Unpaid takeover instalment leaves recycling firm seeking rescue options

April Lara
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Unpaid takeover instalment leaves recycling firm seeking rescue options

Unimetals Recycling (UK) is preparing for potential administration after missing the final payment on its £195 million acquisition of Sims Metal’s UK scrap division. The company, which employs around 650 people across 27 sites, has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as it works to secure new investment.

The final instalment of £55 million from the deal remains outstanding more than three months after it was due. A major investor recently withdrew from a funding round intended to provide liquidity and meet deferred payments.

The Stratford-upon-Avon-based group is now exploring refinancing and recapitalisation options to stabilise its operations. It continues to run recycling and processing facilities for scrap, critical, and energy transition metals in locations including Bristol, Peterborough, Derby, Manchester, and Nottingham.

The company’s situation highlights ongoing funding pressures across the metals and recycling sector, where high capital requirements and fluctuating commodity prices are testing financial resilience.

Patchworks secures £2m to accelerate growth and expand into US market

April Lara
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Patchworks secures £2m to accelerate growth and expand into US market

E-commerce integration platform Patchworks has received £2 million in growth funding from Palatine Growth Credit, with additional backing from Gresham House Ventures. The Nottingham- and London-based company enables retailers to connect systems such as e-commerce storefronts, POS, ERP, CRM, warehouse management, and marketing tools into one streamlined platform.

The investment will support further platform development, enhance operational efficiency, and help attract large-scale enterprise clients. It will also fund the company’s expansion into the United States, marking its next phase of growth.

The funding represents the seventh deal completed under Palatine’s Growth Credit Fund, which was launched in early 2024 to provide flexible capital to high-growth regional businesses across the UK. The fund targets companies achieving strong revenue growth in sectors including cyber, fintech, SaaS, healthtech, medtech, AI, and advanced manufacturing.

Palatine’s Growth Credit Fund sits alongside the firm’s existing Buyout and Impact funds, reflecting its broader strategy to invest in technology-driven businesses across the UK’s key innovation regions. Patchworks’ addition to the portfolio reinforces the fund’s commitment to scaling regional firms with global potential.

Cubo hits £30m revenue milestone

Tess Egginton
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Cubo hits £30m revenue milestone
Cubo’s contracted annual revenue has surpassed £30m, marking a major milestone in the Derby-based flexible workspace brand’s rapid rise since it was founded five years ago. The £30m milestone follows several years of sustained expansion. In the past 12 months alone, Cubo has added new locations in key UK cities, achieved record occupancy rates, and attracted a surge of blue-chip organisations to its community. The company recently achieved its highest number of new enterprise sign-ups and record occupancy across many of its 13 locations. Cubo has now achieved 100% occupancy at five of its sites. Marc Brough, CEO of Cubo, said: “Reaching £30 million ARR in revenue is a huge testament to the strength of our vision and the trust that so many businesses have placed in Cubo. In just five years, we’ve built a model that delivers commercial success while inspiring innovation and collaboration across our member base. “The workplace continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, and we’re proud to be leading that transformation. We will shortly be announcing a number of new sites which are set to open at the end of this year and the start of 2026, marking the next phase of our expansion.”

Housebuilder buys land for £35m second phase of Nottingham’s Barton Quarter

Tess Egginton
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Housebuilder buys land for £35m second phase of Nottingham’s Barton Quarter
The landowner for the Barton Quarter development in the Nottingham suburb of Chilwell, Beeston has sold the land for the second phase to Cameron Homes. The 4.9-acre site has full planning for 93 houses and apartments, designed by prize-winning London-based architect Ben Pentreath. Located off Queens Road West, the site was previously Barton’s bus depot, which had been owned by the Barton family since 1913. The company teamed up with The Prince’s Foundation, Stockbridge Land and Pentreath to masterplan the brownfield site for a total of 221 homes. Work commenced on the first phase of 30 two-, three- and four-bedroom homes in 2021, with residents moving in from 2022 onwards. Enabling work for Cameron Homes’ newly acquired £35m development will commence in Q1 2026, followed by a start of construction during Q2 2026. The housebuilder has programmed the first homes to be ready to move into in early 2027. The scheme will be launched to the market next year. John Hickman, group land director for Tara Group and Cameron Homes, said: “Barton Quarter is an exemplary development with some very special design characteristics and qualities. It’s been well received by locals and set new precedents in the market, which is testament to the legacy approach of Simon Barton and Ben Pentreath’s timeless design style. “Work has stalled since construction concluded on the first phase, so we are very pleased to acquire the site for phase two. With the strength of our group, we can provide reassurance that enabling works will start in January, to be carried out by Chasetown Civil Engineering – a sister company of Cameron Homes. “We have a handful of other family-focused developments currently underway across Nottingham, so are already looking forward to registering prospective purchasers and delivering this outstanding £35m project.” The accommodation mix for the development will comprise one- and two-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom mews and coach houses, and two- to five-bedroom villa-style houses. A new vehicular access will be created from Holly Lane.

Faith organisation relocates to new Nottinghamshire headquarters

April Lara
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Faith organisation relocates to new Nottinghamshire headquarters

A major faith-based organisation is set to relocate its administrative base to Sherwood Park in Nottinghamshire. The North England Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists has secured a 22,335 sq ft Grade A office at the Evo Business Park.

The move to the Vertex building will centralise the organisation’s operations, which oversee a network of churches, schools, and community initiatives across the North of England. The new headquarters will accommodate administrative functions, training facilities, and community programme offices.

The relocation is designed to enhance collaboration between departments and expand capacity for projects focused on youth development, family support, and wellbeing. The property’s accessibility and modern facilities are expected to improve efficiency and service delivery for the organisation’s members and partners.

The transition to Sherwood Park is scheduled to take place later this year.

East Midlands unemployment dips as businesses await Budget clarity

April Lara
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East Midlands unemployment dips as businesses await Budget clarity

Unemployment in the East Midlands fell slightly to 4.4% between June and August 2025, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. The regional figure remains below the national rate of 4.8% but is higher than at the start of the year.

The figures reflect a mixed picture for employers across the region. Recruitment difficulties continue to challenge many firms, with labour shortages persisting in key sectors. Rising operational costs, including higher employer National Insurance contributions and increases to the national living wage, have compounded the pressure on businesses’ hiring decisions.

Business groups in the region are urging the government to review elements of the Employment Rights Bill, arguing that added administrative demands could hinder firms already facing tight margins. Many also want assurances that the Autumn Budget will avoid further tax increases and instead offer measures that support investment and job creation.

With the Budget scheduled for 26 November, business leaders are calling for policies that prioritise economic stability and protect growth prospects in the East Midlands. For now, while the latest unemployment figures offer cautious optimism, the regional outlook remains closely tied to national fiscal policy and workforce legislation.

Council allocates £1.3m to support Ollerton regeneration

April Lara
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Council allocates £1.3m to support Ollerton regeneration

Newark and Sherwood District Council is preparing to allocate £1.33 million to address a funding shortfall in the Ollerton Regeneration Scheme. The project, backed by £20 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, aims to redevelop Ollerton town centre with new facilities and public spaces.

Council documents confirm that additional funding is required to finalise the business case and avoid delays. The scheme will include a cinema, café, public sector hub and housing. Adjustments to the original plans have been made to control rising construction costs, such as reducing part of the public sector hub to a single storey and separating the cinema and café from the main building.

The hub is intended to offer community services, including advice, support, and adult education. The council is expected to review the business case this week, with a planning application anticipated later this month.

The regeneration project is part of a wider investment across Nottinghamshire, designed to revitalise local economies and improve public access to services through mixed-use developments.

Businesses told to leave Pleasley Vale Mill One over safety concerns

April Lara
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Businesses told to leave Pleasley Vale Mill One over safety concerns

Operations at Mill One in Pleasley Vale Business Park have been halted following safety advice from the Derbyshire Building Control Partnership. Bolsover District Council has instructed all businesses based in the building to vacate immediately.

Council Leader, Councillor Jane Yates said: “This is a very upsetting situation but our absolute priority is the safety of the businesses in the Mill. We have been advised to immediately close, empty and secure the building for safety reasons. We understand this is a huge upheaval for the businesses involved and we will do absolutely everything in our power to help them, but we must put safety first.”

The council is offering assistance to help affected companies relocate and has made financial support available to ease the transition. The decision follows a structural assessment that raised concerns about the safety of the historic mill.

The site, which has been part of the district’s industrial landscape since 1784, has served multiple purposes over the centuries, including as a cotton mill, munitions factory, and business hub. The council is seeking expert guidance on the issues identified and will review future options for the Mills to preserve their heritage while ensuring public safety.

Nottingham developer’s £151K fundraiser to send scores of children to Lapland

Tess Egginton
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Nottingham developer’s £151K fundraiser to send scores of children to Lapland
A Nottingham developer has smashed its fundraising target to send dozens of sick children and their families to visit Santa Claus in Lapland. Arran Bailey, managing director of ALB Group, hosted a ‘Night at the Fair’ charity black tie ball at Goosedale in Papplewick on Saturday 11 October. Thanks to the generosity of local business people and celebrities, £151,040 was raised for local charity, When You Wish Upon A Star Foundation’s Lapland trip. The achievement means ALB Giving can now fund seats on the plane for between 35-40 children and their families. The total sum needed to fund the plane was £130,000. Arran said: “When You Wish Upon a Star is a charity close to my heart. The work they do is inspiring. “We set ourselves an ambitious target to raise enough donations to sponsor a plane to fly children with life threatening and terminal illnesses to Lapland for an unforgettable opportunity to meet the real Santa Claus. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we have achieved that goal. “I’d personally like to thank all those who bought tickets to the ball, donated prizes, made a bid at our charity auction or bought raffle tickets. We’ve been blown away by your generosity, and I cannot thank you enough. “What we have achieved together for the children is tremendous.” ALB Giving, the charity arm of ALB group, announced the black-tie event in May. Within 24 hours 75 per cent of the tables available had been snapped up. Guests flooded in from a range of Nottinghamshire businesses with high profile names including Carl Froch and his wife, and TOWIE’s Tommy Fordham. Donations for raffle prizes and auction lots included signed boxing gloves donated by both Carl Froch and Leigh Wood. Experience trips up for grabs included a private tour of the Ferrari garage in Italy, donated by Graypaul Nottingham, and opportunity to meet and greet Tommy Fordham and design your own trainers working with his brand Ctrne. The star prize of the night for a ticket on the plane to Lapland created fierce bidding with bids starting at £1,000. This quickly soared to £10,000.00, at which point the bidding was halted by guest auctioneer and sports commentator Darren Fletcher, and four different people agreed to pay the same price putting a wallet busting £40k into the charity’s pot. When You Wish Upon a Star was founded in Nottingham by Barbara White CIOF OBE. It is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Since 1990, the charity has granted over 19,300 Wishes to sick children across the UK. Its specially chartered Santa Express flight to Lapland is the highlight of the year and helps children to swap hospital beds for sleigh rides and Santa Claus meets. Arran said: “As a successful Nottingham firm that champions our hometown, we wanted to give back to our supporters and community. To put on a ‘never to be forgotten’ event, to thank our friends, customers and contacts whilst also raising a tremendous amount of money for such a worthwhile charity has been a privilege.” Joe Williamson, CEO of the charity, said: “Everyone at When You Wish Upon a Star has been so excited about the ALB Giving Ball and the incredible opportunity it presented to make dreams come true for the children we support. A trip to Lapland is one our wish families will never forget. “Events like this are the heartbeat of our charity, and it’s truly heartwarming to see such generosity and enthusiasm from everyone involved. I want to extend my huge appreciation to the entire ALB team for their unwavering commitment and support, your passion and kindness are helping to create magical moments that these children and their families will cherish forever.”

Major fit-out complete at MIDFIX’s new Nottingham HQ

Tess Egginton
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Major fit-out complete at MIDFIX’s new Nottingham HQ
Accent Office Interiors has completed a 100,000 sq ft headquarters fit-out for MIDFIX, an expert in onsite and offsite support systems for the mechanical and electrical industries. Located at the newly developed Power Park Industrial Estate in Nottingham, this large-scale project marks another milestone in the partnership between Accent and MIDFIX. The eight-month project was delivered in two phases to ensure a seamless transition with minimal disruption to MIDFIX’s business operations. Phase 1 comprised the warehouse and workshop fit-out, completed in time for MIDFIX’s operational relocation in April. Phase 2 focused on the design and fit-out of premium office spaces, culminating in a successful relocation in August. “This project has been an incredible journey from concept to completion,” said Rodney Hibbert, sales director at Accent Office Interiors. “It’s been extremely rewarding to help transform MIDFIX’s new home into a space that not only unites their operations under one roof but also positions them for continued growth. The results are outstanding and a testament to the hard work, collaboration, and dedication of everyone involved.” The warehouse fit-out included full power distribution, energy-efficient LED lighting, and an advanced fire alarm system. Accent also delivered a bespoke workshop facility to support MIDFIX’s pre-fabrication division in both metal and woodworking. The new office environment was designed with modern functionality and staff well-being in mind. Accent constructed a two-tier mezzanine floor with a concrete subfloor, extending the raised access flooring to create a continuous, cohesive workspace. Key features include open-plan office areas, a canteen and meeting room suite, a fully equipped gym, dedicated locker room, and enhanced WC and shower facilities. “The final outcome was amazing,” said Angela Potts, head of business services at MIDFIX. “Staff absolutely love it, and the feedback has been incredible. This is largely credit to Accent – listening to us and finding solutions.”
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