New energy park proposed for Lincolnshire
A new renewable energy park, which could provide power to more than 190,000 homes is being planned for North Kesteven.
The proposed Beacon Fen Energy Park will be made up of solar and energy storage and is proposed for land east of Sleaford, between the villages of Heckington and Helpringham.
Renewable Energy Company Low Carbon said, if given permission, Beacon Fen Energy Park would generate an estimated 600MW of electricity a year while also avoiding 120,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions annually.
James Hartley-Bond, director at Low Carbon, said: “We are looking forward to speaking directly with local communities about our plans to hear their views first-hand.
“We are currently planning an early engagement consultation so we can ensure residents’ feedback links into the proposals, before holding a statutory consultation which is planned for later this year.
“The UK Government has made clear its plans for the country to reach Net Zero by 2050. Its aim is to increase the nation’s solar capacity fivefold by 2035. If given permission, Beacon Fen Energy Park will be a significant step forward towards reaching this vital goal and securing sustainable energy for the country.”
The project includes building the infrastructure needed to export the electricity the energy park would generate onto the national grid. It is planned this would be via an existing connection point at nearby Bicker Fen.
Mr Hartley-Bond said: “For more than a decade, Low Carbon has been at the centre of the UK’s journey to Net Zero. Through working with local communities, we deliver renewables projects which bring about real change to ensure a cleaner and greener energy industry for all.
“The amount of electricity Beacon Fen Energy Park could generate exceeds 50MW and is therefore classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). This requires us to submit an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate.
“We anticipate the development process for the project through to DCO submission and then examination will take between two and three years. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2026.”
He added: “We look forward to speaking to residents within the coming weeks and introducing them to our proposals.”
Forterra secures £170m sustainability linked loan in multi-bank deal
Northampton-headquartered brick and concrete manufacturer, Forterra plc, has secured a £170m Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) coordinated by HSBC UK and funded by a syndicate of five banks.
The new facility refinances Forterra’s existing bank loan as an SLL, which has been jointly funded by HSBC UK, NatWest, Bank of Ireland, Virgin Money and Banco de Sabadell.
Forterra has secured an SLL to better align its financing with its long-term sustainability strategy. The SLL contains specific Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets, which include: the reduction of CO2 emissions in Forterra’s clay brick business; increasing the percentage of employees in “earn and learn” positions, where employees combine study with practical experience to gain the knowledge and skills required to pursue their career; and a commitment to reducing the group’s overall plastic consumption.
Ben Guyatt, CFO at Forterra, said: “We have an ambitious, long-term sustainability strategy in place and this new facility is a very positive step for us in support of our goals. By securing a Sustainability Linked Loan, we have greater liquidity to reinvest in our sustainability initiatives over time, as we focus on reducing our carbon impact and plastic consumption whilst positively benefiting our employees.”
Richard Bacon, relationship director at HSBC UK, said: “Forterra operates as a market-leader in an industry that relies heavily on energy consumption to deliver its products. This new deal will help Forterra reduce its environmental impact whilst creating new, positive opportunities for its employees.
“Sustainability has become a strategic priority across the construction industry, with many businesses firmly focused on building a more sustainable future. We expect to see greater adoption within the industry as leading construction businesses invest in their sustainability strategies.”
Forterra launched its sustainability pillars of “People, Planet and Product” in 2019 to guide the business’s future decision making. These include a commitment to becoming net zero carbon by 2050, improving the environmental impact of Forterra products and providing greater opportunities to employees.
Chris Dowling, head of Industrials at Bank of Ireland, added: “Bank of Ireland is delighted to continue its support for Forterra with a new Sustainability Linked Loan. The SLL helps strengthen Forterra’s ability to invest in and focus on the delivery of its ambitious long-term sustainability strategy.”
Paul Mitchell, relationship director at NatWest, said: “We are really proud and excited to have been able to support Forterra with this new credit facility. This transaction is an example of NatWest’s commitment to supporting companies such as Forterra on their sustainability journey.”
James Oliver, senior director at Virgin Money, said: “Virgin Money is thrilled to support Forterra with its ongoing growth ambitions though support with the multi banked Sustainability Linked Loan. The ESG metrics that the Group are putting in place are similarly aligned to own values and Purpose which we believe are central to everyone’s role and responsibility.”
Gary Casey, senior banker at Banco de Sabadell, said: “We are very happy to support Forterra plc in the next stage of its development. We understand and fully support the Group’s wider sustainability strategy and look forward to supporting them as they progress these important goals in the medium term.”
Further affordable homes proposed for Derby
Plans for new affordable homes in Derby at the site of the former Warwick House care home and The Knoll, Village Street will go to Cabinet in April.
This comes after plans to build more affordable homes on the little-used Drewry Lane car park were approved at March’s Cabinet meeting.
Providing new council homes is a key priority for the Council to address the large numbers waiting for suitable properties. Over 6,000 applicants were actively looking for affordable homes through Derby Homefinder as of December 2022, with particularly high demand for 2-bed properties.
A lack of suitable and available land is one of the reasons for the shortage, therefore the Council is reviewing its underutilised assets to assess their potential for redevelopment.
Warwick House care home, at Bonsall Avenue/Repton Avenue, was closed in 2021, and the now-demolished site has been identified as one for redevelopment. The proposals would deliver 22 new affordable homes on the site; a combination of one-, two- and 4-bedroom houses, all owned by the Council and managed by Derby Homes.
The Knoll is currently a brownfield site on the corner of Stenson Road and Village Street, but the proposed redevelopment would see 18 properties, a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom houses, built on the site. The area is currently overgrown and surrounded by mature trees, and ecology surveys are taking place to avoid and mitigate any impact on wildlife.
All the proposed new homes would be built with accessibility and adaptability in mind, with sufficient space to be adapted for residents as and when required.
They are also expected to meet the Future Homes Standard by reducing day-to-day carbon emissions by 75-80% and will include electric vehicle charging points as standard, contributing to Derby City Council’s target to be net zero by 2035.
A spokesperson for Derby City Council said: “Derby needs new council homes. There are over 6,000 applicants actively looking for an affordable home through Derby Homefinder and we are working hard to increase the supply in the city to ensure that everyone has access to a suitable home.
“By identifying underutilised Council assets for redevelopment, we can overcome the shortage of suitable land.
“These developments are another example of us working to achieve our goal to build or acquire around 100 new homes per year over the next 30 years.”
Both proposals will go to Cabinet in April for approval, subject to successful planning applications. Should consent be issued, work is expected to begin on site in Autumn 2023 with residents moving in by Summer 2025.
Loughborough insulation manufacturer doubles turnover and adds to board
The appointment of two new board directors has been announced at external wall insulation (EWI) and specialist render system designers, manufacturers, and suppliers, PermaRock, which operates nationally out of Loughborough.
Both longstanding employees, Nigel Watson and Kieran Loftus join the board bringing a combined three decades of experience as the company looks to double its turnover to £12 million this year. The appointments recognise the capabilities of the new board directors, who have both progressed through the business to operate within senior management roles at PermaRock.
Nigel Watson becomes operations director following a quarter century with the business. Joining the business in 1996, Nigel has held several key operational roles at PermaRock, building up targeted commercial insight to help drive the company forward.
Meanwhile, Kieran Loftus becomes logistics director, having originally joined the business more than 15 years ago. Throughout that time, he has used his extensive experience from across the textiles and waste sectors, playing an instrumental role in the growth of the business over recent years.
Sean Waldrum, Managing Director at PermaRock, who has also been with the business for 34 years, said: “Our business philosophy brings performance and experience together with quality and innovation, and this is really reflected in Nigel and Kieran’s appointments to the board. They both bring incredible strengths that help us improve and expand our services and develop our systems even further.
“It’s an exciting time for us, and we’re incredibly pleased to be able to provide the room for growth for our staff. The whole board is now made up of people who have progressed up through the business, setting us up to continue business the ‘PermaRock way’, making sure that we continually improve, while continuing to offer and exceed the levels of service our customers have come to expect from us.”
PermaRock owner Derek Horrocks said: “Having longstanding staff with the strengths to help us both improve and expand our services, while continuing to develop our systems will be central to our continued success as a business as we look to grow even further in the coming years.
“We know that our people are completely instrumental to the success we are seeing as the demands for energy efficiency measures are skyrocketing across all markets. It’s really important to us to continually reinvest in our people, whether it’s the recent refurbishment of our office to enhance the working environment further or providing people with growth opportunities – like Nigel and Kieran.”
Nottingham Express Transit continues trajectory of recovery despite reduced post-pandemic passenger levels
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) has revealed that, whilst showing substantial recovery, as with all public transport operators across the country, it is yet to see passenger volumes recover to pre-pandemic levels.
The comment follows publication of the annual accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 by Tramlink Nottingham Limited, which operates the NET concession. The company reported a loss for the operator as a result of the impacted passenger volumes, and will be liaising with the Department for Transport and Nottingham City Council to put in place further plans to adapt its operations for the post-COVID economy.
Despite not yet reaching pre-Covid levels of traffic volumes in the last financial year, demand has continued to positively increase. The year to March 2022 saw passenger journeys recover to 9.1m, compared to 3.4m in prior years, and that recovery has continued throughout 2022 to 13.5m and around 80 per cent of traffic volumes before the pandemic. This is in line with forecast.
Meanwhile, losses for the transport operator reduced to £20.4m compared to £21.9m last year.
Tim Hesketh, CEO of Tramlink, said: “We remain in such difficult times, thanks to the longstanding effects of the pandemic, the current economic climate and the ongoing high energy costs which are posing some real challenges to our operations. It’s clear the world is a much different place now than just three years ago, and we’re committed to doing all we can to keep up with those changes.
“Nottingham remains committed to its green ambitions and our trams have played a key part in helping the city reach those goals. No one can be certain what the next few years will bring, but we’re confident the trams will continue to be an integral part of everyday life here in Nottingham. We’d like to thank all our staff, partners and loyal customers for all their support over the past year.”
Advance wins £400,000 government funding to upgrade energy performance of 51 East Midlands homes
Advance Housing and Support has been granted £400,000 by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to match its own investment to improve the energy performance of 51 homes in Leicester and surrounding areas.
The housing association applied for the second wave of funding from DESNZ’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) at the end of 2022. The grant will be spent across 2023/24 and 2024/25 to bring properties currently graded Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band D or E to a minimum EPC Band C.
Ian Gilders, executive director of housing at Advance Housing and Support, said: “We’ve budgeted to spend £16 million over our long-term business plan, to help to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the energy efficiency of our customers’ homes. We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding which gives a real boost to our immediate plans.”
Ian continued: “Our focus will be on improving the insulation of the homes, particularly on older properties where insulation of external walls is required. These measures can have a big impact, particularly on reducing energy usage and therefore costs. People with disabilities are among some of the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis so we’re pleased to be able to take action which will help to reduce their bills as well as contribute to lowering carbon emissions.”
Advance’s bid was part of a larger consortium bid known as the Midlands Net Zero Hub, led by Nottingham City Council and involved many councils and housing associations throughout the midlands. The consortium was awarded a total of £47.2m to improve social housing across the midlands. Advance is one of very few specialist supported housing providers to be successful in this bid round.
Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “This investment will help thousands of households to heat their homes for less, keep them warm for longer and could save hundreds on their annual energy bill.
“The green energy sector is growing, and this funding will support green jobs and provide the training needed to deliver these vital upgrades to homes.”
The 2019 Conservative Manifesto committed to a £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund over a 10-year period to improve the energy performance of social rented homes, on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. The SHDF is being rolled out in waves with the second wave totalling £778 million.
Housebuilder fulfills Nottinghamshire school’s reading wishes
In recognition of International Children’s Book Day (2nd April), leading housebuilder David Wilson Homes has donated a collection of books to Sherwood Junior School in Mansfield.
The donation consisted of 15 books from the school’s wish list, which will be used to create a wider selection of choice among its school library.
International Children’s Book Day, which was founded by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), is a celebration of children’s literature, aiming to encourage young people to develop a love of books and reading.
Each year a different country is chosen to sponsor the awareness day, and this year IBBY Greece has been selected.
Helen Simpson, Head of School at Sherwood Junior School, said: “Thank you to David Wilson Homes for donating these books to the children at Sherwood.
“Reading is one of our priorities and we love providing the children with new books to promote their love of reading. The children at Sherwood are excited to read these books as they are added to our school library collection.”
Titles such as the highly rated ‘Two Places to Call Home’ by Phil Earle and ‘The London Eye Mystery’ by Siobhan Dowd were among the books donated to Sherwood Junior School.
Martyn Parker, Sales Director at David Wilson Homes North Midlands, said: “Encouraging children to read and appreciate literature among the communities in which we build is something we regard as very important.
“We hope that our donation of books to Sherwood Junior School will encourage more young people to pick up a book and enjoy getting lost in a great story.”
DfE extends HGV Skills Bootcamps with hundreds more funded places in East Midlands
The Driver Academy Group (DAG) a consortium led by HGV training specialist HGVC, and comprising workforce solutions group Manpower and trade body Logistics UK, has again been awarded the lead role on the Government’s extended Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving. The scheme will train and place into work hundreds more HGV drivers across the East of England over the coming year. The training courses are available at dozens of locations in the region.
The HGV Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills. First launched in December 2021, the programme has been extended for a further 12 months until 31 March 2024.
DAG has been awarded a full extension of its original contract with the Department for Education (DfE), with scope for further expansion if capacity allows. This translates to training at least a further 2,160 individuals over the next 12 months and creating almost 2,000 new drivers into the logistics sector.
With cost being the major barrier to entry into HGV Driver training, the DfE funding offers a lifeline for both individual candidates and employers dealing with budget constraints given the cost-of-living crisis.
Within the new contract, DAG will deliver 1,300 partially funded courses. These offer employers a 70% contribution to HGV driver training through the DfE funding. In addition, HGVC will deliver 860 fully funded courses, aimed at individual candidates.
DAG’s 2023/24 programme will primarily focus on the novice training pathways, helping novice drivers gain their Category C (rigid lorry) licence, a Category C+E (articulated lorry) licence or helping those with a Category C licence upgrade to a Category C + E.
Since the launch of the Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving in December 2021, the DAG has trained around 1,400 drivers. Some 1,070 trainees have now passed their practical test and are ready to drive. In addition, 535 drivers are now in jobs and a further 400 have secured interviews.
662 of these are new drivers having now gained their HGV licence, while 457 are existing HGV drivers who have gained new skills. Qualified drivers are securing starting salaries of up to £40,000.
DAG’s existing programme secured a record number of applications from women, ethnic minorities and younger people. The consortium received more than 10% of applications from female candidates, significantly more than the 1.5% of women who are HGV drivers in the UK currently.
The group also received nearly a quarter of its applications from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority groups. Currently, just 4% of HGV drivers are from ethnically diverse backgrounds. In addition, approximately 30% of applicants were under the age of 36, a significant step forward when the average age of an HGV driver today is around 50.
The extended Skills Bootcamps in HGV Driving goes live on 1 April 2023. DAG’s scheme is open to any individual holding a driver’s license for over three years or businesses looking to upskill their existing staff.
The training courses are available at dozens of locations across the region.
James Clifford, CEO of HGVC, said: “We’re immensely proud to have been re-appointed on this hugely significant scheme. This is a major acknowledgement of our success and the positive impact that the Skills Bootcamps have had to date in getting new HGV drivers behind the wheel.
“Yet, while the immediate short-term driver shortage has abated, the long-term chronic shortage persists. As we’ve seen, thousands of people in the UK want to become lorry drivers. With further funding, we’re confident we can train even more people in the UK, close the longer-term shortfall of drivers and keep Britain moving.
“Fully qualified drivers coming through the existing scheme are ready to go straight into roles. What’s more, for employers re-considering training budgets, this is a huge opportunity to secure 70% of the funding to train up new drivers or existing staff. While the economy continues to face some major challenges, this scheme really is a lifeline for the UK’s logistics industry.”
Cubo Workspaces exceed 95% occupancy
Cubo has reinforced its position as the UK’s fastest growing provincial serviced office operator, with the news that all five of its flex office spaces have exceeded 95% occupancy.
Cubo Derby and Birmingham are currently operating at 100% capacity. It is the first time all five workspaces have reached almost full occupancy, which has accelerated the company’s planned expansion into other core cities across the UK.
Cubo has a total of 120,000 sq. ft of grade A office accommodation across its sites in Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby, Leeds, and Sheffield.
Over the past three years, occupancy levels have exceeded all expectations, with regional, national and global businesses taking advantage of the buildings’ strategic location and Cubo’s unique offering.
Plans were announced last month to open four new sites. Prime locations in Edinburgh and Manchester have been selected, alongside additional sites in Birmingham and Nottingham due to significant demand.
Cubo, which was launched by property investors Marc and Rebecca Brough, is transforming the traditional serviced office model to enable increasingly intuitive ways of working. It provides an experience-led lifestyle offer to meet the changing needs of businesses – from hot desking to a designated desk, private office, or entire floor.
Derbyshire science firm acquired by Limerston Capital
Contract research organisation Concept Life Sciences, which has offices in Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, has been acquired by Limerston Capital in a carve-out from Spectris plc.
Concept Life Sciences primarily serves the global research and development market, with clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space ranging from blue chip to virtual biotech. The breadth and depth of its expertise ranges from drug discovery and early development through to API manufacturing at multi kilogram scale under good manufacturing practice, which is delivered as a single service or as part of wider discovery and development programmes.
The company has invested significantly in its capabilities since 2020. It has developed world class biology facilities in oncology and immunology, ensuring unmatched insights into fast-growing specialty therapeutic areas and driving innovation.
Its team of around 300 accomplished scientists and over 100 PhDs operate from state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, strategically located in major science hubs across the UK, in Dundee, Edinburgh, Bradford, and Sandwich in Kent as well as High Peak.
Newly-appointed CEO Dr Ben Cliff will head the senior leadership team. He has been part of the Concept Life Sciences senior team for five years and brings a wealth of leadership experience in the CRO industry from Intertek Pharmaceutical Services supporting the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and specialty chemical sectors. His experience covers all aspects of the business including operations, sales and marketing, quality, and strategic development.
Limerston Capital is a private equity firm targeting UK businesses with EBITDA of between £5 million and £15 million. It partners with management teams to help build them into industry leaders through buy-and-build and operational transformation.
Dr Cliff said: “Limerston Capital will be an excellent partner for our business, allowing us much greater commercial and technical focus so we can realise the company’s true potential and deliver the high value service our customers depend on to support their R&D activities.”
“As well as the benefit of providing additional investment, Limerston Capital’s fully-integrated and dedicated operational and investment team will be invaluable to support the carve-out and accelerate our growth.”
Jane Grewar, Senior Operating Partner of Limerston Capital, added: “We see enormous potential for the Concept Life Sciences business which is well positioned to benefit from high growth in the CRO market, with its strong pipeline of high-value, rapidly-growing services and a focus on highly invested therapeutic areas. The company’s excellent track record, highly-skilled team of scientists and industry-leading facilities, particularly in the high-growth areas of immunology, oncology and inflammation, make it a very attractive investment for Limerston Capital. We’re excited to be partnering with such a capable team.”
