Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates arrived for separatist forces in the war-torn country, and starkly warned that it viewed Emirati actions as “extremely…
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Fresh draft of West Northamptonshire Local Plan published ahead of consultation in the new year
30 December 2025
West Northamptonshire Council has today (30 December) published the latest draft of its Local Plan, ahead of councillors considering proposals for public consultation at the Planning Policy Committee meeting on 8 January.
The Local Plan is a key document shaping the future of development across West Northamptonshire up to 2043. It sets out how land will be used for housing, employment, green spaces, and infrastructure, while supporting regeneration and protecting the environment. This updated draft reflects significant changes since the last consultation, including new policies on sustainability, health and wellbeing, and placemaking, alongside proposals for growth in towns and rural areas.
The Plan also includes:
- A refreshed spatial strategy supporting regeneration and brownfield development alongside support for our rural areas
- Policies to help achieve net zero and improve health outcomes.
- Enhanced protection for valued green spaces and opportunities for communities to nominate more.
- Updated guidance on housing mix, affordable homes, and employment land.
Following committee consideration, the draft plan and intention to launch a public consultation will be discussed at full Council on 19 January. A major public engagement will then launch in late January, giving residents, town and parish councils, businesses, and community groups the chance to have their say. This will run for eight weeks and include opportunities to comment on the draft plan and propose new sites, including those for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation and further Local Green Spaces.
This Local Plan is one of the most important documents we produce, setting out how we balance homes, jobs, and infrastructure while protecting our environment and creating thriving places for future generations. The views of residents, parishes, and businesses will be vital in shaping the final plan, and I strongly encourage everyone to get involved when the consultation opens in February.
Cllr Thomas Manning, Cabinet Member for Planning at West Northamptonshire CouncilSee the agenda for the Planning Policy Committee meeting on 8 January. Further details on how to take part will be shared in the new year.
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Octopus Energy to spin off $8.65bn tech arm Kraken
Archie MitchellBusiness reporter
Getty ImagesOctopus Energy is set to spin off its Kraken Technologies arm as a standalone company after a deal to sell a stake in the platform valued it at $8.65bn (£6.4bn).
The energy giant, Britain’s biggest gas and electricity supplier, has sold a $1bn stake in the AI-based division to a group of investors led by New York-based D1 Capital Partners.
The move paves the way for Kraken to be demerged from Octopus, and for a potential stock market flotation for the business in the future.
Octopus founder and chief executive Greg Jackson told the BBC there was “every chance” Kraken would list its shares “in the medium term”, with the location of the flotation “between London and the US”.
Kraken uses AI to automate customer service and billing for energy companies and can manage when customers use energy, rewarding them for reducing consumption at peak times.
It was initially built for use by Octopus but has since picked up a raft of other utilities clients, including EDF, E.On Next, TalkTalk and National Grid US. It now serves 70 million household and business accounts around the world.
The majority of the $1bn investment will go to Octopus to fund its expansion, with Kraken receiving the rest. Mr Jackson said Kraken will be operating completely independently of Octopus “within a few months”.
Other investors in the business included Fidelity International and a unit of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, with Octopus maintaining a 13.7% stake in Kraken.
Kraken chief executive Amir Orad said the spinoff would give it the “focus and freedom” to grow, with the company having previously struggled to do business with Octopus’s rivals.
Mr Jackson said that for a large tech firm such as Kraken, the location for its share listing would be either London or the US.
“One thing about Kraken is we’ve got this global investor base… and so really the stock exchanges have got to kind of show why they are the right one for business.”
A London listing for Kraken’s shares would reverse a trend of firms snubbing the UK in favour of floating in the US.
Mr Jackson said Octopus had created 12,000 jobs in the UK, with 1,500 of these attributed to Kraken.
He said the company would keep its headquarters in the UK, and that “if London can be the right place to list, I would love that”.
“But it’s down to be where you’re going to get the most investor support and the most support from the stock exchange.”
The demerger comes amid the continued growth of Octopus Energy, which overtook British Gas to become the UK’s largest energy supplier earlier this year, serving 7.7 million households.
But it confirmed this year it was one of three retail energy firms that had not yet met regulator Ofgem’s financial resilience targets.
Octopus said the cash injection would “almost double Octopus Energy Group’s already strong balance sheet”.
The deal was announced as Octopus published its results for the year to April, revealing it made a £260m loss before tax, compared with a £78m pre-tax profit a year earlier.
That came despite overall sales rising by a tenth to £13.7bn. Octopus took a hit from lower energy demand due to warmer weather and the ending of energy crisis allowance payments in 2024.
It said warmer weather hit profits by around £103m, blaming the UK’s hottest spring on record since 1885, which saw gas usage slump by 11% in March and 25% in April.
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Ørsted completes divestment of 50 % stake in Hornsea 3
Further to the announcement issued on 3 November 2025, Ørsted has today completed the divestment of a 50 % stake in the Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm to Apollo-managed funds.
For further information, please contact:
Ørsted Global Media Relations
Kathrine Ejlskov
+45 99 55 10 23
katej@orsted.comØrsted Investor Relations
Valdemar Hoegh Andersen
+45 99 55 56 71
Ir@orsted.comAbout Ørsted
Ørsted is a global leader in developing, constructing, and operating offshore wind farms, with a core focus on Europe. Backed by more than 30 years of experience in offshore wind, Ørsted has 10.2 GW of installed offshore capacity and 8.1 GW under construction. Ørsted’s total installed renewable energy capacity spanning Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America exceeds 18 GW across a portfolio that also includes onshore wind, solar power, energy storage, bioenergy plants, and energy trading. Widely recognised as a global sustainability leader, Ørsted is guided by its vision of a world that runs entirely on green energy. Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approximately 8,000 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2024, the group’s operating profit excluding new partnerships and cancellation fees was DKK 24.8 billion (EUR 3.3 billion). Visit orsted.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.Attachments
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Exploring the icy moons of the solar system – Physics World
Exploring the icy moons of the solar system – Physics World