City and county councils in the East Midlands have agreed to move forward with devolution plans for the region worth at least £1.14 billion.
Nottingham City Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Derby City Council have all now agreed to proceed with the plans.
Agreement means that new local powers and funding to improve the environment, skills training, transport, housing, and the economy could be in place as soon as next year.
For that to happen, new legislation is needed, so that a new form of Combined County Authority can be created. With new legislation in place, proposals for devolution could be sent to the Government for approval and Royal Assent, meaning that devolution in the East Midlands could be a reality from spring 2024, with the first ever election for a regional mayor, covering Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Derby, and Nottingham, taking place in May 2024.
Local leaders are backing devolution to promote economic growth, secure more investment in our area, for more and better jobs, and for better transport, skills training, housing, and an enhanced greener environment.
Historically, the East Midlands has often been an area of low Government funding, compared to many other areas of the UK. If the proposals for devolution go ahead, a guaranteed funding stream of £38 million a year for 30 years could help to reverse this trend.
The votes follow a public consultation which took place from November 2022 to January 2023. The consultation showed substantial support for the improvements that devolution would make possible. While slightly more disagreed than agreed with proposals for governance, with comments tending to centre around the regional mayor, having a regional mayor is a condition set by the Government for a level three deal, which offers the most powers and highest funding, which many respondents supported.
The mayor would lead the new combined authority, which would also include representatives from local councils, with decision making powers and resources moving from London to the East Midlands. Local businesses would also have a voice, as well as other organisations.
The devolution deal would not mean scrapping or merging local councils, which would all continue to exist as they do now and would still be responsible for most public services in the area. The mayor and combined authority would instead focus on wider issues like transport, regeneration, and employment across both cities and counties.
Millions in funding for local improvements in the East Midlands has already been approved by the Government. The funding which has been given the green light is part of an early investment offered to our area as part of devolution negotiations and is not dependent on devolution proposals going ahead.
A £10 million project led by the Public Health Foundation of India and working in collaboration with experts from the University of Leicester to improve healthcare in the subcontinent has taken a step forward with a launch planned in Nepal next month.
The funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will allow the University of Leicester and the Public Health Foundation of India, based in Delhi, to collaborate with the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Jodhpur, Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth (HRIDAY), Delhi, and Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), Kathmandu, to establish the NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Multiple Long-Term Conditions.
The five-year project to improve the care outcomes of people living with multiple long-term health conditions or multimorbidity was kick-started in India in December 2022.
The launch in Nepal will mark the beginning of the first stage of the research implementation where the researchers will review existing evidence, generate new data as required and talk to people living with these conditions to identify the best care approach for people with multimorbidity. The launch will also kickstart the student recruitment efforts through a week-long research facilitation workshop to identify PhD student candidates.
In addition, using the concepts of ‘co-design and community engagement/involvement’ they will conduct studies to assess what type of integrated, technology-enabled, patient-centred, high impact, equitable health system intervention designs could most benefit individuals with two or more long-term conditions.
In the long-term, the university will work with the UK, Indian and Nepal governments to improve the health outcomes of those with multimorbidity, as well as create a self-sustaining international Centre for improving management of multiple long-term conditions and disseminate outputs globally.
The NIHR’s Global Health Research Centres provide funding to support research-driven partnerships between institutions in ow and middle income countries (LMICs) and those in the UK. The funding is for the direct and primary benefit of people in LMICs but also will have lessons for the UK and other high income countries.
As part of the project, 17 places on master’s degrees, 19 on PhDs and 14 post-doctoral placements will be available in Leicester, Birmingham or Brunel, covering applied health research, medical statistics, quality and safety in healthcare, health data science and diabetes.
In addition, University of Leicester staff supported by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East Midlands including members of the Real World Evidence Unit and the Centre for Ethnic Health Research with colleagues from India will deliver short courses to approximately 400 participants. These will be across a range of topics, including epidemiology, biostatistics, behavioural sciences, implementation science, health economics, qualitative methods, health systems research, community and patient engagement, leadership and management as well as other areas depending on identified needs.
Professor Abhinav Vaidya, from the Kathmandu Medical College Public Limited, who is leading the Nepal arm of the project, said: “From Nepal’s perspective, the NIHR GHRC for MLTCs has a huge potential of refocusing the way MLTCs are dealt with at the moment – at population, primary care and policy levels.”
Speaking back in the Autumn, Professor Nishan Canagarajah, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: “Making a global impact from world-class research at Leicester is key to our mission. Our cutting-edge work across clinical medicine research, which is ranked second in the UK, is making a real difference in tackling health problems not only locally, but across the world. This funding provides a fantastic opportunity to work alongside colleagues in India and Nepal, provide places for candidates on Master’s, PhD and post-doctoral programmes and deliver short courses in areas that make a real difference to people’s lives and their wellbeing.”
Professor Faith Osier, President of the International Union of Immunological Societies and Chair of the NIHR Global Health Research Centres Funding Committee, said: “These new Centres are truly ground-breaking – it’s the first time we’ve seen anything like this level of investment in non-communicable disease research in low and middle income countries. The potential for this truly equitable partnership working between researchers in LMICs and in the UK is immense and we’re so excited to see the advances that the next five years will bring.”
Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE, Director of NIHR ARC East Midlands and the Real World Evidence Unit and Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, and Co -Lead of the award said: “It is an honour to be awarded this international funding as it allows us to make a difference globally. Research into this area is crucial as people in India are living longer with long-term conditions so it is vital to provide them with the right care, at the right time. To achieve this, healthcare workers need to be trained to deliver high-quality care which is of good value and based on evidence.”
Professor Prabhakaran Dorairaj, the Lead of the proposed NIHR Centre and Distinguished Professor of Public Health at the Public Health Foundation of India, spoke about the significance of the investment: “We are very excited in winning this centre funding. This collaboration will help us in furthering our decade-old work on task shifting and using frugal digital technologies to redesign health systems for improving the health of Indians. Given the burgeoning chronic disease burden and multimorbidity, the research and capacity building to be undertaken by the proposed centre is timely and will have far reaching implications for India, Nepal and other LMICs facing similar health challenges.”
An agricultural expert has warned farmers they risk heavy financial losses if temporary employees taken on during the busy lambing season are inadequately insured.
Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn, of rural insurance broker Lycetts, also emphasised the need to insure new additions to flocks, with livestock rustling incidents having risen during the ‘cost-of-living’ crisis.
“Having the correct insurance in place is vital to safeguarding livelihoods,” he said.
“This is one of the busiest periods of the farming year and extra staff are often employed to help manage the increased workload.
“The demands of lambing may dominate farmers’ minds, and time, but they can ill-afford to forget the importance of Employers’ Liability insurance. Farming, after all, can be one of the most dangerous of occupations.”
The Health and Safety Executive found that 25 people were killed in the agriculture sector in 2021/22. The highest cause of fatalities involved people being struck by farm vehicles such as quad bikes – often used during lambing season.
“Apart from the trauma for all concerned, claims for accidents – even non-fatal incidents – can cost thousands of pounds,” said Wailes-Fairbairn.
“The assumption shouldn’t be made that having a farm insurance policy offers adequate protection – Employers’ Liability insurance is not automatically included. Moreover, it should be remembered that part-time, casual, seasonal, temporary and voluntary workers all constitute employees.”
To help prevent incidents that lead to claims, Wailes-Fairbairn advises temporary workers to be given a thorough induction and comprehensive training, while all health and safety procedures should be carefully observed. Toolbox talks are a useful additional resource that can be used.
“It is also important to check that new lambs are included in your farm insurance policy. Not all policies will cover this, and with flock sizes often doubling during lambing, and livestock theft on the rise, underinsurance could cost you dear. Progeny should be insured under the loss of revenue section of the policy, which provides wider cover than purely insuring under the livestock section.”
Lloyds Bank’s Business Barometer for March 2023 shows:
East Midlands business confidence has risen for a second consecutive month from 18% to 23%
Region’s businesses identify top growth opportunities as evolving their offer (46%), investing in their team (30%) and investing in sustainability (30%)
Overall UK business confidence in March reached its highest level since May last year, with eight out of 11 regions and nations reporting higher levels of confidence than February
Business confidence in the East Midlands rose five points during March to 23%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking – conducted between the 1st – 15th March ahead of the Chancellor’s Spring Budget on Wednesday 15th March.
Companies in the region reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up 10 points at 36%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, which remained the same at 9%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 23%.
East Midlands businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offer (46%), investing in their team (30%) and investing in sustainability (30%).
The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide.
A net balance of 33% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 19 points on last month.
Overall UK business confidence climbed 11 points to 32% in March, with firms reporting their highest confidence levels since May last year.
On average, firms felt positive about their own trading prospects with 39% of firms expecting business activity to increase in the next 12 months, up eight points on last month and 25% said they would increase staff levels by this time next year, up five points month-on-month.
Every UK region and nation had a positive confidence reading in March, with eight out of 11 regions recording a month-on-month increase in confidence. For the second month in a row the West Midlands reported the highest levels of business confidence at 48% (unchanged month-on-month), followed by Scotland (up 24 points), London (up 20 points), and the North East (up two points) all at 38%.
Dave Atkinson, regional director for the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:
“It’s good to see business confidence in the region continue to climb, with many firms in the East Midlands primed for growth.
“We know lots of businesses are planning how to capitalise on the opportunities that may come their way this summer, with planned investment in developing new products and services and building their teams.
“We will be by the side of businesses as they identify and strive towards their growth ambitions.”
There was a broad rise in business confidence across the sectors, particularly in construction (47% up 28 points) and manufacturing (37% up ten points) both at a ten-month high and retail (32% up 11 points) the highest since February 2022.
Hann-Ju Ho, Senior Economist Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said:
“Business confidence has seen a surge this month with economic optimism and trading prospects bolstering firms. With hiring intentions improving, we may see employment growth picking up in the coming months. Tentative signs of easing wage pressures suggest that businesses’ difficulties in finding staff may have started to ease.
“Although the measures in the Budget were widely trailed, it is yet to be seen what the full impact of the Chancellor’s announcement, along with the surprise rise in inflation and recent increase in interest rates, will have had on business confidence.”
The East Midlands Freeport has received final government signed off today, with the prospect of new jobs and investment..
The Freeport will now receive up to £25m seed funding from government and potentially hundreds of millions in locally retained business rates to drive growth in the UK’s advanced manufacturing, biomanufacturing, logistics, and low carbon industries, says the Government.
It will help encourage investment into sectors including automotive, space, and satellites sectors, generating thousands of jobs and boosting the local economy.
This is the seventh Freeport in England to become fully operational, with just one more expected to get final government sign off in due course. Four new Freeports have recently been named in Scotland and Wales.
The East Midlands Freeport is uniquely positioned as the only inland Freeport in England, with connections to major regional transport hubs, such as the East Midlands Airport.
Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said: “The East Midlands has a thriving manufacturing sector and we want to capitalise on those strengths while also developing new green growth industries.”
Taking full advantage of the freedoms of leaving the EU, businesses in Freeports are offered generous tax incentives and a simplified customs procedure, unlocking much-needed investment and high-quality jobs.
East Midlands Airport MD Steve Griffiths said: “As the ‘port’ within the Freeport, we welcome today’s news. The Freeport will provide a focal point around which the public and private sectors can collaborate to shape the future economic success of this region. We look forward to working as part of the East Midlands Freeport to make the most of this opportunity and to build on our role as a key gateway for facilitating global trade.”
East Midlands Freeport estimates that it will generate over 28,000 new jobs and is already home to multinational companies, like Toyota Manufacturing UK, and East Midlands Airport – the UK’s busiest ‘pure’ cargo airport.
The Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site will focus on low-carbon energy and advanced manufacturing, and be redeveloped to become a zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands, helping to meet the region’s decarbonisation goals.
East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster (EMAGIC), home to the East Midlands Airport, will advance the nation-leading advanced logistics market in the East Midlands.
East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP), located adjacent to the nationally significant Toyota manufacturing plant, has the potential to become the next generation of rail connected business parks. The proposed investment will also enable a significant modal shift, from road to rail freight, reducing carbon emissions for businesses within the region and increasing connectivity.
A nationally-recognised scheme to improve standards and promote excellence in licenced premises has been launched in Leicester.
The Best Bar None accreditation scheme, supported by the Home Office and drinks industry, aims to help provide a safer night out for all visitors to the city centre by recognising well-run licensed premises which meet national standards of best practice.
It has been launched by BID Leicester, Leicester’s Business Improvement District, in partnership with Leicestershire Police, Leicester City Council and Leicester City Watch. The scheme is also sponsored by De Montfort University and PPL PRS.
The Best Bar None scheme aims to support efforts to:
Reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder
Build positive relationships between the licensed trade, police and local authorities
Improve knowledge and skills in the responsible management of licensed premises
Recognise and reward responsible premises
Champion ongoing improvement in the management of licensed premises
Enable the sharing of good practice among licensed premises.
Simon Jenner, BID Leicester Director, said: “Leicester city centre has a vibrant evening and night-time economy, with a huge variety of fantastic pubs, restaurants, bars, and clubs, which each contribute towards the city centre being a fantastic place for a night out. The scheme will provide a framework to build upon this solid foundation, by providing support and the sharing of best practice, to raise standards across the city.
“The response to the launch of Best Bar None has been resoundingly enthusiastic so far, with over 90 venues registering an interest in applying for the accreditation, pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs.
“As well as providing recognition for venues, Best Bar None accreditation will mean that visitors can be even more confident of an enjoyable and safe night out.”
The scheme is the latest in a series of projects supported by BID Leicester with the aim of improving visitors’ experiences of the city at night. Earlier in the year, the city was re-awarded the coveted Purple Flag status, recognising Leicester as a vibrant destination for dining, entertainment, and culture. The BID also funds a St John’s Ambulance first aid service, located in the city centre at key dates to help reduce the number of hospital visits and provide medical assistance to the public where required.
The Best Bar None scheme is open to all licensed premises in the city, with BID Leicester members able to join free of charge. Venues will be supported in submitting a detailed application showcasing their good practises and achievements to achieve accreditation status.
The man responsible for the Nottingham office of Wright Vigar has been named as one of two Joint MDs for the firm.
He’s Kevin Shaw, who will work alongside James Sewell in the role as they take over from Pete Harrison, who steps down after five years as MD.
Kevin became a Director of the firm in 2013, and his specialities focus on medium and large owner-managed businesses, ranging across many industries. However, his passion and experience lie within the construction and property development sectors. As well as responsibilities for the Nottingham office, he looks after clients in Lincoln.
James joined Wright Vigar in 2007 and became a Director in 2010. He is responsible for teams at the Sleaford and Lincoln offices who support a wide range of clients in a variety of industry sectors. James is experienced in all areas of business advice from tax planning, growing a successful business, to sales, mergers and acquisitions.
Wright Vigar has grown significantly over the past few years to become a regional firm and James and Kevin have played a significant role in that growth. They look forward to continuing the development of the practice across the East Midlands in their new roles. They will continue with their respective client responsibilities.
Pete Harrison said: “It has been my great pleasure to be MD for the past five years and for the growth we have achieved during that period. I am delighted for both James and Kevin. They both bring different qualities to the table and their knowledge and experience will be vital as we continue to grow and develop.”
The University of Lincoln is part of an innovation to deliver an accelerated programme of robotic crop harvesting for horticulture and is one of just three projects to be chosen for a share of £9m funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ Farming Innovation Programme.
The project, called Agri OpenCore, aims to tackle the lack of seasonal labour in the UK horticulture industry and is looking to accelerate the delivery of robotic crop systems for horticulture.
Many crops have gone unpicked this year, leading to large amounts of unnecessary waste. President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Minette Batters has said that the waste in the food sector is an ‘absolute crisis’.
The Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) at the University of Lincoln, UK, is partner in Agri-OpenCore alongside project lead APS Produce Ltd with Dogtooth Technologies Ltd, Wootzano Ltd and Xihelm Ltd.
There is currently no robotic harvesting system that can match the speed of human picking. Agri-OpenCore aims to make progress in this area by cutting the time and cost of developing a robotic harvesting system that achieves parity with human picking.
To deliver this, Agri-OpenCore will develop the world’s first open development platform for agri-robotic harvesting, aiming to develop commercial robotic systems for tomato and strawberry harvesting that achieve human-picking-cost-parity in two years.
Dr Grzegorz Cielniak, Associate Professor at the Lincoln Agri-Robotics Centre and Principal Investigator for the University of Lincoln, said:
“The University of Lincoln robotics team, together with the agri-robotics industry, is working on Agri-OpenCore, a project targeting an open development platform for robotic crop harvesting. The platform will facilitate standardised access to the core robotic software and hardware components enabling rapid adoption by the industry and academia.
“The University of Lincoln team will work on the standardisation of the framework as well as on the development of the autonomy, perception and safety components.
“The core functionality of the platform will enable further development and customisation which can be privately exploited by the industry. The project will lead to faster adoption of more reliable robotic technology in agriculture which will be demonstrated by developing robotic tomato and strawberry harvesting systems. Such a strategy will lead to step changes in farming productivity and help to alleviate global problems with the availability of a workforce in the sector.”
Phil Pearson, Group Development Director, APS Group, said: “The Agri-OpenCore robotics project is an exciting, and vital project for the fresh produce industry. It promises to deliver the significant progress required to automate fresh produce harvesting in the UK.
“As this work brings leading technology providers, Dogtooth, Xihelm and Wootzano, with the academic excellence of the University of Lincoln team, we can expect significant progress towards autonomous harvesting.”
After more than a decade of success at Connect Derby managed workspaces, commercial photography studio Cactus Images has expanded to new premises in the city.
The company was founded in 2008 by Angela Jenkins and Chris Howard, who met when they were studying for a degree in commercial photography at University of Derby. Cactus Images started life at the university’s Banks Mill creative studios, before joining Connect Derby’s Friar Gate Studios in 2010.
Since then, both Cactus Images and Connect Derby have gone from strength to strength. By 2016, Cactus Images had outgrown its studio space at Friar Gate Studios and expanded to the penthouse suite at the iconic Marble Hall, which is also part of the Connect Derby portfolio of managed workspaces.
Cactus Images work with a broad client base, including Fujifilm, World of Sweets, and Royal Crown Derby.
Following another sustained period of growth, Cactus has now outgrown any available space at the six Connect Derby managed workspaces and has relocated to a new 3,500 sq. ft studio on Gresham Road in Allenton, just minutes away from their previous premises.
Angela and Chris have also expanded their team. Charlie Valentine, also a University of Derby alumni with a first class honours degree in Commercial Photography, joins the studio after working as a fashion photographer since 2021. In her new role as studio co-ordinator and assistant, Charlie will help organise the studio, liaise with clients, and assist on photoshoots.
During their time at Connect Derby, Cactus Images established itself as one the region’s leading commercial photography and post-production studios, with a reputation for its ability to translate its clients’ ideas into dynamic images.
As the business has developed, Angela and Chris have expanded the range of services they offer to support and strengthen their photography projects and now provide creative planning, prop sourcing, styling and set builds.
Speaking of the move and the help and support the business has received from Ann Bhatti and her team over the past 12 plus years, Angela said:
“When we joined Connect Derby in 2010, we were new to business and were unsure of what would come next for us. Connect Derby provided us with a studio space that met all our needs, and most importantly created an environment for our business to grow and succeed.
“The help and support that the Connect Derby team, particularly Ann, have given us over the years has been invaluable and we will always be grateful. It is sad to leave, but this is an important step in Cactus Images’ development – and we will still pop in to Marble Hall for a cup of tea with the team!”
Ann Bhatti, head of Connect Derby, added:“It is with a mixture of a heavy heart and immense pride that we have to say goodbye to Angela and Chris after a wonderful 12 years plus with Connect Derby.
“They’ve been fantastic tenants and are a great example of what a company can achieve with the right infrastructure and the range of business support and mentoring that is available through Connect Derby.
“I look forward to catching up with them soon in their new premises once they’re settled in.”
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln is to lead the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership as the new Chair of its Board of Directors.
Professor Neal Juster will replace the outgoing Chair Pat Doody, who is stepping down after serving three years as Chair.
Professor Juster took over as Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln from Professor Mary Stuart in October 2021. He holds a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Computer-Aided Design, both from the University of Leeds,and has extensive experience of management in higher education including Senior Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Glasgow, and Pro Vice-Principal and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. His research interests were in the area of computer-aided design including rapid prototyping and the use of virtual reality in design and manufacturing processes.
Professor Juster said: “I am honoured to have been asked take on the role of Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP following from the two, very inspirational, previous Chairs. They, together with Ruth Carver as CEO and the wider team, have given the Board a clear strategy to help the county achieve economic growth.
“I would like to thank Pat Doody for his last three years as chair and eight years as a member of the Board. It is an incredibly exciting time for Lincolnshire as we discuss devolution, attract and create new businesses, create jobs and develop critical infrastructure. This cannot be done by any one institution and I look forward to working with partners across the region to achieve collective success.”
LEP Chief Executive Ruth Carver said: “Bringing in Neal Juster to lead our Board of capable Directors is a tremendous opportunity for the LEP. Following in the footsteps of Ursula Lidbetter and Pat Doody will be tough, but we know that Neal has a wealth of experience, knowledge and business acumen as well as the high profile and excellent far-reaching contacts that this role requires.
“His deep knowledge of the engineering sector will be an advantage as we promote and strengthen the manufacturing and engineering heritage of Greater Lincolnshire. Never has the business voice been more important in driving forward the economy, and Neal and the Board will bring fresh ideas to help us navigate the period of change that we’re facing.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Neal and getting started on the task in hand, which is to represent the business voice for our area at a regional and national level, build on our four game-changing sector developments across energy, food, ports and defence, and lead projects and programmes which are all aimed at driving economic growth.”
Joining Professor Juster on the LEP Board will be four new non-executive directors drawn from the private sector and the third sector:
Liam Scully, CEO of Lincoln City FC
Shaun Povey, Head of Strategic Planning & Projects at Siemens
Nikki Cooke, CEO of LIVES
Mark Webb, CEO of Grimsby-based business support group E-Factor
Pat Doody, Dean Fathers and Professor Andrew Hunter will all be stepping down from the LEP Board this year.
Since 2010 the LEP has created over 3,500 jobs and 800 new businesses and delivered 75 major growth projects and programmes, bringing jobs and skills to the region. The LEP has supported over 8,500 learners and apprentices, and through its Careers Hub more than 100 Enterprise Advisers from across business and industry are supporting students in their career choices.
The LEP has unlocked investment worth over £500 million for transformational schemes and is fundamentally improving the economy and infrastructure of Greater Lincolnshire.
Tax services and insurance provider Markel predicts that HMRC tax investigations will significantly increase in the East Midlands this year.
With NatWest saying the East Midlands faced one of the fastest economic declines in the country at the end of 2022, including falling output and the first decrease in employment since January 2021, HMRC’s actions will add significant pressure on businesses already facing uncertain futures.
HMRC tax investigations can be incredibly intrusive for businesses. Markel estimates that a typical enquiry lasts for between 18-24 months, with client firms paying in the region of £5,000 in excess accounting fees. At a time when inflation and the cost-of-living crisis is creating a highly challenging recessionary environment, this additional pressure could prove disastrous for employers across the region.
In last year’s budget statement, the Chancellor announced an additional £1 billion for HMRC over the next four years to tackle tax evasion and fraud, including investment in technology and additional staff to investigate cases.
James Cordiner, Tax Investigations Manager at Markel, said: “With recent scrutiny by the National Audit Office on HMRC’s pandemic performance, HMRC are seeking to improve compliance performance levels, which is leading to an increase in investigations. Estimates suggest an additional 2,500 HMRC compliance staff by 2022-23, but with these likely to take around four years to be fully up to speed, the length of enquires and associated costs are likely to rise further.”
Markel has highlighted several risk factors that will put businesses in the East Midlands on HMRC’s radar and increase their chances of being investigated:
The Covid Bounce Back Loan Scheme has been beset by fraud, increasing HMRC’s focus. With a quarter of East Midlands firms taking a bounce back loan, East Midlands firms won’t escape HMRC’s attention.
Furlough offers another indicator with this scheme again open to abuse. East Midlands firms furloughed over 13% of their workforce, over 300,000 people, representing a significant number of the employed people in the region.
The R&D tax credit scheme is a third area that has come under scrutiny in recent months with HMRC looking to reduce the number of spurious applications. Businesses in the East Midlands made almost 5,900 claims in the 2020-2021 year.
He added: “HMRC has been contacting more of our clients about tax investigations,” said Anthony Stevens, Partner at Kettering-based CFW Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers. “This extra work and expense is increasing the pressure on companies in the East Midlands, causing unwanted additional challenges at what is a difficult time. Our job is to support clients that come under investigation to ensure they have a robust defence and the best possible outcome.
“It is important that HMRC seek to recover the correct taxes from the right businesses however in doing so they will inevitably target businesses that may have done nothing wrong and are struggling financially. It is therefore important to ensure that any check by HMRC is defended appropriately, based on the facts of the case.”
Chesterfield-based mortgage brokerage Mortgage 1st has been named as a finalist in two major industry awards.
The firm has been named amongst the list of finalists in the ‘Best Mortgage Broker (8 to 50 advisers) category at the Mortgage Strategy Award3 2023. The ceremony is regarded as the pinnacle of success for those in the UK mortgage industry. Winners will be announced at the Gala dinner in London on the 25th of May.
The company is also looking to scoop ‘Broker Firm of the Year (11-50 employees)’ at the Financial Reporter Awards. Winners will be announced at the awards event on May 11th.
Lisa Stones, Operations Director at Mortgage 1st said: “To be named as finalists in both of these awards and listed alongside some fantastic businesses is absolutely amazing. Testament to our entire team, their passion, commitment and ongoing hard work. We would love nothing more than to bring home a winner’s trophy but regardless, we’ll have a fantastic time at the award events and will be celebrating our achievements.”
Leicestershire-based businessman Dr Nik Kotecha has been honoured for his outstanding contribution to East Midlands communities by being presented with a special award by East Midlands Chamber.
Dr Kotecha is the former chair of Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals and current chair of the Randal Charitable Foundation.
Presenting the award, East Midlands Chamber president Stuart Dawkins spoke about Dr Kotecha’s journey from arriving with his family in Leicester from Uganda, aged six years old, to become a scientist specialising in drug discovery and then an entrepreneur whose business with a moral purpose has exported around the world.
“He has advised a number of national Government departments, being recognised for his work by the awarding of an OBE,” said Stuart. “Closer to home, he has brought this expertise to many working groups here in the Midlands. Among many other things, he is a pro-chancellor at De Montfort University and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire.
“After securing the legacy of his business via a disposal last year, he is now devoting his time to the charity he founded with his wife Moni in 2017, the Randal Charitable Foundation, aiming to save lives and significantly improve the quality of life for those in need – in the UK and around the world. That is a wonderful track record.”
Dr Kotecha said: “I was humbled to receive the Outstanding Contribution to East Midlands Communities Award because helping to directly save and significantly improve the lives of people living in the UK and globally has been a lifelong passion of mine.
“Throughout my professional career, I’ve always ensured that every business venture has given back to communities and society as a whole, and more recently this work has continued through my family’s Randal Charitable Foundation.
“I’m also immensely proud to continue to volunteer on a number of local, regional and national boards and advisory groups, which are working to nurture and grow innovation, entrepreneurship and productivity across the business community.
“Much of this work is focused on ensuring we deliver sustainable long-term growth, which in turn secures jobs and the future prosperity of our many diverse communities.”
The government is to increase funding for care homes providing nursing by 5% for 2023 to 2024.
The standard weekly rate per person provided for NHS-funded nursing care will increase by 5% from £209.19 to £219.71 from 1 April 2023 with funding paid by the NHS directly to care homes who provide nursing care. For the higher rate, it will increase from £287.78 to £302.25. This allows care home residents with specific healthcare needs to benefit from direct nursing care and services.
Registered nurses provide support to people eligible for NHS-funded nursing care with a variety of needs, including people with learning disabilities, those living with enduring physical or mental health needs and various conditions associated with old age. This type of nursing requires a range of skills and training, with the extra funding supporting this important role.
The funded nursing care rate helps cover the costs of nursing care, ensuring the vital service can continue to support the needs of residents within nursing homes. The uplift for the 2023 to 2024 financial year is based on adult social care data which is quality assured and independently verified.
Providing this nursing care also helps reduce the pressure on hospitals, ensuring the government’s record funding can be used to help discharge medically fit patients into social care settings.
The government is making available up to £7.5 billion in additional funding over two years to support adult social care and discharge – with up to £2.8 billion available in 2023 to 2024 and up to £4.7 billion in 2024 to 2025.
This historic funding boost will put the adult social care system on a stronger financial footing and help local authorities address waiting lists, low fee rates and workforce pressures in the sector.
The Competition and Markets Authority has published an open letter to online businesses regarding the use of urgency claims and price reduction claims.
The purpose of the letter is to help businesses understand and comply with their existing obligations under consumer protection law when making urgency claims such as countdown timers, scarcity or ‘act fast’ messages and/or price reduction claims online.
It has been written for, amongst others, online retailers, online marketplaces, online intermediaries, and businesses that help clients to build online stores.
The letter includes examples where common claims made by online businesses to consumers during the shopping process may breach the law, for example by misleading consumers or by putting unfair pressure on them.
These examples are likely to be helpful to all parts of a business (and its client businesses) involved in designing, developing and publishing urgency and price reduction claims, for example, legal, marketing, content design, and website or app development.
While the letter is designed to help businesses, it is not legal advice. Responsibility for complying with the law remains with businesses themselves.
Shining a light on the region’s property and construction industry, this year’s event will take place on Thursday 28th September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in Nottingham.
The East Midlands Bricks Awards, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
With the economy now recovering after lockdown, and following a successful event held last year, we believe it is now more important than ever to celebrate the robustness of the property industry in our region.
To buy tickets for the event click here.
Submit a nomination:
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, click hereand then select the category you wish to nominate the company for.
Our categories are:
Architect of the Year ● Deal of the Year ● Excellence in Design ● Contractor of the Year ● Residential Development of the Year ● Most Active Agent ● Developer of the Year ● Responsible Business of the Year ● Commercial Development of the Year ● Sustainable Development of the Year ● Overall Winner
Nominations end August 31st
Agility Life Sciences, an award-winning formulation development CDMO based in Nottingham, UK, and Solitek, experts in solid state development services for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and fine chemical industries based in Barcelona, Spain, have entered into a Strategic Partnership agreement in order to accelerate the pharmaceutical development milestones of their clients.
The agreement will see Agility Life Sciences signpost and recommend Solitek’s solid state
services to clients, with Solitek reciprocally promoting Agility’s formulation development
services. The two organisations have also agreed to provide training on their products and
services, as well as offering technical support and client liaison.
Agility Life Sciences CEO, Prof. Claire Thompson, commented: “I am thrilled to sign our first
Strategic Partnership agreement with Solitek, who have a combined experience of nearly 50 years in the pharmaceutical industry, including over 40 years in the world of solid state
research and crystallisation development. Partnerships are vital in this industry, and I am
confident that both companies will strengthen each other’s client base in a mutually beneficial arrangement. I am excited to begin this new chapter of collaboration.”
Solitek co-founder and Operations Director, Víctor Díaz, added: “This partnership is a critical steppingstone in our ambition to offer a full preclinical development services portfolio. Having worked with Claire before, I am convinced that Agility Life Sciences are the right partners to learn and to grow with. Solitek and Agility Life Sciences form a very strong partnership with a level of specialisation and expertise difficult to match.”
Cereals will host nearly 400 exhibitors and sponsors, ranging from companies that have attended the event for years to those exhibiting for the first time or returning after a few years’ break.
The wide range of exhibitors means that, whether visitors are looking for the latest min-till drills, sprayers, harvesting or baling kit, the stands and demos will have plenty of high-tech machinery to choose from.
The two-day event is being held at a new site this year – Thoresby Estate in Nottinghamshire – on 13-14 June
Sheetal Sanghvi, corporate tax partner at leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK, has been appointed as the new office managing partner in Nottingham, effective from 1 April 2023. She will succeed Richard King, who has been office managing partner at RSM Nottingham for ten years.
Having spent over 17 years at the firm and as an RSM ‘lifer’, Sheetal joined as an audit tax assistant in 2005 and has progressed through the ranks to partner. Sheetal is head of innovation reliefs in the Central region and was the first person in the firm to get a focused role in this niche area. She has extensive experience in advising a range of businesses, from start-ups to large corporates, across a range of sectors in making significant R&D and patent box claims.
Sheetal went to school in Nottingham and graduated from Leicester’s De Montfort University. She is currently EmbRACE Network lead in the Central region – an RSM initiative to champion race equality. She is extremely passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and works with the wider group to raise awareness of and support on matters of race, ethnicity and cultural heritage, and to provide guidance to the firm’s diversity and inclusion steering group on race equality issues.
In her new role, Sheetal plans to build upon the existing team culture in the 90-strong office, including having an open style of leadership and ensuring a strong team mix across all sectors and service lines.
Sheetal Sanghvi, office managing partner in Nottingham at RSM UK, comments: ‘For me, this is the next big step in my career at RSM. Having kickstarted my career with the firm as a graduate trainee over 17 years ago, I am just one of the many examples of our ‘grow our own’ strategy. I have and continue to be very lucky to work in a supportive and collaborative environment where our people have plenty of opportunities to learn and develop, but most importantly be themselves and have some fun along the way. I’m looking forward to taking on the challenge of leading our talented group of partners and staff and driving forward the next stage of our ambitious growth plans in my home town.’
Mark Taylor, regional managing partner in the Midlands at RSM UK, said: ‘Firstly, I’d like to say a huge thanks to Richard for his significant contribution to leading the impressive growth of our business in the East Midlands over the last decade. Sheetal has enjoyed great success over the last few years in building our innovation reliefs business and I am excited to see her continue to grow as office managing partner. Sheetal has lots of qualities that make her ideally suited to the role – not least, her deep reserves of natural infectious enthusiasm and energy which will drive the future growth of our business in Nottingham and across the region.’
Richard King, partner at RSM UK, added: ‘I am very proud to have been part of the team that has delivered substantial growth in the East Midlands. The Nottingham office has flourished, and we’ve strengthened our commitment to the local marketplace. I’m delighted to be handing over the reins to Sheetal, who will undoubtedly take the practice from strength to strength for the benefit of our staff and clients. I look forward to supporting Sheetal throughout the next phase of this exciting journey.’
Leicestershire-based Abacus Flooring Solutions has made history by inventing a way to use waste plastic, that would otherwise go to landfill, in industrial resin flooring.
The ground-breaking invention, named Abaplas, is set to transform the flooring industry as well as providing an eco-friendly method for replacing harmful bulking materials in other products such as tile adhesives.
Nick Megson, managing director of Abacus Flooring and the brains behind the pioneering Abaplas system, has already proven his idea after carrying out a painstaking series of tests over several years.
Having arrived at the perfect formula, which performs even better than traditional resin flooring, his world-beating patent for Abaplas has now been approved.
Resin flooring, along with many other industrial products, has traditionally been manufactured using silica sand, which is a dangerous and potentially carcinogenic substance when inhaled.
Abaplas instead contains non-harmful recycled plastic which is ground down to a white powder. The process will vastly reduce the volume of waste plastic ending up in landfill or the world’s oceans.
Nick said: “We carried out so many tests that it seemed as if it would never happen. We conducted tests using numerous grades and types of plastic before we finally achieved the fantastic result we have today.
“On our first ever project using this product, the installation guys said it was the best self-smoothing resin system they had used.
“Further research uncovered many other uses for our 100 per cent recycled plastic, in things like our primer coats, scratch coats, self-smoothing screeds, repair compounds – and even things like tile adhesives.
“It could turn the plastics recycling industry completely on its head and really make major strides in helping to save the planet.”
The world’s first resin flooring using 100 per cent recycled plastic was installed by Abacus in the enormous VIP Visitor Centre auditorium at JCB’s global headquarters in Staffordshire, UK.
The company has since gone on to install Abaplas flooring in warehouses, medical facilities and football stadiums throughout the UK.
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The East Midlands Bricks Awards, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
With the economy now recovering after lockdown, and following a successful event held last year, we believe it is now more important than ever to celebrate the robustness of the property industry in our region.
To buy tickets for the event click here.
Submit a nomination:
To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, click here and then select the category you wish to nominate the company for.
Our categories are:
Architect of the Year ● Deal of the Year ● Excellence in Design ● Contractor of the Year ● Residential Development of the Year ● Most Active Agent ● Developer of the Year ● Responsible Business of the Year ● Commercial Development of the Year ● Sustainable Development of the Year ● Overall Winner
Nominations end August 31st 
