< Previous East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk apartment scheme has been carefully considered to respond to the historic riverside setting. In addition to the apartments, 2,000 sq ft of mixed-use space will be accommodated at ground floor level to overlook Cathedral Green and Full Street. A range of uses are earmarked for this space, including a new café and residential facilities such as a gym, co- working zone, and concierge point. James Dickens, Managing Director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “This challenging brownfield site, which has lain vacant for over a decade, occupies one of the best locations within Derby city centre and benefits from rich views of the Cathedral Quarter and the River Derwent.” He added: “Receiving the go-ahead will help Derby to meet the high demand for new homes – and improve its Five Year Housing Land Supply.” James continued: “By appropriately densifying this derelict brownfield site, we will create highly energy-efficient homes for well over 200 people, who will then spend their time and circa £5m of disposable income per year locally. Prior to that, our construction programme will generate around 150 jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with Derby City Council to prepare for a start on site as soon as are able to.” Remaining in Derby, Wavensmere Homes has now commenced work on site to redevelop Friar Gate Goods Yard in the city centre. The £75m mixed-use project will reanimate two Grade II listed buildings into over 110,000 sq ft of commercial space, alongside 276 new build homes. Site enabling works across the 11.5-acre site are underway, with the groundworks commencing this month (November). The first phase will incorporate the formation of a new spine road through the site and remediation works to the two listed buildings. Simultaneously, construction of the first residential phase will take place, comprising 63 terraced houses. Restoration of the 19th Century Bonded Warehouse and Engine House will deliver 111,275 sq ft of flexible offices, health and fitness space, a restaurant/café, together with a regional sales centre for Wavensmere Homes. New areas of open space, including play areas and pocket parks will be created, and the elevated area adjacent to Friar Gate Bridge will become a new multi- purpose public realm and community space, with retention of some of the original railway arch facades. 227 two- and three-bedroom townhouses will surround the two listed buildings. Curved and terraced street scenes will honour the beauty and vista of the Bonded Warehouse, while incorporating a range of energy saving technologies and strategies. A four-storey apartment building containing 49 apartments will also reinstate the lost streetscape of the Stafford Street frontage. Furthermore, in Staveley, a multi- million-pound regeneration project is set to begin this month (November). Chesterfield Borough Council’s Staveley Work commences on site to redevelop Friar Gate Goods Yard www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 21 scheme, funded through the Staveley Town Deal, involves the construction of a new landmark building in the town centre, improvements to the market square and rejuvenation of the high street. Councillor Kate Sarvent, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said: “The project will help expand the town centre offer, creating new opportunities for events and social spaces we want to boost visitor numbers and provide the space for local businesses to thrive.” Stepnell, who have been working to complete the town centre designs, have been appointed to lead construction on the Staveley 21 project. The November works will begin with the removal of the disused toilet block on the market square. In its place a new building will be constructed that will form a new focal point for the town centre. Once completed the building will house Derbyshire County Council’s Staveley Library on the ground floor and the upstairs will provide space for new businesses. Staveley 21 also includes the transformation of the marketplace to create an enlarged public space to support existing uses such as Staveley Town Council’s regular markets but also as a setting that can be used to host a wide range of new events to encourage more people to visit the town centre. Proposals feature new tiered outdoor seating to support outdoor theatre and performances, and natural play equipment to help make the marketplace more attractive to families. New paving, lighting, street furniture and planting will help create an enhanced visitor experience whilst new signage will help connect the town centre with Staveley’s other visitor attractions like the Chesterfield Canal and Staveley Hall. Finally, in Worksop a £20m redevelopment of the Priory Centre to bring an exciting mix of entertainment, leisure, shopping, and dining to the town centre will soon become reality following the planning application’s approval. The Council has appointed G F Tomlinson as its main contractor to take the project forward, which will include building a brand-new section of the Priory Centre, as well as extensively refurbishing other areas of the precinct. Adrian Grocock, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We’re pleased to have been appointed to this exciting new scheme, working alongside Bassetlaw District Council to revitalise the Priory Shopping Centre in Worksop and create a modern, multi-use retail and leisure offering for the local community. The revamped facility will be a sought-after destination for Worksop and the surrounding region, breathing new life and increasing footfall into the area.” Some of the new facilities already confirmed for the Priory Centre are a climbing wall and indoor adventure play area, a bowling alley, and a new food court, as well as improved retail areas and an indoor market. Artist’s impression of the Staveley 21 project East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk TAX Now you are 50 and perhaps a little bit more… James Pinchbeck, partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, considers the changes we face at work as we grow older. I t might be said that being in your 50s is now like being in your 40s and the 50s are the new 40s. However, when it comes to the work people do, and the jobs they have, there can be significant changes and challenges. Perhaps the most obvious change is getting older and the challenges that present themselves in terms of health and the energy and ability to work. Certainly, those with a more physically demanding job can often find it more and more challenging. More generally though as we get older, we can be more prone to illness and the overall ageing process. For women especially, going through and managing the menopause can and does have a significant impact on their ability to work. We may also face the need to support more elderly family members. Older workers are also often, very wrongly, stereotyped as being less agile and resistant to change. Whilst in terms of more physically demanding work, agility may be an issue, the ability to learn and adopt new ideas and new skills certainly is not age limited. How many world leaders, business people and academics are well into their 70s and even beyond? Burnout can also be a challenge for older workers, with work becoming or seeming monotonous, a chore and even a burden, as opposed to a rewarding activity, with a real sense of purpose and value. As people approach retirement and perhaps more recently with the cost-of-living crisis, thoughts more often turn to, or are more focused on, managing or coping with financial strains and burdens as well as providing for the future. Taking all this into account, what might those aged 50 and over, as well as employers, look to do to manage some of the challenges and to improve the lives of individuals. Perhaps the starting point for many employers is simply recognising the situation and the needs of an aging workforce, and then looking how it can support and manage team members. Whilst there is unlikely to be a one size fits all solution, there are a number of things that might be considered including: * The provision of flexible working to accommodate individual circumstances and needs, as well as to accommodate those with caring responsibilities * A review of individuals’ roles and responsibilities, along with perhaps the potential to offer alternative roles that are more suited to any one individual * More routine and structured assessments of skills, knowledge and competency and how any gaps can be addressed or provided for * Consideration to mentoring for employees to support them both in and outside the workplace * A review of working practices and environment, considering changes to accommodate employee needs * Adopting a more obvious culture and positive mindset for understanding and supporting employees of all ages, but specifically the over 50s For some individuals this time of life can be one that gives rise to total career change, whether to pursue a new interest, secure greater financial stability or to have a job that may be more suited to their health and personal circumstance. For others it is the time to switch from employment to self-employment and start their own business, which seems to be the choice for a growing number of people. So, whilst the 50s might not be the new 40s, those aged 50 and over certainly do have a lot to offer and have significant roles to play in our organisations and society. East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT W hen it comes to productivity and efficiency in the manufacturing line, one aspect that many people fail to consider is that of line clearance and efficiency. Simply put, line clearance is the time it takes to empty a line of completed products and get it working again. This is less about a robot moving product off the line, and more about quality control, safety checks and the like. It can also refer to when a product line shifts over from one product to another. For instance, many factories nowadays work on multiple products – a good example being FMCG with different recipes for different foods, etc. The transition period between clearing the line of one product and then altering the recipe, changing batches, making sure it’s all set to make the new product, is a period of down-time that can cost a company millions over the course of a year. The reason this is so problematic is that much of line clearance is still done by human hands. Automation has quite often focused on making products be manufactured quicker, and packaging them quicker, but then falling behind when it comes to quality control. Part of this is because making a robot that screws a cap on a bottle of pop is easier Clearing the line Clearing the line Line clearance is an overlooked part of processing, and one area in which vast efficiencies can be made. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT than making one that accurately scans it for any imperfections and particles, but it’s also a case of this part of a line being overlooked. It’s not uncommon to still see workers looking over hundreds or thousands of products on a line, turning them over one by one to make sure no packaging is ripped and no foreign material has found their way inside. This is a slow process by any means, and also a risky one as humans are prone to losing focus when repeating the same task over and over, and human error remains one of the big problems leading to product recalls. As line clearance is an oft-overlooked part of manufacturing, it also becomes one in which great savings can be made – and these go beyond simply making a line quicker. If clearance and set-up of a new product line is enhanced, then a factory can take on a wider product portfolio, pumping out extra batches or even an extra product entirely. This allows companies to make their existing assets work harder for them and save on investment in new factories – which can be expensive both in financial terms and also in time. A proper factory can take up to five years to be completed, and then will require new staff and training. Being © stock.adobe.com/Martin Barraud/KOTO 26 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING SPOTLIGHT able to enhance existing lines to take on more products saves on all of this. In terms of making line clearance and new line set-up as efficient as possible it’s best to fully embrace Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. If quality control and assurance is taken care of by vision inspection machines, then these can flood a line and be used at every stage to flag and highlight defective product, which can then be quickly and easily removed by employees. This is easier if products are serialised, because the machine and database can then reference the defective serial number with a quick scan and highlight where it is kept, saving further time. In addition, this can then be backtracked if there is any foreign material in a food product for instance, to identify if that happened in the factory or if it was a problem when the raw material came in. It can even identify every potentially contaminated product in the batch served by that material, and flag them for removal. The amount of time this can save is staggering, and it can also be applied to line set-up when a factory line needs to work on a new product. Traditionally, everything needs to be changed by hand when lines are switching, which is a time-consuming exercise, but a smart factory system can use pre-programmed templates for different products, and alter checkweighers, conveyors and packaging machines to suit the new product. This not only makes change over quicker and easier, but also removes another potential point for human error, as a single missed decimal place on a food ingredient, or a forgotten spool of packaging changed on a child’s toy, could lead to an entire batch of flawed product that needs to be scrapped. Industry 4.0 and digitalisation is by no means new, but it is being adopted far too slowly in our region – and in our country. The technology has been a staple in China for the longest time, which is why Chinese products are being produced cheaper and more efficiently than things here in the EU. With countries – especially ours – wanting to become more independent however, there will be renewed focus on protecting the UK’s manufacturing sector, and it will be up to ours to adopt and adapt these new technologies or be left behind. © stock.adobe.com/Hamikwww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link MATERIALS HANDLING © stock.adobe.com/Sergey Ryzhov T he most obvious benefit of a materials handling system is it eliminates the damage and loss caused by human error. Yet, beyond this, a truly well managed system can increase efficiency, reduces handling costs, and facilitates stock management and process flow. Understanding how to increase efficiency with materials handling is useful to know, even if you intend to use a third-party warehousing partner, so as to make an informed investment. Key efficiency indicators include time sensitivity, storage temperature, the sealants utilised and accessibility of stock. All of these combine to determine the speed at which the materials can be processed, and the quality of the end product. Given that Unplanned Downtime, Yield, and Inventory Turnover are amongst some of the most common Key Product Indicators measured by food and drink manufacturers, it can be seen how Handling Modernised In a modern world, the supply chain process in food manufacturing cannot survive without efficient and well-planned materials handling. 28 Á East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MATERIALS HANDLING efficiency with materials handling can improve these indicators. Lack of human interference would help to pass the stringent sanitisation tests required for BRC accreditation and ensure a timely and continuous flow across the production process. This is especially required in the food and beverage sector, as it is subject to the ever-changing consumer preferences, and thus a requirement to keep up with change. Automated materials handling systems allow for flexibility within the supply chain, as when a new product is introduced, it is merely a case of recalibrating machinery. If flexible walls were installed in conveyor belts, this would allow for easy manoeuvrability around the warehouse if operations were to be moved, scaled up or scaled down, without significantly increasing downtime. Given the exponential demand for packaged snacks, ready meals, and flavoured drinks, this has necessitated efficiency within materials handling, as the long-lasting nature of these products means that businesses can expand their operations. With increased operations, increases the need for accuracy, food safety stringency, and cost-saving process. For example, frozen pizza is one of the best-selling pre-packaged food products. In fact, more than 350 million tons of frozen pizza is consumed yearly in the US. This requires finely tuned material handling of fresh dough, dairy and other common ingredients. Batch handling systems need to be employed, in a timely manner and without damaging the inventory, such as the automated system above. This is precipitated by a leading trend for convenience stores to provide fast-food services such as frozen food and ready meals. This increases the turnover required at manufacturing level. Once manufactured, the question turns to how to transport the packaged goods www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link MATERIALS HANDLING © stock.adobe.com/paulacobleigh around a warehouse. With the rise in mutli-product warehouses, so too has been seen a demand for Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to transport workers and products across the vast expanse of depot. They remove the requirement for manually operated forklifts, lessening costs for hiring workers who are qualified to operate such machinery. AGV’s can also operate for 24 hours a day. They utilise Artificial Intelligence to drive across pre- determined routes, pick up material, and transport it to another pre-determined destination. This decreases time delays, and the risk of misplaced goods, as a tracking system is integrated, which can be reviewed on a cloud-based system. AGVs are expected to reduce workplace accidents significantly, as driving automated paths and the ability to inter communicate with other AGVs reduces likelihood of collisions. It is estimated that 25% of injuries in the workplace are caused by contact with objects and equipment and reducing the need for manual handling across the production process, underscores the impact of automated vehicles in reducing these incidents. Although the above examples of materials handling may appear futuristic and out of reach, they are more common than ever. America’s leading drinks company, the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, has over 100 warehouses and distribution centres across the States, which is unmanageable without materials handling processes. These systems are increasingly being adopted by smaller businesses wishing to upscale, or simply improve efficiency. Whatever your businesses’ standing, it is undeniable that beginning to introduce materials handling systems will increase the efficiency, safety, and quality across your supply chain. In fact, given their effectiveness, they may become compulsory to install. Next >