< PreviousNext posts positive Q4 figuresEnderby retailerNext has postedanother set of strongfigures, with Q4 salesrising by 2.9 per cent.Total sales at Nextwere up an impressive 7.7per cent to 24th December.Next also says that itexpects profits to rise by 11.5per cent over the year toJanuary 2015 to £775m.A statement from the companyread: "The economic outlook forthe UK consumer looks relativelybenign. Low inflation, an end to realwage decline, healthy credit marketsand strong employment all paint a somewhat more positive picture than recent years."However we remain very cautions in our sales budgets for the year ahead. In Spring andSummer the company will face very tough comparative numbers. As we pointed out in our SeptemberInterim Announcement, during the first half of 2014 sales were significantly assisted by unusually warmweather. There is potential upside in the second half as our sales comparisons weaken, althoughuncertainty in the UK political outlook and turbulence in the international economy present potential downsiderisks."Trent Bridge lands majorinternational packageTrent Bridge will stage five matches in the 2019 ICC Cricket WorldCup and Investec Test Matches against South Africa and India in 2017and 2018 - a move which may see the ground developed further.The Nottinghamshire venue will also host Royal London One-DayInternationals against the West Indies (2017), Australia (2018) andIndia (2018) while NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day will return to TrentBridge in 2019.“We are delighted to have secured a significant volume of qualityinternational cricket which will enable us to continue to deliver ourstrategy of sustained investment in our venue, our professionalteam and our community programmes,” said Nottinghamshire chiefexecutive Lisa Pursehouse.“This outcome is fair reward for the commitment of ourmembers and supporters, the work of our committee and staff andthe support of our local authority and private sector partners whohave done so much to help maintain our status as a Test MatchVenue.“The combination of quality Test cricket in 2017 and 2018allied to prestigious Royal London One-Day Internationals andICC Cricket World Cup fixtures is a fantastic outcome forcricket supporters across the East Midlands.”Long-term certainty of supply improves the prospect offurther capital investment in Trent Bridge if the correctbusiness case can be made, said Pursehouse.“Investing in our facilities remains an ongoingpriority and enhancing our pavilion and increasingcapacity in the William Clarke Stand are amongstthe projects that we are actively considering,”she said.“Securing the fixtures which have beenallocated to us today certainly bringsrenewed investment in TrentBridge closer to fruition.”Out of officeOut of officeEast Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk50OUT OF OFFICEBank collapses intoadministrationBank, the clothing retailer with outlets throughout the East Midlands,has been placed into administration.Bill Dawson, Daniel Smith and Paul Meadows of Deloitte have beenappointed as administrators.Bank is a fashion retailer based in Bury, Lancashire. It operates from84 stores, primarily in the Midlands, North of England and Scotlandand has 1,555 employees. No redundancies have been made at thistime, said Deloitte.Bill Dawson, joint administrator and partner in Deloitte’sRestructuring Services practice, said: “Bank has struggled in a highlycompetitive segment of the retail industry and has been loss-makingfor a number of years. A review of the business has determined that asolvent turnaround would not be possible and so its director hassought the appointment of Joint Administrators. All stores are open asnormal, staff have been paid and additional sale discounts will beimplemented later this week. The company has already beenapproached by several parties who have expressed an interest in thebusiness and the Administrators are trading as a going concern with aview to progressing these options and seeking further interestedparties for some or all of the business.”East Midlands House pricesto increase by 3% in 2015House prices in the East Midlands will see an increase of threepercent over the course of next year, bolstered by recent changes toStamp Duty, continuing demand and lack of supply of property,according to the RICS housing forecast for 2015.Across the UK, RICS expect all parts of the country to see modestprice rises during 2015, at an average of three percent. Meanwhile, theSouth West, Wales and London will experience the lowest rises withprices increasing by two percent and zero percent respectively.Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, commented: “2014 was asignificant year for the property market as a more broadly based recoverytook hold. Help to Buy funding helped to support the turnaround alongside themore positive trend in the wider economy. Although the MMR may now beresulting in mortgage lenders being a little more discriminating in the supply offinance, the recently announced, and long overdue reform of stamp duty, is likelyto provide a tonic for the market across many parts of the country, particularly forfirst-time buyers. That said, the bigger affordability issue is not going to go awayhighlighting just how important it is to speed up the supply pipeline of new homes overthe coming years."OUT OF OFFICEwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 51Lottery funding inplace to improveHighfields ParkNottingham City Council is celebrating afterreceiving the news that its £3.2m bid to developHighfields Park has been successful.The money has been awarded through theHeritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund’sParks for People programme and will be used toimprove facilities and expand a programme ofvisitor and community activities on the park.Nottingham City Council and other fundingpartners have also contributed an additional£1.3m.Support will also come from NottinghamCroquet Club which has been on the site since1929.The Probation Service will contribute to the on-site improvement works and an additional£500,000 funding will come from the Highfields Park Leisure Trust which manages the site as a facility for sport,leisure and recreation.Hilary Silvester, chair of the Highfields Park User Group which represents the many and varied groups whichuse the park, says she is delighted that the park will receive the grant.She said: “Highfields is very much loved by the people of Nottingham, and its on-going restoration andimprovement are important to one of the city's most outstanding and varied open spaces.”MCA completes Oxfordshopping jobNottingham-based architect Marchini Curran Associates (MCa) has helpedcompleted a major revamp of Clarendon Shopping Centre in Oxford.The city centre scheme involved the demolition of an existing ground floorstore previously occupied by Currys Digital to make way for a large format,three-storey outlet for fashion chain H&M and other retail units.The project included an extension at ground floor level together with theoverhaul of previously redundant retail space on the upper floors of thecentre – resulting in a ten per cent increase in size for the mall.Nick Marchini from MCA said: “We are very pleased to have beenassociated with the Clarendon Centre for several years because thecentre represents prime retail space in the centre of Oxford. As such,this has been an exciting and important piece of work for us.“The introduction of new large format retail units to the scheme andthe regeneration of the mall’s atrium have given it a new lease oflife, making it a much lighter, brighter and attractive place to shop.“We are confident that these changes will reinforce the mall’sposition as a key retail destination within Oxford and we lookforward to seeing the new-look centre bustling withshoppers.”EMPOWERYour BusinessOften Imitated -Never Equalledblmgroup.co.ukNext >