West Northants’ stage sees highest economic benefit of 2024 Tour of Britain
The British Cycling Evaluation Report for the 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men has revealed significant economic benefits in West Northamptonshire and highlighted the area’s contribution to the overall event as one of six host stages.
The event’s fifth stage, held on Saturday 7 September 2024, showcased West Northants as a hub of excitement and community pride, seeing thousands of residents line the streets to cheer on the world-class cyclists.
The report highlights how West Northants’ stage delivered the highest economic benefit of the entire Tour, with a total impact of £5.69 million, driven by £3.6 million in attendee spending.
Over 85% of attendees expressed pride in their local area following the event, with 83% recognising the positive boost to the economy. Attendees from across the UK flocked to enjoy the race, with visitors spending an average of 2.4 nights in the area, further boosting the local hospitality sector.
The stage also garnered significant media coverage, valued at £635,698, promoting West Northamptonshire to national and international audiences.
Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture, and Leisure, said: “The Tour of Britain brought tremendous benefits to West Northamptonshire, showcasing our area as a prime destination for world-class sporting events.
“This report further highlights our dedication to boosting tourism, attracting inward investment, and supporting local businesses while promoting a strong sense of community pride and spirit.
“Hosting this event has not only delivered an incredible economic boost but has also inspired countless residents and visitors to embrace cycling and active lifestyles. The Council remains committed to building on this momentum and we can’t wait to host more major events like this including the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup.”
£250k grant to help Bolsover District establish green skills hub
Bolsover District Council has successfully bid for a £249,914 grant from EMIZ (East Midlands Investment Zone) for the development of a feasibility study for a Green Skills Hub.
The council is developing the Green Skills Hub at Portland Drive in Shirebrook, which is being funded through the UK Government Regeneration Fund.
The construction and fit out of a new subregional green skills centre will be housed in 9,000 sq ft of new industrial workspace.
It will accommodate a retrofit training hub delivering demonstrator zones of existing residential/commercial buildings, training rooms to deliver accredited training for the installation of green technologies and a workspace for training on additional green technologies, such as electric vehicles, air and gas source heat pumps and other new emerging systems/products.
The Hub is being developed as part of the council’s long-term strategy to develop green and retrofit skills across the district and the study is being undertaken by RLB Rider Levett Bucknall.
It builds on research that the council led on (conducted for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) which identified the need for ‘green skills’ locally and work done with local colleges and employers to develop a green skills pathway from training to employment.
In 2024 the council helped win external funding of £125,000 to pay for training rigs at local colleges and universities to develop their green skills teaching.
The cash will be used to develop the ‘offering’ of the Green Skills Hub including:
- Development of the education strand of the project, working with local colleges and universities.
- Development of careers support and driving recruitment for courses.
- Community liaison to develop courses and training relevant to the local community.
- Development of a low carbon private and public sector training delivery hub for local businesses to use.
- Developing an employer needs analysis linking programme plans to industry needs and capital design plans.
Business park to welcome Sainsbury’s and Starbucks as scheme marks major step forward
Clowes Developments’ 20-acre Stud Brook Business Park has taken another important step forward as the units which will be occupied by Sainsbury’s and Starbucks reach practical completion.
The developer received planning permission for the Sainsbury’s convenience store and Starbucks ‘drive-thru’ last July – both units are now ready for the well-known brands to move in and begin their fit-out programme as construction contractor Roe Developments delivers the buildings on time and according to schedule.
James Richards, Development Director at Clowes Developments, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Sainsbury’s and Starbucks units reaching practical completion – both will complement the industrial and warehouse offering at Stud Brook Business Park and will be a real convenience boost for the neighbouring residents – as well as bringing new jobs to the area.”
Stud Brook Business Park at Castle Donington will include units ranging from 8,500 to 30,000 sq ft when completed. The warehouse and industrial units will be delivered by a team including IMA Architects, lead contractor TanRo, Millwards engineers and Postins Project Services.
The delivery team are aiming for a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and an EPC rating of ‘A’ for units 2-7, in line with Clowes Developments’ sustainability goals. Features include recycling solutions, solar-ready roofs, electric vehicle charging points and landscaping. Additionally, units 2-7 will be delivered as ‘Net Zero in Occupation’, which will enable future occupiers to operate at Net Zero emissions.
Stud Brook Business Park will cater for small and medium-sized businesses while also accommodating larger national operators with recognised household names to be announced in due course. Marketing for the development is being led by FHP Property Consultants and NG Chartered Surveyors.
Tim Gilbertson at FHP Property Consultants said: “We know how onsite facilities improve the attraction of industrial estates substantially providing effectively breakout areas and opportunities to ‘get away from the desk’ or have impromptu meetings for business owners and staff alike, so for FHP to have secured both Starbucks and Sainsbury’s for this scheme is great news all round and will, I have no doubt, help us to find the last couple of occupiers for the few units remaining.”
Richard Sutton, Managing Director at NG Chartered Surveyors, added: “It’s brilliant news that these first two units are set to be occupied by such big-hitters. This will only help drive even more quality occupiers to Stud Brook Business Park – and the level of demand we’ve seen for this high-end development has already been incredibly high.”
Tim Gilbertson at FHP Property Consultants said: “We know how onsite facilities improve the attraction of industrial estates substantially providing effectively breakout areas and opportunities to ‘get away from the desk’ or have impromptu meetings for business owners and staff alike, so for FHP to have secured both Starbucks and Sainsbury’s for this scheme is great news all round and will, I have no doubt, help us to find the last couple of occupiers for the few units remaining.”
Richard Sutton, Managing Director at NG Chartered Surveyors, added: “It’s brilliant news that these first two units are set to be occupied by such big-hitters. This will only help drive even more quality occupiers to Stud Brook Business Park – and the level of demand we’ve seen for this high-end development has already been incredibly high.” Nottingham tech firm expands footprint in Australia with latest acquisition
Nottingham-headquartered Ideagen, a provider of software solutions to regulated and high compliance industries, has strengthened its worker safety compliance capability with the acquisition of Australian SaaS business, Beakon.
Specialising in environmental health and safety (EHS) and contractor management, Beakon hosts an impressive list of customers including Coca Cola, Sydney Water and Conoco Phillips, helping to manage safety, risk and compliance of workers and site visitors.
Speaking about the acquisition, Ideagen CEO, Ben Dorks, said: “I’m really pleased to welcome Beakon into the Ideagen family. We’ve spent the last 12 months actively strengthening the capabilities we can offer our customers, particularly around worker and contractor safety.
“Sam and the Beakon team have built a really strong product. Adding these capabilities to our portfolio means we can offer an even wider range of solutions to our global customer base.
“We know this is particularly important to those industries with a high volume of transient or contracted workforces that require businesses to manage compliance obligations like permit to work and appropriate qualifications.”
Founder and CEO, Sam Davies, said: “Joining the Ideagen team is an exciting opportunity for Beakon. This move will fuel our expansion into new markets, enhance our ability to serve global clients, and provide access to valuable expertise and resources to better serve our valued clients.”
Beakon will be Ideagen’s fourth acquisition in the past 12 months and the sixth Australian business to come into their Asia-Pacific footprint since the start of 2023, joining Ideagen Damstra (April 2024), Ideagen Plant Assessor (January 2024), Ideagen OpCentral (November 2023), Ideagen Lucidity (October 2023), Ideagen OnePlace Solutions (May 2023), alongside Ideagen CompliSpace acquired in 2021.
Derby City Lab to make Market Hall move
The national award-winning Derby City Lab will soon have a new home in the redeveloped Derby Market Hall, following an announcement made at Marketing Derby’s Annual Business Event.
The new move will see the City Lab continue its role as a hub for community engagement and innovation from the Market Hall which is due to open in spring this year after undergoing a major transformation.
Derby City Lab was created in 2022 and was based in St James’s St at the heart of the city’s regeneration frontline and in 2024, it moved to a new location in the Derbion shopping centre.
The Lab is a hub for engaging the community in better understanding the evolution of the city. Visitors can find out about how the city centre is changing, explore the City Living Room which showcases Derby’s 300-year history of innovation, and view a range of exhibitions focused on ideas to regenerate Derby, including the University of Derby’s futuristic Derby Urban Sustainable Transition (DUST) vision.
Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council, said: “Derby City Lab has been integral in helping citizens and stakeholders to understand and shape the city centre’s transformation. I’m delighted to see that it will be moving into Derby Market Hall. It is central to our regeneration plans – reimagining our city centre with culture at its heart and making a better-connected, sustainable city for the future.
“Derby City Lab will continue to provide a space where residents and visitors can learn more about the city centre’s ongoing regeneration and share their views on future plans. We are committed to engaging with residents in innovative ways and the Lab plays a big part in that. I am so excited for the opening of Derby Market Hall and am thrilled to welcome Derby City Lab to their new home.”
John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, said: “The Derby City Lab is a unique innovation in the UK – a genuine attempt to engage local people in the shaping of their city. Last week, we welcomed our 15,000th visitor and are excited to become part of the rediscovery of the wonderful Derby Market Hall.”
The Derby Market Hall redevelopment is a £31.5m project part funded with £9.43m from the Government’s Future High Street Fund (FHSF). It is in the second phase of the transformation, focusing on refurbishing the interior and developing the public space outside at Osnabruck Square.
Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the new Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and will generate £3.64m for the local economy every year.
Based on concepts in Shanghai and Amsterdam, the Derby City Lab is an initiative of Marketing Derby, the Queen’s Award-winning inward investment agency for Derby, together with partners including Clowes Developments, Derbion, Lathams, the University of Derby and Derby City Council. The Lab won the Estates Gazette award as the Best Public-Private Partnership in the UK.
140-bed student accommodation scheme planned for Nottingham
Plans for new student accommodation on Nottingham’s Castle Boulevard have been submitted to the city council, helping serve the new University of Nottingham Castle
Meadow Campus.
The development site is bound by Fishpond Drive to the north, an unoccupied commercial building to the west and car-parking to the east. The site is currently occupied by Zoo Interiors, a showroom selling home furniture.
Castle Park View Ltd are behind the plans, designed by Franklin Ellis Architects, which will see the construction of purpose built student accommodation through the demolition of the
existing showroom with retention of the original facade of Dominion House to Castle Boulevard, 49 and 51 Fishpond Drive.
The proposed development consists of three elements: purpose built student accommodation, providing a total of 137 new student accommodation beds (122
cluster beds and 15 studio beds), the retention of the existing house 49/51 Fishpond Drive, providing a total of 4 beds, and two ground floor commercial units
Amenity areas are also planned for residents to socialise and study. Bike and refuse storage, laundry, toilets and plant rooms are situated in the centre of the development.
2025 Business Predictions: Marc Brough, CEO of Cubo
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Marc Brough, CEO of flex office provider Cubo.
As we move into 2025, the East Midlands economy is poised for cautious yet steady growth, underpinned by on-going investments in infrastructure, innovation, and regional collaboration.
The East Midlands offers substantial untapped potential for the flex office market. With hybrid working now firmly established as the norm, companies in the region are increasingly investing in high-quality, flexible workspaces that will meet their evolving needs and attract and retain top talent.
Over the past 12 months we have seen more corporates pivot towards decentralisation to improve accessibility and work-life balance for employees. We see this trend continuing in 2025, with the demand for vibrant, collaborative environments also remaining strong amongst the regional offices of larger firms, high-growth startups and growing SMEs.
Nationally, the flex office sector will continue to evolve in 2025, with demand driven by businesses prioritising flexibility, scalability, and premium amenities. Economic uncertainty has reinforced the need for flexibility in property strategies, prompting businesses to move away from long-term leases in favour of flexible, cost-effective solutions.
This trend is expected to accelerate, with companies seeking to optimise space utilisation while providing employees with inspiring environments that support productivity and well-being.
Sustainability will remain a priority. Occupiers are increasingly drawn to workspaces that align with their ESG commitments, favouring energy-efficient buildings with sustainable design and operations.
Cubo’s commitment to sustainable practices and high-quality design ensures we remain ahead of the curve in delivering the spaces that not only meet but exceed client expectations.
Cubo members benefit from access to co-working spaces at all Cubo locations nationwide. This flexibility enables them to conduct business more efficiently and makes their work lives more convenient and hassle-free.
Looking ahead, innovation will also play a key role in the flex office market, with smart building features and enhanced connectivity all enabling occupiers to create smarter, more efficient workplaces.
As Cubo expands its footprint across the UK, our focus will remain on creating dynamic environments that foster collaboration, creativity, community and growth.
By continuing to anticipate market trends and adapt to evolving client needs, Cubo is uniquely positioned to lead the charge into this exciting new era of work.
Watling instructed to sell former Ryedale caravan site for £1.7m
The site formerly occupied by a struggling Leicestershire caravan and leisure business has been placed on the market for £1.7 million by Watling Real Estate.
Dean Nelson and Brett Barton of PKF Smith Cooper have instructed Watling Real Estate to sell the freehold 1.83 acre site in Shepshed previously occupied by Ryedale Caravan & Leisure Ltd.
Toby O’Sullivan, director in the Midlands office of Watling Real Estate, said: “Ryedale Caravan & Leisure Ltd is sadly another victim of the reduction in demand in the caravan and leisure sector.
“The site benefits from a strategic, highly visible roadside location on the key arterial A512 Ashby Road and offers excellent asset management, extension, and redevelopment potential, subject to planning.
“The property may be of particular interest to dealership, trade counter, and convenience retail/food store occupiers, given it has previously benefitted from A1 and A3/A5 planning use consent.”
The site is well located being less than ½ mile from J23 of the M1, and 7 miles from J13 of the A42/M42. The immediate area comprises a mix of light industrial, dealership and warehouse property. Local occupiers include Aldi, Screwfix, Shepshed Ford, Parker Meggitt, and Manheim Commercial Auctions.
The Leicestershire instruction follows the successful sale late last year by the Midlands office of Watling Real Estate of the 1.85 acre site formerly occupied by Broad Lane Leisure caravan business in Alcester, Warwickshire.
Venture capital investment in the Midlands increases 78% in Q4
A total of £69.8 million worth of venture capital (VC) investment was raised by Midlands businesses between October and December 2024, up 78% from the £39.3 million raised in Q3, according to KPMG’s latest Venture Pulse report.
22 transactions were completed across the region, up from 18 in the previous quarter. Deals were spread evenly across the region, with the highest volumes taking place in Birmingham.
£48.2 million, the majority of the total regional figure, was generated by VC investment into Quanta Dialysis, a Warwick-based medical device manufacturer that improves the dialysis experiences of patients undergoing kidney care.
More broadly, the IT sector, specifically software companies, saw the highest investment volume in the Midlands, with £16.5 million invested into a total of eight companies, spanning financial, network management and communications software.
This latest data follows KPMG’s recent KPE Barometer, which revealed that at least one in five (23%) of the Midlands’ private business owners see venture capital as a means to finance business diversification this year.
Andy Bostock, Birmingham Office Senior Partner at KPMG, said: “It’s great to see Midlands firms continuing to attract significant VC interest during Q4, which is testament to the region’s thriving private business ecosystem.
“And while the massive increase in investment values has been shaped by one major deal, the underlying figures suggest good levels of investment across the board.
“The quality of scaling businesses in the region remains as strong as ever, with investors remaining supportive and standing ready to inject capital into the most innovative companies.”
Employing ex-offenders could help fill East Midlands vacancies says Chamber
East Midlands Chamber is advising businesses in the region looking to recruit in 2025 to consider ex-offenders, as HMP Sudbury holds an employment fair to highlight skills valuable to employers.
HMP Sudbury’s Employment Advisory Board will host a careers fair on 31st January that aims to bring employers together with prisoners reaching the end of a sentence to explore scope for recruitment. HMP Fosse Way ran a similar event last Autumn.
The Chamber supports the UK Fair Chance Business Alliance which encourages employers to open recruitment and career progression to people that have previously offended by promoting the benefits to businesses.
East Midlands Chamber Director of Resources Lucy Robinson said: “Recruiters need applicants that can hit the ground running and all too often finding the right person is a challenge, as our own Quarterly Economic Survey demonstrated, where 7 out of 10 East Midlands businesses that tried to recruit said they’d struggled to get the right candidate.
“There’s a vast talent pool among ex-offenders, many of whom have longstanding skills from previous employment, while the skills programmes that exist in many of the region’s prisons are excellent. These could be ideal for a wide range of sectors like digital, logistics, manufacturing, engineering, construction, administration and transport.
“I’d certainly urge businesses eager to recruit to take full advantage of employment fairs when they occur, as they’re an excellent opportunity to see for yourself the range of skills.”
