West Northamptonshire Council to pursue South Midlands devolution bid
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has agreed to pursue proposals to partner with other authorities in the South Midlands in a bid to join the Government’s ‘priority programme’ for devolution.
Councillors met last night (Thursday 9 January) and decided the Council should submit an expression of interest to ministers today for a new strategic mayoral authority covering West Northamptonshire, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and North Northamptonshire.
The proposal covering the six authority areas meets all the requirements, set out by the Government in the Devolution White Paper published last month, for the creation a strategic mayoral authority. This included a population size and a coherent economic footprint.
The proposal also builds on the strong history the councils have working as SEMLEP and from which the new South Midlands Authorities (SMA) group was formed to drive economic growth across the region and to lead the new DWP Supported Employment programme for the South Midlands.
WNC is keen to seize the opportunity to leverage the hundreds of millions of pounds of further investment that is now promised to devolved areas.
Devolution is used to describe the transfer of powers from national to local government and in places with a regionally-elected mayor, this also means the transfer of significant investment to drive new infrastructure, jobs and growth.
WNC will today submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) supporting the creation of a new South Midlands Strategic Authority and has invited the other five councils to join them, following on from recent discussions and interest from the Government in the South Midlands being part of the Devolution Priority Programme.
Any Council is able to submit an EOI and proposal for strategic mayoral authority area, although regions that demonstrate a strong and united approach to devolution are expected to be prioritised by the Government.
In September, the six authorities submitted an initial Expression of Interest to the Government for a combined authority, although at that stage it did not assume a mayor would be put in place.
The Devolution white paper made clear however that it expected all areas to be covered by a mayor and to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme WNC now have to confirm acceptance of this as well as interest on the fast track process.
WNC is already a unitary authority created in 2021, replacing and simplifying the two-tier system of county, district and borough councils to deliver all their services to residents in the West Northants area.
WNC is not currently part of a combined authority or strategic mayoral authority, which are formed by two or more neighbouring councils and typically cover around 1.5 million residents. Northamptonshire’s population of approximately 870,000 is more than half of the number of residents required for a new combined authority according to the Government’s criteria.
Leader of West Northamptonshire Council Cllr Adam Brown said: “It is clear that a strategic mayoral authority covering the six South Midlands councils is not only the one option that meets all the Government’s criteria, but also serves the best interests of all residents across our region.
“The six South Midlands authorities already have a strong history of working together to drive economic growth and building on this will only bring more benefits to all of our communities through a devolution deal that could attract millions of pounds of additional investment.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity that we are ready to seize, regardless of party politics, for our residents and, given the clear advice recently received from Government representatives about its coherence and suitability, we remain committed to pursuing this option.
“We hope our partner councils will join us so that we don’t miss out on this opportunity for all our communities.”
A strategic mayoral authority is led by a regionally-elected mayor, which is entirely different to civic and ceremonial mayors at town councils and has enhanced powers and funding devolved from national government to make collective decisions on issues such as economic growth, transport, housing, skills and employment.
A new strategic mayoral authority including the West Northamptonshire area would not replace the existing unitary council but would provide it with a stronger say and more significant role in regional investment and decision making.
Following an extraordinary meeting of Full Council last night – North Northamptonshire Council will also submit an expression of interest to pursue proposals to work with other South Midlands authorities on a devolution bid.
Derbyshire biotech company makes key appointment
Derbyshire biotech company N4 Pharma has appointed Dr Alastair Smith as an independent Non-Executive Director.
Alastair was the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Avacta Group, an AIM-listed biotech company established as a spin-out from Leeds University in 2005 and listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market in 2006.
Over his tenure, Avacta grew into one of the leading AIM biotech companies comprising two divisions: a clinical stage oncology drug company and a diagnostics business.
Alastair joins the company’s remuneration and audit committees.
Nigel Theobald, Chief Executive Officer, N4 Pharma, said: “We are delighted to welcome Alastair to the Board of N4 Pharma. His experience in having founded and grown a start-up to become one of the UK’s leading life science businesses will be invaluable in supporting the commercialisation of Nuvec® and advancing our pipeline of innovative therapies.”
The news comes as David Templeton retires as a Director of the company.Nigel added: “On behalf of my fellow Directors and everyone involved with N4 Pharma, I would like to thank David for all he has contributed over his years with the Company. Whilst he will be sorely missed, his work on dual loading of Nuvec® and its potential for oral delivery has left us with a true point of difference and a clear path towards Phase 1 clinical trials. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Alastair Smith said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board of N4 Pharma. I see strong parallels between N4 Pharma and Avacta; both building a pipeline of therapies that are strongly differentiated by a proprietary platform technology and offer additional opportunities for early commercialisation through licensing.”
Grantham day nursery sold to care home operator
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Ancaster Village Nursery & Forest School in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Ancaster Village Nursery & Forest School is a well-established day nursery located in Ancaster, Grantham, Lincolnshire. Rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, the nursery provides care for up to 52 children at a time and operates from a purpose-built rural property.
The sale also included the successful 46 place ‘Out of School’ club which the company runs from the local village primary school.
The nursery has been owned and managed by Linda Lukies since 2007. After many successful years in the childcare sector, Linda made the decision to retire, prompting the sale of the business.
Following a confidential sales process with Jassi Sunner at Christie & Co, it has been sold to new market entrant, Kiddi Corporation Ltd, which is owned by Rupinder Sandhu, a former care home operator expanding into the childcare sector.
Linda Lukies, former owner of Ancaster Village Nursery, said: “I would like to wish Rupinder and Ancaster Village Nursery every success for the future. It has been an absolute pleasure running this wonderful setting with such a passionate staff team and I know that, with Rupinder’s vision and experience, I have left everything in the safest hands.”
Rupinder Sandhu, the new owner of Ancaster Village Nursery, said: “I am extremely committed to delivering high-quality care in the community, drawing on my background in residential care.
“Working with children has always been a passion of mine and, as a parent of young children, I understand first-hand the challenges faced by parents. This drives my dedication to ensuring that childcare settings are nurturing, supportive, and positively promote children’s development.”
Jassi Sunner, Associate Director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, said: “With its excellent location, Ancaster Village Nursery & Forest School has built a fantastic reputation over the years under Linda’s leadership.
“The rural setting is logistically well placed for parents and has become a key choice for local families seeking high-quality childcare in a ‘home from home’ environment. After a competitive marketing process, we secured an offer from Rupinder, an experienced care home operator, looking for a new challenge in childcare.
“This transition is a perfect fit, and I have no doubt that Rupinder will build on the strong foundations Linda has established.”
Ancaster Village Nursery & Forest School was sold for an undisclosed price.
Ghosting is not just a dating phenomenon: by James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants
James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, delves into the problem of ghosting in business.
The term ghosting is widely known or referred to in the world of dating, when a person suddenly or unexpectedly experiences an end to all contact or interaction with a person – a date or partner. Any attempts to gain a response or engage in communication is fruitless.
However, the world of dating is not the only place it is experienced. It seems that ghosting is increasingly prevalent in the world of business. Its escalation, perhaps in part, is a legacy of lockdown when we worked remotely and were less connected to people, with face-to-face interaction switched to more faceless and less personal digital interactions. Hybrid and remote working, which has been more widely adopted post pandemic, may also be a contributor. So too may be the wider use and adoption of digital communication and working practices.
Everyone also seems to be busier than ever, and juggling workload and work pressure has meant people don’t do or can’t do things the way they might have in the past. It is perhaps a little cynical to think that standards, behaviours and ways of working are just not what they used to be.
How then might you experience ghosting in the workplace?
Interviews – you invite someone to attend for an interview, they accept but fail to turn up and don’t tell you they are not attending or make any contact.
Hiring – you make a job offer and give a start date, but the person doesn’t turn up or tell you they are not starting.
Quitting – someone decides they no longer want to stay in your employment and without going through due process leaves without notice.
Leavers – an employee is let go or leaves by agreement and prior to their departure they are given the cold shoulder or experience a sense they are not a part of the team or organisation.
Prospects – you have pitched or quoted for some business. The process seems to be going swimmingly then it ends abruptly, and you hear nothing and get no response.
Networking – you meet someone at a conference, networking event, or connected with them on LinkedIn and seem to really hit it off, agree to get in touch but never hear from them again or get a response.
Meetings – how many of us have sat in meetings and experienced the person more interested or engaged in their mobile phone? When it comes to online meetings there seems to be a host of people that neither have their camera or sound on – are they ‘in the room’?
Emails, calls and texts – you try to communicate with someone but find you get no response from a work colleague, someone you line manage or external contact.
Ghosting behaviour certainly adversely impacts the performance and productivity of an organisation, as well as, if widely experienced or prevalent, has a negative effect on culture, morale, recruitment and behaviours.
Perhaps it might be understandable, if not acceptable, in difficult situations. It does seem to be increasingly rife in circumstances where individuals prefer or just don’t want to deal with things, either because it is outside their comfort zone, it makes them anxious or more anxious, they avoid or can’t deal with conflict, might get a kick back, they are just too busy or even perhaps because they don’t care. It may even be learnt behaviour from more senior colleagues or peers.
Managing or considering how your business or organisation might be affected by ghosting surely is a matter which cannot be ghosted. Whilst individuals may have experienced some work-related ghosting few have probably considered its more widespread impact.
See this column in the January issue of East Midlands Business Link Magazine here.
2025 Business Predictions: Daniel McNerney, Managing Director, See Limited
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Daniel McNerney, Managing Director at See Limited.
The built environment industry has faced significant challenges with skills shortages in 2024, and this will continue in 2025.
Action will need to be taken to reverse this trend in order to avoid impact on the completion time and cost of a project. Apprenticeships will also have a part to play in combatting this. However, there is a need to make information on apprenticeships accessible for businesses, with greater support offered to help them start this journey. Early engagement with young people at schools and colleges will be key in helping to promote the industry and demonstrate the variety of opportunities and roles available.
When it comes to trends, bringing the outside in and connecting buildings and its occupants with nature – otherwise known as biophilic design – has been a design staple over the last few years. This will continue to evolve throughout 2025 and we predict that more curved furniture and walls will feature, creating a sense of warmth in a space rather than harsh, rigid lines.
Architects and interior designers working in the UK’s built environment industry will also need to commit to incorporating more sustainable practices in their work and creating spaces that mitigate the impacts of climate change, while also improving human wellbeing. With so many certifications out there, it will be important for them to identify relevant and accredited documentation routes to pursue in order to meet industry standards. Ideally, they should conduct a lifecycle analysis to form an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
By having environmental data available about the lifecycle of materials, key decision makers will be best equipped to make informed decisions about the materials they select so that they can track their own carbon footprint.
Mortgage and Finance Arena finds new home for 2025
An independent Derby mortgage and financial advice firm, celebrating 10 years of service, has moved into new Pride Park premises ready for one of its busiest times of the year.
Suzanne Bradshaw, managing director of Mortgage and Finance Arena, said advice on debt consolidation and unsecured business loans is in demand during January when the post-Christmas credit card bills land and self-assessment tax bills are due.
Suzanne said: “We offer advice on all mortgage and financial situations apart from pensions and savings and every year we find January is the time when people focus on their finances and getting them in order, either following Christmas or ahead of the tax bill.”
Suzanne, who set up the company in 2015, has moved it into new premises in the Melbourne Business Court in Pride Park, ready for 2025 to be a year of growth.
“We’ve built this company on repeat business but now we are expanding and getting more new clients,” said Suzanne, who has had a lifelong passion for property and gave her first advice on a mortgage aged 18.
“When this office became available and I had a break in my agreement on the previous premises, it just felt right to take the leap and move here into such a prominent place, right across from Pride Park Stadium.”
And while the business is settling into its new home, Suzanne is expecting Spring to be the time clients will seek advice on properties.
The rise in mortgage rates in 2022 has slowed the market for people moving property but there is still strong demand for advice from first time buyers, those who are self-employed or with more complex financial circumstances looking to renew their deals, and for equity release.
“I think people are now getting used to the mortgage rates and so we may see that market pick up soon,” said Suzanne. “But there is still a strong demand from first time buyers and lenders out there with offers to help people get on the property ladder…the ‘bank of mum and dad’ is also becoming more popular.”
And parents are using equity in their own properties to help their children, with an increase in demand for advice on equity release so they can free up money to raise the deposits their adult children need to fly the nest.
Suzanne said: “People’s finances are now more complex, and I think that is why they like to have personal, tailored advice from us. We know the lenders and the offers out there which are right for a person’s individual needs and circumstances. We are looking forward to supporting more people with their financial decisions from our own new home in 2025!”
Nottinghamshire-based soft home furnishings company set to enter administration
Nottinghamshire-based Home Curtains UK Limited, an importer and retailer of soft home furnishings, is shortly to enter administration following a challenging period of rising costs and declining consumer demand, with Dean Nelson of PKF Smith Cooper to be appointed as administrator.
Founded in 1986, Home Curtains offers a wide range of curtains, accessories, lace, and custom-made voiles to customers across the UK and Europe.
The business has been unable to withstand the pressures of the current economic environment. The increases in costs, including those related to raw materials, shipping, and energy, coupled with inflationary pressures and reduced consumer spending, has led to the business struggling to maintain profitability.
A Director of Home Curtains UK Limited issued the following statement: “It is with great regret that we announce that Home Curtains UK Limited is to shortly enter Administration.
“This decision has been incredibly difficult and not taken lightly, and like many businesses in the retail and home furnishings sector, we have been deeply affected by the rising costs of trade and reduction in consumer discretionary spending.
“We want to express our gratitude to our incredibly long serving employees, for their hard work and dedication, and our loyal customers. We remain optimistic that a solution may be found to preserve elements of the business and its legacy.”
Dean Nelson, Head of Business Recovery and Restructuring and Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “Home Curtains UK has faced significant challenges over recent months, including rising costs and an unfavourable economic environment.
“We are working closely with the company’s management team to explore all available options to secure the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
“It is my intention to trade the business over the next couple of months, undertaking substantial price reductions, to maximise sales over our substantial quality stock ranges, and I would urge the trade and public to take advantage at this challenging time for the company.”
Nottingham software company named top for AI
Nottingham-headquartered software company, Ideagen, has been named a ‘Leader’ in the Verdantix Green Quadrant: EHS Software 2025 scoring highly in both AI integration, document management and quality management.
Since the explosion of AI in 2022, the market has undergone a pivotal shift, as AI features start to redefine the value users can extract from EHS software.
Ideagen’s innovative AI integration earned a top score of 2.5/3.0 for its ability to enhance efficiency and support decision-making. From risk classification to action plan creation, Ideagen’s AI-powered features were recognized for the way they support users with tools that streamline processes and deliver actionable insights.
Ideagen also posted the highest scores of any vendor for document (2.5/3.0) and quality management (2.4/3.0) and was described as having made ‘monumental strides’ since the 2023 report.
Speaking about the news, Ideagen CEO, Ben Dorks, said: “The Green Quadrant is widely regarded as one of the most influential comparisons of EHS platforms in existence, so we are incredibly proud of the momentum we have made in strengthening our position as a ‘leader’.
“Our commitment to innovation is at the core of everything we do. Our investment in AI and focus on delivering a dynamic, user-friendly platform ensures we continue to meet the evolving needs of our customers, and it’s great to see that reflected in this ‘leader’ status.”
Businesses’ profit growth to stall following rising employment costs announced in Autumn Budget
New research from business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP finds that, following the increases announced in the Autumn Budget to employer National Insurance Contributions and National Minimum Wage, UK businesses’ profit growth expectations remain low and many are looking to review employee costs across the board including implementing hiring freezes.
The firm’s latest Business Outlook Tracker, which surveyed 800 UK businesses in December 2024, finds that the increasing employment costs announced in the Budget are one of the biggest challenges for businesses heading into 2025, along with attracting and retaining top talent.
Over half (52%) of the businesses surveyed anticipate that they will have to reduce hiring or cut jobs and offer reduced or no pay increases and bonuses to their employees, due to the increasing cost burden. Two thirds (66%) also plan to review their employee benefits offering, with 16% expecting to reduce their investment in employee reward and benefits over the next six months.
Over half (54%) of respondents also think it likely that their business will need to pass on the impact of these higher employment costs to customers by increasing prices.
The research shows that medium-sized businesses are more affected by these changes than larger businesses. More medium-sized businesses plan to cut jobs (55%), freeze or reduce hiring (55%) and pass on cost increases to customers (56%), compared to their larger counterparts (42%, 43% and 47% respectively).
Medium-sized businesses’ confidence in their funding position has been on a steady decline over the last year and remained stagnant in December, at –9 percentage points (pp) lower than the start of this year.
While the changes announced in the Budget are already resulting in them looking at ways to cut costs, almost two thirds (65%) of medium-sized business respondents anticipate that their business will need to apply for additional funding next year. Of these, almost one in four (23%) say it will be needed to cover increasing employment costs.
Despite these planned changes to try and manage costs, medium-sized businesses’ confidence in their profit growth remains subdued and has dropped significantly compared to February (-21pp). Almost half of the medium-sized business respondents (43%) now expect their profit levels to decline over the next six months.
This contrasts to the profit growth expectation of large corporates – where only 26% of respondents expect profits to decline. This corresponds to their overall confidence around the outlook of the UK economy with 92% of large corporates being optimistic compared to 72% of medium-sized businesses.
Matt Buckingham, Midlands Practice Leader, Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “Attracting and retaining talent is one of the key drivers of growth in the Midlands and the pressures employers are feeling around cost inflation and tax changes need to be managed carefully.
“When reviewing employee benefits packages, transparency and clear communication around any changes is essential. Employees should understand how they will be impacted by any changes and what new or revised benefits are available, otherwise take-up rates could be lower than hoped for, along with any associated employer National Insurance savings.
“While employers should ensure that they’re doing everything they can to keep costs down, offering a competitive reward and benefits package is still essential. A comprehensive review of benefit costs to ensure best value is achieved from insurers will help ensure they’re maximising the return on any spend and help businesses to both manage increases and continue to recruit high-quality employees.
“Employee expenses can be a considerable cost to a business. The changes announced in the Autumn Budget have prompted many employers to consider how they can deal with increased employment costs, but it’s important for businesses to remember that there’s often scope to make savings that will help to offset some of them.
“Taking advantage of employment tax exemptions may help them to maximise any spend, along with understanding any tax-free benefit options. The ability to offer benefits such as work-related training or purchasing holiday can also enhance a business’ employee value proposition, often with little or no additional cost.”
Also commenting on the results, Schellion Horn, Head of Economic Consulting, Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “Our previous Business Outlook Tracker was undertaken just before the Autumn Budget, at a time when the Chancellor was looking to manage expectations around the fiscal challenge ahead so as not to cause too much market instability on Budget day.
“It might have been expected that business confidence in the economy, investment potential and profitability would rebound after this – however that’s proven not to be the case.
“Our research indicates that the changes to employer’s National Insurance contributions and the National Minimum Wage announced in the Budget have hit businesses hard across the board – but particularly small to medium sized businesses.
“After the last few years of having to manage costs due to high inflation, wage growth and rising interest rates, just when there is light at the end of the tunnel, the market is now faced with further cost increases and the likelihood of interest rates staying higher for longer.
“Many of the businesses surveyed are looking to pass on at least some of these cost increases to customers. This will put pressure on inflation and keep interest rates higher for longer, which in turn will place more pressure on business costs.
“However, in practice, many of these firms – particularly those in the mid-market with less market power – will be unable to pass through all cost increases and will need to resort to other measures to manage these cost pressures.
“Even with these planned changes, medium-sized businesses clearly anticipate that they will not be enough to stabilise their profitability, with almost half expecting their profits to decrease moving forward. The Bank of England has now also downgraded its 2025 growth forecasts and warned that interest rates will fall more slowly than anticipated.
“With this in mind, the focus for businesses of all sizes, but particularly smaller to medium-sized, will continue to be managing costs and streamlining efficiencies where possible.
“For those looking to access new funding, staying on top of the available grants and investments, such as from local councils, and taking advantage of them where possible could make a real difference to those looking to offset the impact of ongoing cost pressures.”
EMEC strengthens team with strategic ecologist appointment
Nottingham-based Environmental Consultancy, EMEC has appointed Steve Alton as a Strategic Ecologist.
With a BSc (Hons) in Biology and recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, Steve has spent over three decades shaping conservation landscapes across the UK and therefore brings a wealth of experience and expertise in biodiversity and conservation.
His diverse career has included roles such as County Conservation Officer for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, UK Programme Lead for Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Project, and Conservation Officer at Ashdown Forest in Sussex. He has also advised on habitat creation for the renewable energy sector and co-managed a wildflower seed company with his wife.
In his new role at EMEC, Steve will be advising Network Rail’s Eastern Region Biodiversity Framework on how to manage their trackside land to ensure Biodiversity Net Gain compliance.
Steve’s decision to join EMEC was driven by his recent move back to Nottinghamshire and a desire to re-engage with the local conservation community. “Rejoining Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and EMEC felt like a golden opportunity to contribute to conservation in the region where my career began,” he shared.
Dr Ed Tripp, Consultancy Director at EMEC, added: “EMEC Ecology is thrilled to welcome Steve to the team. We are confident that his extensive knowledge and passion for biodiversity will be invaluable in advancing the conservation goals of our business and those of our clients.”
Beyond his professional achievements, Steve is passionate about music—whether making it, listening to it, or watching live performances. An avid gardener, he specialises in growing exotic and carnivorous plants. He is also a fan of science fiction and fantasy literature and enjoys cooking.
