A sixth-generation homeware and garden supplier is celebrating another successful year, after gaining the title as ‘Best Family Business’ for the second year running in a prestigious Leicestershire awards ceremony. After winning the same award at last year’s event, the Loughborough-based manufacturing company, Charles Bentley & Son beat two other worthy finalists to retain its title at the Niche Business Awards 2021. Businesses across Leicester assembled for the return of the recognised awards at a ceremony at Athena in Queen Street, Leicester. Last year, strict coronavirus restrictions meant businesses were forced to celebrate virtually. Steve Law, Sales Director at Charles Bentley & Son, said: “Winning any award just once is hard, retaining the award for the second year running and against such tough competition shows how determined we are within the Charles Bentley business to always look to improve. The continued dedication of every colleague within the company ensures that we always move forward collectively and with the same goals. With that said, we haven’t finished yet.” He added: “With more projects to be delivered over the coming 12 months and beyond and with the further addition of talented people joining an already talented team, our eyes are certainly on the hattrick in 2022.” Earlier this year, Charles Bentley & Son beat off well-known brands to claim the Retailer Support Initiative award for Retailer Support in the DIY Week Awards. As a global supplier of contemporary home, garden and leisure products, the business – first established as a manufacturer of chimney sweep brushes 161 years ago – is passionate about transforming houses into homes. Over the years, the firm has reinvented itself to become a multi-million-pound global supplier of contemporary, high quality yet cost-effective brushware and homeware products. With a workforce of 160, the manufacturer is now a major provider of Dropship Services for the UK’s biggest home and garden retailers and produces in excess of two million brushes each year. Director, James Bentley, said: “It is a huge honour to win an award for the second year running at the renowned Niche Business Awards. “Retaining this prestigious title is a massive achievement for the team who work around the clock to deliver an excellent service to all of our customers.” He added: “None of this would be possible without the outstanding commitment by the people who work in the business. The team’s ongoing drive and ability to adapt has been a significant factor contributing to our success.” Jenny Cross, CEO of Cross Productions, organisers of the Niche Business Awards said: “As Charles Bentley & Son are a sixth-generation, local, independent business, their passion in their products and services shines through. They believe that there really is no place like home and so they epitomise what it means to be part of the Leicester community.”

Commenting on the Government’s publication of the Integrated Rail Plan and its ramifications for the HS2 Eastern Leg, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “Today’s announcement comes as a bitter blow to communities in the East Midlands that have spent such a long time planning for the arrival of HS2, only to now be faced with a reneging on clear commitments repeatedly made by our country’s leaders. Lost benefits of HS2 Eastern Leg “From a practical perspective, we miss out on the majority of the transformational economic benefits that underpinned the HS2 case for the region. This would have included significantly enhanced connectivity both locally and with other major cities, increased capacity to help us deliver more frequent and reliable local services, as well as the significant wider investment opportunities that come with businesses basing themselves at such a well-connected location. “It was also about creating economic prosperity in places such as Chesterfield and Staveley, where economic regeneration planning has hinged around the delivery of HS2. “But it’s not just a case of what we could have had. Investment begets investment and the fact that the Western Leg has been given the green light places the East Midlands at a massive disadvantage. It risks further widening the East-West gap that is emerging alongside the more widely commented upon North-South divide. “Of course, the proposed improvements within the Integrated Rail Plan, along with the long-needed electrification of the Midland Main Line, are positive developments. But these were always a part of our wider vision for HS2 in the East Midlands and electrification was promised many years ago – and has itself been the subject of multiple Government flip-flops over the past decade. “As the Prime Minister himself has said, it should not be an either/or situation. We need these developments alongside HS2 to achieve the full benefits for the region. A job half done “Because make no mistake, this is a job half done. This has always been so much more than just a transport investment for the communities of the East Midlands and no matter how this is now spun, our joint vision that encompassed economic, environmental and societal benefits has been massively descoped. “At a time when the Prime Minister is shouting from the rooftops about levelling up and saying no place will be left behind, this is a slap in the face to a region that already receives the lowest level of public expenditure on transport and economic affairs in the UK. “It also demonstrates massive disingenuity towards the climate change agenda despite the rhetoric surrounding COP26 earlier this month – our railways are at breaking point, and only through the additional capacity of HS2 would we be able to encourage people and freight off the roads in quantities meaningful enough to make a difference. East Midlands must work together to move forward “The decision not to build the Eastern Leg as originally planned undermines not only the benefits of the entire project but also trust in Government. “It now rests on Westminster to explain in proper, technical detail exactly what it plans to deliver, as well as how and when, in order to prevent the East Midlands from being structurally disadvantaged for generations to come. “For our own region, it’s never been more crucial for our political and business leaders to come together and prepare a collective response for how we move forward.”

“Today’s announcement is woefully inadequate. After decades of underfunding, the rail network in the North is not fit for purpose. It is largely twin-track Victorian infrastructure trying to cope with the demands of a 21st Century economy. Leaders from across the North and from across the party political divide came together to ask for a network that would upgrade the North for this century and in line with the rest of the country. Our statutory advice asked for an over £40 billion network but the Government has decided to provide even less than half of that. “The leaders of the North, jointly with Government, have worked hard to come up with an evidence-led plan to help reverse the chasm of under investment over the last four decades to give passengers in the North a railway network fit for today and for generations to come. That doesn’t mean a bit here and a bit there of minor upgrades to the existing network. It means transformational change for the whole rail network. That means building HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail in full. That means good east-west connections, improved reliability and a better customer experience to bring about modal shift to meet our decarbonisation strategy. “Whilst we have been working on our upgrade plans we have watched as billions have been poured into HS2 building work from London to Birmingham. We have watched as billions have been poured into Crossrail being dug out and built across the capital. It is time for the North to have its fair share. It’s time for the North to have a proper railway network to allow our towns and cities, our businesses, and our people to thrive and grow for generations to come. It’s time for real evidence of levelling up. “If we truly want to level up the country we don’t need words and promises. We need commitment. We need investment. We need Government to make good its pledge to the North and to deliver funding so we can deliver value back into UK PLC. “We will be studying today’s Integrated Rail Plan announcement closely and will consult with our TfN Board before giving our considered response.”

With the release of the highly anticipated Integrated Rail Plan for the North and the Midlands, the Government has finally confirmed that HS2 is coming to the East Midlands – however not as originally planned, with scaled back plans angering businesses and seeing claims of broken promises. The HS2 eastern leg to Leeds has been scrapped, with HS2 stopping near Nottingham. This cuts down the original plan to connect London through to the centres of Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has instead revealed a plan he says will provide “faster journeys, increased capacity and more frequent services, up to 10 years sooner than previously planned” with HS2. The Integrated Rail Plan outlines a £96 billion programme which the Government says will transform rail services in the North and the Midlands. The new blueprint delivers 3 high-speed lines: Crewe to Manchester, Birmingham to the East Midlands (with HS2 trains continuing to central Nottingham and central Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield on an upgraded main line), and a new high-speed line from Warrington to Manchester and to the western border of Yorkshire. The complete electrification of the Midland Main Line from London to Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield is also in the plans, as well as the delivery of a new train station for Toton. Today Shapps said: “I am proud to announce our Integrated Rail Plan. A £96 billion programme which will transform rail services in the North and the Midlands, the largest single rail investment ever made by a UK government. An investment that rather being felt decades into the future, but much, much sooner. “This unprecedented commitment to build a world-class railway that delivers for passengers and freight, for towns and cities, for communities and businesses, will benefit 8 out of the top 10 busiest rail corridors across the North and Midlands, providing faster journeys, increased capacity and more frequent services, up to 10 years sooner than previously planned. “When I became Transport Secretary in 2019, the HS2 project was already about 10 years old. I was concerned that costs were rising and that newer projects like Midlands Rail Hub and Northern Powerhouse Rail hadn’t been fully factored into the plans. “Under the original scheme, the HS2 track would not have reached the East Midlands or the North until the early 2040s. Clearly, a rethink was needed to make sure the project would deliver for the regions that it served as soon as possible. “This is how the Integrated Rail Plan was born – a desire to deliver sooner – and so the Prime Minister and I asked Douglas Oakervee to lead the work and make recommendations on the best way forward. One of his key criticisms was that HS2 was designed in isolation from the rest of the transport network. “The original plans gave us high-speed lines to the East Midlands, but it didn’t serve any of the East Midlands’ 3 main cities, for example. If you wanted to get to Nottingham or Derby, you would have had to go to a parkway station and change on to a local tram or train. “Oakervee made a clear and very convincing case for considering HS2 as part of an integrated rail plan should work alongside local, regional and national services, not just those travelling between our biggest cities. We accepted those recommendations and asked the National Infrastructure Commission to develop options. “The Commission reported back with 2 key suggestions. First, that we adopt a flexible approach, initially setting out a core integrated rail network. But that we remain open to future additions as long as expectations on costs and timing were met. “Second, that strengthening regional rail links would be most economically beneficial for the North and the Midlands. Connecting towns with the main rail network, bringing hope and opportunity to communities who for too long have felt left behind. And we should seek to bring those benefits to passengers and local economies as soon as possible. “These, then, were the guiding principles behind the Integrated Rail Plan I’m announcing today. An ambitious and unparalleled programme that not only overhauls the inter-city links across the North and Midlands. But that also speeds up the benefits for local areas and serves the destinations people most want to reach. “This new blueprint delivers 3 high-speed lines. First, Crewe to Manchester. Second, Birmingham to the East Midlands, with HS2 trains continuing to central Nottingham and central Derby, Chesterfield and Sheffield on an upgraded main line. And third, a brand new high-speed line from Warrington to Manchester and to the western border of Yorkshire, slashing journey times across the North of England. “I’ve heard some people say we are just electrifying the Transpennine Route. This is wrong. What we’re actually doing is investing £23 billion to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Transpennine Route Upgrade, unlocking east to west travel across the north of England. “So in total, this package is 110 miles of new high-speed line. All of it in the Midlands and the North. It is 180 miles of newly-electrified line. All of it in the Midlands and North. “We will upgrade the East Coast Main Line, with a package of investment on track improvements and digital signalling, bringing down journey times between London, Leeds, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh, bringing benefits to the North East much much sooner than under previous plans. And adds capacity and speeds up services over more than 400 miles of line, the vast majority of it in the Midlands and North. “We will study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds as well. And we will start work on a new West Yorkshire mass transit system – righting the wrong of this major city – probably the largest in Europe – which doesn’t have a mass transit system. We commit today to supporting West Yorkshire Combined Authority over the long term to ensure that this time, it actually gets done. “In short, Mr Speaker, we are about to embark on the biggest single acts of levelling up of any government in history. It is 5 times than what was spent on Crossrail, 10 times than what was spent on the Olympics. “It will achieve the same, similar or faster journey times to London and on the core Northern Powerhouse Rail network than the original proposals and will bring the benefits years earlier, as well as doubling, or in some cases tripling, capacity. “Let me set out a few of these investments:

• rail journeys between Birmingham and Nottingham cut from an hour and a quarter to 26 minutes. City centre to city centre
• journeys between York and Manchester down to 55 minutes, from 83 minutes today
• commuters will be able to get from Bradford to Leeds in just 12 minutes – almost half the time it takes today
• there will be earlier benefits for places like Sheffield and Chesterfield
• trips from Newcastle to Birmingham will be slashed by almost 30 minutes and passengers in Durham and Darlington will benefit from smoother, more reliable trains

“As the IRP delivers not just for our largest cities, but also for smaller places and towns. Places such as Kettering, Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, Grantham, Newark, Retford, Doncaster, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge could all see improvements, electrification or faster services, benefitting in ways that they would not have done under the previous HS2 programme. “We’re not stopping there. Today’s plan is about those places which connect and interact with HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail. The scale of ambition with many of these projects lies outside the scope of this plan. “Just yesterday I opened the first Beeching reversal. Reversing the Beeching acts. And we are going to be doing the same in Northumberland – the Ashington, Blyth, Newcastle line. We’re investing £2 billion in cycling and walking, £3 billion in turn-up-and-go bus services. And 10s of billions to upgrade our country’s roads. “After so many decades of decline, constrained capacity and poor reliability, finally, this plan will give passengers in the North and Midlands the services they need and deserve. “It’s not just about infrastructure, we’re going to make train travel much easier as well. Today, I can confirm £360 million to reform fares and ticketing with the rollout of contactless, pay-as-you-go ticketing at 700 urban stations, including around 400 in the North. “This is a landmark plan, by far the biggest of any network improvement and focused on the North and Midlands, with more seats, more frequent services, and shorter journeys that meets the needs of both today’s passengers and future generations. “And we’re getting started immediately today with another £625 million for the electrification between Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, bringing the total on the Transpennine Route Upgrade to £2 billion and counting. And £249 million to further electrify the Midland Main Line between Kettering and Market Harborough with work starting on the Integrated Rail Plan by Christmas, Mr Speaker. “Communities of every size will benefit, right across the North and the benefit, in many cases years earlier than planned by taking a fresh look at HS2 and how it fits with the rest of the rail system. We’ll be able to build a much-improved railway that will provide similar or better services to almost every destination than the outdated vision drawn up for HS2 over a decade ago. “This plan will bring the North and Midlands closer together and fire up their economies to rival London and the South East. It will rebalance our economic geography. It will spread opportunity. It will level up our country. And it will bring benefits at least a decade or more earlier.” Responding to the announcement, Richard Blackmore, CBI Midlands Director, said: “High quality infrastructure is fundamental to rising living standards and levelling up the country. The Integrated Rail Plan is a significant investment that will go some way towards modernising our ageing rail networks and can be delivered at pace. “But businesses across the Midlands and Northern England will be justifiably disappointed to see the goalposts have moved at the eleventh hour, and concerned that some of the areas most sorely in need of development will lose out as a result of the scaled back plans.” Commenting on the Integrated Rail Plan, Michelle Craven-Faulkner, partner and rail lead at Shoosmiths, said: “The eastern leg of HS2 was set to create new gateways to parts of the UK that are currently underserved by fast rail links, while also improving connectivity cross country between some of our major cities. “The proposed infrastructure had one of the best economic cases of any part of the new high-speed rail network, supporting 74,000 new jobs and £4bn in gross value added in the East Midlands alone. “Improving the rail system isn’t just about the economic and social benefits, though. Rail travel has key environmental advantages. While the new plans will go some way to upgrading local transport links, scaling back high-speed rail will limit much needed connectivity and hinder the UK’s journey to net zero. “Promoting a culture of rail travel is a noble aim. However, until its benefits are fully realised, and greater consideration is given to increasing capacity, reliability and speed, this will remain a dream, not a reality.” Commenting on Government’s Integrated Rail Plan, Sir John Peace, chair of Midlands Connect said: “Today’s announcement gives businesses and local leaders the reassurance they’ve been waiting for – that HS2 is coming to the East Midlands. “Although these plans are different in some respects to what we’d expected, there are a lot of positives in here and lots of things to be excited about – a new high speed connection between Birmingham and East Midlands Parkway, direct links onto HS2 for Derby, Nottingham, and Chesterfield and a commitment to the Midlands Rail Hub. “Now that we have certainty, we must focus our efforts on delivery. Our challenge to Government is simple, it should move as quickly as possible to get spades in the ground and bring benefits to local people sooner.”