Business News

A rogue builder who swindled a Wolverhampton homeowner out of more than £1,000 and then disappeared leaving behind incomplete and defective work has been fined by magistrates. 

William Morton, of Wolseley Close, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to carrying out work without professional diligence, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Problems began when the trusting homeowner, from the East Park area of the city, employed Morton to carry out a garage conversion on his property. 

The UK financial sector continues to bounce back from the pandemic as hiring activity reaches an all-time high.

The current senior finance job market is characterised by increasing demand for staff at every level, but with a shortage of skills and low candidate supply leading to a record number of vacancies. While jobs within the ‘executive and professional’ category have the slowest increase, they are still experiencing a sharp jump in demand.

Worcestershire’s Malvern Hills, located in the village of Great Witley, is home to Hundred House, a magnificent Grade II listed building steeped in history.

Hundred House is a state-of-the-art development featuring 16 residential units, with more than half already sold. A collaboration between HCT Homes and Bramham Properties, the property developers have created modern-day luxurious homes, paying meticulous attention to detail whilst honouring the building’s historic charm.

Over the last few years, West Bromwich town centre has undergone one of the largest physical and economic refurbishment programmes in the West Midlands region, with changes now visibly taking shape.

The programme has seen hundreds of millions of pounds invested into schemes that provide both residents and visitors of West Bromwich with state-of-the-art opportunities, amenities and services.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved a £6 million investment to support the construction of a new industrial park on the site of a derelict steelworks in north Birmingham. Working alongside industrial property developer Chancerygate, the development of Minworth Industrial Park will transform the former Steel Plates and Sections site off Forge Lane.

The first Official Retail Store for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has now officially opened. Located on New Street by the iconic Bullring, the 3,200ft² store is stocked full of official Birmingham 2022 merchandise, including clothing, hats, caps, water bottles and soft toys. Sports fans can also get their hands-on Team England T-shirts, vests and hoodies.

Passengers using the West Coast main line between London Euston and Crewe can rely on the railway to get home to loved ones this Christmas during railway improvement work.

This year major bank holiday upgrades will take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when traditionally the railway shuts down for a festive face-lift.

English football needs an independent regulator to stop it "lurching from crisis to crisis", says the chair of a fan-led review into the sport.

Former sports minister Tracey Crouch is calling on the government to create a new independent regulator for English football (IREF).

Businesses are poised for a blockbuster Black Friday, as shifts for temporary staff in warehouses and distribution are up 42% compared to last year, according to new data from Indeed Flex, the online marketplace for flexible workers. 

Employer demand is strongest for delivery drivers, with businesses posting more than three times as many shifts for drivers (up 226%) for the week leading up to Black Friday as they did during the same time last year. 

Cyber criminals will be looking to exploit shoppers during the Black Friday sales – an expert from Birmingham cyber security firm CSS Assure has warned.

People in the UK are planning to spend an estimated £4.8bn on Black Friday (26 November) and Cyber Monday (29 November) purchases this year, according to research by comparison site Finder.

ActionCOACH Black Country managing director Andy Hemming has scooped a top industry award for the fifth year in a row - beating hundreds of others to get the accolade.

Mr Hemming was awarded the ActionCOACH ‘UK Best Client Ratings’ once again, after first receiving the award in 2017. The nationwide competition saw more than 200 coaches compete for the award. 

Birmingham has been at the forefront of so many inventions but it is easy to forget just how much we have contributed to the modern world. The new book: ‘Invention & Design; Elkington of Birmingham’ looks at the discovery of electroplating in the city, with author Jonathan Berg saying we should: “Shout-out more about the city’s role in modern science and industry”.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC), in partnership with longstanding supporter, M6toll, is inviting all secondary schools in the region to register their interest in the MAAC Moguls business initiative.

M6toll has worked collaboratively with Midlands Air Ambulance Charity for several years on campaigns that target the education sector.

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has been named among the top 200 legal practices in England and Wales by The Times.

The Times Best Law Firms 2022 is a peer-selected directory of the best lawyers for business, public and private client law, with survey respondents asked to recommend the best law firms across 26 practice areas.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board has today asked Transport for West Midlands to conduct an independent review into the WMCA’s oversight of the region’s metro services.

The review, to be carried out by an industry expert, will look into the way Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) manages the delivery of new extensions and operation of metro services through a wholly owned company.

A new scheme has been launched to help homeowners make their properties greener, more sustainable and save money on energy bills.  

City of Wolverhampton Council, in partnership with Marches Energy Agency, will deliver the Green Homes Grant - Local Authority Delivery Scheme. The scheme will enable city homeowners on low incomes, who may be struggling to pay their heating bills, to make energy efficient improvements to their homes that will help to keep them warmer and reduce energy use.