Bodycare faces possible administration with jobs and stores at risk

April Lara
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Bodycare faces possible administration with jobs and stores at risk

UK health and beauty chain Bodycare is reportedly on the brink of administration, putting around 1,500 jobs and numerous high street stores in jeopardy. The retailer, founded in 1970 in Lancashire, stocks major brands including L’Oréal, Nivea, and Elizabeth Arden.

The company has faced financial pressures for several years, worsened by pandemic-related losses. A temporary £7 million debt facility offered short-term relief, but operational costs, inflation, and tax increases have intensified challenges. Bodycare is owned by Baaj Capital, a family office, and has been under advisory review by Interpath to explore potential rescue options.

Retail leadership comes from experienced executives with backgrounds in department stores, yet the business continues to navigate a highly competitive market. Shifts in consumer habits and the broader instability of UK high streets have added to the pressures. Recent industry examples include River Island, which avoided administration through restructuring and store closures.

A sale or investment deal could preserve the chain and protect staff, but without a buyer, store closures and redundancies are likely. The outcome will affect suppliers, commercial landlords, and the wider health and beauty sector.

IKEA expands UK footprint with new York planning hub

April Lara
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IKEA expands UK footprint with new York planning hub

IKEA has opened a new Plan & Order Point at Clifton Moor Retail Park in York, adding to its network of smaller, specialist locations across the UK.

The facility focuses on kitchen and bedroom design, offering planning services for businesses and individual customers. It includes an order collection area for online purchases and supports next-day collection or home delivery. Customers can also return items through the site.

The York location complements IKEA’s existing stores in Hull, Leeds, Harlow, Norwich, and Brighton. The company’s recent openings form part of a broader strategy to increase reach in regional markets, improve accessibility to planning services, and strengthen logistics for online and in-store orders.

Analysts note that such smaller-format stores allow IKEA to tap into urban centres and retail parks, driving footfall while reducing reliance on full-scale warehouse locations. The York launch is expected to support local supply chains and partnerships, contributing to regional economic activity and business engagement.

Rising costs force UK convenience stores to cut jobs and investment

April Lara
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Rising costs force UK convenience stores to cut jobs and investment

UK convenience stores are facing mounting financial pressures as operating costs climb and supermarket competition intensifies. The sector now employs 443,000 staff, down from 445,000 last year, while projected annual sales have fallen to £48.8 billion from £49.4 billion.

Investment has slowed, with retailers reducing capital expenditure by £100 million to £900 million. Labour and tax changes, including higher national living wage rates and increased National Insurance contributions, are estimated to add £612 million in annual costs.

Discount chains and large supermarkets have applied aggressive pricing strategies, placing further pressure on smaller stores. Despite these challenges, convenience retailers continue to serve as key local hubs, adapting product ranges and services to meet community needs.

Industry figures warn that the combination of rising costs and stagnant sales could limit growth and innovation across the sector, with potential implications for suppliers, local employment, and investment decisions.

Genuit Group acquires specialist ventilation manufacturer

Tess Egginton
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Genuit Group acquires specialist ventilation manufacturer

Genuit Group, the Leeds-based provider of sustainable water, climate and ventilation solutions for the built environment, has acquired Monodraught for a total consideration of £55.6m.

Established over fifty years ago and based in High Wycombe, Monodraught is a provider of commercial ventilation solutions with advanced controls and data management capability focussed on the UK education sector.

The acquisition will form part of Genuit Group’s Climate Management Solutions (CMS) Business Unit and is complementary to the group’s existing ventilation brands, Nuaire and Domus.

Joe Vorih, CEO, Genuit Group, said: “I am delighted to welcome the Monodraught team to Genuit. They bring an innovative and highly complementary portfolio of ventilation products, as well as a controls and data management capability that extends our offering and enables us to integrate heating and cooling solutions from across the Group.

“The Acquisition significantly strengthens our position in the attractive UK ventilation market, which is benefiting from environmental and regulatory tailwinds. This is evident both in the strong growth of Monodraught in recent years alongside the demand for our existing portfolio of ventilation and low carbon heating and cooling products. We expect this to continue and are excited about the opportunities ahead.”

Gateley snaps up boutique IP firm

Tess Egginton
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Gateley snaps up boutique IP firm

Gateley, the professional services group, has acquired Groom Wilkes & Wright LLP (GWW) for up to £9m.

Founded more than 20 years ago, GWW is a boutique IP firm specialising in every aspect of trademark and design law, representing clients across all sectors from start-ups to several of the biggest brand-owning companies globally.

For the year ended 5 April 2025, GWW delivered revenue of £4.7m, with corporatised profit before tax of £1.4m. As at 5 April 2025, GWW had net assets of £0.3m.

Led by senior partners Trevor Wright and Katy Adams, GWW will operate within Gateley’s Business Services Platform and will continue to trade under the name Groom Wilkes & Wright.

The Platform combines the commercial expertise of IP and dispute resolution lawyers within Gateley Legal along with trade mark and patent attorneys Adamson Jones and life sciences patent attorneys Symbiosis IP, both acquired by the Group in 2022.

Rod Waldie, CEO of Gateley, said: “I am delighted to welcome Groom Wilkes & Wright to the Group. This strategic acquisition will extend our reach in trade mark work across our consultancy and legal services teams who operate in this field.

“The Acquisition forms part of our acquisitive and organic growth plan to develop a distinct and innovative intangible assets offering that further builds on the extensive expertise we have in the market and where we are already seeing huge potential for further growth.” 

Trevor Wright, senior partner and founder of GWW, said: “I’m thrilled that my colleagues and I are joining Gateley today.

“Since our first meeting I have been impressed by their strategic vision of building deep expertise in a broad range of trade mark and wider IP professional services, and by the progress they have made to date in delivering that strategy.

“We share the same core values of a commitment to excellence in client service, delivered as a team. I am very grateful to my colleagues for all their hard work and dedication to this point. Gateley will be a fantastic new home for them and for the GWW business.”

Yorkshire Water launches £3m Leyburn wastewater project

April Lara
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Yorkshire Water launches £3m Leyburn wastewater project

Yorkshire Water is upgrading its Leyburn wastewater treatment facility with a £3 million investment aimed at reducing phosphorus levels in the River Ure. The project will introduce single point ferric dosing and replace the existing sludge tank. Completion is expected in spring 2026.

The initiative is part of a regional programme targeting 85 wastewater sites with a total investment of £350 million over five years. Previous upgrades, funded with £500 million, reduced phosphorus in treated wastewater by 68%. Additional plans include improvements to 14 storm overflows on the Ure and the construction of a £6 million service reservoir in Hunton to strengthen drinking water resilience.

Phosphorus originates from household products, agriculture, and soil run-off. While small quantities support ecosystems, higher concentrations can harm water quality and aquatic life.

NatPower launches 1GW Teesside GigaPark in Yorkshire

April Lara
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NatPower launches 1GW Teesside GigaPark in Yorkshire

NatPower UK is developing a 1GW / 8GWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) at Wilton International, Redcar, in Yorkshire. The £1 billion project is fully privately funded and will operate in phases, initially providing four hours of storage with the capacity to expand to eight hours. The GigaPark is designed to combine grid-scale storage with dedicated port electrification infrastructure.

The site covers 32 acres and holds a 1GW connection agreement to the National Grid through a 400kV substation. NatPower aims to commission the facility by 2028. The infrastructure is built to supply shore power to ships at berth and recharge electric propulsion systems for future vessels, supporting maritime decarbonisation.

The project will store surplus renewable electricity from offshore wind and other generators, releasing it during periods of peak demand or low generation. Large-scale deployment of long-duration storage could reduce national renewable curtailment by up to £3.5 billion per year. It will also replace the need for fossil-fuel peaker plants, stabilising the grid, cutting emissions, and supporting energy-intensive industries such as steel, chemicals, advanced manufacturing, and logistics.

Construction is expected to create around 200 jobs, with ongoing skilled roles in operations and maintenance. NatPower plans to invest up to £2 million annually in a community benefit fund and is exploring partnerships with local colleges, universities, manufacturers, and logistics operators to develop training and supply chain opportunities.

The GigaPark positions Teesside as a national clean energy hub within the UK Freeport network. Its scale and reliability will appeal to industrial off-takers, including data centres and clean manufacturing facilities, while serving as a model for integrating high-capacity storage and port electrification across the UK and internationally.

Feversham Arms sold to Rockliffe Hall group

April Lara
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Feversham Arms sold to Rockliffe Hall group

PKF Littlejohn Advisory has completed the sale of the trade and assets of the Feversham Arms Hotel & Verbena Spa in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. The purchaser is The Feversham Arms (2025) Limited, a company owned by Rockliffe Hall Limited. The transaction was finalised on 29 August 2025.

The Feversham Arms is a 33-bedroom boutique hotel with an integrated spa. Operations will continue under the existing model, and all employees will transfer under TUPE regulations, maintaining their current contractual terms.

Rockliffe Hall Limited operates the five-star Rockliffe Hall resort, which includes a spa, golf course, and multiple restaurants on the County Durham–North Yorkshire border. The group also owns The Pheasant Hotel, a country inn in Harome, North Yorkshire. The acquisition expands Rockliffe Hall’s portfolio in North Yorkshire.

The sale process involved Colliers’ UK hotels agency team, led by Robert Smithson, and legal advisers Weightmans. The purchaser’s legal team was provided by Womble Bond Dickinson’s Newcastle office, led by Simon Watts.

£130m mixed-use development proposed for Leeds brownfield site

April Lara
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£130m mixed-use development proposed for Leeds brownfield site

Forshaw Group has submitted a full planning application to Leeds City Council for a £130 million mixed-use project at 177 Kirkstall Road, West Leeds. The scheme, named New Foundry Square, follows a two-week public consultation and aims to transform a disused brownfield site into a residential and commercial hub.

The development plans include 504 apartments, consisting of 236 one-bedroom, 219 two-bedroom, and 49 three-bedroom units, with seven percent designated as affordable housing. The proposal incorporates residential amenities such as a gym, sauna, swimming pool, cinema lounge, co-working spaces, and a 24-hour concierge service. The scheme also allocates space for nine independent retail units.

The project is framed as a regeneration initiative designed to blend contemporary housing with the area’s industrial heritage. Developers highlight the inclusion of green spaces and facilities intended to support intergenerational living. The application is now under review by Leeds City Council.

Yorkshire councils to charge utilities up to £2,500 a day for roadworks

April Lara
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Yorkshire councils to charge utilities up to £2,500 a day for roadworks

West Yorkshire councils are set to introduce a lane rental scheme that could see utility companies charged up to £2,500 per day for work on the busiest roads during peak periods. Wakefield, Leeds, and Kirklees councils are coordinating the plan to reduce disruption on key routes.

The charges will apply to roughly 10% of Wakefield’s road network, in line with Department for Transport guidance. The move targets the primary network where delays and closures have the greatest economic impact. The scheme will cover essential utility work, including water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications.

Consultations on the proposals have concluded, with implementation expected in the next financial year. Authorities cite successful examples of similar schemes in southern England. The initiative aims to encourage utilities to complete projects more efficiently and minimise prolonged disruption.

Wakefield Council manages 1,454 km of roads, 1,944 km of footways, and 150 km of cycle lanes and tracks. The council expects the scheme to generate additional income, with approximately 50% earmarked for reinvestment in road maintenance. A dedicated board under Department for Education rules will oversee the allocation of any revenue.

The coordinated approach with Leeds and Kirklees is intended to standardise lane rental charges across the region and maximise the benefits of more efficient highway management.

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