The RICS’ former Regional Director, responsible for supporting chartered surveyors in the North East, has taken on a new challenge to establish property standards in Africa’s real estate market, which she says, will present more business opportunities for North East firms.

Prior to leaving her role as Regional Director, Jennifer Welch undertook a six-month secondment in Ghana as Director of RICS West Africa, which saw her promoted to Director of Business Delivery, responsible for working on assignments to help support and deliver RICS’ global strategy.

Yet her main focus for the next 6 to 12 months will be driving RICS’ growing presence in Sub Saharan Africa and encouraging regional firms to grasp opportunities available on the continent.

Originally from Horden in County Durham, Jennifer says that with Africa’s economic growth predicted to outpace all other continents in the next five years, RICS has committed to expanding in three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.

Jennifer said: “Over the past two decades Africa has experienced the highest rate of urban growth in the developing world at an annual rate of 3.5 percent, which is expected to continue until 2050. It also has the fastest growing middle class population of anywhere on the planet; numbering 120 million and predicted to reach 1.1 billion by 2060.

“This rapid urbanisation and population growth represents vast market opportunities for consumer goods and services, not to mention the overwhelming need for more housing, retail and commercial space.

“However, the construction industry is facing a skills shortage, so it’s imperative that we work together with other professional bodies across all areas of the built environment to ensure we have enough skilled professionals to deliver the real estate and infrastructure that Africa urgently needs.

“Our aim of working with such bodies is to implement and regulate property standards across Africa, in conjunction with ethical standards to create market conditions in which investors, clients and the public as a whole trust and in which growth is sustainable.”

Over the years, investors have expressed concerns about high risks of undertaking investments in Africa, partly due to the unfavourable business practices such as faking of reports, corruption as well as bribery. This is why, Jennifer says, regulated property standards and business ethics are essential.

Image source: Steve Slater (used to be Wildlife Encounters)

Farmers are feeling less optimistic about the future than they did in 2014, according to a survey conducted in partnership with Lancashire accountancy firm Moore and Smalley.

The survey, undertaken at the LAMMA 2015 show, is based on interviews with over 100 farmers from across the region.

It was conducted by MHA, a UK-wide group of accountancy and business advisory firms, of which Moore and Smalley is one of nine UK members. Findings of the survey showed:

There is a continued desire for growth and diversification amongst the farming community, but less optimism than in 2014

There is an increase in the number of farmers undertaking co-operative farming arrangements

Succession planning is of great concern for 1 in 10 – noticeably higher than in 2014

The reduced optimism reflects the reduction in cereal prices in recent months, although 59% of respondents (down from 69% in 2014) still predicted overall growth, with 23% expecting moderate to high growth.

This year’s survey also saw a 4% reduction to 49% among those hoping to increase acreage over the next 12 months.

Concerns remain about the availability of land - and prices continue to be a barrier.

Head of the farming and rural business team at Moore and Smalley, Liz Cliffe, said: “It is good to see there’s still a healthy optimism for growth and the desire to diversify among farmers, however, the survey indicated that 11% of those surveyed felt that succession planning is still ‘of great concern’, which is noticeably higher than in 2014.

“With such a high concentration of family businesses passed on from one generation to the next and with the current favourable tax rules, succession planning is a vital consideration in securing the future of a farming business.

“It is encouraging to see that 46% of respondents indicated that they would turn to their accountant for financial advice and support on key issues such as succession planning and growth plans.“

Image source: mattbuck4950

Brookfield Property Partners L.P, in conjunction with its joint venture partner Qatar Investment Authority, have today completed the acquisition of London’s Canary Wharf Group through their £2.6bn acquisition of Songbird Estates.

Brookfield and QIA launched a joint bid to take control of Canary Wharf Group in December 2014, which was initially expected to be rejected by Songbird. Just over two months later, in early February 2015, it was announced that the joint venture partners’ 350p per share offer for Songbird had become wholly unconditional.

Songbird’s shares will cease to trade on London’s AIM market from 7.00 am on 23 April 2015.

Ric Clark, CEO of Brookfield Property Group, commented: "We are extremely pleased to have completed the acquisition of Songbird and through it, Canary Wharf Group, with our joint venture partner, QIA.

"Canary Wharf remains one of the most treasured property estates in the world. With the transaction now concluded, we look forward to working with QIA and the Canary Wharf Group management team to advance the substantial development pipeline and to realize the full potential of the site for our tenants, stakeholders and the people of London."

H.E. Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani, CEO of QIA, said: "We are delighted that QIA and Brookfield have now concluded the acquisition of Songbird and Canary Wharf Group.

"We look forward to realizing our partnership with Brookfield as long term investors, to support the management’s strategy of pursuing further expansion through the creation of a sustainable, mixed development comprising offices, homes as well as retail and leisure space."

Image source: Matthew_Hartley

Here at Bdaily we’re continuing to ask North East businesses about what they want and expect from the forthcoming general election.

This week we look at what the region has to say about entrepreneurship, education and the EU.

Entrepreneurship:

Bradley Groves, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Great Annual Savings, said:

“As a successful and fast growing business based in the North East, I would like to see ease of access to further funding channels for start-up and SME businesses, so that they can invest and grow. The spirit of entrepreneurialism in the North East is a crucial part of its future success.”

Nigel Mills, Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said:

“I would urge the new Government, on behalf of our members and the wider community of not only the North East, but the whole of Britain, to make a firm commitment to maintaining or increasing Government mechanisms to support entrepreneurs.

“Entrepreneurial businesses are the catalyst for growth, despite the challenges thrown at them. Encouragement of high net worth individuals to invest in entrepreneurial businesses through the existing SEIS and EIS allowances should be maintained.

“The majority of new net jobs in the world are created by businesses under five years old and sales growth in these entrepreneurial businesses is up to ten times higher than the national average.

“The availability of cash for equity and working capital is key to enabling these entrepreneurial businesses to start and to grow and a large part if this investment comes from high net worth individuals. These investors often use these allowances to fuel the growth of these entrepreneurial businesses.

“The next Government can send a positive message to would-be investors and entrepreneurs that Britain backs entrepreneurship, jobs, and wealth creation for the benefit of all, by committing to the preservation of, or increases in, such allowances.”

Kieron Goldsborough, Managing Director of Press Ahead, said:

“The North East has seen a successful growth of entrepreneurial businesses over the last few years which have made a crucial contribution to the start of the economic recovery in the North East.  

“To further grow and develop these businesses, the banks and other financial institutions need to be encouraged to take a sensible and pragmatic approach and enable access to funding and provide support so that businesses can continue to grow and develop.”  

Education

Darren Hankey, Principal at Hartlepool College of Further Education, said:

“The funding situation for post-16 education has been cataclysmic. We are funded in different ways to schools, but the whole funding system across all levels of education is not equitable. It has been cut after cut after cut. It’s the same with adult education, the system needs to be looked at as a matter of urgency.”

Hartlepool College of Further Education is one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the region and the seventh best in England in terms of success rates, and despite the cuts has managed to maintain its status as the town’s leading learning centre in recent years.

But Mr Hankey has called on whichever Government gets into power to look at the system as a matter of urgency.

He added: “Whatever happens on May 7, I would hope that there is a once in a lifetime review of the whole system and the way funds are distributed because things cannot continue the way they have.”

Warren Portues, Co-owner of Stockton-based North Eastern 4x4, said:

“I would like to see a government which puts greater emphasis on encouraging apprenticeships and creating opportunities for young people to enter a trade. Inspiring aspiration in the younger generation cannot be taken too lightly and should not just mean encouraging individuals to undertake a degree.

“North Eastern 4x4 regularly employs apprentices and opens doors for young people who would like to work in the motoring sector, which often leads to a permanent job in the business and increased opportunities for young people looking to kick-start a successful career.”

Andrew Nicholson, Managing Director of Newton Aycliffe-based Nicholson Consultancy, said:

“There needs to be a change of emphasis from spending money to wealth generation with the future prosperity of UK plc resting on the private sector. This includes the financial services industry, which, in spite of the present ‘banker bashing’ culture, has a vital part to play in the country’s economic success. Greater importance should to be placed on ensuring that students are more work-ready when they leave education with life and employability skills becoming a core part of the curriculum.”

The EU

Tom Riley, Managing Director of WhiteWash Laboratories, said:

“I would like to see much more emphasis on support for businesses which sell their products to overseas markets. Recent figures have shown that the export of goods has fallen to its lowest since September 2010; a slump which the government needs to address.

“WhiteWash Laboratories is a small business, based in the North East, which exports to more than 25 countries around the globe, which amounts to a significant proportion of our business. A government which encourages and backs businesses that export, making it more feasible, would be extremely beneficial for future growth of the economy.”

Dominic Tarn, Managing Director of House of Content, said:

“A straight in/out vote on Europe would be a disaster for this country, should the Conservatives win the next election and their Euro-skeptic base frighten the electorate into voting against our membership in the EU.

“Business leaders are against a messy divorce from our largest trading partner (responsible for 14% of our countries GDP). Eighty (80%) percent of CBI members (including 77% of SME’s) would vote to stay. Not only that, but without EU money, from the European Investment Bank and the European Regional Development Fund (EDRF), this region would suffer. Our businesses would suffer. Startups would lose one of their main sources of funding.

“Take Europe away and where would the money come from? That isn’t a hypothetical question. Give the region another five, ten years, then maybe we will have had enough exits to have sufficient investors who can support our startup ecosystem; but not today. A question the business community should be asking is, where would the money come from without Europe, and why isn’t this an issue in the election?”

Got an opinion? Why not have your say? Contact Jamie at jamie.hardesty@bdaily.co.uk to feature in our final two installments before May 7.

Image source: flossyflotsam

Due to the continuing pressure on supply, office rents in Manchester could rise as high as £35 per sq ft in 2015 according to research by commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton.

The 2015 edition of the company’s annual Office Market Report revealed that Greater Manchester was the best performing city of the six largest office markets outside London, having seen a record 2.1m sq ft of take-up in 2014 – the largest volume in the market since 2001.

However, while there are six speculative schemes currently underway in the city of more than 100,000 sq ft each, supply pressures in the short and medium term are likely to see headline rents hit £35 per sq ft before the years is out.

Associate director in office agency in LSH’s Manchester office, Josh Levy, said: “During the last cycle we saw headline rents of around £28.50 per sq ft in this cycle we are already seeing between £30-31 being achieved through pre lets.

“The general investor and developer sentiment in the market remains strong and we are seeing landlords looking at asset management solutions to attract occupiers and in one prime space in the city centre we are currently seeing £33.50 being quoted.

“Confidence in the market is going to continue and there is a belief that rental growth will continue across Grade A and also in buildings providing substantially refurbished space where demand also remains strong.“

The research also found that nationally more than 11m sq ft of office space has been earmarked for alternative uses since the relaxation of planning permission rules almost two years ago - an area equivalent to all of the office floorspace in Reading.

The Office Market Report also reveals that take-up in 2014 reached 27.5m sq ft, the highest level since 2001.

Office availability fell by 4% to 51.1m sq ft over the year, even though the market reported a 19% increase in speculative development.

A recruitment boss believes the feel good factor is back in the Teesside business world after the latest meeting of a strategy group.

The Middlesbrough committee of the North East Chamber of Commerce met at the NECC’s Teesside base in Exchange Square on Tuesday, and Jo Hand, who chaired the meeting, said there was a buoyant mood amongst the 16 businesses who were in attendance.

The wave of optimism sweeping through the NECC comes on the back of recent news that the Tees Valley Local Enterprise Partnership has agreed an expansion to its Growth Deal with the Government which will see an extra £13.9m invested in Tees Valley between 2016 and 2021.

This is in addition to the £90.3m of funding committed by the Government in July 2014.

Over the lifetime of its Deal (2015-2021) the Local Enterprise Partnership estimates that up to 5,000 new jobs could be created, safeguarded or enabled, 1,500 new homes built and that it has the potential to generate £150m public and private investment.

Jo, who runs Jo Hand Recruitment, said: “I’ve been coming to these meetings for over a year now, and I can honestly say that the mood has never been so positive.

“Everyone really was buzzing, and it is clear that things have picked up dramatically in the last few months.

“In the past we have had a lot of negativity. People were struggling, they were fighting to get business in order to stay afloat.

“It wasn’t just in one sector either, we had representatives from finance, recruitment, the local authority, education and law firms among others.

“It has been a difficult time over the last couple of years, but now there is so much going on within the Middlesbrough area in terms of redevelopment and investment.“

Jo hopes the positivity will continue in the months ahead, but admits she can’t pinpoint an exact reason behind the mood swing.

“I don’t think it’s a case of something just clicking all of a sudden,“ she added.

“Middlesbrough has had to fight off an unfair reputation, but there has always been that fire in the belly of the business community.

“Maybe it’s a case of people capitalising on the fact the economy is thriving again.

“People are spending money, and by doing that it is having a knock-on effect throughout the supply chain.

“The businesses can see the redevelopment that is going on by the amount of building work taking place, they are seeing money being invested and new business being backed.

“It’s all extremely positive, so long may that continue.“

Image source: jojo nicdao

Amec Foster Wheeler has won a contract from Hyundai to design and supply two 150-megawatt steam generators for a new power plant in the Philippines.

The value of the contract was not disclosed.

Commercial operation of the Philippines plant is should begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Group President of Amec Foster Wheeler’s Global Power Group, Gary Nedelka,said: "Our CFB steam generators are designed to cleanly and efficiently burn fuels to allow them to meet the strictest environmental standards.  

“We are pleased again to be able to help meet the growing power demands in the Philippines in an environmentally friendly manner."

Sage Gateshead has extended its contract with Gateshead-based Green Energy Consulting (GEC), an independent commercial energy consultancy, until 2016.

Since GEC became responsible for managing the energy procurement of Sage Gateshead, the consultancy has achieved savings equating to 2% of Sage Gateshead’s total energy spend, whilst enhancing Sage Gateshead’s environmental credentials through 100% renewably sourced energy and carbon neutral gas offsetting.

GEC are now taking this partnership to the next level by becoming a Silver Level Corporate Sponsor of Sage Gateshead. Forming this corporate partnership will allow GEC to access a wide range of exclusive opportunities to connect with new clients and the wider local community.

Kilian Coyne, director at Green Energy Consulting, said: “If we each take responsibility for shifting our own behaviour, we can trigger the type of change that is necessary to achieve sustainability.

“As such through working with Sage Gateshead, who have already taken many steps towards sustainability, we felt it was only right to show our support for this iconic and well recognised building.“

Image source: Firing up the quattro….

Commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton has acquired Manchester-based retail specialists Tushingham Moore.

Tushingham Moore, which is headquartered in St Ann’s Square, represents a range of retailers, institutions, developers and private investors and works with over 50 shopping centres including Spinningfields and the Arndale Centre.

Tushingham Moore’s Senior Partner, David Moore, will become head of the Lambert Smith Hampton’s North West region working alongside Abid Jaffry, head of LSH’s Manchester office.

David Moore said: “Tushingham Moore has been approached by potential buyers many times in its 27-year history, but none of the suitors offered the right opportunity for the business – until now.  

“Despite being one of the country’s largest consultancies, Lambert Smith Hampton has a strong entrepreneurial culture and I look forward to being part of a business with such a clear vision and enterprising spirit.“

The deal, which follows the recent acquisition of ES Group by LSH, will take staff numbers in the North West to more than 140 and will give Lambert Smith Hampton expertise in an unrivalled range of service lines.

CEO of Lambert Smith Hampton, Ezra Nahome,  said: “Tushingham Moore has an outstanding retail agency team, works with all of the main players in retail property, and has an unrivalled insight into its core market.

“Bringing Tushingham Moore into the Lambert Smith Hampton fold accelerates our plans to create a best-in-class retail team on a national basis, and builds on the successful acquisition of BTWShiells last year.

” It further complements the expertise we gained when we brought on board ES Group last month.

“We are on a mission to build the nation’s most progressive commercial property agency, and are investing in areas where we believe we can add the most value for clients.  “Becoming a major force in retail fits that strategy perfectly.“

A £20m MediaCityUK expansion has begun which will increase the capacity by over 100,000 sq ft.

The development, called ‘Tomorrow’ will include  112-bed hotel, office and studio space.

The managing director of MediaCityUK, Stephen Wild, said: “MediaCityUK has been a key trigger in the explosion of creative start-ups and national relocations so it’s essential that we give these businesses the right type of space and the flexibility to grow organically.

“The design of Tomorrow is experimental, quirky and a little bit different and what will be on offer at Tomorrow will be complementary to the state-of-the-art digital technology in broadcast & production, audio and virtual reality arena currently offered at the Landing and Dock10.

“Equally, MediaCityUK has become a thriving destination and our new hotel will be able to service the increasing number of people visiting the area”.

There are more than 200 small media and tech companies based at MediaCityUK which is also home to the BBC, ITV and the University of Salford.

Bowmer and Kirkland are the appointed construction partners on the scheme and they have begun work using architectural plans completed by Chapman Taylor.

Regional Director for Bowmer and Kirkland, Neil Brook, said: “Bowmer and Kirkland is delighted to have been awarded this prestigious project for the Peel Group at MediaCityUK.  

“We hope that this will be the first of many projects as we continue to grow our business in the North West”.

Work is scheduled to be completed by summer 2016.

Cheshire East Council has contracted to purchase Royal Arcade site which includes the bus station and 26 retail units along Queensway and Victoria Street.

The decision on the acquisition was expected to be reported to the Council’s Cabinet meeting today (April 21).

The move follows years of speculation since plans for the Delamere Place retail and office scheme stalled in 2009.

Executive director of economic growth and prosperity, Caroline Simpson, said: “In recent months we’ve been developing a regeneration delivery framework for the town centre to understand the role that Cheshire East Council can play in giving our residents a town centre that they deserve.

“We’ve already secured millions of pounds of investment for the town centre through the new Lifestyle Centre and the University Technical College which will both open in 2016.

“This is the latest piece in the jigsaw and builds upon strong interest expressed through leisure operators, who share our vision for Crewe and our belief that we can forge a role for the town centre that is based on it being a destination for families to spend quality leisure time.“

The Council’s head of investment, Julian Cobley, said: “We will look at all options including the potential for bringing in a development partner to ensure that any scheme balances viability with our aspirations that this site can act as a catalyst and bring even more investment into the town.

“The Council is keen to work with existing occupiers within Royal Arcade and will shortly be embarking on a consultation with local residents and businesses on our regeneration delivery framework, to ensure we’re making the most of our key assets and opportunities in the town centre.“

Respected business leader Bob Paton has been appointed as the interim chief executive of the North East LEP.

The highly experienced managing director of Accenture’s North East Delivery Centre will start work immediately in his new role, which will run for up to six months.

He will lead work to continue the delivery of the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan, focusing on helping businesses create more and better jobs.

In addition to his new LEP role, Bob will continue in his leadership role at Accenture. The LEP is continuing to seek a full-time appointment for the chief executive post which they aim to announce in the next six months.

Bob, 58, is relishing his new role. Ashington born, he has built his entire career in the North East, spending 20 years working in the civil service before joining the global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company Accenture in 1992.

Additionally, Bob is vice chairman of Dynamo, the North East IT forum, which is leading work to grow the regional technology sector, is non-executive chairman of RTC North, the Sunderland-based business growth and technology transfer company, and is on the Board of the University of Sunderland.

“Born and bred in the North East, I’m passionate about making it a success and was absolutely delighted to be asked to be interim chief executive at the North East LEP,“ said Bob, who lives near Hexham.

“One of the things that drives me in my career is giving young people of all capabilities the chance to have a better job.

“The North East LEP is leading economic growth, investing in skills and innovation and making sure that young people have the skills required by industry.

“I see a fantastic opportunity here. We are the only industrialised region where you can reach out to all the schools, colleges and universities, to every firm both large and small, every council, every MP, as well as the business support organisations.

“I have worked with many of the North East’s public and private sector leaders and know collaboration will help ensure our success.  I’ve learned over the years that you have to work together as part of a team.“

Paul Woolston, North East LEP Chair, said: “The team at the North East LEP are thrilled that we are able to appoint Bob into the interim chief executive post.

“He is a vastly experienced and exceptional business leader, who is respected across the private and public sectors.

“Bob is very much a leader who brings people together to deliver success, as his track record proves over more than 40 years working in the North East.

“He will lead the delivery of our activity over the next six months, laying the foundations for a permanent chief executive to be appointed.“

Housebuilder Miller Homes has launched two new North East developments creating 277 new homes in the region.

Portland Wynd in Blyth and Clairville Grange in Middlesbrough are now officially open to home buyers following exclusive unveilings held this month at each development for registered house hunters.

Located off Laverock Hall Road on the western edge of Blyth, Portland Wynd offers 124 new homes in the first phase with three unique character styles including Parklands, Lakelands and Woodlands, while the development’s horticultural-theme continues through to its street names.

Currently available at the development is a selection of four-bedroom homes, priced from £214,950, including The Esk, The Glenmuir, The Buchan, The Buchan DA, The Crompton and The Stevenson.

The launch of Portland Wynd, Miller Homes’ second active development in Blyth, follows a successful start to 2015 for the housebuilder in the region and coincides with the opening of Clairville Grange, its third active development in Teesside, taking its current total number of developments in the North East of England to 10.

Clairville Grange, a development of 153 new homes in Middlesbrough, commemorates the heritage of the town’s former Clairville Stadium with a series of athletic-themed street names, which include Ceremony Wynd, Stadium Gardens and Harrier Way.

Currently available is a selection of three and four-bedroom homes, priced from £154,950, including the three-bedroom Tolkien and Carron as well as the four-bedroom Esk, Glenmuir and Buchan.

Andrew Somerville, Miller Homes North East’s regional sales manager, said: “We have seen a strong start to 2015 in the North East with the completion of both Greenvale Park in Newcastle and Kingsmoor in Stockton-On-Tees and we are excited to have now unveiled our latest developments to home buyers.  

“Work has been going on behind the scenes for a number of months to bring these developments to fruition and with our commitment to creating high-quality homes and sustainable communities in desirable locations, we are confident they will provide much needed homes across the region.

“In both areas there has been much anticipation from local buyers since we announced the launch of Portland Wynd and Clairville Grange, which will offer a variety of energy efficient homes suitable for a wide range of buyers, from those looking to purchase their first home to growing families and downsizers.“

Kier Group , the integrated property, residential, construction and services group, has been selected as preferred bidder by the Greenland Group to deliver the £170m first phase of The Ram Quarter, a major flagship regeneration scheme in Wandsworth, London.

The Ram Quarter, which is on the former Young’s and Co brewery site, will be delivered in three phases, with a total value of around £600m. Kier will deliver 411,000sq ft of new build residential and retail space.

In addition to this, the first phase of the project also includes the 56,000sq ft refurbishment and remodelling of the Grade II listed brewery complex, creating restaurants, boutique shops, cafés and bars, a micro-brewery, a brewery museum and residential units.

Kier is commencing enabling works this month with phase one scheduled for completion in early 2017.

Haydn Mursell, Kier’s chief executive, said:  "We are very pleased to be working on The Ram Quarter, a landmark development that will deliver substantial economic and social benefit for the local community. Kier has extensive experience in major mixed-use and regeneration projects in London and our breadth and depth of experience has positioned us to become a partner of choice for major city regeneration schemes."

Brighouse-based Transline Group now has carbon neutral status after making significant investments in a series of group-wide improvements to processes and operations.

The human resource organisation announces its carbon neutral status and commitment today on World Earth Day (April 22nd), when people across the globe are encouraged to pledge an act of green, to protect the planet and secure a sustainable future.

The company is believed to be the only large provider agency in the UK to achieve carbon neutrality.

After becoming aware of the impacts of climate change on the business, Transline Group worked with The Carbon Neutral Company, over a 12-month period to measure the carbon footprint of the business and its UK premises.

Subsequently, the results revealed that company owned vehicles produced more than half of the total footprint (54%), while the most significant emissions from business premises relate to electricity use, which produces 11% of the footprint.

Transline has since made changes in all areas of the business, including appointing green champions and raising awareness of small changes, such as turning off lights and adding heater thermostats, which can make such a big difference.

The company has also implemented driver training with a specific focus on fuel efficiency and safety, and has made a significant investment in a mobile LGV drive simulator, so all aspects of driver training can be conducted within this innovative technology rather than on the open road, resulting in little or no emission usage.

Due to Transline’s attempts to attain carbon neutrality, the company has been able to support two projects through carbon dollar off-setting, in Malaysia and Brazil.

Lara Watson, company director at Transline Group, said: “The senior management team at Transline has a genuine social conscience and by making this commitment to addressing environmental issues and taking action as a business to become carbon neutral, we are aiming to effect real change for us and our clients.

“We were already taking steps to minimise our impact – including recycling, installing energy efficient lighting, maximising energy settings on our PCs and laptops, investing in driver training technology and introducing several procurement policies to save energy, such as limiting the engine size of our company vehicles.

“By working with The Carbon Neutral Company to measure our carbon footprint, we’ve been able to take account of the impact of what we were doing as a business, and then make further improvements across the board to ensure we are optimising our ability to be environmentally responsible.”

Thousands of new jobs and homes are set to be created after Newham Council gave the go ahead for a £3.5bn regeneration of Silvertown Quays.

​Up to 20,700 new jobs and 3,000 new homes, including affordable housing, will be created under the scheme backed by the council’s Strategic Development Committee.

The major ten year regeneration project of the 62 acre site in the Royal Docks will be led by The Silvertown Partnership (TSP).

It is expected that once complete it will attract around 13 million visitors a year from across the country and abroad, providing a £33m a year boost to the local economy and adding around £260m to the overall London economy.  

The scheme will see up to 179,000 square metres of office space and 222,000 square metres of brand units – showcasing, displaying and promoting a range of brands –developed along with homes and restaurants. A school will also be built on the site.

As part of the Section 106 legal agreement, the developer would provide £10m to Workplace, the council’s job brokerage scheme, this would be used to provide training  and support for Newham residents to ensure they have the skills needed to take advantage of the 20,700 new jobs the development is expected to generate.

The Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, said: “This multi-billion pound transformation is a fantastic opportunity to reinvigorate the Royal Docks area giving it a new lease of life benefiting Newham and the capital as a whole.

“Our vision is to transform the area into a world class business centre that not just entices established companies but also creates an exciting and vibrant place for new companies to grow and flourish.

“This scheme builds on our commitment to further enhancing the quality of life for our residents and the opportunities available to them through developing the arc of opportunity spanning the Royal Docks, Stratford and Canning Town.

“This project will create a new destination for people from across Newham, the rest of the capital and from abroad and will once again showcase everything that is good about the borough.“

The application will now be referred to the Mayor of London and then to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Secretary of State for Transport before a final decision can be issued.

Eaglescliffe-based Nifco UK is putting money back into Teesside by partnering with a local institution to provide more than £285k worth of training.

The manufacturing business has recently completed the first year of a three-year operative training programme with Middlesbrough College, which sees staff undergo productivity training with a value of almost £1,000 per person.

The business, which was awarded the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)’s Employer Ownership Fund (EOF) to help deliver an extensive people development programme to support its rapid expansion, will work with the college to deliver training, including employee ownership, improvement activities and coaching courses. The training is part of the company’s commitment to investing in people, after it announced its intention to add at least six apprentices to the team for each year it recruits.  

Nifco awarded the programme, internally called Total Productive Maintenance and scheduled to run until March 2017, to Middlesbrough College after considering a number of options for training.  

The £285k committed to the programme is funded in-part by an EOF grant of up to £142k, which the business must match with its own money, and will allow Nifco to provide staff training in areas such as maintenance, quality and principles. Nifco was one of only five businesses in the country that successfully qualified for EOF funding.

Mike Matthews MBE, managing director of Nifco UK and European operations officer, said: “As a business, we genuinely believe that the growth we have seen has been, in no small part, down to investing in our people.  We believe that they are the key to the ongoing success of the business too, so we are in no doubt that we have to invest in them to realise our full potential.  

“We are delighted to be working with Middlesbrough College to deliver this training programme, the college has strategically aligned itself with our needs by investing in the same equipment we use. It’s fantastic to be able to offer mutual support to an institution that is a playing such an important role in the development of the Tees Valley.“

The college will continue to roll out training at Nifco over the coming months, working with employees from across the business. This company-wide programme, which targets improvements in equipment effectiveness, efficiency and quality, will provide the foundation for Nifco UK to engage the whole workforce in the next step in achieving the company vision, which is to be the European number one supplier of choice for automotive plastic functional components.

Ian Smith, director of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at Middlesbrough College, said: “We are very excited to be working with Nifco UK as the business is a real advocate of skills development, apprenticeships and investing in people, and that’s something that we as a college strongly support.“

Mike added: “We’re so grateful to Middlesbrough College, Tees Valley Unlimited and BIS for all of the support they have given to Nifco UK.

“We’re thrilled to have been offered this grant and we have made firm plans to put it to good use to ensure that we further the positive effect Nifco has on the local and regional economy.“

The business, which manufactures functional plastic parts that are used in the assembly of the interiors, exteriors and engines of cars produced by Nissan, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Vauxhall Opel and Jaguar Landrover, has a current turnover of more than £50m and is aiming to reach a turnover of £100m by 2020.

Peel Land and Property has appointed Manchester-based Russells Construction to build a new Asda superstore at the Chatham Waters development in Kent.

Russells Contruction is currently onsite building the 73,000 sq ft Asda, which forms part of the first phase of the £650 million regeneration scheme on land in Gillingham. The retailer will become the development’s first occupier, creating around 450 new jobs.

Designed by AHR Architects, the £6.5 million project also includes the construction of a petrol station, parking for 400 cars, and landscaping. It is scheduled to be complete by summer 2015.

The contract builds on Russells’ existing relationship with North West property firm Peel. Russells recently delivered  the Eastbank residential regeneration scheme in Ancoats, which comprised 108 properties.

Nick Hey, project director at Peel Holdings said: “We are pleased to be working with Russells again to help deliver this major regeneration project. The team’s proven experience in the retail sector, including complex waterside schemes, will ensure that we can deliver our programme on time and within budget.“

Andrew Russell, director at Russells Construction, said: “We worked closely with Peel’s project team to re-engineer the ground and feed into the store’s design, which will enable us to build it as efficiently and effectively as possible. The store will regenerate a brownfield site and be located at a key area of the development fronting Pier Road.“

The Chatham Waters project is set to transform a 1.9m sq ft heavy industrial site, creating a total of 3,500 jobs as well as 950 homes, 430,000 sq ft of offices and a hotel. It is a wholly privately-funded development with Peel investing £25 million in Phase 1 alone.

Russells has also built stores for Waitrose, Morrisons and Aldi, as well as retail parks for Derwent in Hull and Manchester.

Lancashire County Council has agreed with Cuadrilla to extend the time period to make decisions on planning applications for shale gas development at two new sites to 30 June 2015. 

The council has received applications from the oil and gas company to drill, frack, and test gas flows, with associated separate applications for environmental monitoring, at two sites in Lancashire - Preston New Road at Little Plumpton, and Roseacre Wood at Roseacre. 

The extension follows a request by Cuadrilla to consider additional information about the applications. 

Cuadrilla’s request resulted in the deferral of a meeting of the Development Control Committee in January 2015 at which councillors had been due to make a decision on each application. 

The council has subsequently consulted upon the new information provided by Cuadrilla and planning officers must now review the feedback from the consultation period, and the details supplied by Cuadrilla, before preparing reports for a further meeting of the committee. 

Consultation on the further information relating to both sites took place from Friday 20 March to Friday 17 April to allow representations to be made. It had previously been agreed that both applications would be decided by 30 April 2015. 

The council will announce dates for the applications to be determined by the Development Control Committee in due course.

Earlier this week, a report from AMION Consulting and commissioned by Peel Gas & Oil stated that the Bowland Shale, and in particular the Ocean Gateway area stretching from the port of Liverpool to Manchester, could become a UK and international ‘centre of excellence’.

The North West Coast Academic Health Science Network (NWC AHSN) and the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection and Global Health (IIGH) are to co-host an event looking at new ways to tackle the challenge of infection.

The one day conference at the Liner Hotel, on Wednesday, April 29, will gather partners from industry, academia, patient groups, and the NHS. It will showcase infection research from the IIGH and provide a platform for innovative healthcare SMEs to outline new products and solutions to the challenges posed by infection.

The event will also provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing and networking between industry and NHS representatives, helping to develop innovative best practice approaches to the challenge.

The conference will feature leading immunology academics, including Professor John Goodacre, Medical Director at the North West Coast Academic (NWC AHSN) and Dr Joanna Cartwright, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control, Public Health in England and NW Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy (AMR) Strategy.

Dr Liz Mear, Chief Executive at the NWC AHSN, said: ’’The rise in antibiotic resistance has been described by the World Health Organization as a "major global threat" and infection is a key challenge which the health sector needs to come to terms with. By pooling and sharing our knowledge and expertise at events such as these, we hope to close the gap between current and best practice and develop new, improved approaches to this issue.“

“We look forward to an open exchange of insights and expertise from a varied panel at this key event, which will include contributions from leading academics; SMEs with innovative products and techniques; patients and clinical experts.“

The free event will be held in the Britannia Suite at the Liner Hotel in Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool and will run from 9.30am to 4.30pm.