University of Leicester reviews courses and workforce amid financial pressures

April Lara
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University of Leicester reviews courses and workforce amid financial pressures

The University of Leicester has begun a major consultation process that could result in course closures and staff reductions, affecting both academic and professional services teams.

A total of 163 roles, representing about 4% of the university’s workforce, are under review as part of a restructuring process prompted by sector-wide financial challenges. The proposed changes include merging the chemistry, geography, geology, and environment departments into a single faculty to streamline operations.

Plans also include halting new student intakes for modern languages and film studies courses from the 2026–27 academic year, though existing students will be supported until they complete their degrees. Courses offered to the general public in modern languages will continue. The history department is also expected to see a reduction in academic staff to reflect lower student demand.

The consultation period runs until the end of February. During this time, the university is offering well-being support and voluntary severance options to affected staff. Meanwhile, members of the University and College Union (UCU) have announced industrial action from 10 to 21 November in response to the proposed changes.

East Midlands Institute of Technology building opens in Loughborough

Tess Egginton
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East Midlands Institute of Technology building opens in Loughborough
The East Midlands Institute of Technology (EMIoT) has officially opened its new building in Loughborough, marking a significant step forward for skills development, innovation, and digital education in the region. The EMIoT is a partnership between Loughborough College, Loughborough University, Derby College Group, and the University of Derby; bringing together academic expertise and industry collaboration to create a research-led, employer-focused learning environment. The opening of the Loughborough facility was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur, and Mayor of Charnwood, David Northage. The EMIoT has two other student facilities, at the University of Derby Enterprise Centre and at Derby College’s main Roundhouse campus. Supported by funding from the Department for Education (DfE), the EMIoT aims to equip students with the skills needed for the UK’s growing Clean Energy and Net Zero economies. The East Midlands IoT is expected to welcome a community of over 2,000 learners by the 2027/28 academic year. Corrie Harris, CEO at Loughborough College Group, said: “We are delighted to see the East Midlands Institute of Technology officially open the doors to its latest facility. As educators, our role is to prepare students with the green, clean, and digital skills that employers increasingly demand. The EMIoT provides a unique environment for this, helping our learners to succeed in a fast-changing world.”

Charity Groundwork Five Counties appoints new trustees

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Charity Groundwork Five Counties appoints new trustees
East Midlands-based charity Groundwork Five Counties has appointed four new members to its board of trustees, bringing in new expertise. The charity delivers a range of services that promote energy efficiency and income maximisation, mental and physical wellbeing, employability, sustainability, improvements of local green spaces, and more. The four new board members are Dave Allum, Nazibur Rahman, Oliver Jones, and Rebecca Harrington-Leigh. Dave Allum is a chartered accountant who specialises in charity clients. He has a strong personal passion of supporting charities, which he channels into free advisory and thought leadership support to organisations close to his heart. Nazibur Rahman works within market entry, operational restructuring, and growth strategy for a global company in which he oversees expansion into US and Canada. He has a strong analytical foundation and knowledge of high-impact projects. Oliver Jones is board-level advisor and procurement leader experienced in cross-sector governance, procurement, and organisational transformation. He is the chair of the East Midlands CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply). Rebecca Harrington-Leigh is the current chief operating officer of P3 Charity and brings extensive values-based leadership, knowledge of compliance, and building collaborative partnerships. Penny Halewood, executive director, Groundwork Five Counties, said: “We are thrilled to welcome these new trustees to our board, which has members from different sectors and expertise to give us a fantastic breadth of knowledge. “We have ambitious growth plans, and our new appointees are sure to bring Groundwork Five Counties to new heights after an already impressive 35-year span of supporting communities. “Our motto is ‘People, Place, Planet’, and all our projects are centred around empowering communities across the East Midlands to be more sustainable, healthier and happier, with improved prospects and appreciation for nature. “We are very pleased to work with such an excellent board of trustees, and we look forward to what the future brings.”

Nottinghamshire housing development secures key sustainability accreditation

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Nottinghamshire housing development secures key sustainability accreditation
A Nottinghamshire housing development has been awarded a silver accreditation from The Next Generation Project Awards – a national rating system for the UK’s most sustainable homebuilding projects. The Gedling Green regeneration project has seen a multi-million pound investment from housebuilder Keepmoat into transforming a former colliery yard to create a housing development featuring zero-carbon-ready two, three and four-bedroom homes. In 2023, the development became the first in the UK to offer homes built to the anticipated Future Homes Standard (FHS) for open market sale, with all of the homes featuring air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, increased levels of insulation, EV charging points and smart hot water cylinders. To inform future legislation and understand resident behaviour changes to drive efficient sustainable technology, the housebuilder partnered with Birmingham City University to launch a pivotal pilot programme. This programme will be used to reveal how homeowners interact with future-proofing technology, creating data to inform how residents power homes in years to come. Adam Sharpe, regional managing director at Keepmoat East Midlands, said: “We are delighted to announce that our flagship Gedling Green development has received the NextGeneration Silver accreditation. “At Keepmoat, we take pride in our commitment to sustainability and we are pleased to receive this industry-recognised accreditation for Gedling Green.” The Next Generation Project Awards were established to provide homebuilders with a practical tool to evaluate and improve the sustainability performance of specific projects through targeted criteria points.

Alfreton’s Transvac Systems acquired by NYSE-listed Ingersoll Rand

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Alfreton’s Transvac Systems acquired by NYSE-listed Ingersoll Rand
Transvac Systems Limited, an Alfreton-based supplier of ejector solutions and sustainable process technologies, has been acquired by Ingersoll Rand Inc, a New York Stock Exchange-listed provider of mission-critical flow creation and life science and industrial solutions. Transvac’s systems are used globally in eradicating waste gas flaring, with growing traction in emerging sustainable industries such as desalination and clean water reuse. The transaction sees Transvac join Ingersoll Rand’s Industrial Technologies and Services segment, strengthening Ingersoll Rand’s position in high-growth, sustainability-focused markets including energy recovery, wastewater treatment and desalination. The acquisition enhances Ingersoll Rand’s ability to provide customers with a broader range of engineered solutions, including hybrid systems that combine ejectors and traditional technologies to optimise performance and efficiency. The transaction positions Ingersoll Rand to deliver complete, regionally manufactured vacuum and ejector systems tailored to demanding industrial applications. Law firm Browne Jacobson advised Transvac’s shareholders on the deal. Nigel Blackwell, corporate partner, said: “We’re delighted to have advised the shareholders of Transvac Systems on this exciting transaction with Ingersoll Rand and we wish David and his team every success in the next phase of Transvac’s growth as part of Ingersoll Rand.” Paul Hill, who heads up the Energy & Infrastructure sector group at Browne Jacobson, added: “Our recent research shows that there remains strong underlying demand for investment in sustainable technologies and critical infrastructure assets. “Technological innovation is cited by 32% of sector respondents as a key strategy to drive inward investment, with significant focus on AI-driven efficiency improvements and digital infrastructure, areas where Transvac’s engineered solutions align perfectly with market priorities.”

Hilton Leicester set to close following acquisition

April Lara
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Hilton Leicester set to close following acquisition

The Hilton Leicester hotel is set to close on 21 December 2025 after a change in ownership. The property, located off Junction 21 of the M1, will continue operating as normal until midday on its final day. Overnight stays will end the day before.

No details have been disclosed about the buyer or future plans for the site. The 179-room hotel, three miles from Leicester city centre and a short drive from East Midlands Airport, has been part of the local hospitality scene for years, serving both business and leisure travellers.

The closure marks another shift in the regional hotel market as operators continue to reassess their portfolios amid changing travel patterns and redevelopment opportunities.

Hays expands Midlands footprint with Millington Travel acquisition

April Lara
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Hays expands Midlands footprint with Millington Travel acquisition

Hays Travel has strengthened its UK retail network with the acquisition of Millington Travel, a Leicester-based agency chain operating 14 branches across the Midlands. The purchase marks the company’s fourth acquisition this year, following deals for Spears Travel, Victoria Travel Group, and Polka Dot Travel.

Millington Travel, established in 1972, has been a long-standing independent brand in the region. Under the ownership of Nick Bland and Nigel Armitage since 2005, the business has built a strong reputation in leisure and corporate travel services. Both directors will now exit the company as Hays integrates Millington’s operations into its expanding portfolio.

The acquisition will retain all existing Millington Travel employees, and Hays has confirmed that branch operations will continue as normal. The move further consolidates Hays’ position as the UK’s largest independent travel agency, adding to its growing presence in key regional markets and reinforcing its commitment to maintaining local expertise within a national framework.

Eastern Airways collapse underscores fragility of regional aviation market

April Lara
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Eastern Airways collapse underscores fragility of regional aviation market

Eastern Airways has entered administration, marking the latest setback for the UK’s regional aviation sector. The North Lincolnshire-based carrier, which employed around 330 people, ceased most operations last week following widespread redundancies.

The airline had been operating a mix of domestic and European routes, including government-supported services in northern Scotland. Its financial strain intensified after losing a key contract with KLM Cityhopper, leaving the business with high fixed costs and no replacement revenue.

Administrators from RSM UK have been appointed to manage the process. They are maintaining a small team to oversee the airline’s fleet while exploring options for potential buyers or asset sales.

Founded in 1997, Eastern Airways was one of the UK’s last independent regional carriers, flying from hubs including Humberside, East Midlands, Manchester, Newcastle, Southampton, and Jersey. It also maintained operations in Denmark and had long served the North Sea oil and gas industry, providing transport links between Aberdeen, Teesside, Humberside and Wick.

The company’s collapse follows years of financial pressure in the regional air market, compounded by the pandemic’s impact on passenger volumes and rising operational costs across the sector.

Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance submits plans for new Nottinghamshire base

Tess Egginton
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Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance submits plans for new Nottinghamshire base
The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA) Charity has submitted a planning application for a site in Edwalton, Nottingham. Located just south of the A52/A606 roundabout at Edwalton, the site has been pledged as a gift to the charity by local benefactor Mr. Brian Wells, subject to securing planning permission. It comes after Tollerton Airfield was sold for development, meaning it will no longer serve as a base for LNAA’s Nottingham Critical Care Car or as a landing site for the helicopter. The move would potentially provide critical infrastructure to support LNAA’s life-saving operations, which currently responds to an average of four missions a day. Last year, LNAA responded to 1,724 incidents – and demand is rising. On average, there are 1.5 ‘missed missions’ each day because the LNAA crew are already on another emergency call. Many of these occur in Nottinghamshire, underlining the urgent need for an LNAA base there. The proposed location would provide rapid access to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) just six miles away. Proximity to the A52 ensures swift onward patient transfer by road as QMC does not have a helipad. LNAA’s CEO Karen Jobling said: “This proposed new base is about saving more lives. We are humbled by the generosity of Mr. Wells, and we know our supporters will be with us every step of the way should we be successful in our bid for planning permission.” LNAA is not government or NHS funded and relies entirely on charitable donations. The proposed development is therefore a rare opportunity, enabled by the generous pledged donation of land. Mr Wells said: “The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance is a charity close to my heart and one that I have been involved with for many years. I am delighted to be able to support this life saving service with the gift of land which has the potential to help the charity realise its vision of being by the side of more patients. “I hope that this will inspire others to donate and help save lives because anyone of us could need this service, at any time.”

Mayor of the East Midlands secures £19m for new homes

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Mayor of the East Midlands secures £19m for new homes
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward has secured an additional £19.7m in government funding to build more than 750 homes across the region.
The new round of the Brownfield Housing Fund will help the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) transform more under-used sites across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire. Mayor Claire said: “Securing this funding marks another opportunity to transform communities in our region. Part of our vision for inclusive growth in the East Midlands is to build 100,000 homes – unlocking new, affordable, and modern places for our residents to live.” Grants will now be allocated to schemes that will develop housing on brownfield land. The previous round of the Brownfield Housing Fund saw EMCCA receive 50 expressions of interest. Mayor Claire said: “Already, the Government is supporting our ambition and recognising our ability to deliver. These developments will bring brownfield land back into use, deliver high-quality homes, and create jobs for local people. This is about more than housing – it’s about building a stronger, fairer future for the East Midlands. “I’m committed to ensuring that every new home built is part of a bigger story: one of opportunity, sustainability, and pride in place for the people of the East Midlands.” The latest funding allocation builds on progress already under way through the initial £16.8m investment into housing development on brownfield land. Together, these schemes will deliver more than 2,000 homes across the East Midlands – turning neglected land into new communities.
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