Further marked fall in Midlands permanent staff appointments
The latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs survey, compiled by S&P Global, pointed to a sixth decrease in permanent placements in the Midlands in as many months midway through the final quarter of 2024. The rate of decrease was marked overall, albeit slightly softer than that seen in October. This was in stark contrast to temp billings, which rose at a solid rate during November.
Sustained falls in permanent staff appointments contributed to a further steep rise in candidate availability in November, notably with permanent candidate numbers increasing to the greatest extent since June. There was a softer increase in the rate of permanent salary inflation, meanwhile, which was at the lowest in the current sequence which began in March 2021.
Steep decrease in permanent placements
Permanent placements fell in the Midlands for the sixth successive month in November. The rate of decrease eased only slightly from October and remained robust overall. That said, the reduction in the Midlands was the softest of the four monitored English regions.
Respondents indicated weak client confidence, lower demand for staff and uncertainty.
Recruiters in the Midlands recorded a rise in temporary billings in the penultimate month of 2024. The increase was solid and the strongest in five months. Anecdotal evidence suggested that firms opted for temporary staff to fill roles in the absence of suitable permanent candidates.
Growth in the Midlands contrasted with a fall at the UK level, with the remaining three monitored regions seeing temp billings decrease.
Demand for permanent staff in the Midlands fell for the sixth month running in November. The rate of decrease was strong, and the most pronounced since June 2020. Moreover, the Midlands saw the second-steepest fall in vacancies of the four monitored regions, ahead of the South of England.
The rate of decline in demand for temporary workers was little-changed from October and moderate overall. Moreover, the reduction in the Midlands was the softest of the monitored regions.
Quickest increase in permanent candidate numbers for five months
The number of candidates available for permanent roles increased markedly during November, with the latest rise extending the current sequence to 20 months. The improvement in the Midlands was the sharpest since June and the strongest of the four English regions.
Panelists indicated that redundancies had been one of the main factors behind the rise in candidate numbers.
Recruitment companies in the Midlands reported that a lack of available temporary jobs contributed to a further rise in temp candidate availability. The rate of increase eased slightly from October but was the second-strongest recorded in the past year.
The Midlands posted the fastest rise in temporary staff availability of the monitored regions.
Softer rise in permanent starting salaries
Salaries for new permanent joiners continued to rise during November. That said, the rate of inflation softened from the previous survey period to the weakest since the current sequence of increasing salaries began in March 2021. Recruiters often indicated that higher salaried roles were being offered to attract suitable candidates, however this was partially offset by a wider pool of candidates being available.
The rise in permanent salaries was slower than the UK average.
Recruitment companies in the Midlands signalled a renewed decrease in temporary pay rates midway through the final quarter of the year. The rate of reduction was marginal, but the most pronounced since October 2020, with the Midlands the only monitored region to see a fall.
Kate Holt, People Consulting Partner at KPMG in the Midlands, said: “While November’s drop-off in permanent placements may be less pronounced than in other parts of the country, declining levels of recruitment in the Midlands remains a long-term issue.
“Indeed, many of those that paused their plans ahead of the Budget appear not to have accelerated them again in light of the increase to National Insurance and the cost of hiring next year.
“Finding people with the right skills also remains a challenge but one that needs to be addressed if businesses are to pursue their growth plans. As businesses continue to grapple with both sets of challenges, we may well see the Midlands market continue to invest in temporary appointments to plug gaps within teams.”
Neil Carberry, REC Chief Executive, said: “No one should be surprised that firms took the time to re-assess their hiring needs in November after a tough Budget for employers. The drop in vacancies nationally was led by private sector permanent roles, and slower permanent recruitment billings across the month also reflected this trend.
“The real question now is whether businesses will return to the market as they go into next year with greater certainty about the path ahead.
“The resilience of temporary recruitment offers some hope – private sector temporary hiring activity was almost flat across the country, by comparison with the drop in permanent hiring. And in the Midlands, the increase in temporary billings was solid and the strongest in five months.
“Firms are likely to rest more on temps while they manage the current uncertainty, and that only serves to emphasise again the value of flexible forms of work to companies and people who need to find work quickly after redundancy.
“For policymakers, ensuring new regulations support rather than weaken our flexible jobs market is vital – especially after the Budget. Ensuring rules introduced by the Employment Rights Bill are tailored to protect agency and temporary work really matters for people.”
2025 East Midlands economic challenges and growth opportunities addressed at conference
The effect of government policy changes and supporting the needs of the region’s business community were among topics discussed by business leaders and academics at East Midlands Chamber’s State of the Economy Conference on 5th December, in partnership with the University of Leicester.
Held at the University of Leicester School of Business, a series of talks and panel discussions sought to reflect on the performance of the East Midlands economy throughout 2024 and define support needed to enable growth in 2025.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore shared analysis from the Chamber’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey and chaired panel discussions.
Speaking afterwards he said: “The East Midlands is uniquely placed as a Centre of Trading Excellence with a wealth of growth potential, yet 2024 has seen significant economic events that directly affect considerations businesses must make as they plan ahead.
“The impact of factors like interest rate changes, regional and national political change and the first Industrial Strategy in years underline the need to identify economic risk but also explore growth opportunities.
“The research we conduct in our Quarterly Economic Survey gives the strongest indication of pressure points experienced first-hand by businesses in the East Midlands, how they react to challenges and secure their future.
“Bringing business leaders and academics together to share their insight at this conference will be really beneficial in shaping how to best support business as we head into 2025.”
East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins opened the conference. Afterwards he said: “Conferences like this are important. There’s an intersect between academia and business, yet you get business not quite understanding academia and academia not quite understanding business.
“Against the current economic pressures and issues, I think there’s more feeling of togetherness now.
“What was really interesting was the backdrop; the conference has come at the end of a period of instability locally, nationally and in the world with a lot of headwinds, particularly for businesses.
“The overall sense was that there’s opportunity in the East Midlands. We are underfunded as a region, but we’re extremely positive, and in our use of government funding we have better return on investment than any other region. What we’ve not been as good at is in pulling together.”
University of Leicester Dean of Research and Enterprise, Leicester School of Business, Mat Hughes participated in a panel discussion on what businesses want in the next 12 months. Afterwards he said: “The government needs to give a positive environment and set signals to businesses that will encourage them to feel confident to invest and react.
“Investment is not something that necessarily pays off immediately, but if we’re going to grow and change productivity, then businesses need to invest in human capital, they need to invest in digitalisation, technology and machines, in new opportunities or R&D.
“Conferences like this are critical from many different points of views. You get lots of voices and stakeholders in the same room so they can understand and learn each other’s perspectives.
“You get to get your finger on the pulse to see what the key priorities are, that we can then form strategies around to communicate with government, with associations and drive investment.”
Bank of England Deputy Agent for the East Midlands, Jamie Jordan gave a talk on the Bank of England’s views on the economy.
Afterwards he said: “The insight you get from people on the ground collaborating together at a conference like this is of greater value than just being able to read the data statistically, and for us, it’s being able to answer why trends are emerging or changing and what the key issues are that we need to be thinking about to get to grips with the challenges and opportunities today.
“We’re pleased with how the disinflationary process is going. A gradual approach towards monetary policy restraint is, we think, the most appropriate to ensure that we eradicate remaining inflationary pressure that exists in the economy, and that will help us get back to the 2% target.
“We’re feeling more positive about where we are today, but there are clearly events and developments that we’ll need to take account of over time.”
East Midlands Councils Executive Director Stuart Young gave a presentation on the role of EM Councils and the objectives of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). Speaking afterwards he said: “Business is the key.
“Council leaders and MP’s have a direct route into government, but they need to hear from the business community. Growth can be driven out of our proposals and the alliance between businesses, MP’s and council leaders is absolute.
“For our region, transport infrastructure investment is an enabler. It delivers growth, in terms of construction, but enables growth and longevity of growth. For our region that’s important. You shouldn’t work in isolation; you need conferences like this where you get a chance to mix it up and have a candid discussion.”
Turner and Townsend Director and Chair of the East Midlands Chamber Derbyshire Members Forum, Mark Deakin took part in a panel discussion on economic performance and prospects.
Speaking afterwards he said: “Stability is a big issue because we’ve had such turmoil through changes, U-turns and an inability, prior to the election in making decisions.
“There’s not really been stability now for maybe two years, and that means everyone has had to guess where their plans are and how they will structure their business going forward.
“What we’ve now got has a bottom-line impact but at least people can plan and the stoic behaviour of UK businesses should get us through that.
“That’s the kind of positive of the negative position. Nothing works in isolation. Getting people talking at this conference, working together and public sector intervention will drive people talking to try and work through it.”
Murphy and Son Managing Director Charles Nicholds took part in a panel discussion on what businesses want. Afterwards he said: “Stability is what’s needed for growth. We need to make sure that decisions are being made with small sized businesses in mind, and I don’t always think they are.
“Some stability and clarity around what rules and regulations are would help, as we can work with most things, providing they listen to us.”
Loates Business Solutions Director Sarah Loates was on a panel discussing the wants of businesses. She said: “It’s really interesting to have a mix of businesses and academia because they come at it from two perspectives.
“The key for me is collaboration. It’s all about ideas and about relationships. The conversations that happen between the talks is invaluable.”
Work begins on speculative 73,000 sq ft Langley Mill industrial scheme
Work has begun on two new industrial units on Total Park in Langley Mill.
Total Park, Nottingham is a new industrial/logistics development of two brand new units of 30,968 sq ft and 42,047 sq ft, totalling 73,015 sq ft. The speculative scheme is being brought forward by Total Developments.
Total Developments CEO and co-founder, Ed Chantler, said: “The demand for Grade A, sustainable warehouse space remains across the wider East Midlands. Langley Mill will help satisfy this demand by bringing new high-quality industrial and logistics stock to the region.
“Sitting in an already-established industrial location means the development will be best-placed to serve businesses operating in the region while stimulating economic growth and job creation.”
Both units are fully protected by warranties and will achieve EPC A-Rating & BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
NG Chartered Surveyors are joint agents with M1 Agency on the scheme.
Charlotte Steggles, NG’s Associate Director, said: “Total Park Nottingham will be a welcome addition to the region’s stock levels with demand in this sector the highest it has ever been.
“We are now actively targeting small and medium-sized companies looking to expand into high-quality industrial units under 50,000 sq ft.”
£3.6m Leicestershire medical centre completes
Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has completed the new Barwell Medical centre, which is now open to the public.
Located off High Street, Barwell, the state-of-the-art, two-storey facility replaces the outdated Jersey Way centre, addressing the increasing demand for modern healthcare services in the local community.
Designed to accommodate the region’s growing population, the new medical centre will cater to a continuing rise in users over the next decade, and the building’s additional space has enabled a broader range of vital health services including physiotherapy, mental health support, and minor surgical procedures.
The L-shaped facility now features 12 consulting rooms, a health promotion area, recovery spaces, and modern amenities, including 52 car parking spaces and six cycle racks. Constructed to BREEAM Excellent standards, the centre ensures long-term sustainability and energy efficiency.
As part of G F Tomlinson’s commitment to the communities they serve, the project also saw the contractor source 70% Local Labour within 30 miles of site and the team worked closely with a neighbouring school for a variety of community activities, which included hosting a health and safety assembly alongside a site poster competition for pupils.
They also supported the local LOROS Hospice with a Christmas tree collection initiative – which allows local residents to have their trees collected by volunteers, in return for a voluntary donation to the hospice.
Adrian Grocock, Group Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “To deliver this contemporary medical facility, which will significantly enhance access to vital healthcare services for the Barwell community, has been an honour.
“With our extensive experience in healthcare schemes, we understand the crucial role such facilities play in improving lives. Seeing this project come to fruition is a proud moment for our team.”
Dr Mark Findlay, GP Partner at Barwell and Hollycroft Medical Centres, said: “We are very grateful to G F Tomlinson for their professionalism, community-minded approach, and unwavering support throughout this process.
“After 17 years of planning, we are thrilled to move into our new centre, through which we can now provide our patients and staff with the space and resources they deserve. We are located much closer to the local pharmacy, we’re on a bus route, and we have ample parking.”
The project, which included the demolition of an unused brownfield site previously housing a vehicle workshop and warehouse, marks a significant step forward for healthcare provision in Barwell, ensuring the local community has access to essential medical services for years to come.
First chair appointed to new Northamptonshire visitor partnership
The development of the new Northamptonshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) has taken a major step forward as Richard Clinton, Delapre Abbey’s Chief Executive, has been appointed as Chair of the new LVEP.
The LVEP for Northamptonshire brings together partners from across the sector as well as both North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire with the aim to strengthen and build on the area’s visitor economy.
Following a recruitment campaign, candidates were interviewed by a panel including representatives from North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council and sector stakeholders with Richard being identified as the most suitable candidate to lead the new partnership through the next phase of its creation, which includes the key next stage of the process – the submission of the LVEP application to Visit England.
This application is due to be submitted imminently with a decision expected in the early part of 2025. If approved and Northamptonshire gains LVEP status, the area would receive national accreditation and a boost to the area’s tourism offer and unlock new opportunities.
Cllr Helen Howell, NNC Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism alongside Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure at WNC, said: “Richard’s wealth of experience and dedication to promoting the region’s attractions make him the perfect choice to lead this important initiative and we welcome him as Chair of the Northamptonshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership.
“The LVEP represents an incredible opportunity to highlight Northamptonshire’s unique offerings, from its rich heritage and world-class motorsports to its thriving arts and cultural scene.
“With Richard’s leadership, we’re confident this partnership will strengthen collaboration across the sector, elevate the county’s profile, and attract more visitors, creating lasting benefits for our local businesses and communities.”
Richard has been the Chief Executive of Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust since April 2020, where he oversees the strategic direction of the historic 900-year-old Delapré Abbey in Northampton.
Under his leadership, the Trust has aligned heritage, culture, and wellbeing to benefit the community, including plans to restore and repurpose the 19th-century stables into a mixed-use development featuring a community wellbeing space.
Richard is also the Chair of Fermynwoods Contemporary Art – an educational charity that supports life through art by commissioning innovative ways for artists to engage with audiences.
Prior to his role at Delapré Abbey, Richard served as part of the leadership teams for The Culture Trust and Royal & Derngate Theatre. Richard has also been the Vice Chair for Northamptonshire Surprise, supporting its efforts in promoting the heritage, culture, and attractions of Northamptonshire, positioning it as an attractive visitor destination.
Richard will now oversee the creation of the new Northamptonshire LVEP with responsibilities including:
- Overseeing the implementation of the comprehensive Northamptonshire Tourism Strategy.
- Collaborating with local and national stakeholders to promote Northamptonshire’s attractions.
- Enhancing marketing efforts to raise the region’s profile.
- Supporting local businesses in maximizing the benefits of tourism.
- Ensuring sustainable growth of the visitor economy through innovative practices.
Government must create right conditions for business, says BCC
It’s crucial that Government creates the right conditions for businesses to stay competitive and grow in communities across the UK, according to Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s Plan For Change announcement she said it was good to hear the Prime Minister double down on his commitment to grow the economy and highlight the importance of reforming the planning system.
She said: “The target of 150 new infrastructure projects is one that business will welcome, with its potential to boost regions and reinvigorate supply chains – but there is still a huge gap between the what and the how and when.
“With a bruising budget forcing many firms to revisit their investment and hiring plans, the pathway to this promised growth needs to accelerate.
“The cost-of-living crisis and the cost of doing business – are two sides of the same coin. They can’t be dealt with in isolation. Boosting private sector investment is fundamental to improving the cost of living.
Green light given for local centre at Wellingborough’s Stanton Cross
Planning permission has been granted for the new local centre within the Stanton Cross development in Wellingborough.
The approved designs for the neighbourhood centre include 37 new apartments. The apartments are designed to be dual-aspect one- and two-bedroom units. Additional amenities in the development include 8 retail spaces, office facilities, a convenience store, a nursery and a gym.
Developed by GSSArchitecture in collaboration with Vistry Group, the Stanton Cross local centre will be an integral part of the community, sat at the heart of the project. It reflects a commitment to integrating contemporary design with the area’s unique heritage.
The architecture draws inspiration from the nearby railway infrastructure, including the iconic, locally listed Roundhouse building, grounding the modern development within its historical and geographical context.
Stanton Cross is a mixed-use development in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, set to regenerate the area by developing approximately 339 hectares of green and brownfield land. Once completed it will feature 3,650 homes along with retail, leisure and commercial spaces.
The project will also involve extensive infrastructure upgrades, taking advantage of its close relationship to the railway station and links to the town centre to improve access to local and regional transportation.
The initiative represents a significant investment in Northamptonshire’s infrastructure and economy and aligns with plans to create sustainable urban extensions and mitigate flood risks.
Tom Jagger, Senior Partner and Project Lead from GSSArchitecture, said: “Securing planning permission for this project is an exciting milestone and a reflection of the collaborative efforts of everyone involved.
“It represents an opportunity to design a community hub that balances sustainability with the needs of future residents. We look forward to seeing how it contributes positively to the local area.”
Dave Bullock, Director (Stanton Cross Developments Ltd) at Riverside, said: “This marks an exciting milestone in our commitment to creating a vibrant, inclusive space at Stanton Cross, where our residents can come together, connect with one another and thrive as a community.
“Working closely with a specialist commercial developer, we’re excited to see the hub come to life – not only to serve the needs of the community, but also to enhance the local area for residents.”
Nottinghamshire County Council elects new leader
Councillor Sam Smith has been elected as the new leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.
He was officially confirmed following a vote at Full Council at County Hall.
Cllr Smith, who represents Newark East and was previously Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, replaces Cllr Ben Bradley who has stepped down for family and personal reasons.
The new leader said he is honoured and privileged to be elected and has spoken about his priorities for Nottinghamshire residents.
He said: “I am absolutely delighted to be elected leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, and I am looking forward to working tirelessly to deliver on key priorities for people across the county.”
Cllr Smith highlighted the county council’s ‘great’ record of delivering services and spoke of the ‘challenging’ outlook facing all local authorities.
He said: “One of my first priorities will be balancing the budget in February 2025 and we have an excellent record in delivering well-run, efficient services while keeping Council Tax low.
“I am proud that we are one of a few local authorities that have not closed a single library, maintained a thriving youth service and have expanded rural bus services with our Nottsbus OnDemand.
“We have invested more than £100 million in our capital programme and have ploughed millions of pounds into improving our roads, as well as delivering on our commitment to build schools and improve the standards of education across the county.”
In his previous role as Cabinet Member for Education and SEND, Cllr Smith said he would remain focussed on his commitment to hit the government’s 50 per cent target of Educational, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) timescale by the end of the academic year. He stressed that as leader he would continue to lobby the government on SEND issues.
Cllr Smith will announce his successor as Cabinet Member for Education and SEND in the coming days.
The new leader will also be a loud voice for a fair Local Government Settlement, due to be announced on 23 December, through his work with the County Councils Network, Local Government Association and the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA).
Cllr Smith said: “As a board member on EMCCA, I will be banging the drum for Nottinghamshire on transport, infrastructure, skills and investment funding for and I look forward to working closer with the Mayor in these key areas.
“There are projects like STEP Fusion in Bassetlaw, which will provide thousands of highly skilled jobs for Nottinghamshire residents, including hundreds of apprenticeships for young people.
“Key infrastructure projects require the backing of the Mayor and our local MPs and I will be knocking on their doors regularly to fly the flag for funding across Nottinghamshire.
“For me it’s about delivery, delivery, delivery for Nottinghamshire residents as part of our ongoing drive to make our county a great place to live, work and visit.
“I hope I can maintain our proud record on the building and maintenance of schools, transport improvements, maintaining our library network and our fantastic youth service.”
Cllr Smith thanked his predecessor Cllr Ben Bradley for his three-and-a-half years as leader, saying he hopes to build on his legacy.
East Midlands Combined County Authority’s Business Advisory Board meets for first time
Business leaders and entrepreneurs from across the region have been appointed to the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s (EMCCA) Business Advisory Board.
Following an extensive recruitment process, 11 business representatives have been recruited to the board, and they met yesterday for the inaugural meeting of the Business Advisory Board, which took place at Bolsover District Council in Derbyshire.
The Business Advisory Board, chaired by David Williams, Chairman of Geldards and EMCCA’s Associate Member for Business, will provide strategy, advice and guidance to the EMCCA Board.
The purpose of the Board is to strengthen the connection between EMCCA and local businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It will help ensure the experience and knowledge of regional businesses, large and small, is harnessed when making decisions on the economy, skills, transport, housing and the transition to net zero.
At the inaugural meeting, members were provided with an overview of EMCCA’s recently launched Inclusive Growth Commission and discussed how the Business Advisory Board will inform its work. The advisory board members also discussed the current investment strategy and pipeline of development currently underway in the region, providing their input and feedback to the plans outlined.
Members of the Business Advisory Board are:
David Williams, Chair and EMCCA Associate Member for Business
Private Sector Representation:
Helen Bailey, Vice-Chair of the Institute of Quarrying
Andy Byrne, Property Development Director, Devonshire Group
Ian Cuddington, Economic Development Director, Rolls-Royce
Jo Dilley, Managing Director, Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire
Malcolm Hall, Founder and Managing Director, Hall-Fast
Paul Harris, Chief Executive, Cheesecake Energy
Natasha Johnson, owner, Global Entrepreneurs UK
Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber
Shaun Lunn, Director, Atkins Realis
Becky Rix, Marketing Director, Roadgas
Nora Senior, Chair, East Midlands Freeport
EMCCA Representation:
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward
Councillor Neghat Khan, EMCCA Portfolio Lead for investment
Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, EMCCA Portfolio Lead for Skills and Employment
David Williams, Chair of the Business Advisory Board, said: “I was delighted to welcome members of the Business Advisory Board to our inaugural meeting earlier today. We had an excellent discussion and heard great contributions from our members, who provide good representation from across our region in terms of sectors, geography, and small, medium and large businesses.”
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “The Business Advisory Board is an important part of our collaboration with our local businesses and I look forward to hearing the views of board members going forward as we progress our work on the Inclusive Growth Commission, and our investment pipeline for our region.”
Free business support to improve energy efficiency in the East Midlands
Businesses in qualifying areas of the East Midlands are being encouraged to take advantage of the fully funded business support on offer from the Accelerator project to help them improve energy efficiency and save costs.
To date, nearly 1,200 businesses have attended the project’s energy efficiency and carbon reduction events and training courses, with 146 accessing the Premises Energy Audit consultancy service and 132 developing decarbonisation plans.
The project, delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of participating local authorities, is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). It offers businesses:
- Premises Energy audits designed to help identify energy efficiency improvements and opportunities to reduce costs. Audits typically involve a one-to-three-day site visit (depending on the size or complexity of the business) to review energy usage assets and gas/electric consumption pattern (as well as fuel consumption for businesses with a large fleet of vehicles). Findings are collated into an energy savings report which not only helps reduce energy wastage but is useful supporting evidence for grant applications.
- £2,000 Growth vouchers towards the cost of specialist consultancy or bespoke training supporting the adoption of energy efficient practices that lead towards the development or implementation of a decarbonisation plan.
- Training, both in-person and online, to help businesses gain green business skills and plan their journey towards carbon neutrality, including the one-day certified course on Carbon Literacy taking place on Tuesday, 21st January.
- Energy reduction workshops at Toyota Motor Manufacturing offering practical demonstration and shop floor observations with Toyota’s energy specialists, the next of which takes place on Thursday, 13th February.
- Access to online sustainability platform Zellar to help showcase the real-time environmental impact of activities and to produce a decarbonisation plan.
