Leicester round table explores public-private collaboration for affordable housing
Forty key figures from the property and construction sector recently convened at an Invest in Leicester round table, hosted by Leicester City Council. The event focused on collaborative efforts to address the city’s growing need for affordable housing.
Chris Burgin, Director of Housing at Leicester City Council, outlined the significant challenge: to deliver the volume of affordable homes required annually to meet the needs of the community, encouraging a united approach between the public and private sectors.
The round table session served as a platform for open discussion and exploration of collaboration opportunities. Property executives from Leicester and Leicestershire delved into potential strategies including joint venture models, innovative construction methods and best practice examples of utilising public sector assets.
Chairing the meeting was Richard Sword, Strategic Director of Leicester City Council, who said: “Delivering affordable housing for our residents is a top priority for the council, the significant interest and attendance at this round table demonstrates the strong appetite within the industry to collaborate and tackle this challenge together. By working hand-in-hand, we can create housing solutions that are sustainable, accessible, and enrich the lives of our residents.”
The roundtable focused on several housing challenges faced by the City Council, which declared a housing crisis in 2022, calling for urgent action from the central government to ease pressure caused by the growing demand for affordable housing.
Leicester’s Deputy City Mayor for Housing, Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, said: “We have an ambitious plan to deliver housing for the residents of Leicester, however, we know that we cannot deliver this alone, and we need to work with the private sector in order to respond to the housing challenges in the city.
“We are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with our private sector partners in this endeavour to accelerate the delivery of housing for our residents. The discussions during the recent roundtable have highlighted the enthusiasm of our partners to join forces with us in championing our vision. Together, we are committed to ensuring that our residents gain access to affordable and quality homes.”
Rob McGuinn, Vice Chairperson at the property professional services firm MDA Consulting, said: “The collaborative spirit at this round table was inspiring. Collaborating with the council, we can build a mutually beneficial relationship that delivers a future where everyone has access to secure and affordable housing.”
New trustee for Derbyshire counselling service
Mental health charity Derwent Rural Counselling Service (DRCS) has strengthened its board of trustees.Privacy, data protection and operational risk professional Matthew Varnham joins the eight-strong board at the countywide counselling service.DRCS operates as a partner of Talking Mental Health Derbyshire (TMHD), who are a provider of the NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression programme for Derbyshire Health Care Foundation Trust. Matthew, who has worked at well-known financial institutions, said: “This type of service is so important for the communities it serves. I am enthusiastic and keen to support the work DRCS already does to break down barriers and help ensure services are available to those who need them.“My current professional role has a heavy focus on emerging technologies – such as generative AI and policy, and I am keen to contribute where I can across the organisation on compliance with governance documents and the law, confirming accountability and acting with reasonable care.”Mark Serby, chair of trustees for the charity, said: “I am delighted to welcome Matthew onto the DRCS board. Matthew brings some added dimensions to the team at a time when privacy, data protection and operational risk are key to organisations.”
East Midlands start-up boost comes with warning of ‘perfect storm’
New research from the Midlands branch of R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring body, indicates that a ‘perfect economic storm’ could be brewing in the region as the number of East Midlands start-ups hiked sharply last month, along with a significant rise in cashflow ‘red flags’.
Based on an analysis of data from business intelligence provider Creditsafe, the R3 Midlands figures show that start-ups rose steeply by 49.3% in the East Midlands in January, from 2,006 in December to 2,995. Year-on-year, the January figure highlights a rise of 21.75% compared to January 2023, when start-ups numbered 2,460.
Crucially, the R3 analysis also shows that levels of debts owed by East Midlands businesses in liquidation in the region more than tripled (246.43%) last month and rose by over one fifth (37.59%) in comparison with January of last year. In addition, the number of local companies with late payments on their books has begun to rise for the first time in recent months.
R3 Midlands Chair Stephen Rome, a partner at the local office of law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper, said: “Significant increases in the number of local businesses, along with substantial rises in late payments and monies owed by firms in liquidation could create a perfect economic storm if the region’s new entrepreneurs fail to cushion cashflow and keep the sharpest eye on costs.
“We are facing extremely challenging times in our local economy, with very tricky trading conditions across all sectors, but they can be navigable if entrepreneurs are duly cautious and don’t back away from taking professional advice when needed.
“Patience may also be a virtue as new economic forecasts see a fall in inflation this spring, enabling the Bank of England to cut interest rates towards the middle of the year. If this happens, it will give companies far more stability and certainty to plan ahead and invest in their operations.
“In the meantime, should significant cash flow difficulties arise, it’s crucial for business owners to take professional advice as soon as possible. There is a significant amount which can be done to rescue and support local companies if help is taken early enough.”
Planning permission approved for Boughton Community Hub
A new Community Hub, which will provide a space for skills development, social activities, and support for local residents in Boughton, has been given the green light by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee.
Located on Manvers View, a council house will be transformed into a Community Hub for residents and tenants, providing a base for them to work with the Council and in partnership with the Police and health and community-based services to tackle local issues.
It will also be used as a space for local groups and clubs to meet and provide both vocational and academic courses for residents, using a series of iPad and desktop facilities linked to the local Further Education College.
Work on the Hub is being partly funded through the District Council’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Hub will open to the community in the spring.
Councillor Lee Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “I am really pleased planning permission has been granted to start work on this exciting project. We have a Community Hub in Chatham Court in Newark which has been a real asset to the local community, and I’m excited we can bring this to Boughton.
“Tenants’ and residents’ views will be at the heart of this project, and we are committed to making sure the Hub is a community space that reflects the wants of local people and is something they will use. It’ll be a space for social gatherings but also a place where residents can gain new skills, tackle local issues together and receive support.
“Of the 139 properties our team spoke with, 110 said the Hub will benefit them and the local community. Additionally, several residents expressed their desire to be volunteers here, so it’s great to see the community excited about this project. I look forward to seeing the Community Hub when works are complete.”
trentbarton colleagues raise £6,000 for Alzheimer’s Research
trentbarton bus drivers and colleagues have donated £6,000 to Alzheimer’s Research UK after fundraising for their charity of the year for both 2022 and 2023.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK’s leading dementia research charity, dedicated to causes, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and cure.
trentbarton staff devoted two years on a wide variety of fundraising events and initiatives, including its Namesake programme where people can donate to have a bus named after a loved one.
Events run by staff, including the teams’ charity champions who organise fundraising, included a football match, golf day, Easter and Christmas raffles, and bake sales.
Alzheimer’s Research UK was chosen to be the firm’s charity partner after a poll of trentbarton staff between a shortlist of good causes drawn from nominations by colleagues and customers.
Alzheimer’s Research UK Regional Fundraising Officer Zoe Dean said: “We’re so grateful to trentbarton for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK as their charity partner.
“Fantastic fundraising efforts like this from both staff and customers will help us get closer to a cure for people with dementia and their loved ones.”
trentbarton’s Marketing and Communications Manager Scarlet McCourt said: “Our colleagues at the depots and head office have enjoyed raising money for such a good cause.
“Practically everyone’s family is touched by Alzheimer’s and dementia in some way, so we are all very pleased that we have been able to support this important charity.”
Students tackle challenges faced by employers in Mansfield and Ashfield
Students from Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) Mansfield Hub have teamed up with employers from the Mansfield and Ashfield area to help them solve some key local challenges.
The NTU Mansfield Challenge event featured local employers such as Ashfield District Council and Inspire College. These organisations provided different teams of students with a brief to work on and asked them to present their findings back to the employer a week later.
Ashfield District Council (ADC) tasked students with providing recommendations on how the council and its partners can reduce homelessness and crimes committed by those experiencing it.
The student team researched the different demographics and dynamics of the homeless community in Ashfield and made suggestions around how the council can make its support to the homeless population more visible and accessible.
Ross Twinn, Graduate Management Trainee at Ashfield District Council, said: “Our student team presented really well on how we can better address the instability experienced within homelessness and the higher prevalence of crime as a result. This is something that Ashfield needs to tackle and it’s been fantastic having a group of talented and engaged students to help us with this challenge.
“One of the reasons we wanted to participate in the Mansfield Challenge was to start to create pathways between local talent and coming to work with Ashfield District Council.”
Inspire College also took part in the NTU Mansfield Challenge to give students the chance to look into the different barriers that young people might face that could prevent them applying to the college. Inspire College was created to work with students who are currently not in education, employment or training and aims to make education accessible to all.
Simon Cook, Manager at Inspire College, said: “Participating in the NTU Mansfield Challenge gave us the opportunity to get unique and important perspectives from young people. Young people’s voices are so important to help us understand we are giving them what they need, so to get this insight on the barriers they may face accessing education has been invaluable for us.”
10 employers and more than 50 students took part in the NTU Mansfield Challenge, which will run again in 2025.
Graham Whyborn, Work-like Experience Projects Coordinator at NTU, said: “The NTU Mansfield Challenge is an event that really showcases the collaborative nature of the NTU Mansfield Hub and the great links with industry and local employers that we have. The feedback we have received from the employers that took part has been excellent and they have found it very useful to have access to a pool of our talented students.”
Leicestershire universities partnership brings economic benefits in first year
A partnership of universities in Leicester and Loughborough has, within its first year, brought benefits to local businesses, schoolchildren and international visitors across the region.
It has been just over 12 months since the University of Leicester, De Montfort University and Loughborough University joined forces with the five local authorities in the county through a civic agreement to form the Universities Partnership (UP).
Centred around five themes: Arts, Culture and Heritage; Environmental Sustainability; Health, Wellbeing and Sport; The Economy and Education – the partnership aims to positively impact the region by bringing experts together to work on shared goals.
This milestone collaboration, spearheaded by the universities’ three Vice-Chancellors is already benefitting local people and the local economy through a number of initiatives.
The three universities have harnessed their collective purchasing power and achieved cost savings by working together to implement the Social Value Portal (SVP).
The SVP is an online tool that helps organisations look beyond the financial cost of a contract and consider how the services they buy can improve the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of the area.
The universities are also working towards aligning procurement processes to benefit local SMEs interested in supplying to them.
The UP also delivered one of five East Midlands Race to Zero Accelerator Programmes. The programme which is designed to support local small and medium-sized enterprises to create carbon reduction plans generated a wealth of knowledge for local organisations, as well as a number of resources, including reporting guides, training materials and templates.
These materials have now been made available online as part of the UP’s ongoing commitment to support local organisations to reduce their environmental impact.
One of the highlights from the year was the UP international event that took place in October. International partners from across the world gathered in Leicester to hear first-hand from regional leaders and civic dignitaries about why the county is one of the most attractive destinations for international students in the country.
The week-long programme of activity showcased what Leicestershire has to offer international students and demonstrated a unified welcoming voice from the area.
Another significant project from the partnership is the Graduate City project which focuses on retaining graduates in the region in order to support economic growth and increase productivity.
The careers teams from each university have been working closely with the local authority partners to enable local small and medium-sized businesses and voluntary sector organisations to benefit from funded student and graduate placements.
This project will continue in 2024 and will grow to connect more businesses in Leicestershire with university talent.
Creating educational skills and opportunities that enable local people from all backgrounds to flourish is the main objective of the Education theme and the Pathways team have made great strides on this front this year.
The Pathways team, which is a collaboration between the three Universities and two Further Education Colleges (Leicester and Loughborough) have been busy working with schools and their pupils across Leicestershire to provide help and resources for students, teachers, parents and carers to find out more about higher education and future careers.
Over the last year they have worked with thousands of pupils in schools across the area to offer them a taste of what university is like and help them develop the skills they need to reach their potential and progress to higher education.
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: “The power of partnership working must never be underestimated. By combining our diverse expertise we are able to tackle the challenges we face together, and to provide an even greater positive impact on our region. The partnership has achieved a great deal in its first year and I am excited to see it develop further in the year ahead.”
Professor Katie Normington, Vice-Chancellor of DMU, said: “As a partnership, we can use each university’s respective strengths and present very compelling funding bids. This has already allowed us to start some ambitious work to support the local economy, create better opportunities for education and employment and it will be exciting to see this work grow.”
Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University, said: “The UP is already demonstrating what can be achieved when organisations from the region work together, sharing their strengths to have a much greater impact on their communities. I look forward to seeing the partnership continuing to expand and flourish.”
The partnership’s priorities for the year ahead will be the development of new projects that respond to the feedback from stakeholders on local needs.
Cabinet approves future plans for Northampton County Hall buildings
Plans to lease out parts of the former County Hall buildings in Northampton aim to ensure a positive future for these important heritage buildings.
County Hall, along with other historic buildings like the Guildhall, holds significant importance in the town and county’s history and forms an integral part of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC’s) collection of heritage assets.
However, after a thorough review of WNC office space and assets, it became clear that there is a surplus of office and administrative meeting rooms within these historic sites, which could be better utilised whilst reducing costs on the public purse.
In a move aimed at ensuring these buildings have a productive future and have the best chance of retaining their character and historic significance, the Council’s Cabinet has approved the following:
- Judges’ Lodgings: the property will be transferred on a long leasehold basis, with potential use as a hotel or private residence, maintaining its character as a dwelling.
- Centre Block and Former Constabulary Block: the Council will seek to transfer this on a long leasehold basis for restoration and conversion, probably to flats, to maximize the property’s potential, ensure its preservation, and allow people to enjoy its historic features.
- Sessions House and Front Block: whilst elements may be leased for commercial food and drink operations, the Council will continue to investigate alternative uses which retain public use of these historic spaces and enhance the regeneration of the town centre seeking to attract and increase future footfall. Separately, work will be pursued on options for greater public access to experience the history of justice in Northampton.
Planning application submitted for further 100,600 sq ft unit at Fairham Business Park
IMA Architects have submitted a detailed planning application to Rushcliffe Borough Council for Plot A2, a 100,600 sq ft purpose-built facility at Fairham Business Park on behalf of Clowes Developments.
The unit will be located between Plot A4, a 100,000 sq ft unit which is currently under construction, and the recently completed stand-alone facility for SLS Medical who are now on site and fully operational.
The brand-new purpose-built manufacturing premises will be comprised of a 76,520 sq ft single story warehouse with 24,000 sq ft office and welfare space over 2 storeys. At the front of the building, there will be 152 car parking spaces with 16 electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.
There will also be a large service yard to the rear with 2 dock levellers and 3 level access to meet the needs of the occupier. Clowes will be providing a fully photovoltaic (PV) ready frame. The unit is expected to be ready for occupation by end of 2024.
Ben Hall, director, IMA Architects, said: “IMA are delighted to submit another planning application to Rushcliffe Borough Council for Fairham Business Park. The level of interest and quality of potential occupiers is very encouraging for the brand-new neighbourhood.
“Offering excellent tailored facilities for businesses looking to make Fairham Business Park their home is providing further investment, local jobs and bringing economic opportunity to the area. Our latest application will further bolster this trend.”
James Richards, director at Clowes Developments, added: “Since its inception, we have seen a lot of interest in Fairham Business Park. This is no doubt down to its excellent location, first rate transport links, incredible setting and overall quality and speed of delivery of the development.
“In total, over half of Fairham Business Park, totalling 500,000 sq ft, is now sold, rented or under offer. In the last few months, we have evolved the site from a construction site to a thriving business park with two occupiers fully operational.
“The success of Fairham Business Park to date comes down to the hard work and dedication from our agents, construction contractors, professional advisors and our in-house team.”
Thai restaurant chain chooses Leicester for nationwide development and distribution site
A nationwide chain of Thai restaurants, Giggling Squid, has chosen Leicester as the location for its main distribution network throughout the UK.
A trading name of Chokdee Limited, which itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of Giggling Restaurants Limited; the group has recently taken occupation of a warehouse unit at Elland Road Leicester for use as a menu development facility and new product development kitchen, as well as a training and national distribution centre.
Andrew + Ashwell, Leicester-based commercial property specialist, has secured the deal for the lease of the building. This comprises almost 45,000 sq ft of prime modern warehouse accommodation on the well-established Braunstone Frith Industrial Estate, three miles west of the city centre.
Located close to Leicester’s Outer Ring Road, as well as M1 motorway Junctions 21 and 21A, the unit includes single-storey warehousing and open-plan two-storey offices, together with ample parking, on a prominent corner site on the west side of the estate.
Giggling Squid specialises in creating original Thai dishes using the diverse ingredients found across Thailand. The first Giggling Squid restaurant opened in 2002 and the brand continues to expand, with almost 50 restaurants nationwide, including Leicester, employing more than 1,500 directly contracted, rather than agency, staff.
The supply chain includes sellers of direct ingredients and wholesalers from the UK and worldwide, as well as suppliers of business necessities, including office supplies and technical support.
Refurbishment of the new building is currently underway, with the completed hub set to be up and running by the end of March. The group also aims to recruit 20 new employees from the Leicester community.
On behalf of the group as a whole, Vikas Agarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The Elland Road unit is part of an exciting phase in the growth of our business. From menu development, to training our teams, as well as distributing our fantastic Thai ingredients to our restaurants, it is ideally located to become the hub for our operations.”
Mike Allwood, A+A partner, added: “Leicester is an ideal location for an expanding organisation, as it is strategically sited for easy nationwide distribution and conveniently located as a central link for the company’s restaurants across the UK. Giggling Squid has chosen well and we wish the group every success in this important venture that should boost their business even further.”
