Carter Jonas has acquired specialist real estate strategy practice, Tomorrow Advisory, welcoming Tom Devine as a partner and Nicky Visick as a consultant to its Leeds office.
This development marks Carter Jonas’ second acquisition this year, demonstrating its drive to enhance its transactional and non-transactional capabilities whilst bolstering its business presence in key hub locations across the UK.
Both Tom and Nicky join Carter Jonas’ national public sector team, led by Alexandra Houghton, which specialises in consultancy and estate strategy, HM Treasury Business Cases and delivering solutions to meet business needs through estate change.
Carter Jonas’ consultancy and strategy team advises a number of local authorities across the country including Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, LB Ealing, Scarborough, and Warwickshire, as well as other public and third sector clients such as The British Library, RSPCA and several central government departments.
Tom and Nicky have earned a reputation as leading strategic real estate surveyors to public and third sector occupiers in the North of England. The pair work with clients including charities, local authorities, non-departmental government bodies and central government, providing advice at critical points in the property lifecycle.
Their track record includes mandates with Science Museum Group, Durham County Council, Greater Manchester Police and several Higher Education Institutions, including the University of Manchester, the University of Salford and the University of York.
Tom established Tomorrow Advisory in 2010. He has over 20 years of experience in the sector and was previously head of strategic consulting at Drivers Jonas in the North. Earlier in his career, he worked for Donaldsons and Knight Frank. Nicky, also with 20 years of experience, has a particular focus on Yorkshire and the North East. She previously held roles in the occupational agency and capital markets team at Gerald Eve LLP as well as at Sanderson Weatherall and JLL.
Alexandra Houghton, head of public sector, Carter Jonas, said: “Tom and Nicky bring a wealth of experience to our team operating throughout the country. They have extensive knowledge of the regional and national markets and of the pressures facing public bodies to improve efficiencies on property holdings and deliver robust and sustainable estates. Our combined expertise reinforces our position as a UK-wide consultancy providing services and insightful, concise and deliverable advice to our clients.”
Scott Harkness, head of commercial, Carter Jonas, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Tom and Nicky to Carter Jonas. This acquisition is a significant addition to our commercial team and the wider business and closely follows our purchase of McGuiness Waddington Real Estate in March. These investments underline our commitment to strengthening all principal areas of our business, including our consultancy services, to deliver a stronger and broader offering to clients.”
Tom Devine said: “Nicky and I are delighted to be joining Carter Jonas and its consultancy and strategy team. We look forward to being able to offer our clients an even stronger service and care, supported by the full range of services that Carter Jonas provides including valuation, building consultancy and development advice. I’m also thrilled to be working with Alexandra Houghton again, having worked with her previously in 2003 – 2005.”
British Steel’s Rail business has almost completed the final shipments making up a 5kt rail order to Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Europe’s largest purchaser of rail.The contract fcame as the German infrastructure owner’s demands soared over the winter. Rail Commercial Director Craig Harvey said: “Since coming under Jingye ownership in 2020, the UK Rail business has worked closely with Deutsche Bahn to meet stringent quality and environmental criteria. This has resulted in British Steel being upgraded to the highest possible Q1 supplier status rating.”Rail Supply Chain Manager Lothar Seifer said: “While we’ve worked with Deutsche Bahn in the past, this is the first contract we’ve been awarded by them as a direct supplier from Scunthorpe, and now as a preferred supplier, we hope this is the start of a long-term partnership between our businesses.”The rails, which made their way through the Channel Tunnel to a service centre in Königsborn, will be used throughout Germany to support Deutsche Bahn’s track renewal programme over the next year.Popular in the European market, the longer-length 120m rail was first produced for Deutsche Bahn by Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill in 2018 after a seven-figure investment in its manufacturing facilities.
Plans by property and development company, S Harrison, for a student apartment scheme in York have been approved.
York-based S Harrison worked closely with planning officers and councillors to update its initial plans for the three to five storey development on the site of the former Alton Cars on James Street in York, before re-submitting it for consideration.
Gavin Douglas, from S Harrison, said: “It’s a positive outcome that will help address the huge demand for student accommodation in the city, of which there is a chronic shortage. We look forward to delivering the scheme soon.”
S Harrison scaled the scheme down and it now includes 231 study bedrooms in clusters of up to eight, which have shared living and dining areas. There will also be 72 individual studio rooms. The development will also include communal areas on the ground floor, as well as soft landscaped areas, including a public pocket park on the site’s southeast corner.
Gavin added: “Our design will also deliver much-needed public open space in this area of the city, with more than 200 sq mt of green space. The pocket park will be a great addition to this part of York and will be a usable outside space for all. The South facing park will benefit from natural sunlight and will be an attractive visual addition to the streetscape on Lawrence Street – a primary route into the city.”
In addition to the pocket park, S Harrison will be delivering improved cycle infrastructure on James Street. The developer will create a 3.5m wide shared pedestrian and cycle lane along the site’s eastern boundary. The work will see the existing footpath widened and the kerb radius modified at the junction of James Street with Brinkworth Terrace and Elvington Terrace, where new segregated raised priority crossings will be installed.
Gavin added: “Our work will improve safety for all cyclists and pedestrians in the area, whilst also slowing traffic at the approach to the junctions from both sides – something that highways officers have welcomed.”
Gavin concluded: “Schemes like this not only regenerate and deliver a viable new future for a redundant site, but they bring added value to the local community by investing in the local infrastructure. Students provide a massive boost to the economy of this city, supporting jobs and creating a vibrant community.
“Specifically designed for the booming student sector in York, these new, modern, energy efficient spaces are within close proximity of the universities and an ideal home for students wanting to live in this popular part of the city.”
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has decided to raise interest rates once again – from 0.75% to 1%. It is the fourth consecutive rise since December, and comes against the backdrop and amidst the challenges of a cost of living and what is becoming a cost of doing business crisis.
Business associations react to the newsMartin McTague of the FSBFederation of Small Businesses (FSB) chair Martin McTague said: “Small businesses are caught between a rock and a hard place: spiralling operating costs on one side, rising personal and professional debt costs on the other.
“The hope is that today’s move goes some way to putting the brakes on input price inflation in a way that hasn’t been achieved by previous rate rises, mitigating the pain of higher debt repayments.
“When we spoke to members over the first lockdown, the majority were carrying debt, and four in ten were concerned that their debt was now ‘unmanageable’.
“Those with bounce-backs are rightly protected with a fixed rate on those facilities, but a lot of the wider personal and professional loans that small businesses and sole traders hold will move in line with the increase today.
“Consider the electrician who is trying to manage surging fuel prices and the costs of supply chain disruption at work, whilst also being hit by spiralling utility bills and, now, higher mortgage repayments at home.
“Microbusinesses are especially hard-hit by the cost of doing business crisis. Energy costs are particularly difficult to manage, as they are not eligible for the relief offered to consumers, and don’t benefit from the leverage that big businesses can bring to bear. As these new figures show, their fight to bounce back from Covid is that much greater than for a lot of big corporates.
“Those with coronavirus business interruption loans will be feeling particularly apprehensive after today’s increase, which is why we’re urging government to extend Pay As You Grow options to CBILS customers to ease at least one of the mounting pressures they face.
“We’re also encouraging policymakers to look again at our debt for employee equity proposals, giving the minority who are really struggling to repay bounce-backs the option to convert to an employee ownership trust model – protecting livelihoods, improving productivity and protecting taxpayer funds in the process.
“This is a moment for the banks to step up: helping their small business and sole trader customers to manage the effects of rising rates responsibly. Widespread collapse is not good for anyone long-term.”
Alpesh PalejaAlpesh Paleja, CBI lead economist, said: “Another rise in interest rates is warranted, given the persistence of high inflation. However, the Monetary Policy Committee are walking an increasingly fine line. Further action to curb price pressures needs to be weighed against the increasing need to protect growth, particularly in light of a historic cost-of-living crunch. Households are feeling it and so are businesses, with cost pressures across the board.
“While monetary policy is the appropriate first line of defence in tackling inflation, government needs to take further action to shore up the broader resilience of the UK economy. In the near-term, higher inflation will hit poorer households hardest, so support measures for this group will need to be kept under review. Over the longer-term, securing greener energy supply and a relentless focus on raising potential growth will bolster our ability to withstand shocks and further price pressures.”
Kitty Ussher, chief economist of the Institute of Directors, said: “We welcome the Bank of England’s judgement that the need to tackle high expectations of inflation is of greater concern than the risk of curbing demand too fast in the short-term.
“Our own surveys show that only a third of our members currently expect inflation will come back to the Bank’s 2% target before 2024 and much of the current uncertainty business leaders are feeling comes from having to operate in an environment where prices are unstable.
“The Bank, however, has today said it expects inflation to be near the 2% target two years from now, which will be welcome to business leaders.
“The Bank has also signalled that further interest rate rises are on the cards, to around 2.5% this time next year. If, however, cost of living pressures cause households to rein back on discretionary spending, or further difficulties in our export markets cause British companies to suffer lower orders, this assumption may need to be revised.”
Neil Bartholomew has become MD of KCOM retail after John Rooney left the job at the end of the month to take up new opportunities in his native Ireland.
Neil has been KCOM Retail’s Head of Sales and Marketing since 2021, and has more than 20 years’ experience in the telecommunications and broadband industry including time at Virgin Media where, as Executive Director of Customer Operations, he led its customer operations teams across all consumer facing areas of sales, care, field service and installs including in their network expansion areas.
KCOM has also announced that Tim Shaw, MD of the business’s Wholesale & Networks division, has agreed to become KCOM’s new Chief Executive Officer. He will also take on his new CEO responsibilities this month.
During his two years at the Hull-based broadband provider, John Rooney oversaw the transformation of KCOM Retail as it has established itself in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and outside of its traditional Hull heartlands.
Over half (55%) of landlords need to make improvements to their rental properties to increase their energy efficiency, according to research by Simply Business, one of the UK’s largest providers of small business insurance.
A survey of over 600 landlords by the leading provider of landlord and business insurance found that improving energy efficiency is a key concern for landlords and could cost them thousands of pounds each.
Currently, landlords in England and Wales can only let properties that have a minimum Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E, but as part of the Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Bill, the government is considering increasing the minimum EPC requirement to C for all new tenancies by 2025 and all existing tenancies by 2028.
If the minimum EPC rating for rental homes is increased, over half (55%) of the landlords surveyed said they would need to improve their properties to make them more energy efficient.
Almost a third (32%) of landlords said making properties energy efficient is a key challenge, while just under a fifth (17%) said they’re worried about their ability to maintain their properties.
The survey revealed that changes to minimum energy efficiency standards are likely to cost landlords a significant sum of money.
One in five (19%) estimated that they’ll have to spend over £10,000, and one in four (27%) anticipated spending between £5,000 and £10,000 on making their properties more energy efficient.
Meanwhile, a further two in five (40%) thought they’d need to spend between £1,000 and £5,000 to increase their EPC rating.
Improvements that can increase a property’s energy efficiency include cavity wall insulation, solar panels, and double glazing.
Meanwhile, the government recently announced the details of a Boiler Upgrade Scheme, allowing landlords to claim £5,000 towards the cost of an air source heat pump.
Whether it’s due to changing legislation, higher interest rates, or inflation, the rising cost of being a landlord is a significant threat to the rental market, according to just under half (45%) of survey participants.
Alongside meeting government requirements, the need for energy efficient homes among landlords and tenants is only set to increase in the coming months.
As energy bills continue to rise, tenants will be looking for well-insulated, energy efficient properties that can help to keep their living costs down.
At the same time, landlords will also feel the benefit of lower energy bills if they offer bills-included tenancies and during void periods.
Alan Thomas, CEO of Simply Business said: “With a potential 2025 deadline for a new minimum EPC rating fast-approaching, our study has revealed the worries facing landlords who will need to make drastic and costly improvements to increase the energy efficiency of their properties.
“The rising cost of living is having an impact on us all but with the prospect of tighter EPC rules on the horizon, landlords are feeling the squeeze. Many are concerned about how they’ll fund these improvements and whether they’ll be completed in time. This is putting significant financial pressure on landlords and, with a fifth already concerned about their properties’ ability to generate revenue, this could be a real threat to the rental market.
“Insuring over 300,000 landlords has offered us a fresh perspective on the significant role they play in providing safe and affordable housing, in addition to the £16 billion annual contribution to the economy. Therefore, it’s important they receive the necessary support, education, and clarity to meet the requirements set by the government.”
Researchers at the University of Sheffield will lead a £7.7m collaborative project, aiming to change how we monitor and maintain important parts of the UK’s infrastructure, such as bridges, telecoms masts and wind turbines.
Healthy infrastructure is critical to ensuring the continued functionality and growth of UK society and the economy. Unfortunately, monitoring and maintaining our buildings and transport network is expensive; in the UK, a backlog of maintenance works, identified in 2019, will cost £6.7bn.
Considering bridges, inspection is usually carried out visually by human experts. Resources are stretched, so inspections cannot be carried out as often as desired, repairs aren’t made quickly and opportunities are missed to make cost effective decisions on maintenance and improvement. In a few extreme cases structural failure can result in fatalities.
The offshore wind (OW) sector is another area for concern. OW has driven down energy costs and increased power output, pioneering a global change to clean energy. The UK leads globally in OW energy, providing almost one third of the UK’s annual electricity demand and helping meet the UK’s net-zero-by-2050 target. The drive for turbines in deeper water demands new ways of asset management, controlling and limiting operation/maintenance lifetime costs. As turbines increase in numbers, size, and capacity, these issues become even more important.
A collaborative team of researchers, led by the University of Sheffield, has been awarded a £7.7m programme grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The ROSEHIPS (Revolutionising Operational Safety and Economy for High-value Infrastructure using Population-based SHM) project will aim to solve the infrastructure asset management problem in the UK for maintaining our buildings and structures, such as bridges and transport networks, via transformative new research to automate health monitoring.
Instead of expensive scheduled inspections, diagnoses can be provided economically by permanently-installed sensors, collecting structural data continuously and interpreting it via computer algorithms.
The team in Sheffield will work with partner institutions, the University of Cambridge, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Exeter, combining sensor development, machine learning and civil engineering expertise, as well as with key industry partners, including Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure, Translink, Arqiva, Cellnex (UK) and Siemens Gamesa.
Professor Keith Worden, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “Population-Based Structural Health Monitoring (PBSHM) is a game-changing idea, emerging in the UK very recently. It has the potential to overcome current technological barriers and transform our ability to automatically infer the condition of a structure, or a network of structures, from sensor data.”
The EPSRC project will extend and exploit PBSHM, developing machine learning, sensing and digital twin technology for automated inference of health for structures in operation now, and drive new standards for safer, greener structures in future.
Professor Worden continued: “This programme brings together the perfect team, mixing complementary skills in machine learning and advanced data analysis with expertise in new sensor systems and insight into complex infrastructure systems.”
Professor Mark Girolami, from the University of Cambridge, added: “This research programme is set to make significant advances in the theory, methodology, application, successful deployment and adoption of PBSHM, in making our critical inter-connected infrastructure safe, resilient and more efficient.”
The work will be underpinned by experiments using facilities such as the Structural Dynamics Laboratory for Verification and Validation (LVV) at the University of Sheffield to monitor the dynamic response and ‘health’ of structures, such as traffic loading, a full scale or near full scale.
The decision to increase interest rates by 0.25% to 1%, taken this week by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, could do more harm than good according to the British Chambers of Commerce.
Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce predicts ‘considerable alarm’. He said: “The decision to raise interest rates will cause considerable alarm among households and businesses given the rapidly deteriorating economic outlook and mounting cost pressures many are facing.“The Bank of England face an unenviable trade-off between soaring inflation and a wilting economy. However, higher interest rates will do little to address the global headwinds and supply constraints driving this inflationary surge. Italso raises the risk of recession by damaging confidence and intensifying the financial squeeze on businesses and consumers.
“With monetary policy continuing to tighten, it is vital the fiscal policy is now loosened to ease the crippling cost pressures faced by consumers and businesses, and to support wider economic activity. Urgent action is needed to limit the unprecedented surge in costs facing businesses, including financial support for those struggling with soaring energy bills.”
Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) to build a new Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) college in Scunthorpe.
Trent View College will be operated by Wellspring Academy Trust and will cater for 60 students aged between 16 and 19.
The college will support students with a range of specific needs including those with learning difficulties, speech language and cognition needs and autistic spectrum condition, with 25% of students being non-ambulant.
The single storey building will be located on land to the south of West Common Lane in Scunthorpe and has been designed according to Passivhaus principles, meaning it will be built to the highest standards of sustainable construction.
Passivhaus buildings provide a high level of occupant comfort while using very little energy for heating and cooling. They are built according to principles developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany.
The reduction in energy consumption results in carbon reductions, and lower running and maintenance costs. The Passivhaus standard is achieved through the design and build phase, with the selection of materials ensuring building efficiency throughout the project.
As both a SEND facility and a Passivhaus building, Trent View College needs to be green and inclusive. To achieve this, the Morgan Sindall Construction team will be working closely with the design team, so they can flag issues that should be addressed early on. SEND designs are more involved than designs for standard schools, so achieving Passivhaus standards at Trent View College will require a high-level of specific expertise, experience and input from Morgan Sindall Construction.
The detailed, design proposals were developed in close association with the Trust and DfE team through a collaborative engagement process, which is particularly critical for this type of school with such very specialist needs, resulting in design proposals that fully meets the school specific requirements, whilst also achieving compliance with the DfE Output Specification and Technical Annexes.
The building will be single storey with level access throughout and is zoned into two distinct areas, the main block of admin/entrance and large shared spaces and a teaching wing with associated support spaces. The school will include a hydrotherapy pool, changing facilities and a playing field all of which will be made available for use by the local community outside of school hours.
The people of Scunthorpe will also benefit from the comprehensive social value plan to be delivered by Morgan Sindall Construction as part of its delivery of the new college. A comprehensive engagement plan will ensure activities and programmes are undertaken that address the specific socioeconomic requirements of the area, while Morgan Sindall Construction aims for 90% of its supply chain spend to be with local SMEs.
Jon Muir, project manager for Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “Trent View College will provide a learning environment for young people of Scunthorpe of unparalleled quality, providing them with the perfect setting to reach their potential. That the college is being built to Passivhaus standards reflects our commitment and that of the DfE and the Trust to going the extra mile in order to create a first-class, inclusive learning facility while simultaneously protecting the environment.
“We’ll achieve this two-fold objective through a range of tactics. On the inclusive front, we’ll fashion accessible learning spaces that support learning together and easy social interaction. And to secure Passivhaus standards, we’ll be doing things like building in lots of insulation to minimise heating requirements at Trent View College, and creating a smart ventilation strategy for the building. The key is ensuring that the building functions inclusively and sustainably at the same time – for the benefit of students and the planet.”
Josh Greaves, deputy CEO at Wellspring Academy Trust, added: “We are delighted that Trent View College will be built to stringent Passivhaus environmental credentials, supporting our commitment to carbon responsibility and environmental sustainability. In addition, the building’s design principles will offer teaching opportunities and provide excellent material for inclusion in the College’s vibrant and broad curriculum.
“At Wellspring, we understand the importance of space in creating exceptional learning environments for our pupils. The planned build for Trent View College is most definitely exceptional and we’re looking forward to working with Morgan Sindall Construction in turning those plans into reality. As a Trust, we strongly believe in supporting the entire communities in which our schools are based, so we’re really pleased that Morgan Sindall are focusing on using local SME suppliers. Trent View College will bring great benefits to the local area, and that is beginning right from the start of the build process.”
Catherine Ward, associate – HLM, said: “The design process was very collaborative with the Trust in order to nuance the layout of the facilities. This open approach to engagement is particularly critical for this type of school with such very specialist needs, resulting in design proposals that meet the school’s specific requirements to support learning and socialization. Wellspring Academy Trust are a very progressive client and so we’re really looking forward to seeing this project develop on site.”
Despite a difficult year the business development team at Business Doncaster ended the 2021/2022 financial year with a whole raft of successes, including:
Record number of development and investment projects
More than £120 million of new investment
Over £8 million of additional local spend through supply chain interventions
In excess of 2,000 jobs created and safeguarded
Provided advice to thousands of businesses whilst carefully following eligibility guidelines fto ensure they received the financial support and guidance they so urgently needed
Administered and issued over £3m in government business grants
Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Business said: “The Business Doncaster team continue – as these achievements show – to do a fantastic job in attracting the type of investment that is a key part of our future economic growth. By adopting appropriate measures, they can ensure that the borough remains a leading destination for inward investment, with all the benefits this brings to Doncaster.
“Doncaster’s ambition doesn’t stop there…after launching its fourth bid to gain city status, Doncaster hopes to soon become the second city in South Yorkshire. Doncaster thinks, looks and behaves like a city, and has so much more than a lot of cities already including an international airport, a wildlife park, a racecourse, and historic and modern architecture including only one of three Mansion Houses in the country. Doncaster is already on the map for so many brilliant things; obtaining the royal stamp of approval will be the icing on the cake.”
At the start of 2021, Business Doncaster and Visit Doncaster launched a brand new dual website in order to fully integrate digital tools www.businessdoncaster.co.uk and www.visitdoncaster.com that will attract more investment to the town and an increase in visitors.
Over the last 12 months we have also seen many key developments come to fruition, particularly in the Town Centre as part of the Council’s regeneration plans. This includes the opening in May 2021 of the six screen Savoy cinema in Doncaster’s Civic and Cultural Quarter, next to Cast and the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum located alongside. The entrance to Doncaster train station and forecourt has also been transformed into an open, vibrant, welcoming and easily accessible high-quality gateway for Doncaster, creating a great first impression for visitors arriving in Doncaster by train.
Chris Dungworth, Head of Service for Business Doncaster said: “There are many positive stories from businesses across the borough who are seeing increased demand and innovating to diversify their products and services, with many now pushing forward with their expansion plans despite the effects of the pandemic.
“I am pleased to say that we head into 2022/23 with a strong pipeline of enquiries, specifically from companies within sectors that weren’t necessarily at the forefront of our economy a couple of years ago”.
“2022 saw the launch of a new Doncaster Corporate Plan that will meet the needs of a very different future, both for medium and long-term recovery and we are under no illusion about the complexities businesses, and our economy as a whole, are facing. A tough time for many, but as a team we will be working hard to support in every way we can” he added.
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