United Living boosts water business with Peter Duffy acquisition
NatWest backs Leeds Bradford Airport expansion with £160m package
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has secured £160 million in financing from NatWest to support a major terminal expansion project. The project is expected to significantly boost its capacity and infrastructure by 2030.
The financing, arranged by NatWest’s Debt Advisory team, combines refinancing of existing debt with an increased capital expenditure facility. The funding will help advance LBA’s REGEN project, which is focused on modernising the terminal and increasing passenger capacity from 4.3 million to around 6.8 million annually.
LBA, which InfraBridge owns, has shown a strong post-pandemic recovery and is currently operating at 113% of its 2019 passenger traffic. It is the first airport in Northern England to exceed pre-COVID traffic levels. The terminal upgrades are expected to enhance the airport’s commercial offering and passenger experience, positioning it for continued growth in European connectivity.
InfraBridge, a global mid-market infrastructure investor, counts LBA among its key assets in the transport and logistics sector.
Local business rallies to revamp Life Skills Bungalow for special needs school
Lincolnshire investment opportunities worth £3.6bn revealed at UKREiiF
Bradford College joins major low-carbon energy network
Bradford College has officially begun connection works to the £70 million Bradford Energy Network, a low-carbon heat network designed to significantly reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels. The move is part of a broader decarbonisation strategy supported by a £2.6 million public sector grant administered by Salix, the Department for Energy Security, and Net Zero.
The network, developed by 1Energy, will supply renewable heat through underground pipes to Bradford College, the University of Bradford, and Bradford Courts. It is expected to deliver an 85–90% reduction in emissions for connected buildings. The College alone anticipates an annual carbon saving of over 285 tonnes through its connection to the system, which includes one of the UK’s largest air source heat pumps.
ThermaMech delivers external infrastructure works, including pipe installation across Bradford city centre. The project is also providing skills development opportunities, including student placements, industry masterclasses, and curriculum-linked tours, to support local construction and engineering talent.
The energy plant is scheduled for completion in spring 2026, with heat delivery expected to begin by September of the same year. Phase one of the network aims to cut approximately 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions city-wide.
Ward Hadaway appoints head of private client
Lack of financial education holding young entrepreneurs back
Tariff uncertainty triggers cautious recalibration among UK mid-market firms
According to new research from Grant Thornton UK, UK mid-sized businesses are adjusting their international strategies amid growing trade pressures. While overall sentiment remains relatively strong, a shift in confidence is evident as decision-makers respond to an evolving global trade landscape.
The firm’s April 2025 Business Outlook Tracker found that while most mid-market leaders remain upbeat about the domestic economy in the short term, fewer expect their profits to rise, suggesting emerging caution. Optimism surrounding economic conditions slipped slightly, and profit expectations have seen a more notable drop.
Internationally, trade with the US is under review. Despite strong historical ties and growth potential, tariffs are causing businesses to rethink. A majority still see the US as a key market, but a growing number are preparing to scale back or exit entirely. Nearly half of firms with current US trade exposure expect to stop altogether, and only a minority foresee no disruption.
Steel firm granted reprieve amid potential acquisition
Speciality Steel UK (SSUK), a major steel producer in South Yorkshire and part of the Liberty Steel Group, has been granted an eight-week adjournment in High Court insolvency proceedings as discussions with a potential buyer continue.
The firm, which operates electric arc furnace (EAF) plants in Rotherham and Sheffield and employs approximately 1,450 staff, is currently navigating a complex debt restructuring process following the 2021 collapse of its key financial backer, Greensill Capital.
Lawyers representing SSUK confirmed in court that urgent meetings with a third-party purchaser are underway. This prompts the judge to delay the winding-up petition until mid-July to allow time for a potential sale to materialise.
The development gives Liberty Steel additional breathing room to pursue restructuring plans or sell SSUK. The business has faced increasing scrutiny from unions and political stakeholders over the pace of turnaround efforts, with calls for leadership changes and fresh ownership to stabilise operations and safeguard jobs.
The Department for Business and Trade stated it monitors the situation, but emphasised that commercial outcomes remain the company’s responsibility. Businesses with supply chain links to SSUK are advised to stay vigilant, as the outcome could influence continuity and pricing in the UK steel sector.
Leisure centres in Lincoln to reopen under new operator
Two leisure centres in Lincoln that abruptly shut down in April are set to reopen by mid-July under new management. The City of Lincoln Council has appointed Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) as the interim operator of Yarborough and Birchwood leisure centres following the collapse of the previous operator, Active Nation.
GLL, a not-for-profit social enterprise with over 250 leisure facilities across the UK, will manage both centres on a two-year contract. The council owns the buildings and moved quickly to secure a new operator after Active Nation ceased trading due to financial pressures, citing the energy crisis as a key factor. The council had offered a £500,000 support package, but the charity did not accept the terms.
Since the closure, the Lincoln City Foundation has maintained outdoor operations at both locations. GLL plans to upgrade facilities, replace gym equipment, and recruit staff across various roles. More details on programmes, memberships, and courses are expected to be released this summer.
The transition aims to minimise disruption to residents and maintain local access to fitness and wellbeing services, while providing stability for the council’s broader leisure strategy.