20,000ft² Mansfield warehouse sold to vehicle recovery operator
Just under 20,000ft² of trade counter/warehouse space has been sold in the heart of Mansfield.
The freehold opportunity was snapped up by the expanding Richford Motors, an Alfreton-headquartered vehicle recovery operator established in 1990.
The purchaser of the site and premises, Phil Richford of Richford Motors, said: “We are very happy with our new site in Mansfield, this site is to complement Richford Motor Services Ltd in their continuing growth and keep vehicle recoveries local to the Mansfield area, create more jobs locally and help with minimising our carbon footprint.
“The site will be fully refurbished to a high standard. We will be advertising for job opportunities to get the site up and running promptly.”
Tim Gilbertson, of FHP, who dealt with the sale, said: “My thanks to not only my longstanding clients here but also Phil Richford of Richford Motors for their assistance in
ensuring that this sale went through quickly.
“It’s another success story for us, a further building of just under 20,000ft² on a large site sold in north Nottinghamshire, reducing available stock yet again, particularly on a freehold basis.
“As we enter the summer period, there is undoubtedly better momentum in the industrial and distribution sector, particularly for freehold sales of all sizes as stock levels continue to diminish, which is great when it results from successful sales and lettings, as is the case here, but we are finding more and more parties frustrated by the lack of available options.
“Hopefully, this will change later in the summer once the holidays are over as it would be fabulous to build on the current momentum in the market and achieve more disposals before the end of the year. My thanks and best wishes to our purchaser here for his continued success and expansion.”
51,000 sq ft warehouse snapped up at Mercia Park
Scolmore Group has secured 51,000 sq ft at IM Properties’ Mercia Park scheme at junction 11, M42, significantly increasing the size of its warehouse space to accommodate its future growth.
Scolmore Group is a manufacturer of electrical accessories, lighting, home automation, security and cable accessory products. It incorporates Click wiring accessories, Ovia lighting and lighting controls, Unicrimp cable accessories, ESP fire protection and security solutions, and Sangamo heating controls and time switches.
The family-owned business, founded in 1989 in Tamworth and employing more than 350 people, will use the new state-of-the-art logistics centre to house the extensive and growing collection of lighting products from its Ovia lighting division.The Mercia 51 building, which is Net Zero Ready, BREEAM Excellent, with an EPC A rating will assist Scolmore Group in managing its own sustainability targets.
The facility, which is scheduled to open in September, includes 10 active EV charging spaces, with passive infrastructure for another 30 and storage for up to 12 cycles.
Mike Collins, Managing Director of Ovia, said: “This is a big move for Scolmore Group and an exciting one too. As a proud family business and large employer in the area, investing in Mercia 51 demonstrates to our employees, customers, and the marketplace that we’re committed to the future.
“Of course, at Mercia we’re in great company with DSV and Jaguar Land Rover’s global logistics centre next door, demonstrating the quality of the employment park. It’s connectivity to the M42, Tamworth and the wider motorway network is clearly a major driver for us, allowing for fast, efficient delivery of stock in and out of the warehouse.”
Harry Goodman, development manager for IM Properties, said it was particularly satisfying to attract yet another local occupier and one which is such a success story for the area.
“We welcome the opportunity to assist in the expansion of Scolmore Group, which underlines our belief in Mercia Park as an excellent location for distribution and an important place for job creation, with over 2300 people already employed on the scheme.”
Mercia Park is one of IM Properties’ first large-scale development schemes to achieve Net Zero in Construction, and Mercia 51 raises the bar further to also be Net Zero Ready. This means the building is optimised so the occupier can achieve Net Zero in Operation.
Goodman added: “Mercia 51 was created to a level of specification which sits within our Sustainable Future’s framework and aligns with the Green Building Council (UKGBC)’s recommendations.
“The Mercia Park Community Fund has also made significant contributions to local grassroots organisations and skills and training. This aligns well with Scolmore Group’s own values, and we continue to support projects in the area.”
Mental health training for line managers linked to better business performance, says University of Nottingham study
Mental health training for line managers is strongly linked to better business performance, and it could save companies millions of pounds in lost sick days every year, according to new research led by experts at the University of Nottingham.
The results of the study, which are published in PLOS ONE, showed a strong association between mental health training for line managers and improved staff recruitment and retention, better customer service, and lower levels of long-term mental health sickness absence.
The study was led by Professor Holly Blake from the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham and Dr Juliet Hassard of Queen’s University Belfast.
In the UK one in six workers experience mental health challenges, with 12.7% of all sick days attributed to mental ill-health. The estimated cost of poor employee mental health to British employers is over £50 billion, annually.
Mental health training for line managers aims to give them the skills to support the mental health of the people they manage. Ongoing research is exploring whether such training increases the knowledge, skills and confidence of managers to support their staff and benefits employees. However, few studies have addressed its potential business value for companies.
To explore the benefits, the group of researchers analysed anonymised survey data from several thousand companies in England collected between 2020 and 2023 by the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick Business School as a part of a larger programme of research on workplace mental health and productivity.
The survey included questions about the companies’ mental health and well-being practices, including whether they offered mental health training to line managers. To avoid errors in their analysis, the researchers statistically controlled for the age, sector, and size of the companies.
The results suggest that mental health training for line managers may hold strategic business value for companies. Based on their findings, the researchers recommend that organisations provide mental health training to line managers and institute workplace policies that clarify the line managers’ role in supporting employee mental health.
Meanwhile, the researchers outline the need for further research in this area, including looking into different approaches to delivering mental health training for line managers.
Dr Juliet Hassard from Queen’s Business School at Queen’s Belfast University, and co-author of the study, said: “Encouraging employers to invest in employee mental health can be challenging. Knowing that improving line managers’ knowledge, skills and confidence in managing mental health at work is linked to better business outcomes will help to highlight the strategic value this approach to employers.”
Law firm boosts planning team with high-profile partner
Howes Percival has appointed highly regarded planning partner Marco Mauro to its planning team, following a significant increase in new instructions.
Initially based in the East Midlands, Marco is recognised as one of the go-to planning lawyers nationally and was head of planning for many years at his previous firm. Marco’s practice covers the Midlands, Central, Home Counties regions and beyond.
Marco has over 17 years’ experience gained in all areas of planning, acting for developers, landowners, housing associations, investors, financial institutions, occupiers and high net worth individuals.
His experience includes dealing with complicated planning obligations and infrastructure agreements, providing due diligence on property and corporate transactions and advising on and dealing with legal oversight of planning applications, appeals and claims for judicial review.
Jay Mehta, head of planning, said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Marco to Howes Percival. He is very well known and regarded, right across the planning sector, and brings a wealth of experience.
“We pride ourselves on being solution focussed and providing excellent client service. Marco is renowned for his ‘can do’ approach, proactive manner and ability to find solutions for clients, which has made him a recognised expert in his field and a perfect fit for our growing team.
“The planning system – and indeed legislation and case law – continues to evolve at a record pace and will continue to do so following the election, with the Labour Government pledging to ‘bulldoze through’ planning rules to boost housing delivery to 1.5m homes and support other developments, including infrastructure and renewable energy schemes.
“However, in recent years, environmental issues including water scarcity, nutrient neutrality and air quality have stalled the delivery of new developments, particularly housing, across the UK. As a consequence, the importance of the planning law team’s role for our clients has expanded, which has led to a significant increase in instructions year on year as we help our clients navigate such complexities to enable their development projects to continue.”
Predicted GDP growth for East Midlands up on last year, but remains relatively subdued among the UK
The economy in the East Midlands is predicted to grow by 0.9% this year, up from 0.4% in 2023 according to the latest PwC UK Economic Outlook.
Despite this year-on-year improvement, the East Midlands still lags behind the predicted GDP growth for the UK overall, which sits at 1.0%.
However, the East Midlands is still outperforming the West Midlands (0.7%), North East and South East (0.8%) and is on par with Yorkshire, Scotland and the South West (0.9%). The capital and Northern Ireland are both predicted to see the biggest growth at 1.2%, followed by the North West and Wales (1.1%) and the East of England (1.0%).
With many different sectors driving growth across our nations and regions, PwC’s recent Framework for Growth report demonstrates how crucial localised strategies are. Business leaders interviewed for the report said that the changes most critical to their business – the skills system, planning system, infrastructure investment and overall support made available to smaller businesses – were best driven at a local level.
Alex Hudson, Market Senior Partner for PwC East Midlands, said: “Despite the data showing that economic growth in the East Midlands is lower than the UK picture, with the new government and recently created East Midlands Combined Authority, now is the time for businesses and local government to work together to develop a localised plan for growth.
“PwC’s recently launched Framework for Growth report highlighted the need for businesses and government to collaborate more closely to deliver sustainable growth and outcomes for the future. 68% of UK businesses have identified skills, education and talent as their top priority for growth.
“We have some world-class educational institutions and some of the UK’s biggest companies here. I believe that by investing in skills for younger generations and ensuring our current workforce is equipped with skills for the future, we will move the dial on the East Midlands economy, and the time to act is now.”
UK overview:
- UK GDP to grow by around 1% this year, up from the 0.5% estimate late last year. In its main scenario, PwC expects growth to pick up further to 1.7% in 2025 and 1.8% in 2026.
- It is expected that headline consumer price inflation will bounce around the Bank of England’s 2% target for the remainder of 2024, due in part to stubborn services inflation.
- Corporate insolvencies are expected to rise again this year despite already reaching a three decade high in 2023.
- Around one half of sectors are now experiencing growth and the other half contracting. The three sectors with a large proportion of public sector activity grew strongly; health & social work (2.7%), public admin & defence (2.2%), and education (1.2%).
- Consumer-facing sectors, such as retail and hotels, continue to struggle as consumers remain cautious. In PwC’s latest Consumer Sentiment Survey, 7 in 10 people said they still expect to make some spending cutbacks over the next three months
Top surveyor joins property consultancy’s East Midlands development team
An experienced surveyor has joined a property consultancy firm’s East Midlands development team as it aims to increase its influence in the region.
Phoebe Clark has joined Fisher German’s development team as a Senior Associate following eight years with Savills in Norwich, London, and Nottingham.
She will work out of Fisher German’s office in Newark-on-Trent, and will look to seal residential development deals throughout the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
Phoebe will work alongside Fisher German partner Luke Brafield as the firm looks to capitalise on a renewed desire for housebuilding and potential planning reform following the election of the new government.
She said: “With Fisher German’s recent growth, it seemed like a really great time to be joining the firm.
“It’s long had an excellent reputation in the sector, and I felt I could play a key role in the firm’s success and grow my career alongside growing Fisher German.
“The East Midlands land market has proven to be more resilient compared to other parts of the country, and therefore demand for opportunities of all sizes has remained strong. With the likelihood that the delivery of housing will be high on the political agenda, I’m confident I can use my expertise and my strong network to secure the deals that will ensure the homes the area needs are built.”
Luke Brafield, partner at Fisher German, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Phoebe to the team at Fisher German at a time when lots of opportunities are likely to emerge in the residential development market.
“She brings with her a wealth of experience and a clear ambition to drive the business forward in this region.”
Promotion and recruitment strengthens Purpose Media
Strategic marketing agency Purpose Media has promoted a key member of staff and made new hires to further strengthen its account management operation.
The South Normanton-based consultancy, which provides web, digital, creative and video solutions to help its clients achieve growth, is enjoying a successful 2024, having secured a number of new business wins.
Now it has moved to underpin the expert marketing support it provides to customers by promoting Georgia Weston to senior account manager and adding Laura Tiltina and Emma Tatman to its team.
Georgia joined Purpose in 2022 as an account executive, with a Masters in brand management and experience of working for an in-house marketing team within the manufacturing sector.
She made an instant impact, forging strong relationships with clients and delivering impactful campaigns, and achieved promotion to account manager in less than a year.
Now, having helped drive six-figure new business growth for Purpose, Georgia has been appointed senior account manager – a role in which she will take more strategic oversight of key projects.
Account director Matt Bonser said Georgia’s success was another demonstration of Purpose Media’s commitment to encouraging talent.
“It was clear from day one that Georgia was a great fit with our company culture and, along with outstanding marketing ability, she showed entrepreneurship and a real dedication to helping clients achieve their objectives,” he said.
“Through peer support and participation in a formal development programme, we have been able to help her add to her skills and are delighted that she is now able to take this exciting next step in her career here at Purpose.”
Georgia believes that her previous industry experience has helped her develop empathy for client needs and that Purpose Media’s approach ensures these always remain fully in focus.
“We are a strategic partner who looks holistically at a customer’s business objectives and considers how these can best be enabled through its marketing activity,” she said.
“We’re transparent in the way we operate and ensure that the success we achieve can be clearly demonstrated. Our clients really value that.”
The account management team has been boosted with the arrival of Emma Tatman, as an account manager, and Laura Tiltina, as an account executive.
Emma is a marketing graduate who has worked in both industry and agency environments prior to joining Purpose, and has experience in online and offline marketing, organising seasonal campaigns, events and product launches and managing third-party agency relationships.
Laura, a graphic design graduate, arrives on a Level 4 Chartered Institute of Marketing-accredited apprenticeship, covering multi-channel marketing.
“Both will bring talent and enthusiasm to the team and will support our efforts to seek exciting and innovative ways to help our clients grow,” said Matt.
Property consultancy makes much-needed donation to Leicestershire school
A school in Leicestershire is set to purchase much-needed IT equipment thanks to a donation from a property consultancy.
Congerstone Primary School, in Congerstone near Market Bosworth, has received £1,406.25 through Fisher German’s ‘Building Communities’ initiative.
The school is set to purchase additional iPads to be used in lessons to support children across all year groups with their learning after retiring a number of old pieces of equipment which can no longer be used, and will be upgrading the sound system in the school hall.
The Building Communities initiative was launched in 2020 to strengthen community links and support schools, clubs and organisations with close ties to Fisher German, with the firm donating a proportion of the commission fee from completed house sales signed up to the scheme.
Katie Clarke, school governor and treasurer for the school’s PTA, said: “We would like to thank Fisher German for its support.
“Budgets are currently stretched incredibly thin for all schools, and replacing any IT equipment is a real challenge, so donations like this are a huge help.
“We’ve just retired a number of old iPads which will no longer update, so the new equipment is much-needed and will be used in lessons across all year groups.
“Fisher German’s Building Communities initiative is a fantastic scheme, and we are extremely pleased to be a beneficiary of it.”
Thomas Blake, of Fisher German, said: “Our Building Communities initiative is an excellent way of giving back to the communities in which we live and work.
“Schools often face spending cuts which can make buying essential, yet often expensive, new equipment extremely challenging.
“We are extremely pleased to present this donation to Congerstone Primary School to go towards much-needed new IT equipment, and we look forward to supporting even more schools, clubs and organisations across our communities in the future.”
Council pushing forward with plans to sell Nottingham Forest City Ground land
Nottingham City Council is pushing forward with plans to sell the land Nottingham Forest’s City Ground stands on.
At a meeting of the Executive Board, it was agreed to put the freehold up for sale to the club.
Council documents indicate it is looking to complete the disposal in 2024/25.
It follows confirmation from the leader of Nottingham City Council, Councillor Neghat Khan, that the council had agreed, in principle, terms for the sale of the land to Nottingham Forest.
She added: “This allows the club to press ahead with its ambitious plans to expand the stadium, while securing a significant capital receipt for the council.”
Nottingham Forest, however, has said that any decision to purchase the freehold will be entirely conditional on the football club first being granted the relevant permissions that will allow it to realise its plans for a larger stadium capacity, world-class hospitality spaces and associated real estate development. Decisions on these plans will be in the hands of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
The news comes after negotiations for a lease extension reached an impasse earlier in the year, with the council requesting a larger sum for the lease.
Derby firm merges with accountancy group
Derby-based accountancy firm Ashgates has announced a strategic merger with Stoke-on-Trent headquartered accountancy group, DJH.
The merger springboards DJH group into the East Midlands, expanding its footprint alongside its existing 10 offices across the Midlands, North-West, and Yorkshire regions.
The new partnership provides Ashgates clients with access to additional specialist in-house services offered across the DJH group, including enhanced R&D and capital allowances teams, commercial funding, dedicated corporate finance, estate planning, and HR.
Directors Tony Lymn, David Newborough, Steve Martin, Ian Johnson, and Gavin Booth will continue to lead the Ashgates team and will all remain shareholders. Jonathon Williamson will also be promoted to Director, having developed his career with Ashgates. Jon Wolliter will continue to head up Ashgates IT, supporting clients with IT solutions.
Tony said: “We are delighted to join forces with DJH. This partnership will strengthen both firms’ capabilities and provide our clients access to additional specialist services. It will also allow continued investment in the learning and development of our team, creating opportunities for them to grow and flourish.”
Scott Heath, Chief Executive Officer of DJH, said: “Ashgates is a great cultural fit, sharing our team-first, client-centric approach. They have built a business based on delivering exceptional business advice.”
He continued: “Founded on principles of progressive thinking and building strong client relationships, Ashgates has a comprehensive range of services, including IT support and solutions, further expanding what we offer across the Group. We’re excited about the opportunities this partnership with Ashgates will create for our teams and clients alike.”
Ashgates will retain its name and brand, and its offices will remain at 5 Prospect Place, Pride Park.
Internally, the partnership will give Ashgates more support in relation to its own HR, recruitment, and training and development.
