Severn Trent Water is to give £600k to the Trent Rivers Trust for polluting a kilometre of West Meadow Brook near Whitwick in Leicestershire after it failed to operate a pumping station properly. An investigation by the Environment Agency revealed that the issue was not corrected for a few weeks in September 2022, and there was an overwhelming odour and a thick coating of sewage fungus covering the bed. Human faecal matter was also visible. An Environment Agency investigation revealed that the discharge had been on-going for some weeks before, and Severn Trent admitted not only that their teams had failed to see that pumps were not activated, but that they had failed to monitor the site when the telemetry system had failed. Emma Hardy, Minister for Water and Flooding, said: “Pollution incidents like this are completely unacceptable and should never have been allowed to occur. It is only right that Seven Trent pays for its failings, and I’m pleased local environmental charities will benefit.”

After years of failure, this Government is strengthening regulation further through the Water (Special Measures) Bill so that water companies are held to account, benefiting customers and the environment.

Matt Easter, chief executive officer for Trent Rivers Trust, said: “Whilst we would rather such incidents did not take place, Enforcement Undertakings are an effective tool to support the recovery of our rivers and catchments following severe pollution events. “The funds will be used to restore and improve vital habitats and introduce or enhance natural processes that will cope better during any future pollution incident.

“With the funding, Trent Rivers Trust will create a more natural catchment to better support the communities and wildlife that depend on its health and resilience.”

The University of Leicester has collaborated with two local companies in partnerships designed to foster innovation and drive business growth. The University has announced Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) with Structural Adhesives Ltd, a research-driven developer of advanced adhesive solutions, and rradar, a  legal services and technology company. A KTP is a three-way partnership between an academic institution, a business and a suitably qualified graduate, aimed at helping companies innovate for growth. The partnership with Structural Adhesives is valued at £200,000 for two years and will allow the company to commercialise reversible adhesive products, enabling easier disassembly and recycling of electronic, battery and renewable products. The University of Leicester has a strong track record of working with Structural Adhesives, a family-owned manufacturing business based in Leicester. The company has been developing adhesive technology for over three decades, servicing markets in the UK, Europe and beyond. Each project is supported by one of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Advisers, who provide expert guidance at every stage, and is managed by a KTP Associate – a talented graduate or postgraduate. Chemistry graduate, Morgan Bates, has been recruited as the KTP Associate for Structural Adhesives. She will be supported by Dr Sandy Kilpatrick and Professor Andy Abbott from the University’s School of Chemistry. The double KTP with rradar, valued at £400,000 for three years, will enable the development of a cutting-edge system that will transform the way businesses identify, quantify and manage risk. It will integrate data science, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create a platform capable of automatically identifying and assessing risk scenarios. rradar is a top 250 legal services and technology company that employs over 250 people across seven UK sites, including Leicester. Leading the academic side of the project are Dr Yi Hong and Dr Paul King from the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. Data scientist, Dr Adinath Ghadage, has been employed as one of two KTP Associates, with the second position expected to be filled in the coming months. Commenting on the Structural Adhesives partnership, Dr Sandy Kilpatrick from the University of Leicester, said: “Structural Adhesives and the School of Chemistry have been collaborating on projects for some time, so this KTP feels like a natural progression. “The project will deliver a sustainable product that will greatly enhance the circular economy in used electronics, enabling the company to bring their innovative idea to market. It’s really encouraging to see the local economy being supported by the University to launch sustainable products.” Angela Orton, Director of Structural Adhesives, said: “Our relationship with the University of Leicester began with a smaller project that built trust and proved the value of working together, which has now grown into this impactful partnership. “Collaborating with the University brings fresh insight and expertise that is helping us move our reversible adhesive concept closer to market. “For small businesses like ours, strong and trusted relationships with academic institutions are essential for driving innovation and growth, and this partnership is a perfect example of how business and university collaboration can support this. We’re excited to see the positive impact that this sustainability-led project will have on current markets.” Commenting on the KTP with rradar, Dr Yi Hong from the University of Leicester, said: “This KTP is a fantastic opportunity to apply our expertise in data science and machine learning to real-world challenges. The partnership with rradar will not only advance our research but also provide tangible benefits to businesses, empowering them to proactively manage and mitigate risks.” Davina Gillyon, Chief Commercial Officer at rradar, said: “Working with the University of Leicester on this double KTP, funded by Innovate UK, has undoubtedly enabled our business and our teams to accelerate the distinctively unique proposition that rradar was built on, and continues to be recognised for in the innovation rankings. “I would also add that we are incredibly proud to have been awarded the double KTP in recognition of not only the strength of rradar’s cutting-edge risk innovation, but also of its future promise and potential – which we believe to be very much uncapped, given the increasingly fluid and fast-paced environment of risk that we all live and work in today.”

Half of East Midlands businesses plan to revise their recruitment intentions, 6 out of 10 anticipate a drop in profit and just under half are likely to lower investment plans – these are key findings from a snap survey carried out by East Midlands Chamber into the impact of measures announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget on 30^th October. Most respondents – 8 out 10 – expressed a negative overall impression of the Autumn Budget, citing significant concerns over increased costs and a lack of targeted support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). 239 businesses across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire participated in the research, which sought to discover sentiment, growth projections and overall confidence level among firms across the East Midlands following the Budget. Sectors that participated in the survey included manufacturing, construction, retail, hospitality, transport & logistics, professional services, and the public sector through health and education. The findings have been presented to political leaders at both regional and national level. Summary of findings from the Chamber’s snap survey on the impact of the Autumn Budget in the East Midlands:

• 8 out of 10 have a negative impression of the Budget
• Half plan to reduce recruitment
• 4 out of 10 expect to reduce their staff number
• 6 out of 10 expect profitability to decrease
• 44% plan to reduce investment plans over the next 12 months
• 4 out of 10 expect sales to increase. 2 out of 10 expect sales to fall

East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “With increased NI contributions, reduction in the secondary threshold and the national minimum wage increasing, businesses are anticipating significant increases in operational costs – that really shows in this research. “For small and medium enterprises, this burden is particularly challenging and could impact their ability to sustain workforce levels. Respondents anticipated reducing their staffing level, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as hospitality and retail, while a hesitancy to invest in workforce development could impact skills growth and productivity. Many businesses feel they need to prioritise immediate financial stability over training. “Over half of respondents indicated they could pull back on recruitment plans, reflecting the cautious approach businesses are adopting due to cost increases. This trend could limit job creation in the East Midlands. Many businesses expect profitability to decline over the next year, with respondents citing the combined pressure of higher wages, tax burdens and operating costs as barriers to maintaining profit margins. “While this research shows some optimism with sales – 4 out of 10 expect sales to increase – what stands out is the sizeable portion of East Midlands businesses ready to consider cutting back on capital investment, staffing levels and recruitment plans, in the light of rising operational costs and economic uncertainty. “These findings underline the need for supportive policies that address both the social and economic challenges facing East Midlands businesses. We have put the results of this survey to political leaders at both regional and national level, urging them to consider the insights and advocate for policy adjustments that will enable East Midlands businesses to thrive amidst the challenges posed by the Autumn Budget.”