Nottinghamshire County Council has allocated £1 million to explore the feasibility of a fourth road bridge over the River Trent at Colwick. The study is part of a broader transport development initiative to ease congestion and improve regional connectivity.

The funding comes as the council secures an additional £15.2 million from the East Midlands Combined County Authority for road infrastructure. If approved, the project could become one of the largest transport investments in the county in years, potentially benefiting businesses reliant on efficient logistics and commuter ro

Housing provider Amplius, formed from the merger of Longhurst Group and Grand Union Housing Group, is set to invest £41 million to upgrade energy efficiency in nearly 2,000 homes across the Midlands and East of England.

The investment includes £20.3 million in provisional funding from Wave 3 of the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund. The upgrades—covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire—will include insulation, new doors and windows, and low-carbon heating systems to meet at least an EPC rating of C.

This follows Amplius’ previous £16 million investment in Wave 2.1, which improved 750 homes. The latest project will bring the total number of upgraded properties to 2,700.

Amplius is partnering with Morgan Sindall Property Services to deliver the improvements, aligning with broader net-zero goals and efforts to reduce fuel poverty in social housing.

Leicester City Council has introduced new guidance outlining licensing requirements for scaffolding, skips, and hoarding on public highways. The updated policy aims to clarify regulations for contractors and ensure compliance with safety standards.

The changes require scaffolders to apply for a licence well in advance, except in emergencies. Applications must include detailed site plans and traffic management arrangements to demonstrate that safety risks have been properly assessed. Skips also need a licence, even if they are placed on the highway for a short time.

City officials emphasise that while many contractors operate responsibly, some fail to meet legal requirements. The council has made the guidance easily accessible to remove any excuses for non-compliance. Enforcement will be stricter, with breaches leading to action ranging from warnings to prosecution.

The policy update follows consultation with the scaffolding industry, which has welcomed the increased clarity.

James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, reflects on the Spring Statement. In delivering her first Spring Statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves made it clear that this government intends to follow the principle of a single annual Budget, with major tax changes reserved for the Autumn. The Spring Statement, instead, is positioned as a fiscal checkpoint, a chance to update the nation on the economic outlook and to adjust financial levers as needed. For many businesses and individuals, the most immediate takeaway will be relief in that there were no further tax increases. That said, there was also no reversal of previous tax hikes, nor any uplifting announcements such as increases to the personal allowance or adjustments to frozen tax thresholds. Those hoping for fiscal giveaways will have found little to cheer about. As anticipated, the Chancellor’s focus was on tightening public spending. With the UK economic growth forecast for 2025 revised downward from 2% to just 1%, the pressure is on to rebalance the books. Lower than expected tax revenues and rising borrowing costs have left the Treasury with less fiscal headroom, prompting action. The Chancellor cited global geopolitical tensions and instability as major headwinds, but much of the UK’s stagnation has been homegrown with a combination of suppressed consumer confidence and cautious business investment. Households continue to grapple with the cost-of-living crisis, while employers face increased staffing costs, notably from the rise in National Insurance contributions from 6th April. Public sector reform, transformation or austerity 2.0? A key announcement was the creation of a £3.25bn Public Sector Transformation Fund, aimed at shrinking the size of the state and boosting productivity through AI and digital innovation. This includes structural changes such as the dissolution of NHS England, in an effort to cut costs and improve decision-making. There will also be further tightening of welfare budgets, with cuts to Universal Credit and other support mechanisms flagged as part of the savings drive. A defence led growth strategy? Perhaps the most headline grabbing shift is the government’s framing of defence spending as an economic growth strategy. With £400m earmarked for defence innovation, particularly in AI and drone technology and a commitment to increasing defence investment as a percentage of GDP, the Chancellor declared her ambition to make the UK a “defence industrial superpower.” To complement this, capital spending commitments will continue with a £2bn increase, alongside a renewed push to meet housing targets and accelerate homebuilding. Whether this marks a bold new direction for economic strategy or a reactive shift to global instability remains to be seen. What’s clear is that growth is now expected to come from defence procurement and infrastructure investment, rather than tax cuts or consumer led stimulus. As ever, the effectiveness of this strategy will depend not just on the vision, but the execution. Businesses, investors and households alike will be watching closely. For the devil in the detail and tax planning advice for 2025/26, including managing the increase in employer’s national insurance, there is still time to book for Streets Chartered Accountants’ post Spring Statement webinar which takes place from 11am until 12noon on Thursday 27^th March. Watch live or on catch up! Register to join live and/or to receive a post broadcast recording to watch on catch up. https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/about/events/the-spring-statement-2025-what-will-it-mean-for-you/

Kettering General Hospital (KGH) has received £713,000 in funding to install over 1,000 rooftop solar panels, which is expected to reduce energy costs by approximately £150,000 annually.

The investment is part of the initial phase of nationwide funding from Great British Energy, the Labour government’s new state-owned energy company. It is separate from KGH’s planned £57 million energy centre project and the hospital’s scheduled rebuild between 2032 and 2034.

The hospital estimates savings of around £3 million from the solar panels. Nationally, the programme is projected to save the NHS £8.6 million per year and up to £260 million over the panels’ lifespan.