Rolls-Royce places SMR fuel design contract with Westinghouse
Derby-based Rolls-Royce SMR has placed a contract with Westinghouse Electric Company UK Ltd to develop a fuel design for its small modular reactor – a vital part of the ongoing Generic Design Assessment by the UK’s independent regulators.
The design work, undertaken jointly in the UK and US, includes associated core components and will be based on an existing Westinghouse PWR fuel assembly design.
Helena Perry, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Regulatory Affairs and Safety Director, said: “Placing the contract to design the fuel for the Rolls-Royce SMR is an important step in our programme of work as we progress through the GDA process with the UK’s nuclear regulators.
“Westinghouse has a strong heritage and unrivalled experience in nuclear fuel design and manufacturing. Placing this contract with Westinghouse will help deliver our commitment to maximise UK supply chain content and will support a long-term sustainable future for the nuclear industry.”
The contract supports the recent Atlantic Declaration and civil nuclear partnership between the UK and US governments – which helps facilitate the safe, secure, and sustainable international deployment of advanced, peaceful nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors.
“This collaboration between Westinghouse and Rolls-Royce SMR will help drive the future of nuclear fuel deployment. Westinghouse is proud to bring its generations of experience designing and manufacturing fuel in the UK,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel. “This contract presents an exciting opportunity for our Springfields site in Lancashire.”
Rolls-Royce SMR, supported by grant funding from UKRI, has a team of more than 600 UK based people already working on the project to develop a unique ‘factory-built’ power plant, with each unit capable of generating enough low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years.
New business park set for Market Harborough
A new business park for Market Harborough is a step closer, as having resolved to grant outline planning permission for the development last year, Harborough District Council is set to issue the planning consent following the recent completion of the Section 106 Agreement.
In a nod to its heritage, the 25 acre scheme will be known as Wellington Business Park and built on a strategically located site to the north-west of Market Harborough, within one mile of the A6. It will comprise some 450,000 sq ft of industrial, warehousing and office accommodation with a drive-thru coffee shop / restaurant on land north of Airfield Farm.
The site historically formed part of the airfield that was used by the RAF in World War II and was home to the Wellington Bombers of No. 14 Operational Training Unit of RAF Bomber Command.
Commercial property agent Prop-Search has been appointed as sole agent to market and promote the new business park, which could bring over a thousand new jobs and significant inward investment to the town, creating a new gateway from the north of Market Harborough.
Buildings will initially be available on a build to suit basis with industrial/warehouse units from 10,000 sq ft to 100,000 sq ft and office buildings from 5,000 sq ft on a freehold or leasehold basis.
Director at Prop-Search, Richard Baker, said: “Demand across the Midlands is not easing up as occupiers compete for the limited space available within the ‘Golden Triangle’.
“We have received a significant amount of interest in the site for a variety of uses and I am delighted to be able to properly engage with interested parties now that the Section 106 has been signed and planning consent granted.
“Wellington Business Park undoubtedly represents an exciting opportunity to meet this occupier demand, creating business opportunities and bringing inward investment into the town. We look forward to engaging with local, regional and national businesses seeking new premises within Market Harborough and this Golden Triangle location.”
Land purchase to see up to 150 homes developed in Burbage, Leicestershire
Land has been purchased to unlock a housing development in Sketchley Old Village on the outskirts of Burbage.
The site will deliver up to 150 new homes, made up of 2, 3, 4, and 5 bed properties, in keeping with the premium Charles Church brand. A significant portion of the land will be kept as public open space for the people of Burbage, helping to enhance the area’s green space and biodiversity.
Along with the boost to local housing needs, the scheme will bring with it a range of community benefits – including a total of up to £860,000 pledged towards the nearby area. Within this amount includes over £113,500 towards early years education, £192,000 towards local highways improvements and over £108,000 towards public transport improvements.
Dan Endersby, Managing Director at Persimmon Homes and Charles Church North Midlands, said: “We’re proud to have completed the purchase of land to deliver up to 150 new homes in Burbage, Leicestershire. Our upcoming new community will bring a wide range of new benefits to the area, including major improvements to local roads, public open spaces, healthcare, and education.
“Of course, what we do is about so much more than building quality homes. This development will not only generate significant job opportunities throughout the lifespan of the project but will also leave a lasting legacy of community benefits for the people of Burbage and the surrounding areas.”
Car mat firm unveils 7,500 sq ft Chesterfield warehouse
CarMats.co.uk, a business specialising in UK-manufactured tailored car mats to fit every make and model, has opened a 7,500 sq ft warehouse facility on Chesterfield Trading Estate.
This new facility is set to play a pivotal role in the company’s ongoing expansion. The spacious facility grants the business the much-needed capacity to diversify its product offerings and creates job opportunities for local talent.
Ash Young, founder of CarMats.co.uk, said: “I launched CarMats.co.uk during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the time, I was also running a digital agency in Sheffield. I set an ambitious goal of achieving £1 million in revenue within the first year.
“I took the leap to document my progress on social media, and gained lots of followers interested in my journey with this start-up. We actually reached the £1 million mark just nine months after launching and, as of 2023, our revenue has reached £5 million.
“Our new warehouse on Chesterfield Trading Estate is a game-changer for us in terms of expanding our business. It brings our remote team together, enabling a more collaborative work environment.
“Having stock, order processing, customer support, and marketing all under one roof streamlines our operations. Plus, it provides the much-needed space to stock a wider range of products, which is essential for our growth.”
Ash added: “Chesterfield is the perfect location for our growth plans. It’s got excellent transport connections across the country, which is essential for our distribution network.
“It also provides cost-effective warehouse space and access to a highly skilled local workforce. As we expand, we plan to create more job opportunities in the local area. We’re looking to add another five roles over the next year, with the first hire planned for November. We’re excited about contributing to local employment.
“Personally, this move is significant for me. It brings our team together in a physical location, which is great for collaboration, but as a Chesterfield resident, it also allows me to balance my work with family life. I still want to be able to do the school run every day!”
Stephen Eve Financial Planning partners with Nottingham charity Switch Up
Nottingham-based wealth management company Stephen Eve Financial Planning has partnered with Switch Up, the charity that empowers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the city to turn away from crime.
The family-run financial advice team will support Switch Up by offering insightful talks and sessions around the world of work and business, as well as help with CV writing and financial guidance. In addition, the business has agreed to a monthly donation to the charity to contribute towards the everyday running of the charity and its services.
Based in Regent Street in Nottingham city centre, Stephen Eve Financial Planning was set up by Chartered Financial Planner Ben Slater and marketing specialist Danielle Slater in 2022. Both Danielle and Ben began their careers via apprenticeships, and strongly believe in supporting the city’s young people through providing access to mentors and businesses who can support people’s employment aspirations.
Ben Slater, co-founder at Stephen Eve Financial Planning, said: “After hearing about Switch Up’s work, empowering young people throughout Nottingham, we instantly knew we wanted to support them. We’re big believers in giving younger generations the confidence to pursue positive paths aligned to their skills and values. With the right guidance, they can be pillars of our communities.
“It’s also important to us to give back locally and we are passionate about opening financial careers through enhanced education to people of all backgrounds, helping them to overcome any barriers they may face by equipping them with knowledge and skills. We’re proud to partner with Baz and the team, who clearly have a profound impact throughout the city.”
Switch Up – which is part of the Marcellus Baz Group – empowers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the city to turn away from crime. Its team of mentors deliver essential employability support within its five pillars model, to deter young people from violence and put them on a pathway to success.
More recently, the charity has been supporting families and individuals who have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, arranging collections of food and other essential supplies and delivering across the city.
The charity and its sister organisation, the Nottingham School of Boxing, also recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Marcellus Baz BEM, founder and Chief Executive of Switch Up, said: “We are so grateful to have forged a new, exciting relationship with a local Nottingham business. Ben and Danielle’s support will extend beyond fundraising to include life-changing opportunities for the people that we work with.
“Building strong links is essential for Switch Up to help reach more young people and families who require support and it’s great to see the family values that Stephen Eve Financial Planning embodies. Their business goals and how they work to support their clients strongly aligns with what we strive to achieve at Switch Up, so I am confident this benefit will be incredibly beneficial for all organisations involved.”
Next prepares bid for FatFace
Leicestershire retailer Next is reportedly preparing to make an offer for fashion brand FatFace.
According to Sky News, the deal, which is being finalised, could be worth over £100m.
It follows Next increasing its stake in Reiss, as majority shareholder, as well as acquisitions of Made.com, Cath Kidston, and Joules.
FatFace trades from around 180 shops in the UK and was taken over by its lenders three years ago.
CGI and University of Leicester open Innovation Lab with global vision for sustainability
CGI, the IT and business consulting services firm, has launched a new Sustainability Innovation Lab in partnership with the University of Leicester, a founding member of CGI’s unique research initiative Sustainability Exploration and Environmental Data Science (SEEDS).
The growing collaboration between CGI, the University and their partners is powering data-driven insight to help monitor and protect the environment.
Located on the University’s main campus, the Sustainability Innovation Lab provides an environment where CGI can collaboratively help clients in partnership with University professionals and students to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future through technology, research and innovation.
The Lab will also provide space for students and research professors to conduct and showcase their own research projects, attend seminars and workshops and collaborate on sustainability projects.
The collaboration will enable CGI to build on the important projects it is working on with its SEEDS partners and accelerate efforts to address climate change and strengthen research for the environment and communities.
Research areas will include climate mitigation and adaptation solutions, natural capital accounting solutions, chemicals and waste reduction solutions, and supply chain sustainability. New research and technologies will help spur low-carbon solutions and innovations and support the creation of new low-carbon business models.
“This partnership between CGI and the University of Leicester gives us the opportunity to demonstrate some of the exciting projects we have been working on regarding SEEDS. The space will be used for seminars, workshops, and continuing our work with clients on sustainability solutions,” said Tara McGeehan, president of CGI in the UK and Australia.
”Through this initiative, we aim to drive positive change, encourage environmental innovation, and inspire future leaders in sustainability.”
Professor Henrietta O’Connor, provost and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Leicester, said: “The route to a sustainable future depends upon harnessing the power of technology and innovation to provide the insight and solutions we need, through big data, earth observation science, and beyond.
“The new Sustainability Innovation Lab cements our growing partnership with CGI and, together with the growing portfolio of Space Park Leicester, shows a continued commitment to bringing industry and academia together to find those solutions.”
Specialist database, cloud and applications managed service provider DSP acquires Canadian firm
Specialist database, cloud and applications managed service provider DSP, which has offices in Nottingham, has acquired Canada-based Eclipsys Solutions (Eclipsys) to grow its Oracle Cloud services offering and expand its geographical presence in North America.
The acquisition, DSP’s first since LDC invested in the business, forms part of the next stage of DSP’s international growth strategy.
Revenues for the combined group are more than £75m with a staff base of c.250 across the UK, Ireland and North America.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Ottawa, Eclipsys is the only Canada-based certified Oracle Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP). The business specialises in providing tailored services to help customers manage, optimise and modernise enterprise-grade database and IT infrastructure, with deep domain expertise in Oracle Cloud and OCI.
Simon Goodenough, CEO at DSP, said: “Eclipsys has enjoyed strong growth over the past four years and is highly regarded for its expertise in Oracle technologies. DSP and Eclipsys share the same core values of customer centricity and putting our people first, and our vision is to build upon this together to expand further into North America.
“Eclipsys’ market presence and its excellent reputation for service delivery will enable a mutually beneficial partnership, which will help us to unlock complementary services and enhance our customer offering. It’s a privilege to partner with one of the leading employers in Canada and we look forward to combining our deep Oracle domain expertise to deliver excellent outcomes for our customers.”
Michael Richardson, CEO and co-founder of Eclipsys, said: “Our focus has been to build a high-growth business with a strong foundation, both as Canada’s only certified Oracle CSP and as an exceptional place to work. DSP shares our people-first values and commitment to high customer satisfaction, so they are the perfect partner for us to support our future growth.”
Chris Baker, investment director at LDC, said: “Simon and the team at DSP identified Eclipsys as a market-leading business with shared values of delivering excellent customer service and creating a people-led culture.
“The business combination creates exciting potential and establishes the DSP Group as the industry leader in Oracle Cloud technologies across the UK and Canada.
“Through complementary skillsets across the Oracle technology stack, combined with unrivalled expertise in Oracle Cloud and OCI, the Group is well positioned to expand its market offering and further enhance its support to customers on their Oracle Cloud journey.
“We’re proud to have helped the team reach this milestone and look forward to working together in partnership to invest further in overseas expansion.”
DSP was advised by Alantra, Altman Solon, BDO, Brown Jacobson, CIL, Gateley, KPMG and RSM.
Eclipsys was advised by Alantra and LaBarge Weinstein.
Forterra to mothball further brick factory due to market weakness
Forterra, the Northampton manufacturer of clay and concrete building products, is taking further steps to align production levels with lower market demand, seeing the mothballing of a brick factory.
In a third quarter trading update for the nine-month period ending 30 September 2023, the company revealed that a consultation is currently underway on the mothballing of the Claughton brick factory in Lancashire, along with cuts to production in Forterra’s Aircrete business.
Forterra said: “The market weakness seen in recent months, coupled with the lead time associated with efficiently reducing production, will lead to our inventory build in 2023 being higher than previously anticipated.”
It comes after signs of market improvement in May and June did not continue into the second half, with market demand deteriorating in July and August.
Forterra added: “In July we guided to a full year 2023 EBITDA with a more balanced H1/H2 split, based on the assumption that the levels of demand seen in June would continue. However, we are now anticipating demand to remain at the levels which we have experienced over the past quarter and accordingly expect full year EBITDA to be below previous expectations.”
Commissioning of the firm’s new Desford brick factory, however, continues to progress.
Looking ahead Forterra expects to manage its operations on the assumption that 2024 demand will be at a similar level to 2023 and will look to align production output with this level of sales, thereby limiting further inventory growth.
The business noted: “As we set out at the half year, we expect FY24 results to benefit from a more stable energy cost environment, a stabilisation of customer inventory, the substitution of imported bricks as well as the full year benefit of previously announced cost reductions, offset by reduced operating efficiency driven by a reduction in production.
“Growing political focus on increasing housing supply ahead of a general election reinforces the Board’s confidence in the long-term industry fundamentals and the Board remains confident that the Group remains well placed to benefit when market demand recovers.”
Burton business expands with new warehouse unit
Commercial property agent Rushton Hickman Ltd have let Unit 2, Albion Gateway on Derby Road, Burton on Trent for a term of 10 years on behalf of retained clients, St Modwen’s Properties.
The development has units which cater for warehouse, retail and leisure space. The site is home to some major local occupiers.
Family run business Bambinos and Beyond have taken the 2,884 sq ft unit as their growing home. Initially opening their doors in 2014, the company specialise in new, ex-display and preloved baby and nursery items catering for all budgets.
Business owner Shannon said: “From setting up and opening our family run business in 2014 and selling only toys and a very select range of preloved items, Bambinos and Beyond has gone from strength to strength over the years.
“During lockdown we made the decision to move from our previous location, so we viewed many properties and got in touch with Rushton Hickman about the Albion Gateway premises.
“At this time a jump to a 2,884 sq ft unit from our tiny 900 sq ft premises seemed a dream that we weren’t sure would pay off. After a lot of back and forth and support from Rushton Hickman we decided to take the jump.
“Three years on we have now gone online, become an ambassador store for many brands such as Egg, Babystyle, Venicci & Cosatto and become one of the largest showrooms in the Midlands.
“We have now expanded and opened Unit 2 on the Albion Gateway estate for our new warehouse to fulfil orders and keep up with the demand, whilst utilising Unit 12 as a brand-new home section with thirteen beautiful furniture displays available to view.
“None of this would be possible without the support from Rushton Hickman so thank you. We look forward to our next venture!”
Property agent Taylor Millington added: “We are pleased that the Burton based business has been able to expand on the same estate. It’s great to see reoccurring tenants come back to us and grow their business further.”
