Business News

A German-style national drive to reduce UK energy use by turning off lights and lowering heating temperatures could save households £400 and save the Treasury £9 billion, new analysis shows today.  

The Social Market Foundation, a cross-party think-tank, is calling on the Government to follow Germany’s lead and launch an information campaign that provides practical tips on reducing household energy demand.

Arc Inspirations, the award-winning operator of premium bar brands Banyan, BOX and Manahatta, has appointed hospitality sector veteran and leader, Mike Tye, as Chair.

He will support the senior team led by CEO and co-founder Martin Wolstencroft in the on-going development of the business – amid a significant growth phase for the company that will see Arc launch five new sites in the next 12 months.

Following the new interest rate rise, the Bank of England’s warning that people are facing the longest recession on record and some predicting house price falls of up to 30%, UK newswire, Newspage, polled 250 mortgage brokers and estate agents about how far they think prices will fall during the next 12-18 months. The results were:

Coalville-based developer David Wilson Homes East Midlands has sponsored an F1 engineering team at a secondary school in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

The housebuilder has supported Ashby School’s Dragon Racing team with its entry for international STEM competition, F1 in Schools.

Passengers planning on travelling through London Euston station during strike action on Friday 4, Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November are being warned not to get caught out with trains finishing much earlier than normal.

Strike action by members of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) means that on Friday 4 November London Northwestern Railway will run a very limited service on its London Euston - Northampton - Birmingham route with services starting from 7:30am and finishing by 7:30pm.

A technology expert at Birmingham City University has said that Elon Musk’s proposals to charge verified Twitter accounts a monthly subscription fee will only generate a relatively minor amount of income for the social media giant.

The academic and industry professional said: “Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has been typified by chaos, including most recently the firing of a number of senior executives – amongst them the head of legal policy, trust and safety.

The clinical negligence team of Lime Solicitors is expanding its geographical reach into the West Midlands with the transfer of legal director James Anderson to Birmingham. Previously based in the East Midlands, James will now take the lead in developing the law firm’s clinical negligence offering in the west of the region.

PR expert Amanda Moss specialises in helping growing small businesses and encourages entrepreneurs to run a PR campaign during an unstable economic period , saying it is precisely what is required if they want their business to thrive. 

Amanda, who has 30 years’ experience in the media, says, "At a time when the cost-of-living crisis is putting a squeeze on budgets, businesses that continue to spend on advertising and PR will see their business remain stable.

Businesses and communities across the West Midlands are to get more than £88m of targeted support to help drive economic growth and improve people’s opportunities in life. The Board of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) today (Friday October 28) approved its UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) investment plan which will now trigger the Government’s release of the money to the region over the next three years.

Dame Sharon White, the first ever female chair of John Lewis Partnership, has been named the UK’s most influential black person.

White topped the 2023 Powerlist, an annual list that aims to provide professional role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage. Other prominent black Britons on this year’s list include the actor, writer and creator of I May Destroy You, Michaela Coel, the actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry, and the rapper Stormzy.

Rishi Sunak's rise to power has attracted attention in India - and not just because he is the first British Asian prime minister. His wife Akshata Murty is the daughter of Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy, one of the country's best-known businessmen who has been dubbed the Bill Gates of India.

Just like humans, wastewater treatment plants can get sick, due to viral attacks. Now, new research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, reveals the implications for the surrounding environment in case the plant catches a cold.

The efficient running of wastewater treatment plants is an essential part of modern society. In the sewage industry, the ‘work’ of wastewater plants is often executed by microscopic bacteria.

Peel group seem hell bent on getting as much cash as they can by closing the airport and flogging the site for housing, says GMB Union 

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has topped the Which? Survey of best airports for the fourth year running. The South Yorkshire hub came first in a customer service survey, with a customer score of 85 per cent. 

The creator of a mobile barber website which operates in Birmingham has revealed people were begging him to break the law during lockdown and send a barber to their home to give them a haircut.

Giuliano Dore, founder of Get Groomed, said: “We learned that a lot of people try to have haircuts regardless of a law stating that they couldn’t which came as a surprise.

Work to improve the Dolphin Centre in Ward End is well underway and is scheduled for completion in March 2023. The £2million project is being delivered for Birmingham City Council by Building Services Now Limited and will bring a wide range of improvements to the facility, including:

Following a significant increase in demand for planning services in the West Midlands, Marrons Planning is growing its presence with the appointment of senior planner Lucy Bartley.

With more than five years’ experience as a town planner, Lucy joins the consultancy from Wood PLC where she worked her way up from assistant town planning consultant to senior consultant.