Month: September 2025
South East business confidence rises in September
Business confidence in the South East rose six points during September to 49%, bucking the national trend and rising above the UK average, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds.
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Kent Housing Group Excellence Awards 2025 winners announced
Teams and individuals working in the housing sector across the county have enjoyed success in the Kent Housing Group (KHG) Excellence Awards, which took place on 25 September.
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Two in five small businesses fear closure amid rising energy costs
New research from Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, and Thinks Insight & Strategy has revealed that small businesses are being pushed to breaking point by rising energy costs.
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Carpenter Box announces record 27 new trainee appointments
Sussex and Hampshire accountancy firm Carpenter Box has welcomed a record 27 new trainee accountants, tax and business advisers over the past 12 months, with 12 joining in September.
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Diamonds Factory opens its doors in Brighton
SHW, on behalf of a private client, has secured a new five-year lease with Neve Jewels Limited trading as Diamonds Factory at 26b North Street in Brighton.
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Ramsgate East Cliff shelter renovation draws strong public response
Ramsgate not-for-profit Heritage Lab Ramsgate is looking for Expressions of Interest from individuals, community organisations and private operators to take on three of the shelters it is renovating at Ramsgate’s East Cliff.
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Six SME manufacturers unlock digital growth with Made Smarter
Six manufacturers across Surrey, Kent and Sussex are amongst the first to join Made Smarter, the government-backed initiative helping SMEs adopt new digital technologies to drive growth.
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South East lags behind in AI adoption, reveals new survey
Kent-based performance marketing agency Reflect Digital has revealed that the South East has the lowest adoption of AI search tools, with two-thirds (66%) of residents rarely or never using them.
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Midnight teams up with inclusion consultancy Edge of Difference
Brighton B Corp PR agency Midnight has joined forces with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) consultancy Edge of Difference to launch a new partnership built on “shared values and a passion for helping businesses do better”.
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Chess Dynamics welcomes new managing director
Horsham-based fire control, surveillance and positioning systems specialist Chess Dynamics, part of the Cohort plc Group, has appointed Andy Smith as its new managing director.
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Lord-Lieutenant tours Newhaven to see town’s growth and ambition
The Lord-Lieutenant of East Sussex Andrew Blackman visited Newhaven for a special tour in September to learn more about the town’s role as a centre for growth in the county.
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Locate in Kent begins process of voluntary liquidation
Locate in Kent, the agency that has spearheaded inward investment and job creation across the county for more than 25 years, has announced it will enter voluntary liquidation amid rising costs and dwindling national funding.
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Waste-to-hydrogen facility gathers momentum in Kent
Hydrogen TE UK Ltd (HTE) has revealed ambitious new plans for a dedicated education and training hub alongside its proposed waste-to-hydrogen facility in Manston, Kent.
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Get Ahead welcomes new regional director for East Surrey
Outsourcing agency Get Ahead has appointed a new regional director to its growing team, with Natasha Doran now leading the East Surrey region.
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Latest developments in Renters’ Rights Bill: What landlords need to know
Andrew Gunner, regional lettings director at Brand Vaughan, recaps what Brighton and Hove-based landlords need to know after the government rejected most House of Lords amendments to the landmark housing legislation overhaul.
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Team Tactics gears up for growth with client services appointment
Corporate events specialist Team Tactics has appointed Louise Bourne as client development executive to support its growing roster of high-profile clients.
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Kent housebuilder constructs outdoor classrooms for The Hive Thanet
Kent housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes recently dedicated two weeks of volunteering to its ‘Charity of the Year’ The Hive Thanet, which included constructing two outdoor log cabin classrooms.
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Fears new EU entry and exit rules could harm UK haulage industry
Tougher restrictions on entering and exiting Europe will be damaging to the UK haulage industry and stifle UK growth, fears Kent-based freight forwarder Zelir Logistics.
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kff appoints new managing director
Aylesford-based foodservice wholesaler kff has announced that Neil Williams will become its new managing director.
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Crossroads Care Kent wins at Kent Charity Awards
Crossroads Care Kent was announced the winner of the ‘Mental Health Charity of the Year’ category at the Kent Charity Awards, which took place on 11 September at the Corn Exchange in Rochester.
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Countdown to the Kent Construction EXPO 2025 begins
South East Business is excited to return to the Kent Construction Expo, taking place on Thursday 2 October at the Kent Event Centre in Detling, as an official media partner.
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Hospitality and leisure sector at risk of increased tribunal claims
The South East’s hospitality and leisure sector is facing a growing number of employment tribunal claims, according to the employment law team at Birketts’ Sevenoaks office. New research from Birketts has revealed that employers are anticipating increased claims due to the Employment Rights Bill, which introduces ‘day one’ rights to claim unfair dismissal. AI tools […]
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Crowe advises Westbrooke on its strategic investment in RED Driving School
National audit, tax, advisory and consulting firm Crowe is proud to have advised Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management, a UK-focused private equity firm committed to long-term value creation, on its investment in RED Driving School, the country’s leading and fast-growing driver training provider.
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International accreditation gives seal of approval to Kent manufacturer
Rochester-based AliDeck is celebrating being the first business in Britain to achieve accreditation for the in-house powder-coating of aluminium balcony components.
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Pilbeam wins Sussex Heritage Trust award for Newhaven Fort restoration
Sussex contractor Pilbeam Construction has been honoured with a Sussex Heritage Trust Award for its work on the £7.5 million restoration of Newhaven Fort, funded by the UK government.
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Historic Kent charity makes top appointments
A local chartered surveyor and a chartered engineer have been elected to key roles at the Rochester Bridge Trust in a tradition that stretches back more than six centuries.
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Human First Collective acquires Freestyle Agency
Kent-based Human First Collective, the independent group of specialist agencies, has acquired UK digital transformation agency Freestyle.
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Eight cardio startups kick off business growth programme at Discovery Park
Discovery Park has welcomed eight promising cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health startups to its Sandwich, Kent campus.
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Brachers welcomes Nicky Webster as senior associate
Kent law firm Brachers has appointed Nicky Webster as a senior associate solicitor in its Commercial Litigation team, based in the Maidstone office.
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Rochester grower stars in new M&S advert
Kent fruit grower John Myatt and his daughters Alex and Hannah of J Myatt and Co are set to star in Marks & Spencer’s latest ‘Farm to Foodhall’ campaign advert, on screens now.
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Chartway to deliver 67 affordable homes in Sunbury-on-Thames
Chartway Partnerships Group has announced the purchase of a 4.23-acre site at Hazelwood Drive, Sunbury-on-Thames, in partnership with Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH).
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Furley Page celebrates 300th anniversary at ‘Furley Fest’
Hundreds of people made their way to Macknade in Faversham to help Kent-based law firm Furley Page celebrate its 300th anniversary at ‘Furley Fest’.
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Historic Kent manor house and holiday park hits the market
Specialist business property adviser Christie & Co has been instructed to market Muswell Manor Holiday Park and Manor House on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.
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Salary sacrifice schemes are boosting electric vehicle uptake
Brighton-based vehicle leasing and management firm Rivervale is reporting an uptake in battery electric vehicle (BEV) leasing, driven in part by salary sacrifice schemes that offer tax benefits to businesses and employees.
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Former quarry site in Maidstone offers residential development opportunity
A former quarry site on the edge of Maidstone, Kent, with opportunity for residential development, has come to the market through Savills.
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Surrey aviation business secures UKEF backing
Surrey-based aircraft trading and refurbishment specialist 3TOP Aviation has secured multimillion-pound investment to meet growing international demand with support from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency.
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Assetz Capital completes planning assistance loan in Worthing
SME property finance lender Assetz Capital has successfully completed a planning assistance loan to support a long-standing borrower in the purchase of a former seafront guest house in Worthing, West Sussex.
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Lemon and Lime launches Kent franchising opportunity
National home staging firm Lemon and Lime Interiors has announced the launch of its franchise network, allowing franchisees to operate their own home staging business under the Lemon and Lime umbrella in Kent.
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Thomson Snell & Passmore welcomes banking and finance partner
Thomson Snell & Passmore’s Corporate & Commercial team has appointed banking and finance specialist lawyer Anthony Morton as a partner.
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South East mid-market outperforms expectations but challenges persist
South East mid-sized businesses are reporting stronger-than-expected performance in 2025, fuelled by expansion into new markets and resilient customer demand, according to the latest Economic Engine research from accounting and business advisory firm BDO.
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Select Technology partners with Produced in Kent
Managed service provider Select Technology has introduced a new industry partnership with Produced in Kent, champions of the county’s vibrant food and drink sector, to help businesses get ready for an AI future.
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