Planning application for £35m regeneration of Elvaston Castle Country Park to be submitted

Tess Egginton
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Planning application for £35m regeneration of Elvaston Castle Country Park to be submitted
Detailed proposals to regenerate Elvaston Castle’s historic grounds have been made available to view ahead of planning applications being submitted for the first phase of a £35 million regeneration programme. Final touches have been added to proposals to reverse decades of underinvestment and secure the future of the 321 acre Derbyshire estate which includes the historic Grade II* Listed gardens which are the finest example of renowned 19th century gardener William Barron’s work. It follows a comprehensive public consultation exercise and many months of work with Elvaston Castle and Garden Trust (ECGT), working with the National Trust, to finalise proposals for:
  • building a new café accessed from the upper stable yard leading out onto a new adventure playground
  • regeneration of the lower stables yard into a space for retail, catering and exhibitions
  • regeneration of the upper stables yard for retail and office space
  • new accommodation and workshops for site staff and volunteers in the frame yard
  • reducing traffic through local villages and improving visitor access to the site by creating a new entrance and access drive closer to the A6 via a new junction/roundabout on the B5010. This would take visitors more quickly into the heart of the estate and to a proposed new car park.
Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said: “Elvaston Castle and Country Park is enjoyed by people from all over Derbyshire so it’s no surprise that so many wanted to contribute their own ideas, many of which have been included in our Masterplan. “If our proposals get the go-ahead, it will signal the start of the first phase of our plans to secure the future of Elvaston Castle and Country Park for generations to come by making it a sustainable visitor attraction that can stand on its own 2 feet, saving millions of pounds for Derbyshire council tax payers who currently pay for the upkeep of the estate.” Restored to its former glory, the whole site will remain a country park, free at the point of entry with increased visitor numbers helping to contribute to the running costs. If the first phase of the restoration gets the go-ahead, it will pave the way for further planned development such as:
  • the repair and renovation of further historic buildings on the site to bring them back into use
  • converting the ground floor of the castle into a conferencing and events venue
  • offering camping and glamping on the estate’s former campsite with facilities for touring caravans, motorhomes and tents
  • an improved and varied events programme to attract a wider audience.
Once the home of the Earls of Harrington, the Stanhope family left Elvaston Castle after WWII. Derbyshire County Council rescued the site in the 1960s when it was threatened by development for mining, and developed it as Britain’s first country park. During recent decades, shrinking local government budgets have meant that the council have struggled to meet rising running costs while a number of previous bids to provide the site with a sustainable future unfortunately proved unsuccessful. Dr Peter Robinson, Chair of ECGT said: “It’s taken a tremendous amount of work to get us to this point and the thoughts and ideas contributed by local residents and the wider Derbyshire community have been invaluable in shaping this plan. Like many people, I love Elvaston and visit frequently with family and friends. “These are ambitious plans and we have several years of hard work in front of us, but Elvaston has huge untapped potential that we believe is the key to securing its future and saving it from further decline and dereliction. “We’re committed to bringing the castle, gardens and wider parkland back to life and opening up much more of the estate to the public, including the 3 courtyards which include significant former estate workshops and stable buildings which include a blacksmith’s forge, gas engine and the remains of an original real tennis court.” If plans are approved, regeneration of the estate is expected to create more than 170 new jobs and increase the number of visitors. There are no plans to build new residential housing on the estate. The £35 million regeneration costs will come from a mix of public and private investment, including a bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and substantial investment from the council. The long-term plan is to hand the day-to-day running of the estate to the Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust (ECGT). The Trust is an independent charity committed to creating new jobs and new volunteering opportunities, to opening up access to more areas of the estate, and to sharing Elvaston’s history with new and diverse audiences.

Freeths expands employment & pensions team

Tess Egginton
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Freeths expands employment & pensions team
Law firm, Freeths LLP, has expanded its employment and pensions practice with the appointment of five new lawyers – three of which are in the East Midlands. The employment team has been bolstered by Amy Brokenshire (director) joining the Birmingham office, Paul Bownes (managing associate) and Alex Reid (associate) joining the Leicester office, and Andrew Dixon (associate) qualifying into the Nottingham office, whilst Nigel Jones (director) joins the firm’s pensions team in Leeds. Rena Magdani, partner and national head of employment, pensions & immigration, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Nigel, Amy, Paul, Alex and Andrew to the team. “The employment, pensions and immigration practice has seen a 50% increase in turnover in the last 4 years, and the last 18 months has seen a significant increase in demand for our services due to Brexit and COVID-19. “Our team is recognised for being highly responsive, pragmatic and commercial, and we put our clients at the centre of everything we do. Our aim is to attract and develop the best lawyers and we are actively looking to appoint further high calibre lawyers to grow our team nationally.”

Are you sitting comfortably? By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR

Tess Egginton
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Are you sitting comfortably? By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR
Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and the PR and Communications Ambassador for the IoD in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, dives into the importance of storytelling in marketing. In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Thank you Mr Tolkien for your kind introduction to my latest column on marketing! You see, the problem with MOST marketing is that it is all a bit, well, meh. It doesn’t make you feel comfortable like the legendary opening to The Hobbit, nor does it make you feel UNCOMFORTABLE. In fact, it rarely makes you FEEL anything at all. The reason? You aren’t telling stories. Thinking about it, you are probably not even consciously trying to but guess what, you really should! Try this: “It was just after I bundled Richard Branson through a security door that I knew I loved my job!” Or perhaps: “I started the day fibbing about the whereabouts of the former prime minister’s wife.” I’ve used these lines many times in my marketing career because they are the beginning of a story. The story of my career and how I help people with their PR. They lead onto how the dickens I got myself into that situation and they create intrigue. They entertain AND they inform. The problem is, far too much marketing that I see just focuses on the latter and honestly, it often fails to even do that. Just as the last edition of this magazine came out, I found myself face-to-face with David Walliams and if you’ve met me in person, that will give you an idea of how tall he is (see, I’m telling a story again). After some polite chit-chat and the obligatory photo-opp (David insisted) I made a note to write about this encounter for this latest edition. You see, David is not only the co-creator of Little Britain, a channel swimming charity hero, and panellist of Britain’s Got Talent, he is also one of the best-selling children’s authors of all time! We’re approaching J.K. Rowling levels! He has done this because he creates memorable and often outrageous characters – as we know now, some are no longer so well received! I’m not suggesting you have to go out there and start creating Gangsta Grannies or Billionaire Boys but it might help if you started to inject some more colour into your case studies at least. A lot of the case studies I read feel as if they’ve been written simply because a marketing expert like me told them it would help. They will, but only if they are something that will be read! “It was a crisp February morning when we pulled onto the disused wasteland…” is a far more promising start to a case study about groundworks than the usual Client, Location, Size format! I know that writing does not come easily to many people but we don’t need War and Peace, in fact we need anything but that. We need something that breaks the monotony, that speaks to the target audience, that resonates with them. Ultimately, we need stories. So next time you start working on some copy for your ‘About Us’ page of your website, or an award submission or a case study, see if you can become a storyteller, even if just for a little while. Remember, you don’t need to be Tolkien to write a white paper on ‘Elf and Safety’!   A former business journalist, Greg Simpson is the author of The Small Business Guide to PR and has been recognised as one of the UK’s top 5 PR consultants, having set up Press for Attention PR in 2008. He has worked for FTSE 100 firms, charities and start-ups and conducted press conferences with Sir Richard Branson and James Caan. His background ensures a deep understanding of every facet of a successful PR campaign – from a journalist’s, client’s, and consultant’s perspective.

The East Midlands Property & Business Expo returns this Friday

Tess Egginton
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The East Midlands Property & Business Expo returns this Friday
After almost two years of no exhibitions, the East Midlands Property & Business Expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, will return this Friday (12 November 2021). Taking place at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, delegates can pre-register for free entry to the event, which has everything you need for a great day of networking and business generation. An established event of over 20 years, the show is well targeted and aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets. The exhibition will open to attendees at 9am, with a seminar taking place between 10:30am and noon. A special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm. For more information on exhibiting at the event click here. To register to attend the event for free click here. To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here. Exhibitors include A+G Architects, Allica Bank, Aspbury Planning, Bassetlaw District Council, Bowmer + Kirkland, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, East Midlands Chamber, Empire Finance, Galliford Try, Invest East Midlands, Invest Newark & Sherwood, J Tomlinson, Lindum, Nottingham Trent University, Pick Everard, Pygott & Crone, Rigby & Co, Severn Trent, Stepnell, Wildgoose, YMD Boon, and more.

Notts software solutions provider makes biggest ever acquisition with £57.7m deal

Tess Egginton
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Notts software solutions provider makes biggest ever acquisition with £57.7m deal
Nottinghamshire-based provider of information management software, Ideagen PLC, has made its biggest acquisition to date. Sydney-based RegTech provider, CompliSpace has been acquired by Ideagen for a sum of AUD$105 million (approximately £57.7 million), in a deal that will boost Ideagen’s footprint in a new geography, expand its commercial offering and enhance its Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). A fast-growing provider of Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Policy Management software, CompliSpace offers risk-based software programs and education to organisations principally in the education and social care sectors, where Ideagen sees globally compelling structural growth tailwinds. Ideagen already provides global software and services to more than 6,000 highly regulated customers across multiple industries such as aviation, financial services, life-sciences, healthcare and manufacturing with operations throughout the UK, US, Europe, Middle East and South-East Asia. The acquisition of CompliSpace is Ideagen’s 24th since its admission to UK AIM market, continuing what has been a successful strategy of growth via strategic acquisitions that add to Ideagen’s geographical and sector expertise. Ben Dorks, CEO of Ideagen, said: “The acquisition of CompliSpace delivers three clear strategic objectives for Ideagen – a complementary commercial offering with a compelling growth opportunity, a strong footprint in a new geography, and enhances our ARR. “We see a significant opportunity to leverage CompliSpace’s Australian footprint with our existing product suite, while also expanding its customer base within Europe and North America – in line with our strategy to grow both our geographical and sector expertise. “We are very excited to add CompliSpace to our business and underline our commitment to supporting customers operating in highly regulated environments with high quality software solutions across a range of platforms.” CompliSpace recorded revenue of AUD$15.4 million (approximately £8.4 million) and a loss before tax of AUD$3.6 million (approximately £2.0 million) for the year to 30 June 2021 with net assets of AUD$11.6 million (approximately £6.4 million) at that date. The acquisition will be funded from Ideagen’s existing resources. As part of the transaction, CompliSpace CEO David Griffiths will remain as Regional Senior Vice President, and will continue to hold a significant shareholding in the business. “Joining Ideagen ensures that CompliSpace can fulfil our vision and purpose beyond Australia, and support schools and aged care facilities to better service their customers across Asia, North America, the UK and Europe,” Mr Griffiths said. “We look forward to bringing Ideagen’s world-class risk and compliance software services to Australia, while taking our software, expertise and skills to the world.” Founded in March 2007, CompliSpace has served more than 950 clients in Australia including more than 730 schools and more than 135 aged care facilities across the country. Its software as a service offerings provide customers with both content and a cloud-based software platform to monitor their compliance with relevant industry and legal regulations. The company has more than 90 staff with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

Intoware makes chief technology officer promotion

Tess Egginton
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Intoware makes chief technology officer promotion
Intoware, the Nottingham-based workflow software provider, has promoted Lee McDonald from head of development to chief technology officer. In this new role, Lee will lead the development of Intoware’s industrial work-instruction platform, WorkfloPlus to modernise the frontline workforce through connected, digital working. “We are thrilled that Lee has stepped into his new role as Intoware begins the next phase of its innovation roadmap for WorkfloPlus,” said Keith Tilley, CEO of Intoware. “Lee’s enthusiasm for digital technologies has allowed us to adopt a fully customer-centric approach, by gaining knowledge and experience from each and every interaction to ensure that we deliver added value to our clients including, Petrofac, Network Rail and Welsh Water.” Prior to joining Intoware in 2019, Lee worked for Nottingham-based data and technology business ERT that supports the clinical research market.

50 new homes planned as 21-acre Derbyshire site sold

Tess Egginton
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50 new homes planned as 21-acre Derbyshire site sold
Redrow Homes’ East Midlands division has completed on a 21-acre site off Jackson Lane in Etwall, formerly used for agriculture, just eight-miles south of Derby. With outline planning consent in place, a selection of three, four and five-bedroom homes is expected to be built. With a reserved matters planning application in progress, construction at the development is anticipated to commence in Autumn. Redrow has committed to circa £1million by way of S106 contributions. Andy Noton, land director for the East Midlands, said: “We’re excited to announce the exchange of land in Etwall, and to be bringing a variety of new homes to the area. “Here at Redrow, we strive to create sustainable, thriving communities at each of our developments, through building high-quality homes and investing in the local area, which is why we will be contributing circa £1million into the surrounding community. “We’re looking forward to starting work in the Autumn, and seeing the new homes begin to take shape. Although it is early days, we anticipate that the development will be extremely popular with families, both growing and established.”

Successful equity raise sees progress for Rolls-Royce’s mini nuclear plants

Tess Egginton
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Successful equity raise sees progress for Rolls-Royce’s mini nuclear plants
Following a successful equity raise, the Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor (SMR) business has been established, and has the potential to create 40,000 jobs. The business will bring forward and deliver at scale the next generation of low cost, low carbon nuclear power technology. Rolls-Royce Group, BNF Resources UK Limited and Exelon Generation Limited will invest £195m across a period of around three years. The funding will enable the business to secure grant funding of £210 million from UK Research and Innovation funding, first announced by the UK Prime Minister in ‘The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution’. Rolls-Royce’s announcement is another step towards the delivery of the Government’s net zero strategy and its 10-point plan. The business, which will continue to seek further investment, will now proceed rapidly with a range of parallel delivery activities, including entry to the UK Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process and identifying sites for the factories which will manufacture the modules that enable on-site assembly of the power plants. Discussions will also continue with the UK Government on identifying the delivery models that will enable long-term investment in this net-zero enabling technology. Rolls-Royce SMR is engaging with export customers across many continents who need this technology to meet their own net zero commitments. Warren East, Rolls-Royce CEO, said: “The SMR programme is one of the ways that Rolls-Royce is meeting the need to ensure the UK continues to develop innovative ways to tackle the global threat of climate change. “With the Rolls-Royce SMR technology, we have developed a clean energy solution which can deliver cost competitive and scalable net zero power for multiple applications from grid and industrial electricity production to hydrogen and synthetic fuel manufacturing. “The business could create up to 40,000 jobs, through UK deployment and export enabled growth. As a major shareholder in Rolls-Royce SMR, we will continue to support its path to successful deployment.” Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the UK to deploy more low carbon energy than ever before and ensure greater energy independence. “Small Modular Reactors offer exciting opportunities to cut costs and build more quickly, ensuring we can bring clean electricity to people’s homes and cut our already-dwindling use of volatile fossil fuels even further. “In working with Rolls-Royce, we are proud to back the largest engineering collaboration the UK has ever seen – uniting some of the most respected and innovating organisations on the planet. “Not only can we maximise British content, create new intellectual property and reinvigorate supply chains, but also position our country as a global leader in innovative nuclear technologies we can potentially export elsewhere. “By harnessing British engineering and ingenuity, we can double down on our plan to deploy more home-grown, affordable clean energy in this country.” Tom Samson, CEO, Rolls-Royce SMR, said: “Today’s announcement is fantastic news. Rolls-Royce SMR has been established to deliver a low cost, deployable, scalable and investable programme of new nuclear power plants. “Our transformative approach to delivering nuclear power, based on predictable factory-built components, is unique and the nuclear technology is proven. Investors see a tremendous opportunity to decarbonise the UK through stable baseload nuclear power, in addition to fulfilling a vital export need as countries identify nuclear as an opportunity to decarbonise. “The capitalisation of Rolls-Royce SMR takes us a step closer to achieving a unique, and most importantly investable, proposition in nuclear energy. It is a major vote of confidence in British nuclear technology and the potential for building a world-leading domestic supply chain.” Paul Stein, Chief Technology Officer, Rolls-Royce, and Chairman of Rolls-Royce SMR said: “In establishing this business, Rolls-Royce, BNF Capital and Exelon are taking leadership in accelerating our path to a future without fossil fuels. Global decarbonisation has never been more important, and we bring decades of precision manufacturing, and nuclear experience to the problem, adding to the skills of our partners. “By deploying SMRs in the UK and overseas we will be making a significant contribution to decarbonisation. While the decarbonisation of the electricity grid is vital, I am particularly excited by the use of SMRs to synthesise net zero fuels which can be used to power Rolls-Royce engines.” Sean Benson, Director of BNF Capital Limited, said: “BNF has an established history of energy market investing and we are proud to be a part of Rolls-Royce SMR in this exciting opportunity. Following reviews of numerous proposals we found that this project, featuring a highly experienced team was the most realistic, affordable and scalable solution for provision of carbon-free baseload and alternative power requirements.” Ralph Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of Exelon Nuclear Partners and Vice President of Exelon Generation, said: “As the largest producer of emissions-free energy in the U.S., Exelon helps customers and communities meet their environmental and economic goals. “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to investing in clean energy technologies that will create a more sustainable future. We believe that small modular reactors could become a crucial part of the world’s clean energy mix and we are confident that, as an operational partner, we can help develop, deploy and operate a fleet of world-class SMRs.” Rolls-Royce SMR is using proven nuclear technology, coupled with a unique factory-made module manufacturing and on-site assembly system, to harness decades of British engineering, design and manufacturing knowhow. It brings together the best of UK industry to ensure a decarbonisation solution that will be available to the UK grid in the early 2030s. Rolls-Royce says the potential for this to be a leading global export for the UK is unprecedented. Nine-tenths of an individual Rolls-Royce SMR power plant will be built or assembled in factory conditions and around 80% could be delivered by a UK supply chain – a unique offering in energy infrastructure in the UK. Much of the venture’s investment is expected to be focused in the North of the UK, where there is significant existing nuclear expertise A single Rolls-Royce SMR power station will occupy the footprint of two football pitches and power approximately one million homes. It can support both on-grid electricity and a range of off-grid clean energy solutions, enabling the decarbonisation of industrial processes and the production of clean fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and green hydrogen, to support the energy transition in the wider heat and transportation sectors.

Nottingham expansion plans for “game-changing” trades industry escrow platform revealed

Michael Fisher
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Nottingham expansion plans for “game-changing” trades industry escrow platform revealed
A newly launched online UK platform that protects tradespeople from late and non-payments has revealed plans to launch in Nottingham next year bringing with it a new office and employment for up to 12-16 people. Pay The Trades, which launched in Lincolnshire earlier this year, is heralded as the first company in the world to bring peer-review escrow services to the trade industry. The brainchild of founders Harvey Croft and Owain Hughes, Pay The Trades is a revolutionary escrow service that acts as an intermediary between tradespeople and their customers. Currently operating from its base in Grantham, Lincolnshire, Pay The Trades is set to open offices in Nottingham inside 12 months, employing up to 12-16 in the area, as it looks to grow its team across sales, marketing and business development. The firm has eyed Lenton and Wollaton East as a potential location to set up its new site and realise its high growth potential. It has also unveiled ambitious plans for growth and, as part of its five year rollout plan, it aims to have 10% of UK tradespeople using the service by 2026 and expects to turnover £4.15m inside three years. Harvey Croft, entrepreneur and managing director of Pay The Trades, commented: “We’re excited to provide this solution to the trades of Nottingham and a market of hard-working individuals whose need for payment is overlooked. “We’re also passionate about ensuring customers get the quality of work they are promised and removing ‘cowboy’ tradesmen from the market by bringing a whole new business process to the trades industry.” Co-Founder Owain Hughes, continues: “I’ve been to Nottingham countless times and just love the area. It’s such a great city with lots to do and I would love to be a part of that vibrant working environment. “From the local eateries to Nottingham castle, and with it being only a 40-minute train ride from my home town in Grantham it really has been a favourite place to go to for me. Not to mention it has a thriving trades industry in the area.” The sole aim of Pay The Trades is to protect both the customer and the tradesperson and hopes to be a positive shot in the arm for the industry. It will ensure customers receive the quality of work they pay for and protects tradespeople from late and non-payments in the process. Offering tradespeople and customers a safe, easy and worry-free means of exchanging goods and services, Pay The Trades’ payment process provides a unique and much-needed form of income protection for self-employed tradespeople. Rather than paying the tradesperson directly, customers pay via the Pay The Trades Escrow Service. Once the project has been completed, a 14-day holding period follows to ensure the customer is satisfied with the quality of the work and the tradesperson is paid without the hassle of chasing invoices. In the scenario where a customer is unhappy with the service they’ve received, Pay The Trades will settle any disputes by providing a review process, checking the work and offering a refund where appropriate. After building a successful career in production and logistics, Harvey Croft decided on a career change and began exploring plumbing as a potential option. It was during this time that he encountered long-standing issues with payment that many tradespeople experienced on a regular basis. Identifying a gap in the market for a platform that could solve this issue, Croft began building what would become Pay The Trades. The founding team of three includes Owain Hughes, who Croft has worked alongside consistently throughout his career.

Towcester health insurance firm acquires Bournemouth business

Tess Egginton
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Towcester health insurance firm acquires Bournemouth business
GRP-owned Premier Choice Healthcare (PCH) has boosted its position in the healthcare sector by acquiring Bournemouth-based PMI intermediary Equity Health Solutions Ltd. The deal, PCH’s second since it became part of GRP last year, follows its acquisition in January of the portfolio of SJA International. Equity Health Solutions was established in 2016 and works with the UK’s leading PMI providers to offer personal, business and international health insurance, and personal travel cover. Stephen Hough, Managing Director of Towcester-based PCH, said the deal demonstrated their continued commitment to expanding GRP’s healthcare operation. “We joined GRP with a clear brief to accelerate growth, and this acquisition is the next step forward in delivering on that,” he said. “Equity Health Solutions is a great business with an excellent reputation and we’re delighted to have them on board. “There are still significant opportunities within the healthcare sector, and we will continue to make the most of those opportunities when we find businesses that are the right fit.” Equity Health Solutions director, James Neeves, said: “As health insurance specialists, we pride ourselves on giving the best possible unbiased advice so that every customer gets the best cover to meet their individual needs. “It’s great that PCH recognises what we’ve set out to achieve, and we’re looking forward to working with them and building on the new opportunities that joining them will bring.” Stephen Ross, head of M&A for GRP, added: “This deal supports our aim to mirror the acquisition success we have had in UK retail commercial broking by boosting our presence in the healthcare market. “It will help us to expand our overall proposition to offer both new and existing clients a suite of healthcare products alongside our existing services.” Following the acquisition, James Neeves and fellow director Jasmine Albano will continue to run the business from its Bournemouth base and all staff will be retained.
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