Experts in office design, fit out and refurbishment, APSS is celebrating 25 years of supporting businesses across the country to create inspirational and impressive workspaces. Founded in 1997, Darren Crookes started out on his own with two fitters to install office partitions and storage solutions for local businesses in the Lincoln area. Laurence Barrass, Managing Director for APSS said: “We now employ over 35 people and still work in partnership with our very first customer, Siemens. It’s incredible to think we have now completed over 10,000 different projects for our customers which span from Cornwall to Aberdeen. “Since the start, we have always helped smaller businesses as they remember the quality of service they receive from us, they grow as a company, then they turn into some of our biggest customers over the years. The partnership and bond we have with them is fantastic. It’s where we want to be – recognised as the company you can trust.” APSS has naturally evolved from a partitions and storage solution company to provide a full design and fit out service across a range of sectors. It has adapted to include its own in-house joinery department to speed up delivery time on projects and decrease overall costs for customers. Recently, the company has seen a change at the helm as Laurence Barrass became the new Managing Director, taking over from Darren who took a step back from the day to day running of the company, but remains as Chairman. “To reach 25 years in business is a huge milestone for any company,” Laurence said. “We have survived recessions and a pandemic which no one could have prepared for. There was a worrying time when offices nationally were closed to workers and this being key to our business. But thanks to the knowledgeable skill of our staff and the flexibility it allows for, as a company we were able to adapt to better support our customers who were going through exactly the same challenges we were facing. “We helped businesses which sold online to adapt their warehouse to cope with the additional stock levels required. Many of our key customers, like Wren Kitchens, used the down time in the offices to create a better and safer working environment ready for the post pandemic return to the office. “It’s been a bumpy ride, but an exciting one. We know many companies have had to shift to a more flexible, hybrid way of working thanks to the pandemic. It has been great to support so many in transforming their current office space to better suit that style of working.” When the company was first founded, it was all about trying to get the message out. The location in the Yellow Pages was an important consideration. Everything was faxed and drawings were all done by hand. To build up the business founder Darren Crookes knocked on every door he could find to obtain local clients. Many of which we are still working with. However, after a while, customers started saying ‘you know you’re doing that, well can you get carpets, and can you get furniture?’ It was a natural progression from the partitions, racking and storage the company originally provided – and still does. It opened up the marketplace and APSS began to offer more of a service driven product. “During the recession, APSS helped businesses to utilise their existing workspaces, similar to now after the pandemic. The only difference back then was it was about how we could squeeze as much in to the space as possible. Now it’s more about how to create a flexible working environment with space for people to move around the office without being crowded,” Explained Laurence. APSS works with a wide range of companies across the UK including Wren Kitchens, Slimming World, Octopus Energy, Siemens, University of Lincoln and Bakkavor to name just a few. “Over the years we have installed all sorts of different and quirky things from hidden bathrooms to Google inspired slides. As fun and different as these things are, our primary focus has always been ensuring our customers have a productive, efficient workspace that leaves a great impression.”

New research carried out by the British Chambers of Commerce of more than 1,000 businesses has highlighted a host of issues with the UK’s trade deal with Europe. The BCC believes urgent steps should be taken to address these problems so the UK Government’s ambition to increase the number of firms exporting can be met. Overall, just 8% of firms agreed that the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) was enabling their business to grow or increase sales, while 54% disagreed. For UK exporters 12% agreed that the TCA was helping them while 71% disagreed. When asked to comment on the specific advantage (for those that agreed) or disadvantage (for those that disagreed) of the trade deal, 59 firms identified an advantage, while 320 cited a disadvantage. Of the 59 comments received on the advantage of the TCA, firms said:

• It had allowed some companies to continue to trade without significant change
• It had encouraged firms to look at other global markets
• It had provided stability to allow firms to plan.

Of the 320 comments received on the disadvantage of the TCA, firms said:

• It had led to rising costs for companies and their clients
• Smaller businesses did not have the time and money to deal with the bureaucracy it had introduced
• It had put off EU customers from considering UK goods and services – due to the perceived costs and complexities.

This follows BCC research in October 2021, which found that 60% of exporters were facing difficulties adapting to the changes from the TCA on goods trade, while 17% found the changes easy. Reacting to the findings, William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, said: “This is the latest BCC research to clearly show there are issues with the EU trade deal that need to be improved. Yet it could be so different. There are five relatively simple steps that UK and EU policymakers could take to ease the burden placed on businesses struggling with the trade deal. “Nearly all of the businesses in this research have fewer than 250 employees and these smaller firms are feeling most of the pain of the new burdens in the TCA. “Many of these companies have neither the time, staff or money to deal with the additional paperwork and rising costs involved with EU trade, nor can they afford to set up a new base in Europe or pay for intermediaries to represent them. “But if both sides take a pragmatic approach, they could reach a new understanding on the rules and then build on that further. “Accredited Chambers of Commerce support the UK Government’s ambition to massively increase the number of firms exporting. If we can free up the flow of goods and services into the EU, our largest overseas market, it will go a long way to realising that goal.” The BCC’s five key issues, and the solutions needed, to improve EU trade are: ISSUE: Export health certificates cost too much and take up too much time for smaller food exporters. SOLUTION:  We need a supplementary deal on this which either eliminates or reduces the complexity of exporting food for these firms. ISSUE: Some companies are being asked to register in multiple EU states for VAT in order to sell online to customers there. SOLUTION: We need a supplementary deal, like Norway’s with the EU. This exempts the smallest firms from the requirement to have a fiscal representative and incur these duplicate costs. ISSUE: As things stand CE marked industrial and electrical products will not be permitted for sale on the market in Great Britain from January 2023. The same is true for components and spares. SOLUTION: We need action from the Government to help businesses with these timelines. Many firms are far from convinced about a ban on CE marked goods in Great Britain. ISSUE: UK firms facing limitations on business travel and work activities in the EU. SOLUTION: Government needs to make side deals with the EU and member states to boost access in this area as a priority for 2022. ISSUE: Companies starting to be pursued in respect of import customs declarations deferred from last year. SOLUTION: We need a pragmatic approach to enforcement to ensure companies recovering from the pandemic do not face heavy-handed demands too quickly on import payments, or paperwork.

Two plans that will steer the future of North East Lincolnshire in the years ahead have been approved by the Council’s Cabinet. Members of the Cabinet met this week and gave their formal support to both the North East Lincolnshire Council Plan, and the Budget, Finance and Commissioning Plan. Both cover the next three to five years. They detail the plans of each main service area within the council, the projects and priorities within those areas and how they will be supported. The Council Plan is a far-reaching document that details the services to be delivered and developments planned in the next five years. It also outlines the ambition of North East Lincolnshire Council to work with its partners to create ‘Stronger Economies’ and ‘Stronger Communities’, under five main headers:

• Learning and Skills
• Investing in our Future
• Vitality & Health
• Economic Recovery and Growth
• Sustainable & Safe

Using the above ‘outcomes’ senior officers have mapped out their target achievements within vital areas such as Children’s Services, Public Health and Adult Social Care. This work runs alongside the ambition to improve education for all, to achieve continued regeneration across the borough and improve prospects. Of this Plan, Council Leader, Cllr Philip Jackson said: “This provides us with a real focus on what we must achieve and how we must work together to overcome the challenges and realise the opportunities.” Meanwhile the in-depth report that makes up the Budget, Finance and Commissioning Plan details how the authority will work to support the delivery of the Council Plan. Within the document, it is highlighted how it will need to be regularly reviewed and updated as and when present uncertainties become clear. These include the way Central Government decides to fund local government in the future, which is currently subject to discussion with the recent release of the Levelling Up White Paper. It adds how significant demands upon areas like children and adult social care, and the continued impact of the pandemic have also impacted on the content of the plan and the finances of the council moving forward. The report adds: “The plan itself is set within the context of significant change and challenge for the organisation. There are a wide range of issues, both local and national, which have been taken into account when developing the plan. Key issues include the continued and longer-term impacts of COVID 19, wider health and social care reform, demographic pressures on social care demand and the specific challenges currently faced within Children’s Services.” It confirmed how, for the financial year running from April 2022 to March 2023, North East Lincolnshire Council had received a real-terms increase in funding of four per cent from the Local Government Financial Settlement. This includes the approved 1.98 increase in the base council tax with a further one per cent added for adult social care. As reported, those living in Band A to D households across the country will receive a £150 payment to help alleviate the cost-of-living crisis. Cllr Jackson added: “This financial report, again recognises our ambition but also highlights the financial times we are all living in, which have been significantly impacted by events over the last two years. However, what we must recognise is how the Levelling Up agenda is set to give authorities like ours the opportunity to attract investment and therefore encourage work to continue to regenerate and give us a new start in many areas.” Both plans will now go to Full Council with a recommendation from Cabinet for approval.