Family Law Group moves to new premises in Chesterfield
The Derbyshire branch of Family Law Group has announced a move to Chesterfield’s Hayfield House.
In the company’s Chesterfield office Associate Solicitor Johanna Brewer, Solicitor Aimee Booth and SQE Apprentice Stephanie Smart together have substantial experience in divorce proceedings, finance settlements and child contact arrangements, as well as Legal Aid work. They are looking forward to supporting their local community through the new Family Law Group presence in the town.
Johanna said: “We’re really excited to be moving to Hayfield House. The building has excellent facilities and will enable us to grow our presence in the local area.
“Chesterfield is undergoing a lot of regeneration at the moment, which will transform the town for years to come. We’re excited to be part of that transformation, and our investment shows our belief in the growth of Chesterfield and the surrounding area.”
The office space, situated prominently in the heart of Chesterfield will provide the business with a central location to improve the firm’s quality service to clients.
Established in 2005, Family Law Group has more than 130 employees across 10 offices in Nottingham, Chesterfield, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Wellingborough, Derby, Loughborough, Peterborough, Bedford and Cambridge.
400 jobs to be lost at Wilko
Nottinghamshire-headquartered retailer Wilko is set to cut 400 jobs as it continues in its attempts to control costs.
The roles lost will include assistant store managers, retail supervisors, head office managers and call centre workers, according to reports in The Guardian.
Wilko’s CEO said the company had identified significant changes to its operating model to allow the business to stabilise and thrive, including changes to the firm’s management structure at stores and its Worksop HQ.
It follows news that the retailer will close its toy departments, focusing instead on selling garden and household goods, and comes after the revelation that 95 Wilko staff in Worksop were at risk of being made redundant as the retailer looked to outsource its customer services.
The business agreed a £40m two-year revolving credit facility with Hilco at the start of the year, to allow it to increase financial flexibility as it accelerates plans for turnaround.
Wilko’s year-end results showed a drop in sales, while the firm slipped to a pre-tax loss, as the pandemic continued to bite.
Winding-down of Flybe begins after sale talks fail
Flybe is set to be wound up after discussions for a sale of the business failed.
The joint administrators of the airline, David Pike and Mike Pink from Interpath Advisory, who were appointed last month, have confirmed that “despite significant interest from a number of credible parties,” it has not been possible to develop a transaction in the timeframe available.
They will now commence the process of winding-down the business and identifying options in relation to the sale of specific rights, interests and assets.
The company employed approximately 320 people, and operated passenger flights via 21 routes to 17 destinations across the UK and EU, including from East Midlands Airport.
David Pike, Managing Director at Interpath and joint administrator of Flybe Limited, said: “Over the past two and a half weeks, we’ve held intensive discussions with a number of operators with a view to rescuing the airline and preserving the value in its assets.
“Unfortunately, there was a challenging set of circumstances at play, including the ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ rules related to slots, complexities with European recognition of a potential Temporary Operating Licence and the high costs associated with preserving the company’s operating platform, which meant there was a limited window in which a clear path forward could be set.
“Furthermore, it was clear from the outset that there was only a limited number of parties who had the necessary strategic fit and who could navigate the complexities of such a transaction to get a deal over the line. We thank those parties for their engagement.
“However, it is with regret that discussions have now been brought to a close without a deal being agreed.
“We’d like to thank a number of stakeholders, including the CAA and the company’s lessors, who gave us the time and support we needed to ensure we were able to explore every available avenue to rescue the business. We’d also like to thank those employees who have been working closely with us since our appointment, and who have worked with diligence and professionalism in this unsettling period.
“Over the coming days, we will continue to work with the lessors to return the aircraft records to them, and will also continue to provide support to those employees who have been impacted by redundancy. We are particularly grateful to those operators and other organisations across the aviation industry who have reached out to us directly to offer support in finding new roles for employees.”
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11,000ft² Colwick warehouse let to workwear producer
The rear warehouse at Ash House, in Colwick, Nottingham has been let to Logo International.
Logo International have been producing embroidered and printed clothing for over 40 years, working with local business right through to large scale multi-national companies, producing everything from staff uniforms to promotional campaign clothing.
The rear warehouse of Ash House is located a short distance away from Logo International’s former premises but provided circa 11,000ft² of clear span warehouse space with 5 metre eaves, excellent ancillary space and yard circulation.
Anthony Barrowcliffe of FHP, who completed the letting, says: “I am really pleased to have completed this letting to Logo International having met Sue and Andy several years ago and working for them on one of their properties within their ownership and now I have let this unit to their business.
“Therefore, it was great to aid their expansion/growth. The landlords in this transaction were excellent and allowed for a very commercially sound deal to be done.”
Investigation into audits of Intu launched
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched an investigation into PwC’s audits of Intu Properties plc.
The FRC is investigating the firm’s audits of the consolidated financial statements of Intu for the years ended 31 December 2017 and 31 December 2018, which PwC says it will fully cooperate with.
The investigation will be conducted by the FRC’s Enforcement Division under the Audit Enforcement Procedure.
Shopping centre giant Intu, which had malls in Nottingham and Derby and directly employed circa 2,373 people, collapsed into administration in 2020.
At the time Jim Tucker, partner at KPMG and joint administrator, said: “intu owns many of the UK’s biggest and best-known shopping centres. The challenges affecting UK retail are well known and have been exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 and the resulting lockdown. As today’s administration makes clear, those challenges have fed through to owners of retail property, even to owners of high-quality shopping centres such as intu’s.”
Intu had debts of £4.5bn when it collapsed.
Place your Betts – Bygott Biggs makes director promotion
Bygott Biggs, the legal recruitment firm that covers Nottingham, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has promoted Richard Betts to Director Legal Recruitment, Midlands.
Richard was originally called to the Bar in 2010 (trained as a barrister) and worked in Criminal Defence before he joined Bygott Biggs in 2012.
Over 11 years he has developed an unrivalled knowledge of the legal marketplace across the Midlands and has an enviable network of legal connections.
Jane Biggs, founder and Managing Director of Bygott Biggs, said: “Richard’s promotion is in recognition of a solid track record of achievement and consistent performance.
“Having listened to what lawyers want from their careers for over a decade Richard is completely in tune with his candidates and has built up relationships of trust with many law firm leaders, meaning he is well placed to get his candidates in front of the right decision makers.
“He is a great ambassador for Bygott Biggs and a key member of our very close knit team, working alongside fellow directors David Mayfield, Catherine Boyle and myself.”
Richard said: “The legal landscape has certainly changed since I switched from criminal defence work over a decade ago into legal recruitment and it continues to evolve.
“Candidates were already seeking greater flexibility before the pandemic and although there is a sense of ‘normality’ returning to the workplace as people head back to the office, there is a far greater emphasis on the hybrid working approach now. Forward-thinking law firms get that and are able to attract and retain the best talent.”
MySpa makes a splash at the UK Pool & Spa Awards
Award-winning, Leicestershire-based hot tub business, MySpa has scooped four accolades at the prestigious UK Pool & Spa Awards.
MySpa is the leading supplier of award-winning hot tubs and swim spas in the Midlands and North West. At an award ceremony at Birmingham’s National Conference Centre in the UK’s biggest awards for water leisure, MySpa received multiple accolades, taking home winner of the Best UK Spa installation under £10,000 and the top prize of the night, UK Hot Tub Retailer of the Year.
The independent family business also received Gold Standard Runner Up for Showroom of the Year, for MySpa Derbyshire and Best UK Spa installation in the Sunken or Semi Sunken category.
This year’s event featured a record 225 entries from more than 60 of the best companies in the industry, showcasing the finest examples of pool and spa design from across the UK.
A judging panel of 22 industry professionals were involved in the decision making and their choices were merged with a record number of online votes from members of the public to decide the winners from 30 categories.
Andy Wroot, co-founder and Managing Director at MySpa, said: “We are really humbled and grateful to everyone including our customers and team members who put us in such a great position to be recognised by members of the public and also our industry. We are incredibly excited to be the overall winners of the biggest award in our industry which is the ‘UK Hot Tub Retailer of the Year’.”
Established in 2009 by father and son Peter and Andrew Wroot, MySpa is an award-winning, family-run hot tub business focusing on the installation, service, repair and maintenance of hot tubs and swim spas.
Co-owner and director Laura Wroot adds: “These awards have made us all really proud, but especially the UK Hot Tub Retailer of the Year one. What a great way to set ourselves up for a successful 2023, which will see us move to our new retail store home in Leicester and also to a new head office.”
Work to transform former Newark M&S store to start this summer
Newark and Sherwood District Council is one step closer to transforming the empty former M&S building in Newark Town Centre. Once an award of contract has been made, it hopes to appoint a developer to progress 32 Stodman Street in the next few weeks into an attractive hub made up of homes and retail units.
Plans see the build of 29 high-quality residential homes in the heart of Newark which will provide a new town centre housing offer with an eye-catching and vibrant design. Plans also include two refurbished retail units which will improve Newark’s retail offer with the aim of attracting more people into the town centre.
Councillor David Lloyd, Co-Chair of Newark Town Board and Leader at Newark and Sherwood District Council, explains: “We want our town centres to have a thriving future where living, working, shopping, leisure and enjoyment come together. While Newark performs well compared to the UK average for numbers of vacant town centre retail units, it’s important that we continue to do all we can to attract people.
“Retail change shouldn’t mean town centre decline. It should be an opportunity. By repurposing an important site in the centre of the town, we hope to inject new life in the area with the aim to make the heart of Newark a great place to live and shop. Newark is unique and has so much to offer already with fantastic independent retails sitting alongside national stores, but this development really will add to the vitality of our historic market town.
“I am delighted that we are hoping to appoint a building contractor imminently and that work will hopefully start this summer!”
Already the District Council has completed preliminary work at the empty site, including the removal of large amounts of asbestos and clearance of internal partition walls to ready the site for the proposed re-development.
While inflationary pressures have caused the costs to rise on this development, the District Council says it will not stand by and leave it vacant. Despite a vigorous search and engagement process where a long list of national traders had been approached to find a retailer to occupy the store as it is, no one has stepped forward as the current unit is too large for most traders in town centre locations. Cost increases were predicted but will not affect the viability of the project and generating a repayment and return on the investment.
Once approval is sought from Cabinet on 21 February 2023, the District Council will pursue development.
Subject to Cabinet approval and agreement with the appointed contractor, work on the site could commence in late summer this year. The construction phase is likely to begin around Christmas 2023 with completion in summer 2025.
The Stodman Street development is one of many projects being funded by Newark Towns Board’s successful application to the Government’s Towns Fund initiative. It is being delivered by Newark and Sherwood District Council whose aim it is to breathe new life in Newark town centre.
Other projects include the £3m restoration of Newark Castle, a £2.1m cultural project aiming to provide a varied and exciting events programme alongside investments to improve the town centre even further and the £4.4m Newark Gateway project aiming to bring more business and employment opportunities to Newark.
Smith Partnership Solicitors names three new partners in round of promotions
Smith Partnership Solicitors, based in the East Midlands, has welcomed three new partners to the firm – two who have been promoted and one who has recently joined.
Danielle Upton and Clare Cuomo have both risen through the ranks at Smith Partnership, which has offices in Derby, Leicester, Burton, Swadlincote, Stoke-on-Trent and the newly opened Ashby.
Danielle, who works in the commercial property department, was shortlisted for the Rising Star category of the British Legal Awards last year for her work securing space for the upscaling of a Derby-based firm which is a key UK supplier of COVID-19 lateral flow tests to the Government.
She joined Smith Partnership in November 2014 after completing her Legal Practice Course at the prestigious Nottingham Law School. She advises clients on a full range of property transactions including freehold and leasehold acquisitions and disposals as well as secured lending, and has a particular expertise in complex commercial landlord and tenant matters.
Clare works in the childcare team in Derby and represents parents, grandparents, family members and children, as well as the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, in cases which are often highly sensitive and complex. Clare was admitted to the Child Panel in 2005 and continues to remain a member of the association which works in the best interests of children and young people.
Zoe Romain has over 14 years’ experience specialising in complex property transactions and joins the commercial property team in Derby after eight years at Actons Solicitors in Nottingham.
Zoe has built up a reputation for providing pragmatic advice to clients across a wide range of property transactions including high value and complicated Landlord and Tenant transactions within office, industrial and retail sectors. Zoe enjoys the additional challenges of providing property support on restructuring and insolvency pre-pack transactions and in connection with property disputes.
Kevin McGrath, managing partner, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be able to announce these thoroughly deserved promotions. In addition to promoting two partners and welcoming Zoe to our firm, three staff have also been successful in being promoted to associate level. Well done to all.”
In the annual round of promotions, which follows an interview panel held at the end of last year, Beth McGovern, Carly Harwood and Rebecca Green have been made associates.
Beth McGovern joined Smith Partnership in 2012 working as a paralegal in the crime department in Leicester. A graduate of Combined Social Sciences at The University of Lincoln, Beth went on to complete her Graduate Diploma in Law and later the Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School. She has also been identified as a rising star in the 2023 Legal 500.
She carried out her training contract with Smith Partnership and qualified as a solicitor in July 2017.
Carly Harwood is a private client associate specialising in Wills, Trusts and Estates, including drafting wills and the preparation and management of Lasting Powers of Attorney. She has completed the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners diploma and is a full member of STEP.
Rebecca Green joined Smith Partnership in February 2021 as a chartered legal executive within the Private Client department based at the Burton office.
She specialises in private client matters including Wills, Asset Protection, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Court of Protection applications for those that lack capacity, Probate applications and Estate Administration and has been assisting and advising clients for over 10 years.
