37,000 sq ft former distribution depot let in Leicestershire
On behalf of private clients, FHP Property Consultants have let a 37,302ft2 former distribution depot situated on Melbourne Road, Lount, Leicestershire.
The premises have been let to Summit Platforms Ltd on a new 10 year lease.
The site is strategically located just 2 miles from Junction 13 of the A42 with Junction 23a of the M1 only 9 miles away to the north east.
The property itself sits on a self-contained site extending to approximately 3.2 acres and comprises a single storey warehouse, a separate workshop facility and a two storey office building.
Darran Severn of FHP Property Consultants says: “I am pleased this letting has completed in what has been an excellent result for all parties. This was not a straight-forward letting and there were a number of difficulties which arose during the due diligence. Pleasingly all parties took a pragmatic approach which enabled everything to be resolved to suit both landlord and tenant.
“Given the nature of the site, there are a number of businesses who we are speaking to that have missed out on this opportunity, therefore I would be delighted to speak with any landlords who have any similar properties becoming available soon.”
Fifth annual Silverstone Soccer tournament raises charity cash
The fifth annual Silverstone Soccer charity event raised more than £3,000 for Cynthia Spencer Hospice on Sunday (23rd June).
Ten teams battled it out on pitch in the five-a-side fundraiser at Daventry Town Football Club, but it was Stonhills Estate Agents who took the much-coveted winner’s trophy.
Betchle UK were named as runners up.
The popular event, which is hosted by vehicle leasing firm Silverstone Leasing, has raised thousands of pounds for its nominated charity partner Cynthia Spencer Hospice, since its conception in 2020.
This year the grand total raised was £3,141, not just through the football tournament but also other family fun activities including a bouncy castle and Silverstone Leasing’s managing director Scott Norville’s car wash service.
Organiser of the event and Silverstone Leasing sales manager Ryan Bishop said: “This year felt more special with it being our fifth consecutive year. It was great to see so many of our teams arriving with their families so everyone could feel part of the day, whether that meant getting their car washed by Scott’s Soapy Suds or letting the kids enjoy the bouncy castles.
“The highlight of the day for me was seeing lots of teams that have played in the past come back to support us again, as well as having three new teams get involved this year.
“Silverstone Soccer isn’t just a football tournament, it is a well-regarded, community focussed, impactful charity event that we are very proud to spearhead. Thank you to our headline sponsors All Things Business, gold sponsors Acorn Analytical Services and everyone who joined in to raise such a fantastic amount of money for a very worthy charity.”
Nina Gandy, corporate partnerships fundraiser at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, said: “Silverstone Soccer once again proved to be a hugely successful event! A massive thank you to Ryan, Scott and the rest of the Silverstone Leasing team, we really appreciate your dedication, it takes a lot of hard work to organise events like this and raise a considerable amount of money.
“It was great to see teams that had previously taken part support the event once again, as well as a number of new teams too. Getting involved with events like this really does continue to make a difference by raising funds as well as spreading the word about the work of the hospice, allowing our patients to be cared for with dignity, and helping them to live every moment.”
Expert energy advice helps Bassetlaw businesses cut carbon emissions
Bassetlaw District Council is offering micro and small businesses the chance to get expert energy advice on how to cut their carbon footprint.
Businesses are being invited to apply for an energy audit, which will help them become more sustainable and could identify financial savings.
During the first year of the project, nearly 40 businesses have been audited by Mitie Plan Zero, with 16 going on to successfully apply for decarbonisation grants of up to £5k from the Council.
These grants support the costs of implementing energy efficiency and carbon reduction measures.
Matthew Hutton, Climate Change Officer at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “These Decarbonisation grants are making a real difference to businesses as they look to reduce their carbon footprint and make cost savings.
“I would encourage other businesses across the district to sign up to the energy audit to see what measures they could introduce to improve their energy efficiency.”
So far, the works have saved 14.2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent from being emitted a year – that’s the same as the average emissions of a return flight from Paris to New York for 14 passengers.
Bottle Up becomes the official sustainable bottle provider for Loughborough Sport
Bottle Up, the bottle of water “designed with the planet in mind,” has secured a new partnership with Loughborough University and Loughborough Sport. This year-long collaboration marks a significant step towards enhancing sustainability and reducing single-use plastics on campus.
As part of this initiative, Bottle Up will become the official sustainable bottle provider for Loughborough Sport. The eco-friendly bottles, crafted from sugar cane, will be distributed to athletes on performance programmes and athletic union members. This effort underscores Loughborough’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Andrew Eversden, co-founder of Bottle Up, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Loughborough University and Loughborough Sport. Our bottles are designed to provide a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics, and we are excited to support Loughborough’s athletes and students in their journey towards a greener future.”
The bottles will not only be available to athletes but will also be sold in university retail outlets across the campus. Each bottle comes pre-filled with water and has a lifespan of up to three years.
By incorporating Bottle Up’s products, Loughborough University aims to further its mission of reducing environmental impact and fostering a culture of sustainability among its community.
Elliot Brown, Sustainability Manager at Loughborough University, said: “Sustainability is at the core of our values, and our partnership with Bottle Up exemplifies this commitment.
“By adopting its innovative, eco-friendly bottled solutions, we are actively reducing our collective environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices within our sports community and beyond. We are proud to support our athletes with sustainable choices that inspire positive change across campus.”
Revenue makes records as profits dip at Marks Electrical Group
Profits have dropped at Leicester online electrical retailer, Marks Electrical Group, in spite of record revenue.
According to full year audited results for the 12 months ended 31 March 2024 (FY24), pre-tax profits declined to £616,000 from £6.4m in the year prior.
This was primarily due to lower trading profitability as well as the impact of the costs incurred to replace the business’s legacy enterprise resourcing planning system with Microsoft Dynamics 365. Revenue, however, was up 16.9% year on year, at £114.3m (FY23: £97.8m), doubling the revenue Marks Electrical achieved in the year prior to listing (FY21: £56m).The firm noted it has “optimism for the year ahead,” following a strong trading performance in April, May and June, with double-digit revenue growth and momentum starting to pick-up following a weaker January to March trading period.
Mark Smithson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “During what was a more challenging year for the Group, in an environment where consumers remained highly price-conscious, we continued to make good strategic progress across multiple fronts as a business. I am proud of the ongoing commitment and dedication of our entire team of customer-focused colleagues.
“Over the past year we invested in our operations and systems to position the business for long-term success, navigated a trade-down in customer buying preferences, managed the inflation increases impacting our cost base and continued to make a profit.
“Having doubled revenue since IPO, we’ve also managed to grow our market share profitably, and thanks to our disciplined approach to capital allocation, we’ve consistently returned a dividend to our shareholders, whilst retaining a net cash position. Our strategy and approach leaves us very well positioned for a market recovery when it occurs.
“Our relentless focus on operational excellence and customer service has enabled us to continue to gain share in a very competitive market, growing our share from 2.5% to 2.8% of the overall Major Domestic Appliances (“MDA”) market and from 4.7% to 5.3% in the online segment, with huge opportunities ahead, both in MDA and in other segments of Consumer Electronics and Small Domestic Appliances.
“Whilst I continue to be personally frustrated about our margin progression during the year, I remain confident in our long-term growth prospects, and continue to be impressed by our ability to deliver market share gains profitably, against a fiercely competitive backdrop, whilst maintaining the highest levels of customer service standards in the industry.
“The first three months of FY25 have been encouraging and we have been pleased to see a return to double-digit growth during the period, providing us with a robust platform to continue driving profitable market share gains, and ultimately enabling the Group to deliver long-term value creation and become the UK’s leading premium electrical retailer.”
East Midlands businesses to attend Corporate and Social Responsibility summit
Charities and businesses in the East Midlands are set to come together to look at the benefits of an effective Corporate and Social Responsibility strategy at East Midlands Chamber’s 2024 CSR summit at the University of Derby on 11 July.
Produced in partnership with the University of Derby, Ideagen, Futures Housing Group and Foundation Derbyshire, the summit will stage a series of inspirational talks, workshops and seminars aimed at showcasing best practice and helping businesses build strong relationships with community organisations and charities.
The summit draws on two of the Chamber’s business goals – to be an ‘architect of change’ in the local business community and to champion responsible business in the region.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “In recent years our Chamber has been putting a greater emphasis on the work it does within our community – not at the expense of the overall business support that we offer, but as added value.
“That’s exactly the same thing that we are seeing with the businesses we work with and support – that Corporate and Social Responsibility is becoming ever more central to their aims and objectives.
“It comes down to the fact that helping society, community and the environment ultimately benefits the economy and makes our region a better place to live and work in. The annual summit in Derby will be an excellent way of finding out more about how your business can build its CSR profile and hear from some of the charities and networks which are looking for help.”
100,000 sq ft unit achieves practical completion at Fairham Business Park
Fairham Business Park’s developers are celebrating another practical completion as Unit A is handed over to the occupier.
Works begun at Plot A4, Fairham Business Park in October 2023. Nine months later the 100,000 sq ft unit has been built by lead contractor, TanRo and handed over to the occupier.
The unit is located next to the stand-alone units totalling 260,000 sq ft purchased by international property investment and asset management company Hines and a 100,600 sq ft bespoke building for a local company who will be moving into their premises next year.
The brand-new purpose-built premises comprises of a 95,379 sq ft warehouse with 12,292 sq ft office and welfare space over three storeys, situated at the front of the building.
There are 84 car parking spaces at the front of property with ten electric vehicle (EV) charging bays. There will also be a large service yard to the rear with ten dock levellers and four level access to meet the needs of the occupier. Clowes Developments will be providing a fully photovoltaic (PV) ready frame.
James Richards, director at Clowes Developments, said: “Nine months after works began on site and we’re now handing over to our client, who will be formally identified in the next few weeks. It’s testament to our professional delivery team who can perform to such a high standard and according to a tight schedule. It is fantastic to see the ongoing development of Fairham Business Park, as one completes, another ramps up on plot A2.”
As the occupiers of A2 sign the deal for a bespoke 100,600 sq ft unit, ground works have already been concluded and steel frames are due to be erected in the coming weeks. In total, this will mean over 600,000 sq ft of industrial, warehouse, distribution and manufacturing space has been snapped up at Fairham Business Park, with further announcements expected in due course.
Tim Gilbertson, director at FHP Property Consultants, added: “High demand for commercial units at Fairham says something about the transport links of Fairham Business Park and it’s positioning outside of Nottingham’s workplace parking levy. We are excited to market phase two of the business park, where potential occupiers can make use of more varied commercial opportunities such as office, trade counter or retail schemes.”
Nottinghamshire concrete experts call for improved industry wellbeing in new white paper
ConSpare, has published its second industry white paper, addressing how operators in the concrete production industry can boost employee wellbeing through improvements made to the batch plant.
The white paper, titled “The right mix: Addressing the “S” of ESG for concrete batch plants – putting people at the centre of investment decision-making”, uses qualitative data from plant supervisors and managers to demonstrate the importance of eliminating hazards and reducing the amount of repetitive, unpleasant and unproductive tasks around the plant, and the benefits that this can bring to the industry as a whole.
With commentary from sustainability expert Dr Miles Watkins and ConSpare’s CEO James Bullock, the report illustrates the impact that a people-first approach can have on both the physical and mental health of workers, in terms of improving work-life balance, job satisfaction and overall happiness.
James Bullock said: “The concrete industry has made significant progress over the past decade in ensuring its approach to environmental, social and governance is robust, but as well as tackling sustainability challenges such as carbon reduction, it’s important that we address the people at the heart of the concrete plants themselves.
“Developing an understanding of the positive impact that batch plant performance can have on colleagues’ motivation, productivity and loyalty is important for any concrete business, particularly as site teams come into contact with hazards and undertake non-value adding tasks on a daily basis. So, it’s crucial we do everything we can to combat this issue.
“Our white paper outlines the steps that can be taken by the industry to improve the daily lives of site staff, and while these may seem like simple measures, they can have a huge impact. We’ve heard from plant supervisors and managers how much of an impact the long hours, challenging conditions and repetitive tasks often involved in concrete production can have on their wellbeing, and it’s up to us to do something about it as one collective industry.”
Dr Miles Watkins said: “In business, and indeed elsewhere, people are as fundamental to the sustainability journey as the environment and economics.
“Through demonstrated best practice, the concrete industry is well within its capabilities to put its teams at the centre of decision-making, ensuring their professional lives are enriching in every sense.
“ConSpare is making real progress in helping both its customers and the industry more broadly, and we hope that this report will build on James’ work to help to raise awareness and encourage investment decisions that will improve the safety, wellbeing and happiness of workers across the industry.”
ConSpare’s latest white paper comes after the launch of its first sustainability report last year, titled “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations”.
Phase one of landmark Skegness Tower Gardens landscape renovations complete
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has finished delivering the first stage of works as part of a masterplan to reinvigorate the historic Tower Gardens in Skegness.
On behalf of Skegness Town Council, who are developing the site with Heritage Lincolnshire through SCAPE’s Regional Construction Framework, G F Tomlinson worked alongside Influence Planning and Design and Gleeds to complete the £590k initial phase.
The completion of the project was marked with a ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony earlier this month, with Deputy Town Mayor, Councillor Jimmy Brookes, Town Clerk, Steve Larner and G F Tomlinson’s Framework Manager for SCAPE, Craig Stopper, in attendance, along with local councillors and representatives from Heritage Lincolnshire, Influence and Gleeds.
The first stage of the Tower Gardens Masterplan formed part of the Towns Fund Grant Scheme and was safely delivered whilst the park remained open to the public, ensuring availability for continued use of the amenities with minimal disruption.
Landmark works included the refurbishment of the pond and its perimeter railings as well as the reinstatement of the pond pump, together with enhancements to overall accessibility through the re-levelling of the land and re-routing of footpaths. A specialised sensory area was created around the bandstand of the historic site for the local community to enjoy, where planting by the project team and members of the local community was undertaken as part of a community planting day held in March.
The enhancement works will ensure that Tower Gardens continues to provide a valuable and accessible central space for Skegness residents to enjoy, bringing people together for community events and outdoor activities.
In support of the local community, G F Tomlinson sourced 58% of its labour for the scheme from within a 40-mile radius of the site, providing local job opportunities for the region. Alongside this over 99% of construction waste for the project was diverted from landfill, reducing the environmental impact on the community.
G F Tomlinson has a long-standing relationship with Skegness Town Council having previously delivered the Tower Gardens Pavilion back in 2020.
Adrian Grocock, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “It has been a pleasure to be working alongside our long-term client, Skegness Town Council, once again to bring the first phase of the vision for the Tower Gardens landscape renovations to life, reinvigorating a historical central landmark so that residents can continue to enjoy it for years to come.
“The scheme fully compliments our earlier project on the Tower Gardens Pavilion. The team and all suppliers have worked exceptionally well together to overcome operational and design challenges in a fully collaborative environment, delivering enhancement works that will benefit the town for many years to come.”
Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The Tower Gardens in Skegness is an excellent example of how utilising green spaces can enrich communities, bringing together local residents who enjoy the outdoor and natural environments. We are immensely proud to be working in close partnership with G F Tomlinson on such a positive project which is providing a place residents can be proud of, whilst leaving a lasting historical legacy.”
Steve Larner, Town Clerk of Skegness Town Council, said: “It is wonderful to see everyone enjoying Tower Gardens now that the first phase of works are complete. This scheme has delivered improvements around the bandstand and central area of Tower Gardens.
“The pond has been restored to its former glory and the sensory play has been a big hit. We have received many positive comments from both residents and visitors alike. A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in the first phase of this project.”
Shona Hatton, director at Influence Landscape Planning & Design, said: “The conservation and enhancement of this Grade II Registered Park and garden helps reestablish Tower Gardens as one of Skegness’ primary green spaces.
“Influence is proud to have sensitively conserved and restored the park’s main features and introduced new elements of design that enable all the community to have a sense of pride and ownership. The work reinforces the park as a quality destination in its own right as well as a pleasant onward approach and gateway to the Grand Parade and sea front.
“The physical improvements create a safe and accessible park for all, with the central features of the cascade and pond creating a vibrance and energy that had been lost, right at its heart. The gardens now have a sense of its original charm and enable people to hark back to an era when Pleasure Gardens were places for socialising and enjoyment.”
Northampton business raises more than £5,600 in walking challenge for local hospice
A dedicated team from distributor of building materials, Travis Perkins plc, with head offices in Northampton, has completed a walking challenge in aid of Cynthia Spencer Hospice, raising more than £5,600 – the equivalent to more than 10 days of patient care.
Covering 41 miles on the picturesque Ivanhoe Way in 14 hours, 21 team members endured rain, sun, mud, blisters, aches and niggles to accomplish the huge challenge, in some of Leicestershire’s best countryside.
“At Travis Perkins plc, our purpose is to help build better communities, and we take great pride in making positive change happen,” said organiser Brett Jackson, head of client services, at Travis Perkins plc.
“As one of the biggest employers in Northampton, Cynthia Spencer Hospice means a lot to our colleagues and other local people in Northampton, many of whom have directly or indirectly experienced the benefit of the services they offer, and has been our charity partner for several years, so this walk was part of a wider fundraising campaign for them.”
In addition to the walkers, four people were on support duty at checkpoints throughout the challenge to help keep motivation high. “There was a great sense of teamwork with everyone supporting each other to get through what was a very tough challenge of hiking through very difficult terrain,” said Brett. “But there was a great sense of pride at the end for what we achieved.”
Anita Frith, director of income generation and communications at Cynthia Spencer Hospice, praised the walkers for their achievement: “Travis Perkins continues to be a key local business that supports Cynthia Spencer Hospice. We are grateful for their continued effort and welcome other local businesses to support us in being able to continue providing support to those in the local community who need our services.”
There’s still time to donate to the Travis Perkins fundraising, by visiting http://lnkd.in/eHm7m35R
