Planning permission granted for Stacey West Stand development
Planning permission has been granted for Lincoln City Football Club’s development of the Stacey West Stand at the LNER Stadium.
This project will provide a range of infrastructure improvements to the LNER Stadium, including new power and mains water supplies as well as a pitch water recycling system.
Working closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, the club have also submitted an application to trial safe-standing in a small section of the Stacey West Stand – with the intention of installing rail seats throughout the entire stand and into the GBM Stand should the trial be successful.
The project will create vital space for Lincoln City Foundation by providing a new Community Skills and Education Hub based at the stadium.
Building a new Community Skills and Education Hub will help tackle the growing skills gap in the city by providing the Foundation with a fit-for-purpose facility from which it can champion the delivery of education and employability skills, all under the brand of the football club.
Martin Hickerton, Chief Executive at the Foundation, said: “This is fantastic news for everyone connected with the Foundation – the work we do in Lincoln and the surrounding area has never been more important.
“This will help us unlock the real potential of the Foundation and we cannot wait to watch the new building take shape.”
The contemporary new-build will offer community space, offices and dedicated classrooms, enabling the club to increase its social impact value and improve the quality of life of local residents through its wide range of educational, health and wellbeing initiatives.
Funding for the development has come from the Be Lincoln Town Deal board as well as significant investment via the Stacey West Investment Bond.
The Be Lincoln Town Deal board are building on Lincoln’s strength as a centre for learning and research to promote and enable a tech-friendly environment to support the growth of the digital sector.
Charlotte Goy, Town Deal Board member and Chief Executive of Visit Lincoln, added: “The plans we have all been looking at over the last 18 months as Town Deal Board members are starting to come to life and we can begin to realise the positive impact they will make to Lincoln. We are delighted that the pledges included in the Town Deal original investment plan will be delivered for the benefit of the local community.”
EY grows Midlands Private team with new director appointment
EY has strengthened its Private team in the Midlands with the appointment of new director, Anisha Patel.
Anisha will originate and build relationships with both new and existing clients in the privately-owned business market, connecting clients with expertise from across all areas within the firm, including tax and corporate finance.
Anisha has over eight years’ experience working in mergers and acquisitions and growth capital markets. She joins from BGF, a growth capital investor where she was responsible for leading on origination across Central and East of England.
Tom Addyman, EY’s head of Private in the Midlands, said: “As EY celebrates three years of record growth, our work in Private has been at the heart of this. Anisha’s appointment and the growth of our Midlands Private team aligns with the investments we are making across the rest of the country.
“We are seeing an increased demand for privately owned businesses seeking relationships with partners who understand their needs. I’m looking forward to working with Anisha and developing these client relationships further.”
Anisha said: “I’m delighted to have joined EY at such an important time. The sheer breadth of services provided allows EY to support businesses in navigating the challenges they may be facing. I’m excited to be working at a company that can offer the full suite of services as a way of assisting clients with their own growth journey and I am looking forward to working closely with growing businesses in the region.”
New Ashby-de-la-Zouch office for East Midlands solicitors
East Midlands solicitors Smith Partnership has opened an office in the market town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch.
Smith Partnership – which already has offices in nearby Swadlincote and Burton, as well as Leicester, Stoke-on-Trent and Derby – believes Ashby represents a perfect location for its sixth outlet as it looks to contribute further to the area and regional economy.
Jordan Williams, conveyancer, will head up the office in Kilwardby Street, Ashby, after the company seized the opportunity to take up office space there. “One of my associates owns a mortgage business in Ashby and he thought we would be a perfect fit to share the office space,” said Jordan.
“We jumped at the opportunity. We are already in the surrounding area but this opens up a new catchment for us and allows us to be part of the Ashby community.”
Managing partner at Smith Partnership, Kevin McGrath, said: “We were delighted to have the chance to get office space in Ashby because it is a really key location for us.
“While much of our work may still be done over email and phones, we know how important it is for people to be able to come to a convenient office to see us face-to-face and we are delighted they can now do that in Ashby as well.”
Midlands Family Business Awards back for 2023
The UK’s only independent, not-for-profit annual awards for family businesses, the Midlands Family Business Awards is back for 2023.
Returning after a three year break due to the pandemic, the awards is now entering its second decade to celebrate and shine a light on our region’s great family businesses.
Organised by The Wilson Organisation – a third-generation Nottingham-based family business – the Awards are the Midlands’ only initiative dedicated to celebrating and recognising the success, achievements and innovations of the region’s family run and owned businesses.
With 10 categories to choose from, there are accolades suitable for businesses of all sizes, across all sectors. Categories include Family Business of the Year, Best Small Family Business, Rising Stars, Employer of the Year, and Director of the Year. There is also Fastest Growing Family Business, Construction and Property Excellence, Manufacturing Excellence and Digital Excellence.
New for 2023, the organisers have added the Sustainability Award, sponsored by Flame UK, which will highlight the very best of the region’s environmentally-minded family businesses.
The Wilkins Group was crowned Family Business of the Year at the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards in 2019 and is confirmed as headline sponsor for 2023.
Category sponsors include Buckles Solicitors, Family Business Futures, Human Alchemy, PwC, Shakespeare Martineau and Ward.
Submissions are judged by an independent panel led by a family business leader and all finalists are entered into the People’s Choice Awards, which is decided purely by public vote.
Move Against Cancer is the chosen charity that the awards will be supporting this year, with all profits from the awards evening donated.
The black-tie awards ceremony is being held on 29 June and will be a summer event held at Kelham Hall near Newark. John Pye & Sons are sponsors of the Drinks Reception at the event.
Having previously attracted over 300 guests, including sponsors, judges and finalists, the evening is a real celebration of the achievements of family businesses and is the ideal opportunity to bring teams together to enjoy an evening hearing positive stories and meeting other family-owned businesses.
Group Managing Director of The Wilson Organisation and Awards co-founder, Charlotte Perkins, said: “Myself and my sister Annabel are so pleased to be bringing back the Midlands Family Business Awards, after a three year break.
“It’s fantastic to have our current Family Business of the Year, The Wilkins Group, as our headline sponsor. Thanks to Justin and the Wilkins family, we’ll see them hand over the crown to their successor, which will be a very special moment to start our second Awards decade.
“We have taken the opportunity to mix things up a bit. We have always held the Awards Ceremony and Dinner in November, but decided that a summer event would give us the perfect opportunity to have our celebration in summer-style.
“Putting your family business forward for an award can reap a host of benefits and rewards beyond the trophy and title so I encourage as many as possible to get involved and submit an application.
“There are so many family businesses that are having a remarkable impact on the Midlands region and beyond, and we can’t wait to see what brilliant work they’ve been doing. I wish all the businesses who enter the very best of luck!”
All entrants for the awards will receive a free annual membership for online platform Family Business Futures. Created in 2020 by The Wilson Organisation to support the Awards, it provides a unique opportunity to learn from family business experts, and to discuss family and business issues in a safe online environment, with a like-minded network.
Entries close on March 3. To enter, visit www.familybusinessawards.co.uk
BGF strengthens portfolio team with senior hire
BGF – the growth capital investors – has strengthened its position in the regional markets with the senior appointment of Jill Williams.
Jill joins BGF’s portfolio team from Mercia Asset Management, where she was deputy fund principal, private equity funds & head of ESG. She brings more than 15 years’ experience in private equity investment to the team, having previously worked at RJD Partners in London, starting her career at PwC in corporate finance.
In her previous roles, Jill has focused on the UK’s mid and lower-mid markets, working across the UK’s regions as well as a diverse range of sectors, including professional and financial services, logistics, manufacturing, digital, education and training, leisure and travel, and healthcare.
With experience as both a deal leader and portfolio company board member, she has a deep understanding of the growth investment lifecycle, from origination, execution, portfolio management and realisation, as well as the implementation of strategy into practice.
At BGF, Jill will work closely with entrepreneurs and business owners across the North West and Midlands as part of the portfolio team – managing portfolio company investments, delivering and maximising value creation as a board member, and preparing portfolio companies for long-term growth.
Ben Barker, head of portfolio, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jill to the team. Her experience in private equity investment, combined with her broad sector and strategic insight, means she is perfectly positioned to support BGF-backed businesses, as they look to grow in 2023 and beyond. The knowledge and value she will add to boards will be hugely important in helping North West and Midlands-based businesses realise their ambitions.”
Jill said: “BGF has created a real point of difference in the market with an unwavering drive to back ambitious entrepreneurs and business owners across a range of sectors and regions, with a patient and long-term approach.
“In the current climate, there is a real opportunity to create value in portfolio businesses, and I’m looking forward to building relationships with management teams to support them on their growth journey.”
Holmewood site acquired to deliver £60m, 247-home development
Chesterfield-based Avant Homes Central has acquired a 28-acre site in Holmewood to deliver 247 new-build homes with a gross development value (GDV) of around £60m.
Called Earl’s Park, the development is located just a 10-minute drive from Chesterfield town centre on Tibshelf Road.
The development received planning permission in December last year, and will comprise a mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom homes.
Work is due to start on site in February.
Of the 247 homes, 20 per cent have been designated to affordable housing. Avant Homes has also committed to community contributions of around £2.3m towards the provision of local education and healthcare.
The first homes are scheduled to be ready for occupation in September with a showhome expected to open this summer. The overall construction period is expected to take approximately four and a half years.
The Imps post £2m loss despite rising turnover
The Imps have posted a £2m loss in annual results, despite turnover being on the rise with crowds returning to stadiums.
Lincoln City Football Club said turnover in 21/22, its first full season in League One with fans in attendance, was at its peak over the past four years, growing to £6.9m from £5.6m in the year prior on the back of significant increases in matchday and commercial/hospitality revenues.
While the football club incurred an increased loss, of £2m for the year, still affected by the aftermath of the pandemic and with all expenditure significantly increased, the Imps’ losses amounted to £186k less than the 2018/19 League Two promotion season.
Lincoln City Football Club finished the season in 17th position.
Nottingham spin-out raises almost £1m to commercialise Tourette’s wrist device
A new wrist device to help control Tourette’s Syndrome is a step closer to being commercialised after University of Nottingham spin-out company Neupulse raised almost £1m in additional funding.
Neupulse completed a second round of funding in December 2022 and raised £918,000 from existing investors and groups of High Net Worth individuals from around the world.
The investment will start the development of the commercially available wearable for use by individuals with Tourette’s Syndrome to stop tics.
“This is an exciting time for the company as we move forward to the next stage of our development by starting to design the wearable that will bring choice to thousands of individuals that have Tourette’s Syndrome,” said Paul Cable, chief operating officer at Neupulse.
The spin-out company has used research from scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology that uses repetitive trains of stimulation to the median nerve (MNS) at the wrist to entrain rhythmic electrical brain activity – known as brain-oscillations – that are associated with the suppression of movements. They found that rhythmic MNS is sufficient to substantially reduce tic frequency and tic intensity, and the urge-to-tic, in individuals with TS.
Tourette’s Syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is usually diagnosed between the ages of eight and 12. It causes involuntary sounds and movements called tics. Tics are involuntary, repetitive, stereotyped movements and vocalisations that occur in bouts, typically many times in a single day, and are often preceded by a strong urge-to-tic, referred to as a premonitory urge (PU).
“We’re delighted to have secured the funding for the next phase of development. In addition to raising additional investment in the company, we have also successfully completed our double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial of the Neupulse device, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Neupulse device in reducing tics in Tourette syndrome. I very much look forward to developing the commercially available device,” said professor Stephen Jackson, research lead at the University of Nottingham and director at Neupulse.
Since being launched in March 2021 Neupulse has achieved several significant milestones including development of a prototype device for use in a trial that has just been completed; the results of this double blinded study are being analysed and are due to be published later this year. An app is also being developed to support individuals in recording their tics. 400 jobs at risk as Central Co-op plans to close Leicester distribution centres
Central Co-op is planning to close its three distribution centres and garage in Leicester and transfer distribution operations to the Co-operative Group.
The company’s proposal puts nearly 400 jobs at risk, although the food retailer has given a commitment to offer alternative roles to all staff affected.
John Gorle – Usdaw (the retail trade union) national officer, says: “This is devastating news for staff affected by the company’s proposal, our members are deeply concerned about their future employment prospects.
“We will now enter into a period of meaningful consultation where Usdaw reps and officials will interrogate the company’s business case for the transfer of distribution operations.
“We welcome that Central Co-op has given an early commitment to offering alternative roles to all staff affected, both within Central Co-op the Co-operative Group. Our priorities are to avoid redundancies and secure the best support package possible.
“In the meantime we are providing our members with the advice, support and representation they need during this period of uncertainty.”
Central Co-op is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK, with a history stretching back over 175 years, over 440 trading outlets and around 7,700 colleagues.
2023 Business Predictions: Bobby Singh Braich, Managing Director of Belvoir, Northamptonshire
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Bobby Singh Braich, Managing Director of Belvoir, Northamptonshire.
The current cost of living crisis is unsettling for all, with our landlords and tenants sharing concerns about keeping up with rent.
The recent release of the 2022 State Of The Lettings Industry report showed that almost half of tenants (46.48%) are concerned that the current economic climate could impact their ability to pay rent as the crisis continues.
Across the country, 2023 will see millions of homes facing financial difficulty and I anticipate this will mean the housing market will slow as buyers – and builders – become hesitant at making large financial investment.
Add to that the recent dramatic hike in mortgage rates and the end of the Help To Buy scheme and it is likely that we will see the previous property boom begin to slow down in the coming months.
The rise in interest rates has seen mortgage rates soar, which will have a knock-on effect on buyer confidence. Landlords will also be impacted by higher mortgage repayments on their properties.
But rather than house prices drop, I believe they are more likely to plateau momentarily, as demand is still there. It is a sellers’ market, as supply remains low.
First time buyers are still likely to struggle to get onto the property ladder with prices of even the smallest properties hitting a record high in 2022. Those who are able are likely to be hesitant with the rising rates and uncertainty.
The Stamp Duty change announced in Kwarsi’s autumn mini budget is one of the only measures to have stayed in place to help buyers. The previous Stamp Duty holiday helped to keep the market buoyant so this could have a positive effect on the market and offer some relief to wary house buyers.
