Top 10 North West business stories of July 2015

As the year finally draws to a close, our North West correspondent looks back over 2015 to pick out some of the top stories to grace our readers’ screens.

Here, in no particular order, we’ve listed 10 of the most impactful or most intriguing news stories of July.

Manchester Airport reports record-breaking annual figures

In a trend that continued throughout the year, Manchester Airport saw its rolling annual passenger total reach a record high, with 2.3m people using the facility in the 12 months to July.

The Summer Budget

Chancellor Osborne revealed his Summer Budget, the first since the Conservative government came to power in May. At Bdaily, we rounded up some of the best reactions from businesspeople across the North West. Extended Sunday trading hours and taxation changes affecting owner-managers were high on the agenda.

£5m boost for North West biosciences

In July, we learned that biosciences at Alderley Park were set to receive a £5m boost, potentially strengthening the development’s position within the wider Northern Powerhouse vision. George Osborne made the announcement after a visit to the Cheshire-based hub.

Manchester’s ever-shifting skyline

A six-tower scheme was announced in July as part of developer Allied London’s St. John’s neighbourhood plan for Manchester. CG images revealed the drastic changes that the city’s skyline could go through in the coming years. The Manchester office of construction management firm WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff was appointed to serve as an engineering consultancy on phase one of the ‘vertical village’.

EON Reality shores up its North West presence

Virtual reality tech firm EON Reality decided to grow its Manchester office, which serves as its European HQ, by creating 10 jobs. The firm hired graduate software developers from its own Virtual Reality Innovation Academy.

Chester Marathon’s seven-figure contribution revealed

July saw the team behind Chester Marathon reveal that this year’s race event channelled more than £1.5m into the coffers of local businesses - a welcome boost for one of the North West’s best loved small cities. Data showed that participants spent an average of £400 on shopping, eating out and visiting local attractions.

AT Engine Controls joins PM on his South East Asia visit

Engine control firm AT Engine Controls was thrown into the spotlight in July, as representatives of the business accompanied Prime Minister David Cameron on his trade visit to South East Asia, which kicked off a busy year for business relations between the UK and the East. The aim of the visit was to demonstrate how the Government backs British businesses and helps them to grow through increased exports.

North West salary average sees significant growth

Job website Adzuna published its UK Job Market Report to reveal that the average salary in the North West has risen above £30k. The region was ahead of most others in terms of year-on-year salary growth, at 5%. Rochdale was found to be the most competitive place in the North West for jobseekers, with 2.71 jobseekers per advertised role.

Value of North West PLCs at an all-time high

The North West Share Index published by professional services giant Deloitte placed the collective value of the North West’s PLCs at £29.1bn, the highest ever recorded for the region. The index also found that PLCs added almost £2bn to their respective markets in the second quarter of this year.

Manchester hotels say goodbye to recession slump

From January to June, hotels in Manchester finally saw their occupancy levels surpass the peak they recorded in 2007, before the recession. Hotels in the city were 78% full during the period, beating the (still healthy) wider UK average by 1%.

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