Welcome!
…to the November Settle District Chamber of Trade newsletter. We’re getting ready for the next Chamber meeting on 20 November – details below – and we also have a few other snippets of news for you too.
Kind regards
John Mason
Chairman
Meeting News
The next members meeting will be held on Tuesday 20 November 2012 at Settle Cricket Club, Marshfield Road, Settle. For this meeting we’ve joined up with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Skipton. It will give our members an opportunity to network with businesses from outside the Settle area, meet new contacts and share ideas.
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The Chamber meeting will start at 6:30pm (slightly earlier than our usual meetings), finishing around 8:30pm. Martin Peacock, a new Chamber member, will be one of the speakers, as well as Jo Rhodes from the Settle Networking group who will tell the meeting about funding recently applied for from Craven District Council. There will also be an update from Sita about Settle Stories and a short presentation from George Bellas and Matt Mason of the FSB. Cash bar available.
Next Member’s Meeting
AGM in January 2013 – details to be confirmed
Yorkshire Access Forum Membership
The Yorkshire Dales Local Access Forum is seeking new membership and has asked us to let our members know about this. Further information regarding the general information about the forum, the role of a forum member, persons specification and application forms can be requested by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, Yoredale, Bainbridge, Leyburn North Yorkshire DL8 3EL or by contacting Rachel Briggs by telephone on 01969 652363 or email rachel.biggs@yorkshiredales.org.uk. Completed application forms need to be returned to the same address by the 19 November 2012. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on 5 December.
Carl Lis, Chairman says “The establishment of a Local Access Forum for the Yorkshire Dales is a major step forward towards increased and improved access provision within the National Park and provides an exciting opportunity for interested people to get involved in access provision and management.”
Expanding law firm settles on a new acquisition
A FAST-GROWING law firm has made its fifth acquisition in as many years.
Coles Solicitors, which has its headquarters in Northallerton and additional offices in York and Thirsk, has expanded west into the Pennines after buying a practice in Settle. Coles managing director and principal solicitor Peter Gibson has acquired the business of Derek M Jordan in Settle’s Chapel Street, in readiness for Mr Jordan’s retirement. The latter will remain with Coles as a consultant during the transition. The new acquisition will be rebranded over the coming weeks.
“We’re delighted with this expansion,” said Mr Gibson. “It’s at the opposite end of the Yorkshire Dales to our existing offices, so we can now cover the east and west of the patch. We’ll be retaining the service of the practice’s lawyers and support staff, and augmenting the expertise of the whole group – particularly in the area of agricultural conveyancing and probate. We will continue to serve the needs of Bentham clients too, with home visits as necessary, where Derek Jordan had an office for many years until May 2011. The new acquisition will enable us to offer our whole range of services from all of our offices, and we look forward to growing our client base in Settle and the surrounding area.” Mr Gibson added “Derek Jordan has faithfully served the people of Settle – and until last year, of Bentham too – for more than 40 years, just as his father did before him.”
Derek Jordan said: “It has been a privilege to work in such a beautiful area all my life, and I am honoured to have acted for so many people throughout that time. I am delighted that Coles have acquired my practice as I know they will offer an exceptional service to the people of north Craven – I wish them every success with their new venture. I am also afforded to the opportunity to assist with the transition, by being a consultant to the new firm in the coming months.”
Coles has seen major investment and development since it was taken on by Peter Gibson almost six years ago, opening purpose-built headquarters in Northallerton and taking on practices in York and Thirsk. Today the firm is a multi-disciplinary agency, offering clients across York and North Yorkshire, Teesside and South Durham access to personal injury services, will writing, conveyancing, probate, family and employment law services. It now employs 24 staff.
* Coles Solicitors is at Trinity House, Thurston Road, Northallerton, DL6 2NA; 96 Micklegate, York, YO1 6JX, Finkle Street, Thirsk, YO7 1DA and now Chapel Street, Settle, BD24 9HT. Call 03300 50200 or visit www.coles-law.co.uk.