Rayner Davies Architects have completed the refurbishment of Whitegates in Worksop on behalf of Autism East Midlands.
The £1million development on Sparken Hill has been created by the charity specifically to provide short-term accommodation. The service will run year-round to provide autistic individuals with specialist support, whilst providing their families and carers with a break.
The building has been carefully transformed to create six self-contained apartments, each with its own lounge area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. While staying there, individuals will also have access to a shared outdoor gym and to the extensive grounds that surround the house.
Originally built in 1898, Whitegates was a large villa designed by Flockton, Gibbs & Flockton of Sheffield for Arthur Staniforth Esq, a local stockbroker. The building has been thoroughly modernised with many of the original features retained and restored.
Vaughandale Construction of Mansfield undertook the work.
A Northampton-based asbestos management company has appointed a significant new hire for the business.
Acorn Analytical Services has announced Sam Savage as its new commercial director.
Sam joins the business from an asbestos consultancy in Daventry where he worked for more than 20 years, working his way up from a trainee right through to contracts director and then commercial director.
In his new role with Acorn Analytical Services, Sam will looking after the sales function of the business as well as managing the day-to-day client care.
The appointment can be regarded as a bit of a reunion with Sam having worked with fellow directors Neil Munro, Paul Knights and Ian Stone more than ten years ago.
Sam said: “I am absolutely delighted to be starting a new position as the commercial director at Acorn Analytical Services and working with Ian, Paul and Neil again.
“Acorn is a fantastically successful business with ambitions to grow further in the coming months and years. I can’t wait to get started and work with the team to realise those ambitions through managing the whole commercial aspect of the business and getting to know our clients and their needs well.”
“We have known about Sam joining the business for some time now and is great to finally get this piece of news out there,” said Neil Munro. “We are very much looking forward to working with him again and seeing where we can take Acorn with Sam on board driving the commercial side of the business.”
Ian Stone added: “Sam is a fantastic hire for Acorn and we are genuinely excited to have him on board.
“With his 20+ years of experience in the asbestos industry, he will be a real asset to the company. Add to that, that we have previously experience of working with Sam, we know he will fit right in with the team and our clients.
“We can’t wait to see what he can bring to the company in his new role as commercial director.”
Nottingham-based digital workflow firm Intoware has appointed a new marketing manager to support the next phase of its growth. Elenor Gordon joins from Ochiba Business Solutions, an SAP Business One reseller, where she was marketing manager for seven years.
In her new role, Elenor Gordon will lead Intoware’s marketing and brand activities as it continues to expand its global client base, reseller partnerships and develops its digital work-instruction platform, WorkfloPlus that empowers the frontline workforce through ‘connected working’.
Elenor Gordon brings to the role more than 25 years of delivering strategic marketing campaigns for businesses, of which 14 years were working within the technology and software industries using her creative skills to deliver business growth. At Ochiba Business Solutions she was responsible for targeting various markets including manufacturing, marine, energy, construction and aerospace.
Her career began at Kingston Business Communications Ltd, where she split her time between the IT and marketing departments. It was there that she realised the importance of technology for operating successful marketing operations and the value of bringing a logical approach to problem solving that she has used throughout her career.
Intoware’s Chief Executive Officer, Keith Tilley, said: “We are delighted that Elenor is joining us at this time of rapid growth. The business landscape has changed dramatically since the pandemic, we have seen significant growth as businesses have accelerated their adoption of smart digital workflows to deliver more agile and cost-efficient industrial operations. Elenor’s experience and marketing knowledge will no doubt cement our market position and help maximise new opportunities.”
Elenor Gordon added: “Intoware has led the way in digital workflow innovation, opening up new markets by helping clients to reap the benefits of digital connected working. I’m pleased to be joining Intoware at this time, it already has an impressive client list and great reputation, so I’m looking forward to building its brand through a powerful mix of both the analytical and creative sides of marketing.”
UK-based film production company MARV Studios has approached Derby City Council with proposals to develop a state-of-the-art film studio and stunt training facility in Derby.
The academy would be purpose-built and include a film studio; a fitness and rehabilitation centre, which would include a publicly accessible gym and sports facility; and a stunt training facility (Europe’s first).
The anticipated £13million investment in the site is expected to generate economic and social benefits of over £12million a year, including local economy and supply chain spend, job creation at the academy, and a significant increase in visitors to Derby.
The proposed site for the new studio is the former Aida Bliss factory, in Chester Green.
Derby City Council’s Cabinet is expected to meet in June to discuss the proposals from MARV – who are creators of global blockbusters like Kingsman, Stardust and Rocketman. Proposals would see the former factory site sold to MARV to develop and repurpose the historically significant building, that has been vacant for almost 20 years.
Councillor Chris Poulter, leader of Derby City Council, said: “This is an immensely exciting prospect for Derby, and a very different suggested use for the Aida Bliss site.
“MARV Studios would be a fantastic media brand for us to attract to Derby, putting us on the map as a key player in the creative media sector. Of course, it would also contribute significantly to our aspirations to diversify the local economy and regenerate the city centre.”
The Aida Bliss site was acquired by Derby City Council in 2018 to enable the construction of a new flood wall as part of the ‘Our City Our River’ (OCOR) scheme. This was completed and proved its worth straight away in the flood event of November 2019.
More recently proposals for 74 new homes were drawn up and shared for consultation, with residents being asked their views on the plans. A planning application for the housing scheme is still anticipated but has not yet been submitted.
Any sale of the site to MARV would be subject to planning permission being secured.
“We’re keen to attract the best possible solution for the site, and any final decisions will of course be taken through the Council’s Cabinet to discuss. We will be arranging an opportunity for local residents to learn more about these proposals and will confirm the arrangements for this shortly,” said Councillor Chris Poulter.
Residents will be able to ask any questions about the proposals at a drop-in session on Wednesday 1 June between 1.00pm and 3.00pm, at St Paul’s Church Hall on Seale Street.
Damien Walters, a spokesperson from MARV Studios, added: “The academy will provide new studio space for MARV, the production company behind the Kingsman film franchise, and other leading international film and TV productions. In addition, it would accommodate Europe’s first stunt training academy, and also provide a National Centre of Excellence in areas of tumbling, trampolining and martial arts and Parkour.
“Core to delivering the Centre of Excellence will be the opportunity for a wide range of local people and organisations to use the facility – from school children in Derby to world-class, high-performance athletes – this will support grassroots and community sports, as well as elite athletes and Olympians.”
Councillors have approved plans for work to get underway on Nottingham’s new Central Library in July, creating a landmark development at the heart of the city’s regenerated Southside.
The replacement for the old Central Library on Angel Row will be ready to open to the public next summer after the work to turn the building into a modern library has been completed.
The City Council’s Executive Board was told that a number of assessments of the design and affordability of the scheme have been carried out and that careful management of the city’s property portfolio and successful sales have allowed £10.5m to be identified within the council’s capital programme for the work.
The work involves turning the shell of the building – part of the new Broad Marsh Car Park and Bus Station complex – into a modern library, and so also involves installing new floors, lifts, electrics and plumbing.
The new library, spread over three floors and fully accessible via lifts, will feature a high-quality children’s library with an immersive story telling room, extensive book collection and comfortable areas to sit and read. Other amenities will include:
Feature book walls and shelving to display a large collection of books
Free wi-fi and free access to computers, laptops and iPads
A café & ground floor reception area which can be converted into a performance space
Specialist and rare collections room for local study material
Learning lab for special activities and school class visits
Meeting rooms
Exhibition space
Creative design areas
Business Intellectual Property Centre for the city.
A new Central Library is one of the key elements of the regeneration of the city’s Southside area. The new library building is surrounded by transformed streets, with extensive pedestrianisation, planting and seating offering pleasant places to walk, cycle and relax.
Similar work is also planned for Collin Street alongside the new library to become fully pedestrianised, with a new plaza planned to link through the demolished section of the former shopping centre to Lister Gate and the city centre beyond. A masterplan is in place outlining a vision for the Broad Marsh site, including green space, an enhanced entrance to the City of Caves attraction and a mixture of housing, retail and leisure uses.
Providing a new Central Library was considered as part of a Libraries Needs Assessment looking at the whole of the library service, which identified it would play an important role in delivering part of the city’s overall offer – a view supported by feedback in the public consultation. Many residents used the Central Library as well as their own local library and valued the special function it plays in supporting the whole service.
Artist’s impression of the new Central Library reception area
City Council leader, Councillor David Mellen, said: “I’m really pleased that this key development in the regeneration of the city’s Southside can now go ahead. We have been committed to providing a new Central Library that meets modern needs and expectations, and while for a number of reasons it has taken a little longer to get to this stage, it’s exciting that work can get underway in a couple of months.
“This will be a bright, state-of-the-art facility with a fantastic children’s library and some great features such as an immersive story telling room using the latest audio visual technology to help bring books alive.
“A new library like this will help to attract people to an area where we are making excellent progress with regeneration work. Previously traffic-choked streets are becoming pleasant pedestrian-friendly areas to relax and linger, and the library with its café and other great amenities will play a key role in bringing people into the city.”
General view of the building which will house the new Central Library
ilke Homes has craned into place the first factory-built home on a site in Beeston which was formerly owned by Network Rail.
In 20 months, ilke Homes has secured the site and achieved full planning permission.
The speed at which the modular housing company has been able to achieve these milestones was one of the main reasons why it was chosen to deliver on the 2.2-acre site by Network Rail.
In partnership with emh group, a housing association, ilke Homes is delivering 42 affordable homes on the vacant brownfield site next to Beeston station.
ilke Homes contracted with Network Rail, the owners and infrastructure manager of the railway network in the UK, in July 2020.
ilke Homes is acting as a full ‘turnkey’ developer as part of the deal. This means emh group purchased a complete development sourced and delivered by ilke Homes.
All of the homes are being precision-engineered along production lines at ilke Homes’ 250,000 sq ft factory in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire.
Tom Heathcote, executive director of development at ilke Homes, says: “It’s great to reach yet another milestone at the site in Beeston, where we have worked closely with Network Rail and emh group to bring forward a parcel of brownfield land for the development of much-needed housing.
“This development, once complete, will prove to be an exemplary case study of how offsite manufacturing can breathe new life into public land via the delivery of well-designed communities that are connected to transport hubs.”
Robin Dobson, group property director at Network Rail, says: “As one of the most strategically important sites in the UK, we are proud to have created a partnership with ilke Homes on the redevelopment of this brownfield site, to enable the delivery of affordable-led modular sustainable housing in this growing region, putting transport infrastructure at the very heart of the development.
“This is a partnership that focuses on the Government’s strategy to accelerate the rollout of modular sustainable housing to drive local economic growth.
“It’s a project that demonstrates the pivotal role our railway can play in unlocking sites which deliver growth. We’re delivering it through a public and private partnership, an approach we’ll be looking to replicate in other towns and cities across the country. It will provide long-lasting benefits for the local community and the region.”
Chris Jones, executive director of development at emh group, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with ilke Homes enables us to regenerate this brownfield site to deliver much needed, high quality modern homes for local communities. This is part of our wider plan as a strategic partner of Homes England, to create places where people feel proud to live, and thrive.”
The furlough scheme brought in by the Government during the COVID-19 pandemic did not just save millions of people from unemployment and economic hardship, but may have had a lasting effect on the ways in which their employers allow them to work in the future, according to a new report.
Introduced in March 2020, and further modified in July that year to allow for a part-time furlough option, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) enabled organisations to reclaim up to 80% of the wage costs of employees who could not work during the pandemic.
Successful in avoiding mass redundancies during a time of crisis, the scheme may also have ongoing benefits, according to the first wave of a survey conducted by Cranfield School of Management and CBI Economics which found increased employer openness to and knowledge of how to facilitate part-time working.
A ‘fundamental’ change in perceptions
Data from whole-organisation representatives and line managers in 208 UK businesses was collected in February this year and showed that the flexible furlough scheme – which enabled employers to bring staff back to work on a part-time basis and for them to be furloughed the remainder of the time – has impacted employers’ perceptions around working practices, increasing openness to part-time working and other forms of flexible working as viable options for their business.
Key findings include:
Post-pandemic, 62% of line managers in the survey said they were ‘more willing’ to consider employee requests for part-time working.
Almost all (96%) said they were more flexible about where their employees worked, and 87% about how they scheduled their working hours.
Over half of the organisations surveyed expected remote and flexible working to increase in their organisation over the next two years (60% and 58% respectively). A significant proportion (46%) also expected part-time working to increase.
Almost half (45%) believed the use of flexible furlough has helped line managers learn how to design and manage part-time working more effectively.
Similarly, 46% believed line managers have learned how to better match resourcing with periods of peak demand for their business activity as a result of using the flexible furlough scheme.
Prior to the pandemic, most part-time working came about as the result of employee requests, with a proactive approach to recruiting new employees considered a secondary benefit.
Of these initial findings, the report’s authors write: “As working practices settle into a ‘new normal’, there are indications that the shock caused by the pandemic, as well as use of the furlough scheme and adoption of more flexible working during the pandemic, will have lasting consequences on working practices going forward. The survey reveals a mindset of greater adaptability, with line managers more willing to consider requests for part-time and other forms of flexible working.”
Working less than full time
Part-time working is an important feature of any labour market, offering greater choice in working arrangements for employees and widening participation in employment for those unable to work full time. It also brings benefits for employers, helping them retain existing employees and attract new ones, and cover extended operating hours and periods of peak demand.
Pre-pandemic, Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows just over a quarter (26%) of UK workers worked part time, some to meet their employer’s needs, and others to allow them to better balance their work with the requirements of their life outside employment.
‘Encouraging’ findings
Anna Leach, deputy chief economist at the CBI, said: “It is clear that the CJRS has been more than just a ‘bridge to the other side’. Both the scheme and the pandemic itself have fostered, even accelerated, large shifts in the nature of work and attitudes towards it.
“We know that the future of work is a key priority for our members, who are conscious of their employees’ renewed focus on work-life balance and desire for more flexibility around the location and organisation of their work, against the backdrop of a very tight jobs market.
“These findings show that changes in working practices, and attitudes towards them, are very much underway. It is particularly encouraging to see that this shift in attitudes is associated with positive financial situations for companies, with the majority of the organisational representatives surveyed reporting that the financial wellbeing of their organisation was good or very good, and expected to remain positive over the next two years at least.”
Professor Clare Kelliher, professor of work and organisation at Cranfield School of Management, said: “The flexible element of the furlough scheme effectively marked a ‘forced experiment’ in part-time working for many employers that had little previous experience of part-time working.
“As is always the case with any enforced situation, it can be a very different story when life returns to ‘normal’, but these survey findings suggest that the practical experience of trying out part-time working has helped to overcome some of the perceived barriers for employers around its feasibility and how to implement it in practice.
“This is heartening, because there is evidence to suggest that more people would like to work part-time than currently do, as well as explore options for greater flexibility in the way in which they work.”
The future of flexible working
The report, The future of flexible working: Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, was published as part of a broader research project being undertaken by Cranfield School of Management on behalf of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) which it is hoped will inform future organisational and Government policy in this area. The project is being funded by the ESRC as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19.
Raise the profile of your business by submitting a nomination for East Midlands Business Link’s prestigious Bricks Awards!
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding developments, the annual awards attract leaders from across the region and are the perfect way for businesses to promote the work they are completing and create more buzz.
Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
A highlight in the calendar, winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September,at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of opportunities to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Henry Brothers, winners of Commercial Development of the Year at the 2021 East Midlands Bricks Awards, reflected on the event: “Henry Brothers was absolutely thrilled to have won the Commercial Development of the Year award at the East Midlands Bricks for the delivery of the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus.
“The Henry Brothers story began in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and the company has grown to become a leading UK construction company. However, this award for Henry Brothers Midlands cements our position as a significant member of the East Midlands construction sector and we are very proud to have been recognised for our contribution.
“We enjoyed the informal atmosphere of the East Midlands Bricks Awards ceremony and hope to nominate projects next year, as we’d very much like to be part of the event in 2022.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
The Overall Winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 will also be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000.Find out who last year’s winners were here.
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours.
The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm.
Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region.
The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking.
Dress code is standard business attire.
Midlands-based developer Cassidy Group has submitted a planning application for a mixed-use scheme at the edge of Beeston town centre that will breathe new life into a derelict site – and bring increased footfall and economic benefit to local retailers.
Built using sustainable materials, the seven-storey mixed use scheme of retail/commercial units will feature student accommodation – meeting the needs of modern student life and freeing up a huge number of Beeston and city HMO student houses for families to move into.
The 419-bed scheme in Station Road, next to The Arc Cinema and Tesco, is a few minutes’ walk from the University of Nottingham campus and is on the tram route. The scheme is situated next to new bars and restaurants such as Ottimo and the forthcoming Beeston Social.
Sam Rose, of Cassidy Group, said: “We are excited to bring this student scheme to Beeston. Not only will students love living there – so close to the amenities they enjoy, as well as their university campus – but we are bringing a derelict site back to life.
“We feel the scheme fits well with the fantastic Beeston town centre that is emerging as a busy and exciting place to be, both day and night. We know from our research that Beeston is becoming a more desirable place for families and students to live. By providing purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), we can open up HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) for families to live in.
“By creating sensitively designed student schemes with fabulous interiors like the one we are proposing for Beeston, we know we can not only create something that benefits the local area – but also an additional student environment where people really want to live.”
Cassidy says the scheme will rely heavily on local transport. It will provide limited parking – allowing only for deliveries and disabled parking – because of the variety of public transport access through bus, tram, and pedestrian routes. It is just a few minutes’ walk from Beeston Railway Station.
The scheme will provide 318 classic studios of 16 square metres, 76 classic plus studios of 16 to 20 square metres, and 25 premium/accessible studios of between 26 and 30 square metres.
“The proposed development will attract students from the University of Nottingham. To discourage students from parking on or near the site, we will be making sure that students take full advantage of all the transport services, as well as scooters and bicycles. We will also be providing travel passes for students to use the tram,” said Sam.
“Encouraging students to use Beeston’s extensive public transport network will benefit the environment, as will the scheme’s energy-efficient design, which guarantees an EPC rating of at least ‘B’-grade, if not ‘A’.”
Figures produced by the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA) show a full-time student population of 63,000 in Nottingham in 2019, up by 22.1% since 2015. Acceptances from both universities have also been rising. Since 2015 the University of Nottingham has seen an increase in yearly acceptances of 13.1% and NTU has seen an increase of 56% in the same period.
“An independent report found that 69% of direct let beds available in Nottingham are provided by HMOs, with less than one third provided by private PBSA operators. In Beeston, with no direct let PBSA available, 100% of the direct let accommodation on offer to students consists of Beeston houses split into flats,” added Sam.
“With Beeston continuing to be popular with families, we know from speaking to local estate agents that there are few places for them to move into – so our planned first PBSA will release those houses to the people who really need them.”
The research also found that annual demand growth in Nottingham for student accommodation at 4.9% could mean a shortfall of student beds in the city of at least 6,021 by 2024.
“There are currently no live PBSA developments south-west of the University of Nottingham and so this Cassidy scheme is really needed,” added Sam.
Businessman Ross Considine, who owns the nearby Ottimo, said: “I am sure I speak for a number of retailers and bar-restaurant owners when I say that I would welcome this scheme with open arms.
“We opened our third bar-restaurant in Beeston because we could see what an amazing, lively town centre it is. In our first few weeks of opening, we have had great feedback – and have also welcomed students. This scheme will further boost local shops and restaurants and of course local transport.
“Student footfall boosts local economies, and the student spend is worth tens of thousands of pounds a year for Beeston – and that must not be forgotten. We want the town to continue to be the bustling, lively and exciting place it is.”
The scheme will be going to planning committee in July and there will be public engagement sessions for the local community and local businesses in May and June. Cassidy is working on six other mixed-use schemes across Nottingham.
A 1,933 sq m purpose built builders merchant facility has completed at the Vesuvius development off Sandy Lane, Worksop with Travis Perkins set to open in July 2022.
Property development and investment company, CEG, managed the build of the bespoke unit, which will be leased by Travis Perkins. The development will create 20 new jobs, deliver a new supply chain facility for existing local business and bring economic benefits to the area.
Will Moss, acquisition director from Travis Perkins plc, said: “We’re really excited to have secured this new two acre site in Worksop, which will be a key branch for Travis Perkins, providing a fantastic offering for our customers. It’s scheduled to open in July and this means we’ll be able to create new jobs in the community and help support Worksop’s construction workers and tradespeople with the expert knowledge and advice that they come to expect from Travis Perkins.”
CEG is currently managing the comprehensive regeneration of the 17.75ha Vesuvius site. With planning permission for more than 200,000 sq ft of employment space, the first phase of 46,000 sq ft of multi-tenanted industrial units adjacent to Asda completed last year and is almost fully let. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service also acquired land at the site and has built a new fire station.
Subsequent phases will also offer larger employment units including speculative as well as pre-let, design and build development for office, light industry, storage and distribution requirements.
Will Martin, strategic land lead at CEG, said: “We welcome Travis Perkins to this thriving business community. This brownfield regeneration has proved a success with many companies thriving on the site. It has been the largest speculative development of this scale and quality in Worksop for many years and we continue to see strong interest in the space from well-known national trade and industrial occupiers alongside smaller, local businesses.”
In 2018, supported by D2N2, CEG delivered a £5.5million package of works to create a new roundabout and access road opening up the site and remediating it for redevelopment. This makes the site easily accessible to the A60, A57, Worksop and its surrounds.
D2N2 LEP interim CEO, Will Morlidge, said: “It’s great to see that the new Travis Perkins branch has been completed and will soon be open to benefit the local community. The Vesuvius site represents an exciting landmark development for Worksop and the wider area, and we’re very proud to have supported it. The success of the site demonstrates the resurgent appetite for investment across north Nottinghamshire, supporting our collective ambitions to rebuild and grow our economy.”
Chris Proctor & Anthony Barrowcliffe from FHP and Ben Flint from Fisher German are marketing the site. Chris Proctor said: “It is fantastic news to have attracted the big name of Travis Perkins to Vesuvius. This strong brand complements an already strong line up of names at this Worksop business destination.
“We have just four industrial / trade units remaining on this first phase of the development offering from 3,750 sq ft up to 5,100 sq ft. This presents an excellent opportunity for both local and national occupiers. There are also land opportunities for units up to 200,000 sq ft. We would be delighted to talk with any businesses considering a move to Vesuvius, Worksop.”
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