The Leicestershire Business of the Year awards by East Midlands Chamber, saw Scope Construction, a fast-growing contractor for the residential and commercial sectors, crowned the Leicestershire Business of the Year. The Loughborough-based company – which provides construction, refurbishment and interior design services – also won the Outstanding Growth award at the Leicestershire Business Awards, which was held on Friday (4 November) in partnership with headline sponsor Mazars. Founded by Maz Patel and Paz Patel in 2015, the business has almost trebled its seven-figure turnover over the past 12 months, and expects to double it again this year after building a reputation mainly via word of mouth for its work on a range of projects including shop, restaurant and car showroom fit-outs, as well as home refurbishments. The Leicestershire Business Awards, recognised East Midlands Chamber members across 13 categories, ranging from Excellence in Innovation and Environmental Impact at organisational level through to individual honours for Entrepreneur of the Year and Apprentice of the Year, in addition to the overall Business of the Year winner. Finalists, chosen by a judging panel of the Chamber’s senior leadership and board of directors, as well as sponsors, discovered their fate during a gala dinner attended by hundreds of people at Leicester City FC’s King Power Stadium. Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “The past few years have been challenging for our business community, and yet we continue to see so many shining examples of business success across our region. “It’s always important to celebrate these achievements and shout about the great things happening right here in Leicestershire. We know it is a fantastic place to do business and these organisations – many of which have worked together to maximise their impact within their sectors and communities – are doing a wonderful job. “Later this month, the Chamber will launch a Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond in Parliament that illustrates how our region is a Centre of Trading Excellence. Our Business Awards are full of companies that are living proof of this.” Money raised for East Midlands Chamber charitable fund The Leicestershire Business Awards – one of three awards hosted by the Chamber, along with Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire – were hosted by comedian Patrick Monahan. A raffle was held to raise funds for East Midlands Chamber president Lindsey Williams’ three chosen charities this year – Focus, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Treetops Hospice. Lindsey, chief executive of Coalville-based housing association Futures Housing Group, added: “Behind every nominee and winner whose name will go up in lights are people and organisations that are truly delivering for the region. Their achievements generate employment, wealth and opportunity not just for those directly connected, but for the wider community. “So I’m proud to see the Chamber yet again take the opportunity to bring us together and celebrate our top talent – for their success but also for what they bring to the East Midlands as a whole.” Winners of the Business Awards Business Improvement Through Technology  – Consultus International Group Community Impact – Leicestershire Cares Outstanding Growth – Scope Construction Excellence in Collaboration – BrightER Futures (De Montfort University and ER Recruitment) Environmental Impact – Michael Smith Switchgear Commitment to People Development – CR Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year – Jessica Gould, CR Civil Engineering Entrepreneur of the Year – Jaz Kaur and Narinder Nijjar, Fraser Stretton Property Group Education and Business Partnership – Leicestershire Cares Excellence in Customer Service – Paradigm Wills & Legal Services Excellence in International Trade – Unimed Procurement Services Small Business of the Year – Creative62 Excellence in Innovation – The Simulator Company Business of the Year – Scope Construction

Businesses, organisations , community groups and the public are to have their say on the £1.14 billion devolution deal which councils are keen to press ahead with as they say it will offer the region a package of new powers and funding worth £1.14 billion. Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Nottingham City Council have all given the green light to a public consultation on devolution, so the public, businesses, community groups and other organisations will now have the chance to have their say about the deal, in a public consultation. The leaders of each of the four councils signed up to work on a devolution deal on 30th August this year at Rolls Royce in Derby, after the Government offered the region a package of new powers and funding worth £1.14 billion. Since August the councils have been working on agreeing a more detailed proposal for consultation, which includes more information about how devolution would work in our area. The deal would provide the region with a guaranteed income stream of £38 million per year over a 30-year period, and would cover around 2.2 million people, making it one of the biggest in the country. It would also mean a new regional mayor and new type of combined authority for the area, from 2024. The investment in this deal will bring with it many opportunities. We could see more jobs, better transport and housing, an enhanced greener environment, and more value for money of services provided for our people. The proposals that we’re consulting on are just the beginning, and we’re determined to build on it over time. I would encourage everyone to give us their views on the deal by taking part in the consultation. Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “Devolution is about getting a better deal for Derbyshire and the East Midlands and achieving a fair share for our region. It will bring us more money and mean we can make more meaningful decisions here, rather than in London.

“This deal will bring more and better jobs and opportunities for training, improve the local economy, result in better transport and housing, and accelerate our route to Net Zero. I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on devolution.

“A devolution deal, should it be agreed, would be the beginning, not the end. We’re determined to build on this deal over time, as other areas have done.

“Devolution can bring real benefits for local people, as it has done in other parts of the country. It will mean more funding for our region, and the opportunity to have more meaningful decisions made here, near the people they affect, rather than in London, so they can be better tailored to local needs. “This is an opportunity to create jobs, boost our economy, enhance transport, build more and better homes, improve our environment, and more, and we need to grab it with both hands. I don’t want our area to miss out on a chance to improve things for everyone who lives and works here. “Devolution can help us be more effective locally, make better use of public money, and most importantly, improve people’s lives. It would lay the groundwork for us to build on in the future, to benefit future generations. “I’d encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and give us their views on the devolution deal.” David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “This deal has the potential to make a significant difference and local people would see the real benefits from the investment with more and better jobs, housing, training and much more. “For too long this region hasn’t had the investment it needed and deserves – by working on a deal we can start to address this, but this is just the start, and I will make sure that we get our fair share and make the most of this funding. “It would allow us to start to address the long-term under-investment in our region. It would give us more control over our own area, where local people would have a say in the region’s priorities rather than decisions made in London.” If the devolution deal goes ahead, it would create the first of a new type of combined authority, which requires new legislation from central government. As well as the £1.14 billion, it includes an extra £16 million for new homes on brownfield land, and control over a range of budgets like the Adult Education Budget, which could be better tailored to the needs of people in our communities. The devolution deal is a level 3 deal, which offers the most local powers and funding. It would mean a new elected regional mayor, like those which already exist in other areas, who would represent both cities and counties. The role of the mayor would be to look at major issues affecting the whole region, give the area a bigger voice, and take advantage of local knowledge and expertise. The deal means that a future mayor and combined authority could:

• Work towards Net Zero and cleaner air with new low carbon homes, retrofit existing houses with external wall insulation, promote the use of renewable energy, and protect and enhance green spaces, like areas for wildlife and green verges.
• Build on the region’s existing knowledge and expertise in green technology and promote the growth of a future low carbon economy by investing in related skills training at colleges and other training facilities.
• Set up and coordinate smart integrated ticketing and enhanced concessionary fares schemes.
• Work with Homes England to build more affordable homes, by using new powers to buy land and housing (With district and borough council consent).
• Enhance the region’s economy by developing new commercial space to maximise opportunities.
• Work with national government on initiatives to address homelessness, domestic abuse, community safety, social mobility, and support for young people.
• Take advantage of economies of scale by using combined and devolved budgets to deliver more value for taxpayers and more cost-efficient services.

The four councils sent initial proposals to negotiate a combined devolution deal in March, after being named as pathfinder areas by the Government in February and then being invited to apply for a devolution deal. The councils have been working with the Government to develop details of the deal, alongside discussions with district and borough councils, businesses, and other stakeholders. If the devolution deal is formally approved, the Government will pass legislation bringing a new combined authority for the East Midlands into existence. The first election for a regional mayor for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, would be in May 2024. The regional 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. The public consultation about the East Midlands devolution deal is due to take place from 14th November until 9th January 2023.  

Leading law firm Geldards has revealed its role on the plans to create a £3 million heritage vehicle centre at former Rolls Royce Site, acting as legal advisor to Derby City Council.

The project, which is expected to create 120 jobs, will see the former Light Alloy site, in Osmaston Road, transformed into a centre where owners of classic vehicles, including cars, motorbikes and lorries, can bring their pride and joys to be repaired and restored.

Geldards provided legal advice to Derby City Council regarding the funding of the project and on a wide range of complex legal issues for the benefit of the project, which enabled it to get the green light to go ahead.

Corporate Partner Jenny Chatten and Senior Associate Sarah Bailey led on the advice to Derby City Council, supported by Associate Sharon Lowe who advised on property matters.

Jenny Chatten comments: “Geldards are thrilled to have played an important role in helping this extremely exciting project get off the ground.  It’s going to be a great addition to the city of Derby attracting visitors and creating employment and skills training.  We have a long working relationship with Derby City Council and enjoyed  working together to breathe life into this scheme.”

Plans for the project were submitted and approved earlier this year, and the city council has also made another contribution to the scheme by lending the company, Great Northern Classics,  £1.25 million from its Derby Enterprise Growth Fund.

The retail sector’s crucial Golden Quarter period, which encompasses Christmas and Black Friday, has started poorly with disappointing sales growth in October, new figures by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP reveal. According to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales (combined in-store and online) grew by +3.5% in October, compared to a base of +19.9% in the equivalent month last year. However, with a strong first week of sales masking poor performance across the rest of the month, these results are a disappointing start to this vital time of year. Total non-store LFLs recorded the first positive results (+0.5%) since July, following negative results in August and September. With growth of just +5.9%, total in-store LFLs recorded the lowest results since stores reopened when the UK emerged from lockdown in 2021. October started strongly with total LFLs recording an increase of +11.48%, compared to +22.03% for the same week last year. These positive results were likely making up for the slowdown in sales resulting from the bank holiday funeral of Queen Elizabeth II the preceding week. However, following weeks showed much lower levels of growth, with weeks two and three recording total LFL growth of +5.63% and +4.16% respectively. In the fourth week LFL growth fell to +0.27% and in the final week of the month, total LFL sales went negative, falling to -1.84%.

Sector Results

The fashion sector was the strongest performing category throughout October, with total LFLs climbing by +6.7% from a base of +36.8%. This marks 20 consecutive months of positive total LFL sales figures for the fashion sector, but is the third straight month of slower growth. The homewares sector recorded total LFL sales growth of +3.5% in October, the first positive set of results since April 2022, following five consecutive months of negative results. However, these figures are compared to a low base of +0.7% in October 2021. October was also a disappointing month for the lifestyle sector, with total LFLs falling by -0.1%, from a base of +10.0% in the previous year. This is the first negative result for the category since February 2021, suggesting that the fall in consumer discretionary spend has spread to include the lifestyle sector, having already seen homewares record declines in recent months. Sophie Michael, Head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO LLP, said: “This is a disappointing start to the most important part of the retail calendar. After a summer of sluggish retail sales growth, retailers would have been hoping for performance to pick up once we reached the Golden Quarter. However, like-for-like sales are continuing to trend downwards, as consumer confidence remains at near record lows. “October may have started strongly but sales quickly tailed off, with negative results in the final week of the month. If we remove the first week of the month from these results which was making up for the held back spend of the extra bank holiday, retail sales grew by only +1.8%. Given the current level of inflation, this means that actual sales volumes have decreased significantly. “We are likely to see different actions being taken by retailers in the run up to Black Friday depending on their performance to date, stock levels and also challenges that they may be facing on working capital Across the sector it’s clear that retailers will have to think carefully on pricing to persuade shoppers to part with their cash, without further impacting their already low profit margins. As ever, some will look to make operational savings or reduce costs through the supply chain, but when faced with such strong economic headwinds, there is only so much the sector can do to preserve their business.”

Leading Derby-based project managers, construction cost consultants and building surveyors Armsons Barlow have celebrated a milestone 50 years in business. More than 100 staff, clients, associates and friends marked the occasion with an evening reception at the Derby Museum of Making. Armsons was established by Michael Armson in 1972 to offer specialist quantity surveying expertise to private and public sector clients across the region. Over the past five decades, the business has expanded its service offering considerably and now delivers a range of core services, including project management, construction cost management and building surveying, across a broad spectrum of sectors – including commercial, industrial, civil engineering, residential, healthcare, retail, sports and leisure, education and heritage. At the end of 2021, Armsons joined forces with chartered quantity surveyors and building surveyors Barlow & Associates to create Armsons Barlow and relocated from their long-standing home on Brick Row in Darley Abbey to Vernon Street in Derby. The new combined business provides an expanded, multi-disciplinary operation which encompasses all major building and surveying sectors. At the event, presentations were made to Michael Armson in recognition of his 50 years in business and to Stephen Fernie, who is celebrating 25 years with the firm. Commenting on the 50^th anniversary celebrations, Sally Walters, director of Armsons Barlow, said: “Over the past 50 years, we have seen many changes within the sector.  Due to the hard work of Michael and former directors, we have been able to develop the practice and become the firm we are today. “Joining forces with Barlow Associates at the end of 2021 was a great opportunity for both businesses to come together and share our expertise, resources and clients and continue to grow our team. “It was great to see so many of our staff, past and present, clients and associates in one place to celebrate this amazing milestone. Here’s to another 50!” Over the past 50 years, Armsons has been involved in many award-winning schemes, including transforming the historic Roundhouse on Pride Park into a £51m engineering, technology, and construction campus for Derby College. Other projects include Glasshouse College – Ruskin Mill Trust, housed in the former Royal Doulton factory in Stourbridge’s Glass Quarter and 400 Hall, a state-of-the-art flexible performance theatre for Repton Hall School.

Following today’s decision by the Bank of England to increase the base rate from 2.25% to 3%, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) National Chair Martin McTague said: “Whatever the macroeconomic justifications for this latest rise, the eighth in a row, its effects will be felt immediately on the ground by small businesses carrying many kinds of debts, as well as by hard-pressed consumers. “Consumer confidence in October was only slightly above its all-time low in September, which spells worrying news for countless small firms relying on consumer spending in the so-called ‘golden quarter’ running up to the festive season. “Our research found that firms in the hospitality sector had a confidence reading almost twice as negative as the overall score for all sectors in Q3, raising fears of a wave of closures if prospects do not improve this winter. “Prior to today’s base rate hike, small firms were already telling us that the availability of new credit worsened in the third quarter, and that finance was already getting more costly, adding to the financial pressures they face. “Inflation is still sky-high, especially for business inputs, where it is running at around twice the rate of that felt by consumers. “Today’s rise may be seen by markets as necessary and inevitable, but for small businesses struggling under a debt burden and seeing decreases in custom that will be cold comfort. “The Chancellor must not forget small businesses and self-employed people in the upcoming Budget. “While there are undoubtedly tough decisions ahead, a further drop in small business numbers, after 2020 and 2021 saw a combined loss of nearly half a million, will hamstring the UK’s economic recovery before it has a chance to get going. “Action on late payment at least would be a godsend for small firms, opening up flows of working capital to keep them able to trade. The long-running scandal of large corporates’ poor payment practices must end, and the sooner the better.”