Business
Shops, jobs, farms and the firms of the valley.
What the business desk covers
Who is opening, who is hiring, who is closing and why. Business news written for customers and workers, not only owners.
- Shop talk: openings and closings each week
- The market hall and the farmers' market
- Jobs, wages and the cost of living here
Desk editor: Tom Achebe (sample). In this week’s issue: pages 8 to 10.

Latest business news
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Bridge vote: the council publishes both plans in full
- Details
- October 11, 2026
Repair or replace? The documents behind the 4 November vote are now online (sample story).
-
Market hall reopens with fourteen new stalls
- Details
- October 6, 2026
After a year of repairs the hall on Market Street opens on Friday, with a late opening until 21:00 (sample story).
-
New cycle route along the river opens to the station
- Details
- October 1, 2026
Two kilometres of separated cycle lane now link the valley villages to the station (sample story).
Know something we should cover?
Send the desk a tip or an event. An editor reads every message on the day it arrives.