Bellurgan’s Evelyn Toner helps woman lose weight on This Morning

Evelyn Toner (centre) with Christina Briggs and Christina’s life coach Jeff Brazier on the set of This Morning yesterday

Dundalk woman Evelyn Toner appeared on ITV’s this morning programme yesterday in a segment featuring unemployed mother of two Christina Briggs.

The Wigan woman hit the headlines last year after claiming that taxpayers should give her more benefits to eat healthily.

After appearing on This Morning last September, the show vowed to help and teamed Christina up with Evelyn to create a healthy eating plan.

Just three weeks on and Christina had lost 1^st 5lbs with the help of dietician Evelyn.

Evelyn, from Bellurgan, runs a nutrition consultancy service called Prime Health Nutrition in London.

A registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, you can find out more about Evelyn’s work at www.primehealthnutrition.co.uk

You can watch the segment on the UTV Player. Follow it from 52.20.

Dundalk woman Evelyn to appear on This Morning today

Evelyn Toner

Dundalk woman Evelyn Toner will be appearing on This Morning on ITV at around 11.30am today.

Evelyn, from Bellurgan, runs a nutrition consultancy service called Prime Health Nutrition in London and will be promoting the business as well as speaking to hosts Philip Scofield and Christine Bleakley about special tips and tricks you can take.

A registered dietitian and sports nutritionist, you can find out more about Evelyn’s work at www.primehealthnutrition.co.uk

UTV Ireland viewers can also view the show or watch it back on UTV Player.

Crown Estate interested in retail portfolio that includes the Marshes Shopping Centre

The Marshes

The Marshes Shopping Centre could soon count Queen Elizabeth II and David Cameron amongst its owners after the Crown Estate submitted a bid for the shopping centre portfolio currently owned by Northern Irish businessmen John B McGuckian and Ken Cheevers.

The Dundalk centre is part of a portfolio of regional retail parks and malls which went on the market earlier this year with a price tag of around £750m (€909.4m).

Other centres that could be sold as part of the sale include the Foyleside in Derry, Forestside in south Belfast and the Abbey Centre in Newtownabbey.

The portfolio, which was assembled using substantial loans from Ulster Bank, also includes Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester, Palace Exchange in Enfield, greater London, the Avenue Shopping Centre in Glasgow and Priory Meadow in Hastings, East Sussex.

The Belfast Telegraph is reporting today that McGuckian and Cheevers are “weight up a number of bids for the eight-strong portfolio,” including one from the Crown Estate.

Crown Estate is an independent company which manages the property assets of the Crown. The Estate is one of the largest property owners in the United Kingdom, with a portfolio worth £8.1 billion.

Although nominally belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, like the Crown Jewels, the Crown Estate is not the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him or her, nor do any revenues, or debts, from the estate accrue to the monarch, as they no longer govern in person. That role has been replaced by the de facto authority of Parliament. From April 2012 each monarch will receive from the Treasury a stipulated percentage of the Crown Estate’s annual net revenue (currently set at 15%). Surplus revenue from the Estate is paid each year to Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Crown Estate confirmed to the Belfast Telegraph it was intent on acquiring more retail property.

James Cooksey, head of The Crown Estate’s regional portfolio, said: “As one of the top five owners of regional retail property in the UK, The Crown Estate continues to seek opportunities that align with our investment strategy and we are considering a bid for Fosse Shopping Park in that context.”

Estate agents Savills refused to comment on the sale.

Marshes Shopping Centre could be sold

The Marshes

The Marshes Shopping Centre in Dundalk could be sold, according to a report in PropertyWeek magazine.

The local centre is part of a portfolio of regional retail parks and malls which is being primed for a potential sale with a price tag of around £750m (€909.4m).

Other shopping centres that could be sold include Northern Irish centres the Foyleside in Derry, Forestside in south Belfast and the Abbey Centre in Newtownabbey,

The portfolio, which was assembled using substantial loans from Ulster Bank, also includes Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester, Palace Exchange in Enfield, greater London, the Avenue Shopping Centre in Glasgow and Priory Meadow in Hastings, East Sussex.

The centres are understood to be controlled by two of Northern Ireland’s wealthiest men – former UTV chairman John B McGuckian and Ken Cheevers, who owns the McLaughlin & Harvey building firm.

Property Week also reports that the potential sale is being run alongside an attempt by the owners to refinance some of the portfolio, including Foyleside and Forestside.

That would likely involve forming a partnership with other investors.

The sales process fits with Ulster Bank’s strategy of reducing the size of its property loan book.

Louth Economic Forum chairman joins board of UTV

Padraic White

The chairman of the Louth Economic Forum, Padaic White, has joined the board of UTV Ireland.

UTV are planning to enter the Irish television market in January 2015 with an application submitted to the Broadcast Authority of Ireland recently.

They are clearly pushing ahead with plans for their launch in 13 month’s time, however, by recruiting the former IDA Ireland boss to their board.

Mr White, who has been involved with the Lotuh Economic Forum since its establishment in 2009, has had ties with UTV since the broadcaster purchased Q102 – then known as Lite FM – for €14m in 2002. He was a founder of the Dublin station and continued to serve as its chairman after the UTV purchase.

UTV also owns local radio station LMFM.

The appointment of Mr White highlights UTV’s plan to maximize the links between the new channel and its existing radio operations in the Republic, where it owns six stations and sells advertising on behalf of two others.

Mr White was central to the establishment and marketing of the IFSC in Dublin and during his tenure with the IDA brought the likes of Microsoft, IBM and Intel to Ireland.