The president of the CBI has urged West business leaders to press for a ‘soft’ Brexit with full access to the European Single Market and to also counter the view that immigration is bad for the UK. Paul Drechsler CBE told the South West CBI annual dinner that he was “fed up” with business...
Business leaders from Swindon and across the West of England will get their first chance to hear the views of the CBI’s recently appointed president and its incoming regional chair at the organisation’s annual dinner next week. The event is traditionally a high point of the region’s business calendar, attracting hundreds of senior businessmen...
The Festival of Female Entrepreneurs returns to the West of England next month for its fifth year, with a jam-packed programme featuring amazing entrepreneurs and inspirational start-ups. Among those taking part will be Julie Deane of The Cambridge Satchel Company, tech entrepreneur Alex Depledge and Oliver Bonas founder Oliver Tress. Panels will cover subjects...
The Festival of Female Entrepreneurs (FFE) is on the look-out for up-and-coming female business talent to enter its annual awards as it prepares to return to the West of England for a fifth year. The FFE, organised by small business support group Enterprise Nation, stages its high-profile annual event at At-Bristol on October 21....
The founder of North Wiltshire renewable energy group Good Energy has slammed the government’s decision to go ahead with the much-delayed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station project. Juliet Davenport OBE, who built Chippenham-based Good Energy from scratch in 1999 into one of the largest businesses of its kind with a £37m market value, described...
A major offshore wind farm devised by Swindon-based RWE Innogy UK 13 years ago has moved a step closer to coming on stream. The electrical system for the Triton Knoll scheme – one of the UK’s largest planned offshore wind farms – has been approved, paving the way for it to move to the next...
Independent retailers are being given the chance to open pop-up shops in Swindon town centre – potentially boosting their business and improving the area’s retail mix at the same time. Swindon’s central shopping area has a higher-than-average number of empty store units while also lacking shops selling artisan goods and gifts, medium to high-end...
Confidence among West of England firms has slumped to its lowest level since 2012 as they continue to react to the EU referendum, according to a new survey. The latest quarterly ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor (BCM), which gauges how businesses view the economic prospects facing them over coming year, shows confidence falling into negative...
Good Energy, the 100% renewable energy firm, has strengthened its board with two key appointments as it prepares for its next phase of growth. Emma Tinker joins the Chippenham-based firm as a non-executive director and David Brooks as an executive director, both with immediate effect. Emma, a private equity investment director, brings a wealth...
Two roundabouts at the entrance to a Swindon business park have burst into bloom as part of a groundbreaking national project to create floral meadows at busy road junctions. The Elgin Drive and Kembrey Park roundabouts are now a riot of meadow flowers and hardy perennials following two years of careful planning, preparation, planting and...
