South West

Rural crime cost SW £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 on 1 August, 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...

Brexit uncertainty dampens activity in SW housing market

Uncertainty fuelled by the EU Referendum has resulted in a marked drop in activity in the South West housing market, according to the RICS UK Residential Market Survey, June 2016.

New buyer enquiries declined significantly across the UK in June, with 36% more chartered surveyors nationally reporting a fall in interest - this is the lowest reading since mid-2008. The South West fared...

Cruel summer: One pet dumped every hour, RSPCA reveals

Every year the RSPCA is called out to rescue hundreds of animals across England and Wales after their owners abandon them and in many cases leave them for dead.

In 2015 2,751 animals were rescued by the animal welfare charity with a peak in admissions in July, 534 of those were in Devon.

Now the RSPCA is bracing itself for another summertime influx of dumped animals this year...

SW business owners use search engines for advice

The Association of Accounting Technicians (ATT) has found that 14% of small business owners in the south west use internet search engines as their main source of business advice.

ATT's research was to find out what owners think when it comes to running their business.

The survey asked business owners where they go to for information and support to help them run their...

Outdoor festival launches with most iconic trail

A new outdoor festival with one of Britain’s toughest trails is promised to be one of the highlights of the South west festival.

The running event is to take place in the heart of Heddon Valley in North Devon this September 23-25.

There will be a mixture of trail running challenges, with three distances to choose from which are a full off road marathon length race, a half...

Better journeys on the way for SW rail passengers

Plans to give rail passengers along the South Western network more trains, more space and faster journeys were announced yesterday (4 July) by Rail Minister Claire Perry.

The Department for Transport has published documents setting out how bidders for the new South Western franchise will be required to provide plans for:

  • At least 95 additional services on weekdays from
  • ...

People with high blood pressure wanted for clinical trial

PEOPLE in the South West suffering from high blood pressure are being given the chance to take part in a major clinical research trial which could herald a ‘new era’ in the treatment of the life-threatening condition.

The ‘WAVE IV’ trial at the Royal Devon and Exeter Foundation Trust is testing a new one-hour, one-off non-invasive treatment which aims to reduce blood pressure...

Research reveals SW's love of local charities and community spirit

New research released to celebrate Small Charity Week (13-18 June) reveals that the South West is a community-minded region, embracing small local charities and community groups and the charitable services they provide. Findings show that almost half of residents in the South West have received the support of local charities in their community, with 78% of those having benefitted directly from...

EU Single Market critical to regional economy

The UK’s membership of the European Union has helped boost job creation and growth in the South West for more than forty years, with as many as 250,000 jobs in the region currently linked to exports to the Single Market, the CBI argues.

According to figures from HM Treasury, there is the potential to create 74,340 future jobs for the South West if the UK remains in the EU, and...

Bid writing company launches in Plymouth

A new start-up based in Plymouth is aiming to make a real difference to schools and charities throughout the South West.

Trust Bids, founded by Clive Martyn, is a specialist bid writing company based at the new Thrive Business Hub in the heart of Plymouth City Centre.

Trust Bids was established to help schools, academies and charitable trusts find and win the grants, funds and...

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