Marks & Spencer is ramping up its store investment with £300m dedicated to the renewal of its outlets in the current financial year. The plan includes 16 new stores, nine extensions, and 12 renewals. The new locations will feature improved store formats, with wider aisles, enhanced entrances, and modern shelving displays.
The expansion involves 12 food halls, two full-line stores, and two outlet stores. New full-line stores are set to open in Bath Southgate and Bristol Cabot Circus, while new food halls will be introduced in Bell Green, Sydenham, Abingdon, Cannock, and Farnham.
This renewed activity comes as M&S has signed 47 property deals in the last year, surpassing the combined total of the previous three years. The company is also reviewing over 300 potential new locations in the UK as part of its goal to optimise its estate, aiming for 180 full-line stores and 420 food halls by the end of the 2028 financial year.
In the East Midlands, M&S is focused on bolstering its distribution capacity. The company plans to replenish its Castle Donington warehouse, its main distribution centre for clothing and homeware, by August. Additionally, M&S is recovering from a cyber attack that disrupted its online operations, which led to a pause in customer orders for nearly seven weeks. The retailer aims to have its online platform fully operational within the next four weeks. The cyber attack is expected to cost the company £300m, though it is working to recover around £150m through cost management, insurance, and other trading actions.
Bassetlaw District Council is providing more financial support to small and medium-sized businesses looking to improve their environmental credentials and cut their carbon footprint.
The Council has secured £80k from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Funding to back decarbonisation projects which improve the natural environment whilst growing the local economy.
Applications are now open for businesses to apply for a grant of up to £7,500 to invest in low carbon technologies across energy use, buildings and transport.
Cllr Darrell Pulk, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “We look forward to supporting businesses across the district make improvements which will help cut their carbon footprint, alongside their energy costs.
“Our Vision 2040 is for Bassetlaw to become the greenest, most sustainable district to live and work, and this will help improve building efficiency for many local businesses.”
Businesses have until 12noon on 21st July 2025 to submit their applications.
FHP has completed the off-market sale of Millway at Old Mill Lane Industrial Estate, Mansfield Woodhouse, to Harold Potter.
Harold Potter is one of the country’s leading heavy lifting equipment and overhead crane specialists and has taken on the site as its HQ.
The property extends to 14,136ft² and comprises a detached warehouse with a two storey office block, car park, and yard.
Surrounding occupiers include Howdens, Screwfix, Royal Mail and Jewsons.
Anthony Barrowcliffe of FHP said: “It is always particularly great to sell a building off-market. This was not an easy sale due to having tenants in the offices to the front elevation, which we serviced notice on to obtain vacant possession of the building, alongside other various issues which we overcame throughout the process to sell this asset.
“Our client (W.H Davies) were exceptionally good to work with and between myself and them we worked very hard to secure this sale. This transaction being a total team effort!
“I wish Harold Potter Ltd all the success for the future and I know this building will be a fantastic HQ for their business.”
Unique Window Systems, the Leicester-based fabricator of UPVC and aluminium windows, doors, and curtain walling, has acquired the business and assets of AluFold Direct Ltd.
Sunil Patel, joint managing director at Unique, said: “Having recently increased our turnover to £45 million and growing, we are in a strong position to invest in the business, and the acquisition of AluFold’s assets gives us the opportunity to further boost our aluminium capabilities.
“With more companies being forced to close their doors in ongoing difficult market conditions, we are particularly pleased that the acquisition will help us grow further and retain capacity in the industry.
“We have already celebrated 20 years in business this year, but we are not resting on our laurels. Our longevity makes us even more ambitious.
“We want to continue to give our installers, and their homeowner customers, and the wider commercial market everything they need now and in the future, and as the demand for aluminium window and doors continues to grow, it’s a great time for us to strengthen our geographical footprint.”
AluFold’s factory in Blackburn houses cutting-edge machinery including CNC machining centres, CNC 4-headed crimpers and dedicated assembly lines, providing Unique Window Systems with an opportunity to increase its presence in the North.
Sunil continued: “We know that homeowner expectations are rising and to help our customers deliver on these expectations we need next generation capabilities and superior environmental performance across our entire UPVC and aluminium range.
“Coupling the impressive assets from a well-respected brand such as AluFold Direct, with Unique’s considerable resources and expertise, builds on an already solid foundation of quality and performance. We are excited about this next stage of growth and the head start the acquisition gives us and our customers for 20 more successful years.”
The deal was supported by Gunner Cooke LLP and Freeths LLP from a legal perspective and Torr Waterfield as accountants and business advisors.
North East Lincolnshire Council has taken the step of managing key services in-house after ending its long-standing contract with private delivery partner, Equans. This marks the first time in 15 years that services such as highways, transport, building control, security, facilities management, and planning will fall under the direct responsibility of the council.
In 2008, the council chose to partner with a private sector organisation to handle these services, with a formal contract signed in 2010 with Balfour Beatty Workplace, now known as Equans Services Limited. The contract was extended in 2020, but recent decisions confirmed that it would not be renewed when it expires in 2025.
The council’s leadership sees this shift as an opportunity to realign services for greater efficiency and effectiveness, bringing all operations under one team. The 270 Equans employees transitioning back into the council will increase the total workforce to nearly 2,000, with the majority being local to the area.
This transition is part of the council’s strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in service delivery while maintaining high standards in key public services. The council is now focusing on integrating these functions smoothly into its operations over the coming months.
Strong trading momentum has continued at Topps Tiles, the Leicestershire-based tile specialist.
In a third quarter trading update for the 39-week period ended 28 June 2025, the business revealed that group adjusted saleswere up 10.1%, an acceleration on 4.1% growth in the first half. On a year-to-date basis, group adjusted sales were 6.1% higher year-on-year.
The sales trajectory has improved across all divisions in the group, with Topps Tiles, Parkside and Online Pure Play (Pro Tiler Tools and Tile Warehouse) all delivering higher growth rates in the most recent quarter than in the first half.
The update comes amidst a challenging cost environment, with Topps Tiles seeing £4m of further cost increases on an annualised basis from April 2025 as a result of the recent changes to National Insurance rates and thresholds, together with the increase in National Living Wage.
Meanwhile, progress has been made in CTD since the conclusion of the CMA investigation into the acquisition, with the group confident that CTD will be at least breakeven by the fourth quarter.
An architectural technologist from multi-disciplinary design practice, rg+p Ltd has run the length of the UK, completing an epic charity fundraiser.
In just 27 days, Taylor Baston ran an 873 mile route from John O’Groats to Land’s End, raising over £6,500 for the British Heart Foundation.
Averaging 32 miles per day, Taylor’s route followed the coast to Inverness, around the Cairngorns, Edinburgh and down to Carlisle. Once into England, he ran through Kendal, Wigan, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Gloucester, Bristol, before taking a mix of A and B roads through Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.
“I really got into my fitness a few years ago and have completed marathons and ultra-marathons,” says Taylor. “But ever since some family friends cycled from John O’Groats to Land’s End, it’s been in the back of my mind to run the distance.
“My training started last November, and I ran consistently to build up strength. When February hit, I ran every day with no days off, completing two longer runs every weekend.
“On the morning of day one I was full of nerves; I had a slight Achilles injury and just wanted to get going. I needn’t have worried. Running through Scotland was amazing; so many people came out to support us and the scenery was stunning. In fact, throughout the whole route, I had friends and family cheering me on, many of them ran with me once we crossed the border which was a huge motivation.
“The things I found most challenging were eating enough, pacing myself and navigating the UK roads. In the final ten days I really struggled to take in enough calories and run at a consistent pace. Plus there were sections of road, especially north west to south west England, where I had to run on unpaved areas which was mentally fatiguing.
“But I kept going. On the final morning, I woke up feeling numb and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the achievement. The last day turned out to be amazing; I had 15 of my closest friends run with me at the start, some of them had only recently started running but said they had been so inspired by the challenge that they pushed themselves to run over a half marathon distance with no proper training! I was so proud of that.
“Around four miles from the end, I met my parents for the final time and all the emotion came out. It had been raining all day but the sun came out and I crossed the finish line with all my friends and family waiting for me. It was the best feeling of pure happiness.”
Taylor chose to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in memory of his grandfather, Roy.
Taylor continues: “My Grandad and I were extremely close. He showed me the value of hard work and even though he struggled with his heart for many years, it didn’t stop him living life to the full which always inspired me. We lost him a few years ago and I wanted to do my bit to raise awareness for those affected by heart-related illness.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the total I managed to raise, it’s more than double my original goal. I want to share a massive thanks to everyone for their donations and words of encouragement, plus all my rg+p colleagues for the kit sponsorship, sabbatical leave and supporting me throughout.
“I thought by doing this challenge I would hate running forever but the opposite has happened! I might leave it a while before tackling something similar but I’ll continue doing single event ultra marathons.”
To donate to Taylor’s campaign, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/taylor-baston-jogle.
CCL, a global specialty label, security and packaging solutions firm, has acquired Humphreys Holdings Ltd, trading as We Print Lanyards, a designer and manufacturer of custom lanyards, name badges and ID cards, based in Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
It comes as a bolt-on acquisition for CCL subsidiary Avery, a supplier of labels, specialty converted media and software solutions for short-run digital printing applications for businesses and consumers.
Shorts’ corporate finance team were lead advisers to Humphreys Holdings Ltd and MD Law provided legal advice to the sellers.
Established in 2012 by Malcolm Humphreys, We Print Lanyards produce all of their products in the UK, carrying the Made in Britain accreditation mark.
Malcolm Humphreys, founder of Humphreys Holdings, said: “The acquisition by CCL Industries shows a great testament of the strength of our businesses and brand. The knowledge that under CCL the businesses will thrive and fulfil their potential was my main driver to agreeing the CCL purchase.”
Geoffrey T. Martin, president and CEO of CCL Industries Inc., said: “This acquisition continues to build on Avery’s rapidly growing portfolio of access control, badging and credentials technologies, products and brands focused on the retail, hospitality, live events and conferencing markets.”
Andy Ryder, corporate finance partner at Shorts, said: “It has been a pleasure for the Shorts team to advise the shareholders on this transaction. It represents exciting inward investment into the region, and we look forward to seeing the business flourish with the support of Avery/CCL.”
James Burdekin, partner at MD Law, added: “We were delighted to provide legal support to the sellers throughout the sales process. This deal demonstrates the strategic value SME businesses can add to global brands. Having worked alongside the team at CCL throughout the sale we are of no doubt that the business is in safe hands.”
Goodward Construction has completed an industrial unit extension at Line Equipment’s headquarters in Nottingham. The project has enabled Line Equipment to significantly expand their operations.
Line Equipment, a packaging machinery manufacturer specialising in VFFS machines, sought to increase their warehouse capacity and enhance workflow efficiency to meet growing customer demand.
With operational continuity being a top priority, Goodward Construction designed and executed a phased expansion strategy that allowed business to carry on as usual while integrating the new space.
The 1,291 sq ft extension was completed in just under 3 months and included structural steelwork, insulated cladding, new personnel and loading doors, upgraded electrical systems, and improved internal logistics flow. The result is a modern, energy-efficient space that supports Line Equipment’s future growth ambitions.
“Partnering with Goodward Construction gave us the confidence to expand without halting our day-to-day operations,” said John Blashkiw, director at Line Equipment. “Their team was professional, proactive, and incredibly well-organised. This extension has already made a significant difference in how we work and serve our customers.”
“We’re passionate about helping businesses grow through strategic infrastructure development,” said Simon Knighton, managing director at Goodward Construction. “The Line Equipment project demonstrates that with the right planning and partner, expansion can be both seamless and stress-free.”
With the nomination deadline moving closer for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, there are 10 categories open for entry, offering a prime opportunity to showcase outstanding businesses, teams and projects at the prestigious event.
One such category is Residential Development of the Year, which can be entered here.
The winner of this category will be the scheme that has displayed a true commitment to providing much-needed housing in the East Midlands. There is no size limit, but schemes must have been completed over the last 12 months.
It’s completely free to submit a nomination and making the top three finalists in your category also wins you free tickets to the awards ceremony.
Last year the award was won by Distinctive Developments for Woodwell and Meadow Barn, with Chevin Homes (Chevin Close) and Phoenix Brickwork UK LTD (IQ Nelson Court) runners up. Upon winning, Richard Evans of Distinctive Developments said: “Winning the Bricks award for our Woodwell and Meadow Barn project is a huge honour for the Distinctive Developments team. This project truly reflects our passion for blending traditional design with sustainability.
“We’re so grateful to the judges for recognizing our hard work and commitment to quality design and craftsmanship. What a super event as well for networking and business connections, thank you Business Link.”
With this year’s Residential Development of the Year award sponsored by Build Manager, Matthew Jones, director, said: “We are delighted to sponsor this year’s East Midlands Bricks Awards and to champion the Residential Development of the Year category.
“At Build Manager, we bring over 50 years of combined industry experience to every project, offering a comprehensive suite of services, from construction consultancy and project management, supporting SME developers with project viability and finance process, through to full turn-key design and build solutions.
“Our team, comprising former senior managers from one of Lincolnshire’s largest main contractors, provides the expertise and professionalism of a major firm, while delivering a friendly and personalised service our clients can rely on.
“The Bricks Awards are a celebration of the people and projects shaping the East Midlands, and that resonates strongly with us. We’ve chosen to sponsor Residential Development of the Year because we understand the challenges and opportunities in this space, and we’re passionate about recognising innovation, quality, and the commitment it takes to deliver homes that meet the needs of growing communities.
“We look forward to an evening of acknowledging outstanding achievements, connecting with fellow professionals, and sharing insights that contribute to the growth and success of the East Midlands construction community.”
Submit your nominations for Residential Development of the Year here before entries close on Friday 15th August.
Guests network at the East Midlands Bricks Awards
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 2nd October,at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground (4:30pm – 7:30pm) – an evening also offering an opportunity to establish new connections with property and construction professionals from across the region, and hear from keynote speaker Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands.
Other award categories open for entry include: Most Active Agent, Developer of the Year, Responsible Business of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Contractor of the Year, Deal of the Year, Architects of the Year, Excellence in Design, and Sustainable Development of the Year. All entry forms can be accessed here.
The Overall Winner award will also be presented at the event. This award cannot be entered, with the winner selected from those nominated for the event’s other awards. The Overall Winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 will also receive agrand prize of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, with the opportunity to split or gift the marketing to a charity of your choice.
The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025
What: The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025
When: Thursday 2nd October (4.30pm – 7.30pm)
Where: Derek Randall Suite,Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham
Keynote speaker: Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands
Tickets: Available hereDress code: Standard business attire
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