Land deal to pave way for up to 805 new Nottinghamshire homes
Vistry Group, operating through its partnership’s subsidiary, has signed a land acquisition deal with Nottinghamshire County Council that will see approximately 800 new homes built to address local housing needs.
Situated approximately 2km north of Hucknall town centre and to the east of Annesley Road (A611), the development, granted outline planning permission in April 2021, is Nottinghamshire County Council’s flagship mixed-use scheme. Across an 86-acre site, it has outline planning consent for up to 805 homes, 21 acres of employment land for offices and warehousing, as well as retail within the local centre and a planned new primary school.
This site is on land which has been earmarked for development for more than a decade and does not impact on any green belt land.
Following the deal, Vistry will consult with the community to finalise the details of the scheme and ensure it meets local people’s needs, before submitting a detailed planning application later this year with a view to starting on site in 2025.
With a commitment to environmental preservation, the project will seek to retain and enhance existing green infrastructure, ensuring a harmonious blend of modern living and the surrounding natural elements. The scheme will aim to meet varying requirements, offering a mix of private sale, private rental, affordable rental and shared ownership homes, with a range of different house types and sizes.
In addition to new housing, the development will also offer benefits to the wider community, including pedestrian and cycle routes, a planned new primary school, and an on-site Skills Academy in partnership with Chameleon School of Construction. This innovative training initiative will aim to encourage local people not in employment or training back into work.
Andy Reynolds, Managing Director of Vistry Group’s partnerships division in the East Midlands, said: “Having worked with the council for several months, it’s exciting to finalise this deal that brings us a step closer to creating an exciting new place for people in the area to call home. We look forward to working with the local community over the coming months to finalise our plans ahead of securing reserved matters planning consents that will enable us to start work on these high-quality new homes for Nottinghamshire.”
Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Asset Management, Nottinghamshire County Councillor Keith Girling said: “I’m delighted that this deal is now officially signed and this vital housing development is moving forward.
“This really is the best possible use for this County Council-owned land, which already has outline planning permission, as we look to create more quality, sustainable housing to meet the needs of our growing population.
“These new homes will provide a place for families to create memories and help them build a future here.
“Lucrative contract opportunities for local subcontractors will be another benefit of this development and I also look forward to the skills academy being on site. The Chameleon School of Construction, which has centres which include Pinxton and Ripley, is a real coup towards helping boost skills and job chances for local people.”
Nottinghamshire County Council has worked together with Savills since 2021 to bring forward this flagship scheme. Savills handled the marketing and tender process through the Homes England procurement system.
Ann Taylor, Director of Savills Development team in Nottingham, said: “This was a complex deal, not only due to the scale and value of the development, but also the need to ensure a flagship scheme will be delivered which meets the objectives of Nottinghamshire County Council and Homes England, whilst future proofing the safeguarded development land to the north, potential scope for future development land to the east, the planned school and local centre on site and the employment land to the west.
“It has been a challenging transaction given these constraints as well as a fluctuating market and economy throughout the transactional process, but this is such a substantial and relevant scheme for the area, it has remained the key focus for all involved. I am delighted to have been part of the team that will be delivering a new destination and village in the area.”
Cawarden wins ‘Demolition Contractor of the Year’ at the 2023 British Demolition Awards
Derby-based Specialist Contractor, Cawarden, was crowned the ‘Demolition Contractor of the Year’ at the 2023 British Demolition Awards and British Asbestos Awards held on Friday, 1 September at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.
Cawarden won the same title in 2021 and is thrilled to win it again, competing with five other contractors from across the UK.
The British Demolition Awards, powered by Demolition Hub and headline sponsored by the global machinery specialist, LiuGong Direct UK, is now in its fifth year and has become a highly anticipated event in the demolition industry’s events calendar. Recognising and celebrating the very best in the demolition sector today, the awards reward the very best companies, teams and individuals.
This year, Demolition Hub received a record-breaking number of entries across all categories, with eight awards up for grabs on the night.
To be considered for the prestigious Demolition Contractor of the Year Award, sponsored by Suffolk-based Kocurek Excavators, Cawarden underwent a rigorous judging process that included a comprehensive written submission and supporting evidence showcasing significant growth, accomplishments, and completed projects from the past year. The submission also displayed Cawarden’s unwavering dedication to fulfilling its social responsibility commitments.
The judging panel was made up of Richard Vann, Founder and Managing Director of project management and engineering consultancy, RVA Group; Dr Terry Quarmby, Director of Dorton Group; and Wayne Bagnall MBE, Director at Wayne Bagnall Ltd.
The judges commented: “Cawarden always works hard to do all the right things and grow by recognising and addressing the significant challenges the company has overcome. With social value at the core of its business they always showcase the many ways they give back to their employees, the environment and the local community.”
William Crooks, Managing Director of Cawarden, said: “It is incredible to watch the growth of the business over the last few years. The way Cawarden’s longstanding employees have adapted to the changes in demolition, how our new recruits have integrated into the company and expanded our skill base, and the way our younger recruits have eagerly embraced the industry and become part of the team is fantastic!
“Cawarden is changing. We are no longer a Demolition Contractor the way we were 25 years ago. We offer clients a comprehensive package, including testing, consultancy, demolition, remediation, and building up to slab level. This not only expands our business in a new direction but it enables Cawarden to continue to undertake our traditional core business – demolition.
“For Cawarden to win this award with a panel of judges who are three of the most respected people in the demolition world is incredible and makes me very proud of what we have all achieved.”
Demolition Hub Founder Ben Chambers said: “Under Managing Director William Crooks’ leadership, supported by sons and fellow directors, ambitious plans are afoot with further sustainable growth. Cawarden regularly promotes careers in this exciting industry to younger generations and to those who are long-term unemployed, while providing work experience opportunities for school pupils, students and graduates.
“Having no say in who wins what at each British Demolition Awards is both a blessing and a curse. However, when as so often the judge’s opinion aligns with my own and a deserving winner is crowned then I cannot help but be that extra bit delighted.
“This happened once again when I received confirmation of Cawarden once again winning Demolition Contractor of the Year at the 2023 British Demolition Awards.
“Cawarden is a family business where the family extends to all employees, offering safe, innovative, clean and impressive sites and obtaining a plethora of contracts within a variety of disciplines across the country.
“Cawarden is also an absolute pleasure to deal with – congratulations.”
Attended by more than 400 guests, including a large proportion of all UK-based contractors and global machinery specialists, the event offered the perfect opportunity to talk business, network and socialise.
The event raised more than £8,000 for various charitable organisations, including DEMOLISTEN (a joint venture between DEMOLITION HUB and Mates in Mind) which focuses on improving mental health in the demolition industry. Additionally, the Mavis Nye Foundation received support for those impacted by mesothelioma.
Cooper Parry and Haines Watts London come together to create next gen accountancy firm
Derbyshire accountancy firm Cooper Parry has come together with Haines Watts London and its associated audit and advisory businesses across the South East and the Midlands.
The deal sees Cooper Parry add 11 offices across London, the South, Birmingham and the Midlands to its existing portfolio, increasing its workforce to 1,150 and propelling turnover to £125m. This represents a tripling in size for the firm over the last 12 months since partnering with Waterland Private Equity.
The move follows record-breaking organic growth (>25% average compound growth over last 3 years) and Cooper Parry’s previous acquisitions of London-based companies iHorizon and Acclivity (both in February) and Future Perfect in April 2023. The transformational Haines Watts deal will establish Cooper Parry as the UK’s 11th largest accountancy firm.
Ade Cheatham, Cooper Parry CEO, says: “We’re always looking for firms that are a right fit, culturally and strategically. As a result, we’ve got to know Michael and his management team over the best part of five years.
“In that time, we’ve been impressed by their growth and recognize the like-minded nature of both firms. Working alongside them, this deal underlines our determination to create the UK’s next gen accountancy firm.
“Bringing together two great businesses as one strong team takes our London headcount to over 500 people. It also elevates us to the next level as a UK mid-market heavyweight. In addition, the strong bank of specialist talents and diverse client base in London, the South and right across the Midlands will allow us to continue to outperform the market.
“We now have genuine momentum and can demonstrate real strength and scale in London. What’s more with more strategic hires, specialist team lifts and continued geographic expansion via M&A, we’ve created a platform for future growth.”
Michael Davidson, Haines Watts Managing Partner, adds: “I am extremely proud of the growth we have achieved over the past 10 years, of which the London region has been a significant contributor.
“As we look to the future, we feel Cooper Parry are an ideal fit for our future as we can plug into their progressive, next generation and proven approach to both people development and client service, offering a compelling choice for ambitious owner managed businesses, and a thriving culture for our people.
“This is an exciting and rare opportunity to drive quality and change in the mid-market, as we look to further the Cooper Parry brand in London and the surrounding areas.”
Northamptonshire firm sets up strong foundations for growth with £1.6m investment
A Northamptonshire-based supplier and manager of earth materials for construction and landscaping is expanding its services as demand for sustainable construction products increases.
Storefield Group, headquartered in Kettering, has acquired their first quarry, the 50-acre Earls Barton Spinney Quarry outside Northampton and has invested in a new ‘wash plant’ with the support of a £1.6m funding package from Lloyds Bank.
The business provides aggregates, which are materials such as sand, gravel and stone extracted from the ground, and used in construction and landscaping. Storefield also recycles materials recovered from live building projects so that they can be reused, avoiding over-use of quarries. Recycling in this way means the business saves 300,000 tonnes of useable materials from going to landfill.
The new ‘wash plant’ at Earls Barton Spinney excavates, grades and separates aggregates from the quarry depending on type and size, before washing them to ensure they’re suitable for construction purposes. The water used in the process is filtered into an on-site lagoon and is re-filtered into the plant to optimise water usage.
The majority of Storefield’s customers are small to mid-sized homebuilders, with the business saying it supports the construction of 3,000 homes each year. This is alongside working on projects for infrastructure and utilities companies and supplying materials for small businesses, including renovators and landscapers.
Storefield has previously worked on projects including London’s Olympic Park, as well as major rail infrastructure projects, with the aggregates coming from excavated materials supplied to local businesses.
The investment comes amid a period of expansion for the group, which has grown its vehicle fleet by 10 per cent and upgraded to bigger lorries to reduce vehicle trips. In the last 12 months, the business has grown from two main operating sites to four, with planning permission secured for a new former steelworks site to be regenerated into a recycling facility, commencing development next year.
The Group is targeting to hit £20m in turnover by the end of 2024, after recording a turnover of £12m last year.
Emily Wright, project manager at Storefield Group, said: “Earls Barton Spinney is our first ever quarry and represents a huge milestone in Storefield’s journey. It means that we now have an end-to-end offering, digging up the materials, suppling them to our customers, and also clearing excavated waste from their projects to be recycled and re-used for new projects. And the new wash plant means that we’re doing this far more efficiently and sustainably.
“We know how important recycling and sustainability is becoming to our customers, who are mostly small businesses just starting to make a change. Being able to manage the waste from their projects and ensure it’s put back to use, rather than into landfill, gives them the foundations on which they can go on to make an even bigger impact for the environment.”
Stephen Woolridge, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Regeneration and infrastructure projects, as well as homebuilding, carry significant weight in driving economic recovery and we’re proud to back a local business helping support that.
“Storefield is a good example of a business that’s spotted a gap in the market and is moving to meet a growth in demand.”
New milestone for High Pavement House renovations
The renovations of High Pavement House, Sutton, have taken another step towards completion with the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof.
The former DWP building on High Pavement, Sutton, is currently being refurbished by Ashfield District Council as part of the £6.27million secured from the Future High Streets Fund.
Despite a previous refurbishment in 2019 by a private investor, the building needed a considerable amount of work to bring it up to current building regulation standards.
Therefore, the Council is investing £3million into the renovations to ensure the building is fit for purpose for the next 30+ years, creating high quality facilities for communities and local businesses to benefit from. Energy efficient measures have been installed including air-source heat pumps, as well as insulation and the photovoltaic panels.
Plans for High Pavement House are to deliver a unique, bespoke Makerspace on the ground floor and basement which will allow users access to professional equipment and tools for woodworking, metalworking, textiles, printmaking, and other crafts. The first floor will house 14 modern office spaces available for start-ups, and established businesses to rent. An education hub will also operate from High Pavement House from spring 2024 focusing on vocational training courses.
The Makerspace is set to open early next year, whilst the office spaces will be available to rent from the autumn.
Cllr Matthew Relf, Executive Lead for Growth, Regeneration and Local Planning, said: “This is an exciting step in the project, seeing the cranes on site and the progress on the interior of the building is making it all feel real now.
“We can’t wait to open the doors and let people see what we’ve been working on. Whether you’re a maker looking forward to using machines and tools in the Makerspace, or an entrepreneur wanting your first office, there’s something for everyone.”
Town Deal-backed programme to see Loughborough businesses thrive in digital world
A free training programme is being launched to help businesses in Loughborough town centre make the most of the digital world.
Love Loughborough is launching the Digital Training Hub which will include online workshops, in-person courses and one-to-one support. A digital engagement officer has also been appointed to support the three-year programme and work with businesses.
The initiative is part of the £2.87 million Living Loughborough project which is being led by Charnwood Borough Council, in partnership with Love Loughborough.
The project will also see more events held in the town centre and investment in the town markets and the CCTV system. Free wi-fi in the town centre has already been extended as part of the project.
The funding has come from Loughborough Town Deal which secured £16.9 million from the Government’s Towns Fund. It is backing 11 projects which in total are worth more than £40 million of investment for the town.
Cllr Jenni Tillotson, the Council’s lead member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Town Centres, said: “This is a great project which will help local businesses enhance their online presence and increase trade. For some, that means it will also increase footfall for them as well which can create benefits for neighbouring businesses.
“It is one of many parts of the Living Loughborough project which has already delivered an augmented heritage reality trail and expanded wi-fi in the town centre. And there is much more to come!”
Lisa Brown, Love Loughborough manager, said: “We are very excited to work with a local business LikeMind Media on this training programme. They will be able to develop bespoke courses for Loughborough companies, through all sectors dependent on their needs.
“We feel that it is a great opportunity for Loughborough companies to receive free training thanks to Loughborough Town Deal.”
Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, chair of Loughborough Town Deal Board, said: “We live and operate in an increasingly digital world so it is great to see this support being offered to local businesses thanks to the funding provided through Loughborough Town Deal.
“The Town Deal continues to deliver investment into Loughborough and bring real benefits to residents, businesses and visitors.”
The free training is open to the hundreds of businesses that are members of Love Loughborough BID.
The Digital Training Hub will launch in the autumn but Love Loughborough digital engagement officer Sam Berry is already in place and working with local businesses.
The hub will be supported by Loughborough-based LikeMind Media and courses may include social media support, web design, videography and digital marketing.
Derby business owner prosecuted over production of counterfeit T-shirts
Derby City Council’s Trading Standards team has successfully prosecuted a man for the sale of counterfeit printed t-shirts.
Mr Juri Frolov appeared at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday 6 September 2023 where he was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months with 100 hours unpaid work. He had previously pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994, and two offences related to Section 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
The defendant had admitted the offences at Derby Magistrates Court on 28 June 2020. He left the court on unconditional bail and the case was deferred to Derby Crown Court.
Mr Frolov had been printing and selling T-shirts of famous known brands without the consent of the trademark owners. The investigation discovered he had been selling the T-shirts for around four years leading up to December 2019, when a search warrant was carried out at his home in the Arboretum area of Derby City.
Trading Standards seized equipment including a T-shirt printer, a large amount of blank T-shirts, and customer returns. The shirts were advertised on eBay and printed to order from Mr Frolov’s home address.
Previously Mr Frolov had received a letter from an anti-counterfeiting organisation requesting him to stop selling T-shirts which were produced without the consent of the trademark owner. He had failed to acknowledge the content of the letter and take appropriate action to stop producing and selling the T-shirts.
Cllr Baggy Shanker, Cabinet Member for Housing, Property and Regulatory Services, said: “We take any illegal business activity very seriously and I’m pleased that we’ve finally been able to secure a prosecution in this case. I’d like to thank our Trading Standards team for their continued hard work in successfully finding and prosecuting illegal traders in our city.”
How videos can improve Google ranking (SEO) for your business
Having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business and one of the key elements of a successful online presence is search engine optimisation (SEO), which plays a significant role in determining where your website ranks on search engine results pages (SERPs).
While traditional SEO tactics like optimising your website’s content and using relevant keywords are essential, incorporating high quality marketing videos into your SEO strategy can be a game-changer. In this article, we will explore how videos can improve Google ranking for your business and why you should consider integrating them into your digital marketing efforts.
1. Enhanced user engagement
Google’s algorithms are designed to prioritise websites that provide valuable and engaging content to users. Videos do just that. When visitors spend more time on your website watching videos, it signals to Google that your content is relevant and engaging, which can result in improved rankings. To maximise user engagement through videos, consider the following tips:
• Create informative and visually appealing videos that resonate with your target audience.
• Keep videos concise and to the point, as shorter videos are more likely to retain viewers’ attention.
• Only embed high quality videos onto your website to ensure that visitors won’t be turned-off. Consider having your marketing videos created by a video production company.
2. Reduced bounce rates
Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. High bounce rates can negatively impact your SEO rankings, as they suggest that visitors are not finding what they were looking for on your site. Videos can help reduce bounce rates by providing engaging content that encourages visitors to explore your website further. Here’s how you can use videos to reduce bounce rates:
• Place videos strategically on landing pages to capture visitors’ attention immediately.
• Ensure that the video content aligns with the topic of the page and provides additional value.
• Include calls to action (CTAs) within your videos to encourage visitors to interact with your site further.
3. Increased dwell time
Dwell time is the amount of time a visitor spends on your website before returning to the search results. Google considers dwell time as a ranking factor, as it reflects the quality and relevance of your content. Videos can significantly increase dwell time by keeping visitors engaged and on your site longer. To boost dwell time with videos:
• Embed plenty of videos throughout your site – ideally at least one relevant video per webpage.
• Create playlists of related videos to encourage viewers to watch multiple videos on your site.
• Monitor video analytics to understand which videos are most effective at retaining viewers.
4. Backlinks and social signals
Backlinks, or incoming links from other websites to yours, are a crucial part of SEO. They indicate that your content is trusted and valuable. Videos can help you earn backlinks when other websites link to your videos or embed them on their pages. This can improve your website’s authority and overall SEO ranking.
Additionally, videos are highly shareable on social media platforms. When your videos are shared on social media, they create social signals that can positively impact your SEO efforts. These signals demonstrate that your content is relevant and valuable, which can lead to higher search engine rankings. To leverage backlinks and social signals from videos:
• Promote your videos on social media platforms and encourage sharing.
• Collaborate with influencers or industry experts to create and share videos related to your niche.
• Reach out to relevant websites and offer your videos for inclusion in their content.
5. Rich snippets and video SEO
Google often displays rich snippets in search results, which include additional information like thumbnails, video duration, and publication date for video content. When your videos appear as rich snippets in SERPs, they can attract more clicks and improve your click-through rate (CTR), another crucial SEO factor. To enhance your chances of getting rich snippets for your videos:
• Use schema markup to provide structured data about your videos to search engines.
• Create compelling video titles, descriptions, and tags that accurately reflect your video’s content.
• Submit a video sitemap to Google to help the search engine index your video content effectively.
For more information on how high-quality marketing videos can improve your Google ranking, speak with our local recommended production company, Glowfrog Video Production. Head to www.glowfrogvideo.com or call 01332 492 465.
Worksop business park snapped up
Northern Trust has acquired Vesuvius Business Park in Worksop.
The estate, set on a 4.13-acre site, comprises 16 trade counter units and three retail buildings totalling 46,921 sq ft.
The development of the site was completed in 2021 and current occupiers on site include, Kitchen Craft, Burger King, Just Tyres and Subway.
Tom Parkinson, director at Northern Trust, said: “This high quality development compliments our Midlands portfolio as we continue to expand through strategic multi-let acquisitions and developments. Currently our portfolio supports in the region of 25,000 jobs across the UK providing space for the SME business community.”
MK2 Real Estate advised Northern Trust on the acquisition and undertook the building survey of the site. Mark Johnson, a director at MK2, added: “Vesuvius Business Park is a well-located prime asset with just two remaining units to let. It achieves above average rentals, providing a new build addition to the Northern Trust portfolio.”
CBRE acted for the vendor.
The site will be actively managed by Northern Trust’s Midlands office.
Council considers further £250,000 loan for Derby classic car hub
Derby City Councillors are being asked to lend a further £250,000 to help Great Northern Classics get the project to set up a hub of classic vehicle industry specialists in the heart of the city.
The loan would be on top of £1.25m approved in March last year, which set the bar rolling on the project based in the former Victoria Ironworks, which until recently housed the Rolls-Royce Heritage Centre.
The vast site – which covers four conjoined factory buildings – will house a fully-equipped training school, a car storage area, exhibition and entertainment space, along with a number of small multi use units. The sheer scale of the Victoria Ironworks will allow Great Northern Classics to operate as an efficient work site while serving as a destination attraction at the same time.
Similar to the concept of BBC TV’s Repair Shop, classic car owners will be able to access upholsterers, electricians, mechanics and bodywork specialists, all of whom will be given workshop space all under the same roof within the 85,000 sq. ft building.
In March 2022, a £1.25 million loan was approved from the Council’s Enterprise Growth Fund, which offers capital grants and loans to businesses within Derby and its Travel to Work Area (TTWA).
The centre, which will house a retail, workshop and office space, is expected to reach 85% capacity by the end of year two, offering a range of different sized units to suit both sole traders and larger organisations, based on demand and growth. It’s expected that the site will house around 32 companies in total.
The initiative will also provide an opportunity for young apprentices in the city to undertake on-site training and learn alongside specialists, ensuring that their skills are developed and passed down to future generations. The centre is expected to contribute to the creation of over 120 jobs by year six, not including any additional local supply chain benefits.Abigail Whitt of Great Northern Classics, said: “We’re extremely excited that Derby City Council has helped contribute towards the revival of this historical site. Our aim here at Great Northern Classics is to create a hub for not only the vehicle enthusiast, but also the wider public.
“We have lots to offer at the newly restored ironworks building which was once a Rolls-Royce site. We will house a fully equipped training school, workshops for around 30 specialists, a car storage area, exhibition and entertainment space and café. We look forward to seeing you all later on in the year.”
The additional loan is required due to a change in previously assumed private funding sources and is reflective of the original loan amount budgeted for and requested by GNC. As a start-up business, traditional high street funding is not a suitable option.
Work began at the former Victoria Ironworks and Rolls-Royce heritage centre in September 2022. Progress carried out to date suggests that the project will be completed on budget.
