Latest news with #WillmottDixon
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Revised plans submitted for Solihull village regeneration
A revised planning application has been lodged for the second phase of a major village regeneration project.A large-scale rejuvenation of Kingshurst, in Solihull, was approved by planners in April 2022, with a projected completion date of completed phase one saw 25 new sustainable social rented homes built on the site of the former Mountfort pub, with residents moving in last two includes plans for a community, health and retail building which will include a GP surgery, a pharmacy, a dentist, a library with a community café and a Co-op convenience store. The applicant, Willmott Dixon, has now applied to amend the planning permission to reflect an updated layout and take into account the loss of trees during a application says the changes will have a "negligible effect" on the a statement included with the application, agents rg+p Limited asked for the changes to be approved "without delay", adding: "The proposal will continue to deliver a new local centre which will provide retail, commercial, business and services, healthcare, local community uses and a hot food take-away."The proposal as whole will continue to deliver 79 high quality residential dwellings in the form of 12 one-bed maisonettes, 5 two-bed houses, 45 three-bed houses, 16 four-bed houses and one vicarage, which will help the council meet the current housing shortfall within the borough.A consultation is underway on the latest application, with people invited to submit comments until 4 June. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Scotsman
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Thames Water record 104.5m fine
From Thames Water's record fine and Pets at Home's vet division overtaking retail, to Willmott Dixon's profit rebound, falling retail confidence, and a warning from Britain's biggest bioethanol plant - here are today's top UK business stories. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Thames Water has been hit with a record £104.5 million fine for sewage failures, plus £18.2 million for breaking dividend rules. Regulator Ofwat says the penalty will be paid by the company and its investors - not customers. It follows Ofwat's biggest ever probe into how sewage works and networks are run. Pets at Home's vet division overtakes retail: More Business in Brief Pets at Home has posted flat revenue, with retail and vet services pulling in opposite directions. Retail profit fell 16.6 per cent to £72.9 million, while vet profit surged 23.3% to £75.9 million - overtaking retail for the first time. Vet revenue now makes up a third of the business. Retail sales dropped nearly two per cent, as weak footfall and consumer pressures continue to bite. Pets at Home has posted flat revenue, with retail and vet services pulling in opposite directions. | Getty Images Retailers across the board are bracing for tough times, with plans to raise prices, cut jobs and slash investment. A CBI survey shows sector confidence has dropped faster than at any point since the pandemic. Rising costs from tax hikes and a higher minimum wage are squeezing businesses. Willmott Dixon is back in profit, reporting £46.8 million before tax after a £14.4 million loss last year. The turnaround follows recoveries from cladding-related costs and a steady £1.2 billion turnover. The construction firm says it's entering the new financial year with strong momentum. The UK's biggest bioethanol plant says it could shut down due to the latest UK-US trade deal. Hull-based Vivergo Fuels warns the removal of a key tariff on US ethanol is the 'final blow'. It says British producers can't compete with subsidised US imports. Vivergo is urging the Government to step in and fix what it calls 'regulatory failures'. And Growth investor BGF has pledged £100 million to support Welsh businesses. It's part of a wider £3 billion UK commitment over the next five years. BGF has already invested £47 million in Wales since 2011. It's also backing female-led firms, with £300 million earmarked across the UK.
Scotsman
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Thames Water record 104.5m fine
From Thames Water's record fine and Pets at Home's vet division overtaking retail, to Willmott Dixon's profit rebound, falling retail confidence, and a warning from Britain's biggest bioethanol plant - here are today's top UK business stories. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Thames Water has been hit with a record £104.5 million fine for sewage failures, plus £18.2 million for breaking dividend rules. Regulator Ofwat says the penalty will be paid by the company and its investors - not customers. It follows Ofwat's biggest ever probe into how sewage works and networks are run. Pets at Home's vet division overtakes retail: More Business in Brief Pets at Home has posted flat revenue, with retail and vet services pulling in opposite directions. Retail profit fell 16.6 per cent to £72.9 million, while vet profit surged 23.3% to £75.9 million - overtaking retail for the first time. Vet revenue now makes up a third of the business. Retail sales dropped nearly two per cent, as weak footfall and consumer pressures continue to bite. Pets at Home has posted flat revenue, with retail and vet services pulling in opposite directions. | Getty Images Retailers across the board are bracing for tough times, with plans to raise prices, cut jobs and slash investment. A CBI survey shows sector confidence has dropped faster than at any point since the pandemic. Rising costs from tax hikes and a higher minimum wage are squeezing businesses. Willmott Dixon is back in profit, reporting £46.8 million before tax after a £14.4 million loss last year. The turnaround follows recoveries from cladding-related costs and a steady £1.2 billion turnover. The construction firm says it's entering the new financial year with strong momentum. The UK's biggest bioethanol plant says it could shut down due to the latest UK-US trade deal. Hull-based Vivergo Fuels warns the removal of a key tariff on US ethanol is the 'final blow'. It says British producers can't compete with subsidised US imports. Vivergo is urging the Government to step in and fix what it calls 'regulatory failures'.
South Wales Argus
26-05-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre extension opens
The extension to Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre in Ystrad Mynach was officially opened on Friday, May 23. The two-storey extension provides additional classrooms to accommodate up to an additional 80 pupils with specialist intervention areas, a new soft playroom, and outdoor play spaces. There is also a relocated memorial garden and school allotment area. This project was jointly funded by Caerphilly County Borough Council and Welsh Government through the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, which forms part of the council's wider Place Shaping Strategy. The new wing that links to the original school was constructed by Willmott Dixon. This project, which includes the refurbishment of the existing school facilities alongside the new two-storey extension, totalled approximately £18 million. Councillor Carol Andrews, cabinet member for education and communities, said: "This investment is a powerful statement of our shared commitment to giving every child in the county borough the very best start. "The facility has been shaped around the needs and potential of the pupils that attend. "They will help children learn, play and thrive – and I cannot wait to see the amazing things that will be achieved here." Headteacher David Jenkins said: "It has been a privilege to lead the school through this exciting period of change which has resulted in a state of the art, multi-million-pound extension for our pupils, their families and staff. "Today's formal opening is a fitting celebration of the ethos, culture and sheer hard work associated with our school and its partners. "There are too many people to thank individually but on behalf of the school, my sincerest thanks must go to Welsh Government, Caerphilly Council, our governing body, the previous headteacher who started the journey and our principal contractor Wilmott Dixon for making our pupils' dreams a reality."
Scottish Sun
16-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Shopping centre in popular seaside town once dubbed ‘Queen of English Riviera' faces being demolished in £11m upgrade
They are waiting for planning permissions to be granted TORN DOWN Shopping centre in popular seaside town once dubbed 'Queen of English Riviera' faces being demolished in £11m upgrade Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A POPULAR resort town could see its biggest demolition and redevelopment since the 1980s. The demolition would see a shopping centre partially stripped for an £11 million project in the centre of the "Queen of English Riviera". Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Planning permission has been applied to transform the Union Square shopping centre Credit: Google maps 2 Union Square is the first site to be brought forward for planning as part of the Regeneration Partnership between Torbay Council and Willmott Dixon Credit: Milligan The Union Square shopping centre in Torquay is facing having nine of its shops demolished if planning permission is granted by the council. Torquay Council's development partner, Willmott Dixon, submitted the plans as part of wider hopes for improvements to be made in the town centre. Council deputy leader Chris Lewis said last year the town was "desperate for change" when the project was launched last year. Leader David Thomas added: 'This really is a once-in-a-generational opportunity for Torbay, and we hope the community shares our enthusiasm and excitement.' Included in the final plans are construction of apartments mixed with shops, restaurants, and offices, as well as a GP surgery. Torquay's historic pannier market would also be redeveloped on the exterior, with a public square created. The market itself is expected to remain, as well as the multi-storey carpark which comes with the centre. The project has already been backed by £11 million of government funding, with further funding expected from the public and private sector. If granted, it would be the biggest redevelopment in the seaside town since the old Fleet Street was demolished and replaced by the Fleet Walk shopping centre. Revamping of Torquay's town centre comes along plans to also regenerate its seaside area, set to be worth £70 million. The Trelawney Hotel in Torquay, Devon is among the chepeates places to stay in the UK, as rated by Tripadvisor It involves construction of a sparkling new 154-room hotel and restaurants, with hopes it will become a posh new destination. This is because Torquay has been considered "one of the worst [towns] in the UK", with dilapidated stories, litter-filled streets and a decline in footfall. A survey last year also revealed Torquay to be Brits' least favourite town in regards to value for food and drink, as well as cultural sights. The survey by Which? found Torquay only received an overall score of 58. An independent radio store runner, Lee Dixon of Dixon's Real Deal, told The Sun in an interview during the Easter school holidays: "It's gone really quiet and people aren't coming into town as much as they used to. 'More of us are having to trade more online, we all prefer face to face business but it's not happening." Torquay Council in response to this footfall in the town hope to revitalise the area with the building of 100 new homes, healthcare facilities and shops. The Council told Devon Live: 'The shopping centre layout is old and doesn't fit today's retail needs. "Redeveloping the site helps us build a lively mixed-use area."
