News
South East sees solid influx of new business in December
Data from the NatWest South East Growth Tracker showed the region ending the year on a stronger footing, having enjoyed greater inflows of new work and accelerated growth in output.
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Pre-pack sale of Boutique Modern secures novation of customer contracts
The assets of Newhaven-based modular homes specialist Boutique Modern have been acquired out of administration in a deal that enables the completion of ongoing development sites.
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Tunbridge Wells charity event supports dogs in need
Dog lovers from across Kent are being invited to a charity event on Friday 23 January with broadcaster Eamonn Holmes, who is bringing his acclaimed live show ‘This Is My Life’ to Royal Tunbridge Wells in support of K-9 Angels.
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Kent PR consultancy expands European reach
As Suzanne Howe Communications (SHC) begins its 30th year in business, the Kent-based PR consultancy is celebrating the expansion of its European PR coverage network.
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Freedom Works Group secures investment to expand
South East flexible office provider Freedom Works Group has secured substantial investment from property firm Sixpenny Group Ltd to fuel an ambitious growth strategy that will increase its operational footprint by approximately 50% over the next 18 months.
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Hospitality set for 2,076 closures without sector-wide business rates solution
New modelling from UKHospitality, the trade body for hospitality in the UK, reveals that six hospitality venues could close every day in 2026.
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Tiger launches new Sussex garden building show site in Littlehampton
Woodlands Home & Garden Group has launched a franchise partner show site in Littlehampton, West Sussex for its specialist garden building retailer Tiger.
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Kent contractor Trail Group strengthens leadership team
Swanley-based fire safety, construction and maintenance specialist Trail Group has appointed David Humphrey as operations director – a senior position that carries operational responsibility for the group’s Construction and Passive Fire Safety divisions.
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New era begins for Brighton Hotel
Brighton hotel The Oriental Hotel, which closed during the Covid pandemic, is set to reopen under new ownership following its successful marketing by Flude Property Consultants.
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Plans submitted to ‘shape Headcorn’s future’
Plans to create a bold new vision for Headcorn have been submitted to Maidstone Borough Council, which will see the delivery of new sports and community facilities alongside much needed, high quality new homes.
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Bar Vita opens at Deal hotel Updown
Set within the grounds of Updown, Ruth Leigh and Oli Brown’s award-winning hotel and restaurant in Betteshanger, Deal, Kent, a new cocktail bar, Bar Vita, has officially opened.
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Brighton business leader named one of the UK’s top 100 female entrepreneurs for 2026
Brighton-based business leader and inclusion specialist Mo Kanjilal Williams has been recognised as one of the f:Entrepreneur #ialso100 Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs for 2026, a national campaign celebrating inspirational women who are making a powerful impact across the UK economy.
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Azets appoints new Ashford office managing partner
Katie Hodson has been named the new Ashford office managing partner for accountancy and business advisory firm Azets 20 years after starting her career there. Katie began her working life at Azets in Ashford as an audit and accounts trainee in 2005 and completed her ACCA qualification in 2009, before becoming director of client services […]
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Crawley Innovation Centre opens to support entrepreneurs
A new innovation centre that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses has opened in Manor Royal Business District in Crawley, West Sussex.
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Brachers acquires Gill Turner Tucker
Brachers has announced its acquisition of Gill Turner Tucker, a respected Kent law firm with offices in Maidstone and Dover.
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South East firms to invest in staff training in 2026
South East businesses will be focusing on investments in staff training in 2026 (36%), according to new research from Lloyds’ Business Barometer.
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27-Year-old tech entrepreneur named on the King’s New Year Honours list
27-year-old Ben Towers from Gillingham, Kent has been awarded an MBE for services to the startup business community, excellence in innovation and enterprise. Ben, who has always been motivated by creating things that help people, started his first business at the age of 11. By 17, he was named by The Times as one of […]
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Proposed housing transfer set to strengthen services for residents in Brighton & Hove
Plans that would see two long-established local housing providers in Brighton & Hove join Stonewater are moving forward.
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South East business confidence rises in December
Business confidence in the South East rose three points during December to 34%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds.
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Bellway Thames Gateway staff raise and donate more than £60k for charities
Staff at Dartford-based housebuilder Bellway Thames Gateway have supported local and national charities with donations totalling more than £60,000 this year.
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Ground broken at Herstmonceux under new partnership
Work is underway at Herstmonceux in East Sussex as part of a new partnership between housebuilder Persimmon Homes and Clarion Housing Group, the largest provider of affordable housing in the UK.
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Knights advises on Agon Systems’ transition to Employee Ownership Trust
Retail loss prevention specialist Agon Systems has completed its transition to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), allowing the business to enter a new stage of growth.
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ELM Group ends the year on a high with awards success
Surrey-based property management company ELM Group has announced its success at The Negotiator Awards, the UK’s leading peer-judged awards programme for the residential property industry.
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Rarely available Brighton/Hove industrial space brought to the market
Independent property real estate advisory business SHW has been appointed by Hargreaves to market 55,000 sq ft of rarely available, high-quality industrial/warehouse accommodation in the sought-after Brighton & Hove area.
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Charanga relocates to International House on Queens Road
Flude Property Consultants has confirmed the letting of the 5th Floor at International House, 78 – 81 Queens Road, Brighton to Charanga, an established provider of music education technology.
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Dandara provides £12.1M ‘boost’ for local communities
Housebuilder and property developer Dandara South East has reported £12.1 million in financial contributions to local authorities between January 2021 and June 2025, representing a major investment in education, healthcare, community facilities and local infrastructure across the region.
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Changes at the top at Kent Housing Group
In a change at the top of the Kent Housing Group, the collective voice of the housing sector in Kent and Medway, Brian Horton and Rebecca Wilcox have taken up the roles of co-chairs.
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Ashford’s D&D Autos wins wellbeing award
A focus on staff wellbeing saw Ashford-based independent garage D&D Autos crowned the best in the UK at a leading industry award ceremony.
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Bidding war over Ewell garages at auction
A bidding war erupted as eight garages in a courtyard setting in the Ewell area of Epsom, Surrey went under Clive Emson Auctioneers’ gavel on Thursday 11 December.
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Housebuilder delivers second workshop with Communigrow charity
Barratt David Wilson Homes has continued its partnership with local food education charity Communigrow, bringing hands-on food growing workshops to its The Poppies residents in Maidstone, Kent.
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Oakley Property brings Brighton & Hove residential team under one roof
Oakley Property has announced that its Brighton & Hove Residential Sales team will relocate from North Road to the company’s 4,000 sq ft head office on Foundry Street – a move that brings all local disciplines under one roof for the first time.
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Police safety accreditation for international truckstop
Ashford International Truckstop is the only site in the South East to have achieved the national Park Mark Freight standard.
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Kent startup joins £8.2M research project to revolutionise medicines manufacturing
Particology, a specialist particle science company based at science and business hub Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent, has been selected for an £8.2 million government-funded research consortium to make the manufacture of medicines more efficient and sustainable.
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£18M independent living scheme starts in Ashford
Work has started on creating 59 high-quality homes for older people and adults with learning disabilities on the site of a former sheltered housing scheme in South Ashford.
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Curd & Cure first UK wholesaler to stock 2025 World Champion Cheese
Kent-based speciality cheese and fine food wholesaler Curd & Cure – owned by local entrepreneur Laura Bounds MBE – has secured the only UK stock of the newly crowned 2025 World Champion Cheese, Le Gruyère AOP Vorderfultigen Spezial, 18 months.
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Property industry provides insight into the priorities for Kent
Proximity to London is the county’s strongest selling point, according to development industry experts who attended the recent launch of the Kent Property Market Report.
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Brachers shortlisted for three South East Dealmakers Awards
Kent law firm Brachers has been shortlisted for three categories in the South East Dealmakers Awards: ‘Corporate Law Firm of the Year’, ‘Corporate Lawyer of the Year’, and ‘Deal of the Year (£10m-£40m)’.
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Half of South East smaller business leaders feel ‘isolated’
A new YouGov survey carried out on behalf of The Start Up Loans Company, part of the British Business Bank, has found that half (50%) of smaller business owners in the South East say they have felt lonely or isolated while running their business.
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Team Tactics relocates to larger Selling headquarters
Kent corporate events specialist Team Tactics has relocated to a new headquarters in Selling, renewing its commitment to the community that has supported the business for nearly three decades. Team Tactics has signed a five-year lease on a larger 55 square metre office at Gaskains Ltd, Norham Farm, just less than three miles from its […]
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Reward Funding backs acquisition with £4M facility for 4PL
Reward Funding has supported the growth aspirations of West Sussex business 4PL with a £4m revolving credit facility.
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South East lawyer recognised nationally for later life expertise
Tracy Rowden, private client partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter, has earned national recognition for her specialist work supporting older and vulnerable clients and their families and carers – becoming one of a select group in the UK to achieve accredited Lifetime Lawyer status.
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Shepherd Neame extends Charity of the Year Partnership
Kent-based independent family brewer and pub company Shepherd Neame is extending its successful partnership with current Charity of the Year, Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS), into 2026.
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Autumn Budget 2025: Reactions from the business community
On Wednesday 26 November, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivered the 2025 Autumn Budget. But what impact will the changes have on SMEs across the South East? We asked local business leaders, along with legal, financial and property experts, for their reactions.
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Budget 2025: Big changes ahead
South East law firm Thackray Williams reacts to the recently announced Autumn Budget, sharing insights from Elliot Lewis, partner and head of the Private Wealth team, Adrian Whichcord, partner and head of the Sevenoaks Conveyancing team, and Nick Gabay, partner and head of the Corporate & Commercial sector.
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Budget 2025: Manufacturers must invest or be squeezed
Paula Ireland, commercial & operations director at Felcon Limited, non-executive director at Sussex Chamber of Commerce and chair of Apprenticeships East Sussex, reacts to the Budget.
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Budget delivers small gains but leaves builders ‘underwhelmed’
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said that many small construction firms are left feeling “underwhelmed” by the Chancellor’s Budget, despite a handful of welcome measures.
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Manufacturers weigh in on the Budget
Given the difficult economic circumstances the Chancellor faced, as well as the intense speculation, the Budget was a case of two steps forward and one step back for manufacturers, says MakeUK, the manufacturers’ organisation.
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A ‘mixed bag’ Budget for retail
Reacting to the Chancellor’s Budget, the British Retail Consortium said the measures amounted to a “mixed bag”, with welcome rate cuts offset by new levies and looming cost pressures.
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What does the Budget mean for the UK hospitality sector?
The Budget has ushered in a costly new reality for the UK hospitality sector, prompting trade body UKHospitality to warn of mounting pressures from rising taxes and rateable values.
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Autumn Budget 2025: The key takeaways
On 26 November, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, delivered the 2025 Autumn Budget to the House of Commons, setting the tone for taxation, spending and economic policy over the coming years.
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Dolphin Motorhomes expands into West Sussex
Family-run motorhome dealer Dolphin Motorhomes has announced that it will be adding a third location to its portfolio – Chichester, West Sussex – in early January 2026.
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Tunbridge Wells welcomes Mad Dog Brewery Co taproom
More than 300 years after starting life as the brewery for the first hotel in Tunbridge Wells, a historic venue has re-opened as the town’s newest taproom.
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Select Technology appoints new business development manager
Kent-based managed service provider Select Technology has welcomed Nick Brennan to the team as business development manager, marking the latest stage of the growth strategy for the company.
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Must Have Ideas named finalist in Retail Week Awards 2026
Kent-based homeware brand Must Have Ideas has been selected as a finalist in the ‘Digital Excellence Award’ category, sponsored by EV Cargo, at the Retail Week Awards 2026, one of the industry’s most respected celebrations of retail innovation and achievement.
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Reflect Digital celebrates double award win
Becky Simms, founder and CEO of Kent-based digital marketing agency Reflect Digital, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Outstanding Contribution to Business in Kent’ honour, while Reflect Digital was simultaneously named ‘Employer of the Year’ at this year’s Kent Chamber of Commerce Awards.
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Historic Medway fort heads to auction with Savills
Real estate service provider Savills is set to auction Darnet Fort, a nineteenth-century military fort located on the River Medway in Kent, at its final sale of the year, taking place on 10 December.
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Gillingham-based JM Partnership joins enevo
JM Partnership (Surveyors) Ltd, established in 1997 and based in Gillingham, Kent, has been hand-picked to complement enevo, a national provider of built environment testing, inspection, certification and compliance services.
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Brighton studio launches interactive AR content platform
Brighton-based creative studio RamJam has launched PromotAR, a platform that allows brands to engage customers through interactive, shareable digital experiences.
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The Pace Group acquires Kent-based The Lift Company & DJ Lifts
LDC-backed The Pace Group, the lift maintenance and repair specialist, has strengthened its national footprint with the acquisition of Kent-based The Lift Company & DJ Lifts, alongside North East operator Exel Elevator.
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Volunteers urged to join biggest Tesco Food Collection yet
Volunteers are needed to help smash a 20-tonne food donation record this November as FareShare Sussex & Surrey launches its latest Tesco Food Collection to support those facing hunger.
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Kent rail upgrades scheduled for Christmas and New Year
Passengers are asked to plan ahead this Christmas and New Year as vital upgrades are delivered for a more reliable railway across Kent and South East London.
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Pennard Vets introduces new pet hydrotherapy centre
Pets across Kent will soon benefit from a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy suite at Pennard Vets in Sevenoaks, opening in time for Christmas.
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Roger Gough shortlisted for national Lifetime Legend Cllr Award
Roger Gough, former leader of Kent County Council, has been shortlisted for ‘Lifetime Legend’ at the 2025 LGIU and CCLA Cllr Awards.
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Brachers recognised in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2026’ list
Brachers has once again been named in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2026’ list, a prestigious annual ranking of the top 250 law firms in England and Wales.
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Whitbread launches refreshed network targets across the South East
Hotel and restaurant operator Whitbread has launched ambitious plans to expand its portfolio of Premier Inn hotels across the South East following a comprehensive review of its network requirements across Surrey, Kent and Sussex.
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South East signals strongest rise in new business since May 2023
Latest NatWest South East Growth Tracker data reveals renewed activity growth, fuelled by greater new order inflows and amid a notable improvement in confidence.
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Major leisure and housing plans for Hythe unveiled
A £120m privately funded scheme to transform Hythe golf course and deliver much-needed community leisure and sporting facilities, new homes and improvements to the Hythe Imperial Hotel has been unveiled.
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Small Business Britain and Starling join forces to boost female entrepreneurship
Starling bank has teamed up with Small Business Britain, the UK’s champion of small businesses, to roll out a campaign to empower women across the UK to start and grow their businesses.
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£6 million investment in apprenticeships to power future energy
UK Power Networks is investing £6 million in craft electricity apprenticeships this year, including fresh recruits from Kent set to play a key part in shaping Britain’s energy future.
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Local manufacturers invited to explore the ‘Factory of the Future’
Manufacturers across Surrey, Kent and Sussex are being invited to step into the factory of the future at a landmark event hosted by Made Smarter at Cranfield University in Bedford.
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Opus strengthens Kent presence with new partner appointment
Opus Restructuring and Insolvency has appointed Ben Stanyon as partner to strengthen its operations across Kent and the wider South East.
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Ciphr eLearning launches new microlearning suite for UK businesses
HR software and eLearning content provider Ciphr has introduced a new range of ‘micro’ employee training courses suitable for organisations across all industries.
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Family businesses in the South East need certainty now, says KPMG
Family businesses across the South East are standing at a crossroads, faced with the choice of waiting for clarity or forging ahead despite economic and political uncertainty, warns KPMG UK, as new research reveals that confidence among the region’s family firms has dipped compared to other privately owned businesses.
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Must Have Ideas welcomes first employee through Connect to Work scheme
Must Have Ideas, the fast-growing Kent-based homeware brand, has announced that 19-year-old Louis Turl – the company’s first employee to join through the Connect to Work scheme, supported by The Education People – has successfully transitioned into full-time employment with the business.
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Kent’s property market resilient against the headwinds
This year’s Kent Property Market Report, produced by Caxtons Property Consultants and Kent County Council, is forecasting positive growth in some property sectors and the economic headwinds calming.
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Draft business cases for new Kent and Medway councils unveiled
Councils from across Kent and Medway have published a series of draft business cases on the Kent Leaders website to help inform the next steps in the government’s “biggest shake up” of local councils in 50 years.
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Character Brighton office let at The Old Coach House
Brighton and Hove-based independent chartered surveyor Flude Property Consultants has completed the letting of The Old Coach House, 110 Old London Road, Brighton, acting on behalf of the landlord.
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Penshurst pub wins place in The Good Food Guide
The Leicester Arms in Penshurst, near Tonbridge, Kent, has been named in The Good Food Guide’s prestigious inaugural 100 Best Pubs.
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Whitehead Monckton transitions to Employee Ownership Trust structure
Kent law firm Whitehead Monckton has announced its transition to become an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), making it one of the few law firms in the country to embrace this ownership model.
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Kent entrepreneur shortlisted for RICS UK Award
Kent businessman Alexander Galvin, director of London & Kent Surveyors, has been shortlisted for ‘Young Residential Surveyor of the Year’ at the RICS UK Awards – one of the most prestigious accolades in the built environment sector.
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South East business confidence dips in October, but more firms plan to hire
Business confidence in the South East fell eight points during October to 41%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds.
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Chartway partners with VIVID to deliver 149 new homes in Chertsey
Chartway Partnerships Group, working in partnership with MTP Developments Ltd and leading housing association VIVID, has entered into a contract to deliver 149 high-quality new homes at Green Lane, Chertsey, Surrey.
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Bidding war drives up price of Epsom lock-up garages at auction
A collection of 29 lock-up garages in Epsom, Surrey sparked a fierce bidding war at a Clive Emson auction this week, eventually selling for £333,000 – £58,000 above the lower guide price.
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Mayo Wynne Baxter announces promotions amid continued growth
South East law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter has announced six promotions, effective 1 November 2025.
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Croudace Homes build manager Matthew McCourt wins LABC award
Caterham-based Croudace Homes has secured a prestigious win at the Local Authority Building Control (LABC) South East Building Excellence Awards.
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Trust your staff and never stop learning, says Paul Bates
For Paul Bates, managing director of South East business Cleankill Pest Control, empowering employees and embracing continuous learning are key to effective leadership. After 44 years in the pest control industry, I’ve seen enormous changes – not just in the technology and legislation that shape our work, but in how businesses are built and led. […]
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Beach Street Restaurants acquires Whitstable bistro Samphire
Leisure property specialist Fleurets has completed the leasehold sale of award-winning Whitstable restaurant Samphire.
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Major truckstop proposed to serve cross-Channel ports
A major new lorry park to serve freight traffic passing through the Port of Dover could be on the horizon after a Kent-based developer unveiled its plans.
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Recruitment tops list of employers’ biggest challenges, says Ciphr
Recruiting enough qualified workers, retaining existing talent and managing rising costs are among the biggest challenges facing UK organisations right now, according to new research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr.
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Kent housebuilder supports Canterbury school’s green learning
Barratt David Wilson Homes has formed a three-way partnership with Haven Nook, a Special Educational Needs School and part of the Tuition Extra Education Service, and Communigrow, a sustainable food education charity, to support green outdoor learning close by to its Saxon Fields and The Woodlands developments in Canterbury, Kent.
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Sussex private sector delivers strong growth
A new report from Grant Thornton UK highlights Sussex as a region of dynamic growth and diversity, with its leading privately owned businesses continuing to outperform expectations.
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Bellway starts work on new homes in Bexhill-on-Sea
Bellway Southern Counties has started construction work on a new development that will bring 89 new homes to Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex.
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Brighton Toy and Model Museum renovation project progresses
A project designed to boost visitor numbers at Brighton Toy and Model Museum is progressing well, says Sussex contractor Pilbeam Construction.
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Kent cabaret production company to open new Ramsgate venue
This November, LGBTQ+ cabaret collective Screaming Alley is launching The Alley Bar, a new members-only underground venue tucked beneath a barbershop in Ramsgate, Kent.
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South East SMEs prioritise innovation amid economic pressures
SMEs in the South East are planning to invest more in product innovation over the next 12 months, according to new research from B2B e-commerce platform Alibaba.com.
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Newhaven Port secures £130K to power net zero vision
Funding from Newhaven Enterprise Zone (NEZ) is helping Newhaven Port explore the potential for a new site dedicated to renewable energy production, warehousing and lorry parking – creating new local employment opportunities.
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Partnership forms landmark Biodiversity Net Gain Scheme
Halnaker Hill Natural Capital (HHNC) and leading property consultancy Bidwells have joined forces to launch one of the UK’s largest ever Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) schemes at Halnaker Hill Farm in Sussex.
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Battle Brewery toasts success at Battle of Hastings Re-enactment
East Sussex’s Battle Brewery is celebrating a triumphant weekend at the Battle of Hastings Re-enactment event after hosting its own beer hall for the first time under new ownership.
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Sharp decline in R&D tax relief claims by Surrey SMEs
There has been a marked fall in the number of SMEs in Surrey making research & development tax relief (R&D) claims, according to research by UK top 10 accountancy and advisory firm Azets.
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Hyde and Chartway secure planning for new Sittingbourne homes
The Hyde Group, in partnership with Chartway Partnerships Group, has secured Reserved Matters planning permission at Swanstree Avenue, Sittingbourne to deliver 135 affordable new homes, helping to meet local housing needs.
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