The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, delivered her first Spring Statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday 26th March 2025.
To help you navigate these announcements, our colleagues from Streets Tax and our financial services arm have provided a comprehensive breakdown of the key changes. We also covered important updates on topics impacting businesses and private individuals as we prepare for the new tax year 2025/26.
Huge solar farm takes next steps on Nottinghamshire-Lincolnshire border
PS Renewables and Ørsted, developers of renewable energy projects in the UK, have submitted their application for Development Consent Order (DCO) for One Earth Solar Farm. At the border of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, the project could produce enough energy for more than 200,000 homes a year.
With the Planning Inspectorate having reviewed the application and accepting it for examination, the scheme now moves into the ‘pre-examination stage’ in preparation for upcoming public examinations.
The project comprises the construction of a solar farm and collated battery energy storage system (BESS) and would be located across approximately 1,600 hectares of land, primarily in Nottinghamshire.
The location of the solar farm was chosen based on the availability of a grid connection point at High Marnham. When the old coal-fired power station was decommissioned, it created capacity at this location for new energy projects.
Randall Linfoot, programme manager for Ørsted, said: “We are delighted to have had our DCO application for the One Earth Solar Farm accepted for examination. It is crucial for the UK that large renewables projects such as One Earth can be progressed as quickly as possible whilst also ensuring they are properly scrutinised.
“Projects like this will be key contributors to the UK’s energy security alongside bringing investment, low-cost electricity for consumers and helping meet global climate goals and net-zero targets.”
The proposals for One Earth have changed significantly in response to two periods of consultation over the last two years. The masterplan has been reduced to remove panels near homes and villages that are located close to the project boundary.
Leicester air quality monitoring firm expands presence in Australia
EarthSense, the Leicester-based provider of air quality monitoring solutions, has entered into a new partnership with ECO Environmental, a specialist in environmental monitoring solutions based in Australia.
This strategic partnership will expand EarthSense’s reach in a key market and industry sector, bringing advanced air quality monitoring technology to Australia’s construction and environmental monitoring sectors.
“We are delighted to welcome ECO Environmental to our growing network of global distributors,” said Thomas Hall, CEO at EarthSense. “Their expertise in environmental monitoring and strong industry connections make them an ideal partner to support the adoption of our solutions in the Australian market.”
ECO Environmental’s Managing Director, Andrew Cooke, added: “EarthSense’s market-leading Zephyr air quality sensor is an excellent addition to our extensive catalogue of environmental monitoring solutions, and we look forward to offering it for sale or rental to our clients.”
Lubrizol hands over more than £18,000 to St John Ambulance charity
A Derbyshire science company has handed over more than £18,000 to help a charity carry on saving lives.
Lubrizol, whose UK Technical Centre is based in Hazelwood, has handed over a grand total of £18,026.16 to St John Ambulance after two years of employee fundraising across all its UK sites.
Over the past two years, teams from Lubrizol have taken part in a wide range of activities to raise vital funds for St John Ambulance so it can continue to treat patients, train volunteers and provide crews for community events.
St John Ambulance is England’s first aid charity and is committed to creating healthier, safer and more resilient communities through essential first aid services and training.
Among the Lubrizol fundraisers was Claire Hollingshurst who with her husband Tim and colleague Rich Trevatt took on walking the 55-mile ‘Heritage Way’ running through Derbyshire, completing the whole trek in under 24 hours.
Staff raised further funds with many activities including cake sales and Christmas jumper days. Employees also benefited from CPR sessions delivered at three Lubrizol sites.
Thanks to fundraisers like Lubrizol and charitable donations from the public, over the past two years, over 30,000 highly skilled St John Ambulance volunteers have treated tens of thousands of patients, trained more than 30,000 Young Responders and supported communities across the country. In Derbyshire, St John Ambulance volunteers have helped in 362 cases of clinical need – which equates to roughly one person every two days.
Eva Groves, corporate partnerships executive at St John Ambulance, was at Lubrizol with Derbyshire volunteer Heather Powell to receive the donation.
She said: “Thank you so much to every single person at Lubrizol for raising such an amazing amount for St John Ambulance. All money raised will go towards helping us continue to save lives.”
It is estimated that every year in the UK there are over 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests but currently fewer than one in 10 people survive. When a defibrillator is used in the first three minutes of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival can increase by up to 70 per cent.
Eva continued: “A cardiac arrest is a medical emergency and, in this situation, every second counts. We’re proud that through our Restart a Heart training, Lubrizol employees now have the confidence to step in and save a life if it’s ever needed.”
Tom Grazier, chair of Lubrizol’s charities and communities committee, said: “We are delighted to have raised this great total for St John Ambulance to help continue the charity’s life-saving work.
“It’s important to us at Lubrizol to give back to the communities we serve and every two years we are very proud to nominate a new charity for all our UK sites to support. It’s been great to welcome St John Ambulance volunteers who have delivered really valuable CPR sessions for Lubrizol colleagues. This is a great charity doing important work and we know our donation of more than £18,000 has a lot of impact.”
British Steel weighs closure of Scunthorpe blast furnaces amid financial strain
British Steel is considering shutting down its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe, putting up to 2,700 jobs at risk. The company says high operating costs, tariffs, and environmental regulations have made the furnaces unsustainable.
Since acquiring British Steel in 2020, Chinese owner Jingye has invested over £1.2 billion but continues to face daily losses of around £700,000. Talks with the UK government about financial support for new Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) have not resulted in a deal.
The potential closure has raised concerns among unions and industry leaders, who warn it could end the UK’s ability to produce primary steel, affecting supply chains and infrastructure projects. The government has pledged up to £2.5 billion for the steel industry but has yet to finalise a plan for Scunthorpe.
British Steel is consulting on three possible timelines, with the earliest furnace shutdown by mid-2025. The company says discussions with workers, unions, and officials are ongoing.
UK motor industry urges urgent talks as US imposes 25% tariffs on car imports
UK automotive leaders are calling for immediate trade negotiations following the US government’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on imported vehicles, set to take effect next Wednesday. The move threatens a sector already facing declining sales and rising production costs.
The US is the UK’s second-largest car export market, valued at £7.6 billion. In 2023, over 101,000 UK-built vehicles—mainly premium and luxury models—were shipped to the US, accounting for nearly 17% of total car exports. The tariffs will hit major UK manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, and Stellantis.
Jaguar Land Rover, which employs 11,000 people in the UK, relies on the US as its biggest overseas market. BMW’s three UK plants, which focus on Mini production and employ around 8,000 people, could also face significant cost increases. The US remains a key Mini market despite declining sales due to model changes.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is pushing for a trade deal to avoid disruption, emphasising the long-standing UK-US automotive relationship. The British Chambers of Commerce has also called for “intensive dialogue” to mitigate the economic impact.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed that discussions with the US are ongoing, while business leaders warn that the tariffs could increase costs for American consumers and create further supply chain instability.
Leicestershire firms reunite for new Burbage residential development
Leicestershire firms Springbourne Homes and Hayward Architects have teamed up again to design a new exclusive development in Burbage, near Hinckley.
The properties will be built at Springbourne’s new site called The Spinney, which is off Elm Tree Drive and close to Burbage Common and Woods.
Haywards has designed eight luxury detached homes, including two bungalows for the development, with construction set to commence this Spring.
Springbourne chairman Adrian Burr is hoping this latest collaboration will prove as successful as their previous partnership which delivered the Hornsey Rise development near Market Bosworth.
Adrian said: “Springbourne Homes and Hayward Architects is a proven, winning combination. We have a long and fruitful history of working together again and we are confident that The Spinney will be another success story.
“I will be delighted if we go on to emulate what we achieved at Hornsey Rise where we scooped four national construction awards and delivered what is arguably our best-ever site.
“We have applied the same high standards, design principles and attention to detail for The Spinney and we are once again anticipating keen interest from buyers who are in the market for a quality home in a desirable location.”
Hayward’s director Zoe Massey is equally confident there will be high demand.
Zoe explained: “We have designed eight spacious properties, six detached homes and two bungalows, on a lovely landscaped site in a sought-after area.
“There are three five bedroom homes, three four bedroom homes and two three bedroom bungalows, all with double garages and ranging from just over 3000 sq ft to just under 2000 sq ft.”
Nottinghamshire invests £1m in feasibility study for new River Trent bridge
Nottinghamshire County Council has allocated £1 million to explore the feasibility of a fourth road bridge over the River Trent at Colwick. The study is part of a broader transport development initiative to ease congestion and improve regional connectivity.
The funding comes as the council secures an additional £15.2 million from the East Midlands Combined County Authority for road infrastructure. If approved, the project could become one of the largest transport investments in the county in years, potentially benefiting businesses reliant on efficient logistics and commuter ro
Amplius invests £41m to improve energy efficiency in 2,000 homes
Housing provider Amplius, formed from the merger of Longhurst Group and Grand Union Housing Group, is set to invest £41 million to upgrade energy efficiency in nearly 2,000 homes across the Midlands and East of England.
The investment includes £20.3 million in provisional funding from Wave 3 of the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund. The upgrades—covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Lincolnshire—will include insulation, new doors and windows, and low-carbon heating systems to meet at least an EPC rating of C.
This follows Amplius’ previous £16 million investment in Wave 2.1, which improved 750 homes. The latest project will bring the total number of upgraded properties to 2,700.
Amplius is partnering with Morgan Sindall Property Services to deliver the improvements, aligning with broader net-zero goals and efforts to reduce fuel poverty in social housing.
Leicester updates scaffolding and skip licensing rules
Leicester City Council has introduced new guidance outlining licensing requirements for scaffolding, skips, and hoarding on public highways. The updated policy aims to clarify regulations for contractors and ensure compliance with safety standards.
The changes require scaffolders to apply for a licence well in advance, except in emergencies. Applications must include detailed site plans and traffic management arrangements to demonstrate that safety risks have been properly assessed. Skips also need a licence, even if they are placed on the highway for a short time.
City officials emphasise that while many contractors operate responsibly, some fail to meet legal requirements. The council has made the guidance easily accessible to remove any excuses for non-compliance. Enforcement will be stricter, with breaches leading to action ranging from warnings to prosecution.
The policy update follows consultation with the scaffolding industry, which has welcomed the increased clarity.
