Popular leisure and shopping destination, Rushden Lakes, has once again won a national award - Modeshift STARS Silver - in recognition of its green travel plan and achievements promoting active, more sustainable journeys for staff and visitors.Free cycle repairs, a ‘Let’s Go Green’ celebration event, lakeside walks, staff e-scooting to work and an increase in coach trips are just a few of the activities which have enabled and encouraged an increase in greener journeys to Rushden Lakes over the last year. This has resulted in the site winning the Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accredited and Recognised) Silver award in recognition...

15 March, 2023

Millions of households will get more support with high energy bills to help ease the cost of living, the Chancellor has announced today ahead of the Spring Budget.The Energy Price Guarantee, which is protecting households by capping typical energy bills at £2,500, will be maintained at the same level for a further three months over April, May, and June, worth £160 in total for a typical household.The Chancellor is announcing the extension today (15 March) as part of his Spring Budget, which focuses on easing the impact of rising prices, delivering on our promise to halve inflation, and growing the...

15 March, 2023

An updated framework with measures to protect the environment in new major road, rail, and rail freight schemes has been unveiled by the government today (14 March 2023).The framework has been updated to reflect legislation set out in the Environment Act, which requires developers to recognise new environmental targets and sets out further details on biodiversity net gains. The new framework also recognises the proposed environmental outcome reports, allowing the government to set clear and tangible environmental outcomes against which transport schemes are assessed.A consultation has been launched on an updated national networks national policy statement (NNNPS) with measures to require developers...

14 March, 2023

Racing fans will be able to go wheel-to-wheel in the bid for pole position as Silverstone Museum brings two of the most exciting British brands together this Easter with the launch of the ultimate Scalextric set.Determined drivers can compete to take the chequered flag on the iconic Silverstone Formula 1 Circuit which has been recreated by Scalextric specialists for the new exciting exhibit ‘On Track’ which enables visitors and motorsport fans to pick up a throttle and enjoy epic battles with iconic cars around the two lane Grand Prix circuit.The latest attraction to be unveiled at Silverstone Museum features a...

14 March, 2023

As the Chancellor prepares his Spring Budget, research from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker* reveals the policy areas that East of England mid-market business leaders hope to see prioritised in the announcement this week.  The survey found that incentives to support low carbon business strategies ranked top of the East of England wish list – with over one-third choosing this as a top priority (44%). Measures to Level Up the economy, with more devolved powers across the regions, was the second top priority (38%).   The rapid adoption of digital technology during the pandemic proved the benefits of digital transformation...

13 March, 2023

More than 100 organisations from across Northamptonshire met the Minister for Small Businesses this month at an exclusive event organised by business membership organisation NNBN.MP Kevin Hollinrake, appointed the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business in October, was the special guest at a business brunch at Kettering Park Hotel – talking to local businesses, charities and social enterprises about everything from cashflow challenges and business support to our county’s food and drink sector, incentives for the self-employed and the challenges faced by the high street.Kettering MP Philip Hollobone, who helped organise the Minister’s visit, summarised the...

13 March, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank (UK) Ltd has today been sold to HSBC.  HSBC is headquartered in London, is the largest bank in Europe and is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services institutions, serving 39 million customers globally.  Customers of SVB UK will be able to access their deposits and banking services as normal from today.This transaction has been facilitated by the Bank of England, in consultation with the Treasury, using powers granted by the Banking Act 2009.  No taxpayer money is involved, and customer deposits have been protected.Making use of post-crisis banking reforms, which introduced powers to safely...

13 March, 2023

The Bank of England announced on Friday that Silicon Valley Bank UK is set to enter insolvency, following action taken by its parent company in the United States.The Bank of England confirmed in its announcement that Silicon Valley Bank has a limited presence in the UK and does not perform functions critical to the financial system.The government and the Bank understand the level of concern that this raises for customers of Silicon Valley Bank UK, and especially how it may impact on cashflow positions in the short term.The UK has a world leading tech sector, with a dynamic start-up and...

12 March, 2023

The ground was broken at Northampton’s historic market square at the start of February. Over the last month, work has been underway to prepare for construction works to transform this area for our community.West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is working with leading construction firm Stepnell Ltd to carry out a multi-million-pound redevelopment of the area, to turn this into an area for communities, businesses, and traders to enjoy and be proud of.Prior to construction works starting, investigations have had to take place to identify any potential risks and define clear strategies to address them. WNC and Stepnell have completed ground investigations...

12 March, 2023

With a lick of paint, Rushden Lakes has created an exciting new spot that will encourage visitors to socialise, interact and even meet new people. Two benches in the Garden Square have been transformed by a local artist to help combat loneliness and isolation in the community with their ‘Happy to chat’ signs encouraging people to engage in conversation.Kettering based artist Gary Kennedy (Kennedys Letters)- the artist behind the artwork in the Butterwick stores- was asked by Rushden Lake’s Centre Manager Donna French to help with the project which aims to build upon the already strong sense of community at...

09 March, 2023

Start-up and established businesses across Northamptonshire were able to learn about a range of free support and funding advice to help them thrive during a major exhibition in Kettering this week.West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) was among the many organisations that attended the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce’s Business Exhibition on Wednesday (8 March), to raise awareness of the many free services available to businesses looking to grow and develop their offer locally, including helping them to access funding streams, support to upskill and recruit staff and nurture new start-ups.Members of the Council’s Economy Team were on hand to promote West Northants...

09 March, 2023