First Great Western is to continue running rail services between the West and London for another three years under a franchise extension announced today by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. The train operator had previously been granted a six-month extension until October following the fallout from the West Coast franchise debacle last year. First Great...
Bluebird Care, the Swindon care-in-the home franchise which has been in business for less than 18 months, has received a glowing report from the watchdog charged with maintaining high standards in the industry. Bluebird Care achieved all the necessary standards in the areas inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), including the care and...
Thrings, the M4 corridor law firm with its largest office in Swindon, has recruited Jane Oakland as a partner in its corporate team. Jane joins from the Bristol office of rival Clarke Willmott, where she was a corporate partner. She brings more than 20 years’ corporate experience in acquisition and disposal, strategic planning, reorganisation,...
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SCISYS, the West-based specialist IT group, today blamed foreign exchange movements and a reduction in low-margin resale activity for a fall in annual revenue. However, operating profits at the group, which supplies a range of sectors from space and defence to media with high-end systems, climbed 13% to £2.7m despite the 7% decline in...
Leading Swindon conveyancer Hoffman Male is expanding again by opening a Bristol branch, less than two years after moving to bigger premises. Hoffman Male, which also specialises in wills and probate, relocated from Old Town to larger offices at Windmill Hill in May 2011. Now the firm’s principal, Mary Hoffman, is opening an office...
Work is to start in May of the £50m retail and leisure scheme development to transform the former Swindon College site at Regent Circus. The scheme will include a 52,000 sq ft Morrisons superstore, eight restaurants and bars, a six-screen digital Cineworld multiplex cinema and a 450-space car park. National restaurant chains Ask, Nando’s...
Business West managing director Phil Smith welcomed the fact that the Chancellor had not wavered from his Plan A as businesses relied on continuity – especially around low interest rates – to make decisions. The worst thing now was for the cost of borrowing to increase, he said. But he added: “With economic recovery...
Swindon-based Banks, Chartered Accountants described the Budget as one of the most interesting and intriguing for years and said it could be good for the town’s businesses. Director Richard Mathews said some of the measures – such as the cut in National Insurance paid by employers and the reduced Capital Gains Tax – would...
Key points from today’s Budget: Income tax threshold to be raised to £10,000 by next year Beer duty cut by 1p a pint Planned fuel duty rise scrapped £3bn for infrastructure Economic growth is forecast to be 0.6% this year Service personnel to be exempt from public sector 1% pay rise cap Public sector...
