New figures released by Nottinghamshire County Council have revealed that over 200 local businesses are providing services for the authority in contracts worth millions of pounds.
The council currently has contracts with 273 suppliers based in Nottinghamshire worth £135m.
Services provided by local suppliers for the council include catering, plumbing, and gardening.
Suppliers in Nottinghamshire make up 57% of the council’s total procurement contracts, with 39% from a local small or medium-sized business.
Councillor Richard Jackson, the county council’s cabinet member for finance, said: “It is great news we’ve been able to reach out to hundreds of quality local businesses to provide a range of services and tasks for our council.
“We always expect value for money, and the excellent services provided are a credit to the entrepreneurial spirit in our county.
“I’m especially pleased we have been able to engage so many local small businesses after a pandemic which caused countless challenges for our sole traders and entrepreneurs.”
The success at getting more local businesses onto the council’s supply chain comes from its 2019-2023 procurement strategy.
The strategy had called for 50% of contracts to be provided by local businesses.
The council’s Cabinet has now approved a new sustainable procurement policy to build on the work of its procurement strategy.
The new policy commits the county council to support thriving businesses and deliver environmental, social and economic benefits from its procurement choices.
Councillor Jackson added: “Our new sustainable procurement policy is crucial to our already existing procurement strategy and emphasises the social value of our contracts.
“When considering who will work for us in future, we’ll measure the environmental, social and economic impact of the procured goods and services.
“It will help build on the work we are doing with local businesses, for example, how we can use our procurement choices to get more young people out of work into a job.
“Of course, we will continue to spend taxpayers’ money wisely and support local communities through this new and exciting policy.”
Mansfield District Council is looking to launch a major competition inviting architects worldwide to design a significant new social housing scheme on a derelict site close to the town centre.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) would manage the competition to find an outstanding design for Mansfield’s White Hart Street area.
The council purchased land in this area in order to facilitate the regeneration of this key town centre site. The area has stood derelict for over a decade now. It previously had planning permission for a mixed retail and residential scheme in 2008, but market conditions meant this scheme was never taken forward.
The area subsequently became blighted and has, as a consequence, become a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Redevelopment of this area would strongly align with the council’s Growth, Aspiration, Wellbeing and Place priorities.
Cllr Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for safer communities, housing and wellbeing, is now being recommended to approve a decision on 21 October about appointing RIBA to manage the competition.
Last year she approved a decision for the council to purchase parcels of land in the area so that the site, as a whole, could be redeveloped for council housing.
A budget of £16.5m for this was approved by Full Council in 2019 as part of the council’s programme to build over 100 council homes.
She said: “We want to improve this derelict and blighted part of Mansfield and see something really special on this piece of land.
“It must be a development which respects its historical significance and the conservation area in which it sits but also looks to the future. It also needs to be a development which is environmentally sustainable and mitigates climate change.
“It will promote a safe place to live and, crucially, it must reflect the council’s available budget for this scheme.
“The redevelopment would represent a vital element of the masterplan which we are in the process of putting together for the town centre to map out a future path for growth and regeneration.
“A key vision of that masterplan is to make the town centre a place where people want to live because this will increase the footfall for retailers and improve the look of the centre, all of which, in turn, should act as a catalyst for external investment.”
If approved by Cllr Bradshaw on 21 October, the RIBA-managed competition would cost the council a maximum of £79,000.
The council believes that having such an eminent organisation managing the competition would give the council access to the RIBA’s global membership and attract high-quality design responses.
Having RIBA on board is considered critical in the eyes of many architects and would also bring rigour, credibility and prestige to the selection process, and reassurance that the competition would be managed to best practice standards.
It would also help to ensure the whole process of redeveloping the site is structured and auditable.
Cllr Bradshaw added: “Running a RIBA-approved competition would promote the district of Mansfield nationally and internationally and demonstrate that, as a town, it is progressive in its aspirations and open for business. It would bring with it a real atmosphere of excitement.”
The firm winning the competition would progress the design for planning permission – subject to approval by the Full Council of the business case.
The area to be redeveloped is located within the Bridge Street conservation area which contains buildings of historic and architectural merit. The homes built are expected to be a mix of housing types and would be added to the council’s stock of affordable homes.
It is anticipated the design competition would run between November 2022 to March 2023, with a decision on the winner made in April 2023.
After that, a detailed design would be drawn up, with a decision on the business case expected in September 2023.
If that business case is approved, it would be followed by a planning application in October 2023. If that is approved, demolition work could start in early 2024 and building work in July 2024.
FHP have secured another successful deal within Mansfield with the investment sale of Soak Interiors to a local occupier, achieving a net initial yield of 7.76%.
The unit comprises 4,715ft² of warehouse, office and ancillary space with a generous yard area. It occupies an elevated position on Rock Valley, just off the Mansfield Inner Ring Road.
FHP said the strong level of interest received on the property shows the freehold / investment market is still going strong despite the current economic uncertainties.
Amy Howard, surveyor at FHP Property Consultants, said: “It was great to see this deal cross the line for both parties who are now starting a new exciting chapter.
“The amount of interest received on this property from day one was great to see, and we managed to receive several credible offers at the asking price. It is reassuring to see that the demand is still there for the sub-5,000ft² freehold market.”
A data engineer who has created a regional business research and intelligence unit that will be used to drive more investment into the East Midlands has won a national award.
Harsh Shah, a knowledge transfer associate based at East Midlands Chamber, beat competition from 20 other finalists to be crowned with the Future Leader Award at the Innovate UK KTP Awards.
As part of the 27-year-old’s role, which was created last year in a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) between the chamber of commerce and De Montfort University (DMU), Harsh creates data-driven insights about the East Midlands economy that can be used to improve competitiveness and productivity across the region.
Harsh, who graduated from a DMU master’s degree in business intelligence systems and data mining in 2020, said: “I am overwhelmed to win this award, which is wonderful recognition for all the hard work we have been doing at the Chamber and DMU in establishing a regional business intelligence unit.
“I believe my drive, passion and integrity to be the best has enabled me to be recognised at national level and this is a fantastic personal achievement. It was never something I believed would be possible 18 months ago when I began the KTP, which has already accelerated my career prospects.
“It gives me great confidence to not only perform better in my role, but also highlights the work we are doing and validates the project – which aims to equip business leaders and policymakers with data-driven insights that will improve decision-making and ultimately drive more investment to the region.”
The Future Leader Award is given to associates who have shown “exceptional skills in driving and delivering innovation strategy, demonstrating great teamwork and outstanding leadership potential”.
Harsh began the two-year KTP in April 2021 with a goal to create a business research and intelligence unit that collates, analyses and utilises data-led intelligence in order to address the productivity gap and lack of inward investment across the East Midlands.
During this period, he has automated the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey – which gauges the health of the region’s economy across a number of indicators – and provided personalised results for participants.
Harsh also developed dashboards for a collective intelligence skills observatory (CISO) for Leicestershire as part of a trailblazer pilot for the Department for Education’s Local Skills Improvement Plan, which aims to put employers at the heart of skills delivery. The observatory enables businesses and further education colleges to better understand where skills gaps lie locally in order to improve training and education provision.
At the same time, he has presented at a national data strategy event hosted by Experian, developed reports used by regional media outlets to illustrate economic trends, and taken part in the Alan Turing Institute’s Data Study Group to resolve challenges for Siemens and Rolls-Royce, where he won the Data Driven Approach award for his enthusiasm and determination.
Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at East Midlands Chamber, said: “Harsh is a hugely deserving recipient of the Future Leader Award after demonstrating tremendous leadership skills in turning an idea into a commercially viable product, while also showing a real eagerness to immerse himself into the organisation and a commercial environment.
“More broadly, this recognition also helps us to demonstrate the power of data in business decision-making, as we firmly believe the insights we are creating will bring tangible rewards for the East Midlands economy by improving productivity and attracting inward investment.”
The Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC) has appointed a new member of staff to help the sector connect with younger audiences by championing the diverse career opportunities within the quarrying and mineral products industry.
Emily Noble joins MPQC as its future careers manager at its Eastwood offices near Nottingham. She is a qualified and experienced career development practitioner and careers advisor, with previous roles at D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, Derby College and Derby City Council.
Viv Russell, CEO of the Mineral Products Qualifications Council, says: “Emily has a great deal of experience from her previous job roles and qualifications; it’s clear that she is passionate about raising the aspirations of young people.
“MPQC is looking forward to benefiting from Emily’s experience, expertise and enthusiasm as she champions our sector. We wish her luck and are delighted to welcome her to our team.”
Emily’s new challenge at MPQC involves raising the profile of the sector and inspiring young people to become the next generation of mineral products professionals. She will form part of the team leading the ‘Minerals Matter’ initiative, working in collaboration with sector organisations to increase participation of industry ambassadors within education, and develop strategic partnerships to support and target key projects more effectively.
Commenting on her new role, Emily said: “I grew up in Derbyshire with family employed locally within the mineral products industry and saw first-hand some of the challenges faced by SMEs in the area. I’m looking forward to supporting industry and education to collaborate more meaningfully, and create impactful opportunities for young people, particularly from an earlier age if we are to create lasting change for the sector when it comes to future recruitment.”
Emily achieved her Master’s Degree in Career Education and Coaching at the University of Derby. She is a Member of the Career Development Institute, as well as a registered Career Development Practitioner. In her spare time, she enjoys clay pigeon shooting, walking and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Established in 1983, the Mineral Products Qualifications Council is a ‘not for profit’ membership organisation whose purpose is to fulfil the extractive sector’s need for a safe, competent and sustainable workforce through the setting and maintaining of standards and qualifications, ensuring quality training and assessment.
Work has started on national housing association Stonewater’s development of 148 new homes at Glenvale Park in Wellingborough, forming part of a larger urban extension of around 3,000 new homes to the north-west of the town.
Of Stonewater’s 148 new affordable homes, 74 will be available for social and affordable rent. There will also be 35 new homes available for shared ownership, and 39 being offered through the Rent to Buy scheme, allowing customers to rent a home at 80 per cent of the market rent, whilst they save towards a deposit and after five years, buy their own home.
Glenvale Park is a brand new neighbourhood for Wellingborough. It brings together six housebuilders who will each develop a parcel of land. Plans also include two new primary schools, a community hub, local shops, and green spaces for new residents and the local community.
Wellingborough has seen a recent increase in affordable homes being built year on year, with Stonewater’s new homes contributing to a total of 675 affordable homes at Glenvale Park, bridging the gap between the provision of, and demand for, affordable housing.
Stonewater has acquired the land and has contracted with Partner Construction to deliver the new homes, a mixture of houses and apartments, and will be supported by Ridge as Employers’ Agent. The project will utilise over £7m of Homes England funding.
Sustainability is a key focus of the site, aligning with Stonewater’s own ambitious low-carbon and energy-efficiency commitments. The houses will be fitted with air-source heat pumps that will ensure lower carbon emissions, and the site will also incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging points.
As well as including additional trees within the development there are also plans to incorporate public art around the site, with the hope of engaging with the new community to assist with creating a sense of place through public art. It is expected that work will be complete by June 2025, with the first homes ready for occupation in Autumn 2023.
Chris Montague, director of development (East and North) at Stonewater, said: “We are thrilled to be starting work on this exciting new development, and to be providing such a large number of much-needed affordable homes for customers in Wellingborough.
“The variation of housing we’ll be providing at Glenvale Park will offer great choice for customers looking for a safe, sustainable and affordable place to call home, and I look forward to seeing work progress on our homes within the site.”
Geoff Brown, project manager, United Living New Homes, said: “We are delighted to have started building work at Glenvale Park. Working collaboratively with Stonewater and our delivery partners, we look forward to delivering high-quality, affordable new homes that will provide a welcome housing boost to the local community.”
A Derby accountancy firm has boosted its team with the appointment of a new head of operations and management accounts.
Experienced Amie Fellows has joined Vibrant Accountancy after spending almost seven years with Birmingham-based KPMG, where she worked with various-sized companies, covering a variety of industries and their finance needs.
Vibrant owner Bev Wakefield says that Amie brings a wealth of experience with her, and that clients will benefit from the appointment.
“We are absolutely delighted that Amie has joined Vibrant Accountancy and, with her, she brings knowledge of managing various-sized corporate management accounts,” said Bev, “she has bags of experience which will benefit our clients and she compliments our team perfectly.”
Amie, who lives in Burton with her husband Jake and two small children, said: “I enjoyed my time with KPMG but wanted a new challenge and something that was a little closer to home.
“I value the work/life balance that Vibrant Accountancy offer, and I admire their ethos; I didn’t want to work for ‘traditional’ management accountants after leaving KPMG. I wanted to work for a company where my views are valued and I feel appreciated, and Vibrant Accountancy ticks all those boxes.”
Amie, who tap dances with sisters Katie and Megan in her spare time, says that she is also looking forward to meeting clients.
“I’m very much a people-person and it will be nice to be able to go out and meet clients in person,” she said.
Amie’s appointment takes the Vibrant team to eight. Bev is hoping to add a ninth member imminently so that she can focus her attention on other areas of the business.
Ian Ball’s departure to Pride Park-based CoMech Metrology – Ian co-founded Vibrant with Bev in 2019 before she took over sole ownership last month – has meant new roles for the Vibrant team.
Bev said: “We have a strong foundation here at Vibrant, but September meant a reset for us. We have outsourced various aspects of the business including our HR and marketing.
“My vision for the future is to continue to make an impact on our clients, team and community and so we will be involved in more community events. We’ve committed to taking part in the YMCA Community Meal and have joined Derby County Community Trust as a partner.
“They fit our ethos perfectly and help people of all ages through various projects. It’s a great charity to be involved with.”
The University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering has continued its commitment to aspiring engineers following the major refurbishment of two state of the art workshop spaces.
The Rapid Prototyping (RP) and Engineering Applications (EA) workshops, situated on University Park campus, have undergone major upgrades as part of the Faculty of Engineering’s long-term strategy to revolutionise its digital manufacturing offering.
Simon Lawes, associate professor and course director for Mechanical Engineering, said: “While both facilities have existed for a long time, these upgrades will provide our mechanical and Product Design and Manufacturing students and researchers with brand-new facilities that will enable them to work in a faster, more sustainable way in an environment that mirrors those across the industry.
“As a centre for excellence in Additive Manufacturing, and home to one of the country’s biggest research groups, these new technologies provide researchers and students alike with a springboard to create more precise and complex designs, resulting in higher quality outputs that will really set them apart.”
The refurbishment included improving the accessibility of both workshops, the installation of 50 new 3D printers and further investment in other new technologies, such as Fuse 1 SLS Machines, Stratasys F170 Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) printers, a SwiftCut Pro plasma cutter, and a range of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinery.
Jason Young, technician in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “Technology is constantly evolving, which is why it’s crucial that we ensure our facilities are updated to reflect these advancements.
“The recent upgrade and refurbishment, along with the introduction of industry level automated machinery, offers our students the opportunity to enhance their design capabilities when producing physical components.
“Additionally, we now have a zonal workshop, which allows our students to have greater flexibility when it comes to producing manufacturing plans for project work, and have introduced offline programming solutions, allowing our students to simulate their designs for manufacture regarding material, tooling, and labour costs.
“All this combined means that our students now have the opportunity to produce parts with greater design freedom, while maintaining maximum efficacy, and all to an industrial level of accuracy and precision.”
The new facilities were officially opened in October, ready to welcome the latest cohort of students beginning their studies at the university.
The RP and EA workshops aren’t the first Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering facilities to have been modernised in recent months, after the product design and manufacturing studio was refurbished in September 2021, and there are more improvements in the pipeline over the coming years.
Simon added: “We’re already looking at the next part of our strategy to revolutionise digital manufacturing at the university, with our attentions now turning to the construction of a Virtual Reality (VR) lab. This is an incredibly exciting time for students and researchers in engineering and we’re looking forward to continuing to improve our facilities for future aspiring engineers.”
PharmaLex Group, the provider of specialised services for the pharma, biotech and MedTech industries worldwide, has announced a merger with Leicestershire pharmaceutical and healthcare services consultancy, NeoHealthHub Limited.
The agreement with NeoHealthHub (NHH), which was signed Thursday, 13 October and closes at the end of October, will be an important step in building a pan-European market access practice covering major markets, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Nordics.
Founded in 2013, NHH supports its customers by offering innovative and comprehensive market access, data and capability development solutions across all phases of the pharmaceutical and healthcare brand lifecycle through its four business units – NeoNavitas, NeoN, NeoSypher and NeoOptima.
NHH has its headquarters in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, employing around 50 people.
“The merger is a good strategic fit for NHH because we share similar values and corporate culture with PharmaLex, built on an entrepreneurial spirit,” said NHH CEO Simon Doyle.
“Both our organisations support a model of thinking global but acting local, which for us means responding to the unique and complex needs of the pharmaceutical and healthcare marketplace. We have created an organisation and structure that allows us to operate in a truly agile way, maximising opportunities as they emerge. Through the merger, we will be able to build on those opportunities and offer extended services and expertise to our clients, while further expanding the client base.”
“The merger with NHH is a welcome step for both our businesses and we are delighted to welcome the talented and knowledgeable team of market access, data and capabilities experts,” said Pharmalex CEO Dr. Thomas Dobmeyer.
“By combining our expertise, we are better able to support our clients globally with their market access, data and capability needs and at the same time build a very successful local market access business that now includes the UK.”
With the East Midlands Bricks Awards over for another year, the event can now be re-lived through a new video of the evening.
Property and construction professionals from across the region gathered last month (Thursday 15 September) at the famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground for Business Link Magazine’s annual East Midlands Bricks Awards.
Recognising and celebrating those behind the changing landscape of our region, rewarding the very best companies, teams and individuals, the event offered the perfect opportunity to showcase the outstanding work carried out across the East Midlands over the past year and network with many of the region’s industry leaders over canapés and complementary drinks sponsored by Brooklands Service Group.
Highlights of the night saw John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, kick off the event with the keynote speech, Galliford Try Construction take home a hat-trick of awards for Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park, while Cawarden stole two awards.
Watch the event and see the list of winners below.
Victoria Golborn, Mather Jamie, Amy Bidell, Mather Jamie, Sue Alland, Mather Jamie, and Rob Day, Blueprint Interiors
Most Active Agent – sponsored by Blueprint Interiors
Winner
Mather Jamie
Runners up
OMEETO
BB&J Commercial
Alistair Branch, Stephen George + Partners, Phillip Johnson, Galliford Try Construction, Ben Bowley, Leonard Design, and Ben Sansom, Frank Key
Commercial Development of the Year – sponsored by Frank Key
Winner
Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park – Galliford Try Construction
Runners up
Etiquette Park – Clowes Developments
Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service joint HQ – Henry Brothers
Emma Attwood, Cawarden, and William Crooks, Cawarden
Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by Press for Attention PR
Winner
Cawarden
Runners up
Arc Partnership
Phoenix Brickwork
Sarah Woolf, Sterling Commercial Finance, and Angie Cooper, on behalf of Glenvale Park
Residential Development of the Year – sponsored by Sterling Commercial Finance
Winner
Glenvale Park – Glenvale Park LLP
Runners up
The Rise, Southwell – Stagfield Group
Hindle House – KMRE Group
James Phillips, APB, Trevor Wells, Wells McFarlane, Richard Foxon, Newton LDP, Sam Jones, Newton LDP, and Richard Picton, Blythin & Brown Insurance Brokers
Deal of the Year – sponsored by Blythin & Brown Insurance Brokers
Winner
Wells McFarlane, APB and Newton LDP – sale of 460 acres of land in North Leicestershire, making way for a new garden village
Runners up
St James Securities – Phase Two of the Becketwell regeneration scheme in Derby – 3,500 capacity Becketwell performance venue with ASM Global
Morgan Industrial Properties Limited – acquisition of the former Ewart Chain site in Shaftesbury Street, Derby
Josh Spencer, HBD, Mark Evans, HBD, and Donald Ward, Ward
Developer of the Year – sponsored by Ward
Winner
HBD
Runners up
Hockley Developments
St James Securities
Steve Rayner, Rayner Davies Architects, and Laura Burton, OMS
Architects of the Year – sponsored by OMS
Winner
Rayner Davies Architects
Runners up
Swain Architecture
CPMG Architects
Nick Gregory, CPMG, and William Crooks, Cawarden
Excellence in Design – sponsored by Cawarden
Winner
St. Peter’s Gate renovation – CPMG Architects
Runners up
Health and Allied Professions Centre at Nottingham Trent University – Pick Everard
Brookside Farm – Chevin Homes
Alistair Branch, Stephen George + Partners, Ben Bowley, Leonard Design, Philip Johnson, Galliford Try Construction, and Lee Marshall, Viridis Building Services
Sustainable Development of the Year – sponsored by Viridis Building Services
Winner
Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park – Galliford Try Construction
Runners up
Refurbished HQ for LKAB Minerals – Scenariio
Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre – Chesterfield Borough Council, Whittam Cox Architects, Robert Woodhead Group
Nick Sanderson, RammSanderson, Emma Attwood, Cawarden, and William Crooks, Cawarden
Contractor of the Year – sponsored by RammSanderson
Winner
Cawarden
Runners up
Galliford Try Construction
Enrok Construction
Alistair Branch, Stephen George + Partners, Philip Johnson, Galliford Try Construction, Ben Bowley, Leonard Design, and James Pinchbeck, Streets Chartered Accountants.
Overall Winner –sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants
Galliford Try Construction
1 of 56
Guests network at the East Midlands Bricks Awards
Guests network at the East Midlands Bricks Awards
Lee Marshall, of Viridis Building Services, hands over the 2022 Sustainable Development of the Year award to Alistair Branch of Stephen George + Partners, Ben Bowley of Leonard Design, and Philip Johnson of Galliford Try Construction for Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park
Victoria Golborn, Mather Jamie, Amy Bidell, Mather Jamie, Sue Alland, Mather Jamie, and Rob Day, Blueprint Interiors
Thanks to all our sponsors for supporting the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022. Business Link Magazine looks forward to returning next year for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023!
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