“After analysing the site’s context, it is clear the building is perfectly situated for residential use, as it benefits from easy access to a multitude of amenities, employment prospects and transport links.
“The idea is to attract young working professionals, operating within the city or further afield. Therefore, we established that residential use would be suitable for the site.”
Plans submitted to turn Derby office building into apartments
Plans to transform a Derby office building into apartments have been submitted to the city council.
If approved the property on Curzon Street would be converted into 14 one-bedroom flats.
It comes as the applicant has struggled to find businesses to take on the lease of the building post-pandemic.
A planning statement submitted by Wilson Architects says: “The application seeks to change the use of an existing commercial office space into residential accommodation. This decision was aided by the fact the applicant is struggling to find companies to take on the lease of the building.
“To preserve the building’s continued use and maintenance as well as ensuring a continuous return on investment the applicant has taken the decision to convert the building into affordable accommodation.
Derby brewery places pub arm into administration
Derby Brewing Company’s pub arm, Real Brewing Pub Company, has been placed into administration amidst a challenging trading environment and “unreasonable behaviour of the HMRC.”
The brewery will not be affected and will continue to operate with two sites the Hole in the Wall, Mickleover & NOTSA, Aston on Trent continuing to be operated by Derby Brewing under a new pub company.
Three sites will close with immediate effect, The Clubhouse, Derby, The Pig Lichfield & The Pointing Dogs, Matlock.
A statement from Derby Brewing Company says: “It is with huge sadness and regret that we have to announce that Real Brewing Pub Company, the pub company arm of Derby Brewing Company has today entered administration. The brewery will not be affected and continue operate going forward with two of our sites the Hole in the Wall, Mickleover & NOTSA, Aston on Trent continuing to be operated by Derby Brewing under a new pub company.
“It has been an extremely challenging trading environment over the last couple of years, including the pandemic, increased loan burdens on the back of this, ongoing recruitment challenges, soaring interest rates, supplier cost increases, cost of living crisis resulting in reduced trade and huge increases in the cost base with uncapped energy contracts.
“In spite of these challenges we had a plan in place to continue to steer through this however the business has HMRC arrears predominantly from the pandemic, like many in the industry, the HMRC had been working with us however this recently changed and the debt was demanded to be paid back within a short period, which meant the we could no longer continue to trade.
“Sadly our two freehold sites The Greyhound, Friar Gate & Derby Brewing Tap House, Derwent Street will be sold to clear the arrears to meet their timeframe. Both will remain open and be sold as going concern safe guarding jobs and are now being marketed by the administrator.
“Three of our sites will unfortunately close with immediate effect, The Clubhouse, Derby, The Pig Lichfield & The Pointing Dogs, Matlock.
“As detailed the Hole in the Wall & NOTSA will continue to be operated by us, again safe guarding the team.
“Thankfully in all cases staff will be paid and there will be an opportunity to continue Derby Brewing’s story all be it in a different and smaller guise.”
Paul Harris, MD, Derby Brewing, added: “It is with huge regret that we have been unable to steer the business through this extremely challenging period. We have unfortunately joined a growing list of operators to close previously successful businesses.
“The final nail in the coffin was a combination of the government allowing energy contracts five-fold previous levels to remain in place once their 50% support was removed and the in our view unreasonable behaviour of the HMRC.
“We are extremely sad for the team members who have lost their jobs and the dismantling of a business we as a family have been built over nearly 20 years.”
Trevor Harris, director of brewing, said: “This is an extremely upsetting situation for the team and family, we are pleased however that we have been able to continue the name of Derby Brewing, returning the business into a smaller family operation where we hope to build from.”
Preferred developer revealed for £130+ million Northampton regeneration project
West Northamptonshire Council has confirmed that national regeneration developer, Cityheart is their preferred development partner to bring forward the Four Waterside and Marefair sites.
Working in a joint venture partnership with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Cityheart will deliver a transformational and ambitious scheme for the town centre.
Situated at the entrance of the town from Northampton’s railway station, the Four Waterside and Marefair scheme is one of the largest brownfield developments in the county with two sites totaling five acres. Work is anticipated to start in 2025 to unlock this space, providing a new hotel, grade A office space for new and existing businesses, high-quality homes and improved paving and planting to elevate the area.
With nearly 20 years of experience, Cityheart works in partnership with councils across the country to rejuvenate towns and cities, including the £135 million Galleries town centre redevelopment in Wigan. This eight acre, highly sustainable mixed-use regeneration site providing a new market and hotel, high-quality homes, leisure venues, co-working space and events space.
This is Cityheart’s first appointment via the Pagabo National Framework Agreement for Developer Led schemes (Region: East Midlands Lot 3c [£40m+] = Mixed Use).
WNC has secured a £1.5 million grant from The Towns Fund and a further £7 million from the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone, to help deliver the project which will contribute to the wider transformation across the town. This funding will enable the development to be brought forward and have a significant impact on the local economy with a projected £130 million gross development value.
The Towns Fund is part of the Government’s plan for ‘Levelling Up’ the UK economy and the Council has secured £24.9 million to invest into transforming Northampton’s Town Centre.
Cllr Daniel Lister, cabinet member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth, said: “We are delighted to announce that we are working with Cityheart to deliver this significant development. Their expertise will be invaluable in transforming the two vacant brownfield sites and providing high-quality facilities to meet the needs of our local community and benefit our local economy.
“This area has stood empty for too long, and we are excited to now begin the relevant preparation before we start work in 2025. Once complete, this development has the potential to have a transformational impact upon Northampton town centre and beyond.”
Andrew Sanderson, development director of Cityheart, said: “This superb site will open up the gateway to the town centre from the rail station and will be transformational for Northampton.
“It will deliver waterside residences and highly sustainable workspace, enhancing the living experience for people in the town centre. Cityheart is extremely proud to be appointed as preferred developer and we look forward to making a start on the project before the end of the year.”
East Midlands business confidence up
Business confidence in the East Midlands rose five points during October to 38%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Companies in the region reported higher confidence in their own business prospects month-on-month, up one point at 39%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, up eight points to 36%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 38%.
East Midlands businesses identified their top target areas for growth in the next six months as evolving their offer (42%), introducing new technology (29%) and investing in sustainability (28%). The Business Barometer, which surveys 1,200 businesses monthly, provides early signals about UK economic trends both regionally and nationwide. A net balance of 29% of businesses in the region expect to increase staff levels over the next year, up 24 points on last month.
National picture
Overall UK business confidence rose three points in October from 36% to 39%, and firms’ outlook on the overall UK economy increased four points to 34%. Businesses’ confidence in their own trading prospects also continued the upward trend, rising four points to 45%.
Companies’ hiring intentions reached their highest level since May last year, with 32% of firms intending to increase staff levels over the next 12 months, up six points month-on-month.
Firms in Yorkshire reported the highest levels of business confidence, jumping 12 points to 52% – the highest reading for the region since March 2022. Companies in the South West reported the biggest uptick in business confidence, increasing 26 points month-on-month to 47%.
Following a fall in confidence in September, the retail and service industries both saw an increase in business confidence, with retail business confidence increasing by five points to 37% and services rising seven points to 43%. Levels are still lower than seen in August, however, when retail business confidence was at 44% and services at 42%. Manufacturing confidence was 36%, unchanged from last month when confidence rose to a three-month high. Construction fell for a second month in a row to 31% (down five points).
Dave Atkinson, regional director for the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “It’s fantastic to see business confidence increase in the East Midlands as we head into the final quarter of the year. There’s been a significant jump in businesses expecting to hire more staff over the next 12 months, as many firms look to meet the seasonal demand of the winter period.
“As always, we’ll be by the side of the region’s firms to ensure they have the cashflow they need to grow their teams. While the talent market in many industries remains tight, businesses need to ensure they can offer potential staff a competitive salary, as well as opportunities for upskilling and development. By ensuring they have headroom in their finances, businesses will be able to recruit the staff they need to meet demand and maximise opportunities for growth.”
Hann-Ju Ho, senior economist, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Business confidence this month reflects a more positive outlook as we head into the important festive period, with trading prospects and economic optimism both at their second highest levels this year.
“The level also underlines the wider upward trend of steadily rising confidence in 2023. If you look at the year in quarterly time periods, confidence has steadily risen from 20% in the first quarter, 26% in the second and in September an average of 27% in the third.
“However, our data shows that firms are still safeguarding their profit margins in response to the possibility of interest rates remaining high, wage increase pressures, and the prospect of higher energy prices again this winter.
“Therefore, businesses will be keeping a keen eye on the forthcoming Autumn Statement and Bank of England policy announcements as they navigate through a challenging economic period ahead.”
Royal approval for Notts net zero firm’s historic library project
A Nottinghamshire firm that specialises in reducing the carbon footprint of buildings has been praised by the Princess Royal for helping to preserve a rare collection of books in an historic church library.
Viridis, based in Collingham, near Newark, recently completed work to optimise energy efficiency, costs, UV exposure and humidity control at St Botolph’s Church, in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Part of the medieval church, also known as the Boston Stump, houses a library containing around 1,200 historic books that are often sought after by academics.
One of the books – St Augustin’s Commentary on Genesis – dates back to 1170, and it had been feared that over-exposure to natural light, temperature and humidity variations, would permanently damage an important part of our literary history.
Viridis was therefore commissioned by the Boston Stump Restoration Trust to design a new energy system that would help to preserve the books for enjoyment by future generations.
The finished project, which also included improving energy efficiency in the main church and neighbouring Blenkin Memorial Hall, was inspected by the Trust’s patron, Princess Anne, on a recent visit.
Lee Marshall, managing director of Viridis, said: “Princess Anne accompanied me to the library with just a small handful of other staff and proceeded to spend 25 minutes discussing the improvements we had designed.
“I was amazed at her deep level of interest – she was really keen to find out more about what we had done. And she was extremely impressed by the achievement.”
Lee said that the first thing his team of scientists, architects and engineers did on an important heritage asset like St Botolph’s was to understand how the building worked as “a piece of technology.”
The next stage is figuring out how the team can optimise the internal environment while at the same time reducing the level of mechanical and electrical services that go into running the various parts of the building.
“In terms of the library, which is a relatively small space, it was receiving too much natural light through its large, ornate south-facing window and two smaller windows, so we had to address that as it was damaging the books,” he said.
“With its thick stone walls, which can keep heat in as well as out, we also manipulated physics to ensure the internal temperate remains at a moderate 17 degrees – which is not too cold and not too hot for the delicate books.”
The excess of natural light in the library was reduced by building bookshelves in front of the two smaller windows and installing louvre blinds in the large window, which can be manually controlled by staff according to needs.
Viridis also installed a humidification unit, about the size of a small filing cabinet, to ensure the air was not too wet and not too dry, both of which can damage ancient books.
“As engineers, we work with the environment,” said Lee. “Instead of wasting energy by using a third-party water source in the event that the air is too dry, our unit stores and utilises the free moisture that exists in the atmosphere. It is these small details that help to provide our clients with the big benefits.”
In the main St Botolph’s Church, parts of which date back to 1309, Viridis re-ordered the heating system. It reduced the building’s boiler capacity by 50 per cent and reduced its operation and energy use by up to 400 per cent, vastly increasing energy efficiency and reducing emissions.
As a result, the building is now much warmer than before, it costs less to heat and, significantly, the church has reported a huge increase in visitor numbers, which it puts down to the warmer environment inside.
“It’s now warmer and therefore more welcoming, which was a very important part of our brief,” said Lee. “The church as a whole is now far more sustainable, and we have created an environment in the library that saves some very historic books. I’d like to thank the team at St Botolph’s for their vision and support.”
Other important books housed in St Botolph’s Library include a 1542 edition of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, a Book of Common Prayer printed in 1549 and a collection of books by Dutch philosopher Erasmus, published between 1545 and 1548.
Detailed planning application submitted for Louth development
Developer Charterpoint and housebuilder Snape Properties have jointly submitted a detailed planning application for a site near Louth.
The 12-acre plot off Daisy Way is an extension to the popular Westfield Park and already has outline planning permission for up to 90 new properties.
Now a detailed application has been submitted to East Lindsey District Council for the next stage of the development.
The proposals are for 90 properties, including a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom homes, plus a children’s play area, surface water attenuation ponds, wildflower meadows, sustainable drainage and an amenity lawn for communal informal recreation.
Adrian Goose, CEO of Charterpoint, said: “We are very pleased that Charterpoint and Snape Properties have jointly submitted a detailed planning application for this site off Daisy Way near Louth.
“In conjunction with Charterpoint, Snape Properties has built a flourishing community at Westfield Park and this additional plot will bring more much-needed homes to the town.”
The site, which is bounded by the A16 Louth bypass to the north west and by Westfield Park to the south and east, will be accessed off Daisy Way and will include green infrastructure to provide an attractive quality environment for residents and visitors with consideration given to access for pedestrians and cyclists, enhancement of wildlife biodiversity, sustainable drainage solutions and promotion of use of outdoor spaces for improved mental and physical health and well-being.
Open water, swales and ditches are also included as part of the sustainable drainage strategy to contribute to local biodiversity.
Nottingham immigration law firm makes trio of strategic hires
Nottingham-based UK immigration law firm, OTB Legal, is expanding again, after making three strategic new hires. The firm has welcomed two associate solicitors and a new paralegal.Highly-experienced Kate Gamester joins OTB Legal as associate solicitor. She specialises in business immigration, sponsor licence management and compliance and right to work checks.
Kate has worked for a number of multinational household names throughout the course of her career, across a wide range of business sectors, and is also experienced with UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence applications.Meanwhile, Amie Higgins also joins OTB Legal as associate solicitor. Called to the Bar in 2005 and admitted to the Roll as a solicitor in 2008, Amie is a highly experienced and sought after human rights and public law specialist.Amie is accredited as a Supervising Advanced Caseworker under the Law Society’s Immigration & Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS) and a former winner of the LAPG ‘Immigration Lawyer of the Year’ award.
Amie provides advice and assistance in all aspects of asylum and immigration law challenges on both a private and legal aid basis, where available. Amie also works as a legal compliance consultant, providing training and support to lawyers and law firms on legal aid, quality standards, equality, diversity and inclusion and safeguarding.
Finally, OTB Legal welcomes Bridget Umoru as a paralegal. Bridget was called to the Bar of England and Wales and has worked with various legal charities providing practical and emotional support to vulnerable clients. She is also experienced in providing high level day to day support to solicitors, particularly in immigration and personal law matters.OTB Legal’s Marcus Worthington said: “I’d like to extend a very warm welcome to Kate, Amie and Bridget – they’ll be key members of the team as we move forward and have extensive experience in immigration law.
“The high calibre of legal professionals we’re now attracting to OTB Legal is testament to our track record of getting the very best outcomes for our clients. I have no doubt that our new trio will build upon and enhance this tradition and their arrival is well-timed and builds momentum after our encouraging rankings in Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500.”
CMA inquiry launched for Alumasc acquisition
White Hart Hotel to reopen in historic Uphill Lincoln
Following a comprehensive six-month refurbishment, the White Hart Hotel in Lincoln is set to open its doors to the public on Monday 6th November.
Purchased in 2022 by Lincolnshire resident and businessman, Andrew Long, the hotel has been completely transformed and now offers both locals and visitors to Lincoln a truly stylish place to stay, eat and celebrate.
Originally one of the oldest Coaching Inns in the region, the White Hart Hotel is located on Bailgate, one of the city’s most historic streets, within yards of the iconic Lincoln Cathedral and medieval Lincoln Castle.
As well as a tasteful renovation of the bedrooms, the hotel now proudly boasts the fully refurbished and renamed Colonnade Cocktail Bar & Lounge at the very heart of the hotel, the all-new Gibson Club Bar for more relaxed occasions and a wealth of additional wedding and function suites. The hotel’s stylish new Antlers Restaurant, will be opening at the start of December, serving the very finest local and seasonal produce from a host of local suppliers and artisan producers.
Andrew Long says: “Since acquiring the White Hart, we have had ambitious plans to turn it into one of the most elegant and desirable hotels in the region. The comprehensive yet sensitive and respectful refurbishment we have carried out on Lincoln’s most historic hotel should ensure that it quickly regains its reputation as the city’s leading ‘special occasion’ destination for both locals and visitors alike.
“We can’t wait to welcome our guests, old and new to see what we’ve been able to achieve.”
Andrew added: “The White Hart first opened more than 600 years ago as a Coaching Inn and has been one of Lincoln’s premier hotels since being substantially rebuilt and extended in the mid 1800s.”
Hotel General Manager, Paul Noble, said: “We’ve spent the last few months training and developing our highly valued team and getting ready to reopen, so we’re excited to be able to put our carefully laid plans into action.
“Not only have we considerably improved our food offering and menu choices, but we’ve also had a complete overhaul of our renowned cocktail menu to ensure each guest has a truly memorable experience – whether they are visiting for a few hours or staying for several days.”
Andrew Long has also acquired the nearby Judge’s Lodgings, a similarly historic gem close to the White Hart Hotel on Castle Hill. Andrew plans to refurbish and redevelop the Judge’s Lodgings in conjunction with the former White Hart Hotel Garages and 2 Bailgate, providing fully serviced ‘apartment style’ Rooms, Restaurant and Licensed Cafe Bar, together with a high quality Retail Arcade and the continued provision of approximately 30 customer car parking spaces.
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