Urgent reforms to the UK’s outdated Business Rates system and inflexible Apprenticeship Levy are essential to support a retail and wholesale industry which underpins economic activity in every town and city across the Midlands.New research by CBI Economics, conducted on behalf of the CBI and its retail members, reveals retail and wholesale activity is now worth £352billion a year to the UK economy. It supports one in five of the nation’s jobs, with 5.7 million people employed within the sector or its suppliers.In the Midlands alone, the sector is worth £49bn to the economy and sustains 1,052,116 jobs.That includes:Birmingham –...

09 November, 2022

Following a hugely successful ‘Big Clean Up’ day in Wellingborough last year, North Northamptonshire Council’s (NNC) Waste team have been working with residents and local businesses to improve the quality of waste and street scenes in the Wellingborough area.The initiative addressed issues such as heavily contaminated recycling bins with non-recyclable items such as nappies, garden waste and food found in bins, misuse of unauthorised extra bins, bins left on pavements, side waste (all waste should be presented within the relevant bins) and commercial waste bins causing obstructions in the town centre.The scheme has run throughout the past year and NNC...

09 November, 2022

On Friday 25th November Year 10’s at Sir Christopher Hatton School in Wellingborough are off timetable during the day and involved in various careers based activities. In the afternoon the school are running ‘Employer workshops’ which students will opt in to. The school likes to offer a wide range of career pathways so that there is something of interest for all our students. There will be two workshops running; one at 1pm and one at 2pm and the school are inviting you to get involved as a local business.As part of the Employer workshops, the school usually recommend employers give a brief overview of their...

09 November, 2022

People are being asked for their views on a proposal for North Northamptonshire Council to be able to enforce traffic offences involving moving vehicles.The Department for Transport has changed legislation to enable councils to apply for the powers to enforce against moving traffic contraventions, which are currently held by the Police.This would allow enforcement to be done using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) cameras.Benefits include improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists as well as reducing congestion, which would in turn help improve air quality.Cllr Graham Lawman, the Council’s Executive Member for Highways, Travel and Assets, said: “We have always been...

07 November, 2022

Prime Minister to launch major international climate package to deliver on the UK’s Glasgow legacy at COP27.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will cement the UK’s COP legacy with a series of announcements on energy transition, climate financing and forest and nature preservation, as he hands over the baton to Egypt at COP27 today [Monday 7th November].The UK continues deliver on our key funding commitments, spending £11.6 billion on international climate finance. Recognising the existential threat climate change is already posing around the world – from catastrophic floods in Pakistan to drought in Somalia – the Government will commit to triple funding...

07 November, 2022

The Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce have launched Q4 Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Quarterly Economic Survey.The QES is the largest survey of business sentiment in the UK, combining over 75,000 responses nationwide At a local level, it gives the local councils and the Chamber really reliable data, providing us with an insight into the health of the local business community and what challenges/barriers the face At a national level, it is used by The Government, The Bank of England and the IMF (to name a few) to set interest rates and regularly picks up big changes in the economy long before other surveys and official statistics.The Q4 Chamber of Commerce...

07 November, 2022

From today (6 November) the 1.25% point cut to National Insurance rates for employees and employers takes effect across the UK.The reversal of April’s rise in National Insurance takes effect across the UK from today Added to July’s increase in National Insurance thresholds, almost 30 million people will be £500 better off on average next year Most employees will start to receive this tax cut directly through payroll between November and FebruaryThe tax cut was announced by the government on 22 September, as part of the reversal of the Health and Social Care Levy.Working people across the UK will...

06 November, 2022

Service users from Northamptonshire charity Teamwork Trust spent a day in the woods this week, cutting back trees and shrubs to give life and light to a piece of ancient woodland in Corby.The group were invited to join North Northamptonshire Council’s Corby Woodland Project and spent a morning at the award-winning Hazel and Thoroughsale Woods in Corby – the largest town centre woodland in Britain – learning the ancient art of coppicingGary Chisholm, the council’s Heritage and Volunteer officer, said: “Coppicing adds life, light and biodiversity to woodland and it was wonderful to introduce this traditional method of woodland management to the wonderful...

04 November, 2022

How we could all travel and live sustainably in the future, re-naturing in North Northamptonshire and the development of renewable energy are just some of the topics that will be showcased at a virtual climate change conference next month.NNClimate22 – organised by North Northamptonshire Council – will take place online on Thursday, November 17.The day, which will start at 9.30am, will focus on three sessions:Looking forward – our new low carbon future Sustainability and nature recovery – the way ahead The future of our communities – providing local solutionsIt will feature keynote speakers including representatives from, Electric Corby, the University...

04 November, 2022

Beccy Hurrell Voice & Arts were celebrating again last night at the Annual Northamptonshire Business Awards.The success continued following the creative arts centre being named as The Community Business of the Year at last month’s Kettering Business Awards as Directors Beccy Hurrell and Lindsey Atkins continue to make the arts accessible for all, empower people, develop artistry and use them to break down barriers to learning, work and society.Based in The Yards in Kettering Town Centre, both Beccy and Lindsey received the President’s Awards from the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce President Robyn Allen at last night’s event which took place at...

04 November, 2022

NNBN, the membership organisation for Northamptonshire and those that serve the area, have today been approved for the Prompt Payment Code by the Small Business Commissioners Office.The Prompt Payment Code (PPC) sets standards for payment practices and best practice and is administered by the Small Business Commissioner on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The Code covers prompt payment, as well as wider payment procedures.The Small Business Commissioner, Liz Barclay, is responsible for regulation and governance of the Prompt Payment Code and signatories of the Code. The Small Business Commissioner has the power to determine...

04 November, 2022