New figures reveal a steep year-on-year decline in the number of businesses registered by women across the UK’s largest cities. Despite overall growth in new company registrations nationwide, female entrepreneurship has markedly contracted, signalling potential structural issues in access, support, and funding.

According to the latest analysis from Instant Offices, the number of women-led companies registered in 2024 dropped significantly in eight of the UK’s ten largest cities compared to the previous year. Bristol saw the most dramatic fall, down 57%, followed closely by Leicester (–56%), Glasgow (–54%), Leeds (–52%), Birmingham, and Liverpool (both –51%). Even London, the country’s economic engine, recorded a 48% reduction.

This trend comes despite the government’s goals to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by 600,000 by 2030. The reversal suggests that existing initiatives may not translate into results on the ground.

The study highlights key inhibitors, including limited access to funding, underrepresentation in investment decision-making, and the enduring gender pay gap. Only 2p of every £1 in UK equity investment currently goes to all-female founding teams, a figure that has not improved over the past decade.

Although total company registrations in some cities grew in 2024, the disproportionate drop in women-led firms underscores systemic hurdles rather than a broader economic slowdown. The data suggests a need for tailored investment vehicles, expanded mentoring networks, and more inclusive funding structures if the UK intends to meet its long-term targets for entrepreneurial diversity.

Parcel delivery firm Evri has merged with DHL’s UK ecommerce division in a move set to reshape the UK logistics market. The combined operation, now known as Evri Group, brings together over 42,000 workers, including 30,000 couriers and van drivers, positioning the firm as one of the largest players in the country.

Under the agreement, DHL Group takes a significant minority stake in Evri, while private equity firm Apollo remains the majority shareholder following its £2.7 billion acquisition of Evri in 2023.

The newly formed entity will handle over one billion parcels and letters annually. It also marks Evri’s entry into the UK business letter market, heightening competition with Royal Mail and potentially introducing more cost-competitive alternatives for enterprise-scale clients.

The combined group aims to improve service levels by integrating Evri’s high-volume infrastructure with DHL’s premium van network. This promises increased efficiency and scalability for UK retailers and e-commerce platforms.

Rotherham Council has announced a new five-year strategy focused on local economic development, infrastructure upgrades, and community investment. The strategy clearly emphasises supporting businesses and enhancing the region’s competitiveness.

The strategy, known as “Forging Ahead,” will be presented to the Cabinet on 19 May 2025. If approved, it will guide council actions through 2030. Key priorities include boosting the borough’s business infrastructure, improving transport connectivity, and driving local procurement.

Among the highlights is an £8.4 million investment in the Templeborough Business Zone, designed to create new commercial spaces and jobs. The Council is also progressing plans for a mainline rail station at Parkgate to enhance regional and national connectivity—an initiative expected to benefit freight logistics and commuter access.

The plan includes initiatives to support local enterprises, such as strengthening supply chains, encouraging local spending, and delivering targeted business support programmes like “Go for Growth.”

Investment in public spaces is also central. A £4 million “Our Places” programme will focus on improving town and village gateways. In contrast, upgrades to public parks and the creation of 400 homes in the town centre aim to make Rotherham more attractive to residents and businesses.

From a workforce and community development perspective, the plan includes support for new families, facilities for young people, and expanded housing options for adults with complex needs, measures intended to boost workforce participation and community wellbeing.

A new Street Safe team will be introduced to address antisocial behaviour and improve perceptions of public safety, which often affects high-street businesses.

The Council sees the plan as a continuation of progress made since 2021, including road improvements and significant cost-of-living support. If adopted, “Forging Ahead” will serve as a roadmap for aligning public investment with private sector growth.

Uber is extending its UberX Share ride-sharing option to all major UK cities except London by the end of June 2025. The service, piloted in Bristol since November 2024, allows passengers travelling in the same direction to share rides at a discount of up to 20%. UberX Share aims to keep detours under eight minutes on average.

This expansion is part of Uber’s efforts to reduce urban congestion and vehicle emissions by decreasing the number of cars on the road. London is excluded from the initial rollout due to differing local regulations; Uber’s previous shared-ride service there, UberPool, was suspended in March 2020 amid the pandemic. The company plans to introduce UberX Share in London later this year.

A £10 million employment support programme has launched in York and North Yorkshire. The programme is focused on helping individuals with long-term health conditions either re-enter or remain in the workforce. Backed by the central government as part of the Get Britain Working Inactivity Trailblazer initiative, the scheme positions the region as one of eight areas trialling new approaches to tackling economic inactivity.

Over the next year, the programme will assist 1,500 job seekers with health-related barriers, 500 individuals currently employed but needing extra support, and 150 local employers. The initiative responds to a 72% rise in health-related economic inactivity in the region since 2019, well above national trends.

The pilot will offer tailored employment interventions and test innovative delivery methods, including a Work, Health and Skills Interchange hub and a dedicated online platform. Community grants will also be issued to organisations developing grassroots employment solutions.

Better Connect, a not-for-profit based in Knaresborough, is leading delivery. The first to go live is Better Connect’s Rise2Thrive service. The programme will prioritise underserved groups, including 16–24-year-olds, over-50s, and people in rural and coastal areas.

Referrals will be channelled through local health and wellbeing hubs to embed employment support into existing community infrastructure. Outcomes from the pilot are expected to inform future UK-wide employment policy.

Burberry has announced plans to cut around 1,700 jobs globally, approximately 20% of its workforce, as part of a broader strategy to reduce costs and reposition the brand for long-term growth.

The job cuts are expected to be concentrated in office-based roles and include closing a night shift at the company’s trench coat factory in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The reduction will occur over the next two years and contribute significantly to an increased annual savings target of £100 million by FY27, up from a previous target of £40 million.

The restructuring comes as CEO Joshua Schulman, who joined the company in 2023, continues efforts to reverse Burberry’s underperformance in the global luxury market. His turnaround strategy is focused on reinforcing the brand’s British heritage and prioritising core products like trench coats and scarves. These changes follow previous missteps, including overpricing and inconsistent product lines, compounded by broader market weakness.

Burberry reported a stronger-than-expected recent performance, citing increased wholesale orders following its February fashion show. The positive momentum in sales and the cost-cutting announcement triggered an 18% rise in the company’s share price.

This is the company’s fourth leadership change in a decade. Past strategies under different CEOs attempted to elevate Burberry into the top tier of luxury fashion but delivered limited financial results. The current approach aims to stabilise operations, cut excess, and refocus on profitability.

The UK government plans to reduce its London civil service workforce by 12,000 jobs and close 11 central London offices as part of a strategy to cut costs and decentralise operations. The move aims to save approximately £94 million annually by 2032.

New government campuses will open in Manchester and Aberdeen, with additional roles created in cities including Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast, York, Darlington, and Tyneside. The Manchester campus will focus on digital innovation and AI, while the Aberdeen site will specialise in energy. A third regional campus location is yet to be confirmed.

This initiative is part of a broader government effort to shrink the civil service, which has grown to over 514,000 staff since 2016. The Cabinet Office plans to cut 2,100 jobs within its department over the next two years, contributing to a 15% reduction in overall government running costs by 2030.

The government has requested departments to submit detailed relocation plans for staff, including senior civil servants, in preparation for an upcoming spending review due in June. Half of the UK-based senior civil servants are expected to be outside London by 2030.

102 Petty France, a major Ministry of Justice hub, and 39 Victoria Street, home to the Department of Health and Social Care, are among the London offices set for closure.

Industry unions have cautiously welcomed the decentralisation plans but emphasise the need for clear communication regarding employee impact and career development opportunities outside London.

Economic projections estimate that relocating and expanding government roles outside London could generate £729 million for local economies by 2030.

Healthcare logistics provider Medequip has secured a new facility in East Yorkshire as part of its national expansion, becoming the first tenant at the £10 million Evolve development in the Melton West business park.

The site was designed to address a regional shortage of modern industrial space and supports Medequip’s entry into the East Riding of Yorkshire and Hull markets. The company was recently awarded a contract to deliver the Community Equipment Loan Service across the area, supporting local authority social care and NHS services.

Medequip operates 27 depots nationwide and supplies mobility and independent-living equipment to 48 local authority areas. The new East Yorkshire depot will enhance its logistical coverage and improve service efficiency in the region.

The Evolve development offers high-specification units focused on sustainability and strong transport connectivity. With Medequip operational, the remaining units at the site are nearing completion and will soon be available.

This move follows Medequip’s recent partnership with Vanaways to streamline fleet procurement and support its growing national footprint.

Lucchini Unipart Rail (LUR) is investing £6.5 million to expand its operational capacity across two key UK sites in response to increased demand from the rail sector.

The joint venture between Lucchini RS Group and Unipart will relocate its Doncaster bogie servicing operation to a new 102,000 sq ft facility in Warmsworth. This move will double the size of the current Hexthorpe Road site and boost output of overhauled and refurbished bogies for passenger, freight, locomotive, and light rail use.

In Manchester, LUR’s wheelset repair operations will shift from Chadderton to a 63,000 sq ft facility in Trafford Park, bringing it closer to its existing 118,000 sq ft head office and manufacturing plant. The gearbox servicing operation, also based in Trafford Park, will remain at its current 20,000 sq ft site.

The investment includes new machinery and technology to increase throughput to 800 wheelsets in Manchester and 80 bogies per month in Doncaster.

Both new sites are refurbishing and are expected to be fully operational by autumn 2025. The expansion aligns with LUR’s long-term strategy to enhance flexibility, improve operational efficiency, and better serve the evolving needs of the UK rail industry.

The business currently employs 380 staff across its Doncaster and Manchester locations, and this investment is set to strengthen its regional presence in South Yorkshire and the North West.

Plans for a 24-hour biomethane HGV fuelling station at a former abattoir in Wakefield have been withdrawn following significant community opposition.

CNG Fuels Ltd had proposed to develop the facility at Flanshaw Business Park, installing 14 pumps connected to the mains gas network. The site, intended to support logistics and distribution operations in the area, including operators such as Amazon, would have operated around the clock without on-site staff, using key-fob access for permitted vehicles.

The station aimed to serve HGVs with biomethane, a compressed natural gas derived from organic waste. It was part of the company’s broader expansion to support decarbonisation in freight transport. CNG Fuels currently operates 13 UK stations, including one near Castleford.

Despite the proposal aligning with government goals to lower emissions in the transport sector, the plan attracted 539 formal objections. Concerns raised included potential night-time noise, traffic volume increases, and environmental impact due to the site’s proximity to residential housing. No letters of support were filed.

According to Wakefield Council’s planning portal, the application was formally withdrawn on 12 May.