Swindon & Wiltshire Economy 21.05.2026 Nationwide announces £100 Fairer Share payment for members Around 4.4 million members of Swindon-headquartered building society Nationwide will see £100 pop into their accounts next month, the mutual has announced. The payout includes 460,000 customers in the South West – 30,000 of whom are in the building […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy 19.05.2026 Businesses press pause on investment plans to absorb latest global shock More than two-fifths of the region’s businesses say a combination of supply chain pressures and higher energy and fuel costs are among their biggest challenges as they grapple with the impact of conflict in the Middle East, according to […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy 18.05.2026 Business activity rose slightly in April Business activity across the South West private sector rose fractionally in April, after falling modestly in March, according to the latest NatWest Growth Tracker. The headline South West Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index which measures changes […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy 18.05.2026 Business and political leaders showcase regions at investment event Business and political leaders from across the West will showcasing the region at a major UK summit this week. The West of England Mayor and Swindon Borough Council will both be pitching the area to investors at the UK’s […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Thursday May 21 2026 Nationwide announces £100 Fairer Share payment for members Around 4.4 million members of Swindon-headquartered building society Nationwide will see £100 pop into their accounts next month, the mutual has announced. The payout includes 460,000 customers in the South West – 30,000 of whom are in the building […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Tuesday May 19 2026 Businesses press pause on investment plans to absorb latest global shock More than two-fifths of the region’s businesses say a combination of supply chain pressures and higher energy and fuel costs are among their biggest challenges as they grapple with the impact of conflict in the Middle East, according to […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Monday May 18 2026 Business activity rose slightly in April Business activity across the South West private sector rose fractionally in April, after falling modestly in March, according to the latest NatWest Growth Tracker. The headline South West Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index which measures changes […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Monday May 18 2026 Business and political leaders showcase regions at investment event Business and political leaders from across the West will showcasing the region at a major UK summit this week. The West of England Mayor and Swindon Borough Council will both be pitching the area to investors at the UK’s […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Wednesday May 13 2026 Permanent recruitment fell sharply in April – report Permanent recruitment across the South of England fell sharply in April as rising uncertainty and softer business confidence continued to weigh on hiring decisions, according to the latest KPMG and REC Report on Jobs. At the same time, employers […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Monday May 11 2026 GWR to be renationalised, government confirms Great Western Railway is set to return to public ownership in December 2026, in one of the biggest milestones yet in the government’s rail renationalisation programme. The move will make GWR the 11th operator brought back under state control […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Thursday April 30 2026 South West business confidence falls in April Business confidence in the South West fell 24 points during April to 24 per cent, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds. Companies in the South West reported lower confidence in their own trading outlook month-on-month, down 21 […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Monday April 27 2026 British businesses ‘need a bazooka’ to take on Trump, China and the effects of Brexit The UK government needs to deploy a “trade bazooka” to defend British businesses against mounting global economic pressures, according to a new report from the British Chambers of Commerce. The business group says UK firms have been left permanently […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Thursday April 23 2026 Thanks Donald – WH Smith cuts outlook amid weaker passenger spending WH Smith has suspended its dividend and warned of weaker profits, as geopolitical disruption and slowing passenger spending weigh on the travel retail sector. The Swindon-headquartered FTSE 250 group said on Thursday it would halt shareholder payouts in a […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Wednesday April 22 2026 Two-in-five Thames Valley firms plan price rises in next quarter Two-in-five businesses in the Thames Valley intend to increase their prices in the next three months, as they battle rising costs of their own. The results of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce quarterly economic survey suggests 41 per […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Tuesday April 21 2026 Reforms to improve vet fee transparency welcomed Reforms to improve vet fee transparency have been welcomed by the founder of premium pet-sitting service Birddog Catwalk. The changes follow a major investigation which found that pet owners often lack clear information on pricing and services from their […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Friday April 17 2026 Iran war takes toll as output falls amid decline in new orders Companies across the South West have signalled renewed falls in both business activity and new orders in March, according to the latest NatWest Growth Tracker. At 48.7 in March, the headline South West Business Activity Index – a seasonally […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Wednesday April 15 2026 Permanent staff appointments fell at quickest rate for six months in March A steeper fall in permanent job placements across the South in March highlighted continued caution among employers as uncertainty over the economic outlook weighed on hiring, according to the latest KPMG and Recruitment & Employment Confederation UK Report on […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Tuesday April 14 2026 Civil engineering firm MJ Church lands multi-million pound M4 contract Wiltshire-based engineering firm MJ Church has been awarded a multi-million pound contract to improve Junction 17 of the M4 by Wiltshire Council. If approved by the Department for Transport, the £31 million scheme will see the slip roads at […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Economy Monday April 13 2026 Number of households to grow by fifth in West by 2040 The number of households in the South West is set to grow by 20 per cent, adding more than 498,800 households to the region by 2040, according to the latest research by socio-economic experts at planning, design and development […]
