Tag Archives: business recovery

Commercial Property, News, North of England

Huge warehouse development now underway at North West Business Park

  • Development of 161,000 sq. ft of flexible warehouse space is now underway at Birchwood Park, the North West’s leading out-of-town business destination
  • The build follows Birchwood Park’s successful first and second phase of its Cavendish Warehouse development, which saw all units let within a year of completion

PATRIZIA-managed Birchwood Park, the North West’s leading out-of-town business destination, has this month (June 2022) started work on its latest speculative industrial development, which is set to bring 161,000 square feet of warehouse space to the region.

Construction commenced in June 2022, with a view to completion late Q1 2023, forming the third phase of the Park’s Cavendish Warehouse scheme and will be comprised of two 19,000sq. ft warehouses, a 29,000sq. ft warehouse and larger 94,000sq. ft warehouse.

Each of the four new, high-quality warehouses will offer above industry average office content (up to 15%) and will be expertly designed to support companies that need large industrial units to accommodate a range of uses. The development will provide occupiers with versatile units to accommodate businesses looking for high quality, secure warehouse space, located in a community centred environment, with the flexibility to increase office space as required.

This latest wave of construction follows a highly successful second phase of Cavendish Warehouse development, which was completed in 2020 and which saw all units let within 9 months, and will see Birchwood Park continue its speculative building push in answer to the increasing demand for top-grade warehouse space of this size in the surrounding Warrington area.

Martin O’Rourke, commercial director at Birchwood Park comments: “This third phase of our Cavendish Warehouse development is a particularly exciting one, allowing us to plug the gap for premium, and much-sought-after, flexible industrial space of this size in the Warrington area.

“We’ve taken on board experience from initial phases of the development and placed an emphasis on greater flexibility to meet the needs of both current or future occupiers when it comes to adapting this industrial space. By obtaining planning consent for additional office space and producing adaptable designs which allow occupiers to easily configure the units to suit their own requirements, we’re able to offer the very best for those looking to join the established business community already based here at Birchwood Park.”

Once completed, new occupiers will join the likes of global medical diagnostics company, Werfen, and global manufacturer, BiSN, alongside British Engineering, Kleentex and Harris Group.

Each warehouse unit will feature a secure yard, on-site parking, and be -situated within easy access of Junction 11 of the M62. Occupiers will be able benefit from all the added amenities that come with being located on Birchwood Park; a free shuttle bus service to Birchwood station, discounted gym memberships, access to exclusive discounts and services via the Birchwood Park app, and its all-day ‘Meet Eat Work’ facility, the Engine Rooms.

Martin continued: “We’re seeing a rise in demand from companies looking for industrial space which creates the right impression for their clients, and offers the best possible environment to attract and retain the best possible staff, and our Cavendish development does just that.

“After the successes recorded at Cavendish Place so far, we’re looking forward to delivering the same impeccable standard that Birchwood Park is renowned for, and we’re excited to see continued growth within the park in this next chapter in our industrial development.”

Designed by architects AEW, Caddick Construction has been appointed as main contractors for the project, with Warrington Martin having been appointed as project managers and quantity surveyors. BDP Structural has been appointed as structural engineers and the planning process was overseen by Turley’s, with Crookes Walker providing advice on M&E and Vectos providing highways advice. B8 Real Estate and JLL are joint agents acting on behalf of Birchwood Park.

To discover more about what Birchwood Park can offer your business, head to https://www.birchwoodpark.co.uk/space-to-let/warehouses/

Food & Drink, News, North of England

North Yorkshire brewery launches first carbon-neutral beer with pop-up pub stunt

To celebrate the launch of its new carbon-neutral cask beer this Earth Day, Black Sheep Brewery has opened the ‘freshest beer garden in Yorkshire’ – a pop-up pub in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

The Breathe Inn is located beneath Yorkshire’s iconic Ribblehead Viaduct, with only one beer on tap – Respire.

Like a breath of fresh air, Respire is a soft and pillowy Session IPA laced with juicy notes of citrus and tropical fruits.

Not only that, but Black Sheep’s new permanent addition to its cask range is also completely carbon neutral. The brewery has undergone a detailed carbon-footprinting of Respire before then offsetting the footprint through funding high impact bio-diversity projects via official carbon credits.

In addition, Black Sheep has also partnered with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust so that every pint of Respire contributes to the planting of trees across the Yorkshire Dales.

The unique pop-up pub offers hikers a moment of respite as they take on one of Yorkshire’s famous three-peaks routes, allowing punters to enjoy the fresh air and breath-taking views, washed down with a refreshing, eco-friendly beer.

The launch comes as Black Sheep marks its 30th birthday, by embarking on a mission to tackle the misconceptions that surround cask ale, helping reposition the drink and bring it to a new, younger and diverse demographic.

Charlene Lyons, Chief Executive at Black Sheep Brewery, said: “The Breathe Inn is the perfect pit-stop for those with a love for the great outdoors – and of course, for beer!

“We’ve always prided ourselves on going against the grain in this industry, which is exactly why we’ve launched Respire, our first carbon-neutral cask beer as part of our mission to become a more environmentally sustainable brewery – and we hope other breweries will follow suit.

“Respire is a light, refreshing pint with a purpose, and beyond being an environmentally-friendly cask beer, we hope its release will help us to combat the misconceptions that exist around the cask beer category. For too long, cask beer has found itself unfairly categorised as a drink for the older generation, losing ground to newer, on-trend drinks. But we know this just isn’t true – cask beer is a drink that everyone of all backgrounds, genders, cultures, and ages can enjoy (above 18 of course!).

Cask beer boasts a plethora of environmentally-friendly properties due to the repeated use of the container which has a life span of over 20 years. We hope that innovations like Respire will help us not only become more sustainable, but also help to shed light on the additional benefits that cask beer offers drinkers”

Respire will be exclusively available from Black Sheep’s pub estate from Earth Day – April 22nd before becoming available to pubs across the country from 24th April.

News, South East

New Luton businesses to be provided support through council grant scheme

A new grant and support scheme designed to help newly trading Luton businesses is being launched with Luton Council’s allocation of Additional Restrictions Grant funding.

Under the Start-up Businesses Support programme Luton Council is offering grants of up to £2000 alongside training and specialist one-to-one support to local small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up businesses. The scheme, running until the end of January 2022, is designed to help local businesses overcome the effects of multiple lockdowns and restrictions and into growth. 

The council is working in partnership with business support specialists, Smarter Society, which has previously worked with organisations including John Lewis Partnership and the NHS to provide the new mentoring programme. 

Nicola Monk, Corporate Director Inclusive Economy at Luton Council, said: “Luton has a vibrant and diverse business community, but like the rest of the country our local economy has been hit by the pandemic. Securing strong economic recovery is essential and is a central pillar of the Luton 2020 –2040 Vision to ensure that everyone in Luton has the opportunity to thrive.

As part of our response and our longer term plan to deliver an Inclusive Economy, we are using a proportion of our Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding to deliver a  range of business support activities with a variety of partners which best supports the businesses in our town. 

The Start-up Businesses Support programme has been designed to support those which have been through a challenging time recently and receiving an expert, external perspective through a mentorship programme will give businesses innovative, specialist and practical support at this crucial time.”

Start-up Businesses Support will be open to every trading business within Luton, offering grants of up to £2000, training and one-to-one mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs tailored to the needs of each business. The programme will initially have 120 places which are expected to be taken quickly, so businesses should register immediately. 

Geoff Baxter, from Smarter Society, said: “We know that grants and one-to-one mentoring are the most requested business support service from local authorities – and can also be the most useful, so we’re glad to support the programme with experienced mentors that have run their own businesses and can provide practical guidance and help, all totally free of charge.”

For further information or to sign up to the programme visit:

https://smartersociety.org/programmes/luton/

News

Three Rivers District Council seeks to boost economy with new business mentoring programme

An ambitious new mentoring scheme designed to help businesses bounce back from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and boost the local economy is being launched across Three Rivers district.

Under the Mentoring for Growth programme Three Rivers District Council is offering specialist one-to-one mentoring to local small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up businesses. The three-month scheme is designed to help local businesses overcome the effects of multiple lockdowns and restrictions and into growth.

The council is working in partnership with business support specialists Smarter Society – which has previously worked with organisations including John Lewis and the NHS – to provide the new mentoring programme. 

Cllr Sarah Nelmes, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “We are lucky to have vibrant and diverse business communities across Three Rivers, but like the rest of the country our local economy has been hit by the pandemic. The Mentoring for Growth programme will give businesses innovative, specialist and practical support at this crucial time.

 “Over recent weeks we have been unveiling a series of initiatives aimed at listening to and supporting those businesses. We will continue to do that, and all we can, to ensure our local economy can go from strength to strength.”

The programme will include a business mentoring programme for up to 40 local businesses – tailored to the needs of each of them. 

Mentoring for Growth will be open to every business within Three Rivers offering one-to-one mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs. The programme will initially have 40 places which are expected to be taken quickly so businesses should register immediately. Further places may be released subsequently subject to available funding.

Geoff Baxter, from Smarter Society, said: “We know that one-to-one mentoring is the most requested business support service from local authorities – and can also be the most useful, so we’re glad to support the programme with experienced mentors that have run their own businesses and can provide practical guidance and help, all totally free of charge.”

Chairman and Director Shirish Chauhan said: “This excellent scheme has the potential to make a significant difference to many local businesses. Many businesses have been through a challenging time recently and getting an expert, external perspective through a mentorship programme can be key to helping entrepreneurs run their business more effectively and to gain more customers.

I am delighted that local businesses in Three Rivers will now have an opportunity to apply for and benefit from this valuable mentoring scheme. ”

 For further information or to sign up to the programme visit: https://smartersociety.org/programmes/three-rivers-mentoring/

Appointments, News

UK shower pump manufacturer creates new role following extensive customer research project

Sunderland-based Salamander Pumps, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of water boosting solutions, has appointed Claire Thompson in a newly created role – Head of Customer Experience and Marketing.

Claire, who has worked in Salamander’s marketing team for the past nine years, has taken on the role following six months spent leading a detailed customer experience project for the company. The new Customer Experience and Marketing team will see members of the marketing, training and customer service team collaborating under ‘one roof’ to put customers first.

Over the last six months, Claire has led on a customer experience project, launched by the company in 2020, which encouraged increased communication and departmental interaction through ‘T-shaped’ working – an approach which moves away from traditional corporate hierarchy, and places emphasis on working cross-functionally across the company.

By covering all customer touch points and working with staff across all departments at Salamander, the project has helped the company to better understand and improve the customer service journey and ensure an industry-leading offering.

In her new role as Head of Customer Experience and Marketing, Claire and the wider team will roll-out a series of customer-focused projects – utilising new ways of working, new technology and digital interaction to deliver an outstanding customer experience.

Reflecting on her role, Claire comments: “I am delighted to be offered this exciting new role and I’m really looking forward to the challenge it will bring. It’s a great opportunity to work closely with the wider marketing and customer experience team to ensure that Salamander is offering a consistent, personalised and seamless customer experience.

“The last six months heading up the customer experience project has proven very insightful, and the business has really invested into ensuring we are continuously improving our relationship with our valued customers.”

Dale Robertson, Managing Director of Salamander Pumps, adds: “By bringing members of the marketing, training and customer service team together, Claire’s new role will ensure that the customer is always the priority in the decision-making process at Salamander. Our customers are extremely important to us and our goal is to add value to their engagement with us, so they feel included with our brand like never before.”

COVID-19, News

6 reasons why facemasks should be worn in shops now

Since the mandatory introduction of face masks in shops across England on Friday 24th July, there has been much discussion over the decision to formally implement this practice now rather than earlier.

Alastair Lockwood (MA, BM BCh, FRCOphth, PhD) is a consultant ophthalmologist specialising in glaucoma, currently residing at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. In 2004, Mr. Lockwood was involved in a randomised control study which proved the reduction of droplet travel using dye to colour saliva for surgeons performing ophthalmic procedures and less contamination of the surgical site. Drawing on this knowledge, Mr. Lockwood has long been endorsing the use of face masks within enclosed public spaces to protect others, until the pandemic is over. He was recently featured on BBC News discussing his views on the use of face masks as a preventative measure in the UK.

Whilst the delay in implementing mandatory use of face masks continues to be questioned, there is no doubt from Mr. Lockwood that it is still extremely important to wear a mask whenever you are in a close contact situation.

Here, Mr. Lockwood’s explains the key six reasons why you should wear face masks in shops:

1) Coronavirus is still present – We know there is still infection present in the population. This is evidenced by recent local spikes, such as in Leicester.

2) Vulnerable people are still at risk – There are people still in the population at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying if exposed to the infection.

3) Masks do lower the risk of transmission – Masks reduce the risk of transmission of virus from nose and mouth, caused by sneezing, coughing or talking,

4) Public spaces are higher risk – Enclosed public spaces where people mix, and where common surfaces are touched are the most risky areas.

4) Asymptomatic people could be infective – People can have the infection and be asymptomatic. Even if they do become symptomatic they can be asymptomatic and infective early on (i.e. have no knowledge of being ill during illness development)

5) Masks help delay transmission infection – Even if we cannot eliminate the virus we are attempting to delay the infection transmission while effective modes of vaccination and detection are being developed. Eventually we may have a finger prick test we like we do for diabetes where viral detection will be instantaneous.

6) Masks help businesses to reopen and stay open – Keeping the virus to a minimal level will allow companies and the economy to continue to reactivate and reduce the risk of a repeat lockdown, causing further economic misery.