Nottingham engineers to play part in ground-breaking carbon capture project
Researchers in the University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering have a crucial role to play in a carbon capture project that’s just received a six-figure funding boost.
Project MONET (MOF-based Negative Emissions Technology) has been awarded £445,848 by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) CCUS Innovation 2.0 competition, which aims to accelerate the development of next generation carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) in the UK – with the aim that it can be deployed at scale by 2030.
Over the next 18 months, a prototype carbon capture unit will be designed and installed at Drax’s CCUS Incubation Site in Selby, North Yorkshire. The capture unit will utilise metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as the novel solid sorbent – a class of materials that can be used to selectively adsorb certain gases. The installed unit will demonstrate the effective separation of CO2 from industrial flue gas streams, enabling more energy efficient CO2 capture.
Nottingham’s researchers will conduct lifecycle assessments and technoeconomic analysis on data collected from test trials, which will be undertaken by University of Nottingham spin-out Promethean Particles. This data will be compared to alternative sorbent technologies, where corresponding data is publicly available, to validate the innovation of novel solid sorbents, allowing a strong business case to be built for the commercialisation of these new technologies.
Dr Orla Williams, Anne McLaren Research Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the university to be involved with a project like MONET. Not only does it expand our CCUS expertise and project portfolio, but the demonstration of such a prototype unit, which utilises MOFs as the novel sorbent materials, is expected to significantly de-risk the innovation and, in turn, pave the way for adoption in a range of point source carbon-emitting processes and industries.”
James Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer of Promethean, said: “We are extremely proud that project MONET has been chosen by the Department as one of the winners of this competition. Carbon removal is now a necessity in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change. Our continuous manufacturing process uniquely enables the production of these exciting materials at the scale and cost necessary to make them a viable industrial solution.”
UK’s first full Future Homes Standard housing development set for Gedling
Homebuilder Keepmoat is delivering the first development of new homes to full Future Homes Standard for private sale at its Gedling Green development in Nottingham. The new development includes 33 new homes at the site of the former Gedling Colliery.
Located in the village of Gedling, the development forms part of the larger Gedling Partnership Scheme with Gedling Borough Council and Homes England and will deliver sustainable, energy efficient new homes to the local area.
All the new homes at the development will feature air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, increased levels of insulation and EV charging points to achieve the new future homes regulations which are set out to replace traditional Building Regulations for new dwellings.
Alongside Homes England and Gedling Borough Council, Keepmoat is partnering with a number of specialist organisations on the development including Birmingham City University and Arcadis. Lloyds Banking Group and Leeds Building Society are working with Keepmoat in a lending capacity to support the project with green mortgage products to help make buying an energy efficient home more affordable.
Tara Kennedy, Senior Development Manager – Land and Development at Homes England, said: “We are delighted to be working with Keepmoat on this pilot which will bring the first development of new homes, built to the full Future Homes Standard, forward for open market sale. We are looking forward to seeing the first customers move into their energy efficient new homes in early 2024.”
Gedling Green is set across approximately 36 acres of land, and will provide two, three and four bedroom homes at the site of a former colliery. Forming part of Gedling Borough Council’s ambitious housing development strategy, the new homes contribute to the delivery of 950 new homes to the local area by 2028.
Tristin Willis, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat, added: “We’re thrilled to lead the way in developing homes that fully meet the Future Homes Standard ahead of it becoming mandatory in 2025. This has been made possible through our strong working relationships with our partners on this development, including Gedling Borough Council.”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE added: “It’s fantastic to see the first Future Homes development in the UK being built here in Gedling, and what more of a fitting location than right next door to our beautiful Gedling Country Park.
“We are committed to developing a borough that plays its part to tackle the climate emergency and the council has made a pledge to become carbon net zero by 2030. Homes like these which will produce up to 80% less carbon emissions than those from a standard development, will play a vital role in supporting this commitment.
“I’d like to thank Keepmoat for their continued collaborative work with our Planning Department to deliver this Future Homes Standard development to bring suitable, energy efficient homes to the borough.”
Richard Rothwell, Commercial Development Manager at Leeds Building Society, said: “The UK has some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, and building new homes like this will make a huge contribution towards reducing UK carbon emissions.
“As a lender, we are proud to support this important project and look forward to learning more about how we can make buying an energy-efficient property built to the new Future Homes Standard more affordable for customers.”
Andy Mason, Head of Housing and Sustainability at Lloyds Banking Group, added: “Supporting the drive to make the nation’s homes greener is not only a priority for Lloyds Banking Group, but a key part of helping mitigate the UK’s contribution to climate change.
“At the forefront of innovation and sustainability, the home building industry has a vital role to play in this and we are looking forward to learning about homeowners’ experiences in these new highly-efficient homes.”
Mike Leonard, Visiting Professor from Birmingham City University’s Centre for Future Homes, said: “We are delighted to partner with Keepmoat in this groundbreaking research which is vital as we enable evidence based decision making as we transition to low carbon homes.
“We will be monitoring and reviewing the construction, commissioning, handover and two years of post occupancy using interviews and sensors. We will also support Keepmoat to deliver demonstrable value and work with Lloyds Bank and Leeds Building Society to measure the economic impacts of this first at scale development of the Future Homes Standard for private sale.
“Our primary aim is to deliver high quality homes, avoid unintended consequences and evaluate the lived experience of those who are fortunate to secure one of these exciting homes of the future.”
Homebuilder swoops for Nottingham regeneration site
Homebuilder Keepmoat has completed the acquisition of a parcel of land on Thane Road in Nottingham. It sits within the brownfield land within the 286-acre Boots site, which is part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone.
The large-scale regeneration project will see Keepmoat deliver over 600 multi-tenure new homes over a period of six years, with construction due to complete in 2029. Of the 604 new homes, more than half will be delivered on behalf of Platform Housing, one of the largest housing associations in the Midlands, for affordable rent, and shared ownership.
Commenting on the acquisition of the land, Tim Beale, CEO at Keepmoat, said: “I am incredibly proud that Keepmoat, in particular our East Midlands region led by Tristin Willis, has successfully completed one of the most significant land deals of the last decade, for the delivery of new homes, in Nottingham. It is a fantastic achievement.
“For me personally, having been brought up in Nottingham and lived here for most of my life, I am delighted that we will be delivering this landmark development on this special site, which will bring much needed, high-quality new homes and significant investment to the city.
“This development will put our East Midlands region, which was established in Nottingham eight years ago, firmly on the map. It sits alongside nine other new sites that we are currently developing in and around Nottingham which will collectively deliver around 2,700 new homes.”
Tristin Willis, Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat, East Midlands said: “I am very much looking forward to working with our partners to bring this fantastic development to life, delivering new homes for the people of Nottingham and the surrounding areas and transforming this area of the city into a vibrant new community.”
Stephen Boyce, Director of Estates, Boots UK, added: “This is an exciting development for the Nottingham Enterprise Zone. We look forward to seeing Keepmoat’s vision come to life, developing new high-quality and affordable housing for people in the local area.”
The Nottingham office of National law firm Freeths LLP represented Keepmoat on both the acquisition from Boots and the forward sale to Platform.
Local construction partners come together to help fulfill Lincolnshire charity’s new HQ project
Landscape architecture practice, Influence Landscape Planning & Design, is bringing together volunteer construction and professional services partners to deliver fit-out works for Lincolnshire charity Naomi’s Garden.
Louth-based Naomi’s Garden, which provides conductive education and special education needs consultancy, has been raising funds to find a new HQ having outgrown its current centre in Manby.
The current site limits the amount of adults and children it can support resulting in its therapists having to travel the length and breadth of Lincolnshire to provide its specialist services, reducing the sessions it can deliver.
The charity raised enough funds to secure a new property on Manby Park, but is continuing to fundraise to turn the new building – previously a motorcycle shop – into a fit-for-purpose facility, where it can deliver its lifechanging services to more people.
East Midlands construction partners who have committed to providing their services, with materials needed for the project being provided at cost price, are Influence, contractor G F Tomlinson, project manager and quantity surveyor Gleeds, GBM Demolition, A + G Architects and professional services firm Knights.
The construction partners will be working together to completely transform the premises into Naomi’s Garden’s forever home. Works include raising floors, installing ramps, new windows and doors, and complete interior decoration.
When complete, the new centre will enable the charity to extend its working hours, provide group sessions and create a dynamic learning environment for all no matter what their disability, resulting in supporting 50% more adults and children each year. The building will also give them the option to run group sessions and be used for wider community use.
Sarah-Jayne Walker, lead conductor at Naomi’s Garden, said: “We currently have a waiting list of families across Lincolnshire who are waiting to benefit from the unique therapy we provide. Therefore, we desperately need our new more accessible hub to be functional, so we can continue our work and expand to help those families who are relying on us as the only service provider of our kind in our area.
“The team and I are overwhelmed by Sara’s offer to help and the professional team she has brought together are incredibly kind and we would not be able to progress with the adaptation of our new building without their knowledge and skilled services. A huge thank you to all our wonderful partners. We feel incredibly excited by what comes next.
“However, we do still need to raise enough funds to help us reach our next goal of adapting it to create our new centre. Please consider making a donation. Thank you.”
Newark-based Influence Landscape Planning & Design are chartered landscape architects, urban designers, environmental planners and arborists and offer knowledge and consultancy across a wide range of disciplines.
Managing Director Sara, who lives in Louth, contacted Naomi’s Garden during the pandemic having read about their plight and initially offered to help by providing landscaping services. That conversation continued to Sara offering to bring together a team of willing partners to deliver the works to the new building.
Sara said: “At a time when no one was feeling the impact of the pandemic quite like charitable organisations, and with Naomi’s Garden delivering such life impacting work and in my local area, the team and I wanted to help.
“The charity has worked so hard to get to this position; to have secured its new home through fundraising is a real achievement. While more money is needed to buy materials for the fit-out, the construction industry here in the East Midlands has some incredible companies and individuals who want to make a real difference to good causes. I simply picked up the phone to some of my contacts and was humbled by those wanting to support.
“Thank you to those partners and I’m looking forward to working with you all when the works start.”
Naomi’s Garden raised £160,000, which enabled them to secure the new building. Fundraising activities included hiking the National Three Peaks, a skydive, a Christmas concert, a charity ball and social enterprise company Key Fund provided the charity with a loan of £30,800 and a grant of £9,200.
The construction works to be undertaken to the new premises will cost approximately £350,000 and further fundraising and grant applications are underway to achieve this.
Chris Flint, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “As a Midlands-based contractor, we deliver projects throughout Lincolnshire that deliver life changing facilities and provide opportunities for the local communities to flourish. When Sara invited G F Tomlinson to be involved in this project, we jumped at the chance to give our support to such a worthy cause.
“Naomi’s Garden makes a real impact on the lives of many Lincolnshire families, and we are proud to be helping them, alongside other like-minded construction partners, to reach and support more people with their specialist services.”
Naomi’s Garden provides conductive education in Lincolnshire to families who have loved ones with movement disorders such as Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, Dyspraxia and Motor Delay. The charity also has a SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) specialist who works with the needs of children with autism, ADHD and sensory processing issues.
With the help of Lincolnshire County Council, Naomi’s Garden also provides free school holiday provision services including free healthy meals and enriching activities for children.
Works are due to start on the new premises in the Autumn, when the charity hopes to have the final confirmation of a funding application.
To make a donation towards Naomi’s Garden’s new premises please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/naomis-gardens-big-move?utm_campaign=p_nacp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
Ideagen to make fourth acquisition of 2023
Nottingham-based Ideagen are looking to strengthen the portfolio of solutions they offer to organizations in regulated and high compliance industries by entering into a definitive agreement to acquire San Francisco-headquartered DevonWay, a provider of compliance and operations management software to sectors such as energy and utilities, advanced manufacturing, nuclear power generation, and US national laboratories.
Speaking about the news, Ideagen CEO Ben Dorks said: “The addition of DevonWay will provide us with a very exciting opportunity to strengthen solutions for those complex high-risk industries that may have to meet the requirements of multiple regulatory bodies.
“Chris and the team have built a great solution and have supported a loyal customer base to transform how they manage their risk, quality, safety and compliance and we believe that together we can support its global growth.”
DevonWay solutions provide a complete, fully integrated, configurable product suite across environmental health and safety, quality management, enterprise asset management and workforce management.
DevonWay CEO, Chris Moustakas, said: “Joining Ideagen offers us the opportunity to scale at pace. We always knew that to take the business to the next level would require some form of investment.
“After running a highly competitive process over many months, Ideagen emerged as the clear choice. Their values, culture, strategic focus and existing client base make them a natural fit that is in the best interests of our customers, partners and employees. I’m incredibly excited by this next step in our journey.”
The acquisition is expected to close on Friday 29 September. Due to the industries and organizations DevonWay supports, and the fact that Ideagen is headquartered in the UK, the transaction is undergoing a customary regulatory review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Company fined £1.275m after man crushed to death
A Birmingham company has been fined £1,275,000 after a 26-year-old man was crushed to death during maintenance work at Mountsorrel Quarry in Leicestershire.
Luke Branston, from Leicester, died in the early hours of 21 June 2017 after becoming trapped between a conveyor and a feed hopper.
Luke’s family, who loved going stock car racing with him every weekend, say they are devastated by his passing.
The contractor, working on behalf of Branston Site Services Limited, was part of a nightshift maintenance team that was repairing a feed hopper at the Loughborough quarry, operated by Tarmac Aggregates Limited.
He had been stood on a conveyor that was located under the feed hopper and had not been effectively isolated – through cutting the power – before the repair work started.
The conveyor was then inadvertently switched on, trapping Luke against the feed hopper, fatally crushing the 26-year-old.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into this incident found Tarmac Aggregates Limited had failed to ensure the feed hopper was properly isolated before the repair work commenced. The test button on the conveyor electrical panel was not connected to the test circuit and was therefore inoperative. This issue appears to have existed for many years before the incident, meaning Tarmac Aggregates Limited failed to ensure critical defects were recorded and rectified in a timely manner. The company should have also provided a visual and audible pre-start alarm for the conveyor.
Tarmac Aggregates Limited, of Trinity Park, Bickenhill Lane, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £1,275,000 and ordered to pay £200,000 in costs at Leicester Crown Court on 27 September 2023.
HSE inspector Adrian Jurg said: “This is a devastating tragedy that claimed the life of a young man. Luke’s family have made clear the impact his passing has had on their lives and our thoughts remain with them.
“When a company like Tarmac profit from the hard work of contractors like Luke then the very least they owe him and his family is a duty to ensure he gets home safe at the end of his shift.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
This prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Alan Hughes.
Revenue and profit rise at Microlise
Nottingham-based Microlise Group, the provider of transport management software to fleet operators, has seen double digit growth as supply chain issues begin to ease.
According to unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2023, revenue grew 10.5% to £33.9m, from £30.7m in the same period of 2022. Pre-tax profits, meanwhile, increased 5.7% to £1.5m. The results follow Microlise’s first acquisition since IPO, of Vita Software for £1.86m.Nadeem Raza, CEO of Microlise, said: “Microlise delivered another strong performance during H1 2023 as we successfully executed our growth strategy. We secured new customers in our key geographies beyond the UK including France, Australia and New Zealand, expanded our customer base, and efficiently integrated our latest acquisition.
“We have successfully navigated the company through global supply chain issues and subsequent delays in new vehicle availability, maintaining strong relationships with our valued customers. We are seeing significant improvements in all these situations, which we expect to have normalised by the start of 2024.
“During the second half of the year, our focus will remain on investing in growth, expanding our product portfolio, and growing our strong customer base and geographical presence. Whilst it is sensible to look to the future with a degree of caution, given the continuing global macro-economic challenges, the Company’s positive trading performance during the period and proven ability to navigate these challenges, underpin the Board’s confidence that the Group’s performance for FY23 will be in line with market expectations.”
Kettering logistics firm enters administration
A Kettering logistics group has entered administration amidst challenging market conditions, with around 730 employees to be made redundant.
KNP Logistics Group was subject to a cyber attack earlier this year, which joint administrators Rajnesh Mittal and Philip Armstrong of FRP Advisory said had harmed the group’s financial position and ability to secure further funding and investment.
The news comes as one of the group’s firms, Nelson Distribution, has been sold. Kinaxia Logistics acquired the trade and assets of Derbyshire-based Nelson Distribution, securing the jobs of 170 staff.
KNP was formed when Knights of Old merged with Nelson Distribution in 2016 and includes Steve Porter Transport.
New business support service for Hinckley and Bosworth
Businesses across Hinckley and Bosworth now have access to a new funded business support programme, the Leicestershire Business Advice Service.
The free to access support will include start-up workshops, accelerator programmes, one-to-one advice and more to help businesses at all stages of their journey. Whether you have a business idea, have just started out, are an established organisation looking to accelerate your growth or just need a bit of advice to help with your business planning, the Leicestershire Business Advice Service will be able to support you.
The set up of this service is a partnership between the seven district councils in Leicestershire: Harborough District Council, Blaby District Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, Melton Borough Council, and Charnwood Borough Council.
Each council has funded the Leicestershire Business Advice Service through their allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Funding. Hinckley and Bosworth’s allocation was £78,478.57.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Leader, Cllr Stuart Bray said: “Businesses of all sizes in our borough will be able to benefit from the help and expertise this service can offer. This locally based business support service will give people the information, skills and connections to start-up, protect and grow their business, so I would urge companies to get in touch and make the most of this free and impartial advice.”
The service will be provided by Exemplas who are experienced in delivering business support programmes that helps small and mid-sized companies develop, communities thrive and local economies grow.
Martin Coats, Operations & Commercial Development Director at Exemplas, said: “Exemplas is pleased to bring our expertise and proven experience in economic support and development to deliver this much needed service. We’re excited to introduce a team of advisers that not only have experience in starting and running successful businesses, but also know the county well and will help businesses flourish.”
This support replaces previous EU funded programmes which have now come to an end. The Leicestershire Business Advice Service will run until March 2025.
Staveley town centre regeneration plans released
Revised proposals for the multi-million-pound regeneration of Staveley town centre have been released by Chesterfield Borough Council, following Government approval to allocate additional funding to the project.
The six-million-pound Staveley 21 project has been in development over the last year following publication of the Staveley Town Centre Vision Masterplan which received strong public support in November 2021.
The proposals – which are funded through the Staveley Town Deal – were shared at a meeting of Staveley Town Council on Tuesday night.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “We know everyone has been keen to see the council’s proposals for Staveley town centre and I’m delighted that we are now able to share these. As a package the proposals seek to enhance the town centre – opening it up for new uses that will encourage more people to visit whilst also supporting existing retailers, market traders and high street businesses.”
A range of visuals have been prepared to bring the proposals to life with a particular focus on the new pavilion building and how the marketplace will look and could be used by different audiences.
The new pavilion building sits between the Staveley Miners Welfare building and Staveley High Street. Of modern design but one that is also reflective of Staveley’s heritage, the building will form a striking new focal point in the heart of the town centre. Several uses for the building are currently being considered including as a potential site for Derbyshire County Council’s relocation of Staveley library and also for retail, leisure, and business start-up uses.
As an enlarged public open space, the marketplace will be designed as a flexible environment to support existing uses such as Staveley Town Council’s regular markets but also as a setting that can be used to host a wide range of new events to encourage more people to visit the town centre.
Tiered outdoor seating will be introduced to support outdoor theatre and open-air cinema screenings, and play equipment installed to help make the marketplace more attractive to families.
New paving, lighting, street furniture and planting will help create an enhanced atmosphere and visitor experience at any time of day or night whilst new signage will help connect the town centre with Staveley’s other visitor attractions including the Chesterfield Canal and Staveley Hall.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, continued: “Town centres across the country are changing and our proposals reflect this need to adapt. We have already secured a main contractor to deliver the project and our aim is to achieve planning permission in Spring 2024. In line with the Government’s requirements, we plan to be on site in Autumn 2024 and for all of the construction work to have been completed by the end of 2025.
“Ahead of this, we are committed to carrying out extensive engagement on the proposals to ensure that we capture the views of all stakeholders and make appropriate adjustments ahead of submitting the necessary planning application.
“We’re also still seeking applications for the shop front grant scheme which we launched in February. A total sum of £600k is available to support shop owners and landlords to make improvements to their premises.”
Ivan Fomin, chair of the Staveley Town Deal Board, said: “The delivery of the Staveley 21 project is a big first step towards realising the Staveley Town Centre Vision Masterplan which received strong public support in November 2021.
“It’s exciting to see Chesterfield Borough Council move the project forward into this next phase, which reflects the Staveley Town Deal Board’s vision and ambition for Staveley town centre.
“These are significant proposals which will ensure Staveley town centre is a place where local people and visitors will want to spend time whilst also supporting local businesses to grow not only now but in the future.”
