England’s ‘Second City’ of Birmingham is said to have recorded an increase in gross value added (GVA) to its economy of 7.5% in Q4 2021. That’s according to a joint study undertaken by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr) titled ‘UK Powerhouse: Overcoming Disruption in 2022’. In addition, the report states that Birmingham’s employment forecast...

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced £1bn worth of additional funding to support businesses hit by the recent spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. With the rise in Covid cases soaring nationwide, devolved governments and the UK government are weighing up new restrictions to maintain public health and protect the NHS. A large part of the £1bn...

Warwick’s Wedgnock Industrial Estate is home to a host of prominent multinational corporations, which lean heavily on the town’s impressive transport links and proximity to the heart of the West Midlands economy. The most notable tenants include the UK headquarters of IBM, the operational headquarters of Telent and Volvo Group Financial Services. If being a neighbour of these illustrious, global...

Rugby Borough Council has submitted proposals for an ambitious Rugby Town Centre Regeneration Plan, designed to revamp and regenerate its town centre. The borough council believes the time is right for a “once-in-a-lifetime” overhaul of the town, with its “bold vision” focused on giving the town’s economy a brighter future. Councillor Seb Lowe, leader of the Rugby Borough Council, says...

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has revealed new legislation and a new Code of Practice designed to handle the issue of outstanding commercial rent debts accrued during the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The UK government has shielded commercial property tenants from potential eviction until 25th March 2022, giving businesses and their landlords ample opportunity to discuss the way forward regarding...

The Worcestershire town of Redditch was once the global epicentre of the fishing tackle and needle industry. Positioned due south of Birmingham city centre by approximately 15 miles, Redditch offers an enviable business location, with direct road and rail links into England’s second city and elsewhere in the West Midlands and beyond. At one time, the 19th century saw 90...

Proposals to reform regulations surrounding flexible working are under consultation, in response to the relevant suggestions within the ‘Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families’ consultation in the summer of 2019. As long ago as 2003, new laws came into force enabling parents and guardians to request flexible working arrangements, surrounding their work hours and patterns. More than a decade...

The last 18 months have been a testing time for commercial property tenants and landlords alike. Although tenants’ issues and demands naturally ebb and flow over time, few landlords could have anticipated the ferocity and scale of change that has occurred in tenant behaviour since March 2020. The successful roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine has enabled sufficient relaxation of social...

The UK’s Small Business Saturday campaign will roll into Britain’s high streets again this winter on 4th December 2021. The now-iconic campaign, designed to champion the benefits of shopping with small retailers, will see its nationwide tour commence in the coming days, starting with Glasgow ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). In total, this year’s Small Business Saturday...

The UK’s largest small business group, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has published a set of measures designed to accelerate the recovery of small businesses and simultaneously save taxpayer funds. Within its submission to Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of the Budget 2021, the FSB said small firms have a desire to “turn the page after a torrid 18 months”...