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 Property Tuesday May 19 2026 Council appoints agent to market town centre regeneration site Commercial real estate advisory firm Avison Young has been appointed to help market Kimmerfields, the flagship regeneration site in the heart of Swindon, as the council steps up efforts to bring forward one of its biggest town-centre development opportunities. […]
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 Retail Tuesday May 19 2026 Swindon’s only independent comic shop celebrates 15 years Swindon’s only independent comic book store is about to mark a milestone – its 15th anniversary. The Incredible Comic Shop started life in June 2011 in the town’s covered market, before relocating ten years ago to Swindon’s Brunel Centre. […]
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 Manufacturing Wednesday May 13 2026 Profits up at Avon Technologies as global conflicts trigger demand Defence contractor Avon Technologies is riding a surge in demand as governments and security forces respond to a more dangerous world, with profits jumping sharply in its latest results and management saying the business is benefiting from “war-fighting readiness” […]
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 Culture Tuesday May 12 2026 Swindonians invited to Dream in Public as City of Culture bid progresses Residents of Swindon are being invited to Dream in Public as the town’s City of Culture campaign progresses. Swindon Culture Collective, who are leading the bid in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, will spend the next month asking residents […]
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 Property Thursday May 7 2026 NFU Mutual acquires Swindon logistics site for £2.7 million Insurance firm NFU Mutual has acquired a development site in Swindon from Marq Logistics for £2.7 million, with Graftongate appointed as development partner. The consented scheme will deliver an 80,000 sq ft speculative logistics unit on a 5.3-acre site, […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Property Thursday May 7 2026 Office-to-home plans approved in shadow of iconic tower Plans to convert offices into apartments on a Wiltshire business park have been approved. Moonraker (Melksham) Ltd has been granted planning permission to turn the upper floors of office blocks at Avonside Business Park, Melksham into flats. The enterprise […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills Wednesday May 6 2026 New government-funded tech advice for Wiltshire firms launched Wiltshire sole traders and SMEs are being invited to apply for a newly-launched free support programme seeking to make them more successful through better use of digital tools and technology. Business West and TechSPARK are delivering Tech Adoption for […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Tech Tuesday May 5 2026 Firms urged to strengthen cyber defences as criminals turn to AI Almost half of businesses suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months as criminals turn to AI to increase the speed and scale at which they can operate. The government’s 2025/26 Cyber Security Breaches Survey shows […]
Swindon & Wiltshire Property Tuesday May 5 2026 Plans to turn former Nationwide site into homes revealed Plans have been revealed to redevelop offices formerly owned by the Swindon-headquartered building society Nationwide into homes. Warwickshire-based Redford Developments has acquired Wakefield House, the 200,000sq ft former Nationwide offices on Pipers Way in Swindon and its grounds. It […]