Council to progress with purchase of shopping centre as approval given
The green light for North East Lincolnshire Council to go ahead with buying Freshney Place shopping centre was given at a meeting last night.
Members at the Full Council approved the purchase of the shopping centre – a recommendation that was approved by the Council’s Cabinet in June. The Full Council meeting heard from leader Cllr Philip Jackson that the purchase was vital to ensure a healthy future for Grimsby Town Centre.
The news comes as it was also revealed that local cinema company The Parkway is the operator behind plans to open a big screen within the planned new development at the western end of Freshney Place. The current Top Town Market is set to move, making way for leisure activities with a cinema a priority. Cllr Jackson expressed his delight that it was a local company involved, allowing the Top Town cinema to complement its operation in Cleethorpes.
The Grimsby shopping centre went into receivership earlier this year, and the deadline for bids for its sale closed last month. The Council bid for the centre was submitted and following this decision will be subject to further due diligence in the coming weeks.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the Council, said: “We needed to take this course of action to make sure we can continue to deliver our transformation of the urban heart of Grimsby. If we didn’t agree to buy the centre, it could be bought by someone who is unwilling to invest and the decline of the heart of our town centre would be devastating.”
The centre makes up 60 per cent of the town centre’s retail offer, supporting one in five jobs within that area.
“To enable this regeneration to continue, Freshney Place, a huge space in our town centre, must have a stable future. If this becomes Council-owned, this would mean that we could take Freshney Place into account when we’re looking at the transformation of the whole of our town centre, potentially bringing in different offers, using the centre in different and more modern ways to reduce its current over-reliance on retail.”
The plan for the centre would be to appoint external asset managers with significant experience to run the centre on a day-to-day basis with the Council taking an ‘arms-length’ approach in the near future.
Grant funding from Central Government, including the Towns Fund, has already seen significant transformation in the town centre with projects still under way. These include Garth Lane, St James Square, the new Onside Horizon Youth Zone and the conversion of St James House into an E-Factor Group businesses centre and hub.
Business networking: a review of the past twelve months – by Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency
Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency, reflects on the recovery of events and networking over the past year.
Now that events are well and truly back in the room, I thought I’d review how it has been going within the industry over the past eleven months as we approach the year milestone since their official return on July 19th. In particular – my specialism; the world of business networking, given we have all had a chance to settle back into the face-to-face routine of approaching strangers for light conversation and a chance to relationship build…
Luckily for me, my business network RSViP managed to bounce right back to business and September 2021 saw us launch our ‘come back’ event, where we were delighted to welcome one hundred and fifty guests through the door – quite an accomplishment given it was our first in eighteen months, but this told me that a lot of folk were itching to get back to it and the feedback did not disagree, with many stating that they have missed ‘human interaction’ and the ’experience’ you get from the events that you don’t get over Zoom or other video platforms.
Fast forward almost a year and not much has changed since last September for us. Our focus has been on rebuilding what was on pause for so long and it’s going in the right direction with several new members joining each week. We are still checking in an average of one hundred business professionals per month to our events and the hospitality industry has woken from its slumber and more than ever we are taking phone calls from venues wanting to collaborate and host with us. It is a positive time for the events industry as a whole, because well – quite frankly – we are back.
The general feeling I get out there is that collaboration is also key more so than ever as companies are entering into strategic partnerships, hospitality venues are working with each other rather than against and my inbox is starting to fill with invitations to launches, relaunches and black-tie dinners again – it’s a hard life!
On a more human level, I am seeing more kindness and consideration, more understanding and patience amongst the business community. The enforced slower pace of life has definitely continued in the mindsets of many including my own and the hybrid remote working and four day working week strategy seems to be on the increase.
From a business networking perspective, LinkedIn has blown up and now it’s a case of ‘if you don’t post your whereabouts on LinkedIn, did it really happen?’ We are getting back-stage tours into everyone’s working lives – a behind the scenes preview of meetings, events and day to day activity and it’s actually quite fascinating – why? Well because we are pretty nosy and curious mammals who thrive off others for ideas, motivation and inspiration – even if we don’t realise it. It’s a clever case of subliminal marketing – which is why the influence culture is doing so well – a window into the world of anyone you aspire to be like is a sure-fire way to organically encourage personal growth and solidify your purpose – and everyone needs one of those.
This is why business networking is so powerful, the simple engagement of conversation with someone could open up a whole manner of possibilities – in fact I quote one of the members of my network who recently posted on her LinkedIn (!) following her attendance at one of my events: “What can I say? Another amazing night – this is what networking should be and feel like. I was in the company of lovely, like-minded people and I have made so many useful connections as well as friends who I look forward to working with going forward – networking really can change your life!”
And on that note, I’m off to an event…
Fiona Duncan-Steer – www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk www.fionaduncansteer.com
Chesterfield company extends presence in electric vehicle market with acquisition
A Chesterfield company has grown further into the electric vehicle market, by agreeing on a deal to acquire Plymouth-based Car Charge Go Ltd.
SDE Group has seen extensive growth over the past 12 months within the EV space, specifically focusing on the Commercial EV market with many national contracts secured.
These include the maintenance & installation of EV chargers across the electrical highway covering over 200 motorway service stations from Lands’ End to John O’Groats.
The acquisition of Car Charge Go creates the pathway for a complete ‘end to end solution’ for Commercial and Domestic customers, presenting a one stop for all EV requirements.
Car Charge Go Ltd, was founded in 2021 by Kate Searl with the sole purpose to provide to domestic customers & company employees with a step-by-step guide from purchase of charger to installation. The firm has seen rapid growth since launching 12 months ago with national contracts with key brands such as Ocean BMW & Mini, along with securing deals with over 50 car dealership/leasing providers and national companies supporting their employees with the transition to EV.
Kate Searl, operations director of Car Charge Go, said: “We are delighted to be part of the SDE family. The company has a strong heritage of retaining long standing customers with how they operate and manage customers, this ethos supports our wider growth plans to become a key provider within the domestic EV market that is already a competitive marketplace.”
Car Charge Go will now trade under SDE Electrical with Kate and her team becoming part of the wider group that will support & underpin SDE Group’s growth plans within this sector.
Jonathan Bennett, group Managing Director at SDE Group, said: “This is an exciting time for our company with all parts of our business seeing high levels of growth, especially our electrical sector.
“The acquisition of Car Charge Go is fantastic news for all our customers and SDE, along with supporting our long-term growth plans. Kate and her team will provide the technical support and solutions to all our customers that is required in this ever-evolving sector.”
£3m plan to support Mansfield communities and businesses
Mansfield District Council is preparing to submit its Investment Plan to secure its allocation of £3m from the government for projects to support businesses and communities over the next three years.
The government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) would be used for community projects, business support and to promote new skills and employment opportunities.
It will also help to deliver the aspirations in the Making Mansfield strategy which sets out council aims and ambitions between now and 2030.
The Plan envisages that the council would deliver some projects itself, some via partners and commissioning, and others through grass-roots activity, targeted towards priority areas and themes, and carried out in collaboration with community groups and partners.
The council is expecting its Plan to be approved in the autumn and for work to start later this year and over the subsequent two years.
Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: “The Shared Prosperity Fund replaces EU funding streams previously available to Mansfield.
“The government expects the Plan to reflect the three national priorities of community and place, supporting local business and people and skills, and we will ensure that local needs are to the fore.
“Our aim is to target this support to areas of greatest need to support long-term fundamental change, growth and regeneration in our priority neighbourhoods and to open up opportunities across the district.
“We anticipate that the community impact could be enhanced through a community grants programme, supporting capacity at a local level and enabling groups to bring forward local solutions.
“We will be working with our partners and delivery agencies to bring forward additional business support which, enhanced by investment in people and skills, will encourage quality employment and training opportunities – and ultimately growth for Mansfield.”
£21.1m Stapleford Towns Fund regeneration projects get underway
Stapleford Towns Fund Board is celebrating as its six long-awaited regeneration projects can now begin, following receipt of £21.1m in Town Deal Funding from the Government.
In March, it was announced that Stapleford was one of 100 towns to receive a share of the Government’s £3.6bn Towns Deal for urban regeneration planning and land use, skills and enterprise infrastructure, and connectivity.
Stapleford residents, workers and businesses have worked hard to understand the challenges and aspirations of the town and what it needs now, and in the future, to become a model for what a small town can achieve.
The £21.1m funding is being invested in six core projects:
- Community hub and young people’s centre
- Enterprise hub building
- Library learning facility
- Safer cycling scheme
- Street improvement scheme
- £1m Town Centre Recovery Grant Scheme – already underway
Derby needs to upset the odds in the vote for GBR HQ for the good of the next generation, warns city rail boss
A key member of Derbyshire’s rail industry says Derby will be letting down the next generation of engineering talent if it didn’t do all in its power to win the race to be named home for the Great British Railways HQ.
Malcolm Prentice, chairman of Swadlincote-based MTMS, says that the city has a huge chance to play a leading role in shaping the future of the rail industry after it was named as one of six finalists in a national competition to find a location for the headquarters outside of London.
But he described the city as an outside bet in the race – despite its rich rail heritage and place at the heart of the rail industry – and said it needs a huge collective effort across the region in order to beat off competitions from the others.
Mr Prentice, who has worked in the city’s rail industry for the past 40 years, was talking after Derby was named alongside Birmingham, York, Doncaster, Newcastle and Crewe on a shortlist in a public vote to find the best place in the country to base the new Great British Railways organisation.
Due to be set up next year, GBR will replace Network Rail as part of a huge overhaul of the country’s rail system, which will see the current rail franchise model consigned to history in favour of a more centralised system.
GBR will be at the heart of the new era, which is also being seen as a new dawn for railways, with plans also announced to bring smaller lines back into use in order to increase public transport options for commuters, as well as the development of green technology to make railways more sustainable.
Derby, thanks to its central location and engineering prowess, would be more than capable of playing an active role in this, says Mr Prentice, however it faces an uphill battle to convince the public and ministers that it has what it takes in the face of stiff competition from the heavyweights on the list such as Birmingham.
He said: “If I was a betting man, I’d say that Derby is an outsider in a vote such as this, because Birmingham is a big city and the headquarters for HS2 for a start, while York’s rail history is far better known.
“If we are to win it, then it can’t be left to the rail industry and the council to do all the hard work. Every business in every sector, as well as people across the city and elsewhere, needs to get on board to show the judges that we are all behind this.
“It’s a big ask, but we have a huge responsibility to the youngsters who are coming through, because their future livelihoods and prospects rely on the ability of Derby to secure opportunities like this ahead of other regions.
“All too often Derby has been left standing on the platform while investment opportunities have gone elsewhere. We have the talent and a wealth of local companies who are already exploring the kind of green transport technology that the rail industry will be looking at.
“It means that while Derby is a logical choice, it’s not an obvious choice, and it’s up to everyone to make the case for the city and give us the best possible chance we could have.”
The public vote to bring the GBR HQ to Derby will end on August 15.
Robot Xchange names tech specialist Elizabeth Gooch MBE as new chair
Nottingham-based robotic process automation (RPA) specialist, The Robot Exchange (TRX), has named award-winning tech entrepreneur, Elizabeth Gooch MBE, as chair.
The new role has been created to help the growing business expand its current offering by scaling up and accelerating the creation and delivery of its innovative RPA solutions in the UK and expanding overseas markets.
Gooch’s technology career began after she pioneered an emerging technology market that today is worth over $3bn. That software is now used in over 50 countries by blue-chip international companies in financial services, utilities, telcos, business process outsourcing and the public sector.
Her career highlights include; The Telegraph’s Most Disruptive Entrepreneurs, Finance Monthly CEO Award, PCR’s Top 50 Women in Technology, West Midlands Women of the Year Outstanding Contribution to Technology Award. Gooch was also awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2012.
The Robot Exchange, led by CEO Andy Wallace, specialises in developing and deploying RPA solutions for SMEs; enabling smaller customers to gain the same process efficiencies and reduced wastage of resource and time previously enjoyed by bigger businesses.
Speaking about Elizabeth’s appointment, Andy Wallace, CEO at The Robot Exchange, said: “This is a major moment for The Robot Exchange. We have ambitious plans and attracting someone of Elizabeth’s character speaks volumes for our potential. Now that she is on the team, we cannot wait to begin this exciting next step in the journey of The Robot Exchange.”
Speaking about her appointment, Elizabeth Gooch MBE said: “Staffing and recruitment is a massive challenge for SMEs and, at the same time, their processes have often lacked attention, becoming unwieldy and time consuming. TRX enables them to reduce the amount of work and resources locked up in manual processes and to leverage the faster roll-out of cloud based RPA solutions that the major corporations enjoy.
“I am looking forward to working with Andy on scaling his company and accelerating its transition from unassisted to autonomous RPA. It has the potential to become a major enabler for ambitious, forward thinking organisations in the modern economy and that is a very exciting challenge.”
Streets covers its charity fundraising, offers helpful information to manage business financial challenges and more in its latest business support update
In its latest Business Support Update, Streets Chartered Accountants highlights its charity fundraising, offers information to address a business’s financial challenges, reconsiders the statement ‘people are our greatest asset’ and more.
Streets Golf Day secures hole in one for air ambulance
Streets hosted its ninth annual Charity Golf Day this month raising £6,309 for the Air Ambulance. The total amount fundraised will be divided between the firm’s three regional charities; East Anglian Air Ambulance, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The event received fantastic support with 23 teams taking part and more than 25 local businesses sponsoring the day. There were Stableford team prizes as well as competitions such as Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin, Beat the Pro and Hole in One.
EVENT: Academies Update 2022
A free and informative update for all schools and academies – headteachers, accounting officers, bursars/business managers and governors – especially those on the finance/audit committee. The presentations will cover the Academies Accounts Direction for 2023, including key changes for financial reporting as Streets and its academy clients undertake the completion of annual accounts for 31st August 2022. Book now.
Streets Summer Newsletter 2022
We seem to have thrown off the major disruption due to the COVID pandemic, but we now have other challenges to consider. For example, rising inflation and interest rates, continuing supply issues and shortages of commodities from baby food to computer chips. There is a broad spectrum of information in this newsletter and hopefully you will find something of use to aid your management of business or personal financial challenges. Read more.
People are our greatest asset, is it just rhetoric or is there real value in this statement?
How many times have you heard a business leader or company director say our people are our greatest asset? How often we do we take a step back and think what does this really mean? Is it marketing spin aimed at making the organisation look good or to attract new employees or is there more behind this well-used phrase? Read more.
Humber Business Week – The Working Lunch podcast series
Last month Streets hosted Working Lunch, a special Humber Business Week series of The Streets Sessions podcast. Each day James Pinchbeck, marketing partner at Streets, was joined by a special guest to find out more about their role and the organisation they work with to gain an insight into what they think makes Hull a vibrant and diverse community and why it is a great place for enterprise. Listen here.
SmartMoney Magazine – July/August 2022
SmartMoney is the bi-monthly magazine from Streets Financial Consulting plc, Streets’ independent financial planning arm, full of news and helpful information on personal financial planning. Read more.
G F Tomlinson continues 15-year relationship with SCAPE as it’s appointed to new £750m regional framework
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson has been appointed as an approved partner on the new £750m regional framework by SCAPE, one of the UK’s leading public sector procurement authorities.
The four-year framework will invest in the public sector across the Midlands and East of England, helping local authorities and organisations deliver ambitious, community-focused construction projects.
Following a competitive selection process, the Midlands-based construction company is just one of eight contractors chosen to deliver up to £750m of new investment for the public sector, via SCAPE’s Regional Construction framework, with G F Tomlinson being appointed to undertake projects up to £7.5m across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland.
G F Tomlinson’s 15-year relationship with SCAPE has seen the company deliver over 500 projects valued at £240m on previous iterations of the framework. Through this ongoing collaboration the company has also provided communities with positive social, economic and environmental impacts including 82% of local spend and 89% of local labour achieved within 40 miles of each project and 98% construction waste recycled and diverted from landfill.
With a broader value range of up to £7.5m, more public sector projects can benefit from the range of services provided by G F Tomlinson, including early input on design development, risk management, cost certainty, construction delivery and post completion support.
G F Tomlinson has a strong focus on sustainability and social value and the SCAPE framework allows for the delivery of four key areas of investment, including: employment and training, sustainability and environmental protection and support. In particular, inspiring individuals into the construction industry from local schools, apprenticeship opportunities, commitment to local spend and the use of local labour and supply chains and helping public sector clients achieve their decarbonization targets.
Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are thrilled to have been appointed to the framework, continuing our long association and success with Scape. The framework allows us to continually focus on delivering high quality, value for money projects across the Midlands, ensuring social and sustainable values are considered to support the local communities.
“In addition to providing communities with the prospect of job opportunities and apprenticeships, the framework has agreed to a ‘net-zero ready’ lifecycle, assisting communities in achieving their net-zero ambitions as an effective response to the current climate emergency.
“We are extremely proud of the work already undertaken within this framework and cannot wait to continue to raise the bar and deliver tangible benefits to our clients and the wider community.”
John Simons, group procurement director at SCAPE, said: “The next four years represent a pivotal time for public sector construction across the Midlands and East of England to deliver infrastructure that empowers local communities and generates regional economic growth.
“After receiving positive feedback from clients, we’ve enhanced the framework to provide our public sector colleagues with the tools to not only deliver value-driven infrastructure in their areas but support their journey toward a net zero built environment.
“Aligned with SCAPE’s 15-year heritage of empowering local authorities to achieve their infrastructure objectives, the direct award framework is designed to achieve value for money, drive sustainability and deliver a local economic impact on every project.”
Mark Robinson, group Chief Executive at SCAPE, said: “As we continue to play our part in delivering infrastructure projects across the region that are more sustainable and strengthen local communities, our new framework will help our clients meet their goals and allow local contractors to build long-term relationships to grow their business.
“The addition of a new lifecycle contract form as part of the framework’s ‘net zero ready’ offering is testament to SCAPE’s commitment to supporting clients with energy conservation and the operational efficiency and performance of their assets.
“The new framework will act as a vehicle for contractors to champion greener infrastructure and upskill their teams to be able to deliver on the sustainability ambitions across the Midlands and East of England.”
Promotion celebrations at Sills and Betteridge LLP
Sills & Betteridge LLP has started its new financial year on a high with four promotions. The firm’s leadership development programme recognises the talent and dedication of its people; those who have demonstrated loyalty and commitment, shown a flair for managerial responsibilities and assisted with the development of the firm. This year’s appointments were again drawn from a range of practices. Lincoln-based family lawyer Jessica Firth-Brown has been promoted to partner. Jess joined Sills & Betteridge in 2012 later qualifying with the firm and becoming a highly skilled child law solicitor. Alan Rousseau, a residential property executive specialising in new-build conveyancing in Gainsborough and Katherine Wenham a wills, trusts & probate executive in Lincoln were given associateship. The firm also recognised the contribution made by an employee in a non-legal role, making its head of marketing, Jennifer Lowe an associate. Chief Executive Martyn Hall said: “Progressing to partner or associate is a reflection of many years of hard work. Each of our four new partners and associates joined the firm over 10 years ago, some at the very start of their careers. I am delighted that they have reached these career milestones and look forward to them continuing to play major roles in our future success.” The promotions mark the start of another exciting year for the firm as it looks forward to further development of its newly acquired offices and the imminent relocation of its Thorne team to larger premises on Fieldside in September.
