Manchester climbs world rankings

Manchester has climbed four places in property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield’s European Cities Monitor (ECM), leapfrogging rival Birmingham in the process. It has jumped from 16th place last year to 12th in the 2010 rankings. Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese said the results indicate an increasing awareness of the city as a global business destination and that it is in the "top flight of European cities".

UU sells PFI interests

Warrington-headquartered United Utilities (UU) has continued the sell off of non-core activities by disposing of its UK waste PFI interests to independent waste management business Shanks Group.

Morpol nets Brookside deal

Multinational fish processing company Morpol has acquired Brookside Products, a Cumbrian smoked salmon processor. Brookside produces around 1,500 tonnes of salmon per year and its expected turnover this year is £12m.

Lloyds Pharmacy swoops for Betterlifehealthcare

Lloyds Pharmacy, headquartered in Coventry, has bought an 80 per cent stake in Leyland-based Betterlifehealthcare. The business supplies mobility, disability and healthcare products.

Epistem surges into profit

Manchester biotechnology and research company Epistem has shrugged off difficult market conditions to post a 45 per cent increase in revenue and return to profit in the year to 30 June.

Chamber welcomes high-speed rail plans

The government will back plans for a Y-shaped high-speed rail network to Manchester and Leeds, the transport secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed. The move has been welcomed by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce which said the improvements were vital.

Jobs go as Banson closes

Electrical installation business Banson Electric has been forced to close its doors with the loss of 20 jobs. The Bury-based company, which also had offices in Liverpool and Blackpool, was placed into administration last month following a downturn in demand for its services.

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Halton welcomes Mersey Gateway backing

Halton Borough Council has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s backing for the Mersey Gateway project – the planned six lane toll bridge across the River Mersey between Runcorn and Widnes. The scheme was placed on hold in June along with all major transport schemes across the country.

Fred Perry aces BREEAM ratings

Stockport Council’s new civic building Fred Perry House has been awarded a BREEAM 'excellent' rating for environmental sustainability. The new five-storey building is situated on the existing Ponsonby House site next to Stockport’s Town Hall.

Halliwell relocates in Wallasey

Wirral engineering company Halliwell Industrial & Marine Silencers has relocated to a 7,000 sq ft site in Wallasey. The expansion coincides with the launch of a new apprenticeship programme and an expected increase in staff numbers.

Talking Point: Let's work together

After Stephen Miles' recent comments to Insider that Manchester should be competing with Las Vegas as a conference city, Livesmart chairman David Wade-Smith believes the city should look to its North West neighbour to truly achieve greatness.

Tague on Tour: Food for thought

The proposed Flavours Gourmet Village in Salford sounds fantastic, but is it really likely to happen? Neil Tague wonders if the scheme can expect the sweet taste of success.

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