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.”

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.”

The redevelopment of Melton’s Stockyard, the food and events hub at the town’s Cattle Market, will now begin in July 2026 following a project review by Melton Borough Council.

Originally planned to start in spring 2025, the delay follows the completion of the planning phase and adjustments to accommodate ongoing events and design updates. The revised timeline aims to minimise disruption for existing traders and ensure alignment with major events such as the Artisan Cheese Fair and NBA Beef Expo, both scheduled for May next year.

Cllr Pip Allnatt, Leader of Melton Borough Council stated that “We’re pleased to confirm that the Stockyard project continues to move forward, with the planning phase now complete and the focus shifting to preconstruction and operator engagement. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2026, following two of Melton’s flagship events in May – The Artisan Cheese Fair and the NBA Beef EXPO – both of which showcase the town’s proud agricultural and food heritage and reinforce its identity as the Rural Capital of Food.”

The project forms part of the £22.95 million Rural Innovation in Action scheme, a joint initiative between Melton Borough and Rutland County Councils backed by UK Government funding.

Once complete, the redevelopment will introduce four new buildings and an expanded events space designed to enhance the site’s role as a regional centre for food production, enterprise, and tourism. The project is projected to create 110 permanent jobs and attract an estimated 50,000 additional visitors annually.

The Stockyard currently houses several local food and drink businesses, including Round Corner Brewery and Feast and the Furious smokehouse, alongside weekly and specialist markets.

Tritax Big Box Developments has achieved practical completion at a new national distribution centre for Greggs at Symmetry Park Kettering. Built by main contractor, TSL, the new 311,551 sq ft facility has been designed to achieve a minimum of BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, an EPC A rating and meet net zero carbon in construction requirements. The building has been handed over to Greggs for the company to undertake its fit-out. Jonathan Wallis, managing director at Tritax Big Box Developments, said: “We are delighted to have delivered this outstanding build to Greggs on schedule, allowing them to keep on target to become operational by 2027. The completion of this building is the result of a great working relationship with Greggs, TSL, North Northamptonshire Council and many other stakeholders.” Tritax Big Box Developments has also secured planning permission for an additional 100,000 sq ft of floor space to support Greggs’ future expansion. Kuldip Bains, supply chain director at Greggs plc, said: “Completing this stage of our new distribution centre at Symmetry Park marks a major milestone in our supply chain transformation. This purpose-built facility will play a vital role in supporting our growth strategy, enabling us to serve more customers, more efficiently, as we target 3,500 shops across the UK.” The project team includes SGP, Trinity, Hannans, Feasibility, and Basepower. Joint agents for the scheme are DTRE, BNP Paribas Real Estate and Cushman & Wakefield.