Issue 26 | Page 11

Stockton councillor Nigel Cooke said “ it ’ s the day we ’ ve all been waiting for ” as the Globe reopens .
NEWS

HISTORIC GLOBE READY TO BRING STARS BACK TO STOCKTON

It ’ s played host to the likes of The Beatles , Tina Turner and Morecambe and Wise , and now the famous Globe is ready to bring the stars back to Stockton . The iconic Grade II-listed Art Deco Globe , which has stood empty since 1997 , has been unveiled following its restoration by Stockton Council .

Situated in the heart of Stockton High Street , the Globe ’ s 3,000 capacity makes it the biggest live entertainment venue between Newcastle and Leeds .
And it has been handed over to the world-renowned Ambassador Theatre Group ( ATG ), which runs major venues worldwide from London West End to Broadway .
Councillor Nigel Cooke , the council ’ s cabinet member for regeneration and housing , said : “ It ’ s the day we ’ ve all been

Wilton Engineering has been hailed a “ class act ” by Hartlepool College of Further Education for stepping in to help a number of apprentices who had lost their jobs .

There has been an increase in redundancies during the coronavirus pandemic and the young men feared the waiting for – the Globe is back and it ’ s looking stunning .
“ It ’ s played host to the biggest names in showbusiness and when you ’ re in there , you can almost feel the history . It most definitely holds a special place in people ’ s hearts and memories .
“ But today is about looking forward to exciting times ahead and creating a whole load of new memories for generations to come . And it won ’ t be long before we ’ re welcoming the stars back to Stockton .”
The restoration of the Globe , which was built in 1935 , was funded by Stockton Council and a £ 4.5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund ’ s Heritage Enterprise scheme , as well as a £ 774,000 grant from the Capital Kickstart Fund , part of the government ’ s £ 1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund .

Tees firm praised for apprenticeship rescue

worst after learning they only had 12 weeks to find new employment or lose their status .
The three have been followed by more recruits too , with Ryan Lodge , Josh Tate , Matthew Geddes , Travis Miller , Connor Jack Lee , Jake Tait and Jackson Malcolm all taken on at the Middlesbrough-based company in the last 10 months .
Tax advice for SMEs in an everchanging world

The past year has brought many challenges – one of which for businesses is keeping on top of more complex tax rules . For obvious reasons , there are brand new rates , schemes and reliefs that did not exist until a year ago .

Some changes came with forewarning – though it was hard to predict the impact of Brexit . From VAT and customs duty , to handling fees and surcharges , there are several new charges you could have to pay when trading in the EU . This new “ red tape ” represents a key challenge for a lot of businesses and resulted in significant delays and increased cost of supply .
The chancellor ’ s Budget added more complexity , with the introduction of new tax reliefs and incentives for investing in the next two years , as the government looks to accelerate economic recovery and a return to prepandemic growth levels .
The most significant incentive is the new Super Deduction , a £ 25bn tax break to provoke investment by providing c25p off company tax bills for every pound of qualifying spending on plant and machinery .
By introducing a new , increasing corporation tax rate – from 19 per cent up to 25 per cent – effective in April 2023 , the Chancellor is gambling on his strategy to encourage investment and create a growth boom before the higher corporation tax rates apply in two years ’ time .
Tax is more complex now than ever before . It is critical that businesses seek advice to ensure they structure their tax affairs to enable growth , use tax advantages to attract and retain talent , make sure they are claiming all their entitlements and get the right input as the business scales .
Joanne Regan Regional managing partner , Azets in the North-East
The voice of business in the Tees region | 11