Smith Partnership makes five promotions
Smith Partnership Solicitors has emerged from the pandemic with five promotions among its team.
Lisa Franklin, Victoria Townsend, Gemma Brown, Jack Robinson and Sarah Southall have all been made associates.
Managing partner, Kevin McGrath, said: “At Smith Partnership we aim to support and nurture our staff and recognise and reward talent.
“Everyone at Smith Partnership has gone to incredible lengths to give our clients the best possible service during the pandemic, none more so than our new associates.
“These promotions allow us the opportunity to strengthen our offering to clients across a number of different areas of work including litigation, company commercial, conveyancing and wills and inheritance.
“Lisa, Victoria, Gemma, Jack and Sarah are stars of the future. I am delighted that they have been rewarded for their hard and diligent work.”
As many as 1,000 Civil Service jobs could be created in Nottingham by 2030
The Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, released last week, suggests good news for Nottingham, with as many as 1,000 jobs in the pipeline for the region by 2030.
The jobs will be created as part of the Places for Growth programme, which has been tasked with aiding the Levelling Up agenda by moving 22,000 Civil Service roles outside Greater London by 2030, boosting economic growth and increasing opportunity in the regions, as well as delivering a more representative Civil Service.
Based on the figures given by the Government in the Levelling Up White Paper, Invest in Nottingham estimate that as many as 1,000 jobs could be created by 2030 in Nottingham.
These roles will be across a variety of Government departments including the Department of Justice, Department for Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, and HM Revenue and Customs.
Invest in Nottingham and Nottingham City Council have been working with the Places for Growth team since 2018, to demonstrate why Nottingham is a good fit for many departments, which departments will help us to strengthen Nottingham’s key sectors and skillsets, as well as helping them to understand our regional priorities.
James Mann, business expansion specialist at Invest in Nottingham, said: “This is undoubtedly brilliant news for Nottingham. We have been working with the Places for Growth team for several years, demonstrating what Nottingham has to offer, so we’re delighted to see that we’ll benefit from the move of several departments.
“The Places for Growth programme has focussed on creating sustainable career paths within the Civil Service that sit outside London, so this announcement is a huge success for the area.”
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Skills, Growth and Economic Development, Cllr Rebecca Langton, said: “Having helped facilitate some central Government department visits to the city, we’re pleased that some are looking at moving roles to regional centres such as Nottingham.
“This is a great city offering an excellent quality of life, with two top level universities that can provide the skilled staff needed for civil service roles.
“We see this as a first step towards more Government departments moving to where people live, and would be keen for more local decision-making and Government departments to be based in Nottingham.”
Northampton mortgage broker snapped up
Pivotal Growth Limited has completed the acquisition of Grange Mortgage and Protection Services Limited.
Grange is a specialist new build mortgage and insurance brokerage based in Northampton and has been providing advice to clients purchasing new build properties across the UK for over 15 years.
Pivotal Growth was established in April 2021 as a joint venture between LSL Property Services and Pollen Street Capital, to “buy and build” a leading national mortgage broker powered by market leading technology, first class regulatory compliance and exemplary customer service.
The acquisition of Grange follows Pivotal Growth’s announcement of its first acquisition in early December 2021.
Derby City Council appoints firm to support transformative city centre regeneration
Several flagship regeneration projects in Derby city centre are one step closer to getting underway, after Derby City Council appointed strategic real estate advisor, Avison Young, to support its vision.
Derby City Council has an ambitious vision to bring a new lease of life to the city centre through transformative regeneration projects that will deliver new residential and commercial property, a vibrant new cultural destination and improved public realm and connectivity. At the heart of the vision is supporting the post-pandemic recovery of Derby by driving footfall into the city.
Following a competitive process, Avison Young won the brief to provide strategic advice on projects and help the City Council to deliver against its regeneration and property vision. This will see specialists from Avison Young’s agency, land and development, planning, valuation, building and property management teams work with the Council on its existing priorities while identifying new opportunities, drawing on extensive public and private experience.
One of Avison Young’s first projects will be looking at the City’s Cultural Heart. Assets envisaged to play a leading role in the plans include the Market Place, Assembly Rooms, Museum of Making, formerly the Derby Silk Mill which opened in May 2021, as well as the transformed Market Hall and a new performance venue at Becketwell. The Cultural Heart plans also aim to reinforce the City’s bid to become City of Culture 2025 after it was named on the long-list of entrants through to the next round.
Laura Loftus, director at Avison Young, said: “There is huge impetus from Derby City Council and partners to transform Derby city centre with ambition, drive and determination, ultimately driving positive change in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Cultural Heart is just the start of a longer journey, but demonstrates the scale of plans and the potential for the city. In realising this potential, we can not only increase the vibrancy of the area, but leverage further investment opportunities in the City and East Midlands region.
“Winning this brief is testament to the talent we have at Avison Young, and the track record we have working for multiple public sector bodies in spearheading and supporting major projects like Cultural Heart, from strategy through to delivery. We look forward to getting started and helping Derby City Council to make the vision a reality.”
Paul Simpson, Derby City Council’s Chief Executive, said: “Successful city centres with vibrant communities are key drivers of our local and national economy, and they have a leading role to play in delivering post-pandemic recovery across the UK.
“Our vision for Derby city centre, spearheaded by transformative regeneration projects with people at their heart, will build on the strength of our city and grow its reputation as a great place to live, work and invest.
“Avison Young brings demonstrable experience in delivering major projects for the public and private sector, and alongside other partners, we are excited to see what we can achieve.”
Nottingham office sold in £13m deal
Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust has exchanged unconditional contracts to sell The Arc, a 44,602 sq ft office in Nottingham, in a £13m deal.
The disposal price represents a 39% premium to the 31 December 2021 independent valuation of £9.35 million.Situated on the edge of Nottingham city centre, the company acquired The Arc in August 2018. The asset produces a net rent of £622,210 per annum.
Nick Montgomery, fund manager of SREIT, said: “This sale demonstrates our ability to leverage the expertise of sector specialists to generate strong returns for shareholders.
“Having completed our business plan for this well located asset, we see attractive opportunities to redeploy the capital which, alongside the company’s pipeline of ongoing asset management activity, should support SREIT’s ambition to deliver a progressive and sustainable dividend.”
79% of business leaders expect to use remote working in the long-term
An Institute of Directors survey of almost 700 business leaders in January 2022 has shown that around 8 out of 10 organisations plan to adopt remote working in the long-term.
The research found that over a quarter (27%) of directors expect their organisations to be fully flexible, with the use of remote working being down to the individual staff member, and a further 39% intend to shift towards one to four days of remote working per week.
An additional 13% reported their organisation moving entirely to remote working, while just 16% are not planning to introduce any form of remote working.
The IoD also found that business leaders were split on whether working from home was more or less productive. 43% said remote working was more productive, while 31% felt it was less productive for their work.
However, women have found remote working more productive than men. The net positive (percentage finding remote working more productive, minus the percentage less productive) for women is +42, compared to just +7 for men.
Commenting on the findings, Alex (Alexandra) Hall-Chen, senior policy adviser at the Institute of Directors, said: “It is clear that businesses are embracing remote and hybrid working beyond the pandemic.
“Remote working can be a powerful tool in improving employees’ work/life balance and job satisfaction, which contributes to a more engaged and productive workforce. It can also give employers access to a wider and more diverse talent pool, something particularly valuable in today’s competitive labour market.
“However, remote working is not suitable for all organisations. Different businesses have different needs, and companies will work closely with their employees to find the best solutions.”
Booths Industrial Estate sold in off market deal
Booths Industrial Estate in Ilkeston has been sold to Derbyshire-based developer PMW Property.
Booths Industrial Estate comprises approximately 35,000ft2 of industrial accommodation set on a 4.5 acre site.
The existing units are fully let with the remainder of the site available as hard standing land.
Darran Severn of FHP Property Consultants, who confirmed the sale on behalf of private clients, said: “We were instructed to dispose of this opportunity off market and I am pleased to say we agreed a sale within a matter of days.
“Booths Industrial Estate is income producing with the potential to substantially increase the rent roll by leasing the vacant hard standing sites. That combined with the possibility of future development made this an appealing site.
“These types of add value assets are extremely sought after at present and we are speaking with a number of local, regional and national investors on a daily basis who are seeking these opportunities.”
Matthew Wrigley of PMW Property said: “We are excited to now have completed on this new multi-let investment site in the heart of Ilkeston. There are a number of tenants that all specialise in different sectors and we are looking forward to meeting them all and getting to know them and their businesses.
“The parcel of land that sits empty on the site currently we are hoping to rent as a hard standing yard as these seem to be coming harder and harder for people to find at the moment.”
BeaconMedaes makes Markham Vale move
After spending several decades in their old site at Staveley, BeaconMedaes Limited, the medical gas pipeline (MPGS) turnkey provider, has recently relocated to a 42,000 sq ft facility in Markham Vale.
Having outgrown their old premises in Staveley, the move indicates the growth the business has experienced over recent years.
The new facility on Greaves Close has two clear objectives for the company. First, it is an opportunity to improve logistics support by consolidating the company’s off-site storage and expanding their export stock holding, centralising export picking, and bringing their export packing in-house.
Furthermore, the facility will house the company’s UK Customer Centre which acts as a global Competence Centre for HTM medical installation in the UK and across the Globe.
Alongside three floors of office space, the building hosts a demonstration area and a state of the art training facility.
With the company’s move there is a focus on sustainability and environmental improvement. The consolidation of logistics will bring a solid reduction in their road transport footprint and the use of solar panels, alongside a complete switch to LED lighting which will help them to deliver on their sustainability commitments.
General manager, Sean Fairest, said: “The relocation of our business is an exciting time for everyone. We are very proud of our new home in Markham Vale and are delighted to add our globally recognised brand to the growing list of successful companies on this prestigious site.
“Looking to the future, this long-term commitment to expansion sends a clear message to the market that BeaconMedaes is determined to build on its history by further strengthening our position in the market for decades to come. I see no reason to doubt that we will be in Markham Vale for as long as we were in Staveley and with this, we will add to the growing reputation of Markham Vale as a Blue-Chip site.”
New Grade A warehouse set for Castle Donington
Urban Logistics REIT (ULR) and Wilson Bowden Developments have commenced construction on a Grade A detached distribution/warehouse premises on Willow Farm Business Park, Castle Donington.
The unit will extend to 4,144m² (44,608ft²) with 10 metre eaves, dock and level access loading doors, self-contained car park and yard. The unit will benefit from road links to M1 Junction 24, A50 and A42 as well as being in close proximity to East Midlands Airport. The unit is expected to reach practical completion in May 2022.
Tim Gilbertson of FHP Property Consultants said: “This is a timely development and will be a very welcome addition to the market, which continues to see terrific demand and very low levels of supply.
“Offering a prime location, we have already started discussions with a number of parties, some of which have viewed the site already, and we are hopeful of agreeing a deal well before the building is ready for occupation in May 2022 – testament to the great site that we have on offer here.”
Toby Wilson of M1 Agency said: “This is a well located high quality unit with excellent sustainability credentials, situated in an established and successful warehouse location with easy access to both the A50 and M1. The lack of stock in the area for sub-50,000ft² is generating good levels of initial interest pre-completion in April of this year.”
John Barker of Urban Logistics REIT said: “Castle Donington has been a strong market for many years and with this final plot on Willow Farm, we see no reason why this building won’t let quickly and hopefully provide a new home to an expanding local company.”
iHub Innovation Centre celebrates its fifth anniversary
The £12m iHub innovation centre on Infinity Park is celebrating its fifth anniversary, with the arrival of a number of ambitious, growing businesses.
Since it was launched in Autumn 2016, the 45,000 ft2 facility, which is part of the Connect Derby portfolio of managed workspaces, has gone from strength to strength, attracting some of the biggest names in the region’s automotive, rail and aerospace supply chain industries.
And despite the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the economy, occupancy levels at the iHub have remained consistently high, with regional, national and global businesses taking advantage of the building’s strategic location on Infinity Park, the 100-acre manufacturing focused commercial and technology site.
Tenants now include global aerospace giant Airbus; Composite Braiding, which specialises in thermoplastic composite braiding and VRCO, an advanced aviation company, which is developing the world’s first British-made flying car.
New tenants include leadership training and consultancy firm Project4 Learning Lab; French multinational technology consulting and engineering company, Alten and WePower Consulting, which helps businesses in the energy, construction, transport and recycling industries work towards emission reductions.
An agreement with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) is set to bring yet more investment to the area. The NAMRC has set up home at the iHub while a multi-million pound innovation facility on Infinity Park is being developed.
iHub, which has Enterprise Zone status, is the centre piece of Infinity Park, which is located between Sinfin and Chellaston, to the south of the city, close to the world headquarters of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace and within 15 minutes of OEMs including Bombardier, Toyota and JCB, with direct links to the A50 and M1.
The iHub provides high quality, flexible workspace for start-ups, early stage businesses and high growth SME’s looking to expand their role within the transport engineering and hi-tech sectors.
As well as offering 18 traditional office workspaces, the managed workspace provides 14 ground floor workshops for businesses seeking a more hybrid working environment. The state-of-the art workshops cater for a broad range of uses in a managed workspace environment.
One of the unique facilities available at the iHub is the innovative ‘iLab’, which promotes invention by enabling the rapid prototyping of a range of products and services. It also boasts high end virtual reality, 3D printing and surface microscope equipment.
The iHub also offers a multi-purpose ‘heart space’ area, which is establishing itself as a popular venue for conferences and events, along with meeting and seminar rooms.
Speaking about the success of the iHub since its launch five years ago, Ann Bhatti, head of Connect Derby said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the high level of success the iHub has achieved since it joined the Connect Derby portfolio of buildings.
“To maintain occupancy levels and be welcoming new tenants in the current economic climate is a fantastic achievement and reflects the high-quality accommodation and range of support services we have available.
“The iHub provides the exact kind of quality, diverse workspace that is in high demand in Derby. We look forward to the future and to seeing the iHub attract a whole new range of world-leading companies to Derby.”
Cllr Jonathan Smale, Cabinet Member for Finance, Assets and Digital at Derby City Council said: “The iHub continues to deliver year after year, even during testing economic climates, attracting some of the biggest names in the automotive, rail and aerospace supply chain industries. This success reinforces Derby’s reputation as the UK ‘capital for innovation’.
“The diverse portfolio of tenants demonstrates that there is strong demand for high quality workspace, facilities and partnerships.”
The iHub builds on the success of the hugely popular Connect Derby scheme, which has created a strong market for mixed use and sector specific serviced offices across the city at its six other buildings – Friar Gate Studios, Marble Hall, Riverside Chambers, Sadler Bridge Studios and Kings Chambers.
The iHub has received funding from the Regional Growth Fund and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as Derby City Council and the University of Derby.
