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?
Nottingham-based Avant Homes East Midlands appoints head of sales to support regional expansion plans
Nottingham-based Avant Homes East Midlands has strengthened its senior management team by appointing a head of sales to support the housebuilder’s continued expansion across the East Midlands.
David Warren has been promoted from regional sales manager having joined Avant Homes just over two years ago from Taylor Wimpey. Prior to starting his career in housebuilding, David worked in the aviation industry.
In his new role, David is leading Avant Homes East Midlands’ sales team across its ten live developments ranging from Cotchett Village in Mickleover to Deacon Meadows in Uppingham.
Commenting on his appointment, David said: “One of my reasons for joining Avant Homes was the clear opportunity there is for people to benefit from ongoing personal development and career progression.
“Being promoted to head of sales within two years is testimony to that, and I have the privilege of leading a great cohort of talented sales professionals and working with the wider East Midlands team.
“We are all focused on delivering quality homes, for everyone, and the sales team take particular pleasure from helping customers before, during and after the purchase of their new home.
“As we continue to expand, we are passionate about helping even more people make their home owning dreams a reality.”
Headquartered in Barlborough, near Chesterfield, the Avant Homes Group operates across the Midlands, the north of England, Scotland and South Wales.
In addition to Nottingham, the housebuilder has regional operating companies located in Sunderland, Wetherby, Wakefield, Eccles, Coalville, Pontypridd and Edinburgh.
Avant Homes East Midlands managing director, Ben Felton, added: “David has made a big impact since joining Avant Homes, so this is a deserved promotion.
“It’s great to have him on the leadership team and he is playing a crucial role in the ongoing delivery of our regional expansion strategy through his highly effective approach to new build sales.”
RMS Locotec strengthens presence in Chesterfield rail sector
RMS Locotec, a key player in industrial rail services, has centralised its operations in Chesterfield, a hub for rail-related businesses in Europe. The move merges teams and assets from various sites into an established transport and engineering facility, located near the grave of George Stephenson, a key figure in industrial rail development.
The company offers a range of services, including locomotive leasing, rolling stock maintenance, and engineering support for infrastructure across depots, ports, terminals, and quarries in the UK. RMS Locotec currently leases 16 shunting locomotives to a mix of passenger and freight operators, as well as clients in the logistics, shipping, and aggregate industries. Additionally, the company has six locomotives available for short-term or long-term hire.
With the relocation, RMS Locotec has appointed Lauren Parker as General Manager to oversee business growth and expansion into new markets. Parker, who joined the company in 2010, will focus on enhancing customer relationships and furthering the company’s reach in the industrial railway sector.
Victorian Society challenges £132m redevelopment of Derbyshire County Hall
Plans to redevelop Derbyshire County Council’s historic Matlock headquarters into a hotel, new offices, and 50 homes have met strong opposition from the Victorian Society, a heritage preservation charity.
The £132 million project would see the Grade II-listed Smedley’s Hydro building converted into a hotel, a five-storey council office built nearby, and housing added to former car park land. The Victorian Society has lodged formal objections, warning the scheme would damage the site’s historic character and undermine the architectural significance of Matlock’s Victorian and Edwardian heritage.
Key concerns include the demolition of original structures, disruption to the historic gardens, and the scale and design of the proposed new office building, which critics say is out of step with the existing site. The Society also objects to the removal of heritage features, such as Doxey’s Girder Bridge.
Derbyshire County Council argues the redevelopment is necessary due to rising maintenance costs, low office occupancy, and the need for investment in the local economy. The council estimates the regeneration will create 130 hotel jobs, deliver a new eco-efficient office space for 500 staff, and inject £150 million into Matlock’s economy.
Parking capacity on the site would be cut by around two-thirds, with 389 spaces lost. A master developer is expected to be appointed by early 2026, with project completion targeted for 2030 Planning decisions are pending with Derbyshire Dales District Council.
Older homeowners control £2.89 trillion in UK housing wealth, says Savills
Homeowners aged over 60 now hold 56% of the UK’s owner-occupier housing wealth, with a total net value estimated at £2.89 trillion, according to new figures from Savills. Despite this substantial equity, the group still has £60 billion in outstanding mortgage debt, representing around 2% of the value of their homes.
Savills’ analysis shows that over-75s alone account for nearly a quarter of the UK’s property wealth, while those under 35 hold just 6%. Older homeowners are more heavily concentrated in regions such as the South West and Wales, with lower representation in London.
The figures highlight the deepening generational divide in property wealth. Older generations, having benefited from decades of equity growth and reduced borrowing, now dominate the housing market, while younger buyers have faced greater barriers to building property wealth.
Savills argues that encouraging downsizing among older homeowners could help ease pressure on the housing market by freeing up family-sized homes and releasing equity to support younger buyers.
Regional estimates from the research show that the South East leads with £603 billion in housing wealth among those over 60, followed by London at £400 billion, the East of England at £354 billion, and the South West at £326 billion. Other regions include the North West with £234 billion, the West Midlands with £212 billion, Scotland with £186 billion, the East Midlands with £178 billion, Yorkshire and the Humber with £169 billion, Wales with £106 billion, the North East with £64 billion, and Northern Ireland with £54 billion.
Savills based its calculations on a combination of HM Revenue & Customs data, the Census, and the English Housing Survey. The findings have important implications for businesses involved in property development, retirement living, and financial services that target later-life planning.
Furnace Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire sold
The former Belfield Furnishing site, located on Furnace Road, Ilkeston boasts new owners following the recent completion of a sale facilitated by Salloway Property Consultants.
However, this was not a conventional sale, as the transaction was conditional upon the demolition of the existing bespoke 98,000sq.ft. two storey factory premises which was positioned to the centre of the site.
Constructed in the 1950s/60s, this specialist building was once used by Cadbury’s Biscuits and was certainly built to last, consisting of fortified concrete pillars and floors which meant that despite a sale being agreed in October 2024 completion has only just taken place.
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.
