Tesla named as one of the most popular EVs for salary sacrifice
Tesla is the car brand still dominating the UK market and there appears to be no imminent expectation of that changing, according to the ‘EV Statistics Dashboard’ created by Pink Salary Exchange. The US-based electric vehicle (EV) brand has taken over the EV market in recent years, and according to the monthly figures compiled by the salary sacrifice experts, that stranglehold isn’t showing any signs of being released.
There was a time when the Nissan Leaf was the go-to EV for anyone thinking of making the switch to battery-powered and zero emission driving, but Tesla has completely swept the Japanese brand aside, particularly since the release of the Model 3 executive saloon car in 2017. And at the end of 2021 the UK was taking its first deliveries of the Tesla Model Y, a compact SUV, which has since upstaged the Model 3, and that can be seen in the handy stats dashboard updated each month and freely available on the Pink Salary Exchange website.
The most search-for EVs
The top five most searched-for brands on the Pink Salary Exchange platform has remained unchanged for the last two months. The top two places have been taken up by Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 respectively, while third place was the Polestar 2, fourth place was the Skoda Enyaq and fifth place was the Audi E-Tron. April and May saw these top five places remain the same, while in March the only change was the Porsche Taycan replacing the Skoda Enyaq.
Indeed, the only other models to make the top five most searched for cars in 2023 have been the MG Motor MG4, the Kia Niro and the BMW I4.
One million EV target in reach
Tesla CEO Elon Musk vowed to concentrate on sales growth rather than profitability in 2023, and hence has made the Model Y and Model 3 much more affordable in the UK, which might explain their dominance in the figures. But the Pink Salary Exchange EV Statistics Dashboard does highlight the fact that virtually every major vehicle brand has an EV on the market now, and it also shows that the EV market is well on the way to hitting its one million sales target by 2024.
In May 2023 there were 786,000 EVs on UK roads, but experts do think the cost of living crisis in 2023 may have put a temporary halt on EV sales. In May 2023 EV sales accounted for 17% of the overall UK vehicle market, while back in December 2022, the dashboard shows us that this was as high as 33%. Either way, the EV is an unstoppable force. Keep up to date with the latest EV statistics via the Pink Salary Exchange EV Statistics Dashboard.
OMEETO marks third anniversary with move to larger offices and first degree apprentice
Commercial property agency OMEETO has marked its third anniversary with the appointment of its first degree apprentice and the move to new larger offices.
Director Chris Wright, who set up the company in 2020 with more than 23 years industry experience in senior roles and national and regional companies, has been joined by Ruby Scott Mullen.
Ruby, a former pupil at Ecclesbourne School in Duffield, plans to study part time for a degree in chartered surveying with real estate at Nottingham Trent University alongside gaining practical work experience with OMEETO.
The company has also moved into larger offices at The Quadrant in Beeston town centre – providing the growing team with easy access to its growing portfolio of commercial property across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Mr Wright explained: “We have grown steadily over the past three years and I am delighted to be in a position to invest in future professional talent by offering Ruby a degree apprenticeship with the company.
“Our success so far has been rooted in our fresh approach to commercial property sales and lettings by utilising the latest digital marketing tools and the flexibility of offer for our clients. Ruby’s skills and enthusiasm are already contributing greatly to our services.
“The move to The Quadrant also gives us the capacity to grow the team further as we move forward and gives us even easier access to the Nottingham and Derby areas where we are making our mark.”
Ruby concluded: “Having researched the profession and undertaken internships at several regional firms, I am very grateful for this opportunity at OMEETO to essentially earn while I learn and gain my qualifications alongside working directly with clients and supporting all the back-office functions.”
Boots to shut 300 stores
Nottingham-headquartered Boots is planning to close 300 shops as it looks to evolve its store estate.
Over the next year Boots will continue to consolidate a number of stores in close proximity to each other, saying this will allow the company “to concentrate its team members where they are needed and focus investment more acutely in individual stores with the ambition of consistently delivering an excellent and reliable service in a fresh and up to date environment.”
No jobs are expected to be lost, with employees offered roles at nearby shops.
The news comes as Boots announced its third quarter retail sales were up 13.4% year on year.
More customers are shopping at Boots more often, with the number of transactions up both in store and online, with footfall growth ahead of the wider retail market. City centre flagship and travel stores saw the biggest increase, while digital sales also continued to grow, up 25.2% year on year.
Seb James, Managing Director, Boots UK and ROI, said: “Our focus on offering our customers the best in healthcare and beauty, together with a continued commitment to great value, has been well received, and it is lovely to see more people choosing to shop with Boots. It is particularly pleasing to see our owned brands proving popular, including an exceptional No7 performance. I would like to thank all of our team members for their hard work in delivering these results.”
Serious concerns identified for Nottingham City Council’s financial activities
A new report has identified concerns “of a very serious nature” in how Nottingham City Council controls its finances.
The report conducted by EY (Ernst & Young) comes after it was uncovered that the council had, over a number of years, breached the ring-fencing requirement for its Housing Revenue Account, which was unlawful. The wrongful spending of funds is estimated to cost up to £51m.
As a consequence of the council’s failure to maintain this ring-fence, in 2022 the Corporate Director of Finance & Resources commissioned an external review due to continued concerns surrounding the council’s compliance with accounting controls around ring-fencing.
EY were engaged to undertake this review, in respect of six ring-fenced areas, that would identify policies, procedures, financial records and data and carry out testing on a sample of historical transactions with a view to commenting on the operation of the controls in place and the overall control environment.
Whilst there is no suggestion of any fraudulent transactions, the EY report has now highlighted, for the period 2019 to 2022, a number of very serious concerns, with a weak control environment, ineffective systems, associated management information and a culture which is not focused upon compliance.
Issues include an inability to find documents, no purchase order or goods received note – prior to invoice, document retention, eligibility for charging employees to ringfenced accounts, no evidence of approvals, approvers being able to authorise above their set limits, and a culture where policy adherence and knowledge is weak.
A council audit committee document says: “As much as the findings quite rightly focus on the system and process failings, the cultural and organisational limitations should not be lost as it is a significant contributing factor in the matters raised. Rectification of the issues is much more than simply putting in new procedures.”
Conclusions drawn from the observations and output of the assessment include that the current state of controls in operation require urgent intervention to avoid the risk of inappropriate financial activity.
The document added: “Whilst urgent action is required to establish grip on NCC’s financial activities, it also needs to be recognised that the scale of change required to establish an effective control environment is a transformative process and will take a number of years to fully implement.”
The findings of the financial controls assessment underpin a conclusion that the council is operating with a considerably weakened control environment which is “not fit for purpose in allowing a Local Authority to enact effective financial stewardship.”
In response to the seriousness of the findings, the control weaknesses have been mapped to the council’s existing finance improvement plan and an assessment of capacity to deliver at pace completed.
A remediation project has been scoped and commissioned to deliver a 12-week focused controls remediation response.
The council has not yet published the report in full, which comes as an Improvement and Assurance Board remains in place, monitoring improvements at the council.
Loughborough Building Society joins Legal and General
Loughborough Building Society is to become part of the Legal and General Mortgage Club in a move designed to give advisers access to a wider range of specialist mortgage products, ultimately leading to help for a wider range of borrowers.
Loughborough Building Society offers buy-to-let products up to a maximum loan size of £500,000 and residential products up to a maximum of £750,000.
Clare Beardmore, Director, Legal & General Mortgage Club said: “Giving advisers access to more product choice and more specialised solutions is absolutely essential to ensure borrowers get an outcome that is right for them. It’s also a vital component of the new Consumer Duty’s fair value requirements, which we know are an important priority for advisers.
“Offering Loughborough Building Society’s specialist residential and buy-to-let products to the broker network at Legal & General Mortgage Club will support more borrowers, and also the advisers who serve them.”
Ashley Pearson, National Business Development Manager at Loughborough Building Society, added: “Working with Legal & General’s team and joining the Mortgage Club panel is a welcome opportunity for us to address specialist requirements in the residential and buy-to-let sectors. This collaboration will allow us to help more borrowers who otherwise might have been overlooked.”
Derbyshire social project helping people after homelessness officially blooming after eight tonne topsoil donation
A Derbyshire social project which helps people who have been through homelessness is blooming with the help of a whopping eight-tonne topsoil donation so they can grow their own veg.
The donation to Derventio Housing Trust’s Growing Lives project in Ilkeston has been made by Alfreton-based Leedale Ltd, which provides a range of services to the construction industry, such as waste management. The topsoil was sourced from local construction projects, and was screened and tested at Leedale Ltd’s recycling yard in Alfreton.
Growing Lives is an activities project run by the housing trust which provides people in its properties, and referred there via other services, with communal activities such as woodworking, craft, walks and gardening, with the aim of creating a supportive, caring environment and helping them get back on their feet again.
People are helped by Derventio Housing Trust which provides them with accommodation if they have recently been homeless.
Leedale Ltd dropped off eight tonnes of topsoil which was transported to the garden by Derventio Housing Trust staff and residents using wheelbarrows.
Penny Wiltshire, funding and development manager at Derventio Housing Trust, who was introduced to Leedale through their work with Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust, said: “It just goes to show that through creating valuable networks we can work together to provide projects like Growing Lives with resources that they really need. There is so much goodwill in the world, not to mention resourcefulness, which is how this topsoil donation has come about!
“I’d like to thank Oliver Walkup from Leedale along with all the organisations who helped make this happen including Long Eaton Rotary, Erewash Borough Council and Marketing Derby.”
Wayne Rodgers, who has been helped by Derventio Housing Trust and is a regular at Growing Lives – which provided him with his first ever holiday in 2022 when he was 54 – said: “Growing Lives is a place where you can relax and forget about your problems. You’re kept so busy here you haven’t got time to think about what’s going on in your life. This place is in my blood, I feel part of the furniture!”
Rachael Tomlin, a tutor at Growing Lives, said: “The garden soil is mainly sub soil and we have been working very hard to grow a lot of things here. We have struggled and it was mentioned that we could really do with some topsoil.
“Thanks to this donation we can now grow all the lovely produce that we have planned for this site! We’re hoping to grow courgettes, carrots, we have got lettuces, radishes, tomatoes, potatoes and beans. Everything we grow, we’ll be putting in meals we’re cooking.”
Another Derventio Housing Trust resident, Garry Welsh, said he enjoyed being in the garden having spent time outdoors with his family at a younger age.
He said: “Coming to Growing Lives gives me something to wake up in the morning for. I’ve not really grown anything since I was younger. It makes me feel brilliant here.”
The team at Leedale Ltd removes construction and demolition waste from building sites to bring back to its recycling yard where it is then filtered, treated and screened to create quality aggregates, including topsoil, which can then be used again.
Ben Hammond, head of business development at Leedale Ltd, said: “At Leedale we are proud to support charities and organisations as and where we can and when Derventio explained this cause to us, it was the least we could do.
“Hearing the story behind what the donation was going to support, it was a no brainer for us to get involved in such a great cause. The whole team at Derventio is great to deal with and it’s a pleasure to be able to support them.”
Multi-million-pound aerospace programme helps hundreds of SMEs take off
The University of Nottingham’s Aerospace Unlocking Potential (UP) programme has come to an end, after supporting more than 270 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Midlands over the past three years.
Designed to help smaller companies develop new technologies and solutions to make aviation greener, the £20 million programme was delivered by the University of Nottingham’s Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT) and the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) between 2020 and 2023, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Midlands Engine.
The programme not only provided funding for projects but also offered companies unique access to industry experts, academic support, and university facilities that might otherwise have been unattainable.
Professor Pat Wheeler, Global Director of the University of Nottingham’s IAT and Head of Power Electronics in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “The past three years have seen us support more than 270 SMEs across the Midlands, with more than £11 million of private and public investment combined supplied to a plethora of projects. But this programme goes further than facts and figures, it’s afforded businesses the opportunity to create and improve a wide variety of new technologies that will take the aerospace industry to new heights.”
Among the companies that have benefited from Aerospace UP is Skyfarer Ltd, which used its funding to develop a prototype system for drone operations that has created the capability to deliver medical supplies to a radius that extends 40km beyond the pilot’s line of sight.
The system is linked to an app that allows the customer to see everything about their deliveries, including position, temperature, and any shocks the payload has experienced. As part of the project, drones were successfully flown beyond the line of sight in remote areas of Wales, marking a UK first for drone operations over land.
Georgia Hanrahan, Chief Operating Officer at Skyfarer Ltd., said: “Being supported by Aerospace UP has allowed us to turn our vision into a reality and create some milestone achievements in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) regulations in the UK. A big thank you must go to the team for believing in us from the start and putting air under our wings, quite literally, so that we can start benefiting the healthcare industry with this technology.”
The programme’s successes have been celebrated this month, first at a showcase event hosted at the university’s Jubilee Campus, where SMEs that Aerospace UP has supported presented more than 50 new technologies to the 150 people in attendance. Followed by the Paris Airshow, where a wall display next to the University of Nottingham’s stand with the MAA promoted projects and technologies developed by companies made possible through Aerospace UP.
The University of Nottingham’s IAT team also discussed ongoing opportunities available for companies and supported the MAA Paris Airshow networking reception, which promoted and celebrated the strength and depth of the aerospace supply chain in the Midlands.
Dr Andrew Mair, Chief Executive of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, said: “Aerospace UP has been a flagship programme that is showing the global aerospace industry just how innovative our small companies can be. It’s brilliant that we have been able to work alongside the University of Nottingham to support these companies to develop the new technologies the aviation sector needs for the future.”
Although the programme has come to an end, the IAT plans to continue to strengthen the links it has created with companies across the region and the MAA to create new opportunities for collaboration in the future.
Professor Wheeler added: “What we’ve been able to do with Aerospace UP is establish a flourishing innovation ecosystem that brings together industry, the university, and the MAA and, moving forwards, we can use this as a launchpad for further work in the future. For example, we’re using this as a template for the work we’re doing with the University of Nottingham Italy by collaborating with the aerospace cluster in the Campania region.
“Closer to home, we’re continuing to provide technical services for the Midlands community, as well as access to our world-leading facilities. So, while Aerospace UP may have finished, the relationships and collaborations we’ve forged are continuing to flourish, and this is something I hope will continue in the years to come.”
Nomination categories in detail: The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023
If you are yet to make your entries for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023, now is the perfect time to do so! Here we go through each category’s criteria – which can also be found with nomination forms here.
Winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony and networking event on Thursday 28 September at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, in the Derek Randall Suite. The evening, which will run from 4:30pm – 7:30pm, will also feature Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, as keynote speaker.
Tickets can be booked here – secure your place now to avoid disappointment.
Most active estate agents of the year
Sponsored by: OMS
The winner of this category will be the Estate Agents who has had the biggest impact on the commercial property sector over the last 12 months, whether that be in deals done, quality of any given deal, or excellent customer service.
Sponsored by: Ward
The winner of this category will be the developer that has truly pushed the limit over the last 12 months. Their scheme(s) will have shown to not only be a success, but that there was true demand for them. The winning developer will have displayed courage in a tough market to deliver award winning results. There is no size limit, but schemes must have been completed over the last 12 months.
Sponsored by: Blueprint Interiors
The winner of this award will be the architects who have had the greatest impact on the region, be it in a single development or a series of them. Originality, the ability to rise to a challenge or initiative shown in accomplishing a difficult brief, this award celebrates our architects. Schemes must have been completed over the last 12 months.
Sponsored by: RammSanderson
Celebrating the contractors who work on the project, this award celebrates builders, construction companies and the contractors themselves, and nominees should be those who have gone above and beyond the word of the contract to deliver a truly exceptional service. Contracts must have been within the last 12 months.
Sponsored by: Mather Jamie
The winner of this category will be the deal that has truly pushed the boundaries over the last 12 months – from jobs created to complexity, size and scale. However, that’s not to say the biggest deal will automatically win; the deal which has had most impact in the East Midlands is what we’re looking for. The winning deal will have displayed courage in a tough market to deliver a great outcome for all concerned. Deal must have been completed over the last 12 months.
To be held at:
Commercial development of the year
Sponsored by: MKM The winner of this category will be the commercial development that has gone above and beyond in fulfilling the criteria of the build, in terms of design and construction. This can include special requirements, features or elements that make the commercial development stand out from the crowd.Residential development of the year
Sponsored by: Sterling Commercial Finance The winner of this category will be the scheme that has displayed a true commitment to providing much-needed housing in the East Midlands. There is no size limit, but schemes must have been completed over the last 12 months.Sustainable development of the year
Sponsored by: Viridis Building Services The winner of this category will be the scheme that has displayed a true commitment to sustainable development in the East Midlands, whether this be in an environmental development, social enterprise or a scheme which will benefit the region in other ways, so long as it benefits the future generation. Schemes must have been completed over the last 12 months. Sponsored by: Cawarden The winner of this category will be the developer who has shown true originality in design excellence across a scheme or schemes over the last 12 months, whether this be aesthetically, functionally or in any other manner.Responsible business of the year
Sponsored by: Press for Attention PR The winner of this award will have demonstrated corporate responsibility in their field, working in harmony and for the betterment of the local community in which it operates and setting a shining example for the rest of the supply chain. Overall winner Sponsored by: Streets Chartered Accountants This award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated. The Overall Winner of the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 will also be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000. Submitting a nomination couldn’t be easier – simply click here and click on a category’s heading to access its form. Nominations end Thursday 31 August.
Find out who last year’s winners were here.
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2023 – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on Thursday 28 September 2023 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks sponsored by Nicholas Associates while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region, and hear from Mike Denby, Director of Inward Investment and Place Marketing at Leicester City Council, our keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire. Thanks to our sponsors:
To be held at:
Urban living in Grimsby Town Centre takes step forward
A vision to create modern, smart homes on a riverside setting in Grimsby’s town centre are taking a step forward.
Following discussions between North East Lincolnshire Council and Homes England, central Government funding has been agreed to allow investigative work to take place at Alexandra Dock.
This will centre on six-acres of council-owned land behind the new Horizon OnSide Youth Zone and next to the remodelled Garth Lane bridge and walkway alongside the water.
Around two weeks of specialist contract work, which starts on Monday 3 July, will determine the land type and what is beneath the surface – essential investigations ahead of preparing the site further.
This area was earmarked for homes in Grimsby’s Town Centre Masterplan – cited as an ideal location given the water nearby and the improvements that have already taken place.
Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of the council with responsibilities for the economy, net zero, skills and housing, said: “The main objective of this work is to create a place that connects the town and its community with its waterside, creating a fantastic urban living environment that’s kind to the planet.
“There’s a long way to go yet, and developments of this scale don’t happen overnight. But we are working to improve the town centre as a whole and this is part of that vision. Step-by-step we want to change how our centre is used and enjoyed as a whole.”
Silverstone Park-based business wins £170k government funding
Silverstone Park-based Performance Projects has won a share of over £2.5 million in government grant funding to help further develop its OxDrive electric drive hub technology.
The business is one of just 14 SMEs selected to each receive £170,000 of funding via the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) which helps cutting-edge technology developers bring their innovations to life.
APC’s Head of Programmes Josh Denne, confirmed that the that funding had only been allocated following “a highly competitive round of applications.”
“We are incredibly proud, and honoured, to have been selected,” enthused Chris Horton, MD of OxDrive Ltd which is a subsidiary of Performance Projects.
“We look forward to working with the Advanced Propulsion Centre and its partners, developing and commercialising our exciting new e-hub technology. OxDrive drivelines are critical for the agritech and construction sectors’ road to net-zero.”
The OxDrive electric drive hubs (e-hubs) are a range of high torque, fully integrated electric hub drivelines specifically for the rigours of agritech, construction and other off-highway applications.
They are designed to provide reliable drives which speed up vehicle development, reduce time to market and enable viable progress to net-zero robot and vehicle solutions.
The technology has already been integrated into Performance Projects’ ‘GoFar’ rover which uses AI navigation developed by the University of Lincoln. The GoFar has attracted interest from the agritech sector and is currently undergoing trials with Berry Gardens Growers, a major name in the fruit-picking sector.
Josh Denne said: “This latest cohort of our accelerator programme is once again a celebration of UK start-up and SME-led innovation and demonstrates how the drive within our ecosystem to develop new net-zero technology businesses is not slowing.”
He added: “We have attracted a fascinating range of tech businesses to this round of TDAP. Alongside some fantastic hardware-based concepts, we are seeing a growth in software-based innovation that can drive carbon and cost out of vehicle development and manufacturing.
“As our ecosystem shifts its focus towards net zero, we are seeing new process technologies which could help drive emissions out of the supply chain for clean mobility technologies.
“The team at the APC are excited to work with these 14 companies over the coming months to enable them to forge their routes ahead and accelerate their progress.”
