taking a stand.' Speaking outside the school this week, one parent accused the school of encouraging her to buy the phone for her daughter in the first place. The mother of a Year 5 student and a former Blackhorse pupil, now in Year 7 at another school, said: 'It was the school that encouraged us to get a phone for my Year 7 daughter so she could walk to school on her own. 'I feel neutral, really, but I don't see why they need to change the current rule of leaving the phone in a box at the start and end of the day.' Last month it was revealed that a school's average exam results jumped by an entire grade following a mobile phone ban. At Excelsior Academy in Hackney, east London, A-level grades rose from a C average to B, according to official statistics. Omar Deria, 45, the academy's head teacher, said a rule to confiscate phones for up to a week if seen in lessons had a 'miraculous' effect. Meanwhile, the Government has been against measures to introduce a nationwide ban on mobile phones in schools – instead leaving it to headteachers to impose restrictions. Labour's election manifesto said: 'Children and young people face significant harm online, with inappropriate content too easily available at their fingertips on a smartphone.' But last year Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'not in favour of simply banning them for children under 16'.
