Hull is successful. Hull will soon take on the well-earned title as 2017 UK City of Culture and on top of other major investment projects will soon be hosting a major casino that is due to open to the public for mid 2017, in time for the 17/18 academic year. Peter White spoke to Mark Bailey, Hotel Development Director, Manor Property Group
Hull is about to become the City on everyone’s lips in the UK casino fraternity. After years of research, planning and design work has started on an exciting mixed-use development which will include a major casino benefiting from the grant of a rare 2005 “Large casino license” - commonly called the super licence. Radisson Blu are to operate a 169-room hotel on the site alongside 45,000 sq ft of casino space. The development will also offer new state-of-the-art student accommodation operated by Qdos. Work has now commenced and handover is anticipated for mid- 2017 to coincide with the 2017/18 academic year.
Mark, can we commence with a brief history of Apollo Resorts and Manor Property Group?
Apollo resorts is a special-purpose company that was set up to explore the opportunities afforded by the change in UK casino licensing legislation brought about by the 2005 Gambling Act. The company has been involved with new licence applications in Newham, Bath and Hull and currently holds the authority to operate the 2005 “Large” casino licence in Hull. Manor Property Group has evolved from generations of development experience;
It’s 100% privately owned and the company has been in business for over 35 years, developing across 4 sectors: retail, leisure, commercial and residential.
With a current development portfolio valued in excess of £850 million, each scheme is managed from initial concept to completion by a highly-respected in-house and outsourced professional team.
Throughout the last three decades, Manor’s strategy has remained consistent – to embrace market demands and exceed expectations.
What is the relationship between Manor and Apollo Resorts?
Apollo Resorts and Manor Property Group have established a strong working relationship over a number of years. Manor is the senior partner providing construction, development and site acquisition expertise whilst Apollo has given support with Casino and Licensing know-how as well as practical experience of how to gain regulatory approval. In Hull, Manor and Apollo have secured the Provisional Licence to develop and lease up to 45,000 sq ft of casino space.
What amount of investment will be required by the future license holder?
This will be a matter for discussion and negotiation with Manor Property Group and will depend upon the nature of the final lease arrangement with the landlord. As a broad indication, if the Casino operator accepts an empty shell from the landlord with a minimum of internal fit out, a projected fit-out cost of approx £200-£250 per sq ft is anticipated.
Can you provide further details about the Large Casino Licence?
The Large Licence is the biggest permitted casino licence in the UK and in total, under current legislation, only 8 will ever be permitted nationwide in the UK. There are strong opportunities presented by this blend of gaming activities and significant benefits can be gained by keeping customers various gambling interests satisfied in one location. Specifically the licence allows:
Up to 40 gaming tables and up to 150 slot machines from category B1 to D.
The operation of a Bingo and Betting facilities within the same premises.
All permitted games listed in the Gambling Commissions list of types and rules of casino games are allowed.
Hull is a major City in it’s own right but it’s also a leading ferry port with access to Europe. Could the casino help to strengthen tourism?
The port is indeed successful, handling 13 million tons of cargo per year and more than 1 million ferry passengers and the potential for increased tourism has certainly been taken into account. By comparison with many other Scandinavian and Northern European countries the UK has a liberal approach to Casino gambling specifically, and in general towards many other forms of gambling. The provision of a resort-style hotel and casino combination should prove a strong additional incentive for travellers visiting the UK and encourage them to use Hull as their entry point in order to take advantage of the entertainment package provided by the Manor/Apollo development.
What amount of investment will be required by the future license holder?
This will be a matter for discussion and negotiation with Manor Property Group and will depend upon the nature of the final lease arrangement with the landlord. As a broad indication, if the Casino operator accepts an empty shell from the landlord with a minimum of internal fit out, a projected fit-out cost of approx £200-£250 per sq ft is anticipated.
Can you provide further details about the Large Casino Licence?
The Large Licence is the biggest permitted casino licence in the UK and in total, under current legislation, only 8 will ever be permitted nationwide in the UK. There are strong opportunities presented by this blend of gaming activities and significant benefits can be gained by keeping customers various gambling interests satisfied in one location. Specifically the licence allows:
Up to 40 gaming tables and up to 150 slot machines from category B1 to D.
The operation of a Bingo and Betting facilities within the same premises.
All permitted games listed in the Gambling Commissions list of types and rules of casino games are allowed.
Hull is a major City in it’s own right but it’s also a leading ferry port with access to Europe. Could the casino help to strengthen tourism?
The port is indeed successful, handling 13 million tons of cargo per year and more than 1 million ferry passengers and the potential for increased tourism has certainly been taken into account. By comparison with many other Scandinavian and Northern European countries the UK has a liberal approach to Casino gambling specifically, and in general towards many other forms of gambling. The provision of a resort-style hotel and casino combination should prove a strong additional incentive for travellers visiting the UK and encourage them to use Hull as their entry point in order to take advantage of the entertainment package provided by the Manor/Apollo development.
The recent decision by Siemens is a good example of the confidence in the City – and must in turn make you more pleased with how it is attracting inward investment. Can you explain their expansion project that is currently underway?
Siemens is one of the World’s largest suppliers of wind turbine technology, grid connections and turbine servicing and recently chose Hull as the location for their new offshore and wind turbine manufacturing and export facility. The development will comprise a factory for the production of wind turbine equipment, together with component storage areas and offices. In addition a new 600m riverside berth will be constructed for the export of wind turbine components.
The Siemens decision is welcomed especially in the light of other recent developments including
“The Deep”, one of the world’s largest aquariums; numerous shopping centres; and the Hull & Humber World Trade Centre.
The proposed 24 storey development looks truly impressive – what facilities will it have?
The Radisson Blu Hotel Kingston-upon-Hull will offer 168 contemporary rooms with Radisson Blu signature services such as free high-speed internet access. Other facilities include an all-day restaurant, lobby bar & café and a health club. The hotel has also been designed to meet the needs of local businesses and their visitors and will include 750m² of meeting space and underground parking. The hotel will be situated in the central business district of Hull along the shores of the River Hull.
The general catchment area around the City is well over a million, which is set to increase further in the coming years with all of this the additional investment. This must be a key factor that a casino operator must take into account.
True. Historically, Hull has sometimes been overlooked when assessing the business potential of more northerly locations in the UK. There is however, a substantial local population and a significant catchment area. Research suggests that there is a strong and pent-up demand for quality leisure offerings such as the proposed Manor development. The inclusion of a strong brand hotel operator and a well-known casino operator is expected to fuel this demand and the property will undoubtedly become one of the major attractions in the North East of the country.
A spokesman from the City Councils Tourism Department has this to say “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the UK City Of Culture 2017 and are delighted to be working with Manor Property Group in bringing about a new oasis within our Town Centre. Having also been selected as the UK Green Hub for Siemens Wind Farm manufacturing, we feel the time is right for a new Super Casino and are excited about the prospect of the new development to provide a leisure facility which Hull needs in order to continue its successful growth.
Hull was named the UK City of Culture 2017 on 20 November 2013, an event hailed by Hull Daily Mail as “the day the city changed forever”. Hull showed it could host the UK’s next big cultural event by setting out ambitious plans for a unique and thrilling programme of cultural activity that will excite communities across the city and far beyond. It is estimated that being the UK City of Culture 2017 will deliver a £60million boost to the local economy in 2017 alone. The title is also anticipated to leave a lasting legacy creating a more vibrant, sustainable cultural sector; improved quality of life for local people and increased access to tourism and cultural sector jobs.
We will be very pleased to be part of this cultural celebration.
How do you advise operators interested in finding out more about this exciting venture?
Exciting times ahead for Hull, as the City is set to rise even further with Manor Mill, the former flour milling site originally owned by Joseph Rank, founder of Rank Hovis McDougall.
