South West

Men in SW paid on average £7,957 more than women

Research released today by the Chartered Management Institute and XpertHR reveals that men are more likely than women to have been promoted into senior and higher paying management roles in the past year, with no progress made on reducing the 23% gender pay gap.

Male managers are 40% more likely than female managers to be promoted into higher roles, new data released today [23 August] by the Chartered Management Institute and XpertHR reveals.

Analysis of salary data of more than 60,000 UK employees found that in the past year, 14% of men in management roles were promoted...

Check before you travel by rail this weekend

Passengers travelling through South Wales and the South West over the August bank holiday are being advised to check before they travel as Network Rail carries out essential work to install part of a new signalling system for the Bristol area.

The new system is an important part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan to provide a bigger, better, more reliable railway for passengers. It replaces equipment installed in the 1960s and 70s with the latest technology, paving the way for smoother journeys and fewer delays for passengers.

This essential re-signalling work will also...

Olympic medallist confirmed for Tour of Britain

Rio silver medallist Mark Cavendish will race this year’s Tour of Britain, in what will be his first race after the Olympics.

Tour of Britain organisers have announced the first top riders for this year’s Tour of Britain, with Britain’s record Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish leading the way, alongside fellow top sprinter André Greipel and former UCI World Hour Record holder Rohan Dennis. Cavendish, who has 30 stage victories in the Tour de France, won his first Olympic medal on Tuesday evening, taking Silver in the Omnium track event, and will be targeting the World Road...

Demand for land falls sharply in SW

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 08/18/2016 - 8:14am

A significant drop in demand for rural land was reported in H1 2016, and with continuing modest supply increases, expectations have been pushed further into negative territory. Across the country, 49% of contributors now expect prices to fall across all farm types over the coming year. Anecdotal evidence from respondents suggests that several factors are combining to dampen sentiment in the market which include increased uncertainty due to the EU Referendum, increased localised pricing with less fashionable areas facing difficulties, and low commodity prices.

Commercial farmland...

Historic shipwrecks given protection

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 08/15/2016 - 9:25am

Three historic shipwrecks in the South West have been given protection by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England. Shipwrecks have been a source of inspiration to English writers, artists and scholars for centuries – from Shakespeare to Enid Blyton, whose Famous Five spent a whole summer exploring a fictional Cornish wreck. This summer, these wrecks have been given special protection, and they include two that are often publicly accessible from the Devon sands. Shifting sands and weather patterns can allow the public to see sights that are usually the...

Brexit having 'negligible effect' on housing market

House price growth remained resilient in July although key indicators covering, agreed sales and new instructions all remained negative in the South West, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey.

The UK house price growth indicator posted the softest survey reading in three years in July. Just 5% more respondents nationally saw a rise rather than fall in prices, a downward trend that is evident across the UK. Prices in the South West remain strong against any suggested uncertainty with 26% more contributors reporting a rise in prices as opposed to a fall. Near...

21 pubs on the 21 bus route guide

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 08/05/2016 - 10:01am

Stagecoach South West has joined forces with the North Devon Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to produce a new guide to visiting some of the region’s best pubs by bus.

’21 pubs on the 21 bus route’ includes pubs perfect for families, pubs with history, pubs with live music or sports and ones that serve great food. Of course, it goes without saying, that all pubs featured also carry a great selection of real ales.

The pubs are all located on, or close to, Stagecoach’s flagship 21/21A North Devon Wave bus service, connecting Ilfracombe, Braunton, Barnstaple, Bideford and...

Pension deadline looms for SW small businesses

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 08/01/2016 - 10:45am

Over 174,675 businesses based in the South West1 must automatically enrol eligible employees into a workplace pension scheme before 1 April 2017, including businesses employing only one or two people.

Automatic enrolment can be complex and small businesses can be stretched - often with little experience of running a pension scheme, so the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has created Pension Solution to help small businesses through the automatic enrolment process.

Commenting, Laura Webb, Head of Membership Relations, Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association...

Rural crime cost the South West £6.1m in 2015

Rural crime cost the South West £6.1m in 2015, up from £5.9m in 2014 – despite remaining broadly static at a national level. The figures form part of NFU Mutual’s annual Rural Crime Report, published today, revealing that the cost of rural crime to the UK economy has now reached £42.5 million a year.

According to the leading rural insurer, the items most commonly targeted by thieves across the South West over the last 12 months were tools from farms and businesses, quad bikes (ATVs) and garden equipment. The South West also saw the second largest increase in the cost of livestock...

Growth in SW construction slows

The pace of increase in construction sector workloads continue to slow, according to the latest RICS UK Construction Market Survey, extending a trend that goes back to the middle of last year.

Across all sectors in the South West region a subdued picture is painted; 12% more respondents reported a rise in activity over the previous three months compared with 32% in the first quarter, with the most distinct slowdowns being seen in the private housing and private commercial subdivisions. Most notably 24% of contributors still reported an increase in private housing activity –...

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