Freeport initiative aims to link East Midlands to the coast through ‘green’ corridor

Freeport East and East Midlands Freeport are forging a new partnership to support a green freight corridor that will help decarbonise transport and drive enhanced skills and employment initiatives along the length of one of the UK’s most important transportation routes. Building on the opportunities created by the Government’s recently published Freeports Delivery Roadmap, the initiative will support the decarbonisation of transport flows between the two Freeport locations. By working together, the Freeports will accelerate the technologies, business models, innovation and infrastructure needed to drive decarbonisation by utilising green hydrogen, electric charging systems and novel technology applications, such as digital twins. Green Corridors are already an established part of the maritime decarbonisation sector. Delivering a green corridor initiative between the UK’s largest container port and the heart of the Midlands logistics Golden Triangle offers the opportunity to combine maritime and land transport decarbonisation initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of goods entering and leaving the UK. Every day more than 5,000 trucks and freight trains leave the ports in the Freeport East area, with most heading towards the Midlands and onwards to other part of the UK. East Midlands Freeport, which is centred on the Golden Triangle for logistics, road, rail and the UK’s largest dedicated air cargo operation at East Midlands Airport, provides significant opportunities to drive clean fuel applications that will influence the whole of the UK. Projects already under way that will support the corridor include development of green logistics infrastructure in Felixstowe, Stowmarket and East Midlands Gateway.  East Midlands Freeport is supporting the transition of the UK’s last coal fired power station at Ratcliffe on Soar to a clean energy production hub, while Freeport East is also developing a Green Hydrogen Hub that will support clean fuels for transport decarbonisation. Tom Newman-Taylor, Chief Executive of East Midlands Freeport,said: “This exciting initiative illustrates how Freeports can be forerunners in the decarbonisation of transport and industry. We’re looking forward to working with Freeport East and our partners to deliver greener freight along this important corridor. With large-scale clean energy investments we can drive demand and opportunities for greener logistics, using our central location to deliver widespread change.” Will Morlidge, Chief Executive of D2N2 LEP and Co-Chair of East Midlands Hydrogen, said: “I wholeheartedly support this commitment from East Midlands Freeport and Freeport East. Accelerating hydrogen freight decarbonisation is one of the seven priorities for East Midlands Hydrogen and this agreement will play a key role in achieving it. We’ll continue to work closely with East Midlands Freeport and our other East Midlands Hydrogen partners to drive this important priority forward.”

Town Board launched to drive £20m investment in Chesterfield

Plans to invest almost £20m in Chesterfield over the next decade have taken a major step forward, with the launch of a new independent board which will oversee how and where the funding is spent. Local business leader Dominic Staniforth has been appointed to chair the new Chesterfield Town Board – sitting alongside representatives from other local businesses, community and voluntary organisations, and the public sector, including representation from Chesterfield Borough Council. It follows the Government’s ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ announcement in October last year, which named Chesterfield as one of 55 UK towns to benefit from the new funding initiative – which aims to give local communities a greater voice in shaping improvements across the town. Board members have now held their first formal meeting where it was agreed to run a public consultation exercise in June, giving local people the chance to have their say on how the money should be invested. In line with Government guidance, a representative of Chesterfield Borough Council sits on the board, and the authority will also act as the board’s accountable body. However, all decisions about how the £19.5m worth of endowment-style funding is invested will be made by the Chesterfield Town Board, in consultation with local people. Dominic Staniforth is a partner at BHP LLP Chartered Accountants – which has a base at One Waterside Place – and has been an active part of Chesterfield’s business community for many years. He said: “Chesterfield is already a great town full of wonderful people and organisations that share a common purpose to make it even better – a place to live, work, invest and study – and this funding will further bolster our ability to deliver on that collective ambition. “I am honoured to have been invited to become chair of the new Chesterfield Town Board and it’s fantastic that leaders from across the town, and the council, have already begun work to identify how and where this funding could make the greatest impact for local residents and businesses. “Listening to the views of local people and understanding where they think this investment could make the biggest difference is at the heart of this work and we will be sharing more information about how to get involved in the coming weeks.” Working closely with the council, the Board will now oversee the development of a long-term vision statement and three-year investment plan – to be developed following consultation with local people, and based on what they see as priority areas for investment. This must be submitted to the Government for approval later this summer. Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of the council, said: “We have really strong and innovative business and community networks here in Chesterfield and this is again another great opportunity to bring people together – backed by millions of pounds worth of funding – to deliver projects which will make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives over the next 10 years. “We’re delighted to welcome Dominic to the role of chair, as a local business leader with extensive experience of the area, and a shared passion and commitment to make the town of Chesterfield thrive for generations to come.” In line with Government guidance, the funding must be spent across three key themes, which include: safety and security (to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour), high streets, heritage, and regeneration (making the place more attractive and accessible to residents, businesses, and visitors), transport and connectivity (improving access to the town centre, supporting greener modes of travel and enhancing public transport options).

Council receives approval of £15m regeneration fund

Bolsover District Council has received confirmation that its list of projects for the £15million Regeneration Funding awarded in the Autumn Statement has been approved. The council submitted its schedule of schemes at the end of January 2024 in line with the government guidance and against tight timescales. The funding is place-based for the whole of the District of Bolsover. When drawing up the list of schemes the council stipulated that the money should benefit the entire district and the projects put forward support this commitment. The projects include improvements to the public realm around the district, enhancing shop fronts to help make the area more visually appealing to attract shoppers and visitors and the establishment of community and creative hubs. Also included in the bid was the redevelopment of prominent buildings in Bolsover town to help create a thriving place people want to visit and work in. Council Chief Executive, Karen Hanson said: “We had just eleven days from when we received the funding criteria to submitting the initial schemes, so we are delighted to have received confirmation that we have the go-ahead. “We will now look to prioritise the schemes and ensure the money we have been allocated is well spent and benefits our communities.” Figures released earlier this year indicate that since 2020 just over 10% of the money allocated from the Government’s Levelling Up agenda has been spent as local authorities are struggling to meet the deadlines. Something which Council Leader, Steve Fritchley was keen to avoid. Councillor Steve Fritchley said: “Since the announcement was made in the autumn, I made it quite clear that we were going to spend the money in the District of Bolsover and not be sending any back. “So, I want to thank all our officers who have worked tirelessly on this project to get it to this stage and over the line, sometimes in very difficult circumstances. The key to this now is delivering on what we have promised by March 2026, and that is something I know we will do.”

Rotherhill Developments makes director promotion

Midlands commercial property developer and asset manager, Rotherhill Developments, has  promoted Ed Jeffrey to director. In his new role as director at Rotherhill, Ed will continue to source and deliver commercial opportunities, working closely with agents, landowners and building owners directly to secure new developments and investments, as well as implementing asset management initiatives across Rotherhill’s existing portfolio to deliver returns for investors. Additionally, he will be actively involved in the onboarding of new recruits to the business as the team continues to expand. Ed Jeffrey says: “Over the last five years at Rotherhill, I have acquired and delivered a wide range of projects. The majority have focussed on repositioning existing assets, with and without income. “They have involved back-to-frame and lighter touch refurbishments, changes of use and the release of land for delivering new build development, together with more typical investment asset management where tenants are in situ.” Paul Bagshaw, owner and founder of Rotherhill Developments, says: “Ed’s promotion is a reflection of his hard work and dedication over the last five years. He has a strong track record of success. “Since joining Rotherhill, he has overseen the delivery of a number of successful projects from acquisition to exit and continues to help expand our pipeline, with the business on track to acquire 5 new projects in the first half of 2024. “We are actively engaged in plans to grow the company in terms of recruitment, increasing the pipeline activity and accelerating deals, with Ed’s promotion part of the overall business strategy.”

Mortgage Advice Bureau acquires remaining shareholding of First Mortgage Direct

Derby-based Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB) has acquired the remaining 20% shareholding of First Mortgage Direct for £9.35m from Managing Director Ian McGrail.

It follows the firm’s acquisition of 80% of First Mortgage in 2019.

First Mortgage made a profit before tax of £5.4 million in the year ended 31 December 2023, and had net assets of £9.3 million as at 31 December 2023. Ian McGrail will continue to be Managing Director of First Mortgage.

Ben Thompson, Deputy CEO, MAB, said: “Acquiring an 80% shareholding in First Mortgage in 2019 was strategically important to MAB at the time, enabling us to grow our expertise in specific market specialisms such as new build, and accelerate our overall market share as a Group.

“Despite the various challenges we all faced together over the last five years, the business has grown substantially in size and in profitability and has become even more important to MAB. We are therefore really pleased to have now acquired the final 20% shareholding from Ian McGrail.

“Importantly, we are delighted that Ian has decided to commit to stay on as Managing Director and take First Mortgage further over the coming years, having done such an excellent job of the last five, and indeed the years prior to that.”

Dr. Martens targeting savings of up to £25m following dip in revenue and profit

Dr. Martens has revealed a cost action plan targeting savings of £20m to £25m after a year of decreased revenue and profit. According to preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2024, revenue was down 12% to £877.1m at the Northamptonshire shoe icon, while pre-tax profits dropped to £97.2m from £170.1m in the year prior. It follows a weak performance in the USA. Kenny Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our FY24 results were as expected and reflect continued weak USA consumer demand. This particularly impacted our USA wholesale business and offset our Group DTC performance, where pairs grew by 7%. “We have achieved robust performances in EMEA and APAC, and our supply chain strategy continues to deliver good savings. We are clear that we need to drive demand in the USA to return to growth in FY26 onwards and are executing a detailed plan to achieve this, with refocused and increased USA marketing investment in the year ahead. “We are also announcing a cost action plan across the Group, targeting savings of £20m to £25m. I am confident that the actions we are taking as we enter this year of transition will put us in good shape for the years ahead.”

Returning sponsor Mather Jamie backs Architects of the Year at East Midlands Bricks Awards 2024

Mather Jamie has returned to sponsor the East Midlands Bricks Awards for another year, backing the Architects of the Year category for the 2024 event. The well established and specialist land development and property consultancy, based in Loughborough, prides itself on providing a comprehensive range of director-led advisory services to landowners, occupiers, developers and investors nationwide. One of the East Midlands’ leading commercial and agricultural surveyors and valuers, Mather Jamie’s principal services include strategic land development advice, acting as rural estate managers and letting agents, and commercial property agents. Speaking with Business Link, Amy Biddell, director at Mather Jamie, said: “This is Mather Jamie’s second year of sponsoring the Bricks Awards. The event is a great way to promote our services to an elite audience of landowners, property developers and building contractors. It’s great to be able to celebrate in a room full of like mind businesses who share a passion for the East Midlands construction sector.” Offering advice to those entering Mather Jamie’s sponsored category, Amy added: “For architects looking to submit an application, we will be looking for them to demonstrate an understanding of planning regulations so that development meets approval. Sustainability and biodiversity are hot keywords within the industry, so we will be looking for entries to showcase an innovative approach to sustainable working practices, which meet development briefs. “Other points to consider include;
  1. Design ethos that shows sympathy to local aesthetics
  2. Consideration for ecology/environment
  3. Ease of construction without too many modifications to design or materials
  4. Demonstrate client satisfaction
  5. Schemes that also benefit the local community.”
The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, recognise development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential, through to community projects such as leisure schemes, schools and public spaces. We also highlight the work of architects, agencies and those behind large schemes. Winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly. To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Award categories include:

Nominations end Thursday 5th September

A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 3rd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening of celebration and networking with property and construction leaders from across the region. Tickets can be booked for the 2024 awards event here. Connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. Attendees will also hear from keynote speaker Paul Southby, partner at Geldards LLP, chair of the Advisory Board to Nottingham Business School, chair of Broadway independent cinema, trustee of Clean Rivers Trust, chair of Nottingham Partners, board member of Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and former High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Thanks to our sponsors:      

             

To be held at:

Local lawyers to fund raise for SV2 charity

Derby and District Law Society (DDLS) has chosen to support SV2 with fund raising over the next 12 months. SV2 is a Derbyshire charity that supports anyone who has experienced sexual abuse and was chosen as DDLS’s charity of the year by the incoming president Tina Attenborough. Mrs Attenborough explained: “I was keen that we supported a charity that helped a wide range of people and age groups in the county during my year as president. “SV2 perfectly fitted that brief as the charity provides a wide range of services to support victims and survivors of sexual abuse regardless of their age, gender, when the offence took place or whether they have reported the crime to police or not. “We have a busy programme of events throughout the year – culminating in our annual awards dinner to be held in March 2025 – so we hope to be donating a good amount of money to the charity at the end of the 12 months.” SV2 CEO Rachel Morris added: “We work closely with a wide range of fellow professionals, including members of DDLS, as part of our support for survivors through the criminal justice system when perpetrators are prosecuted. “Having the opportunity to further raise awareness amongst lawyers of the widespread impact of sexual abuse and violence on children, women, men and their families across the county through our association with DDLS is therefore extremely welcome. “We are very grateful that they have chosen us as their charity of the year which will enable us to provide the much-needed support for survivors in Derbyshire and help them to rebuild their lives.” SV2 have supported 1536 children, young people and adults between March 2023 and March 2024 through a range of services including through the helpline, ISVA support through the criminal justice system, counselling and therapy. The charity also supports the wider families and works to prevent and raise awareness of rape and sexual abuse and their effects through training and education programmes across the county.

EMEC joins forces with Inspired Villages to embrace biodiversity net gain

Nottingham-based East Midlands Environmental Consultants (EMEC) has been enlisted by  retirement developer and operator, Inspired Villages, to conduct biodiversity net gain (BNG) calculations and offer recommendations on best practice. Established in 2017, Inspired Villages currently operates nine communities nationwide and has head offices in Edwalton Business Park, Nottingham. Dedicated to environmental sustainability and social impact, Inspired Villages has committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon in unregulated energy across all its villages by 2030. Demonstrating this commitment, all projects initiated since 2022 underwent biodiversity Net Gain assessments, positioning the company favourably for the mandatory BNG legislation changes implemented in February 2024. To support Inspired Villages in their environmental objectives, EMEC has been engaged to provide Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain calculations, assessing habitat units across their sites and suggesting improvements to enhance biodiversity. The recommendations made have been tailored to each village dependant on the habitats present and their current condition and will include the planting of native species and managing habitats in such a way to enhance biodiversity. Other recommendations unrelated to BNG but that will still enhance biodiversity on the villages have also been recommended, these include the installation of bat and bird boxes and insect hotels. Speaking on behalf of Inspired Villages, James Wilcox, Head of Sustainability, said: “Our pursuit of Net Zero is closely tied to the natural world and biodiversity is crucial for residents’ health and wellbeing. “By aiming to be ‘nature positive by 2030,’ we strive to rejuvenate ecosystems rather than witness their decline. With EMEC’s assistance, we’re committed to ensuring our new developments create more valuable natural spaces than they did previously.” Jake Hill, Ecologist at EMEC, said: “Collaborating with Inspired Villages on this project has been extremely rewarding. Enhancing biodiversity not only benefits the environment but also enhances the quality of life for village residents.”

Planning committee gives green light to Derby food market scheme

Derby City Council planning committee members have given the green light to a proposal which will create a food and beverage offer in one of the city’s regeneration areas. Burton Abbey Developments is looking to create an outdoor artisan food and beverage market – similar to those seen in London and Manchester – on an empty plot of land in St Peter’s Churchyard. The proposals had been refused twice and council officers were proposing a third refusal to the committee. Now, however, the plans have been approved. The application received strong backing from the city’s business community – including Marketing Derby and the Derby Economic Development Advisory Committee – which submitted letters of support. John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “We back this application, it’s exactly what the area needs. The report describes the site as ‘open, undeveloped space, vegetation and amenity which contributes to the verdant value of the street scene’. “In truth, it is derelict and in desperate need of some TLC which this proposal brings. The Heritage Impact Assessment actually states the scheme would ‘enhance the conservation area’ due to the investment it brings. “The proposal fits perfectly with Derby City Council’s ambition to create a vibrant city centre by regenerating such sites and this amenity will help attract more visitors. “It’s exactly the sort of thing Derby is crying out for and the applicant has shown considerable patience and willingness in seeking planning for over three years.” Known as The Yard Derby, the revised scheme involves creating 10 retail units arranged in an ‘L-shaped’ configuration along the southern and western edges of the site, situated away from the Grade II*-listed St. Peter’s Church and the Grade II*-listed Old Grammar School. The plans incorporate a seating area with a capacity for up to 100 people. One key aspect of the proposal and location involves the developer’s plan to create a sympathetic entrance through the historic 19th-century wall bordering the site. The scheme’s backers included respected heritage architects Lathams as well as historian Maxwell Craven, both of whom have carried out detailed analysis of the site.