New industrial units set for Silverstone Park
MEPC has revealed that it is to continue development at Silverstone Park by bringing forward a new scheme on six acres of land adjacent to the site’s Innovation Centre.
An application for reserved matters consent has already been submitted to West Northamptonshire Council for the scheme (Phase 4 of development by MEPC at Silverstone Park).
MEPC’s Roz Bird, commercial director at Silverstone Park, said: “This new scheme of hybrid industrial units is in a prominent location at one of the key entrances to Silverstone Park.
“Based on market feedback, these units will provide a smart front entrance leading to flexible space for offices, training rooms and display, as well as loading doors providing access to double-height accommodation for workshop and storage.
“Units in this scheme will range in size from 7,500 sq ft to 24,600 sq ft. Also included in the plans are a café, gym and nursery, delivering extra value and convenience for businesses and employees at the Park.”
David Beckett, partner at appointed SRA Architects, said: “We are delighted to be working with Roz and the team on the design of these new, flexible hybrid units at this key gateway location.
“Briefed to create a range of highly adaptable, statement buildings, the aim is to reflect the quality and on-going success of the Silverstone Park brand.”
Meanwhile, MEPC is already well under way with construction of its Phase 3 of development at Silverstone Park – this alone will deliver 265,000 sq ft of HQ-style industrial premises and is scheduled to be ready for occupation in Q2, 2022.
Phase 1 and 2 (258,000 sq ft of industrial accommodation) was completed in December 2020. This spans from the site’s northern end (adjacent to the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub) to the southern tip, opposite the Silverstone Circuit’s famous Wing pits complex building.
Of the 13 properties constructed as part of Phase 1 and 2, all have now completed with the final property currently under offer.
£4 million boost to help more Notts people back to work post-pandemic
Four new economy-boosting projects across parts of North Notts have been awarded almost £4m in Government funding. They aim to help more local people back into work and support businesses following the pandemic.
The Government’s £200m UK Community Fund is designed to level up communities with the biggest need by funding projects which improve skills and support local business recovery.
The successful Nottinghamshire projects will all operate across three of the Government’s priority areas of Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood:
• More than £1.7m goes to the East Midlands Accelerator, led by the East Midlands Chamber, which aims to bring together the region’s universities, local authorities and specialist sector business support to help local people and businesses to recover from the pandemic. This includes supporting new entrepreneurs, helping businesses meet low carbon targets and boosting digital skills.
• Good Work, led by South Yorkshire Housing Association, receives around £543K to support people with barriers to finding work, including poor mental and physical health.
• More than £1.2m is awarded to Newstart, led by Groundwork, a project which will trial and evaluate a wage-subsidy based employment programme, targeting those facing significant personal barriers and supporting local businesses to take them on.
• Volunteer It Yourself, will now get £459k as part of its work supporting young people aged 16-24. Young people will learn new trade skills by helping renovate community buildings and venues in need of improvement. They are also mentored by trade professionals to help them gain qualifications, opening doors to higher-level training and employment.
Nottinghamshire County Council led the call for projects locally, encouraging and supporting potential applications which aim to benefit people and businesses in the government’s target areas of Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Newark & Sherwood. This is based on an index of economic measures around productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density.
Nottinghamshire County Council leader, Cllr Ben Bradley MP, said: “This is great news that Nottinghamshire has secured a decent slice of this funding. These projects are set to deliver real change for our communities by helping improve job skills, particularly for young people, to help businesses to thrive and grow, and to help regenerate our key communities.
“It’s vital that local projects are getting this investment to help those hardest-hit by the pandemic back into work and to help local business growth.”
Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive at East Midlands Chamber, said: “We are delighted our bid has been successful and believe it could have a transformative impact for so many businesses in Nottinghamshire.
“The idea is to enhance and improve access to the existing support out there for businesses – particularly those most affected by the pandemic.
“The East Midlands Accelerator project will look at what the needs are locally in these three districts and seek to address them with targeted, bespoke support that brings together key stakeholders across the region.
“Many businesses are aware of the need to decarbonise, and want to be greener, but unsure about how to get there. We’ll therefore be helping them to make the first big steps towards a sustainable future, enabling them to meet low-carbon targets – while also boosting key skillsets that will help firms grow in a digital world.”
Cllr Bradley added: “We hope this funding will open doors to further investment. We know there’s more opportunities yet to come through other Government funding designed to level-up our communities, bringing greater prosperity and growth to the County.”
Earlier this summer, 37 projects were received by the County Council, bidding for £29.2m of UK Community Renewal Funding in total. Nine projects were put forward after meeting the local priorities and going through a rigorous assessment process.
The Council will now work with the successful bidders to ensure the delivery of these projects, and work with the unsuccessful bids to see what other options are available to secure investment in the County.
Stronger rise in permanent placements at the start of the fourth quarter
The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: Midlands highlighted a further rise in the number of permanent placements in the region during October.
The rate of increase quickened from the previous survey period while temp billings also saw an acceleration in the rate of increase. Demand for permanent and temporary staff remained strong, though a robust rise in vacancies contrasted with a marked downturn in candidate availability.
On the pay front, permanent starting salaries gathered momentum in October, rising at the fastest pace since the survey began, while temp wages increased for the eleventh month running.
The report is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to around 100 recruitment and employment consultancies in the Midlands.
Permanent placements rise at quicker pace
The number of permanent staff appointments across the Midlands increased rapidly in October. The rate of increase quickened from the previous month and extended the current sequence of growth to eight months. Survey members often linked hiring to stronger market confidence amid increasing demand for permanent staff.
The uptick in permanent placements in the Midlands was the second slowest of the four monitored regions, ahead of the South of England.
Temporary billings across the Midlands rose sharply at the start of the fourth quarter, with the rate of increase quickening from September. The latest rise meant that temp billings have now increased in each of the last 16 months. According to panellists, temporary vacancies also rose amid difficulty in sourcing staff for permanent roles. The Midlands saw temp billings rise at a softer pace than the UK average.
October data highlighted another robust increase in the number of permanent vacancies across the Midlands. Moreover, the upturn was the second-strongest of the four monitored English regions. That said, the Midlands noted a softening in the rate of growth for the second consecutive month, with the latest rise the slowest since May.
Concurrently, demand for temporary staff continued to rise. The rate of increase slowed for the second month running, yet remained rapid overall.
Permanent staff supply falls at softest pace for five months
Recruiters across the Midlands signalled a reduction in the supply of permanent staff for the seventh consecutive month during October. The reduction was commonly attributed to hesitancy to change roles among candidates as well as a lack of adequately skilled workers. Though marked overall, the pace of the decrease was the slowest since May, and the softest of the four monitored English regions.
The availability of temporary staff in the Midlands decreased further in October. According to anecdotal evidence, a number of candidates were opting to take permanent roles instead of temporary ones, which exacerbated existing shortages.
At the regional level, the decrease in temp staff supply was broad-based, with the Midlands seeing the second-softest fall, behind the North of England.
Record rise in permanent salaries
Latest data highlighted an unprecedented rise in salaries awarded to permanent new joiners in the Midlands at the start of the fourth quarter, with the rate of increase the fastest since the series began in October 1997. This extended the current sequence of inflation to eight months.
Across the four monitored English regions, the Midlands recorded the fastest rise in permanent salaries.
Recruiters across the Midlands recorded an eleventh consecutive monthly increase in hourly pay rates for short-term staff during October. The rate of temp wage inflation accelerated from the previous survey period and was rapid overall.
At the regional level, the Midlands saw the second-slowest rise in temp pay, ahead of London.
Commenting on the latest survey results, Kate Holt, People Consulting Partner at KPMG, said: “It’s encouraging to see that the jobs market across the Midlands continues to be buoyant. “However, the data also suggests that people are still quite cautious, and potentially reluctant to move jobs, as we’re seeing that those who are changing roles are opting for permanent positions rather than temporary. As we head into the festive period, it will be interesting to see whether this starts to shift given the usual demand for Christmas temps. “That being said, the gap between the demand and supply of talent is not getting any smaller, which is why a focus on transferable skills is crucial, and businesses and Government must invest in training and development to ensure that the workforce is fit for the future.”Kate Shoesmith, Deputy CEO of the REC, said: “This latest data shows the robust growth in the jobs market continuing. Starting salary growth has reached another record high as shortages continue to bite and companies compete to hire the staff they need. But we are starting to see signs that we are moving into a new phase of the recovery, as the initial bounceback in demand starts to ease.
“It’s also important to note that these salary rises are not universal. Recruiters tell us that candidates in some sectors and regions have been able to secure a substantial pay rise, but many employers can’t afford to offer this. “As we move into the next stage of recovery, it’s vital the government put measures in place that will help companies to invest and grow, stimulate the UK’s productivity and support the levers that help those furthest from the jobs market into work. “Last week’s Budget was a start, but there needs to be a radical shift across government departments to collaborate in order to deliver a skills revolution in the UK. This will only be successful if government and business work together to plan for future workforce needs. Recruiters are keen to work with government in such a joint forum.”Contractor celebrates stellar month with multiple award wins
Midlands-based contractor G F Tomlinson is celebrating a successful award season after scooping six property and construction accolades, as well as being shortlisted for four national building awards, in less than a month.
The contractor, which has offices in Derby, Newark and Birmingham, won two awards and was shortlisted for a third at the East Midlands Bricks Awards, was crowned a winner at the East Midlands Property Awards and scooped three regional awards at the LABC Building Excellence Awards.
At the Bricks Awards, G F Tomlinson was named as Responsible Business of the Year and Overall Winner on the night. The company’s Nottingham Castle transformation project was also shortlisted under Sustainable Development of the Year. Winners were announced at a ceremony held at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in September.
The contractor achieved further success with its flagship project at Nottingham Castle – winning Regeneration and Restoration Project of the Year at the East Midlands Property Awards, and Best Non-Residential Conversion at the LABC Building Excellence Awards.
Nottingham Castle, which reopened to the public earlier this year following lockdown, has recently undergone a £31million redevelopment – with construction and restoration being carried out by G F Tomlinson acting as main contractor.
The redevelopment saw careful restoration of the Castle’s 17th century roof, a new extension to house exhibition galleries, and the construction of a visitor centre with a ticketing office, café and outdoor seating area.
The contractor has also won two further accolades at the LABC Building Excellence Awards – naming its Tower Gardens Pavilion project in Skegness as Best Public or Community Building, which was successfully delivered via the company’s ongoing involvement on the Scape Regional Construction framework, and the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility for Nottingham Trent University as Best New Build.
Due to its regional LABC success, the company is now shortlisted for three national awards which are due to be announced 28th January 2022 at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge in London.
G F Tomlinson’s fourth national shortlisting is at the prestigious Building Awards – with Nottingham Castle named as a finalist in the Refurbishment Project of the Year category. A black-tie ceremony announcing the winners took place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 2nd November.
Chris Flint, Managing Director of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our award achievements this year – it is great to be recognised at all of these acclaimed regional awards, coming up against strong competition that showcases all the fantastic work that has been happening in the industry over the last year.
“Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has posed, the industry remains buoyant and has delivered a number of exceptional schemes across the East Midlands and we are pleased to have played our part.
“It is also exciting to be shortlisted for the national Building Awards and LABC awards – Nottingham Castle is our flagship project to date and we were pleased to work with so many different local and regional specialists and teams to complete the work on time.
“Throughout the project we ensured that labour was sourced from local businesses and organisations and we are proud to say we were able to recycle 97% of the onsite construction waste as we continue to take responsibility of our sustainable footprint.
“It is also rewarding to see a relatively small project like the Tower Gardens Pavilion in Skegness pick up so many regional awards and go on to national recognition. Working jointly with our partners, Scape, this project has a strong community story to tell.”
Investment Summit to put Chesterfield’s £45m grant funding in the spotlight
Chesterfield’s success in securing more than £45million in grant funding in this year’s March and October budgets will take centre stage at the fifth Chesterfield Investment Summit.
The free-to-attend event is returning in-person once more and will be held at the Casa Hotel on Wednesday 24 November from 8:30am – 12:00pm.
Christian Neilsen, Urban Design Associate at BDP which developed the Staveley Town Centre Masterplan, in conjunction with Chesterfield Borough Council, will be amongst the speaker line-up.
This is one of the eleven projects that are receiving funding through the £25.2 million Staveley Town Deal. The grant for Staveley was one of the largest given to 45 towns in England in March earlier this year as part of the government’s £1billion Town’s Fund.
In the recent budget, Chesterfield was once again put under the spotlight by Chancellor Rishi Sunak after securing a £19.98 million grant from the national Levelling Up Fund.
Dr Huw Bowen, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Borough Council, who is also speaking at the event will reveal how the government funding will be used to continue to create a better future for market traders, retailers, residents, and businesses.
Around 150 people are expected to attend the event which is organised by Destination Chesterfield and Derbyshire Economic Partnership and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
The event will also hear from Rupert Carr, director of Birchall Properties, the company developing Chesterfield’s £400million all year leisure, education, wellness and entertainment destination, PEAK. He will update delegates on the progress and plans for the ambitious multi-phase leisure development which capitalises on the town’s proximity to Peak District National Park.
Additional speakers also include Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, Chris Henning, Executive Director Place at Derbyshire County Council, and Peter Swallow, Chair of Destination Chesterfield and Managing Director of Bolsterstone Group Plc, the company developing the town’s £340million regeneration scheme, Chesterfield Waterside.
Peter Swallow said: “We’re delighted to bring back the Investment Summit in person, after hosting it virtually last year. Chesterfield has continued to move forward and made significant progression on developments within the town in spite of the pandemic, so there is lots to talk about at the Summit. It’s going to be another great event.”
EarthSense moves to Space Park Leicester following significant company growth
After achieving 60 per cent year-on-year growth and a recruitment drive which has seen the team grow to 26, EarthSense will occupy a whole floor at Space Park Leicester. The relocation will enable the air quality monitoring firm to benefit from increased workspace for its expanding team and collaborative working with private sector experts and academics.
The newly established research and innovation centre, provides a shared space for academics, researchers, and industry to carry out world-leading research and skill development to support the city’s fast-growing space sector.
EarthSense first began trading in 2016 following 15 years of cutting-edge research at the University of Leicester, which is leading the development of Space Park Leicester in partnership with Leicester City Council and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
The air quality specialist offers commercial services for air quality monitoring and modelling which allow organisations such as local authorities, transport businesses, and construction companies to visualise and solve local and nationwide pollution challenges.
EarthSense’s award-winning Zephyr® air quality monitor provides real-time measurements of harmful gases and particulates in ambient air. Measured air quality data is sent to EarthSense’s intuitive MyAir® web application where it can be viewed, analysed, and downloaded to understand air pollution sources, patterns, and trends in more detail.
EarthSense also offers MappAir®, an air quality model which uses cloud-based inputs to provide visualisations of how air pollution behaves and flows around buildings and urban canyons on a city, national, and global resolution. The model provides historic air quality data and up to three-day forecasts, allowing for future planning around days which are likely to see elevated pollution concentrations.
The EarthSense subscription-based monitoring services received the royal seal of approval in April 2021 after being awarded an Innovation Award by the Queens Award for Enterprise 2021.
Tom Hall, Managing Director at EarthSense said: “We have enjoyed continued growth during a challenging time. To enable us to expand we are becoming part of the Space Park Leicester community where we will not only benefit from the increased space, but also the opportunity to collaborate with other like-minded companies and academics from the University.”
Hall continued: “The new office will give us space to further expand the EarthSense team by recruiting new talented individuals, so that we can respond to developments within the air quality market by further improving our technologies and services.”
Dr Roland Leigh, Technical Director at EarthSense said: “As a company which is a result of research from the University of Leicester, we’re benefitting greatly because of our move to Space Park Leicester and our relationship with the University.”
Yacht manufacturer fined £230k after employee seriously injured
A luxury motor yacht manufacturer has been fined after a worker suffered serious crushing injuries to his right hand during a lifting operation.
Leicester Magistrates’ Court heard how on 3 December 2018, an employee suffered serious crushing injuries to his right hand during the lifting of a storage cage at Fairline Yachts manufacturing facility at Nene Valley Business Park, Oundle.
As there was no goods lift in the manufacturing unit an overhead crane was used. As the cage was lifted it began to tip and fall in the direction of the employee. The cage trapped his hand against a boat trolley causing serious crushing injuries to the employee’s dominant right hand.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the lifting operation was not properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner.
Fairline Yachts Limited of Nene Valley Business Park, Oundle pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £230,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,410.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Aaron Butel said: “When undertaking lifting operations involving lifting equipment companies should ensure that they are always properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Senior tax associate joins WestBridge Group in Leicester
The WestBridge Group has strengthened its tax team following the appointment of Akshay Vaghela as a senior tax associate.
Akshay has an accounting and finance degree from Manchester Metropolitan University and joins from London based accountancy firm Wilson Wright. In his new role he will be working closely with the directors and the senior management team on a wide range of specialist tax advisory projects.
Commenting on his appointment, Tom Moore, tax specialist and director of WestBridge Group, said: “Although our HQ is based in Leicester and we have a flexible working policy, our client base is nationwide so it is important that we expand our team to cover other key strategic locations. We are delighted that Akshay has joined us as he will bring more expertise and dynamism to our specialist tax team.”
Akshay added: “It’s a really exciting time to join this growing business. Despite only joining recently, I have already had fantastic exposure to high-level projects and witnessed the wealth of experience and specialist knowledge the team here possesses. I look forward to being supported through training by the company and furthering my personal and professional development in this collaborative, nurturing and constructive environment.”
Space Centre sees launch of a different kind on a mission to tackle climate change
This week Leicester’s National Space Centre saw the official launch of a unique approach to reducing the carbon emissions produced by businesses in Leicestershire.
Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and The Business Gateway have funded 100 places for local businesses to monitor and reduce their energy usage using a digital platform developed by software company, Zellar, the world’s first sustainability platform for business. This project is the first of its kind in the Midlands and second only to Manchester in the UK.
Around 100 people gathered in the Planetarium to listen to a range of speakers as they explained what Zellar is going to achieve and why it is needed now more than ever. Chris Brindley MBE, Chairman of Zellar, oversaw the event which he described as “Leicester making the world sit up and take notice.”
His colleague Peter Charlesworth, Chief Operating Officer of Zellar, said: “The key message from COP26 and people like the Queen, David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg is that we shouldn’t just be pledging to do things, we should all actually be taking action now.”
Mr Charlesworth stressed the benefits to business of letting customers know that they are involved in the Zellar programme and pointed out that focusing on sustainability will soon become the norm: “If you’re not doing sustainability now, in five years’ time you may not have a business.”
The LLEP’s Sue Tilley explained that this initiative is part of the Business Gateway’s role of supporting Leicestershire’s businesses with every challenge and opportunity they face. She remembered the city’s track record as one of the first environmental cities in the UK in the 1980s and saw Zellar as a continuation of this history.
“I know how hard it’s been for SMEs since the pandemic, but I believe that being part of Zellar can be a key differentiator for businesses and will help their bottom line. We’re very happy to be investing in our local businesses in this way,” she said.
One of the local businesses which has joined the Zellar programme is The Willoughby Book Club founded by Marianne Chala who said: “It’s vital to me that the business reflects my own personal ideals. I’m really looking forward to getting Zellar’s insight into the changes we can make.”
Other participating companies in attendance were Fisher German, Boards4Agents, Notts Sports and Mattioli Woods. Chief Operating Officer, Nigel Reynolds, said: “Ultimately, it’s a hard-nosed business decision; investment funding in green technologies is set to rise from 15% to 50% in the next few years so we need to be part of it. The government and regulators are going to insist on sustainability very soon, so we see this as an opportunity.”
There are fewer than 20 places still available on the Zellar programme so any interested business should apply using the online form on the Business Gateway website here: https://bit.ly/3bH54oj
Wellingborough manufacturer acquires Castleoak assets
Wellingborough-based Robinson Manufacturing (RML) has acquired the fixtures and assets of Castleoak Timber Frame, after the business appointed administrators last week.
The new facilities, in Ebbw Vale, provide RML with substantial additional Timber Frame manufacturing capacity, and it plans to start production almost immediately.
The business also welcomes a few new colleagues to the team who were made redundant in the Castleoak liquidation. They will join RML based out of its Abercarn branch and work between the two.
RML’s CEO, Simon Kidney, explained the rationale behind the expansion: “The location and infrastructure in the Ebbw Vale plant is well suited to help us meet the increased demand we have been experiencing across our existing network of seven factories.
“Timber frame is featuring heavily in the plans of most major national and regional housebuilders moving forward, and the acquisition of additional capacity further strengthens our business for the future.”
