Leicester independent financial advice firm acquires clients of Mountsorrel business
LLEP reaffirms support for partners as region moves towards next stage of County Deal negotiations
Interim chair Andy Reed OBE has reiterated LLEP support for local partners as they move forward in negotiations with Government over a proposed County Deal for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The LLEP will continue to work closely with the local authorities as they reach the best settlement for the local economy during talks over a potential Level 2 deal.
Leicestershire was one of nine areas to be invited to bid for a County Deal when the Government published its Levelling Up White Paper in February.
The extent of powers and funding to be devolved under County Deals will be pegged at one of three levels depending upon local circumstances – with Level 3 representing the greatest devolution of responsibilities.
Government requires Level 3 bids to have what it terms a Functional Economic Area. In the LLEP area this would have meant both Leicester and Leicestershire councils, with the possible addition of Rutland, operating under a single regional Mayor.
The first stage of negotiations with Government has concluded without agreement being reached for a Level 3 bid. Further negotiations will now take place over a proposed Level 2 agreement based on a non-mayoral combined authority in which Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland’s three upper-tier councils work together on regional projects.
Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton last week told councillors that the county council would continue working with all partners, including the LLEP.
Andy Reed OBE, interim chair of the LLEP Board, said: “We must accept the situation and that the region at least has the opportunity of bidding for a Level 2 Deal. As such, the LLEP will continue to work closely with partners including county, city and district councils to reach the best agreement for our local economy.”
The Levelling Up White Paper suggested that the future role of LEPs may change under County Deals. For example, existing LEP powers over spending on local infrastructure, such as large transport and building projects, could potentially be devolved to local authorities under the terms of a County Deal.
Government has stressed that LEPs will continue to play an important role. This could include serving as a business voice, managing skills and apprenticeships, or running growth hubs to increase productivity among small businesses. The LLEP has already committed to supporting Government as it introduces its Levelling Up agenda.
Meanwhile, the Government’s £2.6billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund launched in April and will start accepting its first funding submissions in June. It replaces EU structural funds and is designed to devolve funding to local authorities to invest in communities, local business, and people and skills.
Much investment in these areas has been delivered by the LLEP over the last decade and it is now in discussions with partners as they work together to achieve the ambitions of the 12 Missions set out in the Levelling Up White Paper.
Mr Reed said: “As we await further clarity on County Deal, we will continue working with partners to invest funding in infrastructure and projects as we make our area more innovative, sustainable and inclusive.
“We will also continue working hard to ensure the voice of business is heard locally and nationally and that its opinions and ideas help shape what a good deal would look like for the Leicestershire economy.”
Mr Reed said the LLEP remains focussed on supporting the best deal possible for local business and on integrating any future County Deal with minimum disruption for services.
“There is still a long way to go with the County Deal process and final details will be months and years down the line,” he added.
“In the meantime, we are very aware of the extremely difficult economic climate residents and businesses face in the immediate future.
“Both the LLEP and the Business Gateway Growth Hub will continue doing all within their powers to support people and businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire through the challenges and opportunities ahead.”
Commercial office fit-out specialists expand team
Workplace consultants and commercial office fit-out specialists, Blueprint Interiors has expanded its team following the appointment of Kate Bennett as a project designer and Martyna Paluszkiewicz as pre-construction manager.
Kate joins an all-female design team that collectively has over 55 years of experience and degrees from three top class design universities. In her new role, Kate will be responsible for discussing and defining design briefs, space planning and specifying materials. She will then translate these ideas into visual concepts for presentation to clients for approval.
Martyna has a background in commercial fit out and joinery and will be responsible for overseeing projects from the briefing stage, right through to completion. She will ensure the scope of work is defined accurately and transfers to post contract stage, ensuring it runs smoothly and the highest quality fit-out standards are achieved.
Commenting on her appointment, Martyna said: “WorkLife Central is an amazing place to work with a friendly atmosphere and great people. From day one I have felt like part of the team and I am looking forward to making a positive contribution to the company in order to ensure our clients’ offices meet their business objectives and the design brief.”
Kate added: “I have worked across most industry sectors and so I have a wide variety of transferrable skills and experience which I’m almost certain I will be able to bring to my new role. Our ‘people first’ approach starts within our great office in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and I can’t wait to advise other employers how they can benefit from this ethos. By involving us during the feasibility stages of their decision we can help to ensure their space meets the needs of their people.”
East Midlands start-up businesses drop as economy bites deeper
The number of new businesses set up in the East Midlands has fallen to its lowest point this year, as record levels of inflation and other key economic stressors start to impact on post-pandemic recovery.
Latest research from the Midlands branch of national insolvency and restructuring trade body R3 shows that there were 2,199 start-ups in the East Midlands in April, an 18% decrease on the March figure of 2,675, and 3% below the 2,257 statistic for February.
R3’s research, which is based on an analysis of data from business intelligence provider Creditsafe, highlights the effect that the current climate of spiralling inflation, a contracting economy and decreasing consumer confidence is having on the region’s entrepreneurs.
R3 Midlands chair Eddie Williams, partner at PwC in the region, said: “The statistics have revealed that, during the first quarter of 2022, there was an overall increase in start-ups in the East Midlands, many of which were led by individuals who were furloughed or made redundant during the pandemic and who used the lockdowns as a springboard to venture out on their own.
“However, with news that prices are now rising at their fastest rate for 40 years and that UK inflation jumped by 7% between March and April, it appears that the region’s entrepreneurial spirit has been significantly dampened.
“With the global, national and local economies facing enormous challenge, the majority of start-ups are having to fight hard to survive and grow, particularly as they set up and bed in new operating controls and procedures as well as establish and build relationships with suppliers, customers, employees and other stakeholders.
“For those new businesses whose directors may be worried about its situation, the sooner professional advice is sought, the more opportunities may be available to support a company’s survival and future success. Many R3 members offer a free consultation to those who are looking for such help and want to explore their options.”
MHR supports The Queen’s Green Canopy amid ongoing sustainability drive
John Mills, president and founder of MHR International, the HR, payroll, finance, and learning expert, has marked the company’s celebrations of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by planting a new tree in the grounds of MHR’s headquarters as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a national initiative inviting people to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.
The new hornbeam tree has been planted among 107 other mature hornbeam trees at MHR’s Ruddington Hall HQ in Nottinghamshire, which all sit in a 19-acre section of the grounds now named the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy Garden’ in honour of the occasion. The Jubilee tree planting not only celebrates the landmark anniversary, but also forms part of MHR’s continued commitment to sustainability, having been listed among the top 500 most sustainable companies in the Midlands.
This latest initiative forms part of MHR’s ongoing investment in both conservational and environmental maintenance, having undertaken significant work to protect and preserve its headquarters at Ruddington Hall and the surrounding grounds, where it has planted a large number of trees over the years, as well as those at its new office campus, a six-acre site on Mere Way at the Ruddington Business Park.
The development of MHR’s offices also reinforces the UN Sustainable Development Goals, built with an ethos of supporting local trade and businesses, whether for maintenance, decoration, or refurbishment.
John Mills, president and founder of MHR, who holds a Royal Warrant for Supply of Payroll and HR Systems to Her Majesty The Queen, said: “At MHR we are very proud to play a small role in commemorating The Queen’s 70-year long reign and decades of remarkable devotion to a life of service to the nation.
“The Queen’s Green Canopy is a wonderful initiative, and we wanted to create a lasting and physical memory of this special occasion by dedicating a garden to The Queen in the grounds of Ruddington Hall. The planting of the 108th tree will stand proud alongside the many others we’re fortunate to have surrounding us.
“While we take pride in maintaining the MHR grounds, we also take this out into the local community too, making sure our younger generations can also enjoy green spaces. Supported by a team of colleagues, we recently helped to restore the Loughborough-based Rainbows Children Hospice’s Eco Garden at the end of 2021.
“The project has created a tranquil space in which over 300 children and young people cared for and supported by Rainbows, as well as their families, can reflect, recharge, and enjoy. We’ll soon be undertaking another great project for the hospice by painting the fence in the Remembrance Garden.
“We do this every year as part of a continuous relationship to maintain the space for the families that use it, and we’ll be back again this September. I’m pleased we can give something back for future generations by supporting these types of sustainable legacies,” added Mr Mills.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a unique tree-planting initiative created specifically to commemorate The Queen’s 70-year reign. Everyone from individuals to community organisations, schools, and businesses, is invited to plant a tree, creating a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership over seven decades and to benefit future generations.
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