The installation of 103,000 solar panels at Wistow Lodge Farm off Fleckney Road will power 13,465 properties annually – around 30% of Harborough district’s homes – helping to tackle climate change.
In addition, the solar farm will have a planned lifespan of around 40 years and a maximum capacity of 49.99 megawatts making a substantial contribution to renewable energy generation levels. After 40 years, the site will be decommissioned and returned to its agricultural use.
Landscape enhancements and ecological mitigation such as hedgerow and tree planting and grassland enhancement will also be implemented at the site to minimise any impact of the development.
Harborough district’s biggest solar farm approved
A solar farm, which will be the largest in the Harborough district, will be created in Wistow after approval by Harborough District Council’s Planning Committee.
Ideagen receives US government approval for DevonWay acquisition
Nottingham-based Ideagen can now accelerate its plans to support more businesses with their complex health, safety and quality software needs after the acquisition of DevonWay was formally approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
The approval marks the final part of the legal process.
Ben Dorks, CEO of Ideagen, said: “I am delighted that this final legal stage is complete and we can move forward with our ambitions for Ideagen DevonWay.
“This includes introducing the Ideagen DevonWay platform to an even wider range of industries supporting them to address the evolving needs and challenges of regulation and compliance worldwide.”
Ideagen DevonWay provides compliance and operations management and is trusted by organizations in sectors such as energy, utilities, advanced manufacturing, nuclear power generation and US national laboratories.
It provides a complete, fully integrated, configurable product suite across environmental health and safety, quality management, enterprise asset management and workforce management.
Chris Moustakas, SVP of Ideagen DevonWay, added: “Joining forces with Ideagen is a thrilling next step for DevonWay. Given the increasingly complex regulatory landscapes, our shared mission is to help organizations to transform their approach to health, safety, quality, risk and compliance management. This acquisition paves the way for us to provide enhanced support to our customers, partners and employees.”
East Midlands accounting and advisory firm acquires insolvency company
East Midlands-based accounting and advisory firm PKF Smith Cooper has acquired West Midlands insolvency boutique BLB Advisory Limited as the company progresses its expansion plans, with BLB’s Director and Owner Brett Barton and seven team members also joining the firm.
The acquisition of BLB Advisory Limited sees PKF Smith Cooper’s Business Recovery and Restructuring (BRR) team gain a further 80 years of experience and expertise in insolvency and recovery solutions, as well as an additional three office locations in the West Midlands.
Brett Barton is an Insolvency Practitioner with nearly 30 years’ experience in helping businesses, specifically SMEs and owner managed firms, find solutions to their financial difficulties.
During his career, Brett has developed substantial knowledge of the West Midlands, working with business owners across the region in a wide range of sectors, with specialist experience in manufacturing, third sector, transport and haulage, retail and wholesale, and hospitality.
Brett’s new role at PKF Smith Cooper will see him continue to deliver his current services in Coventry, Hereford and Worcester, in addition to supporting the firm’s BRR partners – Dean Nelson (Head of BRR), Michael Roome and Nick Lee – in shaping and driving the firm’s ambitious expansion plans across the Midlands and UK.
Notable team members joining PKF Smith Cooper from BLB Advisory Limited include Louise Hookham, who has specialist experience in the engineering, leisure, building, property and hospitality sectors, and Senior Manager Lucy Garner.
Brett said: “I am excited to be joining the team at PKFSC and to expand their offering in the West Midlands. There are many synergies between our businesses, and I believe that, within the PKFSC brand, I will be able to provide advice and guidance to businesses across the region that is unparalleled.
“PKFSC are an experienced team with a track record and passion for delivering solutions. I am looking forward to meeting up with my network of contacts to discuss the benefits of working alongside Dean and his experienced team at PKFSC.”
Dean Nelson, Head of Business Recovery and Restructuring and Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Brett and his team to PKF Smith Cooper as we embark on this new era for our business recovery services.
“From initial conversations with Brett, it was clear he was aligned with our recovery first approach, and that his team shared our passion for helping business owners in distress to secure the best possible outcome for the future.
“Acquiring BLB Advisory Limited has strengthened our renowned team, increasing the breadth of our expertise, as well as our capacity to respond to the high demand for specialist support required from businesses struggling in the current climate.
“We are looking forward to continuing to grow our reputation as the Midlands’ leading provider of Business Recovery and Restructuring services.”
Topps Tiles sees slip in sales
Topps Tiles, the Leicestershire-headquartered tile specialist, has seen a dip in sales in its first half.
According to a trading update for the 26-week period ended 30 March 2024, total group sales were £122.6 million, down 5.9% year-on-year, against a record revenue performance in 2023.
With subdued demand in the domestic Repair, Maintenance and Improvement (RMI) sector, especially for bigger ticket projects, persisting into 2024, there was lower footfall into Topps Tiles stores, especially across the homeowner customer group. Trade customers proved more resilient, although trade sales were also lower year-on-year.
Meanwhile, trading in the Online Pure Play businesses remained strong, with good growth in Pro Tiler and positive sales progress in Tile Warehouse, resulting in year-on-year sales growth of 38.3% over the first half. Furthermore, Parkside continues to show a significant year-on-year improvement in its financial performance.
In a statement to the London Stock Exchange, Topps Tiles said: “With its market leading brands, specialist expertise and world-class service, the Group is well positioned to benefit from a cyclical recovery in the RMI market. The business remains in a strong financial position, with a robust balance sheet, and is focused on maximising market opportunities and emerging in a stronger competitive position as the market improves.”
Rowleys reveals partner promotions
Leicester-based accountants Rowleys has made two partner promotions, with Lisa Parkes and Matt Hutchinson joining the firm’s leadership team.
Lisa Parkes and Matt Hutchinson have both been promoted to partner.
Lisa is an Audit signatory for the firm and works with a range of clients from owner managed businesses to larger corporates. In addition, Lisa heads up the firm’s Charity and Not for profit sector team, an important growth area for the firm. Lisa has been with the firm for 19 years.
Matt joined Rowleys in 2014 and works with a range of businesses, many in the ‘mid-market’ space. Matt also heads up the firm’s pensions team and is a specialist in auditing defined benefit pension schemes. He is also an Audit signatory.
Rowleys’ managing partner Tom Copson says: “The promotion of Lisa and Matt to partner is testament to their continued hard work and dedication to the firm.
“At an exciting time in the firm’s growth, it is great to add Matt and Lisa to our group of partners. They both go above and beyond to provide a great experience for our people and our clients and are committed to the future development of the firm.”
Businesses still failing to meet national minimum wage rules
As the national minimum wage reaches its 25th anniversary, there continues to be a high level of non-compliance among employers, warns accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
Since the introduction of the national minimum wage in 1999, HMRC has carried out 87,000 investigations, issued £86m in fines and enforced £117m of arrears.
In February this year, HMRC named over 500 companies found to be in breach of the rules and ordered them to pay back £16m in arrears.
Since the national minimum wage naming scheme was first introduced in January 2011, over 3,200 employers in total have been identified as being non-compliant.
When it was first introduced on 1 April 1999, the national minimum wage was set at a rate of £3.60 per hour. This will have risen to £11.44 from 1 April 2024.
Based on a 35-hour working week, someone on the national minimum wage in England and Wales would have earned £5,925 in 1999/2000 after tax and NIC, whereas a worker can expect to take home £18,512 in 2024/25. This represents a 70% increase above inflation.
Paul Falvey, a tax partner at BDO, said: “While there was some opposition to the national minimum wage prior to its introduction 25 years ago, businesses quickly adapted and it’s now widely accepted.
“That said, it hasn’t always proved to be easy for businesses to comply. Just last month, over 500 businesses were named and shamed for not complying with the rules.
“While some of these breaches may have been deliberate, some employers may have inadvertently made mistakes when calculating workers’ pay. This can sometimes happen when employers fail to fully take account of actual hours worked, the cost of uniforms, salary sacrifice schemes or other voluntary deductions.
“While some businesses – and particularly those in the retail and hospitality sectors – may balk at the 9.8% rise in the national minimum wage rate coming into force…the increase will provide a welcome boost to low earners who are among those who’ve been most affected by the recent cost of living crisis.
“However, next year’s rise in the national minimum wage is unlikely to be at the same level. The Low Pay Commission is projecting that the national living wage will be between £11.61 and £12.18 in April 2025, with a central estimate of £11.89.”
Reduced paperwork for export of iron and steel to EU welcomed by East Midlands Chamber
The removal of an EU paperwork requirement for companies exporting iron or steel to the bloc has been welcomed by East Midlands Chamber.
The change is the result of talks between the British Chambers of Commerce, UK and EU officials and means companies will no longer have to produce “mill certificates” to prove the country of origin was not Russia which can be a costly, time-consuming process.
East Midlands Chamber International Trade Manager Lucy Granger said: “The paperwork needed for exporting goods to the EU and the expense of putting all that together is a frustrating burden to businesses in the East Midlands.
“For any part of the export process to be alleviated is something I welcome and it’s great that the Chamber network’s talks were able to achieve the removal of the mill certificate requirement.
“International trade is far more complex than it needs to be and while reduction of paperwork for iron and steel helps, there are obstacles in so many elements of international trade to the EU and other parts of the world.
“That’s why International Trade is one of the four I’s in East Midlands Chamber’s Manifesto for Growth 2024 that we took to Westminster in March. The manifesto highlights the areas that need government attention to get the uninhibited growth the East Midlands needs: Infrastructure, International Trade, Innovation and Investment.”
Hotel owner makes further investment in historic Uphill Lincoln
Following the refurbishment and reopening of the White Hart Hotel, owner Andrew Long is continuing to invest in Uphill Lincoln.
To add to the hotel’s portfolio, a pair of Grade II Star Listed Georgian Town Houses at 6 & 7 Castle Hill have been purchased by the Travel Sector Property Group.
These properties are just a few steps away from the hotel.
Andrew says: “No. 7, Castle Hill, known locally as Castle Square, will offer accommodation for up to eight guests (four adults and four children) to enjoy a luxury stay in a unique and enviable location. With exceptional views over Castle Square and down Steep Hill, it’s truly a local gem and a very special customer experience for leisure or corporate use.”
As well as acquiring No. 7, Andrew’s Travel Sector Property Group has also purchased the freehold investment in the adjacent Leigh Pemberton House at 8/9 Castle Hill, which is also a Grade II Star Listed Building.
Many will know this iconic property as the home of the City’s Visitor & Tourist Information Centre, which will continue to occupy the ground floor and basement areas of the building for the long-term future.
Plans will soon be submitted to create five luxury ensuite bedrooms that will also be operated as part of the adjacent White Hart Hotel.
Dating back to 1543, this half-timbered building was originally a wealthy merchant’s house, before becoming an inn. From 1899 it served as the regional headquarters of the National Westminster Bank, then undergoing extensive restoration in the late 1970’s.
More recently, the upper floors have been used as offices and Airbnb ‘holiday let’ accommodation, but is now in need of extensive internal refurbishment, as well as various ‘catch up’ external maintenance works.
Andrew added: “We will be significantly investing in the sensitive adaptation and refurbishment works for Leigh Pemberton House, ensuring that there will be an ongoing commercially viable use for this unique building, protecting, and enhancing its sustainable long-term future.
“I am personally very pleased to incorporate this iconic and historical building within my long-term investment portfolio for Castle Square and the immediately adjacent Bailgate area.”
This phase of work will be taking place before the planned refurbishment and reopening of the historic Judge’s Lodgings, also purchased by Travel Sector Property in November 2022.
Andrew is hopeful that the Judge’s Lodgings and former White Hart Garages at 2 Bailgate will be fully completed by the end of 2025, with construction work starting this Summer.
Breedon Group acquires surfacing contractor
Breedon Group, the construction materials group, has acquired Phoenix Surfacing, a surfacing contractor based in the Midlands.
It follows the integration of Minster Surfacing, based in Lincoln, which Breedon acquired in 2023, as well as the 2022 acquisition of Thomas Bow Ltd, a surfacing and civil engineering contractor based in the East Midlands.
Founded in 1991, Phoenix has over 30 years of experience in the design and delivery of highways and infrastructure projects for both public and private sector clients. The business has grown into one of the Midlands’ leading independent surfacing contractors and merchanting businesses, with an annual turnover of £23m-£24m.
James Haluch, Managing Director of Surfacing Solutions at Breedon, said: “We are delighted to welcome Phoenix to the Breedon team as we continue to focus on expanding our Surfacing Solutions business’ geographic footprint and offer for our clients.
“Phoenix Surfacing has built up a huge amount of experience over the course of its history and has an outstanding delivery team; the combination of our businesses will significantly enhance our offer in the Midlands, while also strengthening our regional surfacing, airfields and recycled asphalt capabilities across the Breedon group.”
Alistair Lauder, Managing Director of Phoenix Surfacing, said: “This is a significant milestone in our company’s history, and we are excited about the opportunities the
transaction will bring to our customers and colleagues.
“We look forward to leveraging the strengths of Phoenix and Breedon together, to enhance our overall capabilities and provide an excellent service for our customers.
“Since we founded Phoenix Surfacing in 1991, we have always focused on delivering the best customer service, supporting our people and growing our business, and Breedon is the perfect partner for us as we continue to deliver on these goals.”
Nottingham Community Diagnostic Centre designs get stamp of approval
Designs for a £25m Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) planned for the Broad Marsh regeneration development in Nottingham city centre have been officially approved by council planners.
Nottingham City Council has given the official nod for the designs for the Nottingham City CDC – a one-stop shop run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to help reduce the backlog of patients waiting for diagnostic tests.
The CDC will support GPs in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire by providing direct access to diagnostics services such as MRI, CT, x-ray, ultrasound, echocardiography, ECG, and lung function testing.
The former shops on Lister Gate – which included Claire’s Accessories, Mountain Warehouse and Holland and Barrett – will now be redeveloped.
This will involve stripping the former retail units back to the concrete structure and refurbishing the roof and plant rooms.
The new CDC plans include space for two x-ray machines, three MRI and CT scanners (although only one of each will be available in the first phase of the project), an ultrasound machine, a room for taking blood, consultation rooms, and a coffee bar.
Paul Matthew, Chief Financial Officer at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This is another important milestone in the journey to provide the people of Nottingham with diagnostic appointments more quickly and on their high street.
“This centre will be vital in reducing the number of people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire waiting too long for diagnostic tests so that they can then either have peace of mind or begin any treatment needed sooner. It will also enable patients to access these tests without needing to travel to a hospital.”
Nottingham City Council Leader, Cllr David Mellen, said: “It is great news that the Community Diagnostic Centre has been given the go ahead at the Broad Marsh regeneration site. It is especially important to see that the development will reuse part of the frame of the old shopping centre as, without this, it would have been difficult to find a suitable location elsewhere in the city centre.
“This facility will give people access to vital health services right in the centre of Nottingham, near to the new bus station and car park and a short walk from the train station, in a state-of-the-art building surrounded by new people-friendly green streets and public spaces. It will help to bring people into the area, providing a boost for businesses and creating more jobs.
“This is another exciting development happening at Broad Marsh, alongside the recent opening of the new Central Library and Collin Street play area, plus work is underway on the new Green Heart city centre park.”
The planning application was submitted at the beginning of February and went through the normal eight-week decision process before being approved.
The construction works will include removing the part of the old atrium roof which connects the building to the former Broadmarsh Shopping Centre.
