Firms will want assurances that the business rates reform announced by the Chancellor today will not more higher taxes. That’s the view of Business West, the region’s largest business organisation representing 16,000 firms and which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative. George Osborne made the surprise announcement at today’s Conservative Party conference that by...
Confidence levels for firms in Swindon and Wiltshire have fallen on the back of lower sales, fewer new jobs and worsening cashflow, according to the results of Business West’s latest survey. The figures, released last week, were described as “tough reading” by Ian Larrard, director of the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative, part of Business...
Swindon independent estate agency Castles Residential Sales & Lettings has been named as the town’s best sales agent and best lettings agent in an awards scheme. The firm, founded by managing director Mark Noble, pictured, in 2002, won the two golds at the 2015 allAgents Awards, which are staged by the UK property industry’s...
Business West, the organisation that runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, has launched a project to help the local firms benefit from the development of Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Nuclear South West will bring together firms already operating in the sector with academics and other businesses to maximise opportunities linked to Hinkley...
North Wiltshire-based specialist estate management business Dirty Boots has been named among the finalists in the inaugural Rural Business Awards – the first dedicated UK-wide business accolades for rural organisations. The firm, based near Malmesbury, has been shortlisted in the Best New Rural Start-up category of the awards. Dirty Boots, which has founded by...
Jolyon Rose has been appointed as the new manager for Manor House Enterprise Centre in Royal Wootton Bassett. Jolyon, pictured, has just returned from Germany where he set up a number of successful businesses. He is now looking forward to supporting new and developing businesses in Swindon and across Wiltshire. He said: “Manor House...
A consortium led by Advanced Plasma Power, the Swindon-based waste-to-energy and advanced fuels technology innovator, has secured £11m in Government funding to help build the first of a new generation of biofuels plants in the town. The South Marston plant will take residual waste – the UK’s largest sustainable source of biomass – and...
Cotswolds and Oxfordshire property specialist Butler Sherborn has appointed surveyor Francesca Cooper to the rural team based in its Cirencester head office. Francesca, pictured, will assist with all aspects of rural property and business management, focusing on business development for country house consultancy, lettings, farm and estate management and renewable energy generation. Francesca, who...
Property agency and real estate firm Colliers International has expanded its South West regional office with three new appointments. Business rates specialist Steve Plowman has been appointed as a director, covering the South West and South Wales. He joins Colliers’ rating team with 27 years’ experience spanning retail and mineral valuations. This includes seven...
A supermarket and 70 homes are to be built on the site of a disused Swindon office campus in the latest of a string of redevelopment projects of outdated offices and factories around the town. Bellway Homes is to build the two, three and four-bedroom houses on the Westlea Campus later this year after...
