Work completes on £4m AMP building at Arnold Town Centre
Construction works have officially completed on The AMP building at Arnold Town Centre in Gedling, Nottinghamshire.
G F Tomlinson has been leading the construction of the building, having previously built the council’s Café 1899 at Gedling Country Park, since works started on the flagship scheme in May 2021.
The opening ceremony for the new facility took place in October, with Deputy Leader, Councillor Michael Payne, Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth, Chief Executive of D2N2, Will Morlidge, tenants from three of the new units and representatives from G F Tomlinson.
The two-storey building will be home to new start-up businesses, including a wine tasting experience outlet, a cat and dog accessory and treats store, a cake shop and delicatessen, as well as the Post Office which was the first to open its doors to the public this month.
The £4 million scheme has been commissioned by Gedling Borough Council and procured via the SCAPE Regional Construction framework, which is dedicated to creating spaces and experiences that leave a sustainable legacy within the local community.
Funding for the project came from the council’s capital programme budget, which was boosted by a successful bid for £1.25 million from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund to support town centre improvements. Overall, 40 new jobs have also been created, through business employment and during construction of the new buildings.
Sustainability and renewable energy are at the heart of the building’s design, with initiatives such as 51 solar panels, natural ventilation points, high efficiency LED lighting and air source heat pumps installed within the building.
Rainwater retention tanks have also been installed to reduce flood risks and help feed the semi-mature trees that have been planted around the public realm to offset carbon emissions.
Craig Stopper, Regional Construction Framework Manager at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re really pleased to have successfully completed The AMP building and play our part in contributing towards Gedling Borough Council’s pledge to decrease its CO2 emissions by 2030.
“The flagship building is a significant investment for the local region, which will revitalise the town centre and help to boost the local economy. We look forward to seeing residents enjoy the new shops and eateries and welcoming visitors to the community.”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke adds:“We are incredibly pleased that the AMP building is officially complete and our new tenants will begin moving into this wonderful new building in the heart of Arnold Town Centre. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping to get this ambitious project over the line, it has taken an colossal amount of work to get this done by Gedling Borough Council staff, G F Tomlinson and several other partners who all contributed to this project and made it a success.
We made a manifesto pledge that we would revitalise the town centre and this will be the jewel in the crown for Arnold.”
Two East Midlands directors banned for Bounce Back Loan abuse
Two East Midlands bosses misused or falsely claimed Bounce Back Loans totalling more than £80,000 during Covid pandemic.
Muhammad Rais, 42, from Leicester, has been disqualified for 9 years for exaggerating the turnover of his takeaway business to claim £31,000 of Bounce Back Loans to which the company was not entitled.
And Lee Mankelow, 42, of Arnold, Nottinghamshire has been disqualified as a director for 6 years, after claiming £50,000 from the loan scheme to support his timber supply business through the pandemic, before paying it all to a former director of the company.
The two directors received the money as part of a government scheme to support businesses that were facing hardship during the Covid outbreak.
Companies were entitled to claim Bounce Back Loans of up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, to a maximum of £50,000, for the economic support of their business.
Lee Mankelow was the director of Wolf Timber Ltd, which traded as a builders/providers of timber products. The company, however, entered into liquidation in December 2020 before Wolf Timber Ltd’s insolvency triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
Investigators uncovered that Mankelow applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in June 2020, after the company had seen a rise in online business during Covid lockdowns.
Mankelow, however, transferred the full £50,000 the day after he received the loan to a former director of the company, breaching the terms of the loan which stated that the money must be used to support the business.
Investigators found no evidence to support Mankelow’s claims that the money was used to pay the wages, bonuses, dividends and expenses of the former director who had stayed on as an employee of the company.
And Muhammad Rais was the sole director of Lokma BBQ Ltd in Leicester until the company went into liquidation in January 2022.
The company came to the attention of the Insolvency Service following its liquidation before investigators uncovered that Rais applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, stating that the takeaway’s turnover the previous year had been £200,000.
However, Lokma BBQ’s actual turnover for 2019 had been around £74,000, resulting in the company receiving £31,000 of government-backed loans which it wasn’t entitled to.
Rais has agreed with the liquidator to re-pay £8,000 of the money owed through monthly installments.
The disqualifications prevent Mankelow and Rais from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Tom Phillips, Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services for the Insolvency Service, said:
“Bounce Back Loans were put in place to provide vital support to help viable businesses through the pandemic. Both Mankelow and Rais completely abused the government-backed loans to further their own interests, which was totally unacceptable.
“Mankelow and Rais’ bans should serve as a stark warning to other directors who may have misused financial support during the pandemic that we have the ability to bring your actions to account and remove you from the corporate arena.”
CityFibre announces £17m rollout for Loughborough
CityFibre, the UK’s largest independent full fibre platform, has named Loughborough as the next UK town in line for a multi-million-pound investment in its digital infrastructure – a move that will see it join the nation’s growing list of full fibre enabled communities.
CityFibre is set to invest £17m in a new town-wide network that will bring fast and reliable full fibre-enabled internet services within reach of almost every home and business in Loughborough.
Across the UK, CityFibre is building new and better digital infrastructure for up to eight million homes and businesses through its nationwide full fibre rollout.
Full fibre networks, unlike many of the copper-based ‘fibre broadband’ services available today, use 100% fibre optic technology to carry data at light speed all the way from the home to the point of connection. This gives users speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for upload and download, near limitless bandwidth and connectivity users can depend on.
A full fibre connection also goes far beyond simply enabling access to the latest entertainment at lightning speed. As an essential digital utility, full fibre boosts households and businesses alike, with experts saying it will drive a range of economic benefits, such as making us more productive and innovative.
Construction work on the full fibre network in Loughborough will begin in the Storer area. As work is completed in each neighbourhood, CityFibre will designate the homes ‘ready for service’, which means residents can choose to connect to full fibre-enabled broadband services when they go live in their area.
As Area Manager, James Cushing will be responsible for overseeing the project, while also acting as the main point of contact for all stakeholders.
James said: “We’re excited to get to work on Loughborough’s town-wide full fibre network, which will transform the town’s digital capabilities for decades to come. From smooth streaming when watching movies at home to buffer-free calls at the office, we cannot wait for residents and businesses to reap the many benefits of full fibre technology.”
Cllr Pam Posnett, Cabinet Member for Community and Staff Relations at Leicestershire County Council, added: “This is a great boost for Loughborough residents, helping people to work and connect with others. Leicestershire is growing, which is why we have delivered superfast speeds to more than 75,000 premises and are working with Building Digital UK to roll out Gigabit broadband, enabling families and the community to have access to fast and reliable broadband.”
In Loughborough, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner Vodafone to supply full fibre infrastructure for customers on selected Vodafone Pro Broadband plans, while TalkTalk, IDNet, Giganet, Zen and other providers are expected to join the network soon.
Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre receives plaudits from tenants
Seventeen businesses have made Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre their home since it opened in July this year. The flagship office development has let more than 50% of rooms in just four months after opening.
Targeted at new and growing businesses in Chesterfield, the 32 high quality office suites spread over three floors have attracted tenants from a range of sectors and industries into the town centre, including recruitment, IT, design, marketing, education and training, and fashion.
The building is part of the £19.9m scheme to breathe new life into the northern entrance to Chesterfield town centre and is Chesterfield Borough Council’s newest enterprise centre. It was part funded through a grant from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Investment Fund, with additional funding provided by Chesterfield Borough Council.
Providing 26,000 sq.ft. of modern workplace accommodation, Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre was designed to ‘provide a new contemporary landmark which will enrich the urban fabric of the town’.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “It is fantastic to see so many new businesses moving into the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre. We’ve built on our experiences at Tapton and Dunston Innovation Centres to develop this building and it is already evident that we have been successful in creating a modern environment where Chesterfield’s budding entrepreneurs can collaborate and flourish.”
Tenants have praised the centre’s location, citing it as a primary factor in their decision to make the centre their new home. “Good transport links,” were the primary factor for Logical Personnel Solutions for choosing Northern Gateway as its new home.
Izabella Edwards, Managing Director at Edwards Employment Solutions Ltd. commented: “Our move to the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre has been an absolute game changer for us. From a business point of view, we are benefitting from the excellent location. People looking for a new job are able to pop in and see us when they are in town, and we even have our clients from local businesses coming in to see us.
“We now have such modern and functional facilities to host people – it’s really working well for us. In addition to this, my team and I are really enjoying being back in Chesterfield Town Centre and making the most out of shopping and eating out at lunchtime. I would encourage any business thinking about making the move to go for it, we’ve certainly not looked back.”
The central location and transport links were also key for Potentia Teaching School Hub which acts as a ‘local’ centre of excellence’ for schools in Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and North East Derbyshire.
Alan Kealy, Director of Potentia Teaching School Hub, explained: “As a DfE designated hub for six areas within Derbyshire, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre enables us to provide a professional service from a central location so that we are able to support nurseries and schools effectively.”
The high quality interior of the building has been a major pull for a number of tenants, including James Taylor, founder and managing director of Roaring Mouse Public Relations, one of the first businesses to relocate to Northern Gateway in July. He explained: “This is a space that impresses customers and inspires our people. We are delighted to have a stylish, contemporary office that supports collaboration and enables us to do the best work possible for customers around the world.”
Lucinda White, director of Pure Awards, who moved into the centre in September, commented: “Not only is it an ultra-modern space, with floor to ceiling windows and instant hot water on tap but it is the ideal environment for the ‘agency’ feel business of Pure Awards.”
Accessibility and sustainability are central to the building which has been designed by Chesterfield architects Whittam Cox. The building has also been designed to minimise its impact on the environment and achieve considerable efficiencies in energy use.
The sustainability and accessibility credentials of the building were key for Kakou Technologies when selecting the centre for its new home. Ann Fomukong-Boden, co-founder and MD explained: “As a Disability Confident employer designing inclusive and accessible technologies, we required office space with good access to local transport links, not only for our staff, but for our visitors. The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is fully accessible, matches our sustainability principles through the excellent BREEAM rating and centre environmental policies, and provides us with the flexibility we require to grow our business.”
Accessibility was also important for Gillian Scotford, a leading disability campaigner and founder of AccessibleUK. Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre proved the perfect location for the organisation when she decided to make the move from being home to office-based.
She explained: “The time was right for AccessibleUK to have an office base where we could bring our clients from across the country to our beloved Accessible Derbyshire to deliver training and provide consultancy. The Northern Gateway Enterprise centre is somewhere we feel extremely proud to welcome businesses to such a wonderful, expanding market town with great transport links and accommodation provisions.”
The town centre location was a pull for East Midlands Chamber which is soon to lease space in the building in addition to its headquarters outside the town centre. The additional space will be used as a convenient drop-in meeting point for Chamber members.
Scott Knowles, Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, explained: “We want to create a members’ lounge for them to drop in and use as they see fit, while it adds more meeting space in addition to our headquarters in Dunston Road.
“We are excited to see the range of benefits the centre will have on the growth of businesses and the creation of jobs in Chesterfield, both of which will provide a boost to the town’s economy.”
Inside, the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre boasts 24/7 access, IT fibre connection which offers maximum speed multi bandwidth capability, Wi-Fi and air conditioning throughout. Each office benefits from access-controlled doors and CCTV coverage is available in internal communal areas and external areas.
Within the centre itself, there is a shared reception and lobby area, two meeting rooms, a break-out area and kitchenettes, bicycle storage, shower and changing facilities, lift access and individually metered power supplies.
The interior of the Enterprise Centre has been designed by Amy Revell, Co-Founder and Director of We Are Spaces Limited, who is now also a tenant at Northern Gateway. She said: “Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre has given us Grade ‘A’ office space for people to work in. These workspaces are comparable to those in bigger cities like Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester which deliver the connectivity for hybrid working for a better work/life balance.”
The building fronts Chesterfield’s new office campaign which was launched earlier this year. The campaign, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, has been developed by Destination Chesterfield in partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire Economic Partnership.
The campaign also showcases One Waterside Place a new Grade A office development. Together with the Enterprise Centre, the buildings add to the town’s already impressive portfolio of properties. Together they add more than 100,000sq. ft of additional high quality office space to the town’s offering, enabling the town to capitalise on the ‘flight to prime’ trend for office space.
In addition to One Waterside Place and the Enterprise Centre, the campaign promotes the range of excellent office and flexible workspace available in the borough, including the Innovation Centres at Dunston and Tapton, The HQ, Great2Work, West Studios and The Glass Yard.
Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield said: “Chesterfield meets the needs of new, growing and established businesses, offering a central location and connectivity, to a local skilled workforce and now, high quality, sustainable office space.
“The new office developments send an important message both locally and nationally that Chesterfield can meet every stage of a business’ life cycle from start-up to maturity.
“The investment in high quality workspaces across the borough will continue to help us to attract further businesses to invest in Chesterfield benefitting the locally economy now and for future generations.”
More than 70 people are now based at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre, with numbers set to grow further as businesses secure office space in the building. This will bring additional footfall and custom to surrounding businesses in the town.
Councilor Gilby added: “The Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre will support our economy but will also help ensure our entrepreneurs can receive the support they need to see their business thrive. I want to welcome all our tenants and wish them the best of luck; the development of this building is a celebration of their entrepreneurial spirit and the benefits it will bring to our borough.”
Multi-million pound acquisition of Leicestershire pet products firm
Leicestershire business Custom Vet Products (CVP) has been acquired by major European animal health product firm Swedencare AB in a deal valued at more than £10m in total.
CVP, which has its headquarters in Shepshed and sells its products predominantly through veterinary practices in the UK and some European countries, has recently increased its manufacturing capabilities
It will continue to be led by current Managing Director David Ryder in the UK, alongside the existing management team, but will be renamed Vetio UK.
Announcing the deal to the stock exchange, Swedencare said the addition of CVP to its business would give it a strong presence in the manufacturing and development market in the UK and Europe.
Christian Hunt, corporate partner in Bevan Brittan’s Leeds office, said the transaction was also a strong outcome for CVP and its team in Leicestershire, giving them a new platform from which to grow their business.
“It’s been fantastic to support CVP on this transaction and to see first-hand the excellent strategic fit between this business and Swedencare. It represents an exciting opportunity for further growth and development in the UK and Europe and I look forward to working with them on their future plans,” he said.
“It is a transaction which shows that, if you have a good product and good offering, you can still get successful deals done and achieve full value even in challenging market conditions.”
Andy Haigh, partner at BHP Corporate Finance, said: “I am really pleased that we were able to support and advise David and the CVP shareholders on the company’s successful sale to Swedencare. It is another great example of our execution capability in cross-border transactions.
“Animal health is an exciting growth market and I fully expect CVP to thrive under Swedencare’s ownership – it is a great home for the business to develop and grow.”
David Ryder said: “In recent months we have already started collaborating with some Swedencare subsidiaries. I firmly believe that the opportunity of being a part of Swedencare will provide superb synergy and bring fantastic opportunities to expand more rapidly into the UK and European Markets.
“Swedencare’s proven international leadership, ethos and expertise directly in our area is something we are really excited about being a part of. We look forward to maximising future growth by making superb products for our partners and customers.”
Håkan Lagerberg, CEO of Swedencare, said: “Through the acquisition of CVP, we can accelerate our plans to launch soft chews on the European markets. This will both help us to add new products to our existing brands fast and also enable us to facilitate a European launch for some of our important US-based private label and contract manufacturing customers.
“David and his team have done a fantastic job and have a unique competence in developing soft chews. Together with our own competences from Vetio and Garmon we are creating an important player for the European soft chew market. CVP will be renamed VetioUK as the first entity in Europe for Vetio which now means that we have own manufacturing on both continents.”
Ground-breaking ceremony marks start of building works on 40,000 sq ft development in Fleckney
The ground has been broken on the start of a 34 week project to build a new commercial development in Fleckney, Leicestershire. The development is located on Churchill Way and the first phase will provide over 12,000 sqft of high quality office and workshop space which will be occupied by a national organisation and benefit the economy by creating significant new employment opportunities for local people. The second phase of the development has detailed planning consent for over 40,000 sq.ft of new commercial space and will provide substantial further employment opportunities for the area.
The land was bought to market by Loughborough based specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie. Alex Reid, Director, said: “This site presented an exciting opportunity for a prospective buyer looking to invest in an ideally-situated development land with planning approval for a range of uses. It has been great to play our part in bringing a much needed and exciting new development to the area.”
Works are expected to be completed by the end of June 2023 and Wilten Construction, based in Market Harborough, has been appointed by the developer, VentURe Properties Group as the main contractor responsible for the full turnkey delivery of the project which will include design, build and office fit out.
Commenting, Matt Moore, Founder of VentURe Properties, said: “VentURe aims to develop commercial space and residential homes across the wider Midlands region. Our Fleckney development represents a significant investment by ourselves and our occupiers and we are delighted to be working with Wilten Construction on the delivery of a development which will benefit the Leicestershire and Harborough District.”
Matt Fry, Director at Wilten Construction, said: “This is another fantastic ground-breaking ceremony for us and we had a great day hosting the project team on site. We have worked hard developing the scheme to meet the clients budgetary and programme expectations and to see this project taking shape on site is a proud accomplishment. We look forward to demonstrating our best-in-class service as this project progresses and building on our relationships with everyone involved to create ongoing reciprocal partnerships.”
Other advisers and project partners on the development include RJA Consultants who are acting as the employers agent, Corporate Architecture Limited, engineering consultants Jackson Purdue Lever and the approved inspector, Assent Building Control Limited.
East Midlands to lose numerous McColl’s stores after Morrisons’ closure decision
Morrisons have revealed plans to close 132 unprofitable McColl’s stores across the country just a short time after receiving the green light from competition regulators on the multi million buyout of the troubled convenience store group.
The decision is expected to affect numerous McColl stores in our region.
The Bradford based supermarket giant acquired the troubled chain for £190 million back in May, fending off a rival offer at that time from Asda.
After competition regulators gave the green light for the takeover, Morrisons unveiled their closure plans.
Morrisons said, that whist 132 stores have no realistic prospect of achieving a breakeven position, it does expect some McColl’s stores to return to profitability as part of its turnaround plans.
The majority of the closures are due to take place this year, and 55 of the stores that include a Post Office counter will close in the coming year.
Morrisons said every affected worker would be offered alternative employment at a nearby McColl’s store, Morrisons store, logistics operation or foodmaking centre.
Joseph Sutton, Morrisons convenience, online and wholesale director, said: “We have a great deal of work to do but there’s no question that McColl’s is a business with strong potential.
“I’m confident that the combination of McColl’s conveniently located stores and great colleagues together with Morrisons scale, brand, systems and fresh food expertise will lead to a transformation of the business.
“We very much regret the proposed closure of 132 loss-making stores but it is, very sadly, an important step towards the regeneration of the business.
“I am confident that McColl’s can, in the Morrisons family, once again become a growing, thriving and vibrant convenience business serving local communities across the UK.”
Last month, the UK competition regulator paved the way for the clearance of Morrisons £190m rescue deal on the condition it sold 28 McColl’s stores in 35 areas where the two retailers compete.
All 16,000 McColl’s staff were transferred to Morrisons as part of the deal.
Nottingham law firm promotes its first non-lawyer to director
Nottingham law firm Actons has promoted its first non-lawyer as a director.
Practice Manager Matt Coleman has taken on the role of Chief Operations Officer. With over eighteen years’ experience in the legal sector, Matt joined the firm in 2014 initially as the firm’s Marketing & Business Development Manager before becoming Practice Manager in August 2020.
Matt becomes the first non-lawyer to become a Director, a move that was enabled by the firm’s conversion to an ABS (alternative business structure) in 2019.
Simon Dakin, Chairman of Actons, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Matt as a Director of the firm. Since switching from Marketing & Business Development Manager to Practice Manager during the COVID lockdown, Matt has shown great enthusiasm and aptitude in developing additional law firm management skills. I am confident that he will continue his development and make a success of this opportunity. Matt will be our first non-lawyer Director, which is a great achievement, and he will play a key role in our future success.”
“The next twelve months are lining up to be an exciting period for the firm, as we welcome more great people to join our team and take forward some other key projects.”
Multi-Million pound hotel renovation wins national award
A multi-million-pound project backed by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership to turn a historic building in Buxton into a luxurious hotel has won a top national award.
The £68 million Buxton Crescent Health Spa Hotel project was named Refurbishment/Revitalisation Project of the Year at the 2022 RICS Awards Grand Final.
Held in London, the awards, which are run by property industry trade body the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, brought together winners from 12 regional ceremonies across the UK.
They celebrate the UK’s most inspirational projects that are having a significant positive impact on the communities they serve.
Ensana Hotels opened Buxton Crescent Health Spa Hotel in 2020.
Created at one of England’s most significant Georgian architectural buildings, the hotel revives the water wellness traditions of the historic spa town of Buxton, with guests able to experience the therapeutic qualities of the water for themselves.
The property comprises 81 rooms and suites and is home to three pools, including the ‘thermal pool’, which is a fully refurbished Victorian pool boasting the unique feature of having Buxton mineral rich water flowing into it, which is heated and left chemically untreated.
The transformation was made possible thanks to one of the largest grants ever awarded from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and significant support from other stakeholders, including the D2N2 LEP through the Local Growth Fund.
Chairman of the RICS judging panel David Brooks-Wilson said: “The judging panel and I were so impressed with the dedication of the teams behind these winning projects.
“They are a true testament to the tireless dedication of industry professionals across the UK. Their talent and collaborative approaches have resulted in exemplary and innovative schemes that really do represent the very best built projects across the regions.
“Each of the winning projects is having a profoundly positive impact on their local area and RICS is delighted to recognise the hard work that went behind ensuring these projects were delivered successfully, particularly in such challenging and uncertain times as we navigated through the pandemic.”
Derby rail giant to demonstrate rail’s key role at COP27
Rail giant Alstom is set to demonstrate the key role rail it can play in global decarbonisation efforts at the forthcoming COP27 climate conference.
A delegation from the firm, which has its UK train-making site in Derby, will be attending the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held from 6 to 18 November, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
During the second week of the conference, Alstom will participate in transport focused events with other changemakers, where discussions about sustainable mobility and the importance of women’s roles in transforming and decarbonising transport, will take place.
Cecile Texier, Alstom’s vice-president for CSR and sustainability, said: “Strong investment in rail will enable the decarbonisation of transport, in addition to many other benefits essential to sustainable development such as equal access to transport, social progress and economic development.
“Transport accounts for more than a quarter of global energy consumption; it is one of the human activities that continues to cause C02 emissions to rise.”
Alstom is considered to be a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility.
COP27 is an opportunity for the firm to showcase the progress and options available to decarbonise the transport sector, as well as exchange on green transport solutions for the future.
Alstom has more than 20 years of expertise in low carbon technology and has been participating in the conference since COP21 in Paris.
At COP27, it will promote the critical role public transport, specifically rail mobility solutions, will play in any country’s sustainable development efforts to address climate change issues.
Alstom works with its customers to design and deliver innovative and environmentally friendly solutions.
Today, it is the only rail player that offers the entire scope of green traction solutions and in-house fuel cell technology, and also has battery and hydrogen trains in passenger operation.
Cecile said: “COP27 is an opportunity for Alstom to showcase its commitment to support Net Zero mobility by building innovative, sustainable solutions with a lower carbon footprint, while actively contributing to public debates on sustainable development policies.”
Hucknall Business Park achieves 100% occupancy with two latest lettings
The final two lettings have been snapped up on Whyburn Business Park, the new build scheme of small sized industrial units situated on an established and popular industrial location in Hucknall.
Phase 1 was completed in late Q1 / early Q2 2022, with phase 2 in discussions to provide further stock for small to medium sized units. The rental tones achieved throughout the site were £8.00 per sq. ft, a promising figure for a new build scheme in Hucknall.
Phase 1, which consisted of 9 units, comprised a mixture of 1,765 sq. ft and 2,130 sq. ft of industrial / warehouse space with excellent eaves height, yard space and generous parking. The new build development scheme has certainly proved to be popular with occupation now at 100% and the demand continuing to be apparent on the site. The number of enquiries received on the units indicates that the interest on the next two phases is going to remain strong.
Amy Howard, Surveyor in FHP Property Consultants’ Industrial Team comments: “It has been a delight to work alongside Total Aggregates Ltd and Total Reclaims Ltd in this scheme and to achieve full occupancy. The site has shown to be a popular destination for occupiers from the start and it was promising to see the amount of interest we were still receiving throughout the marketing of the units. It confirmed the limited stock available for sub-2,000 sq. ft units compared to the high level of demand that is still apparent.
The diverse use of occupiers throughout is great to see and something that we all hoped to achieve for on the site. The success in Hucknall for warehouse occupation continues and Whyburn Business Park has helped to service this sector of the industrial market. I look forward to working alongside both Total Aggregates Ltd and Total Reclaims Ltd in the future.”
Anthony Barrowcliffe, Associate Director in FHP Property Consultants’ Industrial Team adds:“This is an excellent scheme in an extremely well-established industrial location. It has been a pleasure working alongside Richard and Melvin on this scheme and I look forward to future schemes/projects to follow.”
Lincolnshire vineyard comes to the market
An award winning vineyard and winery on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds has gone up for sale for just £700,000.
Looking towards Caistor where the Romans made wine 2000 years ago, Somerby is currently planted with 9,000 vines, the operation is capable of vinifying 20,000 litres and has made a name for itself in recent years, having picked up awards at both the UKVA and IWC competitions.
The vines currently grown are Pinot Noir, Solaris and Rondo and there is the potential to expand the operation by planting up to 3,000 more vines. The vendor points out that, in addition to the opportunity to invest and expand within existing boundaries, there is also the potential to rent a further 2.5 acres of additional land planted with 1,500 vines, subject to negotiations. As such, a purchaser could increase production from 20,000 to 150,000 litres, should they wish.
Henry King, farm agent at Savills in Lincoln who is handling the sale, said: “It is very rare that such an established vineyard and winery is brought to the market, let alone one that has such good potential to be expanded and with the ability to produce and bottle on-site. With the future of UK viticulture looking rather exciting, the sale of Somerby represents a fantastic investment opportunity with the potential to further adapt or extend and create a supplementary revenue stream, such as glamping and winery tours, subject to the necessary consents.”
Somerby Vineyard and Winery is being sold by Savills.
NG expands again with new department and key hire
Commercial property specialist NG Chartered Surveyors is expanding with a fresh hire and new Facilities Management division.
The Nottingham-based company has appointed experienced property professional Jamie Pervin to head up the new offering. Jamie will work alongside NG’s growing Management department and assist the Building Surveying team.
Jamie worked as a Property Manager for an estate agency, before moving onto a Midlands commercial property consultant, where he spent almost six years. He is studying for my APC in Facilities Management
Jamie said: “NG has a fantastic reputation within the East Midlands commercial property sector. The opportunity to join a progressive, fast-growing company – and to head up a new arm of the business – was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“I look forward to working with my new colleagues at NG, and with new clients – and those who I already have a relationship with.
James McArthur, director at NG, added: “It is an exciting time for our company and I am delighted that Jamie has chosen to join us. I look forward to working with him very closely.”
GE Power Conversion gets solar underway in Leicestershire
Specialist solar development company, Ortus Energy, has completed the first phase of a fully funded Power Purchase Agreement (PPA*) for one of the leading electrical engineering organisations, GE Power Conversion.
Ortus Energy have worked in conjunction with GE Power Conversion UK to provide and integrate a 400kW PV system into GE’s Marine Power Test Facility in Leicestershire, UK.
The supply of this system by Ortus has contributed a further part to GE’s journey towards carbon neutrality goals, in line with the organisation’s ongoing corporate commitment to sustainability. GE’s Marine Power Test Facility is now equipped with a 400kWp roof-top system of 962 panels that will save around 70 tonnes of CO2 annually and generate an estimated 315,000 kWhs of clean energy per year to help run the facility.
The four-and-a-half-acre site is dedicated to land-based innovation, test and emulation of full scale, multi-megawatt (MW) integrated electric power and propulsion systems and new energy technologies for naval and other maritime platforms. The facility needs energy to run extensive tests on its electric ship equipment. These include both high and low voltage systems, AC and DC, fixed and variable frequency electrical systems which are all highly configurable and fully interconnected via the land-based, integrated marine micro grid.
The facility’s existing architecture enabled Ortus’ PV system to be accommodated and optimized to work in conjunction with GE’s energy management system and an array of existing energy sources including grid, vessel prime movers, diesel generators, energy storage, and other equipment with varying energy-demand profiles.
To help optimize the solar power utilization, the PV system provided by Ortus was implemented as four separate but interconnectable roof-mounted arrays, to allow the best configurability into the Marine Power Test Facility’s automation and energy management system.
Peter Oram, Sales and Commercial Director at GE Power Conversion UK, said of the collaborative and forward-thinking project: “The system upgrade has been conceived and integrated in such a way that all sources of energy, from fuel to grid supply, can be optimized for efficiency, carbon reduction and operating cost. It’s important for this advanced Marine Power Test Facility and the customers that rely on it, providing a full-scale demonstration of future, greener maritime technologies and their deployment within a micro grid.”
GE, an energy infrastructure leaderis already part of the UK government’s Supply Chains for Net Zero initiative, aimed at driving industrial decarbonization, and this latest solar initiative continues their mission to make operations more sustainable, as well as lowering energy bills in today’s increasingly volatile market.
Phase two will commence in early 2023 at GE Power Conversion’s systems and manufacturing facility in nearby Rugby and has the potential to be nearly five times the size at 1.8MW output.
Having recently signed a deal with international assets investment company, Fiera Infrastructure, to deploy £100m of investments into the UK market, Ortus Energy is a major new player when it comes to guarding against energy uncertainty and currently have 300MW of commercial and industrial solar PV projects in development.
Ortus Managing Director, Alistair Booth explained: “We’re delighted to help GE improve their environmental profile, ESG commitments and carbon footprint, as well as locking-in a sizeable portion of their energy price for 25 years, at no upfront cost. Our fully integrated approach to building, financing and operating distributed energy streamlined the project for them and the solar PV system will be particularly beneficial for the Marine Power Test Facility site, as it looks to decrease its reliance on grid electricity.”
*Commercial & Industrial (C&I) PPAs are longer-term deals that fix a set rate directly from the energy source. They ensure organisations benefit from low-cost, clean energy, without any capital expenditure, that’s independent from the grid and not exposed to the volatility of open-market forces and prices – and increasingly the most cost-effective and sustainable options are distributed renewable energy sources.
Grant helps PR business, 1284 continue its success story
Loughborough-based PR and communications strategy business 1284 used a business growth grant to increase productivity – translating time saved into the launch of a new service. The business was founded in 2020 from its base at the Loughborough University incubator LUinc. and grew turnover by more than 120% in its second year. Moving into Year 3, founder George Oliver applied through the Business Gateway Growth Hub for help towards set-up costs for new service line 1284START.
Before launching 1284, George had never run his own business. After 15 years as a journalist, he decided to form his own agency, aiming to specialise in corporate communications relating to the Innovation sector. At the time, George was completing an MSc in Strategic Leadership at Loughborough University’s Business School and he applied to launch 1284 from the university incubator on the LUSEP enterprise zone.
Two years on, 1284 was a Chartered PR Practitioner providing communications strategy to clients ranging from SMEs to local government and universities. From launch, George had been interested in working with innovative start-ups, providing PR consultancy both at reduced rates and pro bono to support the development of exciting new businesses emerging from Loughborough and Leicester. The Growth Grant presented an opportunity to formalise that activity as a niche premium PR service at affordable rates for emerging East Midlands entrepreneurs.
1284START launched in October 2022 – two months after the Growth Grant was awarded. The 35% match-funding was used towards the purchase of a laptop and AI software to improve the efficiency and monitoring of PR campaigns. George then created 1284START to pass his company’s efficiency savings on to client startups, meaning that selected new businesses could access quality services in Leicestershire at a reduced rate.
1284START is already being used by purposeful early-stage businesses in the region. Projects include copywriting for award-winning med-tech startup ACT Medical, which is developing a life-saving device to stem blood loss from knife wounds. 1284 is already in talks with two further startups about supporting them with press releases, media relations, and other comms. It means 1284START had reached around 10% of its Y1 revenue target before its official launch in late October.
George was introduced to the Business Gateway Growth Hub by attending free sessions on marketing and pricing while establishing his company in 2020. He said: “I had never run my own business before 1284 and needed to learn a lot quickly about process, accounting, sales and more. The incubator was helping with that and I also learned quite quickly that the Growth Hub provided sessions with experts who were offering a lot of specialist insight at no cost.
“When I saw on Twitter a couple of years later that the Growth Hub was inviting applications for Growth grants I began to think about how it could be a chance to formalise what I was trying to achieve with really purposeful startups. Three months later, I had funding and kit in place, a new website live and clients on the books.”
In December 2021, 1284 won a public tendering exercise to provide media releases for the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). Efficiencies made possible by 1284START mean that the company can deliver such big contracts while continuing to grow within the existing headcount. However, the next stage for 1284 is to consider the staffing required for further expansion. George said: “I think we are at a point many growing businesses will experience in that 1284 is close to having made all realistic measures to increase productivity and now needs to think seriously about onboarding new people.”
1284 is shortlisted for the CIPR’s Midlands Independent Practitioner of the Year and the East Midlands Chamber’s Leicestershire Entrepreneur of the Year. “I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, but the support I have received gave me the confidence to invest in the IT I needed to improve my service offer, increase efficiency and compete with larger agencies,” said George.
Business Gateway Adviser, Paul Bennett added: “1284 has been growing significantly over the last few years and George’s passion for supporting start-ups through affordable PR is commendable. He put an excellent case forward to the grant panel, not only to prove his project was viable but also how much it was really needed in the start-up community. It’s been a pleasure supporting George and seeing his ideas become a reality. He listened to my advice and feedback and has even taken away ideas to help his own clients with funding and award applications. I wish him well for the future.”
New centre to support disruptive business and industry transformation launched at Nottingham Business School
A new centre led by international experts is to promote innovation, empower business transformation and nurture future business leaders.
The Centre for Business and Industry Transformation (CBIT) has been launched by Nottingham Business School, part of Nottingham Trent University, to bring together industry transformation research, disruptive business practice, and personalised education.
Aiming to foster future leaders, CBIT offers both full-time and part-time masters’ degree programmes, specifically designed for transformational entrepreneurs, family business successors and senior managers who are likely to become the next CEO.
CBIT has also launched its Venture Builder for early-stage businesses. The programme aims to enhance the founder’s capability in business transformation practice. It takes a unique “sparring partner” approach to co-creating and co-executing transformational methods and innovative business model adoption.
The CBIT research team has a proven track record in high-impact research that supports wider society to achieve better sustainability and accelerate towards Net Zero. Their key research covers fields such as digital economy; new business and economic models; technology-driven innovation; IoT, machine learning and artificial intelligence; and business transformation methods.
The Centre will be led by Professor Xiao Ma, an internationally recognised thought leader and educator in entrepreneurship, business transformation, and digital economy, as well as a seasoned entrepreneur. He has led transformation projects for many businesses, including some Fortune 500 companies and PLCs.
Professor Ma said: “Through the work of the Centre, we want to transform those industry “norms”, build disruptive businesses and maximise positive impact in society and the environment. We will do this by working with industry partners to co-identify, co-design and co-deliver high-impact, world-leading education and research, informed by challenges the industry partners are facing.”
The Centre will hold an official launch event at Nottingham Business School on Thursday 10 November aimed at both emerging and established entrepreneurs and researchers interested in investigating how businesses become disruptive and transform the industry norm. Speakers include:
Nikhil Chikhliwala, a recent graduate, who will share his experience of the CBIT previous Masters’ degree programme. Nikhil will discuss how this programme helped him to build his venture, and made him a Strategist at Bow&Arrow, the Venture builder arm of Accenture.
Manish Pillay and Kris MacCrory, co-founders at Dock-y, (a CBIT Venture Builder cohort). Kris and Manish will share their experience of the CBIT venture building programme.
Roger Maull, Professor of Management Systems at the University of Exeter Business School and Academic Director of the Initiative for the Digital Economy at Exeter (INDEX). Roger will share his experience of working with the CBIT team on industry transformation research and explain the benefits of being part of this research agenda.
Haines Watts welcomes new trainees to its Ashby-de-la-Zouch office
Leading accountancy and business advisory firm Haines Watts has welcomed new trainees and graduates to join the firm’s operation in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
The graduates and school leavers will take up a host of positions across its office on Charterpoint Way and other bases across the West Midlands, joining their current crop of 24 other regional trainees.
To welcome the new team members on board, the graduates attended a regional welcome induction at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) headquarters in London recently, where they met their peers from around the country and heard from previous trainees and partners on their career progression.
Baljit Kaur, Regional HR Advisor in the West Midlands, commented: “Our trainee induction was a fantastic opportunity to welcome our 2022 cohort of new starters.
“They had a fun-filled, informative day getting to know each other and gaining insights from our existing trainee group, about life as a trainee and the journey ahead. They also heard from senior partners and owners of the firm about their stories, the values that run through our people and brand, the clients we work with and ambitions our leaders have for the future of Haines Watts.
“The innovative ideas generated during various tasks were excellent and I was delighted to see them developing relationships with their peers from other offices across the UK. They’re at the start of a very exciting journey at and I look forward to seeing the ideas and energy that they bring.”
Haines Watts prides itself on its commitment to talent development, investing over £20K per candidate in creating an academy dedicated to the continued development of staff, as well as an accredited training programme.
This commitment will continue with all the new starters, who will be joining different training routes, including ACA, ACCA or the tax pathway.
Kasim Khan, Audit and Accounts Trainee, said: “The reason I chose to join Haines Watts was due to the personal aspect of the course and training; it seemed like a firm that you were more accepted into and somewhere that really cared about my progression.
“If I had chosen to accept an offer from one of the top four, I would have been seen as a number not an individual. I can already really see the connection, and support from colleagues and managers alike.
“The highlight from the induction day was meeting a group of semi seniors. They were very supportive, given they have been in the same position as us and understood our feelings and what was running through our minds.”
Charlie Gordon, Audit and Accounts Trainee, concluded: “What drew me to Haines Watts was the emphasis it has on employee wellbeing, as well as the focus on communication with clients, instead of just focusing on the numbers.
“The day was really useful for making new connections with likeminded individuals across the country. I’m now really looking forward to getting stuck into work, getting involved with the team and meeting clients.”
Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023 launches
The fifth Leicestershire Innovation Festival will take place in the new year – with organisers placing the spotlight on small business.
The Business Gateway Growth Hub is again leading preparations for the festival – themed on productivity – as 20 events are staged between 6 and 17 February.
Productivity and innovation are central to plans for growth in the UK economy. As 89% of businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire have fewer than 10 employees, small businesses have a key role to play.
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, Chair of the LLEP Innovation Board, said: “The festival will showcase ideas that increase productivity and quality in small, mid-sized, and large organisations.
“People often think of Innovation as being about inventing things. But we also want to hear the stories of entrepreneurs who are making ‘new to business’ changes that can be made by anyone.”
This year’s festival was the biggest to date, with almost 1,000 registrations across 24 events. Organisers aim to build on that in order to grow next year’s fortnight-long festival.
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) was recently nominated for Outstanding Entrepreneurial University of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards and is a sponsor of the 2023 festival.
Helen Donnellan, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Regional Business and Innovation, and LLEP Innovation Board member, said: “Workplace innovation isn’t necessarily about specific teams working on future projects.
“Rather, the biggest business impact can come from simply questioning how things could be done better.
“This could be anything from how your business creates its products, to processes for how you operate or how you engage with customers.”
Meanwhile, the fifth LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards continues to be the festival’s flagship event – and nominations are open now.
Businesses and organisations of all sizes can be nominated across 10 regional sector-based categories.
Adam Moss, Editor of LeicestershireLive, said: “We never cease to be amazed by the standard of the nominations we receive, as they really do showcase what Leicestershire’s best and brightest minds have to offer.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing this year’s entries come in and know for a fact that our judges will have some very tough choices when they decide our winners for this year.”
Cleaning pad business just scratching the surface when it comes to growth
Twelve months ago Harry Green, decided it was time to sell his cleaning pad business in Leicester. After all, he was 95, maybe it was time to close the business! However, neighbours Priyesh, Amit and Niraj Mandalia, inspired by Harry’s character and business ethos decided to take it on. As Harry approaches his 97th birthday, Silver Lady Cleaning Products has been given a new lease on life. Already an international business, it is now on a mission to go digital, become sustainable and conquer the UK.
Silver Lady Cleaning manufactures non-scratch scourers and pads under the brand name Miracle Cleaner. With a background originally in knitwear that spans over 100 years, the third generation of Harry’s family works in the business today. The Mandalia brothers are garment manufacturers and had a unit above Harry’s for 10 years. They now own Silver Lady Cleaning along with Harry, who is still very much a part of the business. Mum, Jayshree and dad Chiman Mandalia are also part of the Silver Lady team and work in the business.
Priyesh Mandalia explains: “Harry has a wealth of knowledge and experience. We bought the business, asked him to continue working with us for as long as he wanted and made him a shareholder. He’s a phenomenal guy with a great mind and work ethic. He was going to close the business and it would have been a shame to let that all go.”
Currently the business export to New Zealand, South Africa and Spain. Products are manufactured on unique machines built by Harry, with many parts taken from old knitwear machines. As well as scouring pads, new lines have been introduced such as dishcloths in microfibre and swede.
Priyesh described how this year they’ve spent time finding ways to lower their carbon footprint and be more sustainable. Silver Lady has swapped its product header cards to recycled paper and uses disposable cotton to stitch the pads together. Work is also currently underway with De Montfort University to make their sponges bacteria-free. If they succeed, the sponges could then be reused in playgrounds for example or bouncy castle pits.
The outside of the sponge is lurex and plastic coated. If they can take the plastic out, the lurex will also be completely recyclable. The business also sources locally or within the UK and all their products go by ship to international customers. All these measures help reduce their carbon footprint and support their journey to becoming a sustainable business.
Despite its international success, Silver Lady doesn’t have any UK customers. Priyesh said: “We sell about 12,000 pieces each month to New Zealand but nothing here. I’d say one of our main challenges is exposure. We don’t know who to target or which doors we should be knocking on but I know we want to expand.”
While searching on the internet for advice and funding he came across the Business Gateway Growth Hub. Priyesh continued: “We were contacted by Russ Pacey following our initial enquiry. We had an amazing conversation about Harry, our plans to grow in the UK and what help might be available. Our timing must have been spot on as just that week a new £2,500* business support grant had opened, which Russ talked through. We applied straight away for funding to help with marketing support.”
Priyesh comments: “We want to expand because we love this product and want to share it. Harry is a shrewd businessman and has built a unique product with longevity. He’s such an inspiration and makes us want to do better. The possibilities are endless.”
Harry added: “This has given me a new lease on life and I’m learning lots of things. I’ve joined the Mandalia brothers to bring our product to the local market and I’m excited to see where the business goes with our combined experience and backgrounds.”
Russ Pacey, Business Adviser Manager said: “This is a fantastic story transcending barriers of background, age, culture and experience. People working together with a common goal.
“I’m pleased I was able to signpost the grant. This kind of one-off grant or support programme pop up from time to time so it’s always worth staying in touch with the Business Gateway.”
Notts developer calls upon government to confront post-Covid home building challenges head on
The MD of one of the Midlands’ longest standing family-run house-builders has called upon Rishi Sunak’s newly announced Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, to give more support to small developers in the challenging post-Covid construction landscape.
Steve Midgley, Managing Director and co-founder at Fairgrove, which he established in 1995, has voiced concerns over the spiralling issues with supply chains and labour shortages in the wake of Brexit and Covid, as his teams work around the clock to deliver excellent low-energy homes in the midst of a very turbulent mortgage market.
Fairgrove is currently active on three sites in the East Midlands – The Brewery Yard and Nine Corners in Kimberley, as well as Swanwick Fields in Alfreton. All sites, which will eventually comprise more than 100 stunning new homes, are experiencing major challenges and Steve and his team, plus their newly appointed Quality Manager, are disheartened to find themselves behind schedule for completion.
Steve, who spent 10 years as Chairman of the Small Developers Group, and more recently 6 years as main Board member, of the Home Builders Federation, said: “Our vision to create places where people aspire to live, work and enjoy life is as strong as ever, given the tough times we’ve all come through over the last few years. A home is literally where the heart is and so we understand how important it is that our customers arrive at their perfect dream home on move-in day.
“That’s why we are so disheartened to have handed over some homes with a few aspects unfinished and to be behind schedule – it just is not the quality finish and experience we are known and respected for. Our 25 year plus heritage is all about comfort, high standards, excellent customer service and great workmanship and design.
“So I’m urgently calling on the new Housing Minster to address the challenges faced by smaller house builders in this extremely difficult construction climate. Key problems are the supply chain delays which have come about through a perfect storm of factors, culminating in vital materials not arriving on our sites in time.
“A shortage of skilled workers post Brexit has certainly had, and continues to have, a really negative impact on house building, as does the terrible situation in Ukraine. Timber, for instance, is a big problem. We have had a real struggle getting hold of fencing as a result, similar to how we’ve finding it very hard to secure ground workers and scaffolding. The supply chain and labour market is in a state of chaos.”
Steve added that it wasn’t just his company that was experiencing these ongoing problems. “At a recent meeting with more than 15 other developers, we all reported the same thing. We’re all being hit by delays for at least one vital skill or product as we strive to deliver houses on time. It doesn’t seem that bigger developers are feeling the squeeze in the same way – and this needs addressing.”
To give a specific example of how Fairgrove’s current projects are being affected, Steve touched on the piling process. He said: “Some of the properties we are building at our luxury development in Alfreton have to be supported in the ground via a process called piling. The piles are steel tubes, imported ex-Russian oil and gas pipeline pipes. We have lost over 3 months whilst these have been stuck at a Norwegian port as a result of the war in Ukraine.
“This delays construction by weeks and puts our buyers at risk of their mortgage deals running out, hence the real sense of urgency to move people into homes that we are not 100% happy with. The situation needs some serious attention from those calling the shots in Government.”
