Property consultancy strengthens Ashby planning team with four appointments
A property consultancy has strengthened its planning team in Ashby after making four appointments.
Fisher German has welcomed John Nicol as a planner, Kerry Andrews as an assistant planner, and Isabelle Holliday and Jabu Phiri as graduate planners.
John has more than four-and-a-half years’ experience in planning, originally beginning his career in the public sector before moving into the private sector.
In his last role, John specialised in renewable energy projects, obtaining planning permission and carrying out pre and post-planning approval project management.
Kerry joins the firm after spending more than four years working in the public sector, specialising in planning policy and supporting the development of the authority’s local plan.
Isabelle is welcomed to the firm after studying Human Geography at the Manchester Metropolitan University and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield. Jabu joins after studying English at the University of Liverpool followed by a postgraduate degree in planning at the University of Manchester.
The expansion comes as Fisher German looks to not only respond to increasing client demand but expand its presence across the Midlands.
John said: “I’m extremely pleased to join Fisher German at what is an incredibly interesting time for the planning sector. The firm has a very strong reputation and offers a wide range of property services and expertise, meaning working here exposes you to a great range of work and clients.
“My role primarily involves working on infrastructure projects mainly covering water, waste, and power. It is an interesting time to be a planner, particularly in relation to the changing legislation around Biodiversity Net Gain.
“It is great to be practising at a time when the operations of the profession are changing quite significantly in this regard and building an understanding of what this will mean for the delivery of development and for our clients in the future is important.”
Kerry said: “Fisher German has a fantastic planning team with a strong work ethic. Everyone works together to do a good job for clients, which is excellent to be part of. I’m working in strategic planning on a variety of different projects, of all scales.
“Planning plays a huge part in the delivery of new housing, and the next year or two will be very interesting in terms of the new planning regulations being introduced by government.”
Liberty Stones, Head of Planning at Fisher German, said: “We are delighted to welcome four new members of the planning team to Fisher German, further strengthening the services we provide to our clients.
“There is a significant need for both housebuilding to meet housing targets and large-scale infrastructure projects, and we are well-placed to support the delivery of these.”
Nottinghamshire childcare provider acquires new nursery
A Nottingham business providing childcare for children aged two to five has acquired a 2,000 sq ft nursery and hired two additional childcare specialists.
Ducklings Nursery has used a six-figure funding package from HSBC UK to purchase Beeston Nursery, located on Station Road in Beeston.
The purchase ensures Beeston Nursery can continue to offer essential childcare to over 100 local children as well as retaining its 13 staff members. This would not have been possible without the acquisition as the previous owner had decided to retire from the business leaving the future of the nursery in doubt.
In addition to securing the future of Beeston Nursery, the acquisition will also see two specialist jobs added at the nursery with the potential for further expansion and job openings in the future.
Medusa Sojourn, owner and founder of Ducklings Nursery, said: “As a local resident myself, it is heartening to be able to provide a safe, supportive environment for Beeston children. I’m extremely grateful to HSBC UK for its support throughout this process.”
Dominic Edgar, relationship manager at HSBC UK, added: “Ducklings Nursery has a reputation for providing an excellent service to the local community. This commercial business loan from HSBC UK will help the nursery grow significantly, allowing more parents and children to benefit.”
Ducklings Nursery was established in 2009 when its first nursery opened in Sutton Coldfield. A second nursery was later acquired in Sandiacre.
Rail firm set to help save lives at sea
A charity saving the lives of those who get into difficulty at sea will be helped to continue its vital work with the support of an East Midlands rail maintenance firm.
MTMS has pledged its support to the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat, which is based on the Isle of Wight, to help it continue its vital work for the next three years.
The organisation’s operations include helping vessels in trouble in the waters around the Isle of Wight, recovering people from cliffs and searching for people or animals in distress.
It is based 180 miles away from MTMS’s headquarters in Moira, Leicestershire, which at first glance makes it an unlikely good cause for the firm to support.
However, the decision was made by Malcolm Prentice, the company’s group chairman of MTMS, who splits his time between living in South Derbyshire and the Isle of Wight and wanted to make a difference for the community at his island home.
He said: “The Freshwater Independent Lifeboat does such vital work which has saved countless lives. It does not get any government support so community and business donations are needed to keep it going.
“The Isle of Wight is a special place to me, somewhere where I have made many happy memories. It is an honour for us at MTMS to be able to help such an important and worthwhile cause over the next three years.
“Smaller charities desperately need our support to keep doing what they are doing and we must help them where we can.”
The Freshwater Independent Lifeboat was founded in 1972 in the village of Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight. Its volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and they cover an area of up to 30 miles offshore from Hurst Point near Lymington on the mainland to St Catherine’s Point, the island’s most southerly point.
Rod Adams, Freshwater Independent Lifeboat’s principal fundraiser, said: “This is such an important sponsorship for us, and the first time a major company from the mainland has stepped in to help us maintain our operation on a regular basis.
“Knowing that the amazing sum of £3,000 will be available every year for three years provides a real boost to our planning. Everyone helps charities in some way but often small independent units such as ourselves miss out on regular support as we do not have the massive nationwide media power that large charities can avail themselves of.
“The help from Malcolm and MTMS will hopefully spur other companies to step in and help the smaller charities, not necessarily on their doorstep.
“I would also like to mention the amazing support from Malcolm’s wife Cherril who has provided a huge number of copies of her two children’s books to sell next year in our lifeboat shop.
“Thank you again Malcolm, Cherril and all at MTMS. We look forward to your support in the coming years.”
The Freshwater Independent Lifeboat is not part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) so gets no funding from the organisation or the Government. It depends entirely on funds from the local community through donations, business sponsorship and community grants.
Sales slip at Topps Tiles
Sales have dipped at Topps Tiles, the Leicestershire-based tile specialist, according to a trading update for the 13-week period ended 30 December 2023.
Trading in the first quarter reflected ongoing challenges to discretionary consumer spending, particularly those impacting on businesses serving the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) sector. Group sales in the 13 weeks ended 30 December were 4% lower year on year.
Like-for-like sales in Topps Tiles were down 7.1% in the first quarter, with sales to trade customers more resilient than to homeowners. Trading remains strong, however, in Online Pure Play, with significant year on year sales growth, led by Pro Tiler Tools. The Group’s Parkside commercial business, meanwhile, is performing in line with expectations and is profitable in the year to date.
Based on factors including the timing of the holiday pay accrual, higher energy usage in H1 and trading in the first part of the year, the Group’s profits in 2024 are expected to be weighted towards the second half.
The business said: “The Group remains well-positioned to respond to market conditions and we expect to have gained further market share in the first quarter, driven by our world-class customer service, market-leading brands and specialist expertise, and supported by our strong balance sheet. We remain excited about the opportunities for Topps Group over the medium term.”
Leicestershire company fined £900,000 after man crushed to death
A company in Leicestershire has been fined £900,000 after a father-of-two was crushed to death.
Lee Benham died on 4 November 2021 while attempting to move a scissor lift at Nationwide Platform Limited’s workshop in Liskeard, Cornwall.
Lee’s wife, Kelly Benham, says her heart has been ripped out after his passing.
The 45-year-old was working for Nationwide as an LGV driver when the incident occurred. He was operating a scissor lift from the ground to clear an access path so he could move pieces of machinery out of the workshop and load it onto his lorry in the yard.
The moveable controls on the scissor lift were in a position meaning that their direction was inverted, and when Lee operated the machinery, it came towards him and crushed him against a static scissor lift.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found Nationwide Platforms Limited failed to sufficiently consider the dangers of operating machinery via moveable controls, and failed to provide appropriate monitoring and supervision during the morning when drivers were loading machinery onto their lorries.
Lee’s wife Kelly Benham said: “Lee was my soulmate, my best friend, my rock. Now I have nothing apart from my girls. There are no words that can describe when you have had your heart ripped out. Our lives are in pieces, and it is just the three of us now.”
Nationwide Platforms Limited, of Central Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £900,000 and ordered to pay £12,405 in costs at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 21 December 2023.
HSE inspector Simon Jones said: “This was a tragic incident and a stark reminder to businesses to be thorough in their risk assessment. The situation which led to Lee’s death would not have arisen had appropriate control measures been in place.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Jonathan Bambro and supported by HSE paralegal officer Helen Jacob.
Dales businesses invited to take advantage of Rural Innovation Grants
Derbyshire Dales businesses looking for financial support to develop or grow are being invited to take advantage of a Rural Innovation Grants scheme.
The objectives of the business grant scheme are to improve business productivity and resilience, encourage carbon reduction and enable the creation of skilled roles.
Launched by Derbyshire Dales District Council, the initiative offers grants of up to 80% of eligible costs. Three levels of grant funding are available for projects costing between £2,500 and £150,000.
One local business that has successfully applied for a grant is CEM Solutions UK Ltd, who occupy premises at Molyneux Business Park in Darley Dale. They service and calibrate instrumentation which monitors emissions to air from a combustion or incineration process. The company has customers based mainly on industrial sites throughout the UK – from Speyside down to Plymouth.
The £17k grant has enabled the company to buy a new piece of equipment to enhance their testing service. A new engineer will be recruited to add to the existing team, helping to increase the skilled workforce in the Derbyshire Dales.
Jo Lloyd, Director of Business Development at CEM Solutions, said: “We were thrilled to receive a grant to enable us to purchase a 3 Gas Blender. This has increased our service capabilities for emissions monitoring on industrial applications throughout the UK.”
Other businesses that have recently submitted successful applications include John Hattersley Wines (Bakewell), TDP Ltd (Wirksworth), Fit Missions Ltd (Bakewell) and Alphaweld Ltd (Calver).
Derbyshire Dales District Council Leader Councillor Steve Flitter said: “I am delighted to be able to offer these grants to help businesses grow and prosper here in the Derbyshire Dales.”
The grant schemes are funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
2024 Business Predictions: Emma Tice, head of HR & Employment Law at Precept
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 Emma Tice, head of HR & Employment Law at Precept.
Keeping on top of changes in HR & Employment Law will be the biggest challenge for businesses in 2024 – and it will make sure that companies such as Precept are kept extremely busy over the next 12 months.
Some of these changes have already happened; the UK government has introduced new regulations that take effect in January 2024 affecting how holiday pay is calculated with rolled up holiday pay now allowed for irregular hours or part-time workers, as well as amending harassment protections in the workplace and flexible working arrangements.
The new year will see an increase in the National Living Wage for workers over the age of 23, an overhaul to the statutory flexible working regime and protections for family-friendly rights on the cards.
It is going to be vital that organisations are properly informed and armed with knowledge because some of these changes are pretty important – and you can bet your bottom dollar that your staff are going to be keenly aware of what’s going on, as that’s a trend we’ve seen since the dreaded days of the pandemic. Employees are much more attuned to what their rights are and they’re also far more willing to take steps to enforce those rights.
Next year could also see a new government at the helm and, should this happen, then there may well be even more changes to HR & Employment Law.
The Labour party has indicated that it will make significant changes to the ‘Employment Rights Bill’ within its first 100 days in office to include better sick pay, the creation of new and extended legal rights for trade unions, a ban on zero-hour contracts and a proposal to make fire and re-hire tactics unlawful.
Any major policy reforms, though, will take several months to be introduced and implemented, but it’s important to be aware that these changes could be on the horizon.
Next sees strong Christmas
Leicestershire retailer Next has enjoyed strong Christmas trading, with full price sales during November and December better than anticipated.
According to a new trading statement, in the nine weeks to 30 December, full price sales were up 5.7% versus last year – £38m better than Next’s previous guidance of +2% for the period.
In turn the business has increased its full year profit before tax guidance by £20m to £905m, up 4% versus last year. Of the £20m increase, £17m comes from the sales beat to date and £3m comes from an upgraded forecast for full price sales in January.
Meanwhile, Next has issued full year guidance for the FY25 financial year, in which it expects total sales to rise by 6% and profit before tax to grow 5%.
Shirebrook giant swoops for luxury retailer
Shirebrook-based Frasers Group has acquired the MATCHES business from MF Intermediate Limited, a subsidiary of funds advised by Apax Partners, by way of the purchase of 100% of the shares of a group of six companies and the acquisition of the senior and junior debt owed by those companies.
MATCHES is a destination in online luxury for men and women, which offers a modern edit of more than 450 established and next-generation designers and generates the majority of its revenue internationally, with the business delivering to 150 countries outside the UK.
The consideration totals approximately £52 million and will be settled in cash at completion from Frasers’ existing cash reserves and facilities.
The MATCHES business has been loss making in recent years.
Frasers says the acquisition is an opportunity to further develop its Elevation Strategy and strengthen its luxury offering.
Nick Beighton, Chief Executive Officer of MATCHES, will work with the Frasers team to develop a strategy to build on the underlying strength of the business whilst unlocking synergies with Frasers.
Michael Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Frasers, said: “MATCHES has always been a leader in online luxury retail and has incredible relationships with its brand partners. This acquisition will strengthen Frasers’ luxury offering, further deepening our relationships and accelerating our mission to provide consumers with access to the world’s best brands.
“Whilst the global luxury environment is softer, we are confident that, by leveraging our industry-leading ecosystem, we will unlock synergies and drive profitable growth for MATCHES.”
Nick Beighton, Chief Executive Officer of MATCHES, added: “Since I joined MATCHES last year, we have made good progress, sharpening our brand and product curation and improving the day-to-day operations of the business.
“As a result, we have seen a resilient trading performance despite the challenging economic backdrop. Being part of Frasers, with their utter commitment to luxury, will give this business access to greater scale, best-in-class retail expertise and the financial stability it needs to more effectively deliver for our brand partners and our customers.”
Midlands private equity activity falls significantly in 2023 from two year high
Buyout activity across the Midlands private equity industry dropped markedly in 2023, with the pendulum swinging back from the record activity levels seen in the aftermath of the post-COVID period, according to provisional full-year data (up to 1st December) from CMBOR, the Centre for Private Equity and MBO Research based at Nottingham University Business School and supported by Equistone Partners Europe.
The 28 buyouts completed in 2023, with a cumulative value of £1.2bn, represent a dramatic fall from the two highest annual values of the post-2008 period, with deals worth £5.9bn completed in 2022 and deals worth £6.1bn in 2021. This sense of an industry-wide pause is underlined by cumulative deal value not surpassing £2bn for only the third time in the last ten years and is a similar theme to that seen across the UK and Europe.
The decline in deal activity started in H2-2022, following a record 18-month period, and continued into H1-2023, where just £0.1bn worth of deals were completed in the first six months of the year. The downward trend reversed in H2-2023 with £1.1bn worth of deals completing, providing some encouragement for the year ahead.
Dealmaking within traditional sectors such as Business Services and Industrials has held comparatively steady as firms seek value and stability in an otherwise difficult market. However, TMT and Healthcare, two sectors which experienced a remarkable pandemic-era boom, have experienced major corrections, with valuations and volumes both falling notably in the region.
Will Copeland, from Equistone’s Midlands office, said: “The full extent of the decrease in Midlands buyouts was not anticipated, but we are seeing green shoots with a rise in activity in the second half of the year. There has not been a shortage of opportunities to do deals in 2023. However, transactions have faced a number of challenges which have often resulted in the timing not being right.
“Despite this, at Equistone, we’ve experienced a record year for exits in 2023, including the divestments of Acuity Knowledge Partners and Bulgin. We have a number of assets in the pipeline to exit and anticipate new investment activity will pick up across the first two quarters of 2024.
“Looking ahead to 2024, this sentiment is echoed with Corporate Finance advisors having healthy lists of Midlands mandates, and the slowdown in private equity and debt deployment over the last 12-18 months could cycle to an increased urge for new investment and exit activity, potentially at reset valuation expectations compared to the post-covid boom.”
