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Top story
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BCC defends £300,000 LEP network
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), based in Coventry, has spoken out in defence of its government-backed 'network' for local enterprise partnerships (LEPs). It comes amid criticism that the LEP system is becoming more centralised with some business groups missing out on having their say. But BCC's Adam Marshall told Insider the move was "not about traditional top-down relationships" and would listen to all businesses.
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Deals
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All clear for Boparan
Birmingham entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan's takeover of Northern Foods has been cleared by regulators. The Irish Competition Authority has given the all-clear after the Office of Fair Trading decided not to refer the merger to the Competition Commission.
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Business loan fund launches in Sandwell
A £1m business loan fund has been created for businesses in the Black Country. Following the launch of the Sandwell Business Loan Fund (SBLF) in 2009, a new pot of investment has been introduced to assist businesses in the region.
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Property
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£127m Mailbox sale is "welcome boost"
The purchase of Birmingham’s iconic Mailbox building demonstrates there is “strong investor confidence” in the city’s property market. That’s according to Ned Jones at property agency DTZ in Birmingham, following the £127m buyout by Brockton Capital.
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"Revolutionary" Cube developments unveiled
Birmingham’s iconic Cube development will “set a new benchmark” for regeneration in the city. That’s according to the site’s newly appointed club general manager, Richard Dakin, who spoke to Insider.
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Business
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John Lewis MD named LEP chair
The London-based managing director of John Lewis has been named as the chairman of the Greater Birmingham LEP. Andy Street will take the top role at the organisation from 1 May.
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Halfords lowers profit expectations after sales drop
Redditch-based Halfords has reported a mixed bag of results in its pre-close trading statement. Despite an increase in bicycle sales, the company said car maintenance sales fell 11.7 per cent in the 13 weeks to 1 April.
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Lift-off for Family Business Awards
This year’s Midlands Family Business Awards have been launched at the Hotel du Vin in Birmingham.
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Insolvencies could increase under new pre-pack rules, says R3
The government’s proposed reform of insolvency laws has been slammed by the Midlands region of national insolvency body R3. New legislation involves the introduction of a three-day notice period for sales of insolvent ‘pre-packed’ businesses to connected parties.
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