Leicester & Leicestershire Property & Construction Luncheon sees success
The first property networking event held in Leicester on October 6th was a resounding success, with positive feedback from industry executives. The event, held at the City Rooms in Leicester, was an opportunity for property professionals to network, share insights, and learn about the latest developments in the city.
The event was attended by over 90 delegates from various sectors, including developers, investors, consultants, contractors, architects, and agents. The attendees heard from two key speakers: Richard Sword, strategic director at Leicester City Council, and Andrew Smith, director of planning, development and transportation at Leicester City Council.
The pair presented the programme of change for the city along with the impending masterplan, encouraging businesses to shape the future strategy.
Richard Sword said: “Leicester is undergoing a transformational-change, with ambitious plans to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable city. We are delighted to have the support and involvement of the property industry in delivering our vision. This event was a great platform to showcase our achievements and aspirations, and to hear from the experts and innovators who are driving the sector forward.”
Andrew Smith added: “Leicester has a lot to offer, with a diverse and growing economy, a young and skilled population, a rich cultural heritage, and a strategic location in the heart of the country. We are committed to creating a high-quality built environment that enhances our city’s identity and attractiveness. This event was a valuable opportunity to begin engagement with the industry and to seek their input and feedback on our plans.”
Sponsoring the event was the multi-disciplinary consultancy firm Pick Everard. Matt Hall, national director at Pick Everard, said: “We are proud to sponsor this event and to support the property networking initiative in Leicester & Leicestershire. As a firm that has been operating in the city for over 157 years, we work extensively with our supply chain partners and have a strong commitment to the city and the county.
“We have delivered many successful projects in the city and across the region, working collaboratively with our clients and partners. We look forward to continuing our involvement in the growth and regeneration of Leicester and Leicestershire.”
The event was organised by Met Events in partnership with Team Leicester, a non-for-profit organisation that aims to provide a platform for knowledge sharing, relationship building, and business development for its members in the property sector.
Rob McGuinn, chairman at Team Leicester, said: “We are thrilled with the outcome of our first property and construction event. It was a fantastic turnout and we received very positive feedback from our attendees and speakers. We hope that this event will be the start of many more to come in Leicester & Leicestershire and continue to foster our strong and dynamic property community.”
The event was attended by the corporate executives of all the county local authorities, who are keen to showcase their areas at future events. The next Property and Construction Luncheon is to be held on March 6th, 2024, with further details to be announced in the coming weeks.
102 new homes set for Radcliffe-on-Trent
102 new homes are to be delivered in Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, after planning permission was granted for a £61m development.
Called Hackett Grange and located off Nottingham Road, the 13-acre development will include a mix of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes.
Of the 102 homes, 30 per cent have been designated to affordable housing. Avant Homes has also committed to a community contribution of £950,000 to support education and local services, and a sustainable travel plan.
Work at Hackett Grange is anticipated to start this December with the first residents expected to move into their new homes in autumn next year.
Avant Homes East Midlands Managing Director, Ben Felton, said: “Radcliffe-on-Trent’s proximity to key motorway links and strong local community means there is high demand for new homes in the locality.
“Our development at Hackett Grange will aim to satisfy this demand, so we are pleased our plans have been approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council.”
Historic Leicester city centre streets set for revamp
Three city centre streets, at the heart of Leicester’s historic Old Town, are set for a revamp with work beginning on Grey Friars.
Leicester City Council will carry out work to improve the look and feel of St Martins, Hotel Street and Grey Friars as part of its extension of the city centre pedestrian zones.
All three streets were originally made traffic-free on a temporary basis in summer 2020, as part of a range of measures to help cafes, restaurants and other businesses in the area bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The changes have helped to create new outdoor seating areas and more space for shoppers in the historic streets close to St Martins Square and Leicester Market.
Since then, the changes have proven popular with visitors and businesses and, following consultation, the city council successfully secured legal permissions to make the temporary measures permanent in August 2022.
Now, the city council is set to invest over £1million in a range of improvements to the area, to bring the popular streets up to the same standard as nearby Peacock Lane and neighbouring streets in the Old Town area, linking to Leicester Cathedral and the King Richard III Visitor Centre.
Work will begin on Grey Friars on Monday (9 Oct), where footpaths will be widened and the main carriageway raised to improve access and safety for people who are walking, wheeling or cycling. Grey Friars will be closed to all traffic during the works, which are expected to take around nine weeks to complete. Well signed diversions will be in place. Access to shops, business and homes will be maintained.
Work will pause for the busy Christmas period, before improvements begin on St Martins and Hotel Street early in the new year. This will see the main carriageway of St Martins resurfaced in high-quality porphyry stone to match streets in the Cathedral precinct. Hotel Street will be improved with a raised carriageway to improve pedestrian access and connections to Leicester Market.
Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on climate, economy and culture, said: “St Martins and the nearby Lanes are home to a great many brilliant independent businesses. It is vital that we continue to support local businesses like these by investing in high quality, people-friendly streets and spaces.
“These historic streets, at the heart of the city’s Old Town, close to the market, cathedral and Richard III Visitor Centre are also an important and popular destination for visitors to the city.
“By investing in these improvements, we will create a much safer and more attractive environment and encourage more people to walk, wheel or cycle to, in and around the city centre. We know that creating healthy streets like this can increase retail spend by as much as 30%, as well as provide cleaner air that’s good for people’s health and good for the planet.”
Council launches £300,000 grant scheme to support local economy growth
Melton Borough Council has developed the Discretionary Business Grants Fund which will see £300,000 worth of grants go to supporting business start-ups, business growth, the high street and retail sector and developing the tourism economy.
The new growth fund is utilising money that was secured through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). Through the scheme local qualifying businesses will be able to apply for capital grants of up to £15,000.
The fund has been designed to support businesses with projects that meet certain criteria, details of which are available on the council’s website. It provides opportunities for businesses in the area to access the financial support needed to help grow their business and create job opportunities for local residents. Applications are welcomed from all sectors across the borough.
Applications have opened for submission from local businesses across the borough and will close on Wednesday 1st November 2023 at 11:59pm.
Logistics hub plan knocked back
An outline planning application for a new logistics hub at St Johns, Enderby, has been rejected by Blaby District Council planning committee members.
The decision was made to refuse permission for the Enderby Logistics Hub at the meeting on Thursday 5 October.
The application, from the Drummond Estate and Inverock Trust, included plans for four warehouses, offices, gatehouses and, potentially, a training and education centre.
The hub would have been used as a storage and distribution centre with new access off Leicester Lane.
The site had been assessed and earmarked for employment use during the last local plan accepted in 2019.
However, after lengthy discussion and representations from objectors as well as the applicant, planning committee councillors decided to reject the proposal.
Councillor Lee Breckon, chairman of the planning committee, said: “While the recommendation from officers was for approval, Councillors were not satisfied with the proposals before them and the potential impact on the local community. Disappointingly, the majority decision was to refuse the application.”
Auctioneer secures wilko plant and machinery sales
Nottingham-headquartered national auction house John Pye & Sons has been appointed by the joint administrators of wilko Ltd to manage the sale of plant and machinery following its closure.
National budget homeware retailer Wilko Ltd was founded in 1930 in Leicester and comprised 400 stores across the UK. In August 2023, the retailer appointed Jane Steer, Zelf Hussain and Edward Williams of PwC as joint administrators to oversee the sale of its assets after it went into administration.
The administrators have since appointed John Pye Auctions to manage the sale of plant and machinery from wilko’s two distribution centres in Worksop – Nottinghamshire and Newport – Wales covering 1.2m sq ft and 880,000 sq ft, respectively. Comprising of pallet racking, recycling and handling equipment, all items will be sold via online auction from Newport, Wales as well as across various John Pye sites.
Everything from Godswill baling presses, waste compactors and conveyor systems to tractors, roll cages, access equipment, IT and photographic studios will be included in the lots.
Offers are also being invited for the Mecalux Pallet racking from both distribution centres, with the auctioneer already experiencing interest from high street retailers and logistics companies.
Charles Loake, associate director, joint head of John Pye Business & Property, said: “The wilko staff we have been fortunate to work with have been a true credit to the firm to the very end, supporting us with all stages of the asset removal and sale processes.
“We are always very sorry to see a long-established business facing this situation. Wilko has earned a strong reputation as a much-loved high-street retailer over the years, and we will do our best to secure the best outcomes for these assets under these challenging circumstances.
“We are also very proud that the administrators recognise us as a leading auctioneer with an extensive sales network. We have the systems and expertise to manage these assets with the highest level of efficiency through our online network. Our UK-wide footprint of over 1,000,000 sq ft of sale space and a nationwide workforce of over 700 staff ensures we can handle the largest of insolvency cases.”
The appointment is the latest in a series of high-profile retail administrations that John Pye has been brought in to manage, including MADE.com and Moore Large earlier this year.
Another deal sealed at Fairham Business Park as works commence on site
Works have begun at Plot A4, Fairham Business Park as FHP secure a deal for the 100,000 sq ft plot.
The unit will be neatly located next to the stand-alone units totalling 260,000 sq ft purchased by international property investment and asset management company, Hines and a custom built 56,000 sq ft facility for Scientific Laboratory Supplies.
The brand-new purpose-built premises will be comprised of a 95,379 sq ft warehouse with 12,292 sq ft office and welfare space over 3 storeys, situated at the front of the building. There will be 84 car parking spaces at the front of property with 10 electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.
There will also be a large service yard to rear with 10 dock levellers and 4 level access to meet the needs of the occupier. Clowes will be providing a fully photovoltaic (PV) ready frame. The unit is expected to be ready for occupation by the summer of 2024.
Tim Gilbertson, director at FHP Property Consultants, commented on the deal: “It’s fabulous to see the ongoing development of Fairham Business Park continue at pace following completion of the latest deal for a 100,000 sq ft standalone building.
“This deal quickly follows on the heels of the letting and completed building for Scientific Laboratory Supplies and will be the fifth building on Fairham Business Park with completion due and handover of keys set for mid-2024.
“The continuity of development on site is startling as TanRo will now be building out their fifth building on the site without ‘downing tools’ and we hope, with ongoing discussions with a number of parties for further buildings on the site, that they can continue building well into mid-2024 and beyond without a break.
“This says something about the fantastic transport links of Fairham Business Park and its positioning outside of Nottingham’s workplace parking levy and I am confident that we will bring forward new occupiers and news of further details in the near future.”
Ben Hall, director at IMA Architects, added: “It’s fantastic to see the next phase being brought forwards at Fairham to deliver this unit for a bespoke occupier, and having seen the changes on site over the past 18 months the next phase will continue the fantastic progress the business park is making.
“IMA Architects are delighted to continue the relationship with Clowes Developments with regards to this next phase and look forward to seeing work progress.”
University receives £1.4m grant to develop fintech hub for the East Midlands
The University of Nottingham’s Inclusive Financial Technology Hub (INFINITY) has been awarded a new £1.4 million grant from Research England to develop a fintech hub at the heart of the city.
The Hub will contribute to developing the next generation of financial technology start-ups and firms by creating a pathway for university-inspired research to give rise to early-stage commercialisation ventures in financial services.
Provided by Research England’s Connecting Capability fund, the grant is designed to support levelling up and contribute to the UK’s tech sector. The Hub aims to become a focal point for Nottingham’s thriving financial services sector.
The award will fund the creation of an agile pathway for commercialisation of financial technology research, taking early-stage research-inspired commercial propositions on a journey to being realised as live commercial prospects.
Concurrently, it will provide training and support for academics at an early stage in the commercialisation journey, overcoming the barriers to engagement. The Hub brings together an existing ecosystem of three leading Midlands-based universities with financial technology expertise (Nottingham, Birmingham and Warwick).
Situated on the University’s new Castle Meadow Campus, the hub will co-locate alongside Nottingham University Business School and local businesses, including KPMG, who are relocating their Nottingham office to the new campus. Castle Meadow Campus will create a unique environment in which students and businesses creatively engage and innovate together.
Professor John Gathergood, the co-director of INFINITY, said: “We are delighted to receive this support from Research England, which will allow us to work with businesses to develop a unique environment in which university-inspired research can be translated into next generation financial services.”
“It is brilliant news to hear about this new grant from Research England. We hope this grant will allow the INFINITY hub to expand on its work and strengthen the university’s ties with businesses and offer great opportunities for our students in Nottingham,” said professor Jane Norman, provost and deputy vice chancellor at the University of Nottingham. Businesses come together to empower Nottingham’s future with support for Epic Partners
Countryside Partnerships, the mixed tenure developer, has joined forces with partner Gatehouse Investment Management and groundwork contractors C3 Construction and ATD to provide £4,500 of support to Epic Partners, a dedicated charity focused on enriching the lives of disadvantaged children in the Nottingham Area.
Epic Partners is an influential charity in the Nottingham community, acting as a vital conduit between local neighbourhoods, families, and educational institutions.
Operating under the shared vision of fostering a brighter tomorrow, Epic Partners offers physical activity packages to schools addressing both physical and emotional well-being. It also holds regular community events and projects, both during school terms and holidays, bringing people together and breathing life into Nottingham neighbourhoods.
Pete Bewley, Chief Executive Officer at Epic Partners, said: “Investing in the well-being of our children and youth is an investment in the future. Thanks to the incredible support from Countryside Partnerships, Gatehouse Investment Management, C3 Construction, and ATD, we are empowering the next generation in Nottingham.
“Their generous donation of £4,500 to Epic Partners not only enriches the lives of disadvantaged children but also nurtures a brighter future for our community. Together, we are building a foundation of hope, happiness, and opportunity through youth activities that will echo positively for generations to come.”
Lee Parry, Managing Director, North East Midlands, Countryside Partnerships, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with our partners and contractors to offer this support to Epic Partners.
“The charity’s commitment to inclusivity dovetails with Countryside’s partnership model, providing high quality mixed-tenure developments that deliver positive social impact for the neighbourhoods in which we work. We share both vision and commitment to working with and supporting local communities in the Nottingham area.”
Paul Stockwell, Managing Director of Gatehouse Investment Management, said: “A major focus at all of our locations is the creation of thriving communities, where everyone is welcome and able to take advantage of the local amenities.
“Epic Partners is a fantastic organisation, helping to extend these benefits to as wide a range of people as possible, and as such it is a huge pleasure to be supporting its work in Nottingham.”
Sam Adams, technical director, C3 Construction, said: “C3 Construction are proud to work together with Countryside Partnerships to support Epic Partners. The services and activities that Epic Partners provide are now more important than ever and we wish them continued success into making a real difference in the community of Nottingham.”
Work starts on affordable housing development in Market Harborough
Platform has begun work in Market Harborough to offer more affordable housing opportunities.
Construction company Lindum are building 38 homes on the site at Naseby Square following planning permission being granted by Harborough District Council. The development will have a mixture of homes available for rent and shared ownership.
Representatives from the three groups attended the site recently to mark the start of the work and see how the plans will be brought to life.
Platform’s Chief Operations Officer Marion Duffy was in attendance and told the group: “It’s fantastic to see work starting on this site and we are grateful to both Harborough District Council and Lindum Group for their work in getting us to this important stage.
“The plans represent the opportunity to deliver affordable housing for the area that will go long way to helping people get the foundations that come from having a place to call home.”
The homes are due to be ready in the Spring of 2025.
