Property specialist to launch hub in Nottingham as part of national expansion

Tess Egginton
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Property specialist to launch hub in Nottingham as part of national expansion

Residential and commercial property specialist Centrick is launching a series of new city office hubs in a national expansion drive as it continues to secure major new building and estate management contracts across the country.

The business is investing more than £1 million this year as it recruits around 50 staff to deliver services from new regional offices in Sheffield and Gerrard’s Cross, as well as city hubs in Manchester, Portsmouth, and Nottingham.

More hubs at key locations are in the pipeline. Centrick’s building and estate management and build to rent teams will grow to more than 70 by the end of the year, handling a portfolio of over 350 developments comprising around 20,000 homes.

Centrick chairman James Ackrill said: “Our approach to expansion at Centrick has always been cautious and considered. The concept behind our national expansion program has been to try and stay true to our values of building quality local teams with local knowledge and connections that benefit the buildings that we manage.  “City hubs allow us to build a working environment closer to the buildings that we manage.   By doing this we can forge stronger working relationships both with our clients and our network of local contractors.” He added: “This blend of hub and spoke offices allows us to continue to invest within key areas of our core team, such as building safety and compliance, whilst providing a local service, on a national level. As the number of homes we look after continues to grow we expect this scalable model to expand further to meet the requirements of our clients. The teams located throughout England have the benefit of a comprehensive infrastructure of technology, knowledge and expertise all designed to fulfil the vision of Centrick, ‘helping to make our customers’ lives better’.

“The hubs will be in serviced office environments, spaces where we will create an environment that is better than working from home and better for the team. They will be a great place to be. Our teams can work and be part of a busy and energetic environment where they can meet as a team and meet clients. It is much better for collaboration and it will also help cement our relationships with local contractors.”

Group Managing Director Phil Johns said: “Both Centrick’s building and estate management and build to rent services have continued to experience strong growth over the last two years and, as part of the next phase of the company’s evolution, we will be building on our regional office network.  “To ensure high quality property management, we feel there has to be local level property managers that can build strong relationships with supply chains and contractors. This allows best value for money delivery and better knowledge of local eco-climates, which is always top of the agenda for our customers.”

Challenges remain but businesses confident about future, LLEP survey shows

Eleonora Gallina
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Challenges remain but businesses confident about future, LLEP survey shows
  An ongoing pulse survey monitoring the experience of businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire during the Pandemic has found that respondents are increasingly confident about the future.

Almost 9 in 10 businesses said they were feeling positive when surveyed by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) in the latest wave of its Business Tracker.

The responses from the third survey in the series, which was completed before Christmas, have now been compiled. The LLEP is continuing to monitor the views of business on key issues within the local, national and international economy as Covid restrictions further ease this week.

The LLEP has been tracking the experience of local businesses since December 2020, with the aim of using frontline responses to inform local policy and target support where it is needed most.

Kevin Harris, Chair of the LLEP Board, said latest survey results showed cautious optimism among businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire, but added that external uncertainty meant that recovery remained delicate.

“The message we took from the survey is that business is increasingly confident about the longer-term but faces a disrupted shorter-term which, for some, may mean continuing adaptation,” he said.

“Big themes in the external environment, such as the Pandemic and the ongoing effect of transition from the EU, continue to combine with threats in our employers’ microenvironments, including disrupted supply chains, recruitment gaps and the balance around hybrid working.

“We also need to remember the factors of inflation and cost of living, which have developed since the third survey was completed. All of these are challenges which will have to be managed over the next 12 months.

“That said, it’s encouraging to see businesses continuing to move towards sustainability, digital technology and inclusive working. 

“It’s also encouraging to see how optimistic our employers are about the future, despite the challenges of the last couple of years.”

More than 100 local small and medium-sized businesses, from all sectors and from across city and county, took part in the third wave of surveys attached to the Covid-19 Business Tracker.

Responses are used to monitor local business confidence, identify support needs, examine how SMEs are adapting to enforced change, and provide evidence for future funding bids.

The survey also feeds into the LLEP’s Economic Growth Strategy 2021-30, which plans a decade of regional development based on the four pillars of innovation, inclusion, productivity and sustainability.

GRP-owned PCH completes third acquisition with deal for Amba Care and Wellbeing

Tess Egginton
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GRP-owned PCH completes third acquisition with deal for Amba Care and Wellbeing
GRP-owned Premier Choice Healthcare (PCH), headquartered in Towcester, has continued to build its presence in the UK healthcare sector with the acquisition of the business and assets of Amba Care and Wellbeing (Amba C&W). Amba C&W is part of the Amba People Group, a technology business that provides clients with an eco-friendly, ethical employee benefits platform. PCH is acquiring the assets of the broking division, based in Bristol, which distributes Employee Benefits, including healthcare insurance, group life and group income protection to corporate clients. Stephen Hough, MD at PCH said the deal was the third for PCH since the business was acquired by GRP in June 2020: “Since day one GRP has encouraged our twin growth strategy of organic and inorganic business growth. “Our brief at PCH has been to mirror GRP’s acquisition strategy in UK retail commercial broking, at the same time delivering organic growth for our healthcare proposition through GRP’s retail broking portfolio. “We remain keen on making further acquisitions where broking businesses fit our deal criteria and are on the look-out for vendors seeking to crystallise value from their life’s work, or who want to be part of a fast growth, entrepreneurial business.” He added: “This is an excellent opportunity to buy the assets of a high-quality business.” Stephen said Amba C&W staff will continue to be based in Bristol and will transfer to PCH. Team leader Paul Dunsford will continue to manage the business and will become a divisional head within PCH, reporting to Darren Perkins, PCH sales director. Commenting on the acquisition, Tobin Murphy-Coles, CEO of Amba People Group, said: “PCH is the right home for our people at Amba C&W and I’m confident Stephen Hough and his team will be excellent custodians for the business. Amba C&W has a bright future under PCH and the wider GRP umbrella.” Tobin said the structure of the deal means that there is no break in service for Amba C&W clients. The team is the same. The location is the same. Clients will also now benefit from PCH’s scale. He added: “The deal allows Amba People Group to focus solely on the development and distribution of its Lumina platforms. With that in mind, I am also delighted that PCH has agreed to become a key distribution partner of Lumina.” The deal does not require regulatory approval, and the consideration is undisclosed.

University of Northampton to invest in social ventures

Tess Egginton
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University of Northampton to invest in social ventures
The University of Northampton has launched a new project called BIG22 aimed at supporting business and social enterprise ideas across Northamptonshire and beyond. BIG22 is an intensive support programme including workshops, one-to-one business mentoring and grant opportunities from a £50,000 pot, all designed to support entrepreneurship. Wray Irwin, Director of Enterprise and Employability, University of Northampton, said: “The University is committed to maximising its social and economic impact through its Changemaker Commitment to enabling businesses can start and grow. Regardless of the type of business, SME, social enterprise, large employer, or third-sector venture, UON has a range of services and support to ensure your business thrives. “Through BIG22 we will tap into the wealth of ideas of our staff, students and the wider community to tackle social problems and provide training and employment opportunities. If you have the spark of an idea, let us help you fan the flames and make the most of this opportunity.” Applications are being sought from anyone with an idea for a socially responsible enterprise or running an existing business that you would like to make more socially responsible. Wray Irwin added: “Staff from the University’s Changemaker Incubator as well as external experts will review all applications before determining the level of support needed to help develop the venture further. Applicants will be given the opportunity to attend intensive workshops to help refine their idea before having the chance to pitch for funding to turn their idea into a reality.” Those who are interested in taking part in BIG22can email BIG22@northampton.ac.uk for further information or an application form. Closing date for applications is Friday 1 April 2022.

CityFibre makes key appointment as work gets underway on Lincoln’s Full Fibre rollout

Tess Egginton
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CityFibre makes key appointment as work gets underway on Lincoln’s Full Fibre rollout

CityFibre, the independent full fibre platform, has announced its city manager for Lincoln as it starts work on a £21m project that will see almost every home and business benefit from access to a full fibre broadband network.

Lincoln has been chosen as one of the latest cities to benefit from CityFibre’s £4bn Gigabit City Investment Programme, which will bring next generation, gigabit-speed broadband to nearly every home and business in the city, and to up to 8 million premises nationwide.

Neal Wright has been appointed by CityFibre to spearhead delivery of the Lincoln project. As city manager, Neal will be responsible for ensuring a state-of-the-art full fibre network is rolled out with minimal disruption while delivering maximum benefit for the wider community.

Neal will be overseeing work on Saxilby Road, a main access route to the city centre which saw some initial work commence yesterday, with further works due to start on Greetwell Road on 28 February. The work in Saxilby Road is planned to take around two days, while the rollout in Greetwell Road is scheduled for completion on 11 March, with traffic management systems to help minimise disruption.

Works will then progress onto Monks Road, Cannon and Winn Street.

With over 20 years’ experience in the telecoms industry, Neal is passionate about technology, digital infrastructure, and the benefits of full fibre connectivity. He joined CityFibre in 2017 having previously worked in wholesale for 10 years, where he was responsible for signing on internet service providers as partners and selling private circuits and complex WAN solutions.

Neal is also currently responsible for overseeing CityFibre’s £21m full fibre rollout in Worcester, having previously led projects in Derby and Nottingham.

Building on his wealth of experience, his new role with CityFibre will position Neal as the lead point-of-contact for all of Lincoln’s stakeholders. He will also be a key advocate of the benefits that a full fibre network will bring to city’s residents and businesses.

He said: “A state-of-the-art digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in growing and protecting local economies and I’m delighted to be leading such works in Lincoln, which will transform the city’s digital capabilities for decades to come.

“While the benefits of full fibre broadband are undeniable, we completely understand that this project is a major undertaking for the community – particularly when we need to install the network in busy arteries such as Saxilby Road and Greetwell Road. We’d like to reassure Lincoln residents that we are doing everything we can to manage disruption as much as possible, and thank them for their support and patience.”

He continued: “As we roll out the new network, we will abide by all council processes and keep residents updated. Once construction is complete, households in Lincoln will be among the growing number of UK communities with access to full fibre broadband, unlocking a new world of digital opportunity.”

Construction of the full fibre network is being delivered by Trust Utility Management on behalf of CityFibre.

Plans approved for new energy efficient council homes in St Ann’s

Eleonora Gallina
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Plans approved for new energy efficient council homes in St Ann’s
Plans for new energy efficient council homes in St Ann’s have taken a step forward when they were approved at Nottingham City Council’s Executive Board (22 February). The proposals for 24 homes for affordable rent include ten 2-bed houses, five 3-bed houses and nine 1-bed apartments and will be built to higher energy efficiency standards. This will create warmer homes, using less energy, which is not only better for the environment, but will help support residents to keep their energy costs to a minimum. The homes will include triple glazed windows, increased solar power, battery energy storage, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and wastewater heat recovery to all baths.The scheme will also contain parking, car charging points and bike storage to encourage less car use. The homes would be built on the site of a disused former care home, which was no longer fit for purpose and demolished in 2019 and would be owned by Nottingham City Council and managed on their behalf by Nottingham City Homes (NCH). The development is subject to planning approval and therefore the scheme design and detail is subject to change. Right To Buy replacement funding, the money councils receive when tenants can buy their council home at a discounted rate, will help meet up to 40% of the costs for developing the new housing. Cllr Linda Woodings, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing at Nottingham City Council, said: “Building council homes which are warmer and even more energy efficient is becoming increasingly important to help support residents to keep their energy costs to a minimum, as the cost of fuel continues to rise. “Sites like Oakdene in St Ann’s which are no longer fit for purpose are part of the Nottingham City Council plan to provide high quality, energy efficient homes for affordable rent across the city and will provide much needed council housing in the area for local people in need of a home.” Joanne Hill, Assistant Director of Development at Nottingham City Homes, said: “We are aware of the need for more affordable housing in the St Ann’s area, and we’re looking forward to creating new homes at this site, subject to the necessary approvals. “There will be some parking on site for residents, although part of the appeal of this location is its proximity to the city centre and major public transport links, which makes it ideal for those who want to lower their carbon footprint in this way.”

BDO expands tax risk team across North & Midlands

Tess Egginton
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BDO expands tax risk team across North & Midlands
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has made two new hires to its tax risk team as the business continues to invest in growth in the regions. Salman Anwar joins as associate director for the Midlands and North and brings experience from working in an advisory firm and for HMRC. He will support clients with a range of aspects of managing tax risk, including dealing with enquiries from HMRC and working with businesses and individuals facing investigations. Haris Rehman has been appointed as a manager in the team. He has also built a track record in helping clients with HMRC enquiries, having started his career as a fraud and investigations specialist at HMRC where he spent five years. Lucy Sauvage, tax risk partner at BDO, said: “Businesses are facing a myriad of pressures as they navigate the long-term impacts of the pandemic and an increasingly complex tax environment. “We work with businesses to proactively address gaps in their  tax control framework to support their long-term goals, as well as helping clients to  respond to HMRC enquiries and investigations in order to reach an effective solution with HMRC. “Our own team has expanded on the back of our clients’ growth and the resilience of the mid-market. It’s brilliant to announce new hires across the region as BDO commits to attracting the best talent into all areas of the business.” Associate director, Salman Anwar, added: “BDO’s reputation in the market with clients, combined with its supportive culture made the move a compelling one. Because of my experience working at HMRC, I understand how an investigation is run inside-out. I’m really looking forward to working with the wider BDO teams to give our clients peace of mind when it comes to their tax risk and ultimately to help them succeed.”

Commercial businesses the most common victim for fraud in the East Midlands in 2021

Tess Egginton
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Commercial businesses the most common victim for fraud in the East Midlands in 2021
Despite the lockdowns experienced last year, courts across the Midlands experienced a surge in the number of fraud cases being heard in 2021. The volume of cases increased by 84 per cent, from 25 in 2020 to 46 in 2021, while the value decreased by just 1 per cent, from £59.8m in 2020 and £59m in 2021. In the East Midlands the number of cases has increased by 67 per cent, while the value of cases has decreased from £23.6m in 2020 to £16m in 2021. Commercial businesses were the most common victim type, accounting for eight of the 20 cases heard in the East Midlands. The majority of these cases were committed by employees or management. Julie Bruce, forensic director at KPMG in the Midlands, said: “As courts across the region continue making their way through a backlog of cases, we’re now starting to see a glimpse of the true picture of fraudulent activity. “The fact that the volume of fraud cases increased yet values dropped, albeit ever so slightly, could suggest that on the surface the trend of committing higher value crimes isn’t as prevalent as it has been in previous years. However, I believe it’s much more likely that this is down to the delay in cases reaching the courts, as challenging economic circumstances almost always serve as encouragement for fraudsters to take advantage. “With household purse strings tightening and concerns over rising energy bills and inflation, we expect to see a spike in fraud cases reaching courts in 2022, and if the pattern we’ve seen so far is anything to go by, we could see a record year for fraud values and volumes. With fraudsters looking for every and any opportunity to strike, businesses and consumers need to stay on high alert and ensure protective measures are in place to help them to do so.” Case studies to reach the region’s courts during this period include a Nottinghamshire-based surgery practice manager who pocketed £200k funds from his employer while claiming that the money was being spent on finding locum doctors.

The national story

The number of alleged fraud cases heard in UK courts in 2021 went up by 66 per cent compared to the same time in 2020. Despite another lengthy COVID-19 lockdown at the start of 2021, UK courts appear to have got back on their feet and made headway with the backlog of cases that built up because of initial COVID-19 measures.

Figures from KPMG UK’s Fraud Barometer released today, found 298 alleged fraud cases were heard during 2021 (up from 180 in 2020). Yet the opposite trend was seen in terms of fraud value: the Fraud Barometer figures, which records alleged fraud cases with a value of £100k and above, saw the total value of fraud reaching UK courts in 2021 fall significantly from £724m in 2020 to £444.7m in 2021.

Whilst cases in UK courts provide an indicator of fraud activity, these cases are small in the context of fraud crime reported to Action Fraud. Between 2020 and 2021 there were 875,622 reports made to Action Fraud with a reported loss value of £2.35bn, pointing out the stark reality that relatively few cases are brought to court.

When analysing the data in more detail, it appears that there weren’t any high value fraud cases over £50m last year, rather it was the lower value crimes that increased in both value and prevalence. Fraud cases worth between £100k and £5m rose from 164 in 2020 with a value of £100.3m, to a total of 285 in 2021 to the value of £178m.

Commenting on the findings, Roy Waligora, partner and head of UK investigations at KPMG, said: “With the introduction of the BEIS White Paper and heightened focus on fraud, I would hope that it has helped tackle the prevalence of high-value fraud. With increased controls, it is only logical that less of these crimes slip through the net.

“In 2020, there was a £200m film piracy case which accounted for 28 per cent of the fraud value reported, hence why there has been such a significant fall in fraud values. With new regulation and heightened awareness of fraud, I hope cases as catastrophic as that one will no longer be seen in the future.

“Another reason for the fall in value could be that more complex cases are still being delayed as a result of the pandemic or are still currently being heard in court, and we will closely monitor for this in next year’s data.”

Technology management consultancy chooses Derby’s iHub innovation centre as new base

Tess Egginton
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Technology management consultancy chooses Derby’s iHub innovation centre as new base
Specialist technology management consultancy Project4 Learning Lab is the latest hi-tech business to relocate its operation to Connect Derby’s iHub innovation centre on Infinity Park. The company was founded by Keith Howells in 2019 after a 21-year career with Rolls-Royce, working in senior engineering leadership roles and running transformational programmes. He now inspires leaders to change their way of thinking in order to improve operational performance. The office space and facilities available at the iHub will help the company to expand its services and team further as the business grows. Its six dedicated areas of expertise include leadership training and development, business agility consulting, lean agile product development consulting, coaching for performance, digital enablement, and strategy deployment consulting. The company currently employs six staff and is expanding on a growth trajectory, with revenue up three times compared to the same time last year, which was up three times on the previous year. There are plans to recruit further staff during 2022 to cope with demand. The iHub, which has Enterprise Zone status, provides flexible workspace for start-ups, early-stage businesses and high growth SME’s looking to establish, or expand their role in the transport engineering and hi-tech sectors. Since it was launched in 2016, the £12m facility has attracted a diverse range of businesses from across the rail, aerospace, and automotive supply industries. As well as 18 traditional office workspaces, it features 14 ground floor workshops for businesses seeking a more hybrid working environment. This is complemented by the innovative ‘iLab’, which provides a local facility to undertake initial design, prototyping and testing of new products and services. It features an additive manufacturing cell, including vacuum casting machine, digital microscope, 3D printers and 3D AutoCAD software. Speaking of their decision to base their business at the iHub, Keith Howells, said: “We are delighted to be at the iHub, which is perfect for our needs. It was essential for us to find a high-quality, flexible workspace, and the iHub gives us a great platform to expand our customer base and collaborate with more businesses in the planes, trains, and automobiles (PTA) sector. “The Connect Derby staff have all been very welcoming, including the reception team and business support adviser Pauline Roessler, who provided me with invaluable advice. “We enjoy helping businesses who want to be more agile and understand their external environment better to change and improve. “We work from the premise that insight and impetus result in innovation and work hard to improve our clients’ speed of learning, give them the insight to act differently and deliver innovation. Going forward we plan to grow the size of the team and increase our presence in different areas and help businesses make a bigger contribution to CSR.” Ann Bhatti, head of Connect Derby, added: “We’re excited to welcome Keith and his team to the iHub. For the last five years, the iHub has established a reputation for supporting innovative businesses like Project4 Learning Lab. “We provide a collaborative environment for businesses to grow, and we look forward to supporting the team at Project4 Learning Lab as they continue their impressive growth.”

Nottinghamshire celebrates record year for company formations

Michael Fisher
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Nottinghamshire celebrates record year for company formations
Latest figures show that more new businesses were established in Nottinghamshire during 2021 than in any previous year – despite the continuing economic challenges resulting from the pandemic. In total 8,810 new companies were registered in the county, bringing the total number of registered companies in Nottinghamshire to 58,780. The statistics come from the Inform Direct Review of Company Formations using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics. Nottingham formed the highest number of new businesses (3,255), followed by Mansfield (1,091) and Broxtowe (976). John Korchak, Operations Director at Inform Direct said: “It is excellent news to see that Nottinghamshire has achieved a record year for new company formations during 2021 despite the continuing challenges of the pandemic. “This demonstrates an active economy with entrepreneurs motivated to invest in new businesses which meet current and emerging demands for goods or services. The overall picture for the UK as a whole is also an optimistic one with the total number of companies now exceeding five million for the very first time.” The UK saw 771,617 new businesses formed, compared to 780,760 in 2020. The overall number of UK companies totalled 5,005,147, a 3.5% increase on the total of 4,837,426 at the end of 2020. This continues a ten-year trend which shows the number of businesses in the UK doubling in that period. Whilst company formations grew, the number of dissolutions across the UK – 606,912 during 2021 – hit a record high. Reasons for this may be that new enterprises set up early in the pandemic may no longer be operating as people have returned to full-time employment or businesses thriving pre-COVID-19 have suffered as behavioural and spending patterns have changed.
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