LATEST ARTICLES

East Midlands sets innovation roadmap to drive green industry growth

April Lara
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East Midlands sets innovation roadmap to drive green industry growth

The East Midlands Combined County Authority has outlined new priorities to position the region as a leader in green and advanced manufacturing industries.

A new Innovation Roadmap, commissioned from the University of Nottingham, identifies four high-growth clusters: zero-emission propulsion, sustainable advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and green construction, and nuclear. The roadmap forms part of the £160 million East Midlands Investment Zone programme, which aims to boost productivity, accelerate product development, and attract private investment.

The initiative supports the forthcoming East Midlands Investment Zone Strategy and the region’s Growth Plan, focusing on creating jobs, expanding business activity, and strengthening export performance.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said the programme represents a transformational step for the region: “The East Midlands Investment Zone provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the people in our region. We are investing in the skills, innovation, and infrastructure that will create thousands of well-paid jobs and make the East Midlands a magnet for clean energy industries and advanced manufacturing. This first year of delivery has built strong foundations for the future, and we are determined to go further – attracting more private investment, supporting local businesses to grow, and ensuring every community can share in the benefits of this new era for our region. This is inclusive growth in action.”

The roadmap highlights four key requirements for businesses and investors: accessible innovation facilities, dedicated demonstration programmes to commercialise new technologies, support for technology adoption, and workforce development aligned with emerging industry needs.

More than 170 stakeholders from business, academia, and regional networks contributed to the roadmap through consultations and workshops. The University of Nottingham led the project with input from the universities of Derby and Nottingham Trent, alongside industry partners including the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, Nuclear Collaboration Ltd, Qinesis, East Midlands Manufacturing Network, and Ecologic Homes Consultancy.

The EMIZ programme will now move to implementation, targeting the creation of over 4,000 jobs and an estimated £380 million in private investment within the next decade.

Housing development proposed for Horncastle’s Milestone Farm

April Lara
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Housing development proposed for Horncastle’s Milestone Farm

A proposal has been lodged with East Lindsey District Council for a new residential development of up to 200 homes on land east of Lincoln Road in Horncastle.

The application, submitted by ADAS Land and Development, covers a site that includes horticultural land currently used by W Crowder & Sons Ltd and Horncastle Garden Centre, as well as agricultural buildings forming part of Milestone Farm.

Plans outline a mix of housing types with around 30 per cent allocated as affordable homes. The scheme incorporates low-carbon design principles, sustainable drainage systems, open green spaces, pedestrian and cycling routes, and electric vehicle charging points. Provisions for biodiversity net gain and rainwater harvesting are also included in the outline plans.

If approved, the development would expand Horncastle’s housing supply while integrating with nearby commercial and agricultural activity. For local businesses, it signals future demand for construction services, materials, and infrastructure support in the growing Lincolnshire market town.

Trent & Dove secures £50m to boost housing development across three counties

April Lara
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Trent & Dove secures £50m to boost housing development across three counties

Trent & Dove Housing has secured £50 million in new funding to accelerate its development and improvement plans across Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Leicestershire.

The finance, arranged under the government’s Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme (AHGS) and provided by Saltaire Housing, will fund the construction of around 200 additional affordable homes. It will also contribute to upgrading existing properties to meet higher living standards.

Legal advisers from Anthony Collins and financial consultants from Savills UK supported the deal. The transaction marks a continued push by housing associations to access competitive funding through the AHGS, a government-backed initiative managed by Venn to expand affordable housing supply while maintaining existing stock.

Trent & Dove’s investment programme forms part of a wider regional effort to address the shortage of affordable homes and modernise ageing housing portfolios. The funding is expected to support both new developments and essential improvement works, ensuring long-term resilience in local housing provision.

East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster’s Cyber Workforce White Paper launched at Westminster event

Tess Egginton
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East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster’s Cyber Workforce White Paper launched at Westminster event
Momentum continues to build behind recommendations made in East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster’s recent skills White Paper. Cyber Workforce of the Future: Why the UK Needs a Skills Taxonomy Now was officially launched during a special event in Westminster this week. Led by Dr Ismini Vasileiou and attended by Dan Aldridge MP, Chair, APPG for Cyber Innovation, the event brought together government, industry, and academia for a round table discussion at Portcullis House. Groups including EMCSC, De Montfort University Leicester, DSIT, techUK, the UK Cyber Security Council, NCSC, and UKC3 discussed next steps on how to address barriers and challenges within the industry identified in the White Paper. Issues discussed by the group included workforce fragmentation, scarcity of entry-level roles, lack of engagement with larger employers and companies, capacity issues within SMEs and smaller firms and government-led implementation. Delegates acknowledged that while the UK Cyber Security Council currently leads the work on establishing a Professional Register for Cyber Practitioners, progress has been hampered by limited sector engagement and a lack of sustained government backing since the end of the Council’s initial funding. All around the table agreed that a credible, widely supported register remains essential to professionalising the workforce, recognising skills, and strengthening accountability across the sector. Dr Vasileiou is EMCSC founder, Co-Chair at the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3), and Associate Professor and author of the White Paper. She said: “It was encouraging to have an open and honest conversation not just around the issues within the industry but also around barriers to addressing them. “Collaboration is key and so to lead the conversation around that and hear industry leaders from a range of sectors agree on a route forward feels like real progress. “Capitalising on the current relevance of cyber security and seizing opportunity were other things we all agreed on and with the backing of Dan Aldridge MP and the APPG I’m excited to see what we can achieve together.” Dan Aldridge MP, Chair, APPG for Cyber Innovation, added: “We need to embark on a national mission when it comes to cyber security. “Threat proliferation is a real issue and the general public do not always understand the threat proliferation that we have. “This paper, and discussions we have had today, feed into what needs to happen next to bolster cyber security for everyone. “There’s an opportunity over the next 12 months to raise the game, get other MPs involved and make cyber security part of the national conversation.” The White Paper, published earlier this year, recommends that Government should:
  1. Establish a DSIT-led taskforce to co-create a UK Cyber Skills Taxonomy
  2. Establish a national delivery body to govern the taxonomy
  3. Incentivise employer adoption of standardised, skills-based recruitment
  4. Align education and career pathways to real-world cyber roles
  5. Scale regional skills alignment through a National Implementation Framework.

Journeo receives $5m New York City subway order

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Journeo receives $5m New York City subway order

Journeo, an Ashby-de-la-Zouch-based provider of intelligent systems for transport networks and critical national infrastructure, has received a $5m order from Outfront Media Group (OFM) to supply platform display systems for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City.

Journeo subsidiary, Infotec will use the latest Journeo Design Centre TFT displays technology to supply four new display variants, consisting of 49-inch and 65-inch units certified for indoor and outdoor applications in the US. These will be the first displays the Group has supplied for Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) advertising on subway platforms. The solutions include powerful embedded technology to manage display performance, provide vital diagnostic feedback for predictive maintenance and maximise system uptime.

Delivery is expected to commence in the second half of 2026 to support an OFM programme to replace legacy technology already present on the MTA network.

These purchase orders position Journeo well for further DOOH opportunities across transit networks throughout the US.

Russ Singleton, CEO, said: “We are delighted to extend the OFM relationship with the deployment of our displays onto New York City subway platforms. These purchase orders underscore the confidence that this leading advertising provider places in Journeo technology and is another important milestone in our US growth trajectory.”

Proici Commercial Interiors radically transforms Nottingham workplace in Fothergill House

Tess Egginton
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Proici Commercial Interiors radically transforms Nottingham workplace in Fothergill House
Proici Commercial Interiors have transformed the 4th floor of a Grade II listed building, in the heart of Nottingham, into a striking 21st-century workplace. Originally designed by renowned local architect Watson Fothergill and constructed in 1895, Proici repurposed the previous haberdashery department of the building into a flexible, agile working environment for its IT Consultancy client, celebrating the building’s heritage while delivering modern functionality across desks, collaboration zones, and social spaces. The brief demanded far more than just a standard office fit-out. Proici were tasked to create a workplace that could support non-assigned agile working, encourage collaboration, and adapt to evolving needs – all within a historic structure with unusual layouts, period features, and structural quirks. Furniture, lighting, partitions, and finishes all had to align perfectly with the building’s character, making the fit-out far more complex than a conventional office fit-out. Proici delivered a design solution that successfully combined innovation alongside preservation. Agile, non-assigned desks and flexible collaboration zones were introduced alongside moveable furniture, allowing the space to adapt effortlessly to changing needs. The historic building was referenced throughout the design: ceilings were left open to reveal structural and mechanical features, while carefully chosen materials and finishes complemented the period building. At the heart of the office is a dynamic social and meeting hub featuring multi-tiered, relocatable, auditorium-style seating – perfect for workshops, presentations, or informal gatherings. High-quality AV ensures the space functions as seamlessly as it looks, while a mezzanine area adds visual interest, daylight, and flexible event space. Industrial touches like exposed beams and raw finishes reference the building’s origins, while the interior layout maximises light and openness. Proici also integrated important practical elements including secure access, technology infrastructure, and functional breakout zones, ensuring the space works as well as it looks. The completed office is a confident statement of heritage meets modern, with a flexible, agile, and visually striking environment that fosters collaboration, supports creativity, and adapts to evolving ways of working. The project demonstrates Proici’s experience and expertise in transforming complex, historic buildings into flagship workplaces that combine character, innovation, and functionality – a benchmark for modern office design. Click here for the full case study.

Nightingale Quarter completes £175m Derby scheme with final phase now delivered

April Lara
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Nightingale Quarter completes £175m Derby scheme with final phase now delivered

A £175m city centre regeneration scheme in Derby has reached completion, with developer Wavensmere Homes finishing the last phase of the Nightingale Quarter project.

The 18.5-acre site, on the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary estate, has been under construction for six years. It now comprises 925 new homes: 125 houses and eight apartment blocks providing a total of 800 apartments.

The final block, Walton House, is a five-storey building with 103 one- and two-bedroom apartments for rent. Residents are due to move in from November. The units are being marketed and managed by Derby estate agency Ashley Adams. Each home is being handed over fully furnished by Project Furniture Residential. The specification includes solar PV panels with battery storage, 7kW electric vehicle chargers, and rapid charge bays. The developer is positioning those features as part of the scheme’s low-carbon offer to occupiers.

Around £1m has been spent on new public realm and shared amenities. The finished scheme includes landscaped boulevards, a dedicated children’s play area, an outdoor gym, a running track that loops the development, a residents’ gym, a co-working space, and a community allotment set up with Down to Earth Derby, residents, and school pupils.

A life-size bronze fallow deer sculpture has been installed on site as a permanent feature. British wildlife sculptor Hamish Mackie created the piece, which has been presented as a gift to the city. The deer is intended as a reference to the city’s name and its historic association with deer.

Two 19th-century “pepperpot” buildings from the former Florence Nightingale-designed hospital have been retained and restored. They now act as heritage markers along London Road, opposite Derbion shopping centre, providing a visible link to the site’s original use.

With Walton House now delivered, Wavensmere Homes has effectively closed out its build programme at Nightingale Quarter and turned the site from a long-term construction project into a live residential location feeding directly into Derby’s central economy.

Multi-million-pound apartment project takes another step forward in Nottingham

Tess Egginton
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Multi-million-pound apartment project takes another step forward in Nottingham
A multi-million-pound project that is transforming a Nottingham gateway has taken another step forward after planning was submitted for additional residential accommodation. Riverleen House in Electric Avenue, Nottingham is a former Experian office block. It has already secured planning approval for its conversion into 118 studios and apartments aimed at executives and professionals. Now, planning has been submitted by Nottingham developer ALB Group to convert the loft space into one and two-bedroom apartments. Arran Bailey, managing director at ALB Group, said: “As Nottingham centric developers with national experience, creating quality accommodation in our hometown is very important to us, especially in locations where residential accommodation is much needed. “Transforming Riverleen House from commercial space into quality residential apartments in a location that is perfect for professionals working at the University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre and Boots, will help fill the need for accessible homes in the city.” If approved, work on the additional 42 apartments will begin six weeks after being given the go-ahead. The £25m+ project is set to be finished at the end of the year with the first residents expected to move in by the end of 2026. The reimagining of Riverleen House brings together the vision of ALB Group and the design expertise of Leonard Design Architects. John Morgan, director at Leonard Design Architects, said: “It is so positive that ALB Group is investing more money into the city to deliver more much-needed homes for Nottingham while breathing new life into this area by adapting commercial space. “Since the pandemic and with more people working from home or hybrid working, there has been less need for office space in city centres. The conversion of this commercial building will help deliver housing targets, maintain and improve a major gateway into Nottingham as well as ensuring disused space is reinvigorated and transformed into a desirable residential location.” Riverleen House was constructed for Experian in 1997 and refurbished in 2015. ALB Group acquired the site for an undisclosed figure, but it was marketed at £7.5m with FHP Living.

Rushton Hickman adds to Agency Department

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Rushton Hickman adds to Agency Department
Rushton Hickman has welcomed Sam Rowland to its Agency Department. Sam joins as an agency surveyor, working across the sale and letting of all types of commercial property and development land. This includes everything from offices and industrial units to retail premises and mixed-use sites across Staffordshire and Derbyshire areas. In his new role, Sam will be supporting clients of all sizes – from local business owners and landlords to investors and developers. Managing director, Graham Bancroft, said: “We’re really pleased to have Sam on board. His enthusiasm and commitment to delivering excellent service will be a great addition to our growing agency team.” Of his new appointment, Sam said: “I’m really excited to be joining Rushton Hickman, it’s great to be part of such a knowledgeable and friendly team, and I’m looking forward to getting involved in a wide variety of projects.”

Construction begins on new Sharphill Community Centre

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Construction begins on new Sharphill Community Centre
Work has begun on Rushcliffe Borough Council’s new community venue in Sharphill near Edwalton, which will provide a new space for residents, groups and businesses to enjoy. Sharphill Community Centre will strengthen the local area by offering a new focal point that complements and supports the new communities being created, designed to bring people together by supporting local activities. At the heart of the design is a spacious multi-purpose hall for up to 40 people, providing a space for hosting clubs, running classes and holding community gatherings. The centre will also be home to a meeting room, fully equipped kitchen, publicly accessible toilets for use by allotment and community park visitors and a small storage facility for use by the Friends of Sharphill Woods. With construction set to be completed in Spring 2026, the new facility, located off Rose Way, will enhance community facilities available locally. With environmental considerations in mind, a PV Solar array will be positioned on its south-facing roof and an air source heat pump will be installed to ensure the structure is as carbon clever as possible. 27 parking spaces, six disabled spaces and five cycle spaces will be created for visitors of the community centre. The facility is part of phase seven of Vistry Homes’ and Countryside Properties’ development. Cllr Jonathan Wheeler, Rushcliffe Borough Council’s portfolio holder for leisure & wellbeing, ICT & member development, said: “It’s great to see work is underway on the construction of the new Sharphill Community Centre. “The new state of the art facility will provide residents and businesses with a modern and accessible location to hold events, meetings and celebrations within the heart of this new community. “This is another positive step as we look to further provide the best possible facilities for our residents as part of our ongoing Leisure Strategy and we have carefully listened to the views of the local community by including a storage facility for the Friends of Sharphill Woods, supporting their valuable ongoing work.” Vistry North Midlands operations director Calum Madden added: “I’m proud to share our involvement in delivering the new Sharphill Community Centre for Rushcliffe Borough Council. “This project represents our ongoing commitment to creating lasting, high-quality spaces that serve the needs of local communities. “The new centre at Sharphill will provide a vital hub for residents, supporting a range of community activities and services and we’re pleased to play a key role in helping bring this important facility to life.”
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