North East business liquidation debts surge 42% over winter

April Lara
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North East business liquidation debts surge 42% over winter

New research shows a sharp rise in North East businesses entering liquidation with outstanding debts. According to R3’s analysis of Creditsafe data, 186 companies in the region were in liquidation over the winter months, a 42% increase from the same period last year.

The North East and Yorkshire & Humberside were the only UK regions to see a rise in liquidations with outstanding debt, with Yorkshire & Humberside recording a 17.4% increase.

The total debt owed by liquidated North East businesses exceeded £3.4 million, up from £780,000 the previous year. Financial strain from rising costs and reduced consumer spending has contributed to the trend, making it harder for businesses to stay solvent.

£5m redevelopment of Keighley church approved for community use

April Lara
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£5m redevelopment of Keighley church approved for community use

Bradford Council has approved a £5 million redevelopment plan for St Andrew’s Church in Keighley. The plan will transform the Grade II-listed building into a modern worship and community space.

The project, known as Project Beacon, includes demolishing the existing church hall, which was built in the 1980s, and constructing a new extension with a multi-use community hall and kitchen facilities. Internal church renovations will add a refurbished gallery, improved entrance lobby, and new meeting spaces. The redesign aims to provide flexible facilities for worship, social support, and community gatherings.

Planners noted that while some historic features would be lost, the development balances heritage preservation with the church’s long-term viability. The Church on the Green Neighbourhood Foundation, overseeing the project, will now begin fundraising efforts.

West Yorkshire flood schemes receive funding for improved defences

April Lara
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West Yorkshire flood schemes receive funding for improved defences

The government and Environment Agency have announced that West Yorkshire flood protection projects will receive funding as part of a £2.65 billion national investment in flood defences.

Nearly 30 regional projects will benefit over the next year, with funding to strengthen infrastructure and protect businesses and homes from future flooding.

Key allocations include £5 million for the Brighouse flood alleviation scheme, designed to safeguard more than 400 properties. Brighouse was among the areas severely affected by the 2015 Boxing Day floods, which caused an estimated £500 million in damages across West Yorkshire. The project will include Wellholme Park and Whinney Hill Park flood water storage areas.

Other funding includes £2 million for flood defences at Hebble Brook in Halifax, £200,000 for the Keighley and Stockbridge scheme, and £100,000 for Haworth flood defences.

The investment is part of a wider effort to enhance flood resilience across the UK. Over the next two years, more than 1,000 flood schemes are planned for construction or repair nationwide.

UK gig economy employers face jail for failing worker checks

April Lara
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UK gig economy employers face jail for failing worker checks

The Home Office has announced that the UK government will require all employers in the gig economy and zero-hour contract sectors to verify that workers have legal employment status. Company directors who fail to comply could face up to five years in prison, business closures, bans from directorship, and fines of up to £60,000 per worker.

The policy change, part of amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, aims to curb illegal working and disrupt people-smuggling networks. The Home Office says the checks, which take minutes to complete, will be provided free of charge.

Major gig economy firms like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats already conduct voluntary worker eligibility checks, but thousands of other businesses currently have no legal obligation to do so. The government argues the new rules will create a level playing field for compliant companies.

The announcement comes ahead of an international summit in London, where ministers from 40 countries will discuss strategies to combat human trafficking and illegal migration routes. The UK government also plans to expand enforcement powers against people-smuggling networks.

Spring Statement 2025

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Spring Statement 2025
 
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her first Spring Statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday 26th March 2025. To help you navigate these announcements, our colleagues from Streets Tax and our financial services arm have provided a comprehensive breakdown of the key changes. We also covered important updates on topics impacting businesses and private individuals as we prepare for the new tax year 2025/26.

NHS hospitals secure £8.5m for solar energy projects

April Lara
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NHS hospitals secure £8.5m for solar energy projects

Hospitals in Hull and northern Lincolnshire have received £8.5 million from state-owned Great British Energy to fund large-scale solar power installations. The investment will support rooftop solar panels and solar car ports at Hull Royal Infirmary, Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby, and Scunthorpe General Hospital.

At Hull Royal Infirmary, solar panels will be installed on rooftops, starting with the women’s and children’s building, while solar car ports will be added to the Argyle Street and smaller hospital car parks. The initiative is expected to generate annual savings of over £635,000.

Grimsby hospital will install rooftop solar panels, and Scunthorpe General Hospital has been allocated just over £1 million for similar renewable energy upgrades. The funding is part of a broader effort to cut NHS energy costs and reduce reliance on traditional power sources.

ProBiotix secures exclusive distribution deal in South Korea

April Lara
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ProBiotix secures exclusive distribution deal in South Korea

UK-based life sciences company ProBiotix Health has signed a long-term agreement with South Korea’s TopHealth to distribute its probiotic products. The deal grants TopHealth exclusive rights to sell ProBiotix’s CholBiome® brand, private-label solutions under YourBiotix, and products under TopHealth’s own consumer brand.

South Korea’s probiotics supplement market, valued at £350 million in 2023, is projected to reach £870 million by 2030. The partnership leverages TopHealth’s expertise in consumer health and its strong presence in the influencer-driven marketing space to expand ProBiotix’s footprint in this high-growth market.

Yorkshire textile manufacturer launches 100% textile-to-textile recycled polyester on UN’s Day of Zero Waste

Michael Fisher
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Yorkshire textile manufacturer launches 100% textile-to-textile recycled polyester on UN’s Day of Zero Waste

Camira, a leading textile designer and manufacturer, has innovated Lucia T2T, a new recycled polyester made entirely from 100% textile-to-textile (T2T) waste. This innovation aims to address the growing, global textile waste crisis and promote a circular approach to textile design.

On the United Nations’ International Day of Zero Waste, March 30, 2025, Camira will unveil Lucia T2T, which blends pre-consumer textile offcuts from garment manufacturing and post-consumer clothing that has reached the end of its wearable life.

Ian Burn, Camira’s Director of Marketing and Sustainability, said: “Lucia T2T is a new generation textile which helps combat the environmental impact of textile waste. It’s a reimagination of our first post-consumer recycled polyester, previously made from plastic bottles, now made from 100% textile-to-textile waste from the apparel industry.”

With millions of tonnes of fabric sent to landfills each year, and less than 1% recycled into new products, fast fashion is a significant contributor to global textile waste. The UN’s Day of Zero Waste highlights the need for circular solutions in fashion, supporting Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 12.

Ian Burn continued: “Camira has always been an industry leader when it comes to the manufacturing of sustainable fabrics, having introduced our first recycled fabric in the 1990s. But Lucia T2T is the next step for us – we’re viewing textile waste, from our own manufacturing or the wider textile industry, as a hugely valuable, precious resource which allows us to create new materials, and support a circular economy.”

Lucia T2T is produced through tertiary recycling, where discarded textiles are shredded, crushed, and treated to remove colorants and treatments, resulting in a regenerated polyester with no colour constraints that meets commercial performance standards.

Huge solar farm takes next steps on Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border

Tess Egginton
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Huge solar farm takes next steps on Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border
PS Renewables and Ørsted, developers of renewable energy projects in the UK, have submitted their application for Development Consent Order (DCO) for One Earth Solar Farm. At the border of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the project could produce enough energy for more than 200,000 homes a year. With the Planning Inspectorate having reviewed the application and accepting it for examination, the scheme now moves into the ‘pre-examination stage’ in preparation for upcoming public examinations. The project comprises the construction of a solar farm and collated battery energy storage system (BESS) and would be located across approximately 1,600 hectares of land, primarily in Nottinghamshire. The location of the solar farm was chosen based on the availability of a grid connection point at High Marnham. When the old coal-fired power station was decommissioned, it created capacity at this location for new energy projects. Randall Linfoot, programme manager for Ørsted, said: “We are delighted to have had our DCO application for the One Earth Solar Farm accepted for examination. It is crucial for the UK that large renewables projects such as One Earth can be progressed as quickly as possible whilst also ensuring they are properly scrutinised. “Projects like this will be key contributors to the UK’s energy security alongside bringing investment, low-cost electricity for consumers and helping meet global climate goals and net-zero targets.” The proposals for One Earth have changed significantly in response to two periods of consultation over the last two years. The masterplan has been reduced to remove panels near homes and villages that are located close to the project boundary.

Yorkshire AI company strengthens senior team

Tess Egginton
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Yorkshire AI company strengthens senior team
IntelliAM, a Yorkshire-based software company specialising in artificial intelligence for manufacturing, has strengthened its senior team as it plans further growth. Jane Robinson has been appointed as vice president for business development at the Dinnington-based company which counts six of the world’s top 12 food and drink producers as customers. Jane is a former founding director of engineering business Cutting Technologies and has more recently delivered financial change management projects for large public sector organisations and private sector companies. A well-known figure in the South Yorkshire business community, and a member of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, Jane will lead IntelliAM’s accelerated growth and cross-channel marketing. IntelliAM has also recently appointed Ian Wild as VP of product and Owain Lewis as VP of data engineering. San Francisco-based Ian has significant multi-national experience as a customer experience VP, partner solutions VP and senior solutions architect. Owain joins IntelliAM following a lengthy career as a senior applications architect working for PLCs and limited companies including PlusNet and TechnoPhobia. IntelliAM CEO, Tom Clayton, said: “IntelliAM is fast becoming a leader in the science of manufacturing, and we are thrilled Jane has joined us permanently to help drive our brand forward, both in the UK and globally. “Jane has a deep knowledge of the manufacturing and engineering sectors, and as a former director at a successful SME, she knows how to leverage growth through smart business development and impactful marketing.” Jane Robinson added: “Manufacturers do not need to break the bank to rebuild old factories or replace legacy equipment – instead they can use the data taken from existing machines to understand how efficiency can be improved, productivity increased, downtime minimised, and energy reduced. “The scope for game-changing improvement across the entire manufacturing sector is colossal, and I’m looking forward to growing both internal and external relationships to support IntelliAM’s expansion.” IntelliAM, which uses machine learning and AI solutions to tap into billions of manufacturing data points to boost productivity and reduce operating costs, is seeking to build on a strong start following its listing on the Aquis Stock Exchange last year. Customers include Muller, Mars, ADM, Weetabix, and Hovis.
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