Further information submitted to support £200m Leicestershire logistics hub planning application

Tess Egginton
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Further information submitted to support £200m Leicestershire logistics hub planning application

The Drummond Estate, a local family trust, and partners Landchain, have submitted additional information as part of the planning process for a £200 million logistics hub close to junction 21 of the M1.

The site is allocated in Blaby District Council’s adopted Local Plan for employment use and is the only single large site capable of meeting the Council’s employment land requirements fully and responding to the pressing need for strategic logistics space.

The proposals would create approximately 2,000 new jobs and a breadth of opportunities in the employment training sectors. It would deliver 106,830 sq m of advanced warehouse and distribution space with integral offices, offering the ability to sub-divide plots to provide flexibility to satisfy a wide range of demand. Set within a new woodland belt and landscape framework, it also includes a specialised Logistics Training Centre, which would assist in plugging the growing skills-gap for high-tech logistics employees across the region.

The planning application for the 30-hectare site, which lies to the east of the M1 and south west of the Enderby Park and Ride, was submitted in 2019. The new information submitted includes:

Design and Access Statement – to reflect the new design and updated drainage strategy, including the removal of the proposed access road from St Johns, replacing this with an increased area of public open space within the east of the site.

Environmental Statement – which reflects the amends to the scheme and includes accumulative impacts of any further new developments since the original application was submitted in 2019.

Transport Assessment – updated following further extensive modelling work to assess the proposed development in Leicestershire County Council’s Pan Regional Transport Model. An extensive multimillion-pound package of highways and transport improvements have been identified and incorporated, including those identified by Leicestershire County Council, such as:

– Lubbesthorpe Way widening scheme

– Upgrades to the B4114/Park & Ride and B4114/Penman Way signal junctions to MOVA signal operation

– Desford Crossroad scheme improvement

– Travel Packs for all new employees with 6-month bus pass

– New footpath/cycleway along St Johns

– Delivery of a highway scheme of capacity enhancement at the A563 / Meridian South roundabout

It has also been agreed that the Proposed Development will include for a Framework Travel Plan and a strategy will also be agreed for the provision of a bus service to serve the development.

As a result of the additional work and mitigation measures, the Local Highway Authority has confirmed that the impacts on the road network would not be severe and concludes that the residual cumulative impacts of development can be mitigated in accordance with the NPPF.

Martin Ward, on behalf of the landowners The Drummond Estate and Landchain, said: “We have worked closely with the local highways authority and planning authority to agree the scope of the additional work and have now submitted this so that the application can be considered.

“This £200 million high quality development supports the Council’s allocation of this site for employment uses in its adopted Local Plan and will create thousands of local jobs. The Training Centre will assist those looking to upskill within today’s high-tech logistics sector.”

The logistics sector is fast-growing and becoming increasingly more technologically sophisticated, it already accounts for more than a tenth of jobs in the region.

Ben Grinnall from Landchain said: “With the added benefit of access to a large workforce in the area, this strategic location is ideal to realise the growth opportunity of this sector, benefitting the regional economy.

“The proposal creates a strong landscaped framework within which this very high quality, environmentally-advanced development will be set. It will help to meet the needs of national and local businesses with well-designed employment space at a Grade A logistics site.”

Leicestershire-based Stephen George was the architect.

Survey shows 8% average drop in employee engagement since the pandemic

Tess Egginton
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Survey shows 8% average drop in employee engagement since the pandemic
Average employee engagement has dropped by 8% since the pandemic, according to a survey of more than 800 workers. The research was carried out by Nottingham Business School (NBS), part of Nottingham Trent University, and Engage for Success (EFS), who were supported by the CIPD. An online survey conducted in 2022 asked a representative sample of the UK population to self-report their levels of engagement across four main areas – engagement with their job, their colleagues, their manager, and their organisation. It also required them to reflect on their experiences during the pandemic. The results – which form the first EFS Employee Engagement Index – showed that employee engagement significantly dropped by 11% during the pandemic for the majority of employees across all of the areas of engagement measured. Only a 3% creep in recovery has since been seen, with employee engagement in the UK now rated as 8% lower than before the pandemic. However, the drop in engagement was clearly impacted by the organisational response and the methods used to engage with employees during the pandemic. Employers who used a variety of methods, providing options to their employees, were relatively insulated by the drops in engagement. Respondents who stated their organisations offered them no online health and wellbeing initiatives during the pandemic reported a 13% drop in engagement. This dramatically compared to only a 1% drop for respondents who reported their organisations provided four or more health and wellbeing initiatives. Similar findings were seen for learning and development, communication channels and employee involvement methods. Almost half (44%) of respondents reported having no learning and development opportunities available to them by their employer during the pandemic. The degree of drop in engagement also varied across position, demographics, and personal circumstances. Engagement of respondents on furlough was lower than for non-furloughed workers and remains lower. Co-lead researcher Dr Sarah Pass, senior lecturer in Human Resource Management at NBS and EFS board member, said: “Our findings show the importance of getting the organisational response right during times of crisis and uncertainty for employees. “Organisations that involved, supported, and developed their employees saw minimal drops in employee engagement during the pandemic and are almost back to current levels. Whilst those who did little saw both significant drops in engagement during the pandemic, and a minimal creep since. “Findings also highlight the fundamental role of the line manager with frequency of interactions with managers linked to levels of employee engagement.” The EFS Employee Engagement Index will now be introduced annually on a national level but can also be used by individual organisations to give them insight into areas they may wish to develop and empower them to gain a fundamental understanding of employee engagement in their organisation. Jonny Gifford, senior adviser for organisational behaviour at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said: “The pandemic posed a huge disruption to working lives and many organisations are still establishing what the ‘new normal’ is for them. Employee motivation, commitment and how people identify with their organisations need to be at the heart of this. “After a period of extreme disruption, now is a good time to rebuild engagement with a strong focus on development opportunities, wellbeing support and rebuilding communications and interactions. This will help organisations attract, retain and get the best out of people and is key to individual and organisational success.” Dr Pass added: “A drop in engagement during the pandemic is understandable, however the lack of rebound is deeply concerning, especially in the current climate. Organisations need to act and put the people issues at the centre of the business agenda if they want to successfully meet the uncertainties and opportunities ahead.” The findings have been published in full in the UK Employee Engagement Survey 2022 report, including a foreword by David MacLeod and Nita Clarke, co-authors of the MacLeod Review and co-founders of Engage for Success, and Peter Cheese, chair of the EFS board.

Manufacturing output volumes fall at fastest rate in over two years

Tess Egginton
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Manufacturing output volumes fall at fastest rate in over two years
Manufacturing output volumes fell at their fastest pace since September 2020 in the three months to February, according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey. The survey found that expectations for selling price inflation were at their lowest since May 2021, having declined steadily from the multi-decade highs seen in early 2022. But expectations for selling price inflation remained well above their long-run average. The volume of total order books and export order books were reported as below normal, while stocks of finished goods were seen as broadly adequate. The survey, based on the responses of 280 manufacturing firms, found:
  • Manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to February (weighted balance of -16%, from -1% in the three months to January), a significant disappointment to last month’s expectations (+19%), and at the fastest pace since September 2020. Output is expected to rise moderately in the three months to May (+7%).
    • Output fell in 11 out of 17 sectors in the three months to February. The decrease in output reported this quarter was largely driven by the motor vehicles & transport equipment, chemicals and paper, printing & media sectors.
  • Total order books were reported as below “normal” in February, to a similar extent as in January (-16% from -17%). This was broadly in line with the long-run average (-13%). Export order books were also seen as below normal and to a greater extent than last month (-27% from -22%). This was below the long-run average (-18%).
  • Expectations for average selling price inflation in the three months ahead were the lowest since May 2021 (+40%, from +41% in January), having declined steadily from the multi-decade highs seen in early 2022 (+80% in March 2022). But they remained well above the long-run average (+6%).
  • Stocks of finished goods were seen as adequate in February, with the balance broadly similar to January (+9% from +12%).
Anna Leach, CBI deputy chief economist, said: “Conditions in manufacturing remain challenging, with output disappointing and order books having thinned out since late last year. However, if growth is going to return to the sector on a sustainable basis, then manufacturers need more than the boost some will receive from lower energy prices over the winter season. “The Chancellor must use the upcoming budget to tackle one of the biggest threats to the future competitiveness of the sector. Following the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, manufacturers are worried about the relative competitiveness of operating from a UK base. They are calling on the government to deliver its own alternative to help drive a home-grown, secure, low-cost energy system and sector by significantly boosting incentives for green investment in the UK.”

Nottingham-based gas cylinder maker appoints new Europe sales director as company goes for growth

Tess Egginton
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Nottingham-based gas cylinder maker appoints new Europe sales director as company goes for growth
Luxfer Gas Cylinders, which has its UK base in Nottingham, has welcomed a new sales director – one with ambitious plans to grow Luxfer Gas Cylinders Europe significantly over the next few years. Following a distinguished career spanning almost 25 years in the automotive, manufacturing and engineering industries, Nick Herbert joins Luxfer at an important time, with the cylinder-maker recently celebrating its 125-year anniversary. “Luxfer really is Nottingham’s best kept secret, tucked away in Colwick, and when I saw the role, it ticked so many boxes,” says Nick. “There’s a great culture here. It’s a dynamic business, a growing and stable company with the strength of a global group behind it. Luxfer clearly invests in its people – high calibre, passionate individuals – and its mission is to create a safe, clean and energy efficient world. That’s inspiring in itself.” As Luxfer continues to expand its alternative fuel offering, designing hydrogen solutions to help decarbonise the transport sector, Nick’s mix of experience was a perfect match. An engineer by degree, studying at Loughborough University, Nick spent the first part of his career in the profession before evolving his expertise into project management. Roles with leading automotive organisations Tsubakimoto and Gates Corporation followed, working with the likes of Toyota, Ford, Jaguar and Volvo, after which Nick secured his first director position with vehicle conversion specialists Bri-Stor Systems. He then ventured into the green energy sector with a company manufacturing components for wind turbines. Nick attributes the move to Luxfer Gas Cylinders to being inspired by its ground-breaking work harnessing hydrogen fuel. “Before joining Luxfer, I didn’t have an appreciation of the scale and diversity of the gas cylinder industry. Nor did I realise that the hydrogen economy, from a transportation perspective, is as dynamic as it is. That was a huge draw for me. “It was also a great opportunity to tie together all my experience as an engineer and a project manager, with my automotive experience, business development, commercial leadership, sales background, and just be a part of something inspiring, as we move forward with our growth strategy.” Nick has no doubt that Luxfer Gas Cylinders is in good company as innovators in the region. “The Midlands is a real hotbed of industrial excellence,” he continues. “In the East Midlands we have household names like Rolls Royce, Toyota and Bombardier. Slightly further afield is JCB and in the West Midlands is Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, to name a few. But as well as industrial excellence, we have world-leading academia through the region’s universities, right on our doorstep.” With a passion for UK manufacturing and particularly supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) education, Nick is keen to attract more young talent into the industry by shifting perspectives. “Manufacturing and engineering is not necessarily what people think it is. There are many other routes to supporting UK manufacturing that aren’t traditional ‘engineering’ based, and if more young people see that, it’s going to open up manufacturing to people who might have never thought of it before. Bringing in future talent is really going to help boost and support UK manufacturing, far and wide. “Because you study engineering at university or as an apprentice, it doesn’t mean you’re destined to be doing that for the rest of your career. I’m from an engineering background but I no longer work day-to-day as an engineer. You get that grounding and then you can go on to so many other areas of interest.” As a champion of nurturing young talent, Nick is pleased to be joining a company with an established and recognised apprenticeship scheme. “As industry manufacturing grows, the attraction of apprenticeships grows,” says Nick. “Higher education isn’t for everybody, yet if you still want to develop and progress, an apprenticeship offers that ability to earn and learn – what’s better than that?” He concludes: “The best career advice I would give to others wanting to build their future in this industry is work hard at being your best and doing your best. Every chance you get, give it your all. Focus on that and the opportunities will come.”

New leadership team announced as wilko accelerates turnaround

Tess Egginton
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New leadership team announced as wilko accelerates turnaround
Nottinghamshire-headquartered wilko has formed a new senior leadership team, as the household and garden retailer implements plans to stabilise the business and accelerate its turnaround. CEO Mark Jackson says: “We’ve already begun our turnaround programme to drive wilko forward. As part of this we quickly identified significant changes to the wilko operating model to enable us to stabilise the business, and then thrive again. “We’ve reviewed our strategic plan and have set three priorities: getting the business in better shape, drive sales both instore and online, driving down operating costs.” To “enable a step change in business performance,” and drive its turnaround plan, wilko has put in place a refreshed, “more streamlined,” senior leadership team. Dave Murphy, Group Finance Director, becomes Chief Finance Officer replacing Karen Mackay, who has resigned from the company and will be leaving in March, following a handover period. Amanda Jones, Retail Director, will take on the new role of Chief Operating Officer with responsibility for stores, logistics, and central operations. Deborah Rabey joins as Interim Chief Customer Officer to lead the commercial, digital and marketing teams. Deborah is an accomplished commercial director with a wealth of experience across supply chains, global sourcing and marketing following 14 years at director level with Tesco. Philippa McNamara continues as MD of the product development unit – Kin Limited. Anne-Marie Haydock is promoted into the HR Director role to replace Kate Price who is leaving the business in April, following a handover period. James Dorling continues in his role as Property, Procurement and Transformation Director. Mark continues: “To deliver our strategic priorities we must remain focused, and our leadership structure needs to be fully aligned to achieve this. Having now reviewed the current structure, we need to remove both the duplication of functions and operating costs. “As part of this review, we’ve had to take some necessary and difficult decisions as we create a new operating structure that helps stabilise the business, from which we can then drive the business forward. “Having now announced the new top leadership functions, we’ve already begun conversations with the senior management team and wider organisation to implement the new structure. “This includes some changes to our management structure at both our stores and head office. Right now, we’re unable to confirm the scale of change as conversations are ongoing but it will mean a number of roles will be made redundant to support the wider plan. “We’re fully supporting affected individuals as a result of these changes. Such change will be unsettling to our team members and the wider business, and we’re acting swiftly to put in place the new organisational structure.” Wilko is the UK’s 23rd biggest retailer, employing 16,000 team members. It operates 400 stores across the UK.

Digital High Street Bootcamp launches for Rushcliffe businesses

Tess Egginton
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Digital High Street Bootcamp launches for Rushcliffe businesses
Businesses in Rushcliffe are receiving targeted support from East Midlands Chamber to embrace digital platforms with the launch of a new programme. The Rushcliffe Digital High Street project has received £25,000 from the Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), following a successful bid from Rushcliffe Borough Council. The project will help independent businesses located on a high street within the borough to improve their in-store and online presence. A key part of the project is the Rushcliffe Digital High Street Bootcamp, a 12-week series of webinars taking place on Monday evenings, from 6pm until 7pm. These bite-sized chunks of learning, which begin on 6 March and run until June, aim to help businesses use digital tools to boost their high street presence. The topics are varied and include developing know-how on social media, setting up or improving a website, better SEO, email marketing, online and social advertising, and e-commerce. Diane Beresford, deputy chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “Independent businesses thrive on the passion of business owners and their dedicated teams, but it is often hard to keep pace with all the tools and techniques that can help them grow. “We’re fully aware that high street businesses have very full working days. That’s why we’ve devised a series of webinars to run in the evenings when business owners can sit back and be guided by our expert consultants for a very manageable 45 minutes, with a further 15 minutes for any questions on implementing the advice provided.” Access to one-to-one support with Chamber digital adviser Steve Phillips is also being provided to 20 businesses on a first-come, first-served basis as part of the Rushcliffe Digital High Street project. Councillor Andy Edyvean, deputy leader and portfolio holder for business and growth at Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: “The past three years have been especially challenging for high street businesses through the Covid-19 pandemic, experiencing supply issues, rising fuel costs, a shift to online shopping, and a challenging and unpredictable economy. “We’re therefore one of the first to act in the region by utilising this UKSPF funding and applying it to local businesses’ advantage, with the support and expert insight of Steve and the Chamber. “It builds on our support for local businesses in recent times, distributing Covid grants quickly and effectively, webinars during the lockdown periods and high street digital recovery grants to assist with digital trading, payment and marketing initiatives.” The programme of targeted support complements the Rushcliffe Business Adviser project, which is also being delivered by East Midlands Chamber. Funded by Rushcliffe Borough Council, the Government and European Regional Development Fund, the project gives businesses beyond the high street the support they need via the Chamber-appointed Rushcliffe business adviser Insan Farooqi.

Frasers Group commences new share buyback programme

Tess Egginton
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Frasers Group commences new share buyback programme

Shirebrook-based Frasers Group has launched a new share buyback programme.

The aggregate purchase price of all shares acquired under the programme will be no greater than £80m.

The maximum number of shares that may be purchased under the programme will be 10m ordinary shares.

Frasers Group says the purpose of the programme – for the period up to and including the last trading day prior to the company’s financial year end on 30 April 2023 – is to reduce the share capital of the company.

Nuclear industry develops £20m plant in to Derby

Stuart Pearcey
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Nuclear industry develops £20m plant in to Derby
Later this year, the Sheffield-based Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre will open a Nuclear AMRC Midlands facility at Infinity Park, Derby. The £20 million facility will focus on new technology areas to deliver the maximum impact for the UK’s nuclear manufacturers, and supply chain development across the Midlands region. Meanwhile, it has signed Tamworth-based Brown & Holmes, which is also developing a dedicated facility for clean assembly in Derby, to collaborate on technology development and expand its presence in the nuclear sector. The Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), based at the University of Sheffield and part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult, collaborates with companies of all sizes to help them innovate and win work in the nuclear supply chain. Kevin Ward, managing director of Brown and Holmes, says: “The opportunity to sit alongside and collaborate with industry leaders will help us build on our past experiences working in the sector. We firmly believe this will be a major growth area in supporting the world achieve its goals for clean energy and sustainability, and one we wish to be a part of.” Sean Murphy, strategic relationship manager for the Nuclear AMRC, says: “We are pleased to welcome Brown and Holmes as members of the Nuclear AMRC. We look forward to supporting their continued exploration of the nuclear market, building on the exceptionally strong base they have today. “I was personally very impressed with the operations at Brown and Holmes, and feel that the Nuclear AMRC has much to gain from collaborating. Their expertise in fixturing, assembly and machining will enhance our research board and other areas of work, and I see us working together to jointly solve problems or innovate with new ideas.” As part of its tier two membership, Brown & Holmes will provide specialist design and technical services to support projects at the Nuclear AMRC, including consultancy on workholding solutions for the centre’s array of production-scale machining and fabrication cells at its research factory in Rotherham.  

Chesterfield-based commercial law firm appoints new employment director

Tess Egginton
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Chesterfield-based commercial law firm appoints new employment director
CMP Legal, a niche commercial law firm that specialises in corporate, commercial, dispute resolution and employment, has expanded its team with the appointment of a new employment director. The Chesterfield-based law firm that delivers services to clients in Derbyshire, Sheffield and across the UK, has welcomed Lauren Pickard as its new employment director. Lauren is a specialist employment law solicitor and joins CMP Legal from national law firm Knights plc where she worked as a senior associate, previously based in Sheffield. She has a wealth of knowledge and employment law experience from managing performance, disciplinary and grievance matters to redundancy and restructuring advice, delivering training, drafting contracts and much more. Lauren Pickard, employment director at CMP Legal, says: “I am delighted to join CMP Legal at such an exciting time for the firm in terms of growth. CMP Legal has swiftly established itself as a niche practice offering high quality advice. The lawyers at CMP Legal have a wealth of experience and this, combined with their desire to do things in a dynamic and progressive way, works strongly to the benefit of clients.” Lauren takes a practical and pragmatic approach to ensure that clients can take a commercial approach to employment law problems and CMP Legal looks forward to clients benefitting from her support as the employment team is further strengthened with her appointment Neil Brown, co-founder at CMP Legal, says: “Lauren has an excellent reputation in the region and will be a fantastic asset to both our business and our clients. We are delighted to welcome her into our expanding team as we continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients.” Anna Cattee, co-founder of CMP Legal, adds: “Having Lauren onboard not only strengthens our already highly regarded employment law offering, but strengthens our corporate acquisitions and mergers process for all things employment. She’s so personable that I know she’ll fit right in and our clients will reap the benefits of her knowledge.” Lauren will head up CMP Legal’s Employment Team working in conjunction with CMP Legal’s co-founder Neil Brown.

Rail hub consultation is inadequate says Council

Tess Egginton
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Rail hub consultation is inadequate says Council
Blaby District Council has submitted its first response following the submission of the application for the Hinckley National Rail Freight Interchange. The application, from developers Tritax Symmetry, was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate on 3 February 2023. The Council had two weeks to comment on whether it believed consultation on the proposals had been adequate. This Adequacy of Consultation Representation has now been sent into the Planning Inspectorate highlighting significant concerns and setting out the Council’s belief that the consultation was not adequate and falls short of the standard expected. The scheme, earmarked for 660 acres of land between the M69 and the Leicester to Birmingham railway line, falls mainly within the boundary of Blaby District Council, south-west of Elmesthorpe village. While Blaby District Council can comment on the application it does not make the final decision – the scheme is considered of such scale and national importance it is determined by the Secretary of State. The Council’s Adequacy of Consultation Representation says:
  • Incomplete, inaccurate, and vague information has been provided and requested information remains outstanding
  • The Applicant’s approach is inconsistent with government guidance and the legal principles of consultation
  • While the Statutory Consultation began in January 2022, the highways modelling inputs were not agreed until March 2022 and the impacts and mitigation are still not agreed and may change. There has been premature and inadequate consultation in this regard
  • There is incomplete information on the need for and operation of the development as a rail freight interchange
  • The impacts of increased barrier down time at Narborough Level Crossing, including detrimental air quality for residents, have not been satisfactorily considered
  • The landscape impacts have not been adequately mitigated
Councillor Terry Richardson, leader of Blaby District Council, said: “For any consultation exercise to be effective, there must be genuine dialogue between the parties and meaningful consideration of the consultation responses by the applicant. “The information provided by the applicant also needs to set out the justification for the scheme and be capable of being fully understood by stakeholders and members of the public. While reviewing the consultation documents, we found essential evidence and information were simply not there or were presented before they were ready. “This is the case despite the Council’s frequent requests for extra information made in both writing and verbally during working groups and at other meetings between the Council and the applicant. “Our conclusion is that incomplete, inaccurate and vague information has been provided and information requested remains outstanding.” The Planning Inspectorate has until Monday 6 March to decide whether to accept the application. If the application is accepted, the Planning Inspectorate will begin assessing the developer’s plans. There will be a six-month-long examination phase, including hearings, towards the end of the year and a decision is expected by the middle of next year.
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