Plans for nearly 1,300 new homes on brownfield sites across the East Midlands have moved a step closer.
East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has now identified 13 potential schemes that could deliver these homes across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
EMCCA has £16.8 million from the Brownfield Housing Fund (BHF) to support projects that meet funding rules and can be completed on time. The 13 housing projects in the pipeline include developments in New Balderton, Langley Mill, Heanor, Shirebrook, Ilkeston, Arnold, Derby, Chesterfield, and Nottingham.
The total cost for these 12 projects is £15.485 million, leaving £1.315 million still available. EMCCA is looking at other projects to make sure all the funding is used before the March 2026 deadline.
As part of this ongoing process, EMCCA has agreed to work with local councils to approve plans for the preferred schemes before the next board meeting in June 2025.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “These are crucial plans that allow us to transform underused sites into thriving residential communities.
“We have some exciting projects in the pipeline and it is vital we invest in new homes and affordable homes in our cities and communities to help address the housing shortages.”
EMCCA received 50 expressions of interest in bidding for funding for schemes across the region. Independent experts Cushman and Wakefield assessed the applications based on criteria including the ability to get schemes underway quickly.
WBR Group’s industry survey reveals strong opposition to proposed IHT on pensions
WBR Group, the independent provider of SSAS administration and tax advisory services, has published the results of a recent survey conducted over the last two weeks and during a webinar on inheritance tax (IHT) and pensions which has revealed overwhelming opposition to the proposed introduction of IHT on unused pensions.
The survey, which gathered responses from industry professionals, highlights significant concerns about the fairness and practicality of the proposals.
Caitlin Southall, Head of SSAS Proposition at WBR Group said: “The proposed introduction of IHT on unused pensions is not just a concern, it is a looming disaster for the pensions industry. These changes are not only impractical but also a grave injustice to those who have diligently and responsibly saved for their retirement.
“We implore the Government to reconsider these draconian proposals and collaborate with pension experts such as us to forge a more balanced and equitable solution that truly supports long-term pension savings. The future financial security of countless individuals hangs in the balance.”
90.41% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the introduction of IHT on unused pensions is both retrospective and unfair.
One respondent commented: “Our strategy over many years has been to leave our home and pension so that our son can look after his severely disabled brother. These plans are ruined and at our age, there is no time to make effective alternative arrangements. Our IHT bill has gone from around £100k to around £800k as a result of the budget.
“The impact on our family is catastrophic and if our son cannot afford to be a 24/7 carer his brother will have to go into care, where he is likely to be miserable, and the cost will end up with the local authority. This has not been properly thought through for families with caring responsibilities.”
Furthermore, an overwhelming 97.26% of participants agree or strongly agree that the proposals force pensions into an IHT regime that does not accommodate the practicalities of current pension rules or administration processes.
The timescales for payment of any IHT are deemed unworkable, failing to acknowledge the complexities of discretionary death benefits. This sentiment reflects the industry’s concern that the proposed changes are impractical and could lead to significant administrative challenges.
One professional noted: “A change of this nature and in the manner proposed undermines the merits of undertaking long-term personal financial planning. Which does not serve the interest of individuals or the state.”
Additionally, 97.26% of respondents agree or strongly agree that trustees and providers will incur additional costs to administer the proposals, which will likely be passed on to consumers.
This burden is considered unfair and is expected to reduce pension engagement, contrary to Government policy. The increased costs and administrative burden are seen as significant obstacles that could discourage individuals from engaging with pension schemes.
One respondent said: “The proposals are terrible and have not been thought through. All client feedback has been negative and the retrospective nature of this is unreasonable.”
The survey also reveals that 100% of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed (82.19% strongly agree) that the proposals assume personal representatives will have the necessary information to pay discretionary benefits immediately after a member’s death and that the pension has sufficient liquidity to cover any IHT due. These assumptions are seen as unreliable, further highlighting the impracticality of the proposed changes.
One comment emphasised: “The pension/IHT proposals are highly retrospective and consequently potentially Ultra Vires and subject to future legal challenge and the biggest mis-selling of pensions proffered by UK governments since pension simplification in 2006.”
Taken as a whole, 82.19% of respondents strongly agree (and 16.44% agree) that the proposals, along with the potential unexpected tax burden and increased complexity, will act as a major disincentive for consumers to engage with pensions.
The survey results underscore the industry’s strong opposition to the proposed IHT on pensions, highlighting the need for a more practical and fair approach that aligns with current pension rules and administration processes.
In response to these findings, Caitlin from WBR Group has published an open letter to the pensions minister, Torsten Bell, urging a reconsideration of the proposed IHT changes. The letter emphasises the industry’s concerns and calls for a more thoughtful and equitable approach to pension taxation.
Packaging solutions business purchases 78,000 sq ft warehouse
Reuseabox, the new, recycled, and used cardboard boxes and packaging solutions firm, has purchased a 78,000 sq ft warehouse in North Hykeham, Lincoln.
After renting two warehouses in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, the move marks a significant leap from the business’s previous 20,000 sq ft of space, providing nearly four times the capacity to scale its operations.
With the additional space, Reuseabox has also been able to welcome more suppliers on board and introduce more lines of used boxes.
The new site will now serve as Reuseabox’s main headquarters.
While the move follows the closure of Cartwright Brothers after over 100 years in business, Reuseabox sees this as an opportunity to breathe new life into an historic site.
Founder, Jack Good, said: “It’s always sad to see a long-standing business like Cartwright Brothers close its doors. They played a vital role in the community for over a century, and we hope to carry forward a legacy of service and sustainability from this site.
“Purchasing our own site after 10 years of operating has taken sheer determination and continuous reinvestment into scaling our operations. This move marks a new chapter for Reuseabox, giving us the space and infrastructure to grow even further.
“There’s plenty of work ahead to make this site our own, but we’re excited to get started. We can’t wait to welcome suppliers and customers in the autumn as part of our 10-year anniversary celebrations.”
The new site will allow Reuseabox to improve its operations and services for businesses looking to cut waste, expand its team, meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions and help businesses reduce their Scope 3 emissions.
Reuseabox is working towards making its warehouse carbon neutral by 2030.
£3m funding confirmed for Nottingham’s Broad Marsh redevelopment
The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has approved £3.39 million to fund the demolition of Nottingham’s Broad Marsh shopping centre, clearing the way for a mixed-use development.
The funding will remove the centre’s remaining concrete frame, with demolition scheduled to begin in July and take a year to complete. Once cleared, the site is set to include up to 1,000 new homes and 20,000 square metres of employment space.
The project, expected to cost £29.3 million in total, aims to attract further public and private investment. Nottingham City Council, which took control of the site in 2020 after former owner Intu collapsed, has faced multiple funding rejections from the previous government.
A new green space opened on part of the site last year, and additional details on the redevelopment plan are expected in the coming weeks. The council hopes to complete the full transformation by 2027.
Transport Made Simple partners with FlixBus UK for network expansion
Transport Made Simple (TMS) has joined FlixBus UK’s network, adding five Yutong GT12 coaches to its long-distance service. The first routes under this partnership will launch in mid-April.
TMS, formerly known as Vectare, has grown significantly since its 2016 launch and now operates a fleet of 200 vehicles. The company will manage the new FlixBus services from its Nottingham depot under the Central Connect division. It also runs school and local bus routes in the East Midlands, Essex, and Hertfordshire.
The partnership aligns with TMS’s strategy of integrating coach and bus services into a broader multimodal transport system. It also follows TMS Group’s recent acquisition of Simonds, a Norfolk-based coach operator with a 96-year history.
Operator appointed at Nottingham apartment scheme
Native Communities, the third party operator of large-scale mixed-use and living assets in the UK, has been appointed by Lloyds Living to operate its tall building BTR portfolio, currently totalling 631 rental apartments in Nottingham, Stevenage and Cardiff.
Development of the assets is underway and the portfolio will be delivered by Native Communities’ specialist head office team with experts across the disciplines of Mobilisation, Operational Delivery, Finance, Systems, ESG, Building Performance, Brand & Digital, Leasing, Research, Asset Management & Reporting, Facilities Management, Building Safety and People & Culture.
The schemes are scheduled to complete in 2025 and 2026.
Lloyds Living’s assets operated by Native Communities include British Waterways in Nottingham, a Grade II listed warehouse converted to 95 apartments, developed by H2O Urban. Alec Newton, Director of Origination, Native Communities, said: “We are pleased to announce this new partnership and are greatly looking forward to working with Lloyds Living to create communities that deliver high-levels of satisfaction for their customers.”East Midlands Combined County Authority moves forward with funding for six key projects
The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) is moving forward with six key projects for funding from the 2024/25 Investment Fund. These projects aim to support long-term economic growth, create jobs, and drive sustainability across the region.
EMCCA’s Devolution Deal includes an allocation of £38 million per year for the East Midlands Investment Fund, with £9.5 million earmarked for capital projects in the 2024/25 financial year.
The projects include:
South Derbyshire Growth Zone (SDGZ) (South Derbyshire) – Funding to help facilitate a new junction on the A50 Trunk Road, which would enable plans to build 4,500 homes (with Garden Village status) and 3.45 million square feet of commercial floorspace, plus supporting infrastructure including a secondary school.
Trent Clean Energy Supercluster (Bassetlaw) – Funding to move delivery forward for the Trent Clean Energy Supercluster, which centres on three former coal-fired Power Stations located alongside the River Trent: West Burton, High Marnham and Cottam, all in Bassetlaw. The West Burton power station site will be home to the ground-breaking STEP prototype fusion energy plant.
Derby City Urban Quarter (Derby) – Funding to transform priority areas to create a vibrant, sustainable, and accessible urban quarter. The funding will enable the wider project work to revitalise historic buildings, enhance transport infrastructure, create new homes and improve public realm.
Broad Marsh (Nottingham) – Funding to carry out demolition of part of the frame on the land near to the newly opened Green Heart. This will be an important step in helping to bring forward work on Broad Marsh which will, when complete, provide 1,600 homes and create just over 2,000 jobs, whilst providing a wide range of facilities, entertainment, and attractions.
Infinity Park (Derby) – Funding for a Research and Development Facility within EMCCA’s Investment Zone to support advanced manufacturing and nuclear sectors. The project will provide services, facility hire and collaborative space to attract new supply chain businesses and inward investment. The funding from the Investment Fund will be used to repurpose existing space available on the Investment Zone site to enable the delivery of new research and development activities which would mean more jobs created.
Avenue Site Southern Access (North-East Derbyshire) – Funding for The Avenue (Wingerworth), which continues the delivery of one of the most ambitious and effective remediation projects ever undertaken in the UK. This funding will go towards creating a southern access to the sites to deliver improved access for vehicles and pedestrians and enable future development.
The six projects are part of a broader pipeline of investments that were identified through collaboration with local councils. These projects are expected to play a significant role in boosting the local economy and ensuring that the region remains competitive and forward-looking. EMCCA’s Board recommended that the final approval of these business cases be delegated to the Mayor.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “These projects have been chosen for funding this year because their delivery will help boost the region’s economy. They will create jobs, help towards building homes, boosting local businesses and manufacturing, and produce cleaner energy.
“We want to support and enable them to continue their work and help us towards achieving our vision for an East Midlands full of opportunities, from having good jobs, quality education, and thriving local economies.
“We want to invest in vital projects, we can’t achieve the vision on our own, we need to work with partners across the region to invest in the right projects, projects that will make a real difference and this funding is just the start for the East Midlands.”
Obsequio Group adds asbestos compliance capabilities with acquisition of Environtec
Obsequio Group has added asbestos compliance capabilities to its services, with the acquisition of Environtec. The acquisition will further expand the Leicester-based provider of fire detection, safety, security and water hygiene solutions’ geographical reach, with the addition of its first office in Scotland.
Specialists in asbestos compliance and water hygiene, Environtec is a UKAS-accredited Inspection Body and Testing Laboratory, a member of the United Kingdom Asbestos Training Association (UKATA) and an affiliate member of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS).
Environtec is headquartered in Chelmsford, Essex, and its 215 colleagues operate from five locations across England, Scotland and Wales, with other offices in Mansfield, Newcastle, Newport in Wales and Hamilton in Scotland.
Three of Environtec’s existing shareholders – Paul Shaw, Dan McGuire, and Ricci Price – will remain with the business, offering their expertise to help grow the operation, with a fourth, Matthew Dennis, stepping down and heading off on new adventures.
Obsequio group M&A director Philip Sarthou said: “We’re delighted that Environtec has chosen to join the growing Obsequio team. As well as sharing the same vision and ethos as the wider group, its addition to our stable will add new compliance capabilities to the business and build on our expanding water hygiene expertise.
“It enables us to offer a cost-effective, high-quality and timesaving one-stop-shop for fire, security, water, energy, air quality, asbestos, environmental compliance and electrical safety to a broader client base. It also provides us with UKAS accreditation and builds on our existing strong customer service reputation.”
Environtec managing director Paul Shaw said: “We are thrilled to be joining the growing Obsequio Group, which shares our approach and values. We look forward to offering our expertise to its many public and private sector clients, while enabling our existing clientele to benefit from the compliance services offered by the wider group.”
The deal follows financing last year from Kartesia, which, in partnership with Beech Tree Private Equity, provides additional fire power to the group’s buy-and-build mission.
Beech Tree Private Equity director Ben Cartwright added: “The addition of Environtec is the latest chapter in helping Obsequio achieve its aim to be the leading multi-disciplinary compliance services provider in the UK. We plan to add further complementary services to the Group over the coming months.”
Kartesia investment director Daire Creighan said: “Environtec represents a strategically important acquisition and will act as a strong catalyst for Obsequio’s future growth in the complementary water hygiene and asbestos compliance sectors.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with management and Beech Tree and supporting future acquisitions as part of Obsequio’s ambitious buy-and-build strategy in the UK.”
EarthSense appoints new Head of Channel Partnerships
EarthSense, the Leicester-based manufacturer of air quality products, has appointed David Johnson as its new Head of Channel Partnerships. David brings 27 years’ experience in senior sales and business development positions in the UK and South Africa to his new role, with the last 10 years in the air quality sector.
David will strengthen EarthSense’s export plans internationally. He will focus on building relationships with existing partners and establishing new ones in key geographies, including South Asia, Central/Western Europe, North America and the Middle East.
David joins EarthSense from his Business Development role at EMSOL, a UK-based pollution monitoring specialist. Prior to that, he was Business Development Director at South Coast Science Limited, European Sales Manager at Alphasense Ltd, designer and manufacturer of gas and particulate sensors, and Sales & Marketing Manager – EMEA & Australia for FBGS, focused on fibre optic sensing components.
Previously, he worked in a number of business development and sales roles in South Africa.
David Johnson said: “I’ve been aware of EarthSense and its innovative product range for around 10 years now, so when the opportunity presented itself to join the team in this new international role, I was delighted to accept.
“The company offers versatile hardware options, with great software capabilities and comprehensive technical support. I’m looking forward to realising the opportunities to expand EarthSense’s powerful air quality monitoring offer into international markets.”
February sees much weaker decrease in permanent placements in the Midlands
The latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global, indicated that the Midlands saw a considerably softer decline in permanent placements midway through the first quarter of 2025.
The reduction in new permanent joiners was the softest in eight months and only modest overall. That said, temp billings fell for the first time in just under a year, albeit only marginally.
Demand for staff remained weak during February, with both permanent and temporary vacancies declining sharply. In fact, the latter saw the steepest reduction since the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.
On the pay front, both permanent salary and temp wage inflation eased on the month and remained well below their respective series averages.
The KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands is compiled by S&P Global from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.
Softest fall in permanent placements in eight months
February data pointed to a further reduction in permanent placements in the Midlands, extending the current sequence of decline to nine months. That said, the reduction was modest and the softest since last June. According to respondents, a lack of recruiter confidence and market uncertainty meant that companies were reluctant to hire.
The reduction in permanent placements in the Midlands was the slowest of the four monitored English regions.
For the first time since March 2024, temp billings fell in the Midlands midway through the first quarter. Where a decrease was reported, economic uncertainty and a focus on taking on permanent candidates were mentioned.
The Midlands saw the softest fall across the monitored English regions, with the sharpest decline in London.
Demand for both permanent and temporary workers declined during February, and to larger extents than was the case in January.
Permanent vacancies fell markedly, with the rate of contraction slightly stronger than in January. Only London posted a softer fall than that in the Midlands, however.
Demand for temps was down for the sixth successive month, and at the fastest pace since the opening wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020.
Sharp increase in permanent candidate numbers
Redundancies meant that permanent staff availability increased markedly in February. The number of candidates rose for the twenty-third month running, and at a slightly sharper pace than in January.
The increase in the Midlands was the fastest of the four English regions.
The rate of increase in temporary candidate numbers quickened slightly during February, and was steep overall. The rise in the Midlands was the second-softest of the monitored English regions, ahead of the South of England.
As was the case with permanent staff, the rise in availability of candidates for temporary positions was mainly due to redundancies.
Permanent salaries rise at softer pace
As has been the case since March 2021, starting salaries for permanent workers in the Midlands rose in February. Panellists reported that the increase often reflected the offering of higher salaries in order to attract suitably skilled candidates.
The rate of inflation was solid, though the Midlands was one of only two regions to register permanent salary growth, together with London.
Hourly pay rates for temporary staff increased for the third consecutive month midway through the first quarter. The rate of wage inflation softened from January and was much weaker than the series average.
The increase in temporary pay rates in the Midlands was the sharpest of the English regions covered.
Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, People Consulting Partner at KPMG in the Midlands, said: “While challenges to the nationwide job market show few signs of easing, here in the Midlands, the markedly softer decline in permanent placements during February could indicate that the worst is behind us.
“Although a product of wider economic uncertainty, a decline in temporary billings also signals businesses are prioritising investment in hiring for permanent roles – something that will be received well by a growing number of candidates looking for permanent positions in the region.
“Midlands businesses still need to be on the front foot and invest in their teams, building long-term skills among their employees.”
Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said: “After a long winter, there are some hints of a turn in the labour market in the UK as we head into Spring. This is led by the private sector in the UK – despite recent tax rises – and that should not be missed.
“The reduction in permanent placements was modest in the Midlands and the softest since last June, and the region saw the softest fall in temp billings of the English regions.
“Enabling companies to grow is at the heart of our prosperity – the Chancellor must use the Spring Statement to build their confidence in growth. At the moment, though, things are still slow as companies hold their breath in the face of significant costs rises from April with changes to National Insurance and the National Living Wage.
“Getting the Industrial Strategy flying is a key part of this – for the whole economy, not just key sectors – as is addressing policies in the Employment Rights Bill so they do not prove to be a brake on growth.
“Despite a long slowdown, some sectors in the Midlands still face skill shortages. This comes from mismatches, training gaps and the impact of an ageing population. Addressing productivity through technology and better management will be critical to addressing this, and recruitment firms will be key partners for businesses in changing their approach.
“Pay growth is easing and broadly unchanged across much of the country which should please the Bank of England rate setters.”
