Nottingham City Council’s Leader Neghat Khan and Chief Executive Sajeeda Rose have welcomed a progress report issued by Government-appointed Commissioners to oversee improvements at the authority.
The Leader and Chief Executive say that the report outlines the significant progress the Council is making but that there is still much work to do to bring about the change needed.
“Commissioners have highlighted the firm cooperative working relationship they have with the Council and that we have welcomed them constructively and established a positive and productive approach to engaging with them.
“They have also said that, as new Leader and Chief Executive, we have faced up to the challenges that the Council must tackle in full acceptance of the reality of the difficulties and have a declared resolve to overcome them.
“The fact that Commissioners have so far not needed to use any of the powers they have available with the full council to make change clearly demonstrates that they feel we are heading in the right direction and that we understand what needs to be done.
“But we are under no illusions about the challenges ahead, in particular that we are operating considerably beyond our means.
“Our Budget proposals for next year and our ongoing Improvement Plan will give the Council financial sustainability for the years ahead, ensuring we put our house in order and get the basics right. We want to deliver a renewed council providing the high-quality services that local people expect and deserve from us and which has an ambitious vision for leading the city forward.”
In their report, Lead Commissioner, Tony McArdle; Commissioner for Finance, Margaret Lee and Transformation Commissioner, Sharon Kemp, say that it’s possible for the Council to return to financial balance in the medium-term and can be made sustainable thereafter “by becoming substantially more efficient in its operations, through modernising and transforming the nature of its service operations and back office, optimising processes, and improving performance.”
“Services will have to change quickly as part of that process, and such change is inevitably difficult, but the solutions that we are pointing the Council towards are those which other Councils have successfully achieved in the most critical areas of delivery.
“Nottingham shares the desire of much of the sector to go beyond what is currently provided, and to expand its operations in the interests of the citizens of the city. It now recognises that it will be able to do this only when it restores its capability, embeds financial discipline, and takes advantage of learning from established best practice elsewhere to adapt to its own circumstances. Until it does those things it will continue to require exceptional financial support.
“While we are confident that what is necessary is now well appreciated at a senior political and managerial level, considerably more work is necessary to ensure that the degree of change the Council must undergo in order to become sustainable is undertaken and becomes embedded throughout the organisation.”
In a letter to the Council Leader, Jim McMahon, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, said: “I’m pleased to hear that the leadership team are committed to working with Commissioners to move the Council to a more sustainable position and improve both its financial position and its services for local residents.
“I am encouraged to see that the Council has a clear strategy set out in the Improvement Plan and are also committed to working with the recently established East Midlands County Combined Authority to reset local relationships.
“I understand that there are still significant challenges to overcome, including the identification and delivery of substantial savings and significant service reform. We want central government to be a supportive partner through this process and think that a strong relationship between the Commissioners, Nottingham City Council and the Ministry is a good example of how we can work together to support local recovery and reform.”
Derby City Council has published proposals for a balanced budget for the next financial year, making some tough decisions in the face of a very challenging financial position.
The proposed budget includes an investment of £31 million into essential services, savings of £10.2 million, and a significant contribution back into the Council’s reserves.
This will be achieved through the continued transformation of services to become more efficient and manage demand, which will mean some reductions and changes to services. Council Tax will increase in line with previous years.
The proposals will go to public consultation after the Council’s Cabinet review them on Wednesday 18 December.
The financial landscape for councils remains extremely challenging across the UK, despite the extra investment into the Local Government sector from Central Government. Increases in inflation, interest rates and prices have made it drastically more expensive to provide essential services and support Derby’s most vulnerable citizens.
Like councils across the country, Derby is particularly feeling the pressure of supporting the most vulnerable children and older people in the city, as well as rising costs for homelessness services. Around 80% of the Council’s total revenue budget is currently spent on statutory services to support vulnerable residents.
Proposals for a balanced budget include reducing the number of staff by a total of 107.93 full time equivalent (FTE) posts. Most of this is from posts that are already vacant, many of which have been empty for some time. The remaining reductions, a maximum of 37.6 FTE posts, will be made up of voluntary and compulsory redundancies.
This year’s proposals would also see Council Tax increased by 4.99%, with 2% of this ringfenced for social care.
Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Culture and Strategy, said: “Not setting a balanced budget is not an option.
“As responsible leaders my Cabinet and I have been working closely with officers and partners over the past few months to put forward proposals for a balanced budget, which best serves the city of Derby and helps us to regain some financial resilience and stability for future years.
“We’ve had to make some difficult decisions but we’re also making investments in the services that we know people want. For example, we’re putting more money into grass cutting, and for the second year running we’ve reversed the proposed reductions in our grant to the Museums Trust.
“Following our trial of free bulky waste collections this year, we’re proposing to make changes after identifying a more efficient way of delivering this. We’re also putting our Raynesway booking-free Sundays into the consultation to gain a view of how well received this trial has been.
“With a review coming to Cabinet in January, plus public consultation feedback, we’ll be able to make a fully informed decision before the final budget proposals go to full Council in February.
“We hope that the Government settlement for this year is the beginning of giving councils more funding certainty in future years. This budget is the start of getting us into a position of sustainability and resilience.
“Make no mistake, this has been the Council’s most difficult budget. After years of cuts and underfunding from central Government we’ve had to take the toughest decisions to get us back on track.
“I would strongly urge you to take part in our budget consultation, to help us make an informed decision in how we balance our budget.”
Councillor Kathy Kozlowski, Cabinet Member for Governance and Finance, said: “We’re managing our finances as best as we can under continued, and increased pressure on our budgets.
“Demand for services and costs are continuing to rise beyond our forecast, particularly in social care and temporary homelessness. This is affecting councils across the country – it’s not unique to Derby.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to optimise our service offer, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions that will impact our workforce. While these changes are necessary to ensure we stay sustainable in the long term, they have not been taken lightly.
“No one comes into local government wanting to make these difficult decisions, but I believe that these budget proposals demonstrate our commitment to our city and its citizens – prioritising the care of our most vulnerable, continuing our ambition for our city and pushing forward with technology to improve efficiency and value for money.”
The developer of a major new Midlands solar park has unveiled a multi-million pound partnership that will lead to British steel being exclusively used to construct the site.
Great North Road Solar & Biodiversity Park, near Newark, would produce enough clean energy to power every home in Nottinghamshire.
The site’s developer, Elements Green, has announced a new multi-million-pound partnership with Pro Renewables which will also help to create a further jobs boost for the local area.
“This partnership means GNR Solar & Biodiversity Park would be the largest solar development in the UK to use mounting frames constructed using only British steel,” said Mark Noone, UK Project Director.
“And not only does the deal with Pro Renewables mean we are committed to using only steel made in the UK, but British labour will be utilised to manufacture our mounting frames – creating new job opportunities in Newark and Sherwood.
“These are part of our wider commitment to ensure that the benefits of the development can be felt in more ways than just cheaper bills and a healthier planet.
“We are determined that the site will leave a positive legacy – be it in the local economy or the environment – and this partnership is further evidence that Great North Road will enhance this area.”
An estimated 6,637 miles of steel would be used for the site, enough to stretch from London to Kuala Lumpur, while the gross weight of 32,655 tonnes is the equivalent of three Eiffel Towers.
The steel will be produced at a UK electric arc furnace due to come online in 2027 when construction on the park is scheduled to commence, before becoming fully operational two years later.
And Mark said that using British steel will further enhance the park’s eco-credentials, adding: “Using electric arc furnaces will substantially lower carbon emissions during the steel’s production, as blast furnaces are among the largest emitters of carbon.
“Buying British means not importing steel, which helps reduce the project’s carbon footprint in the transportation of materials, which will lead to significant savings throughout the process.
“UK energy bill reduction is harder to achieve if we don’t purchase Asian solar modules, however, UK steel is competitive for manufacturing mounting frames. This helps us strike the balance between backing British business and bringing down energy bills.”
In addition, using British steel will lead to an estimated 650 fewer HGV movements due to onsite manufacturing.
Not only will Great North Road create around 400 jobs during the construction phase, but the new partnership will lead to a further ten roles due to onsite manufacturing, with Pro Renewables training local recruits from the Nottinghamshire area as part of that process.
John Hardman, Mark Noone, Brian McGhee
“Pro Renewables is delighted to partner with Elements Green on the GNR Solar & Biodiversity Park Project,” said Brian McGhee, the company’s Managing Director.
“We are working together to develop innovative solutions to manufacture the solar frames required for such a significant project.
“By using British Steel together with advanced manufacturing, we can significantly reduce the project’s carbon footprint whilst reducing the number of vehicle movements required which will benefit local towns and villages.
“Wherever possible we will look to the local workforce to recruit and train employees to be involved in the manufacture and construction of the solar frames for the GNR Project.”
Currently Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park is in the pre-application stage.
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead. It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.Here we speak toSeb Saywood, investor at BGF, the growth capital investors.
2024 has been a year of significant political change – change that has naturally brought with it uncertainty for regional businesses. This, in turn, has influenced decision-making and raised questions about whether businesses should go full throttle on growth or take a more reserved approach to expansion.
Despite announced tax rises that will have a material impact on many businesses, now that we are past the ‘Budget cliff edge’, companies can focus on the year ahead with more clarity and focus. There’s no doubt that this kind of certainty positively influences deal activity.
Against a backdrop of National Insurance Contribution (NIC) rises, we expect businesses to focus on productivity more than ever in the next 12 months, with ambitious management teams grasping the challenge, while others may choose to retrench. This could translate into more investment from businesses into tech/AI and automation, which could manifest in a broad range of industries from manufacturing to healthcare and retail.
From a deals perspective, tightening margins due to tax rises such as NIC, will intensify the pressures being felt by some businesses. Some will successfully pass it on with inflationary consequences. Others will be tipped towards exit. This could present acquisition opportunities to those wanting to consolidate and generate synergies and economies of scale. CGT changes could also have a knock-on effect on M&A, resulting in increased activity in the short to medium term, as people look to realise the value of their investment – completing cash-outs, or selling up entirely.
Ultimately, regardless of these influencing factors, high quality management teams and strategically valuable assets will always be attractive to investors. When it comes down to it, the vast majority of entrepreneurs are driven by something more than tax.
Influential business leaders from Derby and Derbyshire were granted an exclusive preview of The Cavendish Building, which is set to be the home of Derby Business School in 2025.
The special guests – all University of Derby alumni – were invited to tour the new £75 million Business School building, currently being built in the heart of the city centre.
During the visit they heard about plans for the new building from the University Chancellor William Cavendish, Earl of Burlington, how it will be a focal point for the business community, and further strengthen the University’s links with industry.
The seven-storey building will also provide a space for Derby’s business researchers and academics to engage with businesses from across the region and around the world.
Alumni Andrew Jackson is the chief executive of Upbeat Communities; a charity working with refugees in Derby. He studied his undergraduate degree at Derby, before completing an MBA at Derby through the apprenticeship route in 2022.
He said: “The University is fantastic and is making a significant civic impact in the city. It’s great to see the development of The Cavendish Building. The building itself is innovative, and it is so important that students will be able to learn in the city centre alongside businesses.”
Matthew Crawford is the leader of Embark Federation; a trust of 23 primary and secondary schools across Derbyshire. He graduated in 1998 after studying for a Bachelor of Education.
He said: “I had a wonderful experience over the three years I studied at the University of Derby. Particularly I had great support in what was a challenging time during my second year, and the University were well ahead with the care I received to help me complete my degree.
“I am excited for the opening of The Cavendish Building. It is fantastic to see the University having a presence in the heart of the city and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Derby Business School will partner up with local businesses, and to see how Embark Federation can continue its partnership with the University of Derby in the future.”
Dr Nicola Lynch, Head of Derby Business School at the University of Derby, added: “This is such an exciting time for the University as we prepare to open The Cavendish Building, so we were delighted to be able to invite our inspirational alumni to have an exclusive preview of the School’s new home.
“The new building will be such an inspiring place of study for future generations of business talent, providing an environment for students, academics and industry partners to collaborate, innovate and address environmental, social and governance challenges, positively impacting society at a regional, national and global level.
“This event has been a fantastic opportunity to share our vision with our alumni and we hope to further strengthen our relationships with those who are having an impact on business in the city and beyond.”
Commercial fire and security alarm specialists Tecserv UK has announced the retirement of its founding director Grahame Tilley after 24 years with the company.
Grahame founded Tecserv UK Ltd in 2001 based on his passion to provide expert advice on fire prevention and building security. Over the years the company has grown from a start-up to become a multi-million pound enterprise with a £9m turnover that counts a myriad of local businesses as well as many high profile buildings and brand names as clients.
These include St Pauls Cathedral, The National Trust, M&S, Pinewood & Shepperton Studios, NHS, Harvey Nichols, B&Q and The Ritz & Bvlgari hotels.
In September 2022, Tecserv UK transferred ownership of the company to its employees following the completion of an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). This provided Grahame with an exit strategy and rewarded employees for their many years of loyal service.
The EOT gave employees a direct interest in their future and has resulted in greater productivity and innovation which last year led to Tecserv UK posting its best ever set of financial results.
Commenting on his retirement, Grahame said: “Tecserv UK was established on the premise of delivering exceptional customer service, quality products and support from an expert team of fully qualified engineers who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
“We have thrived on these early beliefs, and I am really proud that they are now firmly embedded in our culture. The succession plan has successfully come to fruition, and I am confident the next phase of Tecserv’s incredible journey is in the safe hands of the senior management team and our team of fantastic employees.”
Following Grahame’s retirement, Neil Berrisford will assume the role of Chief Executive, Colin Milligan will become Chief Operating Officer, and Catherine McHugh will take on the position of HR & Finance Director. Supporting them is a robust management team dedicated to driving the business forward.
Commenting on behalf of Tecserv UK, Colin Milligan added: “Grahame has been an exceptional leader and the fact he chose an exit strategy that rewards those who have helped him grow Tecserv reflects his integrity and how much he cares for his team.
“He is a generous and charismatic person who gains the immediate respect of everyone around him. He will be sadly missed but should also be incredibly proud of his achievement and that his legacy is a business that has a hugely loyal team, a highly regarded industry reputation and solid financial foundations.”
The UK’s economy shrunk unexpectedly in October.
According to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), GDP (gross domestic product), a key measure of economy growth, declined by 0.1% month on month – below expectations of 0.1% growth.
This follows a fall of 0.1% in September.
It reflects dwindling and declining output across all three key sectors, with production output falling by 0.6% in October, due to drops in manufacturing, and mining and quarrying output.
Construction output, meanwhile, dipped by 0.4% in October and services output showed no growth.
Ben Jones, Lead Economist, CBI, said: “Following these disappointing figures, businesses will be glad to see the end of 2024. Nevertheless, firms remain hopeful that things will improve in the New Year.
“It may take a few more months for firms to work through the impact of the sharp increase in employment taxes outlined in the Budget and adjust their hiring and investment plans accordingly. But businesses can probably still look forward to a steady, if unspectacular, economic recovery next year as the impact of the inflation shock fades and interest rates come down further.
“The Government can support business confidence by accelerating measures that could restore some headroom for investment. These include delivering flexibility to the Apprenticeship Levy, preparing a faster timetable to reform business rates and working in full partnership with boardrooms to develop a long-term modern industrial strategy that can provide the stability and certainty needed to unlock innovation, investment and grow the economy.”
Card Industry Professionals – the Grimsby-based card payment solutions provider – has been acquired by Shift4, a US-based company that is a global leader in payments and commerce-enabling technology, listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The deal provides an exit for Mercia Ventures, which backed the company in 2022 using funding from the first Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF) and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). It achieved a 2x return on investment.
Card Industry Professionals provides card terminals, point of sale and online payment solutions to thousands of SMEs such as retailers, hair salons and hospitality venues.
The business was founded in 2017 by award-winning young entrepreneur Ciaran Savage, who was joined by his mother, Lyn Savage, as Operations Director, and John Selby as Sales Director, both of whom have many years of experience in the UK payments industry.
The company now employs a 20-strong team in Grimsby, has a nationwide network of over 150 sales agents and processes over £60m worth of transactions per month.
Ciaran Savage, Founder and Managing Director, said: “We are excited to be joining the Shift4 family. We are committed to upholding the company values and best-in-class service customers have come to expect from us and are confident that this acquisition will allow us to improve upon those service levels, while offering even more value in the form of new benefits, incentives and product offerings.”
Maurice Disasi of Mercia Ventures added: “We’re delighted to have supported CIP on its growth journey. Ciaran and the team have built a business with first-class customer support and Shift4 now has the benefit of adding a strong and well-respected team here in the UK as part of their global operations. We wish the team continued success.”
Cerelo in Leeds provided corporate finance advice to Mercia and Card Industry Professionals, Marshall & Co Chartered Accountants in Hull provided financial due diligence support, with Wilkin Chapman in Grimsby providing all legal support and guidance.
The delivery of a third phase of new council homes has reached a significant milestone, with a contractor being appointed and work now starting on site.
Mansfield District Council appointed Mercer Building Solutions following a competitive tender process to undertake the construction of 77 affordable homes off Centenary Road. The contractor is also delivering social housing, on behalf of the council, on the Bellamy estate.
The £18 million project has been conducted in three phases known widely as Poppy Fields. So far, on the site, a total of 84 new homes have been built and are occupied by council tenants.
In 2012, the council received £1.3 million from the government’s Care and Support Specialised Housing fund and 64 homes were developed as part of the first phase. The authority then received a further grant of £420,000 for Poppy Fields phase 2, which saw the delivery of a further 20 mixed-use properties, completed in 2016.
In August, the Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Finance, Cllr Craig Whitby, took the delegated decision to accept a further £2.7m from Homes England to build an additional 77 properties in the area.
Phase three works started on site in late November and are due to be completed in summer 2026.
Councillor Anne Callaghan, Portfolio Holder Housing, said: “We are really pleased that this flagship social housing scheme is now moving at pace.
“All the homes will be built to a higher specification than is currently required, to be in line with expected new housing standards, and to make them flexible living spaces that can adapt to tenants’ changing needs over their lifetime.
“These homes will not only offer an excellent quality of life for the tenants who will live in them; the council’s new procurement policy means the scheme will also provide work and supply chain opportunities for local people and businesses.”
The development off Centenary Road (formerly Brownlow Road) is the third and final phase of this major council project to clear an area renowned for poor quality, low demand, empty housing, and anti-social behaviour.
The new 77 homes will be mixed residential, offered at affordable rent, and owned by Mansfield District Council. 47 of the properties have been designated for older people, a mix of apartments and bungalows, and 30 will be for general needs, a mix of apartments and houses.
The council’s in-house architects have designed the new homes to align with government carbon reduction targets and the Future Homes Standard, which is expected to be adopted nationally by 2025. This approach to new social housing has been adopted for other council housing projects, including at Bellamy Estate and Fritchley Court in Oak Tree.
The standard requires new homes to have low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency. An average semi-detached house produces 75% to 80% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than one built to current building regulations.
Mercer Building Solutions is also working on the council’s £7m regeneration scheme on the Bellamy estate, which recently saw work begin on the foundations for 22 new social homes.
Katy Mercer, Director of Mercer Building Solutions, added: “We are delighted to continue to work in partnership with Mansfield District Council. Due to their foresight, we are delivering high specification, energy efficient homes for the future, which far surpass current regulations.
“Similar to our scheme on the Bellamy Estate, we will continue to focus not only on the quality of the build, but also on social value. We will ensure the local community not only benefits from these new homes, but also benefits in terms of local employment, local spend and support of local community projects, during their construction.”
Fish processing specialist Arctic Fish Products has ceased trading and fallen into administration.
Jamie Miller and Gareth Harris of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed Joint Administrators of the business on 4 December.
Founded in 2005, Arctic Fish Products Limited operated successfully in Grimsby for many years processing, packing and storing fish for a strong customer base.
Administrators were appointed after the company experienced significant cash flow difficulties due to material bad debts with key customers, along with the related impact on future trading prospects.
This led to the company’s directors consulting RSM UK for advice to address these cash flow difficulties and to protect the company’s assets for the benefit of all creditors.
Unfortunately, the cash flow position was irrecoverable and the company was placed into administration. The company ceased trading and staff were made redundant shortly prior to the administration appointment.
Jamie Miller, RSM UK Restructuring Advisory Partner and Joint Administrator, said: “It’s a very unfortunate time for the business and its employees but the recent sudden loss of turnover left the Company with no option other than to effect an insolvency process.
“We are assisting employees to ensure that they recover their entitlements in respect of any arrears of salary, holiday pay, pay in lieu of notice and redundancy.
“We are also working closely with the directors and other stakeholders in order to realise the Company’s assets for the maximum amount possible.
“This includes the Company’s desirable trading premises and plant and machinery, with interested parties advised to make contact with us as soon as possible. We are hopeful of securing a material return to the Company’s creditors.”
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