Currently a redundant car park, the plans involve 116 apartments, to provide 587 bedspaces, with ancillary communal facilities and landscaping.
The proposals for the former industrial site include the creation of a ‘green heart’ for the entire surrounding campus estate.
Major student scheme planned for historic Nottingham site
Plans for a new Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Nottingham have been submitted to the city council, offering almost 600 bedspaces.
The seven storey development is set for Norton Street and the buildings proposed would redevelop a socially historical site in Nottingham, being the former original site of John Player & Sons.
Project manager and cost consultant makes acquisition
Pulse Consult, which has offices in Nottingham and Leicester, has acquired Tandem Projects as part of its growth strategy to further strengthen its offering to the West Midlands and the South West.
Tandem, established in 2012 and based in Warwickshire, offers project management and surveying services. The whole Tandem team has been retained. Graham Black, Tandem director, has joined the Pulse board.
Pulse’s MD, Ian Carey, said: “Having witnessed first-hand how the Tandem team collaborate with each other and their clients, it’s clear that we share the same ethos.
“Not only does their offering complement our own but, more importantly, our values are aligned too. We’re delighted to welcome Graham and his team to Pulse where, together, we’ll be able to offer even more opportunities for our clients and people.”
Graham Black said: “It’s people that define a business and build projects – by listening, collaborating and supporting each other to get the job done. So when we were considering what next for Tandem, we were always going to have the best interests of our team and clients at the heart of our decision making.
“We’re excited to become part of the Pulse journey and strengthen its existing team so we can deliver even more value for our clients and people.”
Brewery teams up with dog charity for special partnership
A clever partnership between Derby’s Brunswick Brewery and the Seeing Dogs Alliance has raised £1,000 for the charity – and given the brewers the chance to name its next puppy.
The scheme was hatched up over a chat in The Brunswick between Liam Flynn Chairman of The Seeing Dogs Alliance, and the brewery’s Head Brewer James Salmon. Brunswick Brewery created a special beer to raise funds for the Seeing Dogs Alliance. The limited-edition Double Vision Ale debuted at the Brunswick Beer Festival, and went on to sell out across several Everard pubs in the East Midlands.
Following its popularity, a second batch was created, totalling to over 92 barrels and 6,256 pints being enjoyed across pubs in the East Midlands. 
The job of naming the next Seeing Dogs puppy will be given to staff of the brewery’s flagship pub, The Brunwick, who donated some of their own tips to the charity.
Liam Flynn, Chairman of Seeing Dogs Alliance, said: “That first conversation with James was a lightbulb moment for us. It’s an awesome example of how partnering with local businesses can really make a positive impact on our fundraising.
“We are a small charity that wants to be able to train more Seeing dogs and get them into Service. The impact of Covid on the training of enough dogs to support the needs of people like me, living and working independently and positively with the support of a dog, has been monumental. There is a huge gap, and we are committed to helping, but need more funds to support this work.
“We can’t thank Brunswick Brewery and all their teams in the pubs that support our fundraising efforts enough. If there are other business looking for a charity to support that really makes an impact at a local level, please get in touch with us.”
James Salmon added: “Working with Liam and his team of trustees is always a pleasure, they bring laughter and great conversations into our pub whenever they meet and support SDA’s work is the least we can do to provide an opportunity for our clients and pub teams to support great people.
“The Seeing Dogs Alliance is a worthy national charity working at a local level and we are delighted to help them. We are looking forward to choosing the name of our puppy in due course.”
The job of naming the next Seeing Dogs puppy will be given to staff of the brewery’s flagship pub, The Brunwick, who donated some of their own tips to the charity.
Liam Flynn, Chairman of Seeing Dogs Alliance, said: “That first conversation with James was a lightbulb moment for us. It’s an awesome example of how partnering with local businesses can really make a positive impact on our fundraising.
“We are a small charity that wants to be able to train more Seeing dogs and get them into Service. The impact of Covid on the training of enough dogs to support the needs of people like me, living and working independently and positively with the support of a dog, has been monumental. There is a huge gap, and we are committed to helping, but need more funds to support this work.
“We can’t thank Brunswick Brewery and all their teams in the pubs that support our fundraising efforts enough. If there are other business looking for a charity to support that really makes an impact at a local level, please get in touch with us.”
James Salmon added: “Working with Liam and his team of trustees is always a pleasure, they bring laughter and great conversations into our pub whenever they meet and support SDA’s work is the least we can do to provide an opportunity for our clients and pub teams to support great people.
“The Seeing Dogs Alliance is a worthy national charity working at a local level and we are delighted to help them. We are looking forward to choosing the name of our puppy in due course.” Developers of Hinckley’s Big Pit served community protection warning letter over muddy road
The developers of Hinckley’s Big Pit have been served a community protection warning letter to require that all mud is cleared from the road surrounding the Ashby Road building site.
After an appeal, the Secretary of State gave permission for 60 homes to be built on the site in January 2019. Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council had previously refused planning permission over concerns about access to the site and fears the area would be prone to flooding.
With work now underway, there has been a significant amount of mud on the road outside the site. As a result, the council’s planning enforcement team has issued a community protection warning letter to the developer requiring them to ensure that the wheel-washing facilities they have in place are operated effectively in order to keep the area clear of mud.
The warning also requires the developer to ensure road sweepers are used regularly and particularly when earth is being moved around the site and it instructs the developer to create a hard surfaced area for contractors’ vehicles and site visitors to further limit transfer of mud to the road.
Executive Member for Community Safety and local ward councillor, Michael Mullaney said: “Ashby Road is in an unacceptable state around the site with mud over the road making it dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. This cannot continue.
“While the contractors have wheel washing in place, it has not been effective at preventing this mess and it’s clear that further work needs to be done to minimise the significant harm being experienced by residents who are entitled to the reasonable enjoyment of their home, despite them being close to a construction site.
“The council calls on the contractor to co-operate with the council to manage the impact of its construction site on the local community and mobilise its resources to keep the local roads clear of mud and debris that is coming from the site.”
Should the situation not improve then the council can serve a Community Protection Notice (CPN). Non-compliance with a CPN carries criminal sanctions and can lead to a criminal record. Any company that fails to comply with a CPN can face seizure and forfeiture of items, default works and recovery of costs and/or a fine of up to £2,500 in relation to an individual or up to £20,000 in the case of a body.
Leicestershire County Council, as the Highway Authority, have also been made aware of concerns.
Microlise hails “good trading” in 2023 as revenue rises
Microlise Group, a Nottingham-based provider of transport management software to fleet operators, experienced “good trading” in 2023 with results expected to be ahead of market expectations.
According to an unaudited trading update for the year ending 31 December 2023, revenue is anticipated to increase by 13% to £71.7m, up from £63.2m in 2022, with adjusted EBITDA growth of 14%, slightly ahead of market expectations.
The Group added 450 new customers during the year with key customer wins including McCulla, BCA/ECM, LF&E and two significant customer wins in Australia. Microlise also extended its relationships with numerous existing customers including Tesco, Culina and Bidfood. Microlise announced two acquisitions in 2023 for a total maximum consideration of £10.6m. This included the acquisition of Vita Software, which completed in March 2023, and Enterprise Software Systems (ESS), which completed in January 2024. A third acquisition of K-Safe completed in December 2023, with the announcement in January 2024. Microlise expects to deliver strong revenue growth in FY24, driven by further organic growth and recent M&A.Nadeem Raza, CEO, Microlise, said: “Trading momentum improved in the second half supported by an increase in delivery to direct customers towards the end of the period and strong uptake from OEM customers. This continues to drive double digit growth in ARR, an increasing base of recurring revenues and good cashflows.
“The three acquisitions made during the period have resulted in an improved and expanded offering which is already having a positive effect on trading momentum and pipeline. This, together with the resolution of the microchip supply crisis, gives us confidence in the Group’s continued success.”
2024 Business Predictions: Andy Priestley, Managing Director of DSP (Interiors) Ltd
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 Andy Priestley, Managing Director of DSP (Interiors) Ltd.
As the economy finally shows signs of recovering from the slow-down triggered by soaring inflation and multiple interest rate rises, we expect to see an upturn across a number of sectors in 2024. This includes UK manufacturing, but predominately service sectors such as laboratories, research and development, and other service sectors such as IT (particularly considering the inevitable influence of Artificial Intelligence).
I predict there will continue to be increasing demand for manufacturing facilities, fueled by the dynamic evolution of ‘factories of the future’ – future-oriented manufacturing companies that embrace industry changes.
Research from S&P Global UK manufacturing and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s index for manufacturing supports my views, suggesting signs of stronger demand with 53% of companies in the industry intending to expand activity over the coming year, linked to a wider economic recovery and a stabilisation of market conditions.
Likewise, the emphasis on personal health following the pandemic, rising concerns about getting a GP appointment and a growing market for personal health screening have all contributed to increasing demand for UK laboratories and Science R&D manufacturing facilities that focus on a range of health supplements and services.
We have personally seen this in our projects for SureScreen Diagnostics and Nutrivitality. Over the past 12 months we have created a large new facility for the R&D and manufacturing of health supplements to assist their exponential growth. SureScreen predict that in the near future their health screening products will help the NHS become more efficient by identifying ailments sooner and help direct patients to the correct health service.
Another effect of the pandemic has been the increase in demand by employees to have the ability to work from home for at least some of the week. This has fuelled the ‘hybrid office’ revolution. We are seeing this time and time again from our clients with larger office spaces that are looking to entice their workers back into the office more.
We have been creating agile workspaces for a number of years, but the hybrid working has been a catalyst for the changing office landscape. Rather than rows of open plan workstations, clients are looking to better support the way their staff want to work, providing a variety of workspace types – assisted by the developments in connective technology and ensuring adequate acoustics. There is also a much greater awareness of the importance of staff well-being through healthier building fit outs.
Having reached the peak of the mortgage rate rises it is widely thought that rates will fall this year, encouraging capital investment in commercial property. This is echoed by the rising demand for quality commercial premises and the speed in uptake from listing.
Here at DSP (Interiors), we have seen we a significant increase in orders across all these sectors. This is partly due to the changing face of the sector, but also our design and fit out expertise.
Over the past 12 months, we have worked with a dynamic range of businesses, including SureScreen Diagnostics and Nutrivitality, where we delivered new state-of-the-art production facilities at Sherwood Business Park in Nottingham. The flexible, agile nature of the facilities have allowed both companies to adapt their technology quickly and efficiently to address new challenges facing both the UK and overseas.
We are currently delivering a turnkey project for the Hayley Group, a leading supplier to Rolls-Royce Plc, and MasterMovers who specialise in electrical tugs. Both turnkey projects involve transforming empty building shells into large bespoke offices and warehouse facility to accommodate continued expansion.
2024 promises to be a year of renewed growth, with those companies with a commitment to innovation and adaptability across their factories and supply chains well-positioned to thrive.
Development of new affordable Stapleford homes to bring new life to disused land
Development is well underway on 24 new affordable rent homes for Tuntum Housing Association on Nottingham Road in Stapleford.
Sitting on the outskirts of the town centre, the homes will bring new life to disused land that was formally owned by Ford.
The finished scheme will offer 15 two-bed flats and nine three and four bedroom homes. Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) is developing these new homes for Tuntum Housing Association, as part of a wider deal to deliver 68 new-build and renovated homes by 2028.
The £5.6m development is being built by Nottingham-based MyPad. Designed to energy rating B, all the homes will be fitted with PV panels; heating in the houses will come from high efficiency gas fired boilers, while electric panel heating will warm the flats.
The finished homes will be owned by Tuntum and let at an affordable rent through Broxtowe Borough Council to support housing need in the area.
NCHA, Tuntum and MyPad met with The Mayor of the Borough of Broxtowe, Councillor Teresa Cullen for a tour of the site. She said: “Affordable homes are desperately needed so I was honoured to visit the site of these new homes in Stapleford, as well as hear about how the developers are working to make them more energy efficient. I can’t wait to see what they look like when they’re finished.”
Charmaine Simei, Chief Executive at Tuntum Housing Association, said: “I’m delighted to see this development well underway and look forward to monitoring our progress as we move closer to handover.
“This is a great example of partnership working and would like to thank NCHA and MyPad. This is a great location and will go some way to providing much-needed family homes for the people of Broxtowe.”
The homes are due for completion from November 2024.
2024 Business Predictions: Paul Morris, development director, St James Securities
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 Paul Morris, development director at St James Securities.
I always like to start a year on a positive note, and I do see light at the end of the tunnel, having worked through the challenges faced in the previous year.
We have survived another tumultuous year for the UK economy, with record inflation, multiple interest rate rises, supply chain issues, and higher construction costs presenting challenges for the construction sector. Build costs have continued to climb and values soften, which has caused viability challenges.
Looking forward, however, as we prepare for a rebound from the economic slowdown, this should begin to stabilise, which should stimulate activity across various sectors.
Lots of schemes stalled in 2023, leading to a drop in output. I expect there to be a modest growth this year, which, although not at the same levels as 2022, is nevertheless a sign of positive change and should foster increased consumer and business confidence.
Subject to no more destabilisation caused by wars, inflation will continue to drop, but whether we hit the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) prediction of 2.8% is a subject for discussion.
I believe bank interest rates will come down slightly and sooner than imagined. I think we will see a half point reduction by mid-2024. We are already seeing changes in the bond market with government stocks starting to come down.
If bank rates and interest rates continue to come down, property yields will sharpen and values will start to go up, which will begin to bridge the viability gap.
The housing shortage led to significant growth in the Build to Rent (BTR) sector in 2023, which shows no sign of slowing down in 2024. In fact, the BTR sector remains one of the few sectors that continues to go from strength to strength.
Lots of money is available to be invested in BTR schemes, but finding the right deals remains challenging. The relationship between construction costs and property values is an issue too, but I do predict we will see a pick-up in values during the year.
Here in Derby, we are currently considering additional phases of housing including more BTR as part of the £230m Becketwell development, which will meet the demand for high quality housing in the city centre.
The hotel market also remains strong, and I see the demand for new beds across the board from budget to higher end continuing to increase over the next few years.
More and more businesses are reassessing their accommodation strategies and considering a move towards flexible office space, and this is set to continue into 2024 and beyond, with hybrid working now part of the fabric of the workplace.
Wavensmere Homes partners with Down to Earth Derby on Nightingale Quarter community garden
Wavensmere Homes has commissioned Down to Earth Derby to create an expansive community garden within the 18.5-acre Nightingale Quarter, in Derby city centre. If the £40,000 pilot project is successful, it will be rolled out across the housebuilder’s city-wide development portfolio.
Linked with Cornwall’s eco-focused Eden Project, Down to Earth Derby is the Community Interest Company (CIC) behind the city’s Electric Daisy attraction. By connecting the urban community with nature-based activities and a diverse events programme, it has become a nationally recognised symbol of the ambitious regeneration and revitalisation of the burgeoning East Midlands city.
Once the designs for the community garden at Nightingale Quarter have been finalised, the work to transform the outdoor space into a magnet for nature, wildlife and people will commence. The interactive garden and allotment space is expected to be unveiled during late spring 2024.
James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “When I first visited Electric Daisy last year, I was inspired by the way local people of all ages are brought together throughout the week to enjoy and learn about the power of nature. As Derby’s most active residential developer, I could see the opportunity to create something very special and spread the infectious ethos of Down to Earth Derby to our developments.
“What we will be delivering at Nightingale Quarter in the coming months isn’t part of a planning obligation. I am very proud and excited that this pilot project will be a living test bed that could ignite a national appetite for funded community gardens.”
Nightingale Quarter has brought about the restoration and redevelopment of the Derby Royal Infirmary, including the two iconic pepper pot buildings – built in 1894. Pepper Pot South will be transformed into a residents’ gym and community meeting room, once the 925 new houses and apartments complete in 2025.
Pepper Pot North accommodates The Fulton Partnership’s £1m Pepperpot restaurant, which is opening on 14th February. Construction is also well underway for MacArthur House, which will contain 118 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Situated at the front of the development, overlooking London Road, construction work on a final residential building is due to commence later this year.
Jamie Quince-Starkey, founder of Down to Earth CIC, said: “My mum worked at the Royal Derby Infirmary, so to have the opportunity to create a community garden at the Nightingale Quarter development fills me with pride.
“James and the Wavensmere team understand the importance of purposeful living and the wellness benefits of inspiring people to be active and engaged with nature and gardening. Regular allotment meet-ups can be the catalyst to bringing a new community together, while also having a transformative impact on mental health.
“With biodiversity net gain becoming a planning obligation for all future developments, we are already looking into impact reporting that could measure the tangible benefits of the Nightingale Quarter community garden, and hopefully many more to come.”
Down to Earth Derby sees the key to success of this pilot project being regular facilitated sessions, events for all ages, and garden maintenance throughout the year. The facilitated sessions will be designed to empower residents to actively participate in the care and maintenance of the space, promoting a sense of shared responsibility.
By working alongside residents, the organisation will aim to instil a sense of ownership – reducing the need for paid upkeep – while creating a sustainable and community-designed outdoor sanctuary.
A food forest, woodland zone, clean composting area, raised planting beds, bug hotels and bird house making are amongst the detailed plans for the Nightingale Quarter community garden.
Florence Nightingale lived in Derby for three years and was instrumental in designing the Royal Infirmary hospital, which received the Royal Stamp of Approval when it was opened by Queen Victoria in 1894. An original statue of Queen Victoria has been preserved and restored by Wavensmere Homes to ensure her legacy stands strong.
Wavensmere Homes has submitted plans for the 11.5-acre (4.96Ha) historic Friar Gate Goods Yard elsewhere in central Derby, which could be transformed into 276 houses and apartments, and over 110,000 sq ft of commercial space. The firm has also submitted planning with Wilson Bowden Developments for 186 apartments, occupying one of the final plots of development land within Derby’s newly revitalised Cathedral Quarter.
In late 2023, Wavensmere Homes received the green light from Amber Valley Borough Council for its revised plans for the £22m redevelopment of Milford Mills, which overlooks the River Derwent, located between Belper and Duffield in north Derbyshire. 69 new homes will now be delivered on the historic site, which is within the Derwent Valley Mills UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Planning permission granted for new mixed-use scheme in Glen Parva
IMA Architects has successfully secured planning permission for a new mixed-use development in Glen Parva, Leicester.
Working in partnership with its client Anglia Healthcare the plans will see the redevelopment of the current Anglia Healthcare and Mobility shop on Little Glenn Road to create a mixed-use scheme with retail on the ground floor and residential across two floors above.
IMA’s plans feature a more modern aesthetic that makes best use of the plot, maximising on space available. It will include much needed, high quality residential units comprising seven duplex apartments.
The ground floor retail space will become Anglia Healthcare’s new mobility showroom. It will provide a much-improved retail space for the company with associated office space, amenities and parking.
Anthony Day, Managing Director of IMA Architects, says: “Securing planning permission for this site had been a complicated process. When we were brought in, the process had already been going on since 2021 so I am pleased that our designs for this area of Little Glen Road have been approved and that work will soon begin on site.”
