Eddisons makes £1.8m property agency acquisition, strengthening Midlands operation
National property consultancy Eddisons has acquired commercial property firm Budworth Hardcastle in a £1.8m deal which significantly strengthens Eddisons’ presence in the region. The 18-strong firm operates from offices in Peterborough, Kettering and Northampton.
Budworth Hardcastle will integrate its team with Leeds-headquartered Eddisons, which has a network of 25 UK offices. The Midlands firm was established in the 1990s and has a strong reputation as a full-service agency with in-depth regional market knowledge.
The acquisition builds on Eddisons existing strength in the Eastern region where it has offices in Cambridge, Huntingdon, Bury St Edmunds and Peterborough. The combined team will be led by Eddisons director Steve Hawkins and provide a full range of property services.
Eddisons managing director Anthony Spencer said: “I am very pleased to welcome the Budworth Hardcastle team to Eddisons, which extends our footprint in Eastern England. They are a highly experienced team with a proven track record in delivering high quality professional advice. We continue to seek further opportunities for expansion across the UK.”
The addition of Budworth Hardcastle to Eddisons’ operation follows the firm’s acquisition of South Coast-based firm Daniells Harrisons earlier this year and East of England commercial property agency Barker Storey Mathews in 2019. Eddisons now employs over 360 people and is one of the UK’s fastest growing property consultancies.
Budworth Hardcastle director Mark Budworth said: “We have built up an unrivalled presence in the region through the passion of our talented team of people. We are excited to be joining Eddisons, and realising the opportunities that this deal presents.”
Derby diagnostic firm SureScreen takes part in three-way collaboration to trial monkeypox lateral flow test
A new lateral flow test that can detect monkeypox infections in humans in just 10 minutes is being trialled in London as part of a research partnership between Derby life science firm SureScreen Diagnostics, medical technology provider TestCard and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
The antibody test, which is run by using a small drop of finger-prick blood, is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe and has been developed to help contain the spread of the virus and trace its progress across the country more effectively.
So far 846 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in the UK and it has now been declared as a notifiable disease by the UK Health Security Agency, which places the onus on medical and health professionals to alert local health authorities to suspected cases.
Monkeypox, which spreads through close contact, is currently diagnosed by a PCR test with a viral swab taken from one or more vesicle or ulcers that appear on patients’ skin by a clinician, which must then be sent to the laboratory for testing.
It can take time for results to come back from laboratory testing, so having a rapid diagnostic device with a digital reader app that can be used next to the patient, and even away from the hospital via community screening, could help inform clinicians much quicker about the spread of the disease.
Building on the back of SureScreen’s 25-year history of expertise in lateral flow testing, the company has been able to develop this latest test in record time to react quickly to the need of clinicians and if clinical trials at Guy’s and St Thomas’ are successful, the tests could be ready for deployment within a couple of months.
SureScreen and Guy’s and St Thomas’ will work together with digital partner TestCard to incorporate the monkeypox lateral flow device into TestCard’s ClearScreen app, which will enable the results to be transferred rapidly directly onto the patient’s medical record and making it easier to track the spread of the disease and notify health bodies.
The monkeypox trials are the latest project in an ongoing partnership between the three organisations, who previously worked together on developing lateral flow tests and digital reading applications for COVID-19.
SureScreen’s COVID-19 antigen LFTs were the first European tests to pass the validation process in the laboratory by Public Health England last year and, as well being used as part of the UK Government’s rapid testing programme, they are currently being exported to around 60 countries worldwide.
David Campbell, a director at SureScreen Diagnostics, said: “We’re extremely grateful to be working with such a great team at Guy’s and St Thomas’ on this ground-breaking work in developing a rapid lateral flow antibody test that can be used to help monitor and understand the spread of monkeypox throughout the UK and further afield.
“We don’t expect monkeypox to be an issue anything like what COVID-19 has been, but as we learnt during the early stages of COVID-19 it is critical that quality testing is put in place quickly so we can better understand the nature and spread of the disease.
“This work also demonstrates yet another example of how lateral flow technology can play such a critical part in healthcare across the world outside of COVID-19 and it will help us to improve healthcare in the future.”
Dr Rahul Batra MD, technologies and innovations lead at the Centre for Clinical Infection and Diagnostics Research at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, said: “While monkeypox does not spread easily and there is currently not a need for mass community testing, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that emerging infectious diseases require rapid diagnostics development, effective surveillance and health information systems capable of using point of care diagnostic data for rapid and effective interventions.
“Building on the previous successful collaboration with our diagnostics and digital technologies partners SureScreen and TestCard we have been able to quickly develop and begin trialling a new point-of-care test for monkeypox antibodies.
“Our hope is that this test and others like it that we have in development will provide a mechanism to assist clinicians with rapid identification of cases, clusters, and the sources of infection sooner than previously possible, in order to provide optimal clinical care to patients and prevent further transmissions.”
Shout about your achievements at the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
Providing a prime opportunity to shout about your business’s achievements, enter the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 now!
The annual event, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
The prestigious awards attract leaders from across the region and are the perfect way for businesses to promote themselves and those they work with. Indeed winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly.
Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Henry Brothers, winners of Commercial Development of the Year at the 2021 East Midlands Bricks Awards, reflected on the event: “Henry Brothers was absolutely thrilled to have won the Commercial Development of the Year award at the East Midlands Bricks for the delivery of the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus.
“The Henry Brothers story began in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and the company has grown to become a leading UK construction company. However, this award for Henry Brothers Midlands cements our position as a significant member of the East Midlands construction sector and we are very proud to have been recognised for our contribution.
“We enjoyed the informal atmosphere of the East Midlands Bricks Awards ceremony and hope to nominate projects next year, as we’d very much like to be part of the event in 2022.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
Government asks Devco to develop new strategy to make the most of multi-billion rail investment in East Midlands
A new strategy to make the most of the arrival of HS2 in the East Midlands is being developed.
Government has given the region £1m to come up with detailed plans aimed at maximising the potential of high-speed rail, with trains coming to a new HS2 station at East Midlands Parkway and going on to Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield.
Rail Minister Andrew Stephenson has requested that the work should be managed by the East Midlands Development Company (EM DevCo), which has been set up by five local authorities to plan three major development zones – including the area around Parkway.
Announcing the decision, the Minister said: “I’m delighted to announce £1m of grant funding in this financial year for the East Midlands’ HS2 Growth Strategy.
“This work will be vital in ensuring that the East Midlands maximises the benefits the region receives from HS2 and the Integrated Rail Plan.”
The government’s Integrated Rail Plan announced in November 2021 that HS2 would come to East Midlands Parkway on a new high-speed rail line from Birmingham, with trains then joining the existing network to reach Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield.
The new HS2 Growth Strategy will examine the best ways to make high-speed trains accessible to people and communities across the region, and look at the opportunities for economic growth it offers through new development.
The strategy will also look at the potential for other rail connections to be linked up to high-speed train services, including projects such as the proposed Maid Marian Line in Nottinghamshire.
The HS2 station at East Midlands Parkway means high-speed trains will be directly accessible from a series of major road networks such as the M1, A50, A453, A6 and A42, connecting it to communities in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. It is also close to East Midlands Airport and within the East Midlands Freeport area.
It is also alongside the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station area, one of three zones whose development potential is being planned and promoted by the DevCo. The others are the East Midlands Airport area and the Toton and Chetwynd Corridor.
The Integrated Rail Plan pledged billions in investment for rail services in the East Midlands, including HS2 services, the electrification of the Midland Mainline, and looking at the potential to upgrade the East Coast Mainline, open a Network Rail station at Toton, and extend the Robin Hood line via the Maid Marian Line.
Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Ben Bradley MP, who chairs the HS2 Executive Board in the East Midlands, said: “This is really positive news and crucial to the region’s ambitious transport plans.
“The funding will help us look at ways we can drive forward wider plans for investment projects at Toton, which include better connectivity to the site such as the Maid Marian Line – which I’m delighted to say has not been scrapped and will now be pursued via this other funding route.
“Government is in fact actively talking about a Mansfield, Ashfield, Toton direct-to-London rail link, which will play a vital role in our future by unlocking jobs, housing and investment opportunities in the years to come.
“It is also a sign of trust that government has given this funding and wants local planning organisations such as the DevCo to lead on coming up with a structured plan.”
The DevCo will manage and coordinate development of the growth strategy with partners across the region, including local councils and Midlands Connect – the government-backed body that develops transport projects across the Midlands.
The work will also ensure that local master planning around stations is consistent with the HS2 growth strategy. It is expected to take two years to complete.
Richard Carr, the Managing Director of EM DevCo, added: “This is a welcome investment by government which will enable our transport specialists to develop detailed plans aimed at maximising the connectivity of high-speed rail.
“We will be looking at how HS2 can integrate with both existing transport networks and new projects planned for the future, and the potential for development around the proposed station at East Midlands Parkway.”
Chatsworth takes 15,000 sq ft unit in Bakewell to support retail operations
Litton Properties have exchanged contracts with Chatsworth for a new 15,000 sq ft warehouse unit at Riverside Business Park in Bakewell.
The unit is planned for completion in November 2022 and will be handed over in early January 2023 for fit out. The unit will be used for warehousing and support for the nearby Chatsworth Estate Farm shop and other estate retail operations.
The unit is part of a further 28,000 sq ft phase ‘Rutland Building’ currently on site and under construction. A further 5,000 sq ft unit within the building is also under offer to Bakewell Bakery who are relocating into larger and more modern premises from their existing unit on the site. Both lettings will lead to further jobs growth in Bakewell and on the site.
As part of this latest phase, it is also planned to complete the long awaited new bridge connection into Riverside from the A6 Buxton Road. Further demolition works are presently taking place on site to make way for the new access and a planned further phase of buildings.
The next phase is planned to be on site during 2022.
Riverside Business Park, Bakewell is a £25m regeneration project in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District owned and managed by Litton. It is home to a number of existing businesses including the iconic Thornbridge Brewery. There is consent for a further 60,000 sq ft approx. of space plus a Premier Inn hotel.
Mark Twelves at Litton Properties said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Chatsworth as occupiers and customers to the estate. We are really looking forward to working closely with them.
“They are an organisation we already know well and greatly admire and we are very pleased they have chosen Riverside as a home for this unit. We think it is a great fit with our existing occupiers and what we are trying to achieve at Riverside.”
Steve Haywood, head of retail at Chatsworth, said: “In our search for a new warehouse space we have remained committed to supporting our colleagues and our local community, and the facility at Riverside Park enables us to move all our operations under one roof.
“This new site will enable us to improve efficiencies of storage and picking, but more importantly it will improve the facilities for all our warehouse colleagues, with a purpose built 1,000 sq ft mezzanine level which will include colleague mess room facilities and office space.
“At Riverside we’ll be joining a number of other local businesses who are either extending on the current site or moving into new units as the area continues to be developed over the coming years.”
Sheltered housing scheme in Market Bosworth officially opened
A new sheltered housing scheme, Ambion Court in Market Bosworth, has been officially opened by the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Cllr Dawn Glenville.
The 24 one-bedroomed, self-contained apartments scheme was designed by Pelham Architects and built by GEDA Construction. Each flat has been purpose-built to accommodate the needs of tenants aged 60 and over.
The cost of the project, approximately £4.5 million, was paid for by the Borough Council with a grant of £1.2 million from Homes England.
All units boast private wet room facilities plus a balcony or patio offering direct outdoor access. The development also includes three one-bedroom bungalows. The scheme also offers a communal lounge, kitchen, dining area, library, hair salon, laundry, offices and storage suitable for mobility scooters as well as a car park with communal grounds.
Executive member for housing at the Borough Council, councillor Michael Mullaney, said: “Despite the impact of COVID-19 we are delighted that we have been able to complete this scheme and tenants are now enjoying living in this new purpose-built development.
“This has been a major project for the council, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. The opening has given all those involved the opportunity to meet residents and view Ambion Court now fully completed.”
The scheme is to be available to people aged 60 or over on the council’s sheltered housing waiting list to apply to rent on an affordable rent basis.
“A great opportunity to celebrate some of the most successful businesses, individuals and developments”: the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
With the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 drawing nearer, the East Midlands Chamber has highlighted the “great opportunity” they provide to “celebrate some of the most successful businesses, individuals and developments.”
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “From the Becketwell development in Derby to the Island Quarter scheme in Nottingham, the East Midlands is home to some of the UK’s most transformative regeneration projects right now.
“The property and construction industry has arguably never been more important to our region, yet its businesses are grappling with significant challenges resulting from inflationary cost pressures, energy price hikes and acute labour shortages.
“Yet it ploughs on regardless and, having played a key role in keeping our country going during the pandemic, is proving once again to be hugely resilient.
“These awards will therefore be a great opportunity to celebrate some of the most successful businesses, individuals and developments in one of the East Midlands’ largest industries.”
Thanks to our sponsors:
If you haven’t submitted your nominations yet, now is the ideal time.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
Establish new contacts at the East Midlands Expo
On Monday 14 November 2022 the East Midlands Expo will return, offering an ideal day for networking and business generation – meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.
An established event of over 20 years, for which Business Link is a proud partner, the free to attend expo is well targeted and aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets.
Taking place at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, the exhibition will open to attendees at 9am, with a seminar taking place between 10:45am and noon.
A special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.
For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.
To register to attend the event for free click here.
To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.
Science Park’s first company goes from strength to strength
The first company to move into Lincoln’s Science and Innovation Park has grown so successfully it is moving into its own premises.
METIS Aerospace was the first through the doors when the Science Park opened in 2017. Originally just two people, the Aerospace, Defence and Security company now has 14 staff and is undergoing a major expansion.
After 23 years flying on RAF Nimrod aircraft, CEO Tony Burnell founded the company in 2011 with the aim of developing specialist signals intelligence solutions capable of delivering real-time threat warnings.
In 2018 METIS was instrumental in the reopening of Gatwick Airport during its Drone Crisis and since then METIS has been actively involved with major airports, enabling to continue operating whilst identifying drone threats that could interfere aircraft and their operations.
“We develop Electronic Warfare Signals Intelligence solutions that detect, track and identify high frequency radio waves emitted by targets of interest. That could be anything from a terrorist organisation’s radio communications to a serious organised crime operation using drones.”
Tony, who sits on the newly formed GLLEP Defence and Security board is also Chair of the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space’s Drone Platform and Counter Drone group, said: “What has really made us unique is the many years of experience we have had in the RAF using tech in global conflicts, then testing, evaluating, and developing it. We have used these skills and our experiences of being the end user to provide our customers with better solutions, thereby building a strong business.”
METIS was eager to move into the Lincoln Science & Innovation Park as soon the Boole Technology Centre opened. “The primary driver for moving in was to collaborate with the right people to build better products. That included companies who also moved into Boole and we were right next to the University of Lincoln who we’ve been able to work with to develop emerging technologies and pulling these through into the commercial sector in short timescales. We also liked the ‘wow’ factor of bringing clients to Boole. The biggest benefit was the flexibility and understanding of Tom, the Park’s director. His door is always open, and he is a great person who’s provided support and advice throughout but, arguably more importantly, worked with us to enable the company to grow.”
Tom Blount, Director of Lincoln Science & Innovation Park, said: “We would have loved to keep Tony and his team on site but, sadly, their growth has meant that we simply haven’t the space available in such a short timescale. We will miss having them based at the Park but they remain an important part of our wider science and tech community.”
METIS is now moving to its own premises in North Hykeham which will house its offices, labs and a new manufacturing facility with space to produce drones up to a 6m fixed wingspan.
The Access Group snaps up provider of cloud-based volunteer management software
The Access Group, the Loughborough-headquartered providers of business management software for small and mid-sized organisations, has acquired DutySheet Ltd, trading as Assemble and DutySheet, a provider of cloud-based volunteer management software to hundreds of charities and public sector organisations.
The business will be incorporated into The Access Group’s Non-Profit and Education division, which delivers software that supports over 10,000 public sector, charity and educational organisations in the UK and Ireland.
Simon Baines, Managing Director of Access Non-Profit and Education, said: “The acquisition of DutySheet Ltd proves once again our dedication to supporting our customers in making a greater impact on their causes, offering end-to-end solutions that improve their core mission and operations, whether that’s greater awareness-raising, increased donations and other fundraising activity, better relationships with their volunteers, or more efficiency.
“Today’s charity leaders recognise the growing importance that technology plays as they recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. By integrating Assemble’s volunteer management system into our connected donor management software, Access Workspace for Charities, we can create an unrivalled technology proposition for the sector.
“Our continued investment into the charity sector is matched by our passion for Giving Back, including the Access Charity of the Year initiatives and The Access Foundation, which is focused on making a real difference in people’s lives by awarding grants to charities that make a valuable and measurable positive impact.”
Ben Hayes, co-founder of DutySheet Ltd, said: “Having met the team at Access we believe we have found a company with a similar ethos to our own and see exciting times ahead for our customers and all the team at DutySheet Ltd.
“We know that the organisations and volunteers that we support will benefit greatly from the broader range of connected solutions they will now have at their disposal through the integration of Assemble with Access Workspace for Charities.”
Simon Baines concluded: “Access’s strategy is to continue bringing new and innovative products to market, and the Assemble and DutySheet solutions are a natural fit within our expanding product set.
“We believe there will be a strong benefit to integrating Assemble into Access Workspace for Charities, which allows employees to collaborate easily, securely and confidently with their teams and external volunteers.
“We are also excited to work with DutySheet customers to provide support and enhancements to their solution. Adding the capabilities of DutySheet Ltd’s solutions to our current product range will play an important role as Access continues to deliver best-in-class software solutions that our customers have come to expect.”
