UK retailer Home Bargains is creating 75 jobs with a £1m investment in a new store in Leeds at the Crown Point Retail Park, which opened last Saturday [23 January]. In total, the store will employ 90 team members, including some staff and management who will be transferring from local stores.

And elsewhere in Leeds, hundreds of jobs are set to be created as contracts are completed for a former casino. The 60,000sq ft Department Casino at Leeds Dock will see the redevelopment of the former Leeds Casino into offices and ancillary leisure uses, and will see hundreds of jobs created for the city.

Same-day courier business Speedy Freight, which is part of logistics firm Eddie Stobart, is set to launch its new Central London Hub this month. Servicing Central, North, North-West, South, East and West London, the new site is expected to generate over 150 new jobs.

The disruption of COVID-19 resulted in a growth of 39% for the firm, as it diversified to offer new logistics and delivery solutions including supporting supermarket supply chains, carrying out home deliveries for retailers and transporting PPE, lab equipment and tests.

A North-East development set to create thousands of jobs has moved forward. Ground is set to be cleared this week in Washington, Tyne and Wear, to advance the next stage of the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP).

The first phase of IAMP will see 1,650,000sq ft of manufacturing space unlocked and will support around 7,000 jobs that the overall development is set to create within the region.

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