New car registrations inch upward, but pressure on margins intensifies

April Lara
-
0
New car registrations inch upward, but pressure on margins intensifies

The UK’s new car market saw a modest uptick in May, with registrations rising 1.6% year-on-year to 150,070 units, marking the best May performance since 2021. However, volumes remain 18.3% below pre-pandemic levels, highlighting persistent economic fragility.

Fleet and business buyers drove the recovery, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the market. Fleet registrations rose 3.7%, while business volumes surged 14.4%. In contrast, private sales declined for the second consecutive month, down 2.3%, underscoring a cautious consumer outlook.

Demand for electrified vehicles climbed sharply. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations increased by 25.8% year-over-year, accounting for 21.8% of the market. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) grew 50.8%, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) increased by 6.8%. Combined, electrified models captured 47.3% of new car sales. However, BEVs remain below the regulatory target, with a year-to-date market share of 20.9%, which is short of the mandated 28%.

Manufacturers continue to rely heavily on discounting and incentives, particularly for electric vehicles (EVs), to sustain momentum. This reliance, coupled with existing cost pressures, raises concerns about long-term profitability and investment in product development.

The breadth of electrified offerings has expanded, with over 135 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) now available. Despite this, calls for stronger government support, through VAT cuts and tax reforms, are growing louder as the industry pushes toward net-zero targets.

Sheffield Technology Parks adds legal and digital expertise to board

April Lara
-
0
Sheffield Technology Parks adds legal and digital expertise to board

Sheffield Technology Parks has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of two new board members, reinforcing its focus on supporting early-stage tech businesses and driving innovation across South Yorkshire.

Mel Kanarek, a prominent figure in the region’s digital economy, joins with over 20 years of experience building and connecting digital communities. She is known for co-founding Sheffield Digital, which supports and promotes the city’s tech ecosystem. Her appointment signals STP’s continued emphasis on strengthening its role within the local startup and digital innovation space.

Joining alongside Kanarek is Claire Mayfield-Tulip, a senior commercial property lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising businesses across Sheffield and the wider region. Her expertise in property development and commercial legal matters is expected to support STP’s ambitions to expand physical infrastructure for growing tech enterprises.

The appointments come at a strategic moment for Sheffield Technology Parks as it looks to develop innovation spaces and deepen collaboration across business, academic, and public sector partners. The organisation is positioning itself as a key driver in making Sheffield a nationally recognised hub for digital entrepreneurship and tech-led growth.

Shipley Towns Fund welcomes new board members

Tess Egginton
-
0
Shipley Towns Fund welcomes new board members
Bradford Council has welcomed a new chair, a vice chair and a new member to the board of the Shipley Towns Fund. Shipley was awarded £25m via the Government’s Towns Fund to support regeneration in 2021. The board was set up to deliver the work of the towns fund, such as delivering the Shipley Sustainable Hub and the ongoing regeneration of Market Square, and is made up of representatives from local businesses as well as charitable and voluntary organisations, with support from Bradford Council. Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new members to the board, with their range of skills and vast experience. We are already fortunate that our board constitutes people with a breadth of experience from many backgrounds, and we know our new members will strengthen it further. “The Shipley Towns Fund is successfully delivering projects in the area which will positively impact the way local people live for generations to come and it’s great to have new momentum to continue to this excellent work.” Newly-elected chair Gill Thornton has lived in Shipley for 40 years where she has been actively involved in local life through school governing bodies, local voluntary organisations and NHS bodies. Currently the director of £50 million programme Better Start Bradford, Gill has worked in the voluntary and community sector for more than 35 years with a focus on community empowerment, access to resources and innovation. Gill said: “I was an elected member on Bradford Council for 20 years with a range of responsibilities. The experience has given me a valuable insight into the challenges of urban regeneration and improvement and the importance of involving local people. I am committed to ensuring the work of Shipley Towns Fund will continue to build real change and visible improvements for local people.” Alongside Gill’s election, Si Cunningham has been elected Vice Chair. Si previously served as a District Councillor in Bradford and was Assistant Executive Member for Culture and Sustainability. He was also Communications and Bid Development Manager for Bradford’s successful UK City of Culture 2025. Si is the current Chairperson of Bradford Civic Society, a charity established in 1942 to promote civic pride and better placemaking in Bradford. He also currently Chairs the city’s Heritage Action Zone, a Historic England initiative administered by Bradford Council. New member Adam Beddall was also elected to the board. A local resident, Adam currently works as a Project Manager for locally-headquartered firm, Turner & Townsend. He specialises in managing construction projects, primarily within the public sector. His work focuses on supporting local authorities within West Yorkshire on active travel, town centre regeneration and infrastructure improvement projects.

New advisory board for Leeds accountancy firm

Tess Egginton
-
0
New advisory board for Leeds accountancy firm
Leeds-headquartered Northern Accountants has formed a new strategic advisory board, as the company embarks on a five-year plan to become a ‘top 100’ accountancy firm. The move sees three non-executive directors join the business, to support the growth trajectory to £7.8m turnover. With more than 20 years’ learning and development experience, Anna Masheter has been announced as Northern Accountants’ director of people and culture. She brings a wealth of experience in optimising the skills, capabilities, performance and engagement of talent, for multiple UK businesses large and small, and across a range of sectors. She is joined by communications specialist Katie Mallinson, who sold and exited her own agency – Scriba PR – in 2023. Appointed as acting marketing director, her role is to elevate Northern Accountant’s brand position, and implement an enhanced marketing strategy that will drive new customer acquisition, retention, and the wider reputation of the business. Nick Washbourne completes the NED line-up. With a 25-year career in sales and business development, he spent more than a decade as commercial director of Leeds-headquartered Force24. Now with the same title at Northern Accountants, his role is to build a world class, scalable business development model for the firm. The advisory board also includes managing director Phil Ellerby who founded Northern Accountants in his garden shed in 2008, as well as the company’s existing operations director Ben Muncaster. Phil explains: “I’ve always believed in doing things differently. But to say we’re not your traditional accountancy practice simply doesn’t cut it. We have invested heavily in technology over the years, to develop a slick and efficient business that empowers our people to ‘do their thing’, and liberates our clients in the process. “I’m not saying we’ve always got everything right, but we’ve also worked hard to employ the best possible talent – colleagues who really have our clients’ backs. It’s our point of difference in a crowded, price-sensitive industry, and with so many mergers and acquisitions taking place in our industry, I think we can leverage our position even further.” “But we also acknowledged that to maintain – if not further enhance – our customer service levels, we needed to free up our team to concentrate on what they do best,” Phil added. “We have four other phenomenal directors in the company, for instance, but they’re accountants who are far better focused on managing client matters – from critical compliance to more strategic advisory services that will unlock growth. That’s the reason the advisory board was formed – we sought experts in their field to support us on our bold journey.” Having just recorded the best-performing quarter in Northern Accountants’ 17-year history, turnover currently stands at £3.3m.

Salmon farm clears legal hurdle in £120m Cleethorpes development

April Lara
-
0
Salmon farm clears legal hurdle in £120m Cleethorpes development

A £120 million land-based salmon farming facility in Cleethorpes has received the go-ahead following a judicial review triggered by animal welfare objections.

The project, led by Aquacultured Seafood Ltd, had secured planning permission in November 2023 from North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) with a narrow vote of seven to four. However, construction was paused after the animal rights organisation Animal Equality UK launched a legal challenge, arguing that welfare concerns had not been sufficiently considered in the planning process.

The High Court has now upheld the council’s original approval, allowing the project to proceed. While the ruling enables development to move forward, the presiding judge indicated that animal welfare may carry greater weight in future planning decisions.

Spanning 10 acres in New Clee, the facility is expected to produce 5,000 tonnes of salmon annually and generate over 300 jobs during development, with around 100 roles to be permanent.

For the local authority, the project represents a major inward investment and a step toward more innovative aquaculture practices. The case marks a potential precedent for integrating ethical considerations into future planning frameworks.

MHRA to open digital tech hub in Leeds

April Lara
-
0
MHRA to open digital tech hub in Leeds

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is establishing a new digital hub in Leeds to enhance its regulatory capabilities in digital health, AI-driven technologies, and healthcare software.

The facility, set to open in Wellington Place, will serve as a centre for software development, data science, and digital operations. It will also serve as a regional base for NHS England’s digital team, reinforcing the city’s growing role in health technology innovation.

The decision to locate the hub in Leeds reflects the city’s strong talent pipeline, with over 44,000 tech professionals and around 11,000 students enrolled in tech-related degrees. MHRA plans to recruit around 30 permanent, high-skill roles in the first phase, with potential for further expansion.

The move signals a broader strategy to decentralise regulatory expertise and strengthen collaboration across the North of England’s health and technology sectors. It comes amid rapid growth in AI and digital tools, which are reshaping NHS delivery and the wider healthcare ecosystem.

The new hub aligns with ongoing public and private investment in Yorkshire’s digital health infrastructure and is expected to create job opportunities and support innovation within the region’s tech economy.

Lincoln secures £1.5m to boost local dental workforce

April Lara
-
0
Lincoln secures £1.5m to boost local dental workforce

The University of Lincoln has secured £1.5 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to establish the Lincolnshire Institute of Dental and Oral Health (LIDOH), aiming to address the region’s critical shortage of NHS dental professionals.

The funding will support the launch of a new BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, as well as a foundation course designed to help dental nurses and healthcare workers upskill without leaving the county. Redevelopment of university facilities is also planned to include new clinical teaching spaces equipped with advanced simulation and digital tools.

Lincolnshire consistently ranks among the areas in the UK with the worst NHS dental access, with implications for broader public health and local workforce sustainability. The LIDOH initiative is positioned to develop a locally trained dental workforce that meets community needs and reduces reliance on external recruitment.

This new institute builds on the university’s previous investments in healthcare education and regional workforce development, including the Lincoln Medical School and the Lincoln Institute for Rural and Coastal Health, both of which aim to improve healthcare access and outcomes across Greater Lincolnshire.

The initiative aligns with broader regional efforts to address skills gaps and expand local career pathways in the health services sector.

Interflora returns to profit as it eyes growth through rebrand and restructuring

April Lara
-
0
Interflora returns to profit as it eyes growth through rebrand and restructuring

Interflora UK has recorded a pre-tax profit of £1.9m in 2024, reversing a £2.3m loss from the previous year. The performance improvement comes despite a dip in turnover, which fell to £83.2m from £86.7m in 2023.

The company’s financial turnaround follows a broader strategic reset, including the divestment of its stake in The I.S. Group in September 2024. The disposal brought in a one-off gain of just over £810,000. The I.S. Group had previously supplied floral sundries, but Interflora had already built its own wholesale arm in 2018, streamlining operations and consolidating supply.

Dividend payouts decreased to £4m from £7.5m, indicating a more cautious approach to capital allocation. The shift aligns with a longer-term strategy to boost brand relevance and future growth.

Interflora’s return to profit comes as it executes a wider repositioning effort, announced in early 2024, designed to refresh its appeal to under-45 female consumers. The initiative followed internal research that identified a dated brand perception and included a renewed focus on championing artisan florists.

The UK operation remains part of US-based Teleflora, which acquired the brand in 2019 for £47m as part of its international expansion strategy.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Trust recruits new non-executive directors

April Lara
-
0
Doncaster and Bassetlaw Trust recruits new non-executive directors

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH) is seeking two new non-executive directors (NEDs) to join its board as it continues to refine strategic oversight and strengthen governance across its operations. The Trust provides healthcare services to over 440,000 people across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, and surrounding areas through its three main sites: Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital, and Montagu Hospital in Mexborough.

The NED roles are designed to bring external experience and objective scrutiny to board-level decision-making, with a focus on financial sustainability, long-term planning, and performance monitoring. While the roles are not operational, they are central to shaping the Trust’s strategy and ensuring service quality and accountability.

DBTH is particularly interested in candidates with experience in local government, higher education, digital transformation, finance, or clinical practice. Familiarity with partnership working across NHS systems and local authorities is also valued, especially given the growing importance of integrated care models.

Each NED will commit to a minimum of five days per month. The Trust has expressed a preference for candidates who can bring fresh perspectives and support its goals of inclusion and innovation. Applications are open now for those interested in playing a strategic role in regional healthcare delivery.

Council plans loan extension for Kingsgate revamp

April Lara
-
0
Council plans loan extension for Kingsgate revamp

Kirklees Council is expected to approve a one-year extension to a £7 million loan granted to the developers of Huddersfield’s Kingsgate Shopping Centre. The loan, initially issued in 2021 to WD Kingsgate Ltd, supported the conversion of the former House of Fraser unit into The Light, a leisure complex that opened in April.

The funding came from the council’s £25 million Property Investment Fund, aimed at driving regeneration across the borough. The original repayment deadline was set for July 2025.

The Light, part of the broader Kingsgate redevelopment, features a cinema, bowling lanes, arcade games, and various leisure activities, designed to increase foot traffic and encourage longer dwell times in Huddersfield town centre. The council views the site as a key component of its Huddersfield Blueprint, a regeneration strategy focused on economic revitalisation through mixed-use developments and destination experiences.

The proposed loan extension will be presented to the Cabinet next week. The council says the move supports continued growth, investor interest, and commercial viability within the town centre, ahead of further planned developments such as the Our Cultural Heart project.

1...222324...980Page 23 of 980