< Previous10 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk FINANCE NEWS Derby video game payment platform secures further £200k A Derby company which has developed a new payment system for the video games industry has secured a further £200,000 investment from the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, managed by Mercia and part of the D2N2-backed Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). Transaction Technologies’ new platform will target the multi-billion-dollar market for in-game downloads. PlayerLands allows players to buy virtual goods within games and is one of the few systems that will accept payments in real money rather than cryptocurrencies. The platform provides a secure payment system that makes it easy to buy and sell virtual products online and for developers to set up their own stores, market their goods and manage their businesses. The latest funding round will allow the firm to finalise and launch its platform, while creating four new jobs in Derby for developers and customer service staff. Having secured an initial £200,000 investment from MEIF to build the platform, Transaction Technologies’ founders – serial entrepreneurs Alex Booth and Nick Gillett – now successfully integrated it with the leading payment systems and are in discussions with a number of games developers. “The games business, and especially the highly social world of server-based games, have been growing rapidly for years,” said Mr Gillet. “We make it easy for developers and server owners to monetise their services, leaving them to concentrate on making the best entertainment.” Sandy Reid, investment director at Mercia, added: “Online gaming is an exciting sector that has grown significantly during the global lockdown. “Transaction Technologies is filling a gap in the market for a secure and professional payment system. “We are pleased to further support the business with this latest investment which will allow it to launch PlayerLands and to capitalise on the favourable market conditions.” Ideagen swoops for Sheffield counterpart in £15.6m deal Ideagen, the AIM-listed Nottingham-based software specialist, has swooped for Sheffield counterpart, Qualsys, for £15.6 million. Qualsys is an EQMS (Electronic Quality Management Software) company started in 1995 by Mike Pound and Mike Bendall and now employs more than 50 people. Its products are used by more than 500,000 people in more than 120 countries. Qualsys has blue chip customers – such as Diageo, Unilever, Honeywell and BT – across a range of industries, including pharmaceutical, healthcare, complex manufacturing and food and drink. In 2016, Qualsys started to develop a new cloud native version of their software (Version 7) using the latest web technologies available and has now invested more than £3 million in R&D. The product was launched late last year and has been well received by the market, securing new customers across multiple industries. “This is fantastic acquisition for Ideagen and will have a significant impact on our position in the EQMS market,” said Ideagen CEO Ben Dorks. “The latest iteration of their product will sit perfectly within our Q-Pulse product family and will integrate into the Quality Management component of our Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) cloud platform. “This will ensure we can offer our existing and new customers, the latest developments in EQMS, together with the tried and tested expertise of Ideagen’s team of developers and support people, as well as a wider suite of products to meet all of their audit, risk and compliance requirements.” The deal is expected to contribute £0.6 million in EBITDA within the current financial year and £1.5 million in the year to April 2022. Ecommerce fulfilment company secures support to fund expansion plans Northampton ecommerce company, James and James Fulfilment, has secured a seven-figure revolving credit facility from HSBC UK to support the company’s expansion plans. The additional facility comes following the announcement of the company’s move to a new fulfilment centre in Northampton to support a growing demand from customers. The new site, which is approx. 200,000 sq ft, will not only help to support an influx of new clients, but will also generate up to 200 new jobs within the local community over the next three years. Since the start of lockdown, the company, which created the first digital only fulfilment house enabling the fulfilment of services for online retailers, has seen an increase in customer demand across its markets, including hair and beauty, fashion and pet supplies. By continuing to operate throughout the pandemic to meet this demand, the company has not only been supporting its UK customer base, but also its operations across sites in Ohio in the USA and in New Zealand. Simon Lisser, Chief Financial Officer at James and James Fulfilment, said: “We have seen significant growth of the business over the past year and particularly over the past few months since the start of the lockdown, where we saw an increase of over 50 per cent, as customers shifted to online purchasing. The facility from HSBC UK will further support our exciting expansion plans as we prepare for the future.” Ideagen CEO Ben Dorks 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 5FINANCE NEWS Education IT services provider secures £90,000 boost A Northampton-based provider of specialist education IT services is set to create five new jobs after landing a £90,000 boost from Enterprise Loans East Midlands (ELEM), through a Small Business Loan from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF). Overnet Data, founded in 2008, offers an integrated single information platform called Edulink One that can be accessed via a web browser or app by all users including staff members, students and parents. There are currently 250,000 users of Overnet Data’s platform across schools and colleges in England and Wales. Alongside new recruitment, the funding will enable the business to continue developing its software and bolster its support system. Anthony Wright, founder of Overnet Data, said: “I could see that schools across the country were having to manage numerous systems and platforms when it came to day-to-day admin. “I therefore set up Overnet Data to create a streamlined and more effective way of working. The service can be used by staff members, parents and students in a way that is easy to access and, importantly, at an affordable price. “Thanks to the funding and support we’ve received from Enterprise Loans we’re now in a place where we can expand further and double the size of our team.” Matthew Wright, business advisor at Enterprise Loans, said: “The service Anthony provides with Edulink One is like nothing else on the market and his unique position and business sense means his firm was already blossoming by the time he approached us. “In the last year, Overnet Data has seen rapid growth in a number of locations, with over 50 per cent of secondary schools in some local education authorities now using Edulink One. “Therefore, it’s unsurprising he’s looking to expand his business and the team, so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to further assist Anthony and look forward to watching Overnet Data continue to go from strength to strength in the coming months.” Lewis Stringer, senior manager at the British Business Bank, said: “It’s great to see businesses in the East and South-East Midlands still expanding and MEIF fund managers investing in the current economic environment. We’d encourage any SMEs in the region looking for funding to consider the options available through the fund.” Hilary Chipping, SEMLEP chief executive, said: “Helping businesses to expand and grow through access to funding is crucial for a successful economy. It is great to see the Midlands Engine Investment Fund support a local business with such as unique proposition to create new job opportunities, especially at this time.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 11 © Shutterstock /Jacob_09 Barry Byers, Managing Director - UK Pall-Ex, Kevin Buchanan, Pall-Ex Group CEO, Adrian Bradley, Managing Director, Fortec Distribution Pall-Ex swoops for Fortec Distribution Network Leicestershire’s Pall-Ex Group has acquired the Fortec Distribution Network. Purchased by a new subsidiary company For-Ex Distribution Network, the network will remain trading as Fortec Distribution. It will continue to operate as a separate pallet network within the UK but be part of the overall Pall-Ex Group of companies. The two firms, which were both founded in Leicestershire in 1996, have a combined total of 168 network members, the largest in the UK, and are a welcome addition to Pall-Ex Group’s now 600 European membership. Fortec’s 210,000 sq ft warehouse at Watling Park in Northamptonshire will give the entire Pall-Ex Group more than 600,000 sqft of hub capacity as they continue to grow over 11% above the sector average. This is the second purchase by Pall-Ex Group following a buyout by its UK senior management team and shareholder members in November 2019. The Fortec membership will now take advantage of Pall-Ex’s unique shareholder model as well as sharing a number of quality resources, including Pall-Ex’s new Core Operational system, Nexus. “This is a significant step in Pall-Ex’s growth plans and a strategic move that will further strengthen our position in the UK,” said Kevin Buchanan, Group CEO of Pall-Ex Group. “The addition to the group presents many benefits to our collective membership; Pall-Ex members are experiencing an increase in freight volume and need access to additional hub capacity, while Fortec members will have a say in the operation of their network under our unique shareholder model. “Fortec customers will also benefit from being able to utilise Nexus and our International service, Pall-Ex Connect. “While both firms will retain their brand identities, there are clear synergies that make this a natural partnership and we look forward to working together, winning together and becoming stronger together in this new era.” Anthony Wright, founder of Overnet Data 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 6Rolls-Royce to close Annesley site Rolls-Royce is planning to close its aerospace site in Annesley, Nottinghamshire. Around 120 staff work at Rolls-Royce in Annesley, with the company planning to transfer all activities to Derby and Germany by 2022 and offer staff the opportunity to relocate. The decision comes as a result of a demand drop in the Coronavirus pandemic and follows the announcement that at least 9,000 jobs will be cut from its 52,000 strong workforce – 1,500 in the East Midlands. Unite, the union, slammed the move. Unite national officer for aerospace Rhys McCarthy said: “While Unite will be holding Rolls-Royce to its statement that staff at Annesley will be offered transfers to Derby, the union will ensure that Rolls- Royce considers all possible options to keep Annesley open and retain jobs in the town. “There is no use in trying to deny that the coronavirus pandemic has not had a devastating impact on air transport and by extension the aerospace sector. In other countries, however, steps have been taken to ensure their post-pandemic futures and to protect jobs.” 12 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING NEWS Manufacturing downturn eases after survey-record dip Manufacturer output volumes in the three months to August continued to fall quickly, but the pace of decline eased somewhat from last month’s survey record decline. That’s according to the latest CBI monthly Industrial Trends Survey. The survey of 278 manufacturers found that output volumes declined in 16 of 17 sub-sectors, with the headline drop in output being primarily driven by the mechanical engineering, food, drink & tobacco, and motor vehicles & transport equipment sub-sectors. Both total and export order books remained well below their long-run averages. Looking ahead, manufacturers expect output to fall at a much slower pace in the next three months. Firms also anticipate output prices in the next three months to fall at a modest pace. Anna Leach, CBI Deputy Chief Economist, said: “This has been another difficult month for manufacturers. Activity continues to be poor and order books severely depressed, although the worst of the decline seems to be behind us. “It is a relief to see the pressure on manufacturers starting to ease. As the sector looks to rebuild from the economic shock, the Government must consider additional ways to support this sector to help reinforce a recovery, such as grants and further business rates relief. “As we head into the autumn months, a coherent plan to ensure the manufacturing sector is resilient to a potential second wave and to the challenge of adapting to a new trading relationship with the EU is vital.” Tom Crotty, Group Director at INEOS and Chair of the CBI Manufacturing Council, said: “The survey results show some early signs of the manufacturing downturn bottoming out, but it is clear that many firms remain in distress and the sector looks set for a challenging Autumn.” Acres Engineering invests in safety with new equipment Derby’s Acres Engineering has invested a 5-figure sum to replace its extraction equipment as it gears up for what it hopes will be a strong second half of the year. The Melbourne-based firm has recently returned the majority of its manufacturing employees to site after 40% were furloughed, and currently no redundancies are planned at the 30-strong custom manufacturing specialist. Whilst many in the sector have struggled, Acres has performed well by focusing on creating safety solutions to enable other organisations to get back to business as soon as practically possible. This has seen them work with retailers, charities, venues and Acres’ traditional rail sector clients on products that allow safer access, service and training. Luke Parker, Managing Director at Acres Engineering, says: “There is no doubt that this has been, and remains one of the most challenging years for our sector. The nature of what we do means a lot of our work is done in partnership with large manufacturing companies and it is sad to see jobs under threat across the country in sectors such as aerospace, automotive and retail. “As the crisis loomed and our sales plummeted, we looked at all of our options and what we could achieve with the reduced ‘non-furloughed’ workforce remaining in the business. The key was to find viable products that added value with the minimal physical engineering resource, hence our pivot into the safety solutions which have been very popular. “Now as the team returns to site, we have a very positive outlook and order book. We have now continued with our planned investment to ensure that we were looking after everyone as best as we can. Our investment in the extraction system is critical to ensuring the best working environment we can for the team and it will mark the start of further planned investments which we hope to announce in the near future.” © Shutterstock /Jonathan Weiss 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 13 MANUFACTURING NEWS Flexible packaging manufacturer expands into new Grimsby facility Ultimate Group is expanding into another facility at Europarc in Grimsby. The independent flexible packaging manufacturer focused on the food industry has signed a lease to occupy a high-spec new-build unit developed by Wykeland Group. The 30,000 sq ft facility is one of two new buildings developed by Wykeland in the latest major phase of investment at the flagship business park. Ultimate Group is expected to occupy the new building in the next few weeks, giving the business further capacity, increased flexibility and room for future growth, in addition to the company’s existing 120,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space at Europarc. The overall investment project of which this transaction forms part will create up to 20 new jobs, adding to Ultimate Group’s existing workforce of 250. Jeremy Hodson, Managing Director of Ultimate Group, said: “The additional control we will have from insourcing more of our warehousing and the increased overall capacity this transaction gives us is an essential part of our organic growth plans for the future. “Having the additional space will give us many more opportunities to be more flexible in our use of our overall Europarc footprint to facilitate better workflows and increased efficiency, resulting in being able to be even more agile and cost-effective throughout our operations. “It’s extremely challenging to move operations around and locate new machinery when running 24/7 and this investment will definitely free up much-needed space to help us to achieve that too.” The £3.6m development of the latest buildings at Europarc has been supported by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP. Its Chair Pat Doody said: “We are delighted to have provided £1.8m towards this important scheme which will help support the growth and expansion of our food sector.” £12m for high-tech food manufacturing campus The Government has agreed to provide £12m in funding to help launch a revolutionary high-tech food manufacturing campus in Derby, which will create up to 4,500 jobs. It will also provide an additional £6.85m to establish a manufacturing research centre in the city, generating 70 new roles and helping scores of local companies to access cutting-edge expertise to grow their operations in low-carbon and other advanced technologies. Both initiatives form part of a recovery strategy to help reboot Derby’s economy after the Coronavirus crisis. It is built on three key pillars – maintaining confidence, diversification and decarbonisation. News of the funding allocation was hailed by city leaders as a “massive boost.” Central to it is money to help secure a huge new £300m high-tech food manufacturing and distribution campus in the city, to be developed and operated by SmartParc on 140 acres of the former Celanese site near Spondon. The company’s approach would bring food producers together to cluster knowledge and investment – reducing food waste, lowering carbon outputs and increasing UK food security. The campus would include a shared energy plant, designed to reduce energy consumption by 30 per cent, and would harness the latest technology to improve production and efficiency, lowering costs by 20 per cent. It will embrace the latest scientific developments, such as vertical farming – where crops are grown indoors in stacked layers, mitigating the vagaries of the weather and eliminating the need for pesticides. A central distribution facility will allow manufacturers to consolidate both raw materials and finished goods, improving efficiency and lowering food miles. As well as creating up to 4,500 direct jobs, the project would generate further employment in the supply chain and throughout the local region. Work will start in the first quarter of 2021 and a planned opening, with initial occupancy, will take place later that year. Full project realisation is expected by 2024. SmartParc Chief Executive Jackie Wild said she was delighted to be able to develop the project in Derby. “SmartParc is part of a £300m investment to put Derby city and the UK at the heart of the future of sustainable food manufacturing globally. “The planned SmartParc campus will combine world-class food production facilities with shared utilities, amenities and services to provide a highly sustainable, low-cost production base for food manufacturers and new ways to reach end customers while reducing food miles and food waste.” © Shutterstock /Pixel B 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 8PROPERTY NEWS Architects appointed to design housing development at former factory Derby City Council have appointed professional services firm WYG to design the new housing development at the former Aida Bliss factory on City Road, Derby. The council acquired the site in 2018, principally to enable the construction of a new flood wall across the site as part of the ‘Our City Our River’ (OCOR) scheme. With the wall now completed the Council is moving forward with redeveloping the rest of the site to accommodate affordable public housing. The new development aims to regenerate the long disused site within a flood zone, recognising its important heritage, within the Little Chester Conservation Area, and in the buffer zone for the Derwent Mills World Heritage Site. The scheme will provide the council with around 60-80 units of accommodation of various sizes, retaining the Victorian City Road facade with a design that strives to achieve high standards in sustainability and energy management. It is hoped that construction on the site will begin in early 2022 following the planning and procurement process. WYG – which later this year will adopt the name of US-based parent company, Tetra Tech – is providing a multi-disciplinary team covering architectural design, heritage, energy and sustainability, engineering and construction services, ecology and traffic. Councillor Roy Webb, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Housing said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to appoint WYG to this project. I’m looking forward to working with such an experienced and professional team and seeing their designs in the coming months. “The Aida Bliss site is a huge opportunity for us to make use of this protected riverside location. We must do it right, and I’m sure we will.” Multi-million-pound Nottingham Guildhall development gets green light Nottingham City Council has granted planning permission for the multi-million-pound development of Nottingham’s Guildhall, which brings the currently vacant building into its next lifetime and will create more than 250 jobs for the city. The planning application was submitted by a joint venture between Locksley Hotels Ltd and hotel group Ascena in May 2020, detailing plans for a 162-bed, four-star hotel, which will include a rooftop fine dining restaurant, spa and wedding and conference facilities. The hotel’s existing courtrooms will be converted into bar and restaurant facilities, retaining the original listed features. The modern extension to the northern elevation of the existing building will also utilise high- grade materials to give a nod to Nottingham’s lace heritage in its design. John Wilby, project lead for Ascena, said: “Having most recently housed the city council’s offices, Nottingham’s Guildhall is an iconic building in the city centre, which has hosted a magistrates’ court, police station and fire station since it was built in 1887. “After it has sat vacant for the best part of a decade, we’re pleased to have hit this significant milestone in breathing new life into it. The development will not only bring jobs to the area but will also help elevate the city as a tourist destination.” The Guildhall building itself will house the hotel following a sensitive restoration of the Grade II listed building and Fire Station House, while more modern extensions at the back of the building will be demolished and rebuilt. Jack Turton, director of Ascena, said: “We have been working closely with our heritage consultant Turley and Historic England to ensure that this iconic building is brought back to its former glory. As well as this, an existing latter-day extension to the northern elevation of the Guildhall will be demolished and rebuilt. “We’re thrilled to have been working in close collaboration with the city council to help bring its former home to life, and now that planning consent has been granted we hope to begin work on site in the coming months.” 14 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk Green light for industrial development upgrade as Northampton set for jobs boost Upgraded plans have been approved to develop a prime industrial site in Milton Ham, near Northampton, which is expected to generate an increase in employment opportunities within the region. Real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust acquired the 37-acre site from Travis Perkins in November 2019 and, working with specialist industrial architects, UMC Architects, has secured an upgrade to the original planning permission, which will see the proposed floor space extended by circa 30,000 sq ft. Firethorn’s amendments were designed to unlock the full development potential of the site to make it even more desirable to prime logistics occupiers, whilst creating an environmentally responsible building and valuable jobs for the region. Strategically located immediately off junction 15a of the M1 motorway, with prime links to the road network and the A43, Milton Ham is situated within the “Golden Triangle” of logistics, on the industrial corridor running alongside the M1. The site lies adjacent to the Swan Valley Industrial Estate, which is occupied by Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Royal Mail, Carlsberg and other prominent businesses. Work is set to start at Milton Ham next month, with a view to delivering the units during Summer 2021. The development will comprise 355,000 sq ft of lettable space in total, with ancillary offices and lorry and car parking facilities. 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 9PROPERTY NEWS Local developer submits planning application for new HQ Local property developer, Stirlin, has submitted a planning application for its new premises in Saxilby. The application to West Lindsey District Council seeks planning consent for a 5,000 sq ft office facility, to be located on Stirlin’s existing Riverside Enterprise Park development. The building will act as the company’s new headquarters, providing accommodation for all companies within the Stirlin Group. The Group includes their plant machinery division, Stirlin Plant, their residential property division, Homes by Stirlin and their commercial property division, Stirlin Developments. Due to significant growth since their dealership agreement with global brand, Wacker Neuson, the new building and yard will provide a 63% increase in accommodation for Stirlin Plant. The building will propose generous workshop space for plant machinery servicing, display areas for machinery sales and an external forecourt with machinery testing facilities. Lee Hodgkins, Plant Manager for Stirlin Plant, says: “We’re delighted to have been involved in the design of Stirlin Group’s new premises. The building will provide much-needed space to facilitate our company’s expansion plan, as we have outgrown our current premises on Stirlin’s development on Sadler Road in Lincoln.” Chesterfield e-commerce firm doubles warehouse operation A growing Chesterfield e-commerce firm is more than doubling its warehouse operation to 102,000 sq ft in an expansion move to a prime industrial site at Markham Vale. Xbite, which ships products around the globe, has taken a multi year lease on a warehouse at Markham Vale J29a M1. The firm, which has a £42m turnover, will move immediately to the warehouse, reconfiguring its current 45,000 sq ft base at Barlborough, just 10 minutes away, into an office for its 130 employees. Xbite has taken on 24 staff in the last three months and expects to recruit another 50 staff by Christmas and expand its executive team. Nick Whitehead, Managing Director at Xbite, said: “We have outgrown our much loved 45,000 sq ft unit at Barlborough and needed a warehouse that had the space and setup required to deliver our current and future objectives. “Markham Vale will enable us to deliver a better work environment for all our warehouse operatives, not only will we have the space needed to deliver better performance, there is enough space to ensure that social distancing is easier for everyone to adhere to, which we expect to be around for a while yet. “The increase in online shopping plus our diversification from computer games and DVDs into home and gardenware has seen unprecedented growth for us. Our homeware website Roov.co.uk is where our future growth will come from, enabling this expansion of premises and creating jobs.” LF50 Lodge Farm Industrial Estate, Northampton, a 50,000 sq ft refurbished warehouse, has been let to Trans Global Freight Management on behalf of a private investor. Trans Global Freight Management was already based on the estate, but has expanded by taking LF50 as additional space on a 10 year lease. The comprehensively refurbished unit comprises a two bay warehouse with ancillary office accommodation, together with dedicated car parking and a large secure yard. Colliers International’s Industrial and Logistics team, alongside joint agent, Drake Commercial, let the warehouse. Sam Robinson, Associate Director, Industrial and Logistics at Colliers International commented: “The continued advancement of e- commerce in today’s market place has meant the strong appetite for logistics properties from both investors and occupiers continues. “Lodge Farm Industrial Estate is well established and is home to major occupiers, including DHL, XPO Logistics, Travis Perkins and Kuehne & Nagel. The new unit will offer Trans Global Freight Management large scale, flexible accommodation at one of Northampton’s premier distribution locations.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 15 Freight firm expands at Northampton. industrial estate 06-15.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:18 Page 1016 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 2020 has seen much debate centred on whether the mandatory home working period will render offices a thing of the past, see them mutate into something new, or if the idea of the office will weather the pandemic and see people raring to get back to their desks. Developments over the past couple of months have illustrated that the East Midlands has retained a decent amount of confidence in offices, but that is not to say there hasn’t been any recent bumps in the road. Investors have continued to look at the East Midlands for opportunities. For instance at the start of August it was revealed that the long leasehold of Apex Court, in Nottingham’s Island Business Quarter, had been sold for £7.55 million, on behalf of DSL Group, to Singapore- based private equity firm Elite Partners Capital. The headquarters building comprises 38,816 square foot of office space and is currently let in full to The Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, generating an annual rental income of £595,712. Discussing the deal, Victor Ktori, head of office at Savills Nottingham, said: “This is the latest in a string of high- quality investment deals within the city, proving that confidence remains despite continued uncertainty. A lack of grade A stock in recent years has facilitated a sustained period of rental growth, making Nottingham an attractive and comparably cheaper location compared to nearby cities such as Birmingham. Apex Court provided the international investor with a fantastic opportunity to purchase a strong income generating asset with considerable covenant strength.” In another deal, prior to this, a 28,696 square foot headquarters building let to Ideagen on a new fifteen-year lease at 1 Mere Way on Ruddington Business Park was sold to Corum XL for £6.275 million. Concurrently, lettings have persevered in the region. Exemplary of these deals, property advisors APB (Leicester) LLP recently let 30,000 square foot of office space over three floors at The Rutland Centre on Halford Street in Leicester. The ingoing tenant, which identified Leicester as a target location, is now undertaking a office blip This year is being considered a tumultuous one for offices, but that hasn’t stopped key developments moving forward and fresh deals being made. major programme of refurbishment works to transform the space into contemporary, open plan offices, and will look to become operational in Q3 2020. Reg Pollock, a partner at APB, said: “The letting has been achieved in exceedingly difficult times amid the COVID-19 pandemic… A letting of this scale can only be seen as a huge win for Leicester as it will provide new employment opportunities and shows that city centre has a huge amount to offer for office occupiers.” On a smaller scale, but still significant progress within the region, in August the first tenants were confirmed for the brand-new, energy efficient, Harborough Grow-on Centre, with discussions underway for more companies to join Overcoming the 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:25 Page 1them. Krypton IT Solutions moved into the new Harborough District Council-owned office space in Market Harborough, which features flexible office suites ranging in size from around 500 to 2,100 square feet in an expanding commercial area. Furthermore, just last month, Derby’s offices saw a boost with Astute Recruitment’s move to new offices at Cardinal Square, taking a large suite on the ground floor. The announcement closely followed major water and wastewater solution provider MWH Treatment Midlands recommitting to the five-storey building for a further seven years, extending its lease after relocating in November 2018, acquiring 2,719 square www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 17 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 19 Á © Wittam Cox Architects 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:25 Page 2Armstrong house Offering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House on Armstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports of Grimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre, off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors, meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming offices are located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind. At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contract mean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a range of office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. If you require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 per month. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements, give Scotts Property a call today on 01472 267000 and ask about Armstrong House. Last remaining office suites Prime location in Grimsby Superb Location - - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre Secure off street parking High speed internet availability Easy in/out terms A range of affordable office sizes 3 3 3 3 3 Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk www .shutter stoc k.com/ter ekho v igor www .shutter stoc k.com/Y entafer n 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:25 Page 3www .shutter stoc k.com/Y entafer n foot. Progress on new office developments meanwhile has continued in the region with the erection of the structural steelwork frame for Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre - a major milestone in the development’s progress. Scheduled for completion in Spring 2021, the new building will provide thirty-two offices in a range of sizes (26 to 120 square metres) over three floors. The region’s regeneration schemes also continue to support future development of office space. For instance, one of the biggest city centre regeneration schemes in the UK, The Island Quarter development in Nottingham, is to bring new grade A office space to the city as well as co- working space. Remaining in Nottingham, new development plans have surfaced with developers Peveril Securities and Sladen Estates, the team behind the city’s landmark Unity Square scheme, acquiring a number of key buildings in the heart of the city’s Southside area, including Albion House in Greyfriar Gate, and Hanson House and Midland Scooter Centre in Collin Street. Once developed these could accommodate some 300,000 square foot of prime office space with an end value of £150 million, bringing much-needed employment space into this area of the city centre. In contrast a step back for the region came as Derby City Council revealed that plans to create new office space in the city had been paused for review due to the impacts of coronavirus. In December 2018, the Council approved an investment in 42,900 square feet of new high-quality offices on Full Street. The purchase of land at One Cathedral Green, together with borrowing of £12.1 million to finance the development itself, was hoped to produce a commercial development with a positive rate of return for the Council. However, with a significant rise in home working and a reduction in demand for office space as a result, the Council noted they were required to review the investment in an altered post-COVID world. On the announcement Nick Richardson, Managing Director of Wilson Bowden, said: “Clearly having progressed to this stage it is very disappointing that the Council has decided not to proceed, although we understand the city’s nervousness about the future. Whilst working from home has been a short-term solution, we do not believe it is a long term one. We acknowledge that there are some functions that can be fulfilled from home, indeed some potentially better achieved at home, however, the office environment fulfils many functions that are better done in the office such as collaborative working, team meetings, negotiations, motivation, culture, mentoring and networking. Looking forward, we expect to see a hybrid of working part of the week from home and part from the office, so we still see an important role for the office.” Paul Simpson, Derby City Council’s Chief Executive, who chairs Derby’s Economic Recovery Task Force said that while the development is not right for Derby currently, new flexible offices would be built at a smaller scale as part of the city’s Becketwell initiative. Office space in the Becketwell development has been shown to be progressing with Derby engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask confirming that the company had already done design work on an office building that will front Victoria Street. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 19 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 03/09/2020 12:25 Page 4Next >