Newark-based WilSon Energy, a provider of Heating, Metering, Pre-Payment and Billing & Bureau Services for residential homes and commercial developments, has undertaken the first phase of a smart meter installation at a former factory in Bradford. In phase one, WilSon Energy has been appointed to install 150 smart meters on a private electricity network, as part of a complete renovation of the one-time Hallmark card factory, which is undergoing a major refurbishment into 380 residential units, to be known as The Printworks. The developers delivering the scheme were experiencing issues with a lack of transparency around metering information, billing details and were not able to access charging and consumption data for electrical energy usage. Many tenants had previously complained about incorrect bills, queried energy usage and the management team were finding it difficult to manage billing. As well as installing the private energy network and smart meters, the firm will support the landlord with a complete meter monitoring, billing and bureau service and a customer excellence team. Andy Wilkinson, CEO at WilSon Energy, said: “WilSon Energy stepped in to offer support and find a solution to the challenges the property developers were facing in 2022. By putting in a private electricity network with dedicated smart meters, which provides access to an online portal with real time data, we can put landlords and tenants in control of their energy supplies and help with invoicing. “Our dedicated billing and bureau team is on hand to support landlords and property managers with data to inform decision making, while the smart meter and Pay as You Go system offers tenants multiple ways to pay and top up credit through a committed customer service team and resident portal.” A spokesperson from the property management company added: “With the previous system, deployed by a former contractor, we were not receiving management data, had issues with incorrect billing and lack of control over the energy supplier. Residents were understandably unhappy about receiving incorrect or sporadic bills. “With support from WilSon Energy we are in a position to roll out the latest technology to residents which will provide a myriad of benefits, including accurate readings and a more cost-effective solution for utility bill management, ultimately helping our tenants to monitor and manage their energy usage.” The first phase of installation is now complete, with the remaining dwellings in phase two to be fitted in mid 2023 when rest of renovations are due for completion.

The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands survey, compiled by S&P Global, showed that recruitment activity declined at the start of the year as firms were often hesitant to commit to new staff hires amid a weaker economic climate. Notably, permanent placements fell at the steepest rate for two years, while temp billings declined for the fourth time in the past five months. Candidate shortages also contributed to the drop in hiring activity. Staff availability continued to fall sharply across the region in January, most notably for short-term staff. Competition for scarce workers and efforts to fill vacancies – which rose further in January – led to sustained upturns in starting pay. The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands. Stronger decline in permanent staff appointments The number of people placed into permanent roles across the Midlands fell for the third time in the past four months in January. Notably, the rate of contraction accelerated to a substantial pace that was the quickest recorded for two years. It was also the steepest seen of all four monitored English regions. Recruiters that posted a fall in permanent placements often linked this to the weak economic climate and candidate shortages. At the national level, permanent staff appointments fell for the fourth straight month. Though solid, the rate of reduction was the softest seen over this period. After expanding for the first time in four months in December, billings received from temp staff hires in the Midlands declined in January. Though only modest, the reduction contrasted with increases in temp billings across the three other monitored English regions. Notably, billings rose at the strongest pace since last September across the UK as a whole, albeit one that was modest overall. Anecdotal evidence indicated that billings for short-term staff fell due to greater caution among clients due to the weaker economic outlook as well as low candidate supply. Demand for permanent staff in the Midlands continued to rise at the start of the year. The rate of vacancy growth quickened slightly on the month and was sharper than that seen at the national level. That said, the upturn remained softer than the long-run trend. Temporary job openings also expanded markedly, though growth softened from that seen in December and was below the series average. Nevertheless, the upturn was slightly quicker than that seen across the UK as a whole. Downturn in temp candidate numbers accelerates Recruitment consultancies based in the Midlands signalled a sharp and accelerated reduction in temp candidate supply at the start of 2023. Furthermore, the rate of deterioration was the sharpest seen in five months and the quickest of all four monitored English regions. There were reports that candidates often preferred the stability of permanent roles, while candidate availability was also hampered by skill shortages. The seasonally adjusted Permanent Staff Availability Index signalled a second successive monthly fall in permanent candidate numbers in the Midlands during January. The rate of decline eased slightly on the month, but remained sharp overall and exceeded the UK-wide trend. Concerns over the economy and job security had reportedly deterred potential job seekers, while Brexit and a low unemployment rate were also cited by recruiters as limiting candidate supply. The Midlands and the North of England posted the joint-steepest drop in permanent candidate numbers. London was the only monitored English region to see an improvement in permanent candidate supply. Starting salary inflation slips to 23-month low Average salaries awarded to newly-placed permanent staff in the Midlands increased further in January, thereby stretching the current sequence of rising pay to 23 months. Though marked overall, the rate of growth eased to the softest seen over this period and was weaker than those seen across the three other monitored English regions. According to panellists, starting salaries had increased amid efforts to attract candidates and fill vacancies. Average hourly pay for short-term staff in the Midlands rose for the twenty-sixth month in a row during January. Furthermore, the rate of growth quickened to a five-month high and was slightly stronger than the national average. Where higher rates of temp pay were registered, recruiters often attributed this to greater competition for scarce workers. Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, people consulting partner for KPMG in the Midlands said: “January saw permanent staff appointments fall at the quickest pace in two years, with demand for skilled staff continuing to outpace availability across the Midlands. “With the cost of living continuing to place upwards pressure on pay, job security causing low candidate supply and employers relying on temporary staff as permanent placements decline again, the jobs market remains volatile. “Recruiters and employers should be thinking creatively about how to attract and retain permanent hires to bring about stability, including by taking on more apprentices across a range of age groups, and investing in upskilling and reskilling their existing staff.” Neil Carberry, Chief Executive of the REC, said: “January’s recruitment activity suggests that speculation about a shallower economic downturn may be justified. Temporary pay growth has quickened as supply of short-term workers has fallen sharply. This means the rate of pay growth in the Midlands increased to a five-month high and was stronger than the national average. “Underpinning a sense of optimism, vacancies increased for both temporary and permanent roles in January. While this will reflect activity that may have been delayed from the autumn, it is another sign of firms feeling confident to hire, even if they are leaning more to temporary hiring than normal in this uncertain environment. That is the power of our temporary work market – it gives us a way to ensure firms can grow and people can build their careers even when the picture is uncertain. “The need to address the fundamental challenges our labour market faces has not changed with the turning of the year. From skills to tackling economic inactivity, and from immigration to childcare there is much that can be done in partnership with business to help our economy grow and workers to prosper. Ahead of the Budget, the Chancellor should put the people stuff first across the whole of government. Every department has a role to play in getting growth going – and that starts with enabling our labour market.”

Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council met with private sector businesses including IM Properties, Commercial Estates Group, Strata Living, Charles Street Buildings Group and Hickman and Smith in the first of a series of collaborative round table events. At the first session, held at Space Park Leicester, partners identified marketing the place, unlocking growth, meeting housing demand, achieving net zero and planning to support growth as key priorities to progress that will support investment and sustainable growth across the city and county. The aim of the round tables is to focus on specific topics impacting growth and inward investment in Leicester and Leicestershire, and discuss how the public and private sector can work together to reflect on successes and constructively challenge issues, leading to positive outcomes for businesses and residents in the city and county. Richard Sword, Strategic Director for City Development at Leicester City Council, said: “It’s critical that communication lines are open between the council and our partners in the property industry. The City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby has delivered significant regeneration in the city over recent years with more large-scale regeneration planned in the future. “We can only realise the city’s ambitions with the help and support from our partners. It was an insightful first round table session, discussing some meaningful issues on key topics, alongside some meaningful industry insights around the challenges faced in our region.” Tom Purnell, Assistant Chief Executive at Leicestershire County Council, said: “We have ambitious growth plans, and we know that partners are key to shaping and delivering our vision. “Thanks to the hard work and collaborative relationships between our public and private sectors, Leicester and Leicestershire offer new houses, excellent transport links and skilled people that attract some of the biggest global brands.” A further four round tables are due to be held in the coming 12 months in the city and county’s drive to continue their partnership working with the private sector.

A potential purchaser is being sought for Nottingham-based kitchen countertop professionals, Phoenix Granite. It comes after consecutive years of high-profit margins and continuous success. Mark Fitzgerald-Cooke, Managing Director at Intelligent Business Brokers, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for any individual looking for a business in the East Midlands. We are delighted to be listing Phoenix Granite as a business for sale, with an excellent reputation and a large network of both B2B and B2C clients in the area.” Mr Tauroza, Phoenix Granite owner and operator, is offering a transitional period to any purchaser, and guarantees that the future of Phoenix Granite will be even brighter than its past achievements.

The future of abundant low-carbon energy without the need for fossil fuels could be in sight after Science Minister George Freeman announced the creation of a new delivery body for the UK’s fusion programme, named UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd. Fusion energy has the potential to transform our world, by delivering near limitless, safe and low-carbon energy across the globe for generations to come. It also represents a burgeoning industry in which the UK is already a world-leader, as demonstrated by the record-setting results from experiments conducted at the UK’s Joint European Torus (JET) facility last year, with the potential to not only power the world but deliver vast economic growth across the country. On the visit to the future site of the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant at West Burton, near Retford, the minister urged energy companies and investors to recognise the vast potential fusion energy could have for both the UK and the wider world. The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) plant will be constructed by 2040 to demonstrate the ability to use fusion energy to generate electricity for the UK grid. Magnetic confinement fusion, the approach to generate fusion that will be demonstrated in STEP, occurs when a mix of two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme temperatures – 10 times hotter than the core of the sun – fuse together to create helium and release huge amounts of energy. The energy created from fusion can be used to generate electricity in the same way as existing power stations. Fusion is many million times more efficient than burning coal, oil or gas and the raw materials needed to provide the fuel for fusion are readily available in nature. However, a number of significant technical hurdles remain, which the STEP programme is set up to address. The STEP programme intends to pave the way to the commercialisation of fusion and the potential development of a fleet of future plants around the world, driving forward the UK’s global leadership in this innovative sector. The announcement comes shortly after a major breakthrough for fusion in the US where the US National Ignition Facility in California conducted fusion experiments which released more energy than was put in by the lab’s enormous, high-powered lasers, a landmark achievement known as energy gain. Science and Innovation Minister George Freeman said: “Fusion energy now has the potential to transform our world for the better by harnessing the same process powering the sun to provide cheap, abundant, low-carbon energy across the world. “The UK is the world-leader in fusion science and technology, and now we are moving to turn fusion from cutting edge science into a billion-pound clean energy industry to create thousands of UK jobs across the UK, grow exports and drive regeneration of this former coalfield site through a fusion innovation cluster in Nottinghamshire. “That’s why I’m delighted to announce the creation of Industrial Fusion Solutions as the vehicle for industrial development and deployment of this technology as a new clean energy source in the coming decades.” Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKAEA Chief Executive, said: “The establishment of Industrial Fusion Solutions will enable STEP to accelerate its journey towards delivery of electricity from fusion energy to the grid. The new body, which will be formed over the next 18 months, will be established as a programme delivery organisation, driving performance and pace and engaging industry in this endeavour. “Alongside the establishment of the new organisation, we are beginning to map out our future skills requirements and, as part of this, we are committing to the development of a STEP Skills Centre at West Burton. This will enable us to provide as many opportunities as possible to people across the area. “We look forward to working with people in the region to develop our ambitious plans and realising broader social and economic benefits.” The new organisation will be a company limited by shares established to work together with industry to deliver the prototype plant by 2040. Recruitment for the Chair of UKIFS launches soon. As part of the visit, Science Minister George Freeman also announced an immediate commitment to create the STEP Skills Centre at West Burton, a major boost during National Apprenticeship Week. He also spoke with local apprentices currently working at the UKAEA Culham campus, and key local stakeholders. Welcoming the news of a new delivery body and skills centre, Councillor Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council said: “STEP will bring incredible benefits to the county and wider region, including millions, if not billions worth of investment, putting it at the heart of the government’s plans to revolutionise the way we generate energy in the UK. “The site will be the international hub for carbon-neutral, fusion development, attracting the brightest minds locally and from across the world and creating thousands of highly skilled jobs. The creation of a new skills centre at West Burton will further boost skills and training.” Cllr James Naish, Leader of Bassetlaw District Council, said: “The District Council welcomes the announcement of the creation of a new company to deliver the STEP project. The construction of a prototype fusion energy plan will require significant investment over the next two decades, and we are delighted that the initial steps – including the appointment of the first three local jobs – are happening quickly and efficiently. “I am especially excited by the broader benefits of this project. In addition to billions of pounds being spent on the project itself, we envisage millions being pumped into towns and villages across Bassetlaw, through both direct and indirect investment. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Retford, Tuxford and other nearby settlements to see improved infrastructure, better connectivity, and thousands of new skilled jobs – all of which will raise living standards and transform our area. “The announcement about a new training hub on the West Burton site is also warmly welcomed. The creation of high-quality apprenticeships for people of all ages is a corporate priority for the Council, and we are looking forward to working with the UKAEA and its partners to create successful training programmes for current and future Bassetlaw residents.”