Work is now underway to remodel and prepare 58 flats and bedsits to help address the urgent need for more affordable council housing in Leicester.
The city council has recently completed the purchase of the Zip Building – on Rydal Street, close to the city centre – as part of plans originally announced last year.
Leicester City Council bought the building for £5.55million, part-funded by £2.4million of cash from the sale of council properties under the Government’s Right to Buy scheme. This is the maximum allowed under the current rules. The remainder is through a mix of permitted prudential borrowing and allowable debt, which is common for council investments of this type.
The three-storey former factory building will provide 58 affordable flats and bedsits, all of which will be added to the city council’s housing stock and help meet the growing demand for one and two-bedroom affordable homes across the city.
Refurbishment work is now underway and the first council tenants are expected to be able to move into the property by March 2024.
The majority of the units within the Zip Building will be one-bed flats and bedsits. The remaining units will be a mix of two-bed flats – including two wheelchair accessible properties – and three and four-bed cluster flats, some of which will provide support to help people with independent living.
Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor for housing, said: “The acquisition of the Zip Building will help meet the increasing demand for one and two-bedroom council housing. But we still face a desperate need for more affordable housing in the city.
“The Right to Buy scheme has hit the supply of council housing hard. We’re losing homes much faster that they are being built and it’s time the Right to Buy scheme was abandoned. We have been forced to sell thousands of council houses over the past 30 years.
“That makes it absolutely vital that we invest our Right to Buy cash receipts into schemes like this, which help addressing the critical need for more affordable homes.”
Whenever a council property is sold under Right to Buy, the proceeds of the sale must be used in line with strict Government guidelines. This means that only some of the proceeds can be used to support the costs of building and/or acquiring new affordable homes.
Each year, Leicester City Council loses an average of 400 council homes through the Right to Buy scheme.
To help address the local housing crisis, the city council aims to help provide an additional 1,500 affordable homes in Leicester by 2027.
The Zip Building dates back to around 1900 and was built to the designs of regionally renowned Stockdale Harrison for Thompson & Co wholesale boot and shoe manufacturers. By the mid-20th century, it had been converted into a hosiery factory. The building was redeveloped as residential accommodation around 12 years ago.
As part of the sale negotiations for the building, the city council agreed that all previous tenancies should be honoured until the end of summer 2023, to minimise any disruption.
Gateley Legal bolsters East Midlands construction team with four appointments
Gateley Legal has bolstered its Nottingham-based construction team to a total of nine legal professionals servicing the East Midlands region following four new appointments.
Della Copley joins Gateley Legal as a senior associate. Prior to this, Copley spent five years at Geldards LLP and brings a strong construction background to the team, specialising in contentious matters including dispute resolution methods such as litigation, adjudication and arbitration.
Catherine Everington completed her training at Gateley Legal and spent a year with the construction team post-qualification before joining Shakespeare Martineau for eighteen months. Everington re-joins the Nottingham team as a solicitor and will work closely alongside legal director, Charles Jakeman, to support clients with the Government’s developer remediation contract, as well as core development matters.
Copley and Everington will both add significant specialist resource to strengthen Gateley Legal’s service offering which sees the team advising housebuilder and developer clients on a wide range of fire and building safety matters.
Miriam Forman and Davis Barwell join as trainee solicitors and will support the team with contentious matters for housebuilder, developer, contractor and subcontractor clients, as well as managing construction documentation for major projects.
Piet van Gelder, partner and head of the Nottingham construction team at Gateley Legal, said: “Our Nottingham construction team has grown to be one of the largest specialist teams in the East Midlands region through our work for major housebuilders and developers, as well as other construction stakeholders.
“The team has not only identified but is also leading on the implementation and scope of the Building Safety Act and so we have brought in Della and Catherine to strengthen the team and support clients with overcoming all the issues arising out of that piece of legislation. It’s also great to have new talent like Miriam and Davis on board to really boost the team.”
The four new appointments join partner – Piet van Gelder, legal director – Charles Jakeman, solicitors – Jaclyn Nelson and Ryan Ball and paralegal – Beth Eady to total nine construction team members in Nottingham.
Planning consent secured for industrial/storage and distribution facility at Leicestershire business park
National property consultancy Carter Jonas has secured planning consent on behalf of Euro Property Investment Limited and its development delivery partner Henry Davidson Developments to deliver an industrial / storage and distribution facility with ancillary offices at Meridian Business Park in Leicestershire.
The 1.38 acre (0.56 ha) site is located in Meridian Business Park. The scheme will deliver 21,062 sq ft (1,956.74m2) of warehouse / office floorspace and will help to boost the local economy by creating jobs for local people. The end user of the site is yet to be determined.
Laura Stops, associate partner at Carter Jonas in Birmingham, said: “We are working with Euro Property Investment Limited and their development delivery partner Henry Davidson Developments on a variety of schemes across the Midlands and we are delighted to have worked alongside the project team, addressing concerns to receive unanimous approval at Planning Committee for the Meridian Business Park site.”
Scott Davidson, Managing Director of Henry Davidson Developments, said: “The team have worked closely with the Local Planning Authority over the past few months, and we are extremely pleased that a resolution to grant has now been awarded. We look forward to commencing the delivery phase of the project and seeing the development come forward and provide jobs for the local community.”
In achieving planning success, Carter Jonas worked alongside Stephen George + Partners LLP (architects), John Davies Associates Limited (highways and flood consultant), FCPR Environment and Design Limited (landscape consultant), Midland Ecology Limited (ecologists).
Jobs saved at Derbyshire security firm
The sale of a Derbyshire security company has rescued every role and kept 38 people in work.
Mike Dillon and Rochelle Schofield of Leonard Curtis were appointed administrators of Buxton & High Peak Security Services Limited on Friday 13 October 2023.
A sale of the company’s business and assets was subsequently completed to BHPSS limited – with all 38 jobs transferred under TUPE to the purchaser.
Leonard Curtis administrator Mike Dillon said: “The pre-packaged sale has allowed business continuity, maximising the outcome for creditors as a whole.
“In addition, the sale has allowed all staff to continue employment by the purchaser.”
An interview with Waldeck trainee technician, Connor Penlington
Waldeck and their sister company Morson are proud of the support and developmental opportunities they offer to the younger community.
We caught up with Waldeck trainee technician, Connor Penlington to hear about his career journey so far:
Hi Connor, tell us a bit more about your time at Waldeck so far?
My career at Waldeck started following the realisation that I was in a role in the manufacturing industry which I felt had no clear opportunity for progression and didn’t suit my long-term career ambitions.
Following a successful interview process with Waldeck, I joined the team in February 2022, and have since been in a new hybrid role of “Trainee Technician” which sees me working cross-disciplined between both our Lincoln-based Architecture & Digital Captures teams. The role has also seen me working on both single and multi-discipline projects, collaborating with other branches within Waldeck such as Civil, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.
My role as Trainee Technician was a brand-new role as of Feb 2022 for the business, which came about following the amalgamation of two of the teams (Architecture and Digital Capture) under one Director (Stuart Denniss).
This organisational change created an opportunity for this new hybrid role, seeing me supporting both of the established teams by operating as the linchpin between them, with the aim of improving the collaboration between the two departments to enhance Waldeck’s offering to clients and overall project delivery, through better combining, aligning and utilising the skills from both teams.
My day-to-day role includes a mixture of office and on-site working, with support from senior members of the team to develop my skills and knowledge across the two different workstreams.
As well as this core role, I have also trained as a Fire Marshal for the office, and completed by First Aid at Work course. I have recently been asked to take on the role of Health & Safety Champion for the Wellingore office too, which will include working with the wider SHEQ team to ensure the office remains safe and up-to-date.
What has your professional development journey looked like?
When I joined Waldeck I was in the middle of undertaking an HNC in Mechanical Engineering at Lincoln College. Even though I changed roles during the course, I was committed to finishing it, and Waldeck offered me an opportunity to complete the course alongside my new role, with day-release to College.
On completion of the course through Lincoln College, I was delighted to come out with the top mark of a distinction whilst also picking up the ‘Student of the Year’ Award. Although this was associated to a different field of work, I picked up lots of different transferrable skills which have helped my transition into the construction industry.
Since completing my HNC, I have chosen to continue my learning journey through starting a degree in Architectural Technology at Sheffield Hallam University. This is with the aim of becoming an Architectural Technologist on completion of the course.
Between work and university, I often find myself doing research into new technologies and trends within the construction industry. This is with the aim of not only my own development, but also wanting to help the company adapt to these trends and be at the forefront of championing these new technologies.
Director of Architecture & Digital Technologies, Stuart Denniss, shared: “Connor and his role have been pivotal to the success of the Digital Capture & Architecture team over the past 18 months. It’s clear to see the hard work and passion that Connor has for his career and own personal development, but more than that, Connor is a team player and has already proved himself as a valuable asset to the Waldeck team.
“When I first met Connor, he excelled in his interview for his attitude, and although employing someone with no industry experience for such an important role was a risk to the business, I truly believe it has been one that has paid off.
“Connor and his role have had such a positive impact on the team, not only due to the streamlining and collaboration aspects which have improved efficiencies and project delivery, but also due to the flexible nature of his role and his ‘can-do’ attitude.
“Connor has been a valuable team player in terms of our resourcing, supporting the peaks and flows of the workload curve as projects progress and as the team has continued to grow. By taking each opportunity to say ‘yes’ to getting involved in projects, Connor has benefited the team’s success and turbo-charged his own learning.
“Connor has proved himself so far and has set himself up well to build a successful career at Waldeck and within the construction industry.”
Director of Architecture & Digital Technologies, Stuart Denniss, shared: “Connor and his role have been pivotal to the success of the Digital Capture & Architecture team over the past 18 months. It’s clear to see the hard work and passion that Connor has for his career and own personal development, but more than that, Connor is a team player and has already proved himself as a valuable asset to the Waldeck team.
“When I first met Connor, he excelled in his interview for his attitude, and although employing someone with no industry experience for such an important role was a risk to the business, I truly believe it has been one that has paid off.
“Connor and his role have had such a positive impact on the team, not only due to the streamlining and collaboration aspects which have improved efficiencies and project delivery, but also due to the flexible nature of his role and his ‘can-do’ attitude.
“Connor has been a valuable team player in terms of our resourcing, supporting the peaks and flows of the workload curve as projects progress and as the team has continued to grow. By taking each opportunity to say ‘yes’ to getting involved in projects, Connor has benefited the team’s success and turbo-charged his own learning.
“Connor has proved himself so far and has set himself up well to build a successful career at Waldeck and within the construction industry.” Bank of England leaves interest rates unchanged
The Bank of England has decided to hold interest rates at 5.25%.
Its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a majority of 6–3 to maintain Bank Rate, with three members preferring an increase of 0.25 percentage points, to 5.5%.
It marks the second interest rates pause following a run of 14 increases as the Bank tried to get inflation under control.
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) national chair Martin McTague said: “This will at least be a relief for small businesses that we seem to be at the end of continually rising rates. This means they can now strategise for growth, given that we’ve, hopefully, hit inflation’s peak.
“However, rates have got to start dropping soon as many businesses are reeling from the unwelcome effects of 14 consecutive base rate hikes. Our latest Small Business Index (SBI) has begun to show business confidence creep up, from -14.2points in Q2 of 2023 to -8 points in Q3. Now, in order for that figure to stabilise or even climb, targeted interventions are needed.
“Small businesses are really feeling the double impact of high borrowing costs and reluctant customers – an unwelcome mix in an era where the cost of doing business remains notably high.
“With the Autumn Statement on the horizon, businesses are holding their breath for supportive policies. Top of the agenda should be maintaining the 75 per cent business rates relief for SMEs in retail, hospitality, and leisure. It’s currently set to expire in March and losing it could be a knockout blow to sectors already on the ropes. It’s time the promised business rates overhaul actually happens.
“The Chancellor should also tackle the late payments issue head on by making clear that it’s not acceptable for large businesses to finance their working capital at the expense of small businesses. We’d also like to see the self-employed being able to deduct the cost of training from their taxable income. This could be a transformative policy in an era when entrepreneurs need to adapt constantly to new developments.”
Alstom secures eight-year services contract extension worth €950m from CrossCountry
Alstom has signed an eight-year extension to its Train Services Agreement (TSA) with CrossCountry. The contract extension is valued at around €950 million.
Alstom is the UK & Ireland’s leading supplier of new trains and train services, having built, or building, just under 40% of the UK mainline train fleet; as well as the entire fleets in service with London Underground.
The company is one of Derby’s largest private sector employers, where the future of its Litchurch Lane factory is currently unclear.
Under the agreement, Alstom will continue to maintain, overhaul, service and clean 252 vehicles of the CrossCountry fleet (34 Class 220 Voyagers and 24 Class 221 Super Voyagers) at their primary depot, Central Rivers.
In addition, seven Voyagers will move to CrossCountry when they are released from service with Avanti West Coast to bolster the CrossCountry fleet and enable service uplifts in due course.
“We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Alstom as we embark on our National Rail Contract. Improving the onboard experience is critical to ensuring our customers view us as a long-distance operator of choice and we look forward to working closely with Alstom in the years ahead to deliver these improvements,” says Tom Joyner, Managing Director, CrossCountry.
Health and well-being will be main focus of £60m redevelopment
Building designs that advance health and wellness will be considered as part of £60m redevelopment plans.
The WELL Building Standard is the world’s first evidence-based system designed for measuring, certifying, and monitoring building features that impact on health and wellbeing. The trend is increasingly on the rise around the globe as emphasis shifts to how indoor spaces can improve quality of life.
Now, an expert in the field will be sharing his knowledge with the team who are behind the redevelopment of Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s Uptonsteel County Ground.
Rob Day is the newest recruit to the working party formed to push through plans for the £60m rebuild. With 40 years of experience, the Chairman and Founder of Blueprint Interiors, based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, will add a wealth of experience and passion to the group which also includes the likes of Steve Kind, who was instrumental in Leicester City moving to the King Power Stadium.
Day has a strong background in commercial property and has expertise in implementing the international WELL standard and will be working with the group to ensure the standard forms part of the planning and design.
Rob said: “When the ground redevelopments were announced it definitely piqued my interest and when Sean approached me to ask if I’d like to be a part of it there was no doubt. Leicestershire has a phenomenal asset there in terms of the ground itself and it is clear there is a strong team coming together with representation from ECB and the City Council. I think we’re all inspired, and we’re all driven by that shared passion for the club and the desire to see it succeed.
“At Blueprint we’ve evolved into more of a workplace consultancy-led business and that’s because we have a clear understanding of what people need to function and that undoubtedly will be of value to the club. We work to the WELL standard which is a global standard that concerns itself with the suitability of a building being for the people that are using it and because our own approach to the workplace is so human-centric, I’ll be able to feed this in through the working group to help create a space that is designed entirely around the people using it.
“I absolutely see the opportunity for Leicestershire as both a club and a business. There’s a real opportunity there to develop relationships with local schools and students that are surrounded by some particularly challenging demographics and cricket has got terrific potential to help us overcome that, I’m excited to get stuck in.”
Sean Jarvis, CEO of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, added: “It’s great to have Rob on board to help the ambitious plans we have for the club. He brings some really important insights to the team which will prove invaluable as we move into the next stages of the development.”
Other members of the working party include Bruce Cruse, Director of Facilities at the ECB, Tom Lomante, Head of Capital at Leicester City Council, Ian Kendall, Director of Leisure Projects at LCCC, and Chairman, John Thorpe.
Deep-fat flyer: Rolls-Royce succeeds in sustainable aviation fuel tests
Rolls-Royce has succeeded in a series of tests with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel on its latest generation of business aviation engines, the Pearl 15 and the Pearl 10X.
The fuel was made from waste-based sustainable feedstocks such as used cooking oils and waste fat, delivering the potential to significantly reduce net CO2 lifecycle emissions by about 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
The Pearl 15, the first member of the Pearl engine family, powers Bombardier’s Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft, while the Pearl 10X will power Dassault’s ultra-long-range flagship aircraft, the Falcon 10X. Tests on the Pearl 700, powering Gulfstream’s G700 and G800 business jets, have already been completed in 2021.
Rolls-Royce says its tests demonstrated that its current engine portfolio for large civil and business jet applications can operate with 100% SAF, laying the groundwork for moving this type of fuel towards certification. At present, SAF is certified only for blends of up to 50% with conventional jet fuel. By the end of 2023 Rolls-Royce will have proven that all its in-production Trent and business aviation engines are compatible with 100% SAF.
Dr Dirk Geisinger, Director Business Aviation, Rolls-Royce said: “Sustainable Aviation Fuels are a key element of our sustainability strategy, as they will play an important role in decarbonising long-haul flight. With its outstanding environmental performance, the Pearl family is already setting new standards in the ultra-long-range corporate jet market.”
The tests took place at Rolls-Royce’s Business Aviation headquarters in Dahlewitz, Germany, and are part of the company’s ongoing ambition to play a leading role in the journey to achieve net zero flight by 2050.
As well as proving compatibility with 100% SAF another target of the test campaign was to run a back-to-back engine test with both Jet A-1 and SAF on the same Pearl 10X engine. The aim was to confirm further improvements in the environmental footprint when switching to SAF. The results from this first back-to-back engine emission test under standard certification conditions provides important correlations for the evaluation of future SAF within our environmental strategy.
The back-to-back tests conducted with conventional fossil-based fuel and subsequently SAF also confirmed a cleaner combustion of the sustainable fuel, with significantly lower levels of non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM). In combination with the low NOx combustor technology of the Pearl 10X and its additive manufactured combustor tiles a reduction of all emissions was achieved.
Contractor named for Birstall games area project
Ten Construction has been appointed to create a multi-use games area on School Lane Playing Fields in Birstall with support from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The project is receiving £150,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and is one of 10 projects chosen by Charnwood Borough Council. The Council has been allocated £4 million from the fund to invest in communities, support local businesses and improve skills.
Cllr Jennifer Tillotson, Charnwood Borough Council’s Lead Member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Town Centres, said: “I am delighted to see this project progressing as the multi-use games area will be a great asset for the Birstall community. Now the contract has been awarded, we look forward to seeing work start on the facility.”
Birstall Parish Council Vice-Chairman Tony Fowler has been campaigning for many years for a MUGA. He said: “I am really pleased we have been able to secure the funding as this is a facility the community really needs.
“We were very impressed with the design put forward by the contractor, particularly as there was a focus on making this games area very accessible for people of all ages and abilities.”
The MUGA will be located in the central area of the playing fields and will be available to use for football, basketball, cricket and a host of other activities. It will also include games that can be played by people of all abilities.
Charnwood Borough Council is backing 10 projects across the borough utilising the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
They include extending Jubilee Hall in Anstey, regenerating Sileby Memorial Park and Pavilion, expanding sports facilities in Mountsorrel, backing a three year youth support programme, improving the wellbeing and skills of young people as well as regenerating Shepshed’s Market Place.
