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Logik Developments has submitted a planning application to Manchester City Council for a commercial scheme that will form part of the £1 billion Mayfield Masterplan

Sam Whitear
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The plans will see the developer transform the land on Baring Street – next to the Mayfield Park – to create circa 215,000 sq ft of commercial office space and a 170,000 sq ft hotel. with plans to start on site Q2 2021 subject to planning approval.

The proposed scheme will become part of the £1 billion Mayfield Masterplan launched by U+I which aims to create 1500 new homes, office space and an improved public realm across a 24-acre site in Manchester.

Neil Spencer Managing Director of Logik Developments described the development as ‘in keeping with the Mayfield history’ he said: “The Mayfield story has been widely incorporated into this project encompassing the River Medlock, Mancunian Way and the abandoned Mayfield train station. The building nods to the industrial feel of the masterplan and this has been integral to the focus and development of this project.”

The office accommodation spans 12 storeys. OBI has been appointed to market the scheme.

OBI Founder Will Lewis said “The scheme will appeal to a range of occupiers and there will be a great deal of interest in the commercial space at Baring Street. This is an exciting new neighbourhood and its great news to see the scheme moving forward”.

Tim Groom Architects is leading the project design. RECOM Solutions has been appointed as Project Managers with Hoare Lea providing M&E consultancy and Roscoe advising on civil and structural design. Deloitte is the planning consultant for the scheme.

Neil Spencer added: “The scheme that is moving into planning, depicts the appetite for development, in which will be, one of Manchester’s most sought-after locations. The building is in keeping with Mayfield masterplan encompassing of Mayfield’s history and in keeping with the SRF. This is a fantastic and exciting scheme to be involved in.”

The scheme is adjacent to Manchester Piccadilly railway station with the Mancunian Way also nearby.

Detailed discussions are currently ongoing regarding the hotel element of the scheme and Logik is having exclusivity talks with a new operator entering the UK market.
Manchester based Logik Developments currently has another scheme with planning secured and recently announced a joint venture partnership with High Street Group to deliver a residential development on Arundel Street in Castlefield. The scheme comprises a residential block with 355 one, two and three bed apartments as well as commercial space.

Through our connections, we’re able to bring new and unique sites to market which not only advance a city’s strategic masterplan but also deliver long term value to the community.

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More than £250m grant funding and rate relief provided to Manchester businesses during Covid-19 response

Sam Whitear
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More than 9,000 organisations have been supported by the Council since the beginning of the pandemic, with a range of rate relief and cash grants giving a lifeline to some of the city’s businesses.

As the country went into lockdown, the Government provided an initial two tiers of grant funding for businesses – Small Business Rate Grant and Retail Leisure and Entertainment Grant – and followed-up with a discretionary grant for businesses not eligible for the previous funding. Rate relief was also provided for small businesses and those directly involved in retail, leisure and entertainment.Manchester was provided £108.64m as part of the initial Small Business Rate (up to £10k per business) and Retail, Leisure and Entertainment (up to £25k per business) grants.

To date we have paid out 7,851 grants totalling £99.16 million and representing 87.4% of payments. The remainder of applications are made up of complex cases where Council officers are working with businesses to process payments as quickly as possible.

These two grant funds remain active and if businesses still require support and have not applied for funding already it is not too late.

Find out more here

At the end of May, Manchester was provided £5.1m as part of the latter discretionary fund which has already been distributed to support 885 of businesses, and the fund will be fully spent by the end of July.

The Council has also provided 100% business rate relief worth £145.5m to 3,918 businesses and relief to 77 nurseries worth £855k.

Lea Recruitment Consultancy Ltd – Discretionary Fund recipient 

Ally Lee runs a recruitment consultancy business specialising in IT and telecommunications from a managed service office near the Airport.

The business resides in an all-inclusive space, which means her business is located in premises which do not have a rateable value and therefore was ineligible for the initial round of business grant support from the Government.

Ally said: “I went from being a thriving business one day to all my work being cancelled within 48hrs – and there was no end in sight. It was heart-breaking to find out from the Council that I wasn’t eligible for the initial grants because of the guidelines put forward by the Government.

“I realised that small businesses in my building and across the city would be in the same situation. Small businesses generate a huge amount to the city’s economy, but we’re also vulnerable and being unable to access financial support could’ve meant disaster. It felt like such an injustice”

Ally remained in close contact with the Council – with support from her property management company, Colliers – and the Council began lobbying the Government for a new fund to be set up to help those that had missed out.

Ally continued: “When the discretionary grant scheme was announced the Council were very clear that the fund was limited and there wouldn’t be enough for every business. I really appreciated that honesty and transparency. And I know some Councils aren’t making discretionary payments at all, so the sense of relief when I found out the business was going to get help was huge.

“My alternative was getting a loan, which would’ve put a massive burden on the business at a time when it wasn’t clear when work was going to return. The help I got from the Council made me and other small businesses feel like we are valued. So a huge thanks to them for lobbying the Government with us and on our behalf.

“We’re now back up and running and it’s a relief to know that our bills are paid for a couple of months while we concentrate on the recovery and future of the business.”

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “It’s an incredible feat to have supported more than 9,000 businesses with more than a quarter of a billion pounds worth of grant and relief support in just a few months. However, it was a vital lifeline for many businesses across the city that simply could not have survived the economic impact of lockdown.

“We felt that as the grant funding support was made up of public money, it was important that we carefully audited applications to avoid fraudulent payments – and we can say that we have supported only legitimate businesses.

“While keeping a close eye on the continuing public health response to manage the virus, our focus now must be on the city’s economic recovery. So if you own a business that needs support and you haven’t applied for either the small business or the retail leisure and entertainment grants and rate relief  yet, there is still time as long as you act quickly.”

Kuits makes double promotion

Sam Whitear
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Manchester law firm Kuits has promoted two of its most promising lawyers, welcoming one into its partnership.

Commercial and intellectual property specialist Caroline Brennan becomes the firm’s 32nd partner.

Caroline, who joined from Shoosmiths in 2018, has helped Kuits grow a key service offering in providing an outsourced support function for in-house legal teams, in addition to a number of other sector specialisms such as non-contentious IP and sport.

Sam Jackson, a lawyer in the banking and real estate finance team, has been promoted to associate after two years at Kuits. Sam advises mainstream, bridging and private lenders on their financing provisions in the real estate sector, including bespoke loan security documentation.

Managing partner Steve Eccleston said: “It’s extremely pleasing to be able to recognise the achievements of Caroline and Sam and reward their commitment to the firm and its clients. Most recently, they have both done an incredible job in supporting North West businesses through this extremely pressured time.

“Both have demonstrated values we believe are crucial to the success of the firm: commerciality, collaboration with others to provide a comprehensive and joined-up advisory service, and the ability to forge strong connections to add value to our client relationships.”

BRUNTWOOD WORKS LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE MATCHMAKING ‘OFFICE SHARE’ SERVICE FOR BUSINESSES

Sam Whitear
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Workspace and leisure provider Bruntwood Works has launched a new service for businesses to partner up and share a space together.

The Office Share initiative provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for businesses to join forces and share a workspace as many adjust to a ‘new normal’ following the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative will allow businesses to spend just two to three days in the office and, enable staff to work flexibly, something which has proved successful for many during this period. Their ‘business buddy’ will then use the space for the remainder of the week.

It is designed to support those firms that want to carry on working from home, but still need office space at certain days and times for their employees to come together. It will also support those who might need reduced space or to decrease overheads.

Bruntwood Works will bring businesses of all sizes together to provide tailored support – enabling businesses to save money and share a workspace as they recover from the challenges created by coronavirus.

Ciara Keeling, CEO of Bruntwood Works said: “Hopefully this new trailblazing service will be a match made in heaven for so many. It’s normally not possible for businesses to share space, but as we own and manage all of our own spaces, Bruntwood Works is in a really unique position to offer this.

“Businesses of all sizes have been severely affected by the pandemic with many forced to change their ways of working.

“Finances and expenditure will be tightened for many, but we know that the right workspace is a place that’s vital for staff wellbeing and is a place where great ideas and people come together.

“Providing the right fit for our customers is nothing new – we’ve been providing flexibility for the needs of businesses for years through our adaptable workspaces. Our Office Share initiative is another string to our bow that offers support to businesses who may want to adapt; whether that’s needing a dedicated space for a couple of days a week for their employees to get together, but the rest of the time they may want to work from home.”

The Office Share service follows the launch of Spark by Bruntwood Works, a service designed in partnership with small business support network, Enterprise Nation, to provide management teams of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the support needed to develop new ideas, take the next step on their growth journeys and navigate the challenges created by coronavirus.

It will also inspire further collaboration among businesses within the Bruntwood Works community and encourage knowledge-sharing among the company’s network of 55,000 customers and 2,000 member businesses across Birmingham, Cheshire, Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester.

Ciara added: “For businesses and cities to thrive – we need each other – so we are providing tailored support and guidance by buddying up firms together to form a lasting partnership that helps them save costs and grow their business in an adapted workspace.”

TLT advises Maven on Hublsoft investment

Sam Whitear
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TLT has advised Maven Capital Partners UK on its growth capital investment in data analytics company Hublsoft Group Limited.

Maven is one of the UK’s leading private equity and property managers.

Hublsoft’s platform delivers a more intuitive data experience for business decision makers,
enabling the analysis process to be intuitive, non-technical and engaging. Its solution is opening up the possibilities of big data to clients who had previously found this field overly complicated or heavily reliant on third parties.

Hublsoft will use the investment as part of its first funding round to drive growth into new markets and customer channels.

Nina Searle led the TLT team alongside Luke Thorngate-Davies and Amanda Applegate.

Gareth Price, investment director at Maven, says: “Data analytics is an increasingly important part of any business and we see great potential in the future of Hublsoft’s technology.

“TLT has incredible depth of experience in the growth capital and tech scale up markets and we have always been impressed by their knowledge and advice.”

Nina Searle, partner at UK law firm TLT, says: “Despite lockdown, we’ve seen a sustained appetite for investment in robust technology propositions such as Hublsoft.

“Tech platforms will have a starring role in the UK’s economic recovery, and I’d expect to see a growing interest in life sciences and technologies that have a renewed purpose in the world.

“We are really pleased to have partnered with Gareth and the team at Maven again.”

K7 MEDIA APPOINTS HEAD OF UNSCRIPTED RESEARCH

Sam Whitear
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Global media consultancy, K7 Media, has strengthened its senior team, with Alice Hinett named Head of Unscripted Research.

As a new role within the consultancy, Hinett’s promotion will see her manage all unscripted research requests, publishing K7’s weekly unscripted English language reports and oversee any contributions from the wider research team.

She will also be responsible for the delivery of monthly webinars on a range of unscripted trends, as well as curating K7’s entertainment quick lists.

The announcement follows a period of substantial growth for the business, with the appointment of specialist media consultants Hannah Barnes in Australia and Singapore-based Victoria de Kerdrel, bolstering K7’s international presence.

Discussing her promotion, Hinett said: “I’m so happy to be named K7’s Head of Unscripted Research. Having been with the business since 2016, it has been incredible to see how much it has grown in a relatively short period of time.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to further grow K7’s unscripted division and continue to champion the very best non-scripted programming from across the globe.”

K7 Media Founder & CEO, Keri Lewis Brown, added: “We are delighted to announce Alice’s promotion. Just like for every business, the past few months have brought a range of challenges and we feel extremely lucky to be able to continue to grow our senior team and build the services we provide to clients.”
K7 Media offers bespoke research and media consulting services to broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors and production companies. K7 continues to expand its current range of client services, while maintaining the delivery of highly sought-after media reports.

Nichols PLC joins NWBLT

Sam Whitear
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The North West Business Leadership Team has welcomed Andrew Milne, Group Chief Operating Officer of Nichols plc, the international soft drinks group based in Newton-le-Willows, to its ranks of the region’s prominent thinkers and decision makers.

Andrew joined Nichols as Commercial Director for Vimto Soft Drinks in July 2013. He was appointed to the plc Board on 1st January 2016 and became Group Chief Operating Officer in 2019. Andrew also has extensive experience in the soft drinks industry having previously worked as Sales Director for the Northern region at Coca Cola Enterprises and prior to that, as Trading Director at GlaxoSmithKline. At a time when the region and the country are facing major challenges, Andrew’s knowledge and industry expertise will be an important resource in shaping thinking within the NWBLT.

On joining the NWBLT, Andrew commented: “I am excited to become a part of NWBLT during this challenging period for both our region and for the nation. At Nichols we are proud of our long history in the international soft drinks business. With a brand history of 112 years and sales in over 85 countries, the experience we have gained diversifying our business stands us in good stead for the future. I look forward to sharing this knowledge with my peers in the NWBLT and learning from them too”.

Richard Carter, NWBLT’s Chair and Managing Director of BASF Group companies in the UK and Ireland, commented: “We are delighted that Andrew has joined the NWBLT. His contribution will be invaluable to our programme of work during these turbulent times and we are very much looking forward to engaging further with him, and his team, at Nichols plc”.

Global success stories show that Greater Manchester is still open for international business

Sam Whitear
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In a time of uncertainty for businesses across Greater Manchester and beyond, some of the region’s SMEs have shown that a global pandemic is no reason to stop plans for international expansion.

Boosted by their participation in the Growth Company’s Global Scale-up Programme, businesses from Greater Manchester have seen the benefits of international expansion despite the restrictions that have been put in place due to COVID-19.

The SMEs who took part in the first cohort have seen an additional £24m in revenue, with 16 international visits attended before lockdown, as well as a host of activity in new markets, including product launches and office openings, while also giving back to their local communities. Around 100 companies will have completed the programme by 2021.

Launched in July 2019 and delivered by the Growth Company’s Business Growth Hub, the Global Scale-up Programme enables businesses across the city region to expand into international markets with the support of programme partners KPMG, DWF, Santander, Manchester Airport and working closely with the Department for International Trade.

Anna Carson-Parker, Global Scale-up Project Manager, said: “The Global Scale-up programme has had a genuine positive impact for businesses on the programme who were looking to expand their operations internationally. Despite the current climate the programme still has an important role to play, not only does it create opportunities and forge new connections, it also coaches business leaders on their expansion into global markets.

“Businesses that export are typically more resilient, so it is important that international ambitions remain high on the agenda. The success of the programme is down to the global ambition of the businesses on the programme and the support of our programme partners.”

Among the businesses thriving as a result of taking part in the programme are Just Strong, a Bolton-based producer of women’s fitness wear whose brand is built around an emphasis on female empowerment. They have increased their sales by £7.5m since joining Global Scale-up thanks to a continued expansion in the US market.

Just Strong has seen record sales since the start of the pandemic, helped by their work in bringing women together on social media and empowering them to stay fit during lockdown. They are currently working with the Global Scale-up team to explore new markets in South Korea, Japan, China and Hong Kong.

Mark Robinson, Founder and CEO of Just Strong, said: “The Global Scale-up team has been instrumental in supporting us during the turbulent times we’ve all just faced. I can only commend their willingness to introduce, connect and support Just Strong as we prepare for our next stage of growth.

“They always willing to go an extra mile for us. With high growth in a relatively new business, it’s been very important for us to have the right help on hand.”

Meanwhile, fine bedding brand Trendsetter has used the experience and knowledge gained from the programme together with the unique circumstances of lockdown to focus on international growth, targeting new markets in North America and Europe.

Managing director Claire Watkin is a savvy entrepreneur and the fourth generation of her family to run the 100-year-old business from its Trafford Park base. A focus on sustainable materials and green production methods have boosted the company’s growth.

Claire said: “There have been many benefits of taking part in the Global Scale-up Programme – the networking with other businesses, sharing challenges and successes and learning from each other, looking at new techniques to drive forward our team such as the International Growth Sprint.

“The programme has really reaped much greater benefits over the last few months when as a consequence of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, we have been forced like many other businesses to reappraise how we do things.”

Claire, who has also had access to a business mentor through the Hub’s Be the Business Mentoring for Growth programme, added: “For every challenge that we have faced we have been given advice or contacts for those that can help us on our journey. As a result, we have been able to change the way we are operating and really start to gain much greater traction. Our huge thanks to all those who have taken part or supported the programme and Trendsetter on the journey so far and for the future!”

The first of its kind outside London, the Global Scale-up Programme gives the city region’s businesses access to a global market entry network alongside tailored coaching, international growth sprints and regular bootcamps, which have gone online during lockdown.

Despite the economic impact of COVID-19, the programme is continuing to support SMEs in their plans for international expansion, and any business that is ambitious and showing 20% YOY growth can register their interest in future cohorts at www.businessgrowthhub.com/global-scale-up-programme

Electricity North West welcomes new chairman

Sam Whitear
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Electricity North West, the company that owns and maintains the regional power network, has announced former Ofgem CEO, Alistair Buchanan CBE, as its new chairman.

Buchanan will take up the role as part of a planned Board succession following the completion of Electricity North West’s strategic review in December 2019, which was successfully overseen by current chairman Dr John Roberts CBE.

Roberts, who had previously been Chief Executive of Manweb and United Utilities, leaves Electricity North West following a strong performance during his six-year tenure as chairman.

Buchanan has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the energy industry, including 10 years as chief executive of Ofgem, the gas and electricity markets regulator. In 2013 he joined KPMG as Partner and UK chairman of power & utilities, returning to the firm where he trained as a chartered accountant.

During his career Buchanan became an award-winning energy sector analyst and head of research for banks in New York and London. He joined Electricity North West as an independent non-executive director in 2018 and will take up his position as chair in October.

Electricity North West chief executive, Peter Emery, said: “I’m delighted to announce that Alistair is to be our new chairman and I thank John Roberts for his commitment to the role over the past six years. During John’s chairmanship, we have seen significantly improved levels of both reliability and customer service, and the launch of the organisation’s flagship ‘Leading the North West to zero carbon’ strategy.”

“We invest around a million pounds a day in the North West and are at a critical time as we work to deliver a reliable, sustainable, yet affordable network for people and businesses across the region. We’re committed to reaching net zero by 2038, as well as playing a leading role to help secure the low carbon transition.

“As part of this journey, we expect peak demand to double in the next 18 years through the use of electric cars, which will require a further acceleration in our investment programme. Alistair’s experience is second to none and will be invaluable as we chart our course to meet this challenging outlook.”

Alistair Buchanan, said: “The pandemic has proven just how much we all depend on electricity for our schools, hospitals and to allow millions to work from home. Electricity North West plays a key role in society, in reaching net zero and in the green recovery through its investment and I want to see them go from strength to strength.”

Electricity North West connects 2.4 million properties and more than 5 million people in the region to the National Grid from Macclesfield in the south to Carlisle in the north.

It is currently carrying out its biggest ever engagement programme ahead of submitting its business plan for 2023-2028 to regulator Ofgem next year.

Alistair Buchanan will take up his post on 3 October.

MORGAN SINDALL CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT COMMUNITIES ACROSS SALFORD FOLLOWING LATEST NEW BAILEY APPOINTMENT

Sam Whitear
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Morgan Sindall Construction has reaffirmed its commitment to creating social value through its growing footprint in Salford following its appointment by the English Cities Fund to build a further residential building as part of the New Bailey development.

The 23-storey tower occupying plot C1 will be the tallest residential development at New Bailey to date, and will feature a six-storey podium with an exclusive rooftop garden terrace, designed to enhance residents’ wellbeing.

There will be a total of 211 apartments available for private sale within the building, 86 with one bedroom and 125 with two bedrooms, most of which will have city and waterside views, and be built to a high-quality specification, including kitchen and bathroom products.

Residents will also benefit from a full management and concierge service, which will include a private gym and wellness studio, shared workspace areas and secured cycle storage, as well as a communal lounging area that looks on to the River Irwell. Attractive landscaping will be designed for the public spaces around the scheme while the ground floor communal space of the building will also offer residents the opportunity to work from home.

Completion of the apartments is expected in November 2022.

The construction of this first residential development for private sale at New Bailey follows Morgan Sindall Construction’s appointment to deliver Plot A7, the third residential building in The Slate Yard which will provide 199 apartments for rent.

As part of its work at New Bailey, Morgan Sindall Construction is delivering a series of programmes and initiatives designed to improve social, economic and environmental wellbeing within Salford.

At Plot A7, which is due for completion later this year, the social value being delivered is currently calculated at £8 million which is almost 22% of the total project value*.
Morgan Sindall Construction continues to abide by government and Public Health England operating procedures to maintain the safety and wellbeing of everyone on site.
Shaun Jones, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in Manchester, said: “New Bailey is bringing a fantastic mixture of dynamic new buildings to Salford, and we’re very proud to have been appointed to this latest stage of the development.
“Throughout our work on this project we will continue to create training and employment opportunities for local people while growing our supply chain of businesses within the area, ensuring our work brings about a real boost to the local economy.
“It’s now more important than ever that projects such as this deliver tangible community benefits, and we’re committed to working with local organisations in order to develop targeted initiatives that will help build sustainable communities across Salford.”
Leon Guyett, development director at The English Cities Fund, said: “Despite the strange and difficult times that we find ourselves in, we’re extremely pleased to be able to continue development at New Bailey safely and in line with current government guidance, with the appointment of Morgan Sindall Construction on this latest monumental scheme.

“We’re excited to add another building to the ever-expanding Salford skyline, while driving economic and social prosperity in partnership with our supply chain to benefit the whole Salford community. Delivering meaningful and tangible social value is key to bringing forward any successful programme of regeneration, and we’re delighted that we’ll be able to continue this together on plot C1.”
The project represents the latest stage of Morgan Sindall Construction’s work at New Bailey. As well its presence at C1 and A7, it has previously completed work on the New Bailey and Stanley Street NCP multi-storey car parks. It was also recently announced that the main contractor has been appointed to build the University of Salford’s new £65 million Science, Engineering and Environmental Building (SEE Building).
New Bailey is being delivered by The English Cities Fund, a joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal & General and Homes England. The joint venture partnership is currently delivering some of the most complex and most successful urban regeneration projects across the UK. Following the fund’s expansion in 2018, it continues to take on large-scale, challenging sites and create inspiring new places.
*Calculated via Salford City Council’s recording tool Social Value Portal Ltd.

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