South West

Chamber welcomes £360m investment for London to Cornwall train fleet

Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the Government’s announcement, made today, giving the go ahead to a £360million investment in state of the art trains between London and Cornwall.

The deal comes following a letter written by Plymouth & Devon Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Peter Hartland, to Devon MP’s earlier this summer, urging them to reach a positive...

Private sector growth at 12-month high

Private sector activity in the South West rose at the fastest pace for a year in June, according to the latest PMI® survey data.

That followed a slowdown in growth over the previous two months, and the latest expansion placed the South West among the fastest growing UK regions. That said, growth in total activity was partly accounted for by falling backlogs, as new business growth...

Housing shortage fuels higher prices in SW

House price growth increased again in the South West in June, pointing to renewed acceleration in house price inflation during the second half of the year, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey.

In the region, 50% more surveyors expect house prices to rise over the next three months, which is the highest proportion since April 2014. As new instructions continue to...

Business confidence increases in SW

Overall business confidence has risen in the South West in the last six months, underpinned by companies’ expectations of an improvement in exports as well as an anticipated increase in investment levels, according to the latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank.

The twice-yearly report, now in its 23rd year, gathers the views of 1,500 UK companies, predominantly small to...

Search on to find top dog friendly business

The search is on to find the most dog-friendly places in the South West as the Kennel Club launches its Be Dog Friendly Awards 2015.

The competition, now in its ninth year, is part of the Be Dog Friendly campaign which aims to break down barriers for man’s best friend by encouraging more businesses and public spaces to welcome dogs through their doors.

With over 9 million dogs...

Concerns about child neglect in SW

Nearly one third (30 per cent) of adults in the South West are very or quite worried about the welfare or safety of a child in their neighbourhood, according to a survey published by Action for Children yesterday.

While 67 per cent said members of the public should become involved when they have concerns about a neglected child, over half (53 per cent) said they needed more information...

Shoppers Go Alfresco

The UK’s most enticing food and drink RoadShow is visiting Devon as part of the 2015 Gastro Alfresco campaign!

The Gastro Alfresco summer RoadShow, along with nine of the country’s most beloved brands, is visiting: Ivybridge, Lee Mill Tesco Extra on Thursday 25 June on their crusade to bring the UK off their sofa and into the sun. With the longer and warmer days, Gastro Alfresco...

Landlords struggle to keep up with new laws

Two in five (41%) landlords in the South West* admit that they struggle to keep up with changes in law relating to letting property a week before a new deadline that could leave them with heavy fines for missing.

There are already over 50 Acts of Parliament and more than 70 sets of regulations that govern the private-rented sector (PRS).

The new deadline – 23rd June – imposed...

Are you the region's fittest person over 65?

If you are over 65 and still like to keep active, know that age is just a number and you take pride in putting younger people to shame with your fitness routines, then don your training shoes and enter the national search to find the UK’s most active person aged 65 and over, starting with a regional winner from the South West.

Launched by well-known celebrity fitness guru Mr Motivator...

Help save your coast

There’s nothing quite like a great British picnic by the sea. We all have fond childhood memories of days out at the seaside; that heady combination of sun, sand and sea along with a dollop of ice-cream sandy sandwiches and hours of endless fun.

What better way to celebrate 50 years of public support for protecting our precious coastline, than by attending one of the Big Beach Picnic’s...

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