Newark energy specialist sold to Hertfordshire group
Renewable energy specialist Greenio is embarking on a new chapter as a part of TLS Energy.
Founded in 2013 by Anna Wooster-Mann and based in Newark-on-Trent, Greenio provides consultancy, installation and maintenance services for commercial and domestic renewable energy projects.
Greenio has now joined forces with Hertfordshire-based TLS Energy, a group of renewable energy businesses spanning the hydro, wind and solar power sectors.
The transaction was overseen by Charlie Neville, KBS Corporate Deal Executive.
Announcing the link-up, Greenio said: “After many years building and leading the business, our much-loved Managing Director, Anna, has stepped away and moved on to her next adventure.
“Anna’s energy and dedication has shaped who we are today, and we are so grateful for everything she’s done for our team and our customers.
“With that, we are opening a new chapter and are delighted to announce that Greenio has become part of TLS Energy, bringing us together with a team that’s leading the way in renewable energy.
“We are excited about the future and can’t wait to help more businesses save money, lower their carbon footprint and embrace a greener future.”
KBS Corporate’s Charlie Neville expressed thanks to Guvvy Sandhu and the team at law firm Mackrell LLP “for their hard work and effort to get the deal over the line under a compressed timeframe.”
New operations manager for asbestos consultancy
Asbestos management consultancy, Acorn Analytical Services, has appointed a new operations manager.
The appointment follows a period of significant growth for the company, which relocated to larger premises in Northampton in April. This latest office move is the company’s third in the last two years, following a 20% increase in staff numbers during that time.
In his role of operations manager, Kieran Clare works alongside a second operations manager, Richard Crockett. Day-to-day, the duo work with Dan Crask, head of operations, to manage the workload and jobs for the asbestos surveyors and the reporting and laboratory teams. They are also focused on ensuring that internal processes are working as well as they can be, and that the business is hitting its operational targets.
Kieran joined Acorn Analytical Services after amassing 10 years of experience in the asbestos industry, working his way up from report writer to management.
He said: “Acorn Analytical Services is an industry leader, so I was aware of the company and excited by the growth journey the business is on. I jumped at the opportunity to work at Acorn, bring my experience on board, and learn and grow from the other members of the team.
“It also feels like things have gone full circle as our Managing Director, Sam Savage, was actually a director at the first asbestos company I worked for at aged 21!”
Sam Savage, MD of Acorn Analytical Services, said: “We are currently experiencing exponential growth, with 15 new team members joining us so far this year alone. We have also won substantial contracts with household names that we are looking forward to carrying out.
“We’re delighted to welcome Kieran to the team at such an exciting time for the business. He has already hit the ground running and proven to be a great hire for Acorn.”
Major development takes step forward in Clowne
Conditional outline planning permission has been granted for a major development in Clowne.
Clowne Garden Village will see up to 1,800 residential dwellings and up to 24 hectares of employment development built north of Clowne. It will also include green infrastructure, educational and recreational uses, a retirement village, neighbourhood centre, hotel, restaurant, health and care, and leisure uses.
Permission was granted on 20 August following completion of the S106 legal agreement. There are a number of planning conditions and legal obligations that developers Waystone must fulfil before and during the development phases.
In addition, further detailed proposals for each phase of development will need to come forward in follow up planning application submissions that will build the full picture of the development in time.
Council leader, councillor Jane Yates said: “This development will be a huge change for Clowne and the surrounding areas and we appreciate a lot of people have concerns.
“We have done everything we can to ensure that concerns raised have been addressed through the planning process. We will continue to communicate and consult with the public throughout the development to ensure local people are kept informed.
“The impact this development will have on the district will be a hugely positive one with more resources and better choice of housing for residents.”
Hospitality leads UK job losses amid rising costs
New data shows the hospitality sector accounts for more than half of UK job losses since last October’s Budget. Of the 164,641 positions cut across the economy, nearly 89,000 were in the hospitality sector. The figure exceeds Office for Budget Responsibility estimates, which predicted around 50,000 job losses linked to employer National Insurance changes.
Economists attribute the reductions to rising operational costs, including increases to the national living wage and employer National Insurance contributions. Businesses with lower-paid and flexible staff, such as hospitality, retail, and construction firms, have been particularly affected. Part-time and temporary roles are the most vulnerable.
High street retailers have also raised concerns over business rates, which are based on commercial property rental values. Rates are set to rise next year, adding billions to expenses. More than 60 leading firms have urged the Government to reform the system, citing risks to jobs, investment, and consumer prices if costs continue to escalate. Retailers argue that current rates put physical stores at a disadvantage compared with online competitors and stress that stable operating conditions are essential to supporting sustainable employment and economic growth.
Rolls-Royce SMR makes final stage in Swedish nuclear competition
Rolls-Royce SMR has been selected by Vattenfall as one of two companies to reach the final stage in the process to identify Sweden’s nuclear technology partner.
After being shortlisted in 2024, Rolls-Royce SMR has progressed through a detailed assessment and will now work with Vattenfall through the final technology selection which could initially result in Rolls-Royce SMR delivering three SMRs.
The news builds on Rolls-Royce SMR’s successful selection in both the United Kingdom and Czech Republic.
Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce SMR chief executive, said: “We are extremely proud that Vattenfall has selected Rolls-Royce SMR as one of the final two nuclear technologies in this highly competitive process.
“Today’s announcement builds on the positive momentum after Rolls-Royce SMR was selected as preferred bidder by Great British Energy – Nuclear to provide the UK’s first SMRs, and by CEZ to deploy up to 3GW of electricity in the Czech Republic.
“We look forward to working closely with Vattenfall during this final stage of their process and further strengthening the UK-Sweden collaboration on clean energy.”
Sweden is projected to require an additional 100–250 TWh of electricity over the next 25 years, and nuclear energy is set to play an important role in achieving that target. Vattenfall’s focus for the first units is at the Ringhals site on the Värö Peninsula, already home to a nuclear power station operated by Vattenfall.
Each Rolls-Royce SMR ‘factory-built’ nuclear power plant will generate 470MWe of clean low-carbon electricity, enough to power a million homes for more than 60 years.
Multi-million-pound investment as major site clean up and enabling works begin at Harrier Park, Hucknall
Following the acquisition of the 31-acre Harrier Park site in Hucknall, Clowes Developments have launched an extensive multi-million-pound site clean-up and enabling works programme to prepare the historic site for its next chapter as a major commercial hub.
The brownfield site, formerly home to the development of the iconic Harrier ‘Jump Jet’ and Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, is set to undergo significant transformation with a major clean up and remediation exercise.
With a legacy steeped in engineering innovation, Harrier Park will receive substantial investment to clean the contaminated site and deliver an additional 500,000 sq ft modern industrial and warehouse space in a prime East Midlands location on the outskirts of Nottingham. Future occupiers will neighbour a 200,000 sq ft facility currently occupied by RM Resources.
The extensive site clean-up and enabling works will be fulfilled by lead contractor, TanRo and will mark the first major investment in the long-term development strategy for the site.
The multi-million-pound deal works will include groundwater treatment, ground remediation, earthworks to plateau plot levels, construction of retaining walls, high-voltage (HV) service diversions, drainage infrastructure, Section 278 bell mouth works, and initial estate road construction. The road infrastructure programme is expected to continue beyond the initial 20-week schedule.
Hollie Parkes from TanRo said: “We are pleased to be partnering once again with Clowes Developments to deliver the enabling works at Harrier Park in Hucknall.
“This technically complex project involves significant ground remediation, the installation of a retaining wall as well as the formation of development plateaus. TanRo is proud to contribute its expertise to such a challenging and historically significant scheme.”
Although fully serviced by the previous owners and benefiting from planning permission for six industrial/warehouse buildings, Harrier Park requires significant environmental remediation due to its former use. Addressing the contamination is a vital step to unlock the site’s full potential and enable delivery of employment space in a key regional location.
Kevin Webster, associate development director at Clowes Developments, said: “Harrier Park is a special site with a remarkable heritage, and we’re proud to be bringing it back into productive use.
“Our first major step is to address its long-standing issues with contamination. Our enabling works are designed to prepare the land for high-quality industrial development, and interest is already strong from potential occupiers looking for bespoke space in a well-connected location.”
Clowes Developments are working in partnership with FHP Property Consultants and Fisher German to market the site with units available from 60,000 to 206,000 sq ft.
East Midlands start-ups soar as insolvency experts warn of heightened cashflow ‘red flags’
A steep rise in the monthly number of businesses set up in the East Midlands since the end of last year is coinciding with a substantial heightening of cashflow ‘red flags’, indicating that a ‘perfect economic storm’ could be brewing in the region.
This is according to the Midlands branch of national restructuring, turnaround and insolvency trade body R3 and is based on a monthly analysis of regional start-up data from business intelligence provider Creditsafe.
The R3 Midlands figures show that the monthly number of start-ups rose steeply by 40.23% in the East Midlands in July compared to last December, and by 10.67% against July last year.
At the same time, insolvency-related activity – which includes liquidator and administrator appointments as well as creditors’ meetings – has risen by 7.41% in the 12 months to July 2025. The number of local companies with late payments on their books remains high, with 25,607 East Midlands businesses recording unpaid invoices past their due date in July alone.
R3 Midlands chair Stephen Rome, a partner at law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper in the region, said: “While local entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly confident in riding out current economic challenges – which include higher employment costs, cautious consumer spending and growing global uncertainty – insolvency-related activity has risen and late payments remain a significant issue.
“If we are to avoid the destructive effects of any economic ‘perfect storm’, it is essential for entrepreneurs to be extra-vigilant, keeping a sharp eye on costs and cushioning cash flow where possible. Business owners should also not back away from taking professional advice as soon as it may be needed.
“Conversations about finances are not always the easiest ones to have, but there is a significant amount which can be done to rescue and support local companies if help is taken early enough.”
St. James Securities
Founded in 1982, St. James Securities is an award-winning commercial property development company with an excellent background working on difficult and sensitive projects in challenging locations.
Having led the way in pioneering in-town mixed-use regeneration on brownfield land, the business has secured a reputation as an innovative and trusted developer that delivers ambitious developments, on time and to budget.
St. James Securities has established an enviable track record for all types of commercial property across all asset classes including mixed use regeneration, offices, leisure, retail and distribution. The firm is not solely focussed on a single sector of the property market, and its experience continues to grow in new areas such as the new 3,500 capacity multi-purpose arena at Becketwell Derby.
Bringing forward Becketwell
Behind the most ambitious urban renewal project Derby has seen in over 30 years, St. James Securities are the developers of the £240m Becketwell regeneration scheme, transforming a long-neglected site into a mixed-use scheme and significant place-making initiative.
The six-acre regeneration scheme, which makes up nearly 5% of Derby city centre, so far includes a new public square, The Condor (Grainger plc’s first Built to Rent scheme in Derby), and the £45.8m Vaillant Live arena. The next phase of the scheme will bring forward a Grade A office building, while future proposals include a hotel, multi storey car park, and further residential.
To learn more about St. James Securities, please visit https://sjs.co.uk/
The six-acre regeneration scheme, which makes up nearly 5% of Derby city centre, so far includes a new public square, The Condor (Grainger plc’s first Built to Rent scheme in Derby), and the £45.8m Vaillant Live arena. The next phase of the scheme will bring forward a Grade A office building, while future proposals include a hotel, multi storey car park, and further residential.
To learn more about St. James Securities, please visit https://sjs.co.uk/ Rigby & Co
Rigby & Co is a dynamic commercial property consultancy heavily involved in regeneration and development consultancy, which has been active in public and private sector joint efforts to market Derby since the early 1990s.
The business has driven forward some of the most high-profile property transactions in the East Midlands, with its latest work in regeneration, office agency and strategic acquisitions solidifying the firm’s reputation as market leaders.
A standout achievement in the past 12 months saw the firm facilitate the high-profile sale of the former Friar Gate Goods Yard and Station, a complex heritage site on the edge of Derby city centre, on behalf of Clowes Developments. Selling the 12-acre site to Wavensmere Homes, who are known for delivering award-winning residential-led schemes including Derby’s Nightingale Quarter, 200 homes are now planned.
The firm has additionally successfully disposed of the former Bennetts department store, another heritage asset, led on complex leisure and mixed-use acquisitions, including the 195-acre Horsley Lodge golf club and the historic Allestree Hall, and continues to support Cubo’s national expansion as a flex office provider, having helped acquire over 300,000 sq ft of Grade A office space across the UK.
Meanwhile, further impact has been made through completing the final commercial lettings at the £300m Becketwell scheme for Grainger Plc, bringing Coffee#1 and Phenix Salons to the city’s most ambitious regeneration project in over three decades.
An award-winning commercial property consultancy, Rigby & Co’s work was last year recognised with Most Active Agent at the East Midlands Bricks Awards and Most Active Single Branch Agency – Acquisitions & Disposals 2024 by CoStar.
These achievements reflect Russell Rigby and his team’s strategic influence and long-term commitment to transforming key locations.
Microlise drives growth with two pivotal appointments
Microlise, a provider of innovative solutions for the transport sector, has appointed Tom Watts to the new post of partnerships director and Debbie Pearce as channel manager.
Tom will oversee Microlise’s entire partnerships strategy, including managing new and existing partner relations. He will also work with Microlise’s product management, engineering, sales and marketing teams to develop joint solution offerings as well as go-to-market plans with and for partners.
Prior to joining Microlise, Tom spent 26+ years working at Paragon Software Systems (acquired by Aptean, March 2020) where he worked as sales director for the UK and Ireland, generating £30m worth of sales. In his spare time, he has completed marathons, triathlons and endurance bike rides. He was an integral part of Team MSS which broke two world records on their row across the Indian Ocean in 2009.
Debbie Pearce joins Microlise from IBM, where she worked for over 10 years, most recently as a partner sales specialist. In her new role, she will use her experience in complex stakeholder environments to identify, onboard and expand relationships with new and existing channel partners, driving sales and business growth.
Her new role with Microlise will include a dedicated focus on two key strategic partners – Babcock and the Road Haulage Association – and will see her taking ownership of Microlise’s channel growth plan.
Speaking on her new appointment, Debbie said: “I’m excited to join a company with a fantastic culture that strives to put customers at the heart of everything they do. I look forward to establishing sustainable partnerships that drive growth with my existing partners and to onboarding new partners over the coming months.”
Microlise CEO Nadeem Raza said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Tom and Debbie to the Microlise team.
“As we look to strengthen and expand our partnerships, their expertise will play a pivotal role in ensuring we not only maintain our high standards but continue to deliver exceptional service that keeps our customers ahead of the curve.”
