Details disclosed on Ryedale Caravan & Leisure’s financial struggles as caravan and leisure sector experiences “period of decline”
PKF Smith Cooper has disclosed more details surrounding Ryedale Caravan & Leisure’s financial struggles, citing a “period of decline” in the caravan and leisure industry as the leading cause.
This announcement follows the news publicised earlier this month that Ryedale’s company directors are currently working with business recovery experts at PKF Smith Cooper to review the business’s financial position and explore the possibility of marketing the Leicestershire-based caravan retailer for sale.
The caravan and leisure sector has been in a period of decline for a while, with a large number of caravan dealerships being closed as a result.
Other caravan dealerships that have succumbed to the challenges facing the industry include Lady Bailey Caravans, a high-profile dealer of 30 years from Blandford Forum that recently announced its closure, and Alcester-based Broad Lane Leisure Limited, a similar sized dealership to Ryedale that entered into Administration on 9th July 2024.
Brett Barton, Business Restructuring and Recovery Partner at PKF Smith Cooper, said: “Whilst the industry enjoyed increased levels of success in the pandemic with the staycation boom, recent issues with rising ownership costs – including new caravans, running costs and site fee costs – have resulted in a period of contraction.
“Other external factors have also had an impact, such as the rise in electric car ownership and the limitation on towing capacity for this vehicle type. Electric cars are on average 1250kg gross weight compared with a VW Passat Estate that can tow 2000kg.
“In addition, towing a caravan significantly reduces the distance between charges for electric vehicles as the UK charging infrastructure is not set up for vehicles that are towing a caravan or a trailer. This means that you would have to park up, unhitch the caravan, charge the car and then return to re-hitch the caravan to complete your journey.
“Due to these factors, Ryedale Caravan & Leisure has been struggling to sell the requisite number of caravans to cover its overheads, which culminated in a large number of 2024 variants remaining on site while the new 2025 versions are now being offered elsewhere in the market.
“We are also aware through our industry knowledge that the manufacturers tried to stimulate the new caravan market by offering discounts at the show held at the NEC in October 2024 and then extended those discounts for several weeks after the show. This unprecedented step has further agitated the ability to sell the 2024 stock.
“The lack of sales of new caravans has meant that payments on account have become due and payable to the finance companies that provide stock finance to Ryedale. This pressure, together with other payments that had become overdue, led to the Board of Directors contacting our business restructuring and recovery team at PKF Smith Cooper for formal advice.”
34,000 sq ft Leicester TMS dealership completes
HBD, part of Henry Boot, has completed a 34,000 sq ft TMS dealership at Melton Road, Leicester, representing the largest single investment in the dealership’s 18-year history.
The new centre is the sixth TMS location across the Midlands and offers Volvo and Kia vehicles alongside servicing facilities.
TMS Group is a family run franchised motor retailer. It represents Volvo in Coventry, Hinkley and Leicester and Kia in Leicester, Loughborough and Hinkley. TMS was created in 2006 by Len Hallows, growing quickly since launching its first dealership.
Ed Hutchinson, Managing Director of HBD, said: “We have created a modern and sustainable building for TMS Group, with eco-friendly technology sitting alongside state-of-the-art servicing facilities. The new centre will play a key role in the business’ continued growth, while creating 20 jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.”
Boutique employment law firm secures new base for expansion
The specialist law firm Michael Cummins Employment Solicitors has begun the New Year with a new base to accommodate its expanding workforce.
The now eight-strong firm, which tripled its turnover in its second year in business, has relocated to new offices at Desford Hall in rural Leicestershire.
The firm was previously based at its initial location at Leicester’s Grove Park since being founded by Michael Cummins in 2022.
The new offices, in the Coach House at Desford Hall, are located within countryside with views as far as Bradgate Park and set in grounds enjoyed by staff, clients and especially the family firm’s dog Monty.
Michael Cummins said: “We have taken on three fee-earners in the last six months, thanks to significant new client wins and sustainably growing levels of work and turnover. So we needed a more suitable space for the bigger team.
“The new offices and their environment really chime with the kind of firm we are – boutique, focussed, atypical and determined to be a great and enjoyable place to work. We now have the space to expand the team throughout 2025 and beyond.
“Our growing team live in both the East and West Midlands, including Birmingham and Nottingham, so this new location is perfectly accessible to all. As it also is for our national client base.
“Our clients love our new surroundings and all comment on how wonderfully green and pleasant the environment is. They all love meeting Monty too, who couldn’t be happier to have the fields and gardens to explore.”
BGF makes partner appointment in the Midlands
BGF investor Seb Saywood has been promoted to partner, as part of BGF’s transition to partner titles.
Seb has played a crucial role in BGF’s investments across a wide range of sectors, building strong relationships with entrepreneurs and management teams. He will lead BGF’s investment teams in the Midlands, located in Nottingham and Birmingham.
Seb joined BGF in 2018 and has led several high-profile investments in the Midlands region including Jola Cloud Solutions, Metpro and Blue Light Card.
Jon Earl, who leads portfolio team activity in Midlands, has also transitioned to partner title. Jon has played a key role in supporting portfolio companies and their growth strategies across the region.
The transition to partner titles is an evolution for BGF’s Investment and Portfolio teams, aimed at providing greater transparency around career progression and fostering further collaboration.
Seb Saywood said: “I am pleased to take on this expanded role and continue working with an exceptional team that is dedicated to fostering growth and innovation in the Midlands. The transition to Partner titles is a testament to BGF’s commitment to investing in its people and strengthening our collaborative approach.”
Andy Gregory, CEO of BGF, added: “These appointments reflect our ongoing commitment to empowering our teams to thrive at both a regional and national level. They mark a significant milestone for BGF, strengthening our company-wide leadership capabilities and supporting our mission to drive long-term value through a collaborative culture.”
Van Elle secures £30m partnership with Wood Transmission & Distribution
Van Elle, the Nottinghamshire-headquartered ground engineering contractor, has signed an eight-year partnering agreement with Wood Transmission & Distribution to deliver ground investigation, design and construction activities for piling and foundations across several transmission schemes as part of Ofgem’s Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment (ASTI) programme.
Subject to performance, the partnership is expected to be worth in excess of £30m to Van Elle over that period.
Works have commenced on initial projects in New Cumnock, Argyll and most recently at Beauly-Loch Buidhe where ground investigation works are mobilising throughout January for 240 towers to be constructed in 2026-27.
Chief Executive, Mark Cutler, said: “Wood has been a long-standing customer for Van Elle, so we are delighted to announce this partnering agreement to help deliver part of the significant scale of energy infrastructure in Scotland together over the coming years.
“Our breadth of capability allows us to integrate ground investigation, design and piling and foundation solutions best suited to the project requirements. Initial works have commenced, and activity levels will now increase as other schemes are mobilised across Scotland.
“Our recent acquisition of Albion Drilling based in Stirling will support with a local resource base and specialist skills needed to deliver these important commitments, often in remote and challenging locations.
“This agreement is the first of a number that we anticipate in this growing sector; reinforcing our confidence in our medium-term ambitions.”
Pride Park move for construction firm
A growing construction firm has leased space at Derby’s Pride Park, at 36 Royal Scot Road.
Gratton Construction Ltd are the new occupiers who acquired the space in order to expand their administrative and logistical functions across the region, allowing the company to deliver services like property maintenance, refurbishments, repairs, void management, and residential development efficiently.
Cameron Godfrey, of BB&J Commercial, the agent responsible for the deal, said: “I’m pleased to have facilitated an agreement between our retained client and Gratton Construction Ltd within just two months, prior to which we had received numerous offers from local and regional businesses, further highlighting the strong demand for versatile commercial properties like 36 Royal Scot Road.
“Pride Park remains a premier location for businesses looking to capitalise on its excellent transport links. I’m pleased to have helped my client acquire a strong tenant in Gratton Construction and I look forward to seeing how they grow over the next few years.”
Office building sold at Nottingham Business Park
H4 Ash Tree Court on Nottingham Business Park has been sold to CadXtra, a multi-disciplined Design Consultancy.
H4 is a self-contained, mid-terraced office building situated across two floors, comprising 2,350 sq ft. Prior to the sale, the property underwent extensive refurbishment.
FHP collaborated with a private client to secure the sale. Despite initial limited interest, demand eventually increased. This interest led to best and final offers, resulting in a strong sale price that set a new benchmark for freehold values within close proximity to the subject property.
CadXtra, the purchaser, had been searching for an ideal office space for some time and found H4 Ash Tree Court to be the perfect fit.
FHP have also secured a new letting at G6 Ash Tree Court, which is currently under offer and expected to complete in the coming weeks. Additionally, there is interest in the remaining office suite at H7, which is available as an investment opportunity.
Amy Howard, Surveyor at FHP Property Consultants, said: “It was a great result to finalise this sale for my client. After a slow start, we soon attracted a strong level of enquiries for both rental and purchase options. We secured an excellent sale price for my client and it was a pleasure to work alongside CadXtra in the sale, helping them find their ideal office space.”
Rolls-Royce SMR prepares for next meet the buyer event
Rolls-Royce SMR is gearing up for another supplier event, the latest in a series of conferences and ‘meet the buyer’ sessions, designed to create the diverse and resilient supply chain necessary to deploy a global fleet of Rolls-Royce SMR’s factory-built nuclear power plants.
Ruth Todd, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Operations and Supply Chain Director, said: “Our Supply Chain Programme was launched at the first Supplier Conference in Sheffield last year, where we were joined by hundreds of representatives from every level of the global supply chain.
“The next conference, one of several planned for 2025, will be another important step on our journey as we continue to grow and mature as a project delivery organisation – in the UK and around the world.”
Building a world class supply chain, with a strong SME element, is critical to Rolls-Royce SMR’s success and to delivering social value in the communities where it operates, says the company.
The Rolls-Royce SMR offers a radically different approach to delivering new nuclear power. Each ‘factory-built’ nuclear power station will provide enough low-carbon electricity to power a million homes for more than 60 years, and will create thousands of long-term, high-skilled jobs.
University of Nottingham partners with food producers to pioneer future of plant-based protein products
Researchers in the Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Nottingham have been awarded funding to develop the next generation of plant-based protein products.
The funding is part of the UK-Canada Innovate UK initiative that aims to strengthen ties between the UK and Canadian food sectors, fostering innovation as both countries intensify efforts toward achieving net zero and creating more sustainable food supply chains.
This collaborative transdisciplinary project will involve three leading research groups from the University of Nottingham, plant-based food producer Jampa’s, as well as the Canadian food manufacturer, Tartistes
Jampa’s already has a range of clean label plant-based products focused on delivering great taste and texture. By integrating product reformulation, nutrition science, sensory science and packaging design, the project seeks to maximise the commercial success of the product and provide valuable insights into the broader category, as meat analogues face challenges from consumers.
Dr. Qian Yang, project lead at the University of Nottingham, said: “This collaboration represents an exciting step forward in our work developing innovative, sustainable food solutions.
“By collaborating with Jampa’s, this grant bridges the gap between cutting edge research and real-world application. It takes a consumer centric approach to develop nutritionally enriched and great-tasting reformulated products that truly resonate with consumers’ needs and preferences.”
Dr Yang adds: “This balanced approach will provide valuable insights in the food sector, offering healthier and more sustainable choices for consumers across global market.”
Jampa’s is building on its successful, long-standing relationship with the Food Innovation Centre (FIC) who is leading in the product design and development. The project will focus on reformulating Jampa’s current plant-based beef analogue to include local and valorised crops that have potential in both UK and Canadian markets.
To enhance nutritional value, the project places a strong emphasis on delivering nutritious plant-based products with high nutrient bioavailability and digestibility. This will be achieved at the University’s Nutritional Composition and Digestibility lab where the team will use recently developed and robust in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion techniques integrated with cutting edge mass spectrometry to evaluate protein and amino acid digestibility.
The products will then be subjected to rigorous taste tests with consumers to ensure they are optimised to the highest standards by experts at the Sensory Science Centre. The team will collaborate closely with Jampa’s innovative packaging designers to create a seamless connection with its consumers, ensuring the product characteristics are communicated effectively.
Richard Fox, Chef Co-Founder of Jampa’s, said: “Working with the University of Nottingham was an absolute game-changer for our grant application process. We’ve worked with the FIC for a couple of years, and when the IUK call came out and we needed a UK partner, they were the obvious choice.
“The entire UoN team provided unwavering support every step of the way from aligning our vision with the grant criteria to bringing together various departments whose expertise would help us achieve project objectives and create a strong proposal.
“They helped us clarify our proposal in an impactful way, and their guidance on data, formatting, IP, and deadlines ensured our application was polished and professional. What stood out most was their genuine investment in our success—they truly became partners in our journey.” 2025 Business Predictions: Andrew Bridge, Managing Partner of Fisher German
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 Andrew Bridge, Managing Partner at property consultancy Fisher German.
Despite a challenging picture for businesses following the Budget in October, there will still be potential for growth in 2025.
The recent NPPF reforms were welcome, but it remains to be seen how effective it will be in delivering the housing the country needs. Inflation and interest rates may continue to slow down the residential market, with the cost of borrowing being a major factor in successful transactions.
Commercial growth may also be hindered by a lack of land supply and reliable grid connections, making it difficult for companies to expand.
However, the rise in national insurance contributions, while challenging for many businesses, could actually result in opportunities for further work.
The National Wealth Fund, a government initiative set up to attract private investment in clean energy and growth industries, is set to invest a further £5.8bn of capital into these projects during this Parliament, which the increase in NICs should help pay for.
Whether directly or indirectly, the private sector will be able to contribute to the delivery of these large-scale projects and benefit as a result.
Beyond this, businesses will increasingly look to AI to solve their productivity issues, with early adopters likely to reap the most rewards.
And looking further ahead into 2026, a planned amendment to banking regulations could free up further access to loans for SMEs and infrastructure projects, with the potential to stimulate property prices.
