New owner to provide significant transformation and investment for iconic White Hart Hotel
One of Lincoln’s most striking and well-known hotels, The White Hart has been acquired by Coleby-based Chartered Surveyor and businessman, Andrew Long.
Andrew Long, Principal Director of Travel Sector Property Limited (TSPL), said: “We are delighted to have acquired this historic 50-bedroom hotel in its unique Uphill location.
“We are proud to own this property, located within the imposing presence of the iconic Lincoln Cathedral and a few steps away from the city’s Norman Castle. We look forward to progressing our proposals for significant capital investment to upgrade and improve the existing facilities.”
Taking ownership of the Hotel and Garages on the city’s popular Bailgate, Andrew has acquired The White Hart as a going concern, by way of an ‘off market’ transaction negotiated directly with Ambar Paul, Principal of Contemporary Hotels.
The current General Manager Ian Robinson and all employees will be retained under the new ownership.
Former owner, Ambar Paul, said: “We are pleased to have completed the transaction with Andrew and his companies, knowing he will successfully invest in the long term future of the hotel”.
TSPL has also entered into a Management Agreement with Luxury Hotel Management Limited (LHM), owned by Nigel Chapman and colleagues who are well-established and highly experienced hoteliers.
Andrew and his team also bought the Hotel Polurrian on The Lizard, Cornwall earlier in the year. The Polurrian is a 41-bedroom hotel and spa set in 12 acres of grounds with spectacular sea views, which also came with ownership of the Polurrian Cove beach.
Andrew added: “The White Hart first opened more than 600 years ago as a Coaching Inn and has been one of Lincoln’s premier hotels since being substantially rebuilt and extended in the early 1800s.
“We see the property as being an exceptional redevelopment opportunity. In particular, the garage and car parking areas at 2 Bailgate and off nearby St Paul’s Lane.
“The Eastgate Suite (Orangery) has a well-established reputation as a popular wedding and function venue, which also includes the former King Richard Restaurant. We are committing substantial resources to create a prestigious and welcoming upgraded hotel.
“Our intentions are to invest in an excellent restaurant, cocktail bar, function suite and leisure facilities, restoring the hotel to its rightful status as a premium leisure and business destination at the heart of Lincoln’s popular historic Uphill area.”
Nigel Chapman, Principal of LHM, said “We are pleased to be working with Andrew, having got to know him and his professional team very well. Lincoln is a fantastic city and the White Hart Hotel occupies a unique location with strong trading attributes for leisure and business use, along with significantly enhanced food and beverage facilities to serve the local area.”
Andrew is a Co-founder of the Extra Motorway Service Area Property Investment Group, where he continues to be CEO and an ongoing investor. He has some 40 years of property and operational experience in the Hospitality and Roadside sectors
He has strong links with the city, having originally worked in Lincoln as a Commercial Property Chartered Surveyor & Partner of Earl & Lawrence, together with Banks, Long & Co.
Andrew retired from General Practice in May 2000 to focus on the expansion of Extra MSA Group, having initially trained in Lincoln with A Jackson & Son back in 1980.
HIT Energy scores place in Top 10 Green Businesses in UK
Lincoln-based HIT Energy Services has won national acclaim by being ranked as one of the top green companies in the UK in the recently released EnviroTech 50 list. Out of hundreds of eligible businesses, HIT Energy not only made the list of 50 companies, but breached the top ten, coming in as the sixth most green company in the United Kingdom.
“This is amazing news,” Simon Hopkins of HIT Energy Services says. “We started as a small Lincolnshire company, but to be recognised nationally like this illustrates how much we have grown. When we set out on our journey only a few years ago, we wanted to make solar a reliable, green and viable form of energy for everyone. Our reach has grown massively in a short space of time, and we believe there are exciting times ahead for our innovations and services. To have this recognised by being placed in the top 10 of the EnviroTech 50 list is incredible and shows what a bright future solar has.”
HIT Energy Services offers include free health checks of Solar PV – where their engineers will get the systems generating to their full potential. When they carry this out, they can also evaluate export tariffs, and advise the system owners how much income they could generate from excess energy. Through their “HIT Energy Guard” they can also monitor performance 24/7, meaning if any of the solar systems or panels ever drop performance, even for a short time, they can identify and fix it – this has saved some owners thousands of pounds a month.
HIT’s work has been recognised with a string of accolades – at Lamma 2020, the UK’s leading agricultural machinery show – they scooped the online innovation award, whilst also beating hundreds of other products to be ranked seventh in the Midlands Tech 50 list.
Formal opening for HMRC’s Leeds Regional Centre
HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Leeds Regional Centre and UK Government hub has been formally opened by Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary.
The state-of-the-art building at 7&8 Wellington Place, in the heart of Leeds city centre, will be home to around 7,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) civil servants, including more than 4,000 from HMRC and Valuation Office Agency (VOA).
Joining them at the 378,000 sqm office are workers from 14 other departments including NHS Digital, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Department for Transport.
Spread across seven floors, the modern and inclusive working environment enables collaborative working, set amongst photography of renowned Leeds and Yorkshire landmarks, taken by staff.
Civil servants began moving into the new regional hub on 10 March 2021. It was the sixth HMRC regional centre in the UK to open.
The formal opening took place on 4 July 2022 as Angela MacDonald, who was born in Hull and grew up in the Leeds area, unveiled a plaque to an audience of local dignitaries and colleagues.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: “Leeds is a vibrant and diverse city, full of life and culture, with great transport connections, and it’s an exciting time to be improving our presence in here.
“This development is an important part of HMRC’s transformation into a modern and digitally-advanced tax authority and cements our position as an important contributor to the economy and communities in and around Yorkshire.
“The inclusive and flexible working environment has brought our people together and will create greater opportunities for collaboration to make it easier to deliver great services to our customers.”
Carl Vincent, Chief Financial Officer at NHS Digital, said:“The move to Wellington Place is hugely important to the delivery of national data and technology services for the NHS.
“It has allowed us to bring all our teams in Leeds into a single, modern and flexible facility that is essential for us to deliver high quality technology that improves lives, such as the NHS App, the NHS COVID Pass and the online national booking service for Covid vaccinations.”
Leeds Regional Centre is part of a transformation programme that is delivering modern, inclusive, flexible environments with improved technology, enabling HMRC become one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world.
HMRC also has a transitional site in Bradford, which is home to around 1,150 FTE HMRC employees.
First pre-let for Globe Point in Leeds
The first pre-let has been announced at CEG’s Globe Point office development in Leeds.
Marketing and data science agency Jaywing is taking 6,437 sq ft of Grade A office space on the third floor of the 37,800 sq ft flagship building.
The seven-storey building lies just south of Leeds Station on Globe Road and is due for completion this summer.
Providing workspace for more than 400 people, Globe Point has a flat iron design and offers panoramic views across the city from its roof terrace.
Eamon Fox, partner and head of department at the Leeds office of global property consultancy Knight Frank, who acted for Jaywing, said: “This pre-let to a national, respected agency like Jaywing is a ringing endorsement of the quality of the Globe Point development and emphases, once again, the renaissance of the South Bank area of Leeds.
“Globe Point will be the first new build office to complete in Leeds city centre this year and will deliver much-needed new workspace within Leeds city centre. I believe the pandemic has taught us that the office has a future and predominately in cities like Leeds where exemplary buildings like Globe Point are being built.
“Jaywing was attracted to Globe Point by CEG’s ambition to deliver next generation workspace, combining great design, strong ESG credentials and new technology. It is clear Globe Point will provide space that will appeal to staff and help to attract skills and talent in today’s competitive environment, as well as meeting a business’s sustainability targets.”
Alan Paterson, technical director at Jaywing, said: “Throughout the design process it was clear to us that CEG really majored on the detail around the flexibility and quality of the space, making the most of its unique dual aspect.
“The finished product will raise the bar as to what constitutes the best new office space in the city in a highly sustainable building and at the heart of an area steeped in history and character. We’re excited for the move, which will help us embrace new hybrid ways of working, creative collaboration and provide an enriched experience for our team and our clients.”
Antonia Martin-Wright, head of investment at CEG, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jaywing as our first occupier at Globe Point. The quality of the building and the approach to people and sustainability-led design will set the tone for future developments within the wider Temple development.
“We are really excited about the buzz here and the number of people living and working in the area continues to grow, supporting the fantastic bars, restaurants and other amenities.”
The Leeds office of property consultancy Fox Lloyd Jones advised CEG on this deal.
Cash injection helps South Yorkshire accountants unlock growth potential
An accountancy and business support firm with offices in Sheffield and Doncaster is set for growth after agreeing a funding deal with Reward Finance Group.
The £140,000 cash injection will enable Eyre & Co. Accountants to simplify its ownership structure and push ahead with its expansion plans. This will include the opening of an office in the Nottingham area to develop an East Midlands presence as well as continuing to grow its Yorkshire client base.
The company currently has a team of eight people serving a client base consisting of around 500 small and medium sized businesses, in sectors as diverse as consulting, legal and construction. It has been providing accountancy and business advice services since 2019, when Claire and Andrew Eyre acquired a long established practice, AR Accountants.
After agreeing a short term Business Finance facility with SME funding specialist Reward Finance Group, Eyre & Co. has boosted its working capital to complete the final stage of its acquisition, which sees Claire Eyre take sole ownership.
Reward Finance Group were introduced to Eyre & Co. by Trusted Business Partner (TBP), run by James Clinghan, who brokered the funding facility in conjunction with Reward Finance Group’s business development director, Harriet Gibbs.
Harriet Gibbs, business development director at Reward Finance Group, said: “Andrew and Claire have a clear vision for the next chapter for Eyre & Co. with a tremendous opportunity for growth, and we are pleased to be able to support them.
“The Business Finance solution we have provided was ideal for unlocking their growth potential, enabling them to leverage the value of assets to provide a flexible working capital facility which can be used to realise their goals.”
Office still key for Sheffield law firms says Knight Frank report
SSB Law’s expansion into a 43,000 sq ft premises in Sheffield is in line with how modern law firms are now looking at their office requirements nationally says Knight Frank.
The solicitors has expanded from 8,000 sq ft at Navigation House to the much larger premises at 1 South Quay at Victoria Quays – a unique waterfront position at the Canal Basin, within the city centre.
The move supports the company’s commitment to an office base for its growing business and employee base, confirmed by research from Knight Frank’s recent Legal Services Report, which highlights that offices are still key for law firms.
The report highlighted that nationally in 2021 law firms committed to the office, took long term leases on buildings, moved to more sustainable spaces with a flight to quality to Grade A and new buildings, and have reimagined the future of the workplace with formal hybrid working models or pledges to agile/flexible working.
ESG is also a primary driver for firms with relocations concentrating on an amenity rich focus, end of trip facilities and a focus on delivering an outstanding client experience.
Peter Whiteley, head of the Sheffield office of Knight Frank, said: “The report re-assesses the trends shaping the legal services sector and in turn its real estate requirements and shows how law firms are adapting to industry disruption.
“In particular law firms cited difficulties in training and developing junior lawyers, building cultural ties and developing deeper client relationships in a fully remote working environment.
“It is clear the law firm office is being reimagined. Looking at the drivers of leasing transactions in 2021 some common themes are apparent: sustainability, health and wellbeing, flight to quality, amenity-rich, highly connected, spaces designed with new ways of working in mind and centred around collaboration, innovation, client-centricity and learning and development.
“Law firms are raising the bar on the employee workplace experience to also win the war for talent.
“They want amenity rich environments such as health and well-being facilities, either within the building or on the doorstep, with active commuting facilities and outdoor terraces being popular examples.
“Law firms intend to increase amenity provision going forward with the provision of cycle storage, healthy food and beverage options and facilities that support mental health wellbeing such as sanctuary spaces and good quality outdoor space being in the top three wants.
“There is growing evidence that a strong emphasis on ESG fundamentals enables companies to differentiate themselves, gain a competitive advantage and, therefore, accrue financial benefits. For the legal profession, new opportunities are emerging around green funding, climate litigation and climate change regulation.”
Police Commissioner pledges to clean up the city
HULLBID has been handed a major boost to its comprehensive street cleaning programme with significant funding from the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner.
Commissioner Jonathan Evison, who underlined his support for HullBID soon after he took up his role last year, has provided a grant to cover the cost of a new van and jet-washing equipment.
Jonathan said: “An important part of living and working in any town or city, and for those who visit it, is for people to feel safe and secure. A clean and tidy environment is vital to achieve that.
“I am pleased to have provided funding for this vehicle for the next three years to assist Hull BID in reducing vandalism and anti-social behaviour which will improve the look and feel of the city centre.”
Martin Foster, HullBID’s cleaning and cleaning maintenance operative, takes on around 1,500 tasks every year and is usually hard at work from very early in the morning, long before most businesses have opened their doors for the day.
He does the jobs that are not part of Hull City Council’s remit, from removal of graffiti, which is now rarely seen in the city centre, to the assorted waste hidden in the alleys, alcoves and doorways around the city centre.
Martin also carries out a variety of painting assignments to help businesses keep their fences and frontages looking smart.
Pat Coyle, Client Services Director for Rollits LLP, said: “As more people are returning to their workplaces it’s important that they see the city centre looking clean and welcoming.
“The same goes for the events programme operated by HullBID and various other organisations. If people see a nice, clean environment when they arrived in the city centre for events such as Hull Street Food Nights, the Yum! Festival and Humber Street Sesh they’re much more likely to make a return visit in the future.”
Howard Hewitt, Co-owner of Furley & Co, added: “Martin does a great job and we love him in Princes Dock Street. He gives the area outside the bars a thorough clean twice a year and he responds very quickly to clean up any graffiti and other mess.
“I’m pleased to see HullBID has secured some support for a service which provides a direct benefit for city centre businesses.”
Kathryn Shillito, HullBID Executive Director, said: “Martin was particularly busy when it came to helping city centre businesses prepare to reopen after the series of lockdowns.
“He was jet-washing shop fronts and outdoor seating areas ready for returning shoppers and revellers. His normal working day has a very early start and most of the time he has cleared any mess before the business owners and their staff are aware there was a problem – he leaves a card to tell them he has called!
“The funding from Jonathan will help Martin to deliver an even more efficient service. He’s now equipped with a powerful jet-wash machine and a new van which is also used for transporting materials for our busy events programme.
“We’ve found Jonathan to be a great ally in many ways since he was appointed as PCC, we are extremely grateful for his support and we are already working with him on plans for some new projects.”
Sheffield hosts two-day Active Travel event starting tomorrow
A two-day Cycle City Active City event takes place tomorrow and Wednesday July at City Hall and Barkers Pool in Sheffield, when more than 600 active travel professionals will be welcomed to Sheffield by Cllr Terry Fox, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Oliver Coppard, Mayor, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
They will be joined by leading figures from new Department for Transport executive agency Active Travel England, who will be on hand to introduce themselves and their vision for 50% of trips in our towns and cities being made by walking, wheeling or cycling by 2030.
The event will kick off with a peloton of nurses, doctors, consultants and hospital staff riding from Sheffield’s teaching hospitals – The Royal Hallamshire and the Northern General – to the event venue at City Hall. There will also be cycling and walking tours taking place around the city on both days of the event, including visits to Hillsborough Park and Kelham Island.
Cllr Fox said:”Active travel is a key priority area for Sheffield City Council, from infrastructure to the health and wellbeing benefits for our local residents and those that work here.
“Embracing the great outdoors is an important part of our culture, influencing so much about life in Sheffield. We look forward to sharing best practice, learning from others and welcoming all Cycle City Active City delegates to our Outdoor City.”
Easier and safer active travel options help communities to choose healthy modes of travel for short trips – walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling – which in turn improve air quality and make the region’s streets safer and quieter.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Olive Coppard said: “Cycling and walking are at the heart of my vision for a cleaner, healthier and better-connected South Yorkshire. Creating safe and convenient routes for active travel, so we don’t have to rely on cars, is vital if we want to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities and meet our ambitious targets for clean growth.
“So I couldn’t be more pleased that that this year’s Cycle City Active City is coming to Sheffield – the Outdoor City is the ideal host for the country’s biggest Active Travel event.”
Innovative private sector companies are also rising to the challenge, with schemes offering shared bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and e-scooters increasing across the country – and possibly coming to Sheffield soon….
To date, local authorities across the Sheffield region have overseen transformational active travel schemes, from the inspirational Connecting Sheffield programme, the establishment of Active Neighbourhoods across South Yorkshire, and the Active Travel Implementation Plan, which sets out how, by 2040, a fully connected network of walking and cycling routes will link the region for safe and active travel. Sheffield’s physical activity strategy, Move More, is also having great success in boosting inclusive active travel options across the region.
Active travel will also help Sheffield to become a zero-carbon city by the start of the next decade: both Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority have declared Climate Emergencies – in line with more than 525 other local authorities in the UK – affecting more than 61 million residents. In Britain around 93 per cent of the population lives in areas where the local authorities have declared a climate emergency.
South Yorkshire vet practice celebrating a UK first after major acquisition
A South Yorkshire veterinary practice is celebrating a UK first after a major acquisition.
The Pet Vet, which has surgeries in Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster and Lincoln has acquired The Vet, registered as Quality Pet Care Ltd.
The purchase of all eight The Vet-branded surgeries makes The Pet Vet not only one of the largest independent family-owned practices by number of sites (12) in the UK, but critically the first to have a national presence.
The newly acquired surgeries are in Warrington, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bristol, Nottingham, Liverpool and Morden and Waltham Forest in London. The Pet Vet already operates three large, purpose-built surgeries in South Yorkshire and in 2021 opened a 5,500 sq ft surgery on a prime retail park in Lincoln.
Founded in Doncaster in 2011, The Pet Vet is under the sole ownership of Dr Rob Jones, who graduated in veterinary science from Bristol University in 1987. He practised in companion animal care in London and Australia before opening the first The Pet Vet surgery.
With almost 100 employees, including 24 full time vets, the practice is known for its investment in all of its people, in technology and in in-house diagnostics. The business has an annual turnover of £6m+.
Earlier this year, The Pet Vet secured £3.1m from alternative lender ThinCats to fund an ambitious growth plan. A rapid extra cash injection then allowed the family-owned independent to snap up The Vet when it came up for sale in April 2022.
The Vet was initially acquired by CVS Group plc, the AIM quoted and third largest veterinary group in the UK, in August 2021.
Dr Mel Fuller, MD, The Pet Vet, said: “The Pet Vet is absolutely delighted to welcome The Vet into our family.
“Our commitment to continual reinvestment of profits in the development of our teams, our services and in new technology, makes our surgeries fulfilling places to work, that offer the highest quality veterinary services to our customers.
“In South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire we have developed centres of excellence for orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery, imaging and dentistry, removing the need for external referral and enabling us to offer our services to other practices within our regions.
“The acquisition of The Vet gives us scope to further expand our expertise and services, offer even greater career progression for our vets, enhance our buying power and increase our influence on the overall quality of first opinion veterinary care in the UK.”
Rob Jones, chairman, The Pet Vet, said: “With nearly 70% of the veterinary practice market by revenue already in the ownership of major corporations, a fact of which most consumers are still completely unaware, this is a real opportunity for us as a South Yorkshire-based family business to make a positive difference for pet owners across the UK.
“Our acquisition of The Vet will allow us to further advance in-house provision, giving our vets more variety and stimulation in their working day and even greater opportunities for professional development.”
Hull FC and the University of Hull unveil plans for unique rugby and education hub
Hull FC and the University of Hull have unveiled plans for a rugby league performance, education and community hub.
Based at the University of Hull, the hub will unite Hull FCs rugby pathways from first team to grassroots for the first time, as well as see University of Hull students offered work placements in key fields such as sports science, coaching, analysis and media.
The £1.5m project, which has also received financial support from Hull City Council and other key stakeholders, will create an unrivalled home for the club’s various teams and community rugby league activity as well as enhance the University’s first-class sports provision further.
Steve Curtis, head of sport at the University of Hull, said: “The University of Hull is excited by this partnership and to play a role in developing rugby league in the region.
“Offering our students the best opportunities and experience whilst at University and beyond is our top priority and this partnership will create some truly exceptional opportunities.
“We’re proud of our history of raising education aspirations through sport and through this partnership, both Hull FC and the University will be able to continue on that path on a greater scale.
“It is a unique partnership in the education sector which reaches far beyond just sport and facilities, we will use rugby league and the partnership to create a clear pathway to higher education for young people across the region.
“The partnership naturally creates some amazing teaching and research opportunities for Sport Health and Exercise Science students, however opportunities and benefits exist across the whole of the University from the Business School, Media Studies, Teaching and our own Rugby League programme to name a few.”
In a unique aspect of the partnership, the club’s blossoming Centre of Excellence will also be based at the new hub, providing an unrivalled playing, training and education experience for young players as well as progression opportunities into higher education at the University.
The Centre of Excellence continues to grow from strength to strength, with over 120 male and female players enrolled in various squads from September 2022, who will now benefit from some of the best facilities in the city as they embark on a career in professional sport.
The project will also see Hull FC providing student placements for Sports Health and Exercise Science undergraduates as well as for other courses including media and marketing.
Students will be able to oversee and attend Hull FC training sessions, complete coaching and match official’s courses through FC and the University’s men and women’s rugby league programmes will be coached by Hull FC which will ensure the facility will not only provide players of the future, but also coaches, staff and officials.
Hull FC have also committed to a studentship, whilst applied research projects will have the dual benefit of ensuring Hull FC is at the forefront of performance science, whilst enhancing the career prospects of students.
The purpose-built hub will mean the Black & Whites will have a long-term base in the city, whilst also benefitting from the University’s world class facilities.
It will offer benefits not only to Hull FC and the University, but also the wider community, by creating an inclusive, high-quality provision to increase engagement and participation in rugby-related team sport coaching, community and education, regardless of background, age, disability or gender.
It is hoped that the new partnership will inspire a legacy for rugby league in the city, with a 110 per cent increase in participation targeted within the first five years.
Hull FC will now benefit from international-standard sports facilities at the University, which is also an official partner of Team GB, as well as a regional base for the Football Association and Super League netball, and recently hosted the final of the Rugby League Wheelchair Challenge Cup.
Boasting a state-of-the-art high-performance gymnasium and indoor sports arena, sports science laboratories, wrestle areas, video analysis suites, four artificial playing surfaces and over 11 grass pitches, it provides Hull FC and the Hull FC Community Foundation with the very best rugby league facilities the region has to offer.
The funding will also enable an extension to the existing University sports Pavilion to provide a home for the club’s first-team squad, development pathways and community activity – set to open in autumn 2023.
The new facility, which will include changing facilities, medical rooms, a video analysis suite and a clubhouse for players and spectators, will also be used for match days outside of the first-team squad, including academy, women’s and University teams, as well as providing a facility for local rugby league teams.
The partnership with Hull FC adds further value to the student sporting experience as they will coach and coordinate the Performance Rugby League Programme at the University.
In addition, a number of Hull FC Community Foundation initiatives will also be based at the University, including the successful wheelchair rugby league team, PDRL squad and women and girls’ rugby league squads, as well as personal training fitness courses and mental health workshops which will be open to students as well as the public.
Hull FC Chief Executive, James Clark, said: “This is a landmark moment for our club that has been years in the planning, as we strive to better ourselves on and off the field.
“We can finally boast international standard facilities and programmes across our entire club, but also create a lasting legacy at the very heart of our local community and grassroots rugby league which epitomises the hallmarks of Hull FC.
“An extended eight-year Centre of Excellence pathway from 14 to 23, including education and work experience, is an unrivalled opportunity for young rugby players in this city, as well as providing our first-team with the highest standard of training facilities.
“We must thank all the key stakeholders involved, including RLWC2021 and Hull City Council for their foresight and dedication in helping us make this ambition a reality, in particular Jeremy Hartley, Steve Curtis and the senior leadership team at the University of Hull.”
Cllr Rob Pritchard, portfolio holder for communities & culture, said: “We congratulate Hull FC and the University of Hull on this landmark and forward-thinking initiative, and we are delighted that the Council can provide match funding to support services at the new centre.
“We are determined to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the city and we look forward to seeing this incredibly ambitious programme come to fruition; it is a fantastic development for sport and our city.”
