With the changes now in effect many businesses are beginning to feel the financial strain, facing increased staffing and payroll costs. So, what can employers do to mitigate the impact?
Clowes Developments Announces Macmillan Cancer Support as 2025/26 Chosen Charity
Clowes Developments are proud to announce that Macmillan Cancer Support has been elected as the group’s Charity of the Year for the financial period 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026, following their annual employee-led nomination and voting process.
Each year, employees are invited to nominate charities they are passionate about. These nominations are carefully reviewed to ensure alignment with the group’s values before being put to a company-wide vote. This inclusive approach helps ensure that the selected charity is meaningful to the team and reflects the causes closest to their collective hearts.
This year, the vote to support Macmillan Cancer Support holds special significance. 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the passing of the group’s founder, Charles Clowes and also a time to honour the memory of their much loved colleague and friend, Paul Turner, who sadly passed away earlier this year. In their memory, the group has chosen to support a cancer charity that provides critical help to people and families affected by cancer across the UK.
Macmillan estimate that almost 3.5 million people in the UK are currently living with cancer, a figure projected to rise to 4 million by 2030. Receiving a diagnosis can be overwhelming, impacting not just health but also finances, work and emotional wellbeing. Macmillan is there to help people live life as fully as possible, providing compassionate physical, financial and emotional support every step of the way.
In 2023 alone:
· Macmillan supported over 2.3 million people affected by cancer – 250,000 more than in 2022
· Their nurses and support workers reached approximately 730,000 people
· They helped identify £310 million in benefits through local welfare rights services
· Supporters and fundraisers raised an incredible £226.8 million
Clowes Developments Managing Director, Thomas Clowes commented:
“We are excited to contribute to Macmillan’s extraordinary efforts through a series of fundraising events and initiatives over the next 12 months. Further details of our activities will be shared in due course as we rally together to make a meaningful impact.
We would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate the success of our previous fundraising year. From 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025, the group raised an impressive £7,102.61 in support of Derbyshire Mind, our former charity partner. We are incredibly grateful to all employees, supporters and donors who contributed to this achievement.”
Reckitt leans on emerging markets as North America slows
Reckitt posted modest revenue growth in Q1 2025, with strong demand in China and India helping offset weaker performance in North America. The company reported a 1.1% revenue increase overall, despite a 0.9% drop in North America, where economic conditions and consumer sentiment weighed on sales.
Core product lines—covering brands like Dettol, Durex and Gaviscon—grew 3.1% and now account for over 40% of total revenue. Europe delivered 1.7% growth. Emerging markets were the standout, with double-digit growth supporting the company’s full-year outlook of up to 4% revenue growth.
Reckitt is continuing to restructure its business, with plans to exit home care and nutrition. The timeline targets 2025 but remains dependent on market conditions.
The company reported minimal impact from recent US tariff measures, citing limited exposure to China, domestic production capabilities, and pricing power as buffers. A manufacturing expansion in North Carolina is part of this strategy.
Shares fell nearly 5% following the announcement, despite guidance holding steady. Reckitt maintains its focus on health and hygiene, with operational efficiency and emerging market growth key to its roadmap.
Headlam scales up flooring recycling scheme after pilot success
Headlam Group plc, a major UK flooring distributor, is expanding its carpet and underlay take-back programme to York following strong results from a 2024 pilot scheme in Northampton.
The initiative, aimed at reducing landfill waste and supporting circular economy efforts, allows customers to return used flooring materials for recycling. In 2025, the scheme has achieved a 67.99% recycling rate for carpet—an increase from 58.7% in 2024—and a 265% rate for underlay, indicating that more material was recycled than sold, partly from older stock re-entering the system.
The expansion supports Headlam’s broader environmental targets. According to its latest Sustainability Report, the company has cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% since 2019 and is progressing toward Net Zero by 2040. Energy use has dropped due to increased solar capacity and reduced gas consumption.
Headlam is also working with suppliers through Carpet Recycling UK to develop more sustainable products and integrate circular design principles into its operations.
Second data centre proposed in North Lincolnshire with potential for 1,000 jobs
A large-scale data centre project has been proposed for development near Elsham Wolds Industrial Estate in North Lincolnshire, marking the region’s second major tech infrastructure initiative.
The proposal, currently at the pre-application stage with North Lincolnshire Council, outlines a site covering approximately 180 hectares south and east of the existing industrial estate. If fully developed, the project could generate up to 1,000 jobs over a ten-year construction period.
This follows the approval last year of the £2.2 billion Humber Tech Park near South Killingholme, expected to create nearly 400 jobs and position the area as a hub for artificial intelligence and digital services.
The Elsham Wolds development is still in the early planning stages, with no formal planning permission application submitted yet. However, its scale and job creation potential suggest a significant opportunity for businesses involved in infrastructure, construction, and technology sectors across the UK.
Tackling the rise in Employers’ National Insurance: what businesses need to know
In this episode of The Streets Sessions, host James Pinchbeck is joined by Michael Greene, Partner at Streets, and Anita Wynne, Managing Director of BestStart Human Resources. Together they unpack one of the most talked-about measures from the Autumn Budget 2024 — the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions.
Rolls-Royce makes final pitch to power UK with factory-built nuclear units
Rolls-Royce has submitted its final proposal to Great British Nuclear (GBN) as part of a competitive process to supply small modular reactors (SMRs) for the UK’s future energy infrastructure.
After six months of negotiations, the company is one of four international vendors shortlisted by GBN. If selected, Rolls-Royce’s SMR solution would mark a major step in reshoring nuclear technology, with implications for domestic manufacturing, energy security, and supply chain growth.
The UK-designed SMRs are intended to be factory-built and rapidly deployed, each capable of producing enough low-carbon electricity to power around one million homes for over 60 years. Rolls-Royce argues that the scalable nature of its design and its advanced stage in regulatory review make it a viable option for the UK’s long-term energy strategy.
Rolls-Royce SMR is also gaining traction internationally, having been chosen by Czech utility CEZ to supply up to 3GW of electricity and progressing in a vendor selection process led by Swedish energy group Vattenfall.
Within the UK, the company is currently in the final phase of regulatory assessment, which places it ahead of its competitors in terms of domestic approval.
Estama expands UK retail portfolio with Lincolnshire appointment
Estama, the leading UK property and asset management firm, has been appointed to manage Pescod Square Shopping Centre in Boston, Lincolnshire.
This 95,000 sq ft retail destination, home to 21 occupiers including Next, One Below, Waterstones, and Glo Golf, as well as a 350-space multi-storey car park serves as a central hub for the town.
The appointment follows Estama’s recent management contracts for Festival Place in Basingstoke and the Swan Shopping Centre in Leatherhead, underscoring the company’s rapid growth in the retail property sector.
Estama now manages over 100 commercial properties across the UK, including more than 25 shopping centres.
“We are delighted to have been appointed to take on the property management of Pescod Square,” said George Grimes, Director and Head of Property Management at Estama.
“This appointment is an expansion of our existing mandate from the shopping centre’s owner following our continued success and improvement delivered to their other assets already under our stewardship.
“It is fantastic to see the continued trust and belief in Estama from our clients,” he added.
This appointment represents a significant milestone in Estama’s expanding portfolio and reinforces its position as a leader in property and asset management.
The company’s recent transition to Employee Ownership Trust status further emphasises its commitment to long-term growth and stakeholder value.
New trade units approved at Stud Brook Business Park
Five new business units have been approved for development at Stud Brook Business Park in Castle Donington, as part of its next expansion phase.
North West Leicestershire District Council has granted planning permission for the trade counter and warehouse units, which range in size from 3,229 to 4,606 sq ft. The units will be located around the existing Starbucks outlet at the park entrance, alongside the recently opened Sainsbury’s Local.
Developer Clowes Developments will target trade counter operators for the new space. Construction is scheduled to begin shortly under the lead contractor Roe Developments, with a 30-week build programme. Occupation is expected by the end of the year, and trading could start as early as January.
The development team, which includes IMA Architects, has worked within specific constraints due to the park’s proximity to East Midlands Airport. Stakeholder engagement was part of the planning process to ensure compatibility with the surrounding environment.
The business park continues to attract strong demand from commercial operators, with further occupier announcements expected in the coming months.
Workplace injuries increase, with slips and falls leading the way
The number of non-fatal workplace injuries reported in the UK has risen to 61,663 in 2024, an increase of over 1,000 cases compared to the previous 12-month period, according to data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The figures come from the RIDDOR reporting system and signal a continued need for employers to strengthen workplace safety protocols.
The most common cause of injury was slips, trips, and falls, which accounted for 31% of all incidents. Handling, lifting, or carrying made up 17% of cases, followed by workers being struck by moving objects at 10%.
The release of the statistics coincides with the World Day for Health and Safety at Work, a global event aimed at promoting safe and healthy workplace practices. For UK employers, the timing highlights the importance of meeting obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, particularly as injury numbers are trending upward.
British Steel scraps job cuts as furnaces stay operational
British Steel has officially ended its redundancy consultation, securing over 2,700 jobs at its Scunthorpe site. The decision follows the company’s withdrawal of its HR1 form submitted to the Department for Business and Trade in March, signalling a halt to previously announced plans to shut down its blast furnaces.
The reversal comes after the UK government passed the Steel Special Measures Act in April, emergency legislation aimed at preserving domestic steelmaking capabilities. Under the act, the government acquired powers to procure raw materials on behalf of the company, preventing the planned shutdown of the Queen Anne and Queen Bess furnaces.
This intervention follows Chinese owner Jingye’s earlier announcement that the blast furnaces were financially unsustainable, with daily losses of around £700,000. Jingye had suspended raw material procurement, triggering fears of widespread job losses and jeopardising the UK’s last remaining blast furnace operations.
With the furnaces now supplied and operating continuously, British Steel has stabilised production, averting immediate job losses. Industry stakeholders view the outcome as critical for maintaining sovereign steelmaking capacity, especially amid growing concerns over national security and supply chain resilience.
If the closures had gone ahead, the UK would have become the only G7 nation unable to produce virgin steel domestically.
