Business News

The pandemic has drawn families away from UK cities, pushing rural house prices up and pricing first-time buyers out, according to a report released by the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Increased interest in large family homes in rural areas suggests that families were looking for more space during the pandemic.

It was a night of wins for Birmingham City Council at the RTPI West Midlands Awards for Planning Excellence 2022. Honours were awarded to the council as follows:

Buyers looking for a slice of luxury in the beautiful hamlet of Coombe Hill are being given a unique chance to purchase a stunning four-bed show home - with all the furniture included.

Stourbridge-based Kendrick Homes has enjoyed massive interest in its Villard Grove development from young professionals, families and downsizers and, in a gesture of goodwill, has agreed to list its beautiful show home as seen.

The Sol Group announced that it has completed acquisition of the Jamaica operations of GB Energy. The acquisition gives it control over the GB Energy (GB)-operated Texaco brand in Jamaica —including its retail, aviation, LPG/autogas, commercial and lubricants activities.

Ensuring the West Midlands have the infrastructure in place to make the most of the opportunities of the coming decades was on the agenda as the government’s official advisers on infrastructure policy visited the region.

Maximising the benefits of HS2 through investment in local public transport, helping businesses expand their services and markets with 5G technologies, and ensuring that infrastructure helps reduce carbon emissions were all discussed during a series of meetings between the National Infrastructure Commission and Cllr Bob Sleigh, Deputy Mayor for the West Midlands and officials from West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

The trending ‘Coastal Grandmother Aesthetic’ transports people back to classic Nancy Meyes films, with a nod to nostalgic cooking and coastal vibe interiors. No matter where you live, you can create an interior where you can almost feel the ocean breeze.

Originating from a viral TikTok video, the trend is inspired by flowing coastal atmosphere, handwritten recipes, delicious cooking, and snug linen and rattan interiors.

People who pay council tax by direct debit, which is a safe, simple and quick way to pay will see the cash go directly into their bank accounts from April. Those who do not pay by direct debit will be contacted by their council and invited to make a claim.

Around 20 million households in council tax bands A to D - including 95% of rented properties - are set to benefit from the £3 billion council tax rebate, which does not have to be repaid.

A new study from Retirement Villages Group (“RVG”) today reveals that the total value of unpaid services provided by retirees in the West Midlands annually is £3bn and a staggering £48bn across the UK every year 1 - the equivalent of 2% of 2021 UK GDP.  The findings highlight the critical but often overlooked role people aged over 65 have in our society and economy.   

Birmingham and West Midlands businesses are set for a welcome boost in tourism and trade ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer.

With more than one million tickets already sold for Birmingham 2022, spectators from across the region, country and beyond will be heading to the West Midlands, which will be a hive of activity.

Christian Fox, a barrister at Becket Chambers: "The criminal justice system is like a defibrillator in an old phone box: no one really cares about it until your life depends on it, then suddenly it is the most important thing on earth and you hope to heck it works. The problem is, the criminal justice system doesn't work, in fact access to justice in this country no longer works full stop.

City of Wolverhampton Council’s multi-million-pound programme to replace its out-dated housing stock with better homes for residents is set to get underway in the coming months. The Council confirmed in its Housing Revenue Account report in January that an Asset Management Strategy is being developed for the regeneration of its 4,100 homes built by old, non-traditional construction methods.

The UK is currently experiencing its biggest cost-of-living crunch in decades as UK inflation soars, but a mere 5% of employees believe their employer is doing enough to support them through the crisis. Couple this with the struggle to retain staff due to the Great Resignation and the pressure on employers to keep talent is high. 

The Chancellor's response to ONS public sector finances statistics for May 2022 is below. 

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “Rising inflation and increasing debt interest costs pose a challenge for the public finances, as they do for family budgets.

10 site managers who work for David Wilson Homes East Midlands, based in Coalville, have all secured top national awards for the quality of build at new housing developments across the region.

Five of the winning site managers oversee the delivery of new homes in Leicestershire, and have each received a top industry Pride in the Job Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC).

Heathrow airport faces a summer of strikes after hundreds of BA workers voted for industrial action. 

A total of 95 per cent of those who voted said they were prepared to strike, on a turnout of more than 80 per cent. Industrial action dates will be confirmed in the coming days but are likely to be during the peak summer holiday period.  

TalkTalk has launched its new Future Fibre Fund in Birmingham, as it looks to support local community groups with a donation to help them succeed. As the UK’s only large-scale value provider of connectivity, TalkTalk is passionate about helping people connect affordably to all the possibilities the outside world offers, as it rolls out Future Fibre - the UK’s fastest and most reliable full fibre technology.