The Co-operative Group will pay its 5.1 million members a £50m dividend. The mutual retailer will pay members a total share of profit payment for 2009 of £50.4m, up from £38.8m in the previous year. Members of the retailer receive a cash payment based on the points they earn when they spend money at any of the group’s businesses. Based on profits of £402m, the value of each point earned in 2009 was 2p.

A 21 per cent fall in rental revenues has hit profits at Warrington plant hire firm A-Plant. The company posted a turnover of £162.3m for the year to 20 April, down from £208m last time. Operating profit before exceptional items fell from £16.1m to £1.8m. In a statement to the Stock Exchange, parent owner Ashtead said the reduction in construction projects caused by a lack of available finance was to blame for the slump. Group pre-tax profits fell to £5m from £87.4m, while revenue declined 25 per cent to £836.8m.

Blackpool Council is to make approximately 200 redundancies in a bid to meet newly imposed budget cuts. Council leader Peter Callow has described the decision as “heartbreaking” and blamed the former government for “running up huge deficits”. He announced the job losses ahead of a full council meeting held last night. The redundancies are expected to come in services funded by Area Based Grants. Callow added that he has written to trade unions and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to outline the council’s plans.

The administrators of Swinton-headquartered tile and flooring manufacturer Pilkington’s Group have closed the company’s factory in Poole, Dorset with the loss of 37 jobs. Eight staff members have been kept on in the short-term to assist with maintaining the site and despatching existing orders. Paul Flint, joint administrator and restructuring associate partner at KPMG, said production was halted at the site due to “uncertain long-term customer demand”. However, he maintained that there has been “a great deal of interest” from potential buyers.

Jonathon Porritt, the co-founder of Forum for the Future, has been confirmed as the keynote speaker for this year’s Northwest Business Environment Awards. In addition to his work with the sustainable development charity, Porritt is also a former director of Friends of the Earth. The ceremony, which takes place on 19 October at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, has attracted more than 100 entries and shortlisting is now underway in its six categories. It has been organised by ENWORKS and Insider is acting as media partner.

Cheshire investment business Worthington Group has narrowed pre-tax losses for the year to 31 March, down from £487,000 to £316,000. Excluding non-cash items relating to its pension scheme, the company generated a profit of £230,000, up from a loss of £11,000 last time. Year-end cash balances were of £831,000 which executive chairman Joseph Dwek described as “highly creditable” given that it paid £182,000 into its pension scheme. He added that the Wilmslow business will continue to look for ways to reduce its exposure to the pension scheme.

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Knutsford-based property developer PH Property Holdings has bought Crosby House in Altrincham for £1.75m. The company is proposing to convert the Dunham Road building in to 13 luxury apartments and to create two additional houses in the grounds, subject to planning permission. The homes proposed by PH Property will cover a total of 21,000 sq ft and are expected to be completed by spring 2012. Once available, the properties are expected to sell for between £350,000 and £600,000.

Oldham-based office refurbisher ADT Workplace has completed a £2.7m project to fit out the 23,000 sq ft London office of CNA Insurance. Alongside its current projects ADT is making plans to move to a new 6,000 sq ft head office in Chadderton from September 2010. ADT director David Clemetson said he expects the move to signal a growth in the size of the company with the aim of staff levels reaching 35 in the next 12 months from the current figure of 25.

A planning application for Cockermouth’s new community hospital has been submitted. Allerdale Borough Council’s planners will consider the application for a new hospital to replace the town’s existing Isel Road building. Funding for the £11m hospital is expected to come through the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme. The new hospital will combine GP and community hospital services and is expected to be completed in 2012 should the plans be approved.

Irwin Mitchell has expanded its Manchester office space at the 50,900 sq ft Bauhaus building in Spinningfields. The law firm has taken a further 6,000 sq ft, bringing its total occupancy to 30,000 sq ft over five floors in the building. Bauhaus letting agents Will Lewis of OBI Property and Will Kennon of CBRE think the implementation of a new marketing and leasing strategy, with a quoting rent of £21.50 per sq ft, should lead to additional take up of the remaining two floors.