Rent cut by 25% for Bilston market traders during £5.2m revamp
Traders have said they had suffered financial loss as well as ill health since the outdoor market relocated to make way for the upgrade last year.There would be improvements to stalls and better access for pedestrians from the bus and Metro station, the council stated.The authority is also investing £15,000 in activities and events in and around the indoor market to help drive footfall during the work.These will start with several free events during August, such as a funfair, face painting and a treasure hunt.City of Wolverhampton Council Leader Stephen Simkins said the upgrade would deliver a "first class" market and this time next year there would be "more modern, more accessible, and more vibrant spaces". "In the meantime, we have listened to traders' concerns and are committed to supporting them during the works," he said. "This offer comes on top of the council investing millions of pounds in the major improvements that will make the market even better for them and their customers."
Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
5 minutes ago
- Reuters
Seven & i's North American business IPO to fund quicker growth, says CEO
TOKYO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Seven & i Holdings' (3382.T), opens new tab planned listing of its North American operations would enable the Japanese convenience store operator to take on additional debt for more aggressive growth than currently planned, its chief executive said on Wednesday. The listing, billed for the second half of 2026, would allow for faster store rollouts in the U.S. and additional bolt-on M&As, CEO Stephen Dacus said at a strategy briefing for analysts and media in Tokyo. The fate of the beleaguered operator of the 7-Eleven chain rests on its ability to demonstrate it can grow independently, having successfully fended off a takeover bid from Canadian rival Alimentation Couche-Tard ( opens new tab. Couche-Tard withdrew its $46 billion offer last month citing a lack of engagement from Seven & i, which precipitated a 9% fall in the latter's share price that reflected investor scepticism about Seven & i's standalone growth plans. In Japan, Seven & i faces stiff competition from faster-growing rivals Family Mart and Lawson, while in the U.S., analysts and investors say lacklustre profit margins belie its potential as the largest convenience store chain in the country. For years Seven & i has been under pressure from shareholders, including a series of activist investors, to boost returns by selling off assets and focusing on its core convenience store business. In March, Seven unveiled a major restructuring in which it sold off its superstore unit, announced a 2 trillion yen ($13.55 billion) share buyback through 2030 and committed to a public listing of its North American arm in the second half of 2026. ($1 = 147.5600 yen)
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
Seven & i's North American business IPO to fund more aggressive growth, says CEO
TOKYO, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Japanese convenience store giant Seven & i Holdings' (3382.T), opens new tab planned listing of its North American operations would provide additional debt capacity for more aggressive growth than currently planned, its chief executive said on Wednesday. The listing, billed for the second half of 2026, would allow for faster store rollouts in the U.S. and additional bolt-on M&As, CEO Stephen Dacus said at a strategy briefing for analysts and media in Tokyo.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Best home security system without subscription
Finding the best home security system without a subscription is a priority for many homeowners who don't want to be tied into ongoing fees after the initial purchase. Paying hundreds of pounds for a full home security system is often only part of the story, since many companies charge a monthly or annual fee to make use of every feature. These fees often cover the cost of cloud video storage, making your home security camera and video doorbell recordings available online. Some companies also lock extra functionality, like battery and cellular backup systems, or facial recognition powered by AI, behind a paywall. Security specialists like Simplisafe and Verisure use your monthly payment to fund professional monitoring services. But what if you don't want to pay a monthly subscription fee for your home security system? You'll miss out on some of the features mentioned above, but in return you get an alarm and home security system that works without any ongoing costs. There are several companies – including Eufy, Blink, Yale and TP-Link – that sell security systems with no monthly fee. They often make cloud storage available as an optional extra, but since video recordings are recorded locally, on the system itself, the subscription is exactly that: optional. Why pay for a home security subscription? Before we get to the options for best home security system without a subscription, it's worth reminding ourselves why some systems demand a monthly or annual fee to unlock full functionality. Ring is perhaps the best-known example, since even its simplest video doorbells and security cameras require a subscription to work properly. Without paying the fee, Ring's cameras and doorbells don't store any video footage. They still stream live to the Ring app – so you can see who's at the door when they press the button. But past events can't be accessed, so you won't be able to see what motion triggered your security camera while you were asleep. Ring's alarm kit also requires a subscription to enable its cellular and battery-backup systems, which keep the system online during a broadband outage or power cut. Other systems, like those from Simplisafe and Verisure, charge a fee for cloud video storage, as well as for access to their 24/7 professional monitoring services. This is where trained agents respond to your alarm, make contact with you, and, if necessary, call emergency services. Best home security systems without a subscription At the time of writing, in mid-2025, my favourite home security system without a subscription is made by Eufy. This is because Eufy's security cameras and video doorbells all record footage locally, either to the device's own integrated storage, a microSD card, or to the company's HomeBase, which acts as a central hub with expandable storage. Eufy's third-generation HomeBase also adds artificial intelligence to your compatible cameras and doorbell, which helps your security system recognise friendly faces (like your family members) and not alert you when they're spotted. Cloud storage is offered by Eufy, priced from £3.99 to £12.99 a month, but it's purely optional. All other features are included in the up-front price of the hardware. It's a similar case with Yale, whose security system also works without a subscription. The Yale Smart Alarm kit is simpler than some rivals, with a fairly basic smartphone app. But it comes from a trusted brand and, unlike most other systems, includes a wireless external siren for mounting on an outside wall. The system can be expanded with more sensors, motion detectors and cameras, and a key benefit is how the devices have a 1km (0.62 mile) wireless range – far greater than that of Yale's rivals. Like Eufy, Yale offers an optional subscription. Called Secure Plan, this costs £9 a month and adds cellular backup to the alarm system, where it uses the mobile phone network to stay online if your broadband goes off. The plan also unlocks a system where up to three emergency contacts receive an automated call when your alarm is triggered; although, they are not contacted by a human, as with professionally monitored systems. Subscribing opens up cloud storage for Yale's cameras, too, and enables an AI-powered system for differentiating between the motion of people, pets, vehicles and package deliveries. Granted, it's a good-value package (and you get six months' free with some purchases), but Yale's system uses local storage by default, so paying the fee isn't strictly necessary. Without it, you still have a fully functional security system. Blink is another security system that runs without a subscription, but here things work a little differently. Blink cameras on their own require a cloud storage subscription, since they don't save footage locally. However, this changes if you also buy the Blink Sync Module 2, which costs £40 (or is often bundled with cameras for a discount) and acts as a hub for connecting multiple cameras and a doorbell. It also has a microSD card slot, into which you can fit up to 256GB of local storage – and avoid paying the monthly fee for saving footage in the cloud. Blink plans start at just £2.50 a month and unlock extra features, like improved live streaming, video sharing, photo capture and cloud storage, but paying isn't a necessity like it is with Ring, the other Amazon-owned security company. The pros and cons of not paying for a home security subscription Pros: Avoid ongoing costs (which also often increase over time) You control your recordings; no uploading to third-party servers Reduced feeling of being locked into a product ecosystem Keeps things simple, avoiding superfluous features Cons: No professional monitoring Misses out on extra functionality Limits your hardware choices Removes cellular backup (where available) Is paying a home security system subscription worth it? This depends on your budget and your security requirements. If all you want is a video doorbell on the front door and a security camera keeping an eye on your garden or drive, you'll be fine installing the devices and having them save footage locally. This even works if you want to build a larger system – perhaps even a whole home security platform with cameras, door sensors, sirens and motion detectors – if your primary goal is to be alerted to motion, then have that motion recorded. In this scenario, a subscription for extra features might not be worth it to you, especially if you pick Eufy products that have their own on-board storage and artificial intelligence. Subscriptions become worthwhile if you want more than these basics. If you want cloud storage, then paying a subscription is the only option, since companies don't offer this service for free. Similarly, if you want cellular backup for your Yale system, AI smarts from Blink, video storage from Ring or professional monitoring from Simplisafe and Verisure, then a subscription could be worth it.
