- Alessandra Amico-Jones – Alessandra Amico-Jones EFT
- Chris Bartley – Towcester Carpet Cleaning Company
- Leah Campbell – The Inclusive Strengths Co
- Callie Early – Ace Decluttering
- Milly Fyfe – No Fuss Meals For Busy Parents
- Brendan Gilbert & Harry Evans – TwelveTwentyFive
- Stephen Hodgkinson – Affordable EV Charging Solutions
- Nicola Kay – Kay Howard Tutoring
- Zoe Laughton – Laughton Young Consulting Limited
- Roddy Lloyd-Jones – LJPhotostop
- Tessa McAndrew – Remidy Clinic
- Francis Robertson-Marriott & Ralph Major – The Cool Classics (TCC)
- Aveline Rust & Aprille Russell – Glam-Start Hair and Beauty Academy
- Davit Sikharulidze – Mavis Technologies Limited
- Vicky Skinner – Animal Focused
- Gareth Watson & Sarah Watson – Procare Clean
- Adrian Watt – Brackley Ewaste Recycling
- Michelle Westgarth – Wootton Wellness Counselling Services
West Northamptonshire entrepreneurs awarded business grants
18 entrepreneurs from West Northamptonshire have been awarded business grants of £2,000 from the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire’s (BIPC) Build Your Business initiative.
This project has received £374,600 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allocated by West Northamptonshire Council who host BIPC Northamptonshire for the county.
Build Your Business sees the potential entrepreneurs participate in various business support sessions, designed to help strengthen their business and enable them to establish sustainable new enterprises, followed by the opportunity to secure seed funding.
The successful grant winners of the first round of grants are:
Revised plans lodged for prime Derby riverside site
Wavensmere Homes and Wilson Bowden Developments have submitted revised plans for the redevelopment of one of the final plots of vacant land within Derby’s newly revitalised Cathedral Quarter. 195 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments are now proposed for the Full Street site, within a redesigned finely detailed u-shaped nine-storey red brick building.
The revised plans address concerns from stakeholders, with a reduction in the height of the proposed development tabled to bring it within the confines of the extant office planning permission.
The top/ninth floor has been redesigned with a discreet glazed curtain wall, set-back by 1.5m to create full roof terraces. The stepped roofline – and loss of four apartments alongside the riverside elevation – will enable the proposed development to blend in with the existing adjacent residential building.
The revised dwelling mix introduces studio apartments and two-bedroom duplex homes, along with fully glazed cantilevered balconies to all plots overlooking Cathedral Green and the River Derwent.
The 0.2Ha site is bounded by Full Street to the west and the River Derwent to the east. Measuring approximately 50m wide by 50m long, the site was previously occupied by a police station, which was constructed in the 1960s and demolished in 2013.
Phase One of Wilson Bowden’s Full Street development was completed in 2016. It includes the refurbishment of the Riverside Chambers office complex, delivery of 46 new apartments at Number One Cathedral Green, and a Premier Inn hotel.
This remaining parcel of land had been earmarked for an office development of up to 100,000 sq ft, but is instead being brought forward by Wavensmere Homes for an apartment scheme, benefiting from a waterside location, with views of the 16th Century Derby Cathedral and its 212ft tower.
Also lying adjacent to the site is the Museum of Making at the restored Derby Silk Mill, which re-opened to the public in 2021. The Full Street residential development proposals are designed to complete the jigsaw of this prime Derby city centre site by providing dual aspect landscaped public realm over Cathedral Green, whilst enhancing activity at street level.
Nottingham-based Franklin Ellis Architects has drawn up the revised plans, inspired by the traditional architecture and heritage assets within the vicinity.
In addition to the apartments, 2,000 sq ft of mixed-use space has been accommodated at ground floor level to overlook Cathedral Green and Full Street. A range of uses are earmarked for this space, including a new café and residential facilities such as a gymnasium, co-working zone, and concierge point.
James Dickens, Managing Director of Birmingham-based Wavensmere Homes, said: “This challenging brownfield site occupies one of the best locations within Derby city centre and benefits from rich views of the Cathedral Quarter and the River Derwent.
“It has been vacant for 10 years and the opportunity to create an exemplary development, reflective of the prime gateway location is exciting.
“Our proposed scheme will help towards Derby City Council’s target to provide a minimum of 11,000 new homes throughout the city over the coming decade.
“By appropriately densifying this derelict brownfield site within such a prized and popular city location, we will create highly energy-efficient homes for well over 250 people who will then spend their time and disposable income locally.
“We look forward to continuing to work with Derby City Council’s Officers, Councillors, and wider stakeholders, as our revised plans are considered.”
The plans for the Full Street site include two communal staircases, courtyard car parking provision and secure bicycle spaces. The latest green energy features will be incorporated into the design for the new homes, to enable a high EPC rating to be targeted, whilst exceeding the new Part L building regulations.
The scheme will promote sustainable development through the use of low carbon materials, modern methods of construction, and renewable energy generation via roof mounted solar PV panels.
Matthew Branton, Managing Director of Franklin Ellis Architects, said: “Throughout the design process, our team has been conscious of the need for this proposed development to carefully close the wider urban block and positively front Full Street, Cathedral Green and the waterside, improving the safety, attractiveness, and animation of the adjacent public areas.
“We have taken a context led approach to a layered facade design, incorporating quality detailing and a refined material palette, whilst paying homage to the surrounding architecture and heritage assets, ensuring the Cathedral is always the star of the show.
“Since first submitting plans last October, we have spent considerable time refining the design and generating these revised plans, which address stakeholder feedback.”
Eight-figure investment works complete for logistics firm
Midlands-based contractor, G F Tomlinson, has completed the latest scheme for Ascott Transport Limited (ATL) at their Midlands Hub in Foston, Derbyshire, as part of a major eight-figure investment project.
The development, which is the second project that G F Tomlinson has constructed for ATL, includes a new 127,000 sq ft warehouse with 14 loading bays, offices, welfare rooms and external concrete yards and roads.
The modern facility will enable ATL to meet increased demand from both new and existing clients as part of their strategic expansion plans.
The first phase of the development, which allowed the company to almost double its Midlands operating capacity, included a 190,000 sq ft high-bay warehouse, three-storey gatehouse, high-spec offices, workshop, outside storage, and parking facilities.
The addition of the new warehouse not only expands ATL’s operational capacity but also cements its position as a major logistics and storage hub in the Midlands.
Technological innovations within the building included the warehouse’s internal floor, which was designed and constructed with no joints, to facilitate the smooth movement of semi and fully automated MHE throughout the warehouse.
The development also boasts a number of sustainable features including photovoltaic panels, which will generate enough solar power to sufficiently supply the warehouse’s energy requirements, and their recent investment into electric trucks, along with 400mm thick walls and roof to create a thermally stable warehouse and increased insulation to the office areas.
During the project, a pre-cast retaining wall was infilled on-site using surplus soil, reducing waste and transportation costs. An attenuation pond adjacent to the warehouse was also created to hold the site’s surface water to prevent flooding.
Andy Sewards, Chairman of G F Tomlinson, said: “Building on our long-standing relationship with ATL, it’s been a privilege to be part of the next phase of their growth plans. We’re pleased to have reached this completion milestone, which reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality projects that contribute positively to the communities we serve.”
Pete Ascott, Managing Director of ATL, said: “G F Tomlinson have been a consistent partner for us throughout this journey and both phases of the development have been a great success. The second phase adds a further 21,000 pallet storage capacity to our portfolio so now, with the development complete, we can begin our extensive growth plans and support our clients with industry leading quality warehousing space.”
Just not cricket – community farm fears for future as academy ground gets green light
An award-winning community farm and wellbeing centre which has been described in parliament as a “point of light” in supporting some of Northamptonshire’s most vulnerable individuals is under threat as the proposed cricket ground for Northamptonshire’s academy, women’s and disability sides appears to have been given approval.
The proposed site backs on to New Manor Farm in Moulton where Sol Haven, which hosts wellbeing projects, particularly for people who have experienced hardship, has been based for nearly a decade.
Sol Haven is co-founded by Sammuel Yisrael and Natasha Caton and provides sessions in rural skills, growing food, eco-therapy, meditation, nature-based arts and crafts, and cooking, which is led by Natasha, who is a Michelin-trained vegan chef.
Natasha experienced various addictions and homelessness at a young age, and partnered with Samuel, a long-time community volunteer with people who are disabled, have learning disabilities or are living homeless, to create a project that could help people grow and recover from adversity by connecting meaningfully with natural surroundings.
As well as being officially recognised by the then prime minister Boris Johnson, Sol Haven has collected a raft of awards for its work in supporting vulnerable people, including the Lush Spring Prize for social and environmental regeneration.
However, with plans for the new facility seemingly moving forwards, co-owner Natasha Caton said traffic and fans travelling to matches would disrupt the calm the farm provided and also potentially have a major impact on local residents.
“This came pretty much out of the blue to us. In fact, the first we knew about it was when someone mentioned it on Facebook,” explains Natasha.
“There will undoubtedly be an impact on the way we run things here as we are proudly seen as an oasis of calm, peace and tranquility for our users, many of whom are very vulnerable and have been signposted to us from local stakeholders from within the care sector.
“Also, this is far from an issue that is just going to potentially impact Sol Haven. There are environmental impacts in terms of flora, fauna and biodiversity and also the impact of noise and traffic. There appear to be plans for parking on the new site but it won’t take much of a leap to find the little roads around the area are soon full of cars.
“Right now we are processing what this all means whilst trying to focus on supporting our users but finding that balance is a battle all of its own.”
Co-owner Sammuel Yisrael adds: “These are worrying times as previous works have caused issues already with the building of a housing estate built on the field behind. It appears that a lot of waste from there was dumped on a piece of land that was earmarked for community use.
“This has caused flooding on to the farm fields and into Sol Haven and also made the school playing fields unuseable. This has a massive impact on the children in the neighborhood.
“We are concerned that any additional development could make this sorry situation worse and also promises for keeping community space will not be honoured as seen with this other building development. What is critical right now is a plan that engages with the local community and their needs.”
East Midlands manufacturer delivers first project in tertiary education sector
Mansfield-based Deanestor has delivered its first project in the higher education sector – providing fitted furniture for the Clarice Pears Building which houses the University of Glasgow’s School of Health and Wellbeing.
Built by Multiplex and designed by AtkinsRéalis, the £50m facility on the University’s Gilmorehill Campus brings together five academic teams from different locations across Glasgow. This has created a single multi-disciplinary centre for world-class research into improving health and reducing health inequalities.
The building is named after Clarice Pears, the mother of the founders and trustees of the Pears Foundation which donated £5m towards the building’s construction.
Deanestor fitted out 42 rooms across five storeys, manufacturing more than 700 items of fitted furniture and joinery at its factory in Mansfield. These included the main reception desk in the entrance atrium, purpose-designed tables and benching, informal booth seating to encourage social interaction and quiet study, storage solutions, kitchenettes, and worktops.
William Tonkinson, Managing Director of Deanestor, said: “This scheme, uniquely, utilises our experience of delivering fitout contracts for state-of-the-art hospital and laboratory projects and also multi-school campuses that promote a high level of collaborative learning and social integration.
“We are really proud to have contributed to this wonderful building that has created such an exciting global centre of research excellence.”
The choice of natural materials for the interior included extensive use of wood finishes to help promote a sense of naturalness and calm in the building.
Bespoke, full height seating booths in a maple wood finish with brightly coloured seating according to the zone, add to the aesthetic impact and were also manufactured by Deanestor.
The booths were provided in different sizes and configurations and incorporate acoustic treatment with padded upholstery above head height to create a canopy that promotes quiet working in the inclusive study spaces. Each was fitted with power, data and charging facilities.
Other booth-style seating arrangements were designed to encourage collaborative working and study whilst incorporating good acoustic performance with the use of upholstered screens.
The Clarice Pears Building is a prominent feature on a new central university square and accommodates over 8,000sqm of research, engagement and teaching space. It will be used to host workshops and knowledge exchange events, as well as to develop new multi-disciplinary postgraduate courses.
New care home set for Derbyshire town following sale of development site
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold a development site with planning permission for an 81-bedroom care home in Clay Cross, Derbyshire.
The scheme, delivered by Minton Care Ltd, has been prepared for an 81-bedroom, three-storey care home development with an anticipated GIA of circa 4,568 sqm, equating to 56.3 sqm per resident.
The care home has been designed to comprise a number of resident amenities including all en suite bedrooms, a range of lounge and dining spaces, a hair salon, a gym, a library, a cinema and activity room, a café, and landscaped gardens.
Following a confidential sales process by Christie & Co, the site has been purchased by LNT Care Developments which has plans to complete the home in 2025.
Keeley Sharp, Strategic Land Director at LNT Care Developments, says: “We are delighted to be developing a 66-bed LNT care home in Derbyshire this year.
“Once complete in Q2 of 2025, the luxury facility will provide a much-needed choice of quality care for the surrounding communities whilst complementing our existing and emerging pipeline within the region.”
Sara Hartill, Associate Director – Healthcare Investment & Development at Christie & Co, says: “After a competitive marketing process, we are delighted to have sold this market-leading site in Clay Cross, Derbyshire, to LNT.
“The site benefits from a superb location within the town and will undoubtedly provide excellent care for the local community. We look forward to visiting the finished scheme in due course and working with Minton Care Ltd going forward as they bring further quality care development opportunities to the market.”
The development site was sold for an undisclosed price.
Major milestone for new student accommodation scheme in Derby
Members of the development team and key stakeholders came together to celebrate the topping-out of a new student residential scheme in Derby.
The scheme, which is being developed by the Derby-based Berry Group, comprises of 44 student studios on the corner of Slack Lane and Uttoxeter Old Road in the city.
The topping-out ceremony marks the milestone of reaching the highest point in the construction of this project, which involves the erection of a contemporary three-storey student block with a GDV of circa £5m+.
The scheme represents the group’s first new build student accommodation venture in Derby. Clearing of the site commenced in January 2023 and was followed by ground-breaking ceremony in May 2023.
Construction work is progressing as planned, with the building expected to be completed by the end of July 2024, ready occupation in September 2024.
Commenting on the topping out event on the Slack Lane site, Sam Berry, director of Berry Group, said: “Today’s topping-out ceremony is an immense step towards the completion of our exciting student residential scheme in Derby.
“The team have worked extremely hard to ensure this scheme will create contemporary student accommodation which enhances the local residential area.”
Director Sarah Clowes added: “Today’s event signifies a major milestone in the Berry Group’s on-going commitment to driving positive change and growth in Derby’s property landscape. We look forward to delivering high-quality accommodation for the city’s students.”
Ashfield businesses offered support to go green
Help is being offered to Ashfield firms who want to reduce their energy bills and look for greener alternatives to running their business.
The Accelerator project aims to encourage local businesses to make the vital steps towards decarbonisation and net zero.
It is being funded through Ashfield District Council’s £3.2 million allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber.
The project signals a new era of local place-based support for the District and, as well as reducing energy costs, aims to help businesses improve productivity through innovation and digital technology, and develop through new overseas markets and workforce upskilling.
Net Zero support under the Accelerator project includes:
• 1-2-1 consultancy – developing a comprehensive energy and premises audit which includes a review of a business’s energy and fuel consumption. A site visit will involve an Energy Saving and Improvement Opportunities (ESIO) audit using equipment such as cameras, infrared temperature sensors, energy monitors and temperature data loggers. Information collected will be collated into an energy savings opportunity report.
• Training – including a newly-launched and accredited Carbon Literacy course. Delivered as two half-day online sessions, it allows delegates to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to develop responses to lowering their organisation’s carbon footprint, typically by 5-15% per certified participant.
John Bennett, Executive Director Place, for ADC said: “It is fantastic we can offer support like this to help businesses go green. Ashfield District Council is committed to achieving net zero by 2030 and we want to do everything we can to encourage companies across the District to play their part too.
“Our UK Shared Prosperity Fund is funding a huge range of support, training, and upskilling for residents and businesses in Ashfield. The Ashfield Accelerator just one of these initiatives and I would urge local businesses to get involved and take advantage of this great opportunity.”
Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber, added: “There are so many reasons why a business should consider more environmentally-sound practices. Consumers and businesses are becomingly increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their purchases, and businesses that show they’re attentive to this can differentiate themselves from the competition.
“More than that, there are small and often inexpensive changes that can be made to reduce energy consumption and improve bottom line as a result. I would urge any Ashfield business looking for guidance on where to start, to engage with one of the Chamber’s business advisers who will be able to make arrangements for support.”
Local businesswoman in final line up for two national awards
A local businesswoman has reached the national finals of two prestigious awards schemes that recognise the positive impact that small businesses have on the nation’s economy.
Rachel Hayward is the founder of Ask the Chameleon and specialises in producing funding and commercial procurement applications and business award submissions for ambitious East Midlands micro, small businesses, and Third sector organisations.
Since the business launched in 2015, ATC has secured a total of £117m in contracts, with potentially a further £100 million contract values in the pipeline, as well as numerous high profile awards for clients.
She has been named the East Midlands self employed/freelancer of the year in the 2024 awards organised by the Federation of Small Business (FSB) which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Rachel will now attend the national final in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens on May 9 alongside the other regional winners from across the UK.
Ask the Chameleon has also reached the national final of The Small Awards which are a nationwide search for the smallest and greatest firms in the UK, across all sectors.
The awards are organised annually by Small Business Britain, which champions, inspires and accelerates the nation’s 5.5 million small firms and the winners will be announced in London on May 16.
Rachel explained: “I am obviously delighted to have won the regional FSB award and being part of an impressive line up of business people for the national award is a huge honour.
“Having now been shortlisted for the supply chain champion category of the Small Awards, I hope that May will be a double celebration.
“I wanted to enter these awards to highlight the typical characteristics of the self-employed and freelancers who need to be motivated, flexible and resilient to achieve their goals and to showcase that this has been particularly important during and post pandemic when most of us were ineligible for support that other businesses relied on for survival.”
Rachel continued that her passion was to support SMEs in the region: “Although SMEs are the lifeblood of the economy, most do not have the capacity to bid for tenders to secure their own growth or do not feel they would be judged able to deliver public sector tenders.
“By working in collaboration with my SME clients and providing services such as a monthly tender alert, I am able to unlock opportunities and level the playing field for them so that they can successfully navigate the complex procurement landscape to grow their businesses.”
Strong year as Microlise Group sees revenue growth and increased profitability
Microlise Group, a provider of transport management software to fleet operators, says it “performed well” in 2023, delivering double digit revenue growth and increased profitability.
In audited results for the twelve months ended 31 December 2023, the Nottingham firm saw an increase in total revenue to £71.7m, up from £63.2m in 2022.
Microlise said growth in the period “was a result of continued strong demand from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers and increased revenue from direct customers towards the end of the year as an improvement of new vehicle availability in H2 enabled the Company to deliver against its record orderbook.“
Recurring revenue, meanwhile, was up 11% to £45m, ahead of market expectations and supported by the renewal of several major customer contracts and new customer wins.
Moreover, profit before tax grew to £2.5m, up from £1.4m in 2022.Nadeem Raza, CEO of Microlise, said: “Microlise performed well in FY23, delivering double digit revenue growth, increased profitability and strong cash flows. During the period, we secured the renewal of several major customer contracts and significant new logo wins.
“We are continuing to build a resilient business to deliver sustained, efficient growth having made three key acquisitions that have enabled us to improve and expand our product offering.
“Our focus remains on scaling our business and increasing margins through consistently improving the efficiency of our business. With the supply chain issues in the first half of the year now fully behind us, and with a strong order book and healthy pipeline, we look forward to 2024 with confidence.”
