Nottingham-based property agent appoints new associate director
Leading commercial property agency Innes England has welcomed a new associate director to its Nottingham office.
Trish Topliss has joined the firm’s building consultancy team after moving from property and construction consultancy Gleeds, in Nottingham, where she was an executive building surveyor for nearly 17 years. Trish brings with her an expansive history of building surveying and project management.
Trish, who has lived and worked in Nottingham for more than two decades, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Innes England and the team in Nottingham. The opportunity to become an associate director at a new firm was too good to turn down. The business has an excellent reputation in the city and is one that I’ve been hearing about for years.
“Nottingham is fast becoming one of the country’s brightest and busiest cities and it’s been wonderful watching it grow over the past 20 years. The market continues to show no signs of slowing down. I am ready for this new challenge, both personally and professionally.
“While I’ve only been here a month and I’m still finding my feet and getting used to the new environment, I’m excited to pass on my experience to the graduates we have here at Innes. No one day is the same in building surveying and the projects are always varied and interesting.”
Innes England, which has offices in Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, this year revealed that investment in the East Midlands’ commercial real estate sector smashed to a record-breaking level of £2.29 billion in 2021, in its annual Market Insite report.
Trish’s appointment boosts the building consultancy team, which provides expert building surveying and project management advice across a range of projects. She is the third person to recently join the team who was educated at Nottingham Trent University, joining Kartar Soar and Dan Knight.
Kartar joined the building consultancy team in January after moving from Birmingham, where he was a qualified building surveyor with Savills, while Dan joined as a graduate surveyor after completing a degree in building surveying.
Mike Thorne, director and head of building consultancy at Innes, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Trish to the team, as we continue to bring in fresh faces with new ideas.
“We know Trish is a very capable and experienced surveyor that can hit the ground running. She is already taking the lead role with Phoenix Futures to deliver their £1.6m care home refurbishment, and helping us deliver a multi-million pound refurbishment programme.”
Work starts on £7.8m Ashbourne affordable homes scheme
Representatives from Nottingham Community Housing Association (NCHA) and Derbyshire Dales District Council got together last week to celebrate the beginning of work on a new £7.8m affordable housing development on Ashbourne’s Mayfield Road.
Formerly a service station and garage, Dove Garage has now been demolished. A development of 37 new homes has begun, providing a selection of one, two and three bedroom houses. 19 homes will be available for affordable rent and 18 sold for shared ownership.
The District Council’s director of housing, Rob Cogings, said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with NCHA to deliver the most energy efficient affordable housing scheme ever built here in the Derbyshire Dales.
“The scheme will meet a range of housing needs which are evident on the Council’s Housing Register. The environmental sustainability of the proposal will ensure this is one of the best performing environmental housing developments in the district.”
Working in partnership with Derbyshire Dales District Council, NCHA have planned a gas-free development. These new homes will be built to EPC A energy rating, with high energy efficiency standards, air-source heat pumps and access to green space. All the new homes will have their own private garden and parking.
Allan Fisher, director of development and assets at NCHA, said: “We are passionate about delivering affordable homes and healthy environments. These energy-efficient homes will be built to an EPC A standard to help residents reduce their energy bills and reduce our impact on the environment.”
The scheme, designed by architects Player Roberts Bell, is funded by contributions from Homes England and NCHA. NCHA have partnered with MyPad for the build which is expected to be complete by Winter 2023/2024.
Yü Group to create new division following integration of smart meter specialists
Yü Group, the Nottingham-headquartered independent supplier of gas, electricity and water to the UK corporate sector, is creating a metering services division following the integration of the management and support team and Intellectual Property of Magnum Utilities, specialists in smart meter installation and services.
Magnum Utilities entered administration on 9 May 2022 as a result of its clients entering the SOLR process. A team of 28 join Yü Group and will bring extensive expertise and experience and will trade under ‘Yü Smart’ a new wholly owned subsidiary of the group.
The new metering services division will see the development of Yü Group’s field engineering capabilities to accelerate the installation of SMETS2 meters across the group’s eligible and future portfolio.
This will provide Yü Group greater control and accuracy of metering data to improve operational efficiencies and the reduction of Yü Group’s current maintenance spend with third party metering service providers.
It will also support Yü Group’s Digital by Default strategy by driving enhanced data insight to enable better hedging performance and understanding of customer consumption.
In addition, it will support Yü Group’s future growth by unlocking new market opportunities to develop field services across the group’s existing customers as well as developing its own customer base.
The installation of SMETS2 will also ensure better outcomes for Yü Group’s customers through more accurate billing and meter readings and energy efficiency insight.
Bobby Kalar, Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to be integrating Magnum Utilities management and support team to build our metering capability and expertise.
“The ability to control a larger part of the value chain and influence predictable outcomes for our customers will drive significant value enhancement – providing us greater control of our customers’ energy supply. Not only will this improve our operational efficiency but in turn will support our future growth.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our new colleagues to the group, and look forward to launching our new metering division in early Q3 2022 under the Yü Smart brand.”
Digital media service company sold to private equity firm
ECI Partners has completed the sale of Imagesound to Livingbridge, generating a 2.6x return.
Chesterfield-headquartered Imagesound is a tech-enabled digital media service company with over 65,000 music zones. It operates two brands across a global footprint, operating in 160 countries.
Imagesound provides in-store audio and visual solutions to a large number of blue-chip retail and leisure customers. Music Styling delivers a highly curated and bespoke service to high-profile international hotel and cruise groups.
ECI partnered with Imagesound in 2016, and since then the business has transformed from being predominantly UK-based, with just 10% of revenues coming from outside the UK, to a truly global company. International revenues now account for more than half of total Group revenues and Imagesound has also significantly expanded its international presence with new offices in Miami, Shanghai and Dubai.
The business has also completed four acquisitions, further strengthening its global market position.
The investment from Livingbridge will help Imagesound to continue to drive its organic growth globally and underpin an ongoing buy and build strategy.
Will Truman, CEO of Imagesound, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with the ECI team over the past six years to expand our international footprint, develop our product offering and grow our team by over 100%. I’d like to thank the team at ECI for a successful partnership, and I look forward to working with Livingbridge over the coming years as we look to double in size again.”
Matthew Caffrey, partner at Livingbridge, said: “We’re very excited to be partnering with Will and the team. They have done a fantastic job growing Imagesound through the pandemic and the business is extremely well positioned for growth. We are particularly keen to continue to grow the proposition internationally and look forward to building on recent success, particularly in the US market.”
John Hayhurst, partner at ECI Partners, said: “It has been a pleasure to work alongside chairman Derek Mapp, Will and the team for the past six years, helping to expand the company’s global proposition. We believe Imagesound is well-positioned to continue along its impressive growth trajectory. We would like to thank the team for such a successful partnership, and we wish them and Livingbridge all the best for the future.”
Shine a light on your team and projects at the prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022
With nominations now OPEN for East Midlands Business Link’s esteemed Bricks Awards, now is the ideal time to make your submissions.
Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner.
Take this opportunity to shine the spotlight on your team, reward their efforts, and boost morale.
Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening also providing the chance to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region.
Thanks to our sponsors:
William Crooks, Managing Director of Cawarden, reflected on winning an award at the 2021 event: “After being named Contractor of the Year at the British Demolition Awards at the start of September, we were absolutely thrilled to win the same accolade from the East Midlands Bricks Awards a few weeks later.
“The event is a real showcase for the regional property and construction sector and we are proud to be recognised for our project and service delivery expertise as a leading specialist contractor. It was a great night and provided an opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces as well as meeting new with the wonderful Trent Bridge Cricket Ground as a backdrop.
“Well done to the Cawarden team for continuously going above and beyond and maintaining high standards for our valued clients. Congratulations must also go to all the other awards finalists and award winners on the night.”
To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page.- Most active estate agent
- Commercial development of the year
- Responsible business of the year
- Residential development of the year
- Developer of the year
- Deal of the year
- Architects of the year
- Excellence in design
- Sustainable development of the year
- Contractor of the year
- Overall winner (this award cannot be entered, the winner will be selected from those nominated)
Book your tickets now
Tickets can now be booked for the awards event – click here to secure yours. The special awards evening and networking event will be held on 15 September 2022 in the Derek Randall Suite at the Trent Bridge County Cricket Club from 4:30pm – 7:30pm. Connect with local decision makers over canapés and complimentary drinks while applauding the outstanding companies and projects in our region. The event will also welcome John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker. Dress code is standard business attire.
To be held at:
Seven East Midlands cultural organisations receive £1.9m for post-pandemic transformation
Arts Council England has announced a total investment of £1,989,391 has been awarded to seven organisations in the East Midlands to help them transform their buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, improve access, seize technological opportunities and reduce environmental impact.
From Boston to Leicester, the organisations receiving funding share a vision to build a fit for the future cultural sector, that will benefit communities for years to come. This place-based approach demonstrates the Arts Council’s commitment to helping level up the country through investment in culture and creativity.
Projects in the East Midlands:
- Artcore – £250,000 – Derbyshire – is an international centre for contemporary art and creativity based in Derby. It has a gallery, studios, workspaces, shop and café and is a hub for commissioning, production, presentation and debate, working with a diverse range of communities, creative industries, community, education, health and regeneration sectors. This will support them to improve the environmental sustainability of the building and offer better audience experience by installing solar panels, improved access, LED lighting, sustainable technologies and environmental monitoring systems.
- Blackfriars Arts Centre – £150,000 – Lincolnshire – in Boston hosts a varied programme of professional stage productions and is home to two local amateur dramatic and operatic groups. As the town’s cultural centre, they offer a youth theatre company, art gallery and community space. This funding will allow them to install more energy efficient lighting and sound equipment to improve sustainability and running costs, and to upgrade visual and hearing loop equipment to ensure a more accessible experience for visitors.
- Chesterfield Borough Council – £695,000 – Derbyshire – Stephenson Memorial Hall is a Grade II listed building which houses the Pomegranate Theatre and Chesterfield Museum, which tells the story of Chesterfield, from the establishment of a Roman Fort, the expansion of the market and the Industrial Revolution, which brought the ‘Father of the Railways’ George Stephenson to the town. Currently the building is undergoing a major refurbishment to create a modern visitor attraction. This funding will allow them to install a ventilation system into the auditorium of the Pomegranate Theatre, and a fully accessible Changing Places toilet.
- Connect Culture: Nottingham City Libraries Inclusive, Immersive, Innovative – £185,900 – Nottinghamshire – will adjust and recreate space within two Nottingham libraries – Strelley Road Library and St Ann’s Valley Library – including building a three-screen interactive cine digital system. It will increase digital provision at the two libraries, allowing them to purchase hardware and software for remote access, scheduling and live streaming, a 360 camera and software and IP licences for digital cultural content.
- The National Holocaust Centre and Museum – £460,000 – Nottinghamshire – offers ways for people to explore the history and implications of the Holocaust. There is a memorial garden alongside two permanent exhibitions – The Holocaust Exhibition, suitable for secondary school children and adults and The Journey, a text free and tactile exhibition built with younger children in mind. This funding will allow them to enhance existing buildings, gardens and equipment, so they can create new digital content, an auditorium and broadcast suite in the Memorial Hall and improve visitor experience.
- Metro Boulot Dodo (MBD) – £119,991 – Leicestershire – create storytelling experiences using virtual reality, augmented reality and large scale projection, blending traditional arts expertise and technological innovation to bring stories to life. This project will allow them to set up a professional immersive digital production studio, including a facility for collaborative working, an artist development space, a production space and a resource for learning and participation opportunities.
- Serendipity – £128,500 – Leicestershire – is Leicester’s Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, bringing perspectives from the African and African Caribbean diaspora to its programmes including the flagship dance festival, Let’s Dance International Frontiers, Black History Month Leicester and the Annual Windrush Day Lecture. This will allow their offices – and home to the Black Cultural Archive – to have an appropriate IT infrastructure and equipment suitable for all access needs.
UK inflation index reaches record high as manufacturing businesses face growing pressures
The BDO Inflation Index has reached an all-time high as April saw a stark rise in commodity and energy prices, according to the latest Business Trends report from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP.
The Inflation Index experienced the largest month-on-month increase in its ten-year history, jumping 4.29 points to 115.26. The last time the Index saw a jump comparable to this was in October 2016, with a monthly uptick of 3.93 points in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum. The index now sits well above 100 points, which denotes the average rate of growth.
April saw a sharp rise across both the Input and Consumer Inflation subindices, driven predominantly by skyrocketing prices for energy and commodities. This is fuelling considerable cost pressures for manufacturing businesses as the price of key materials and commodities continues to climb.
Elsewhere in the report, BDO’s Output Index fell 7.30 points to 103.66 in April. This fall took the Output Index to its lowest level since March 2021, driven by ongoing supply chain disruption and a decline in consumer spending as inflation soars.
The manufacturing sector has been particularly impacted by these constraints, leading to a drop of 1.93 points in the Manufacturing Output subindex, slipping below its long-term trend level to 98.14 following three consecutive months of decline.
As businesses face these economic headwinds, the labour market looks set to suffer. April saw the weakest month-on-month increase since September 2021, reflecting the slowing of jobs growth over the past month. This decline is expected to continue throughout 2022 as the unemployment rate is predicted to rise.
Commenting on the results, Kaley Crossthwaite, partner at BDO LLP, said: “Businesses are feeling the full force of rising costs, more of which will be passed onto customers in the coming months with consumer inflation set to intensify.
“The resulting squeeze on households’ disposable incomes is beginning to hurt our post pandemic economic recovery – and the very real risk of prolonged stagflation continues to haunt businesses and consumers across the country.”
Demolition work starts ahead of phase two of £200m Becketwell scheme
Demolition work has begun on phase two of the £200m Becketwell regeneration scheme to make way for Derby’s new 3,500 capacity Performance Venue.
Derby-based Cawarden have been appointed demolition contractors for the project and have started preparing for the structural demolition work on the site of the former Pink Coconut nightclub, NCP car park, Padley House, and Dubrek Studios.
Demolition of the former Debenhams store, which occupies part of the Becketwell site, was completed by Cawarden in Summer 2020, followed by the former Central United Reformed Church and properties on Victoria Street in March 2021.
A soft strip of the interior of the Pink Coconut is currently underway to segregate the building’s contents. It is anticipated that as much as 95% of the fixtures and fittings will be recycled.
Scaffolding is set to be erected shortly, followed by the commencement of the robotic demolition of the first three stories, which will be taken down floor by floor.
Cawarden’s specialist high-reach demolition machine will arrive on site in June/July to start the structural demolition of the existing buildings, including the Pink Coconut which was an iconic venue in the 1980s and 1990s.
Asbestos removal works are also taking place. Strict noise, dust and vibration monitoring and environmental controls will be in place to minimise the impact of the works on surrounding properties and businesses.
Final clearance of the site including erection of the perimeter hoarding for redevelopment is set to finish in the Autumn.
This latest phase of demolition will clear the way for the most significant development project in Derby city centre since the Westfield Centre in 2007.
Work on phase one of the scheme is currently underway, with the construction of 259 one and two-bedroom apartments on the site of the former Debenhams store on Victoria Street. The centrepiece of the development will be a multi-purpose public square, which will also be delivered as part of the first phase, with completion scheduled for Spring 2023.
The performance venue, which will be delivered as part of phase two of the scheme, will be owned by Derby City Council and managed by ASM Global, who are the world’s leading venue management and services company.
The venue is expected to add a much-needed new venue to Derby’s cultural offer. The purpose-built venue will be a fully flexible, scalable space capable of staging a range of concerts, stand-up comedy, family shows, musical theatre, conferences, and exhibitions.
The main auditorium will have a maximum capacity of 3,500 and offer a range of different event configurations including a fully seated layout for up to 2,100. Along with a busy concert and entertainment programme, the venue will also host a wide range of business events.
The venue is set to host more than 200 cultural and commercial events each year and attract an additional 250,000 visitors to Derby. It is also expected to create 200 new local jobs, generate more than £10m per year for the area and provide the impetus to kick-start further investment in surrounding areas of the city centre.
Construction on the performance venue is set to commence in January 2023, with completion and handover to the operator in late 2024.
Commenting on the start of demolition work for phase two, Dan Murray, construction director at St James Securities, said: “It’s great to see work start on phase two of the Becketwell regeneration scheme, which is set to create an exciting and vibrant city centre, where people will want to live, work and enjoy their leisure time.
“Cawarden is a well-known local specialist contractor whose team are familiar with the site, having already demolished the former Debenhams store and Central United Reformed Church.
“Our programme currently remains on track, with construction work on the performance venue set to commence in January 2023, with completion and handover to ASM Global in late 2024.”
William Crooks, Managing Director of Cawarden, added: “We have already successfully completed the demolition of the former Debenhams building and the church next door and look forward to delivering another key milestone in preparing the site for the much-needed Becketwell regeneration scheme.
“Given the proximity to other structures and live areas, we will be putting robust environmental controls and strict monitoring measures into place. This includes the use of our high-reach dust suppression system, that captures dust at source, preventing any significant nuisance.
“As a local specialist contractor, we’re proud to be helping to bring these exciting regeneration plans for our home city to life and playing a part in the Becketwell regeneration scheme.”
Future planned phases of the scheme include the potential for a range of other complementary uses of the site including new grade A offices and commercial space, a hotel and a multi-storey car park and purpose-built student residential.
Funding for the Becketwell project includes £8 million in Local Growth Fund investment from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, the private sector-led partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers and community and voluntary services which works to promote economic and jobs growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire.
£6.5m investment delivers new and improved facilities for Lincolnshire special school pupils
A new £6.5m extension to Willoughby Academy in Bourne is set to be officially opened on Friday 6 May
The new building incorporates classrooms and hygiene suites, together with a dining hall and nurse and physio spaces. In addition, pupils can enjoy extensively remodelled outdoor play areas, while the school’s car park has also been extended under the Lincolnshire County Council project.
Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services, said:
“The council wants to ensure that all children can access high-quality education, as near to their family and local community as possible. To achieve that, we’re investing £86m in improving our special schools, meaning more pupils with SEND can attend a local school rather than having to travel large distances for their education.
“I’m delighted to see the improvements at Willoughby Academy completed, and I’m sure they will be of immense benefit to both current pupils and those of the future.”
Howard Gee, Chair of The Priory Federation of Academies Trust to which Willoughby Academy belongs, said:
“We are deeply grateful for the council funding which has created such positive and beneficial new facilities for our pupils. They have further enhanced the strengths of the school and will make a big difference to children’s lives for many years to come.”
The construction was carried out by Wilmott Dixon.
Quantuma continues to grow UK presence with new director hire in Nottingham
Business advisory firm, Quantuma, has appointed Lee Brocklehurst as director at its Nottingham office.
Lee is the latest in a series of appointments by Quantuma, as part of its ongoing growth plans. Earlier this year the firm announced a series of Managing Director appointments including Tim Sloggett, in Bristol, and Robert Beat and Dina Devalia joined the firm’s London office.
Joining from RSM, Lee has over 25 years’ experience in restructuring and insolvency, working across a diverse range of accountancy practices and insolvency boutiques. As well as advising SMEs and large corporates, Lee has extensive experience advising individuals facing personal financial issues.
Lee has led assignments for businesses in sectors which includes engineering, hospitality, and business services, including an accelerated merger and acquisition process in administration of a substantial PR firm and the administration of an engineering business.
Lee also volunteers as a mentor for young professionals looking to break into the advisory community. He acts as a professional mentor at Birmingham City University, giving industry insight to graduates. In February 2022, he joined the ACCA’s Leicestershire Members Network Panel to help ACCA create member communities, build connections, and promote the accountancy profession across all sectors and regions of the UK.
