The proposals from Clarendon Nottingham relate to 38-46 Goose Gate, a thee storey building and a courtyard and parking area to the rear. The ground floor of the Goose Gate frontage was last used as a bar/restaurant.
The new development would provide 100 student bedrooms in a variety of studios and cluster flats on the upper floors, with shared recreation facilities, amenity space and cycle parking. The ground floor would host a commercial unit.
The project would involve retaining and converting the existing three storey building that fronts onto Goose Gate, while rear parts of the building, together with other buildings that front onto Woolpack Lane, would be demolished to allow redevelopment at the back of the site.
The development at the rear of the site would comprise a four storey extension immediately behind the retained Goose Gate building. This extension would increase in height to six storeys along the Woolpack Lane frontage but step down to five storeys towards Hockley House.
Go ahead given for Goose Gate student scheme
Plans to redevelop and extend a former retail and office building in Nottingham to provide purpose built student accommodation and a commercial unit have been approved.
Burton debt recovery business secures £100k growth funding
A Burton-On-Trent-based debt recovery business is preparing to grow its workforce with five new job roles after securing a £100,000 funding package.
Maxima Creditor Resolutions, based in Blakenhall Park Bar Lane, Barton Under Needwood, secured funding from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Business Loan Fund managed by BCRS Business Loans.
Funding will allow Maxima Creditor Resolutions to strengthen and expand its services as a startup business. The funding will create five additional jobs and support three existing roles which will enable Maxima to employ specialist legal support and take advantage of new market opportunities.
Established in October 2021 Maxima Creditor Resolutions are insolvency experts, specialising in the recovery of outstanding debts for creditors.
Mark Andrews, co-founder of Maxima Creditor Resolutions, said: “After securing funding from BCRS we will be able to use the fund to recruit an additional five people and secure the futures of three existing members of staff.
“The investment fund will allow us to recruit legal professionals together with administerial roles to support the infrastructure.
“The loan application process with BCRS was painless. Andrew from BCRS took the time to understand the business and what we were trying to achieve. It felt more like a partnership rather than just completing a single application form.”
Andrew Hustwit, head of business development at BCRS Business Loans, said: “We are so pleased to have delivered the funding that Maxima Creditor Resolutions need via the MEIF WM Small Business Loan Fund and Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent Loan Fund in order to achieve their growth plans.
“As a lender that delivers funding for intentional social and economic impact, it is great news that five new jobs will be created by Maxima Creditor Resolutions.”
Lack of IT support negatively impacting manufacturing workers’ attitude to technology
A lack of support from their company’s IT department is having a detrimental impact on manufacturing field workers’ attitudes towards – and confidence with – technology, while also endangering the success of digital transformation initiatives, new research has found.
With the nature of their work meaning that they are rarely at the office, digital solutions can be an effective way of improving field workers’ communication with the rest of the business, as well as improving efficiency and productivity.
However, the data, published in WorkMobile’s The Forgotten Workforce report, revealed that although 63% of manufacturing professionals use some form of digital technologies while out in the field, many remain unconvinced of their usefulness.
When asked to describe their feelings towards the roll out of new technologies many seemed apprehensive, with more than a third (46%) saying that they are generally reluctant to embrace them, and 22% believing that they can cause problems if they’re not implemented carefully.
Some of this may be linked to a lack of support from the business during the roll out, with 27% of those surveyed saying that they don’t feel they are given enough help and support when they are expected to start using a new piece of technology or digital solution.
Not only is the lack of attention having an impact on employee morale, but it also means that the technologies used are not necessarily having the desired impact on business operations, rendering any attempts at digital transformation within field service less effective than they should be.
Very few manufacturing field workers (14%) said that technology enhances their day-to-day life, and 18% even said that it prevents them from doing their job to the best of their ability. Just over half (55%) said that they improve efficiency and productivity – two of the key benefits of carefully chosen and implemented digital solutions – and under one in 10 (9%) think that it positively impacts customer relationships.
However, the good news is that only 5% of manufacturing field workers think that the traditional way of operating is more effective, while 41% of respondents said that they appreciate the benefits of new technologies, suggesting that the situation could be improved, provided the right tools are implemented with a good level of support and guidance from elsewhere in the business.
Colin Yates, chief support officer at WorkMobile, said: “It’s important to remember that while digital transformation should make companies more profitable, enhance the customer experience and enable them to keep up with competitors, it should also always improve the employee experience.
“If a new technology will not ultimately make the daily responsibilities of manufacturing employees simpler or more efficient (following the appropriate training), then it is not the right technology for that business and will likely not be a success in the long run.”
First phase of work transforming Derby’s historic Market Hall into attractive retail and leisure destination completes
The first phase of work to transform Derby’s historic Market Hall into an attractive retail and leisure destination fit for the future is now complete. Work is set to start soon on the second phase, which will focus on refurbishing the interior and developing the exterior public space at Osnabruck Square – a key entrance to the Grade II listed building.
Wates Construction has been leading an expert project team of local architects and engineers on the flagship project, comprising Latham Architects, Rogers Leask, and Clancy Consultants.
The vision is to create a building that celebrates its heritage and market tradition, while offering attractive and flexible spaces that can be adapted to meet modern needs and evolving consumer demand.
When it reopens, the Market Hall will include both traditional and theme markets, events, one-off or pop-up uses, make and trade spaces, and small performances – with a greater emphasis on food and drink to attract a wide range of businesses and visitors. Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter to the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, it will also play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre economy.
A vibrant city centre is a key part of the strategy developed to ensure Derby’s economy remains resilient after the pandemic. A task force, made up of representatives from both public and private sectors, is driving activity to maintain business and investor confidence, diversify the local economy and decarbonise the city.
Councillor Mick Barker, cabinet member for governance and deputy leader of Derby City Council, said: “Derby Market Hall is one of the city’s most beautiful and prominent buildings, which connects key areas of our city centre.
“As a Grade II listed building, it deserves tasteful and sympathetic attention to detail to its renovation. Quality takes time and we’re delighted to see that this striking copper roof has now been finished, which paves the way for the rest of the Market Hall’s transformation.
“Soon we can move onto the internal renovation and give Derby a fantastic market, which is full of life and which will help draw people back into the heart of our city.”
After undergoing extensive roof and structural restoration assisted by a scaffolding structure weighing more than eight blue whales, the Grade II listed Victorian market hall, which has been trading since 1866, is well on its way to being transformed into a contemporary and vibrant cultural and retail destination.
The work completed includes masonry repairs to the building envelope, internal cleaning of the roof structure, and lead paint removal before the challenging and extensive heritage glazed roof replacement works. This included increasing ridge height to accommodate natural ventilation for the building, copper roof replacement, gutter and rainwater works, access equipment, localised electric works, lightening protection, and decoration.
John Carlin, regional director at Wates Construction, said: “It has been a privilege to work on the restoration and transformation of such an iconic and unique building, maintaining its historic charm but also bringing it into the council’s overall modern vision for the revitalisation of the wider city centre.
“Before this work on the roof was carried out, the Market Hall often had to close to customers for safety reasons if there was possibility of strong winds, snow, or heavy rain in case the glass windows came out of their frames. Along with the extensive restoration of the roof structure, all of these windows have now been replaced, meaning that closing the market and disrupting trade just for weather will no longer be necessary.
“Making sure that trading could continue while initial surveys and work on the roof took place was particularly important. To do this, we installed a scaffolding structure to give access to the roof without disrupting ground level activity. It was an impressive feat of engineering all by itself, which would have spanned more than 62 miles if placed end-to-end and weighed almost 900 tonnes, but it really was the key to making sure trade could continue despite our ongoing work, supporting the city’s traders post-pandemic.”
The team is now looking forward to commencing the second phase of the programme to transform the interior and exterior spaces, which will start later this year. Raised concrete floor plinths that currently house individual market stalls will be removed to create a more airy, open and accessible space, with the ground level intended to provide space for up to 32 market stalls, which will be portable for flexibility.
Meanwhile, the interior balcony area will provide an opportunity to accommodate a small business incubator, and to provide space for special themed markets, such as antiques or crafts. The entrances to the Market Hall are also set to be improved in the upcoming phase of work, allowing market activity to flow seamlessly into the surrounding streets and creating an attractive and flexible space in the adjacent Osnabruck Square.
Wates Construction was appointed via SCAPE’s Major Works framework. The second phase of development is set to commence on site in Q4 2022, with an aim to complete in 2024.
Tightening labour market is a “ticking timebomb” for East Midlands businesses
The East Midlands’ unemployment rate remains the lowest in the UK at 2.4% – having halved in just over a year.
The latest figure, reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the period between April and June 2022, is below the 3.8% national average.
In March to May 2021, it was 4.9% but has fallen almost every month since then. The region’s economic inactivity rate – which measures the number of working-age people who have dropped out of the labour market for reasons such as retirement, caring duties, long-term ill health or studying – has grown by six-tenths of a percentage point to 21.9% during the same period.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “These latest statistics show that our region’s businesses are creating plenty of jobs and people are filling them. We said throughout the pandemic that firms in sectors most directly affected by restrictions remained viable once they were allowed to trade freely and the data proves this is the case.
“However, the labour market remains incredibly tight, with the number of job vacancies in the UK economy around the highest on record. Competition for skills and labour continues to drive up wage costs, which is adding to the growing list of concerns facing organisations – which are being hit left, right and centre by the cost of doing business crisis, driven by the highest inflation in almost 40 years.
“Two-thirds of East Midlands businesses told us in our Quarterly Economic Survey they attempted to recruit between April and June, but 82% of this cohort struggled to fill roles. With four in 10 businesses now at capacity, the lack of access to people is becoming a ticking timebomb.
“The lack of human resource means they are struggling to meet customer demand and are often forced to turn away new business. This is restricting growth – as reflected by the latest figure showing GDP fell by 0.1% in the second quarter of 2022 – and dampening confidence among businesses to make the investments that will drive the economy forward again.”
Scott said it was “time for the Government to listen to businesses” as he outlined some key policies that would help firms to fill vacancies and bring people back to the labour market.
“The Government can help ease the growing pressure in the labour market at no extra cost to the Exchequer,” he added. “We need an immediate review and reform of the Shortage Occupations List to include more jobs at all skill levels, giving firms breathing space to train and upskill their workforce.
“We also need to encourage economically inactive people back into the labour market through access to publicly-funded rapid retraining opportunities. Businesses must be part of the solution too by creating the right workplace conditions, for example by providing flexible working practices, training opportunities and a focus on workplace healthcare and support.
“There are also innovative schemes for firms to tap into and access funding, including the UK Community Renewal Fund-backed Kickstart Accelerator, in which the Chamber has helped organisations in our region create more than 160 jobs for young people.”
The what, the how and the why: by Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency
Fiona Duncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency, explores the ‘what’, the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ in business.
Many of you may be familiar with inspirational speaker and coach Simon Sinek, who has created not only a business, but a movement around the word ‘why’ – why do we do what we do? Encouraging us to dig deep and resurface our reasons for making the decisions that we make, ultimately leading to why we do the things that we do, whether it be within our careers or our personal lives. Since Simon’s famous Ted Talk, ‘How great leaders inspire action’, went viral on YouTube in 2009, many coaches and consultants, myself included, have used his teachings within our own practises – in particular his framework, he calls ‘The Golden Circle’, which essentially explores the idea that most people know and explain ‘what’ they do, most people know and relay ‘how they do it’, but rarely do people share ‘why’ they do what they do – hence the what, the how and the why.
Storytelling in business has become the clever marketer’s super-power. Gone are the days when people tolerated being ‘sold’ to. People want to buy from people they like, admire and relate to and this is where sharing your story – your why – comes into play. Simply by having a conversation, showing up as your true self and allowing someone a window into your world – even just a nugget, is enough to create intrigue and release all of those endorphins (the happy hormones that help to connect us as humans).
So, what we if took a step back for a moment and focused on the ‘how’?
We know ‘what’ we do and ‘why’ we do it, but do we truly know ‘how’ to do what we do as well as we could?
This is where self-awareness comes in and your ego is left at the door. It’s easy to become complacent in business when we have been doing what we do for a while. When the feedback we receive from our audience is consistent and there are no real challenges to overcome. Why would we change anything? This is when we should be using that wave of time to develop both ourselves, our processes and our offerings.
Asking ourselves important questions, such as; is what I still offer relevant? Can I diversify my offerings? Is now the time to expand and scale my business model? Am I happy with my current audience?
Monitoring progress and having regular reviews shows great leadership – even if you are a freelancer with no staff or team, this still applies to you. Being aware of your capabilities, your strengths, your weaknesses, for example, will help you to make all important decisions on where you best spend your time within the business and which areas of work you delegate to others.
Perhaps you’ve reached a time where you are ready to take it to the next level, to scale up, to take on new staff members, to move to a bigger office or to diversify your current business to offer other services.
Wherever you are at right now, I encourage you to focus on the ‘how’ for a while. To take some time to analyse and review what you know and figure out what you don’t – then go learn and apply it.
How do you do what you do?
Fiona Duncan-Steer www.fionaduncansteer.com www.rsvipnetwork.co.uk
Apprenticeship Ambassador numbers increase tenfold in local schools – but more still required
Work is ongoing to double the number of Apprenticeship Ambassadors working with local schools in time for the start of the new academic year.
Ten Apprenticeship Ambassadors (AAs) have now been recruited and are completing their training with the East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Careers Hub.
It came after a recruitment campaign led by the Careers Hub in February after it had emerged that there was just a single AA available to spread the word about apprenticeships across 91 schools and colleges in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Work has continued over the summer to extend the network further as the LLEP looks to start the autumn term with 20 AAs available to visit classrooms to help other young people better understand the local labour market and available career options.
By introducing AAs as relatable peer group members within communities, schools and employers are helping to change perceptions about apprenticeships in the region.
Students who subsequently express an interest in vocational training are introduced to the local Apprenticeship Skills and Knowledge Team (ASK) and the Careers Hub network.
The LLEP is now looking for local employers to join the AAN as Employer Ambassadors. In doing so they will develop the skills of their own apprentices, create a pipeline of future talent, and give back to schools in their communities.
The project will also increase the number of local AAs being recruited, trained and made available for classroom engagement.
AAs will be from a range of sectors and social backgrounds.
They will be supported by Employer Ambassadors who have a desire to support their communities and develop pipelines of new talent.
Andy Reed OBE, interim chair of the LLEP board, said: “Gains already made through this project, in terms of increasing the size of the network, will help towards our objective of increasing regional productivity by ensuring that we have people with the skills needed by our employers.
“Equally importantly, we are focusing on areas where apprenticeships are not typically being taken up.
“This is important because young people are particularly impacted by changes in the labour market which reduce entry level positions – and these are typically catered for by apprenticeships.”
The LLEP now has Apprentice Ambassadors representing local employers including EON, Jaguar Land Rover, and CE Civil Engineering.
East Midlands firms have claimed up to 68% less Govt innovation funding than some parts of the UK
Businesses in the East Midlands haven’t been claiming their share of government innovation funding — settling for 68% less than some parts of the UK, a study by innovation funding specialist Catax shows.
Businesses across the UK have enjoyed £12.3bn of grant awards from government innovation agency, Innovate UK, since 2003.
However, in that time, companies in the East Midlands have received less grant cash than all but four other regions, when adjusted for business population.
Companies in the East Midlands have netted the equivalent of £2,084 per business, which is 68% less than those in the North East (£6,504), the best performing region. Total grant funding nationally has equalled £2,563 per business — meaning the East Midlands is 18.7% behind the UK average.
Applicants in the East Midlands have been awarded £661 million in total.
Some of the largest grants in the region over the last five years went to Rolls Royce, in Derby, for a number of projects, funded by Innovate UK grants worth a total of £57.4m.
Five highest grant awards in the East Midlands in the past five years
Other regions trailing the national average are North West (£1,039), Northern Ireland (£1,465), Wales (£1,623), the East of England (£1,922) and Yorkshire & the Humber (£2,204).
The national disparity has improved only slightly in the past five years and is still cause for concern. The North East was still the biggest recipient (£2,586 per business) between 2017 and 2022, while the North West continued to benefit the least (£473 per business).
Over that period, the East Midlands has received £884 per business, while the North East remains ahead with £2,586. It means the gap has marginally narrowed, with the East Midlands receiving 65.8% less per company compared to the top-performing region. Grant funding nationally equalled £1,093 per business over the past five years.
The results of the study serve as a wake-up call to businesses across the UK to ensure they are taking advantage of funding opportunities on offer, as a lack of awareness continues to hold back applications.
Karen Taylor, group head of grants at innovation funding specialist Catax, says: “There is great variation in the level of innovation funding being claimed around the UK and the East Midlands is lagging behind.
“Grants can be a game-changing source of finance for businesses, giving many the resources they need to invest in new research and innovations.
“It might be that there is still a prevailing lack of awareness of these grants in the region, and this needs to be addressed. These findings should serve as a call to action for businesses in the East Midlands to take a look at what grants are on offer which could help them get their project off the ground.”
|
Grant recipient |
Location |
Award offered |
Description |
|
Rolls Royce Plc |
Derby |
£16,758,325 |
Fan testing of a gas-turbine engine. Rolls Royce will lead that testing and analysis to ensure the structural integrity of the engine. |
|
Rolls Royce Plc |
Derby |
£14,346,650 |
For LUCIA (Large UltraFan Composite Integrated Aerostructures), a key enabler for the delivery of the UltraFan powerplant. |
|
Rolls Royce Plc |
Derby |
£13,630,743 |
FANDANGO (FAN Design And iNtegrity, GO) will deliver the flight worthy UltraFan fan system for demonstration in the most arduous test conditions met by gas turbines. |
|
Rolls Royce Plc |
Derby |
£12,685,447 |
Environmental proving testing. |
|
Horiba Mira Ltd |
Hinckley and Bosworth |
£11,220,000 |
For the Trusted Intelligent CAV facility, to accelerate development of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles. |
Nominations close in 3 days for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022!
Presenting a perfect opportunity to showcase your business, there are only 3 days left to enter the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022!
The annual event, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools.
The prestigious awards attract leaders from across the East Midlands and are the ideal way for businesses to promote themselves and those they work with. Indeed winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly.
Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 before nominations close on Friday 19 August, please click on a category link below or visit this page.
Thanks to our sponsors:
- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker, as well as award-winning mind reader, magician, and professional mentalist Looch, who will bewilder and astonish guests during the evening’s networking. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
Leicestershire architects instructed on £6m project in Saudi Arabia
IMA Architects has been instructed by FABEC, a Saudi Arabian architectural design company, on a project that will see the creation of a new luxury holiday park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The new project is IMA’s first scheme in Saudi Arabia. It will see the development of 30 luxury chalets – each complete with a private swimming pool – alongside first-class public amenities, from dining and entertainment establishments to gym and office facilities. The scheme is expected to be completed in 2024.
Working in partnership with Saudi Arabian architectural company FABEC and structural, mechanical and electrical engineers PHI from Jordan, IMA was assigned to the design development phase of the project. FABEC designed the concept stage.
Tasked to prepare a construction package and coordinate the design with other appointed consultants, the IMA team have quickly familiarised themselves with local building code and compliance requirements to deliver high quality architectural plans on time and to spec.
Dr Asem Bunni, architectural project lead at IMA, says: “We are enjoying collaborating with international colleagues and broadening our knowledge in terms of working to a different building code. The expertise of UK architectural practices is highly valued within Saudi Arabia and we have been able to provide our client with cutting edge design techniques with integrated Building Information Models which ensures full coordination across the design team involved and a smooth delivery on site.”
Anthony Day, director at IMA, added: “We are delighted to have won the contract for this project, and to extend our presence and expertise into the Middle East. It has been a real pleasure to work alongside our international partners, sharing different design and construction ideas, and we hope that this signifies the start of our business profile in the region.”
