New senior recruit at Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors
Specialist law firm Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors has welcomed Sarina Mahal as its new senior associate.
The solicitor has joined the Leicestershire-based legal firm which provides employers with advice and representation on all aspects of employment law.
Sarina started her career in HR at Boots and British Gypsum before training as a lawyer at Eversheds. Whilst with Eversheds Sutherland’s Employment Group, Sarina worked in Birmingham, London, Nottingham and Dubai.
During her time with Eversheds, Sarina worked with partners and the wider teams to manage contentious, non-contentious and international matters for FTSE and Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups and owner-managed businesses.
The fitness enthusiast then enjoyed a short family career break with her husband and two young children before joining Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors.
Sarina said: “I am privileged to be part of this exciting new collaborative team as it grows from strength to strength.
“Michael has a friendly and forward-thinking approach, and really does knows how to create a motivated environment, promoting true flexibility and autonomy.”
Michael Cummins launched his new legal firm one year ago and quickly recruited Fabienne McAllister as its first new partner. Both Sarina and Fabienne are bilingual – Sarina is fluent in Punjabi and Fabienne in French.
Michael said: “We are very happy to have attracted such a talented solicitor as Sarina. Her time as a HR professional early in her career is also a big advantage.
“It has helped her have a real understanding of client needs and the importance of providing pragmatic, commercial legal advice.
“As we continue to grow our business, working with more and more employers across the region and beyond, we are keen to hear from like-minded lawyers keen to develop in their own careers.”
Wellingborough Garden Centre sold to industry newcomers
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co has completed the sale of Wellingborough Garden Centre in Great Doddington, Northamptonshire to the Howard Family.
Albeit newcomers to the garden centre industry the family already operates successful construction, plant hire and building repairs businesses and hopes their wealth of experience in horticulture and landscaping will translate quickly into continued success at the soon-to-be-rebranded garden centre.
This large, established plant and garden centre sits on a prime 3.49-acre site just off the A45. The site was sold by Christie & Co on behalf of Wyevale back in 2018, so it is one of the first former Wyevale sites that Christie & Co’s specialist garden centre retail team have sold for a second time.
Tom Glanvill, Director – Garden Centres & Retail at Christie & Co, who brokered the deal, says: “The sale of Wellingborough Garden Centre reinforces the appetite for the garden centre sector, with a diverse range of purchasers, many who are not currently operating a garden centre, keen to enter the market.
“During the marketing process, we received a wide range of interest and offers from seven potential purchasers, and we are delighted to see the Howard family secure the business. The site offers huge scope for growth and having spoken to the family about their plans, I am sure that the reopening of the café and other improvements will bring this garden centre back to its full potential.”
The Howard family say: “We are extremely excited in our acquisition of the garden centre and the possibilities for development that come with it.
“We’ve visited the garden centre for many years and know the strong reputation for customer service and customer satisfaction that the team remaining in place have worked so hard to maintain. Our immediate efforts to refurbish and re-open the cafe sit central to our plan to increase our offerings to those within Doddington Village, and the wider Wellingborough area.
“We want the already successful business to continue to grow, whilst installing a community feel at the heart of the way we run the business. We will rebrand to reflect this, trading as Doddington Nurseries for the foreseeable future.”
University of Nottingham’s Creative Energy Homes host energy storage tech trials
New energy storage technology, which could significantly reduce household bills and help the UK achieve net zero, has been installed at the University of Nottingham’s Creative Energy Homes.
The installation is the latest step for the Advanced Distributed Storage for Grid Benefit Project (ADSorB) – a consortium led by researchers from the University of Sheffield – which aims to commercialise the use of new thermal energy storage technologies developed at the University of Loughborough. The technologies store excess energy when renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, are plentiful, so it can be released and used during peak times or to make up for shortfalls in supply.
The team previously undertook a feasibility study, where they evaluated Thermochemical Storage (TCS), which can offer longer term storage, and Phase Change Material (PCM) technologies, which are more agile and offer shorter term storage. Combined, the two have the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions, provide a more flexible approach to renewable energy storage and support the country’s net zero ambitions.
These technologies have since been developed and adapted to become modular thermal energy stores that can be slotted into homes alongside the household’s existing energy system – whether that’s as part of a retrofit or within a new build. These prototypes have been installed at Nottingham.
“Soaring household bills have been hitting headlines for months as the cost-of-living crisis continues. Therefore, finding an effective alternative has never been more important,” said Mark Gillott, Professor of Sustainable Design at the University of Nottingham.
Professor Gillott continued: “Thermal energy storage has the potential to solve two issues in one – not only is it cost effective, but it also removes renewable energy’s dependency on specific weather conditions.
“This is the first of two installations scheduled to take place at Nottingham this year. We’ve started with PCM technology and will follow with TCS later on in autumn, which will provide us with comparable data for both types of technology. By undertaking these trials at lived-in homes, we’ll be able to provide accurate results that will allow us to scale up the technology and bring it to market as quickly as possible.”
Alongside Nottingham, the project team is made up of researchers from Sheffield and Loughborough, universities, as well as Mixergy – a market leader in innovative, grid-connected hot water storage.
“This is an exciting milestone to have reached and we are now looking forward to generating the data, and creating an evidence base to demonstrate the benefit that distributed energy storage can provide,” said Dr Rob Barthorpe, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Dr Barthorpe continued: “We hope this will validate our modelling that showed not only consumer benefits through reduced bills, but grid and carbon reduction benefits that will make significant contributions to the UK’s net zero goals.”
The £2.6m project is funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through the Longer Duration Energy Storage Demonstration programme, part of the £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP).
Trade and assets of Derbyshire’s Nelson Distribution acquired
Kinaxia Logistics has acquired the trade and assets of Derbyshire-based Nelson Distribution, securing the jobs of all 170 staff employed in the business.
This acquisition follows Nelson Distribution’s parent company KNP Logistics Group filing a notice to appoint an administrator on Friday, September 22 2023.
Nelson Distribution, which is based in Belper, merged with Knights of Old in 2016 and generates annual turnover of £26m. KNP Logistics Group comprises Knights of Old, Nelson Distribution and Steve Porter Transport.
Kinaxia has stepped in to acquire Nelson Distribution’s 117-strong fleet, premises and customer base. All 170 Nelson Distribution staff are transferring to Kinaxia under TUPE arrangements.
Simon Hobbs, Chief Executive of Kinaxia, said Nelson Distribution would continue to serve its customer base as normal as part of the wider Kinaxia group.
He added: “We are pleased to have reached agreement to acquire the trading and assets of Nelson Distribution.
“It’s a good business and an excellent fit for Kinaxia. We share the same values, and Nelson Distribution is based in a good strategic location for our group.
“We are pleased to welcome the entire Nelson workforce and customer base to the Kinaxia family of businesses, and look forward to working with them and continuing to provide their customers with the great service they have been used to.”
Wilko pension fund deficit to be investigated
The Pensions Regulator is set to investigate wilko’s shareholders over dividends paid to themselves prior to the firm entering administration.
It comes as a £56m deficit in the wilko pension fund has been uncovered, according to reports from The Sunday Times.
The retailer’s administrators, PwC, think this deficit could be higher on a buy-out basis (£76m).
If wilko’s owners put the fund at risk, they could be made to pay any shortfalls.
Wilko’s pension scheme will be assessed by the Pension Protection Fund.
Pendragon receives revised take-over offer
Nottingham-based Pendragon has received a further unsolicited proposal from shareholder Hedin and PAG International to jointly acquire its entire issued and to be issued share capital.
The Board is considering the proposal, which offers 32 pence per share, in cash, upgraded from a 28 pence per share offer last week.
When rejecting the previous proposal Pendragon said: “The Board carefully considered the proposal, including taking advice from its advisers, and concluded that it fundamentally undervalues the company and is therefore not in the best interests of shareholders or other stakeholders.”
The news comes after Pendragon announced that it had agreed the terms of a proposed sale of the entire issued share capital of Pendragon NewCo 2 Limited (Pendragon NewCo) which will hold, either directly or indirectly through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the company’s entire UK motor business and leasing business, to Lithia UK Holding Limited (Lithia), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lithia Motors, Inc. for a gross aggregate consideration of £250 million. Lithia Motors is one of the largest automotive retailers in North America. Pendragon and Lithia Motors, Inc. have also agreed the terms of a strategic partnership with Lithia, including the rollout of Pinewood, the company’s dealer management software (DMS) business, to Lithia’s existing 50 UK sites and the creation of a joint venture to accelerate Pinewood’s entry into the highly attractive North American DMS market. As part of the transaction, Pendragon’s Pinewood division, which operates the company’s proprietary DMS business, would become a standalone entity, retaining Pendragon’s existing listing on the London Stock Exchange and creating a pure play Software as a Service (SaaS) business with an accelerated growth plan.Derby City Council calls on Government to take “swift and decisive action” to support train-maker
Derby City Council has called on the Government to take “swift and decisive action” to support train-maker Alstom, as it looks to ensure the future sustainability of its Derby site.
At a council meeting last week, support was given to a motion calling on government to make more contracts available for tender. While this is in no means a method of forcing contracts to be given to Alstom, the idea is to ensure it has the opportunity to compete for new projects.
The government has since said Alstom are welcome to participate in ongoing procurement processes. This could bridge a potential three year production gap, with orders for HS2 trains from Alstom’s Derby site pushed to 2026 and current orders running only until 2024.
With two thousand jobs at risk, due to delays with future contracts, including HS2, were the factory to close, the United Kingdom would become the only country within the G7 without the ability to design and manufacture its own trains.
Link ICT boost IT support team
Derby-based IT and telecoms support company Link ICT has appointed a further IT support technician as a result of growth from the education sector.
Connor Staton, who lives in Mansfield, joins the company having gained three years experience working on a graduate programme following his graduation from Sheffield Hallam University where he gained a Bachelors degree in computer networks.
In his new role, Connor will provide on-site IT support expertise to Link ICT school clients based in Chesterfield and North Nottinghamshire.
Connor said: “A lot of IT support roles are based at a single office with little interaction with hardware and setup. This role is more complex and as well as being on the front line supporting users whilst on site, I will also deal with a more diverse range of hardware and software which will allow me to learn a range of new skills.”
In his spare time Connor enjoys most sports including football, motorsports and American Football. He is also a gaming enthusiast and has set up and commentated on international events such as Dreamhack Summer, Dreamhack Rotterdam, GameForce Brussels, EGX London, the Commonwealth Esports Championship in Birmingham and student esports championships for universities and schools/colleges across the UK.
Staveley Waterside regeneration project gets green light
Approval has been granted for the Staveley Waterside project, which will revitalise the Staveley Canal Basin site.
£2.664 million has been earmarked from the Staveley Town Deal fund, to enable Derbyshire County Council to construct a 2-storey building, offering flexible space for new and existing small businesses, some retail use, and a food and beverage opportunity, with indoor and outdoor dining space, along with an access road, and mooring space.
A total of 11 units are planned within the centre, each equipped with kitchen and restroom facilities, while a new 40-metre footpath is planned along Hall Lane.
The project aims to encourage more visitors to use the canal and will also create space for around ten new businesses. Proposals were unanimously approved recently by councillors at Chesterfield Borough Council’s planning committee.
Councillor Tony King, cabinet member for clean growth and regeneration at Derbyshire County Council, said: “We’ve put together proposals for an exciting new development, which will help to bring jobs to the area and boost the visitor economy.
“Derbyshire County Council has been working alongside partners over a number of years to improve the Staveley Basin area and the Staveley Town Deal has given us a great opportunity to turn our ideas into reality, using our expertise from Markham Vale to create high-quality business accommodation as well as a visitor destination that people from near and far can enjoy.”
The Staveley Town Deal is a £25 million fund, which will bring forward multiple employment sites, and bring higher-level skilled jobs to the area.
As part of the Staveley Town Deal, Chesterfield Canal Trust is working on the restoration of the canal by extending it from the existing limit at Eckington Road. As well as improving outdoor space and creating new leisure infrastructure, it is expected that the restoration project will lead to a 20% increase in visitors to the Staveley area boosting the amount of money spent in the local economy.
Connect with the property industry this Thursday at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023!
Taking place on Thursday 28 September, the highly anticipated East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 is just days away.
Set to celebrate the region’s property and construction industry, the event is also an ideal networking opportunity, presenting a chance to form new connections with business leaders from across the East Midlands, as well as hear from guest speaker Matt Wallace, Director of Estates and Building Services at Leicester City Council.
Attend the glittering awards ceremony to see who takes home the title of Contractor of the Year, Developer of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Residential Development of the Year, Sustainable Development of the Year, Deal of the Year, Most Active Agents of the Year, Architects of the Year, Excellence in Design, Responsible Business and of course Overall Winner.
A highlight in the business calendar, book your place at the awards now to avoid disappointment!
The event will begin at 4:30pm and continue until 7:30pm. Complementary drinks and canapés will be served on arrival, kindly sponsored by Nicholas Associates Group. Dress code is standard business dress.
After winning deal of the year at last year’s event, Richard Foxon, Managing Director at Newton LDP, said: “My colleague Sam Jones and I thoroughly enjoyed the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022. The event was well attended, with some prestigious awards up for grabs. The evening offered a great opportunity to network with like-minded property folk, whilst enjoying the backdrop of Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Many thanks to all the organisers and sponsors.”
East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
When: Thursday 28 September 2023, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: The Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground
Keynote speaker: Matt Wallace, Director of Estates and Building Services at Leicester City Council
Dress code: Standard business attire
Tickets: Available here
Parking: Due to the Notts V Middlesex 4 day County Championship fixture, parking will likely be limited at Trent Bridge on the day, therefore parking has been made available for Bricks guests at the Notts Sports Club, Holme Road, NG2 5AA (by Nottingham Rugby Football Club), quoting “Bricks Awards” to any parking and gate stewards.
Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
Shortlist for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
Most Active Estate Agent – sponsored by OMS
BB&J Commercial
Mather Jamie
FHP Commercial Development of the Year – sponsored by MKMHBD – Power Park, Nottingham
Henry Brothers Construction – SportPark Pavilion 4, Loughborough
Bolsterstone Group Plc, Chesterfield Borough Council – One Waterside Place, Chesterfield Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by Press for Attention PR Cawarden G F Tomlinson Aspbury Planning Limited Residential Development of the Year – sponsored by Sterling Commercial FinancePhoenix Brickwork UK Ltd – St Marks student accommodation, Lincoln
Elms Developments – Elms Phase Two Ltd
St James Securities, Grainger – The Condor, Derby
Deal of the Year – sponsored by Mather JamieRushton Hickman Limited – Branston Locks deal
Bassi Group Nottingham Ltd – Job saving Pizza Hut takeover
Rigby & Co – Aida Factory deal
Developer of the Year – sponsored by WardChevin Homes
Clowes Developments
Brackley Property Developments
Architects of the Year – sponsored by Blueprint InteriorsIMA Architects
Matthew Montague Architects
Influence Landscape Planning and Design
Excellence in Design – sponsored by CawardenChevin Homes – Amber Farm
Marchini Curran Associates – Phoenix cinema and art centre
Trident Construction Services – Lark Hill Retirement Village refurbishment
Sustainable Development of the Year – sponsored by Viridis Building Services LtdHBD – Power Park, Nottingham
Henry Brothers Construction – SportPark Pavilion 4, Loughborough
Elms Developments – Elms Phase Two ltd
Contractor of the Year – sponsored by RammSanderson CawardenEE Smith Contracts
Bowmer + Kirkland
The Overall Winner, sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants, will also be announced at the ceremony, who will be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000.
To be held at:
