annual review - D2N2 LEP

2013/14

ANNUAL REVIEW

OUR BIG CHALLENGE

Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, looks back over a busy year

GROWING PLACES

How D2N2’s plans are coming to fruition and driving increased growth in a prosperous East Midlands economy

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D2N2 chief executive David Ralph reports on how the organisation plans to drive growth in the area

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Millions of pounds of funding is up for grabs to help the long-term growth of D2N2 businesses

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How D2N2’s Growing Places Fund is helping to kick-start stalled job-creating developments

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Workers at Derby’s Bombardier plant this year celebrated winning the £1 billion Crossrail deal. The transport manufacturing sector is particularly strong in the D2N2 area and the Local Enterprise Partnership aims to build on its success when drawing up its blueprint for future growth strategies and job creation.

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D2N2: The UK’s most inspirational postcode

We have a clear vision to bring more local jobs D2N2 is the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Local Enterprise Partnerships are locally-owned partnerships between local authorities and businesses. The private-sector led partnerships play a central role in deciding local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and create local jobs. D2N2 is the fifth largest of the 39 LEPs in England, covering an area with a population of more than two million people and an economic output in excess of £36 billion. Our goal is to create 55,000 privatesector jobs in the D2N2 area by 2023. Our vision is a more prosperous, better connected, and increasingly

resilient and competitive economy. Our purpose is to support and encourage economic growth in D2N2. Our ambition is to be one of the most respected LEPs, known for our professionalism and effectiveness. D2N2 has a clear vision and strategy in place to guide its work in boosting the local economy through a £2.4 billion investment programme. D2N2 is led by and governed by its board, made up of high-profile and respected business leaders, local authority leaders and representatives of the higher education, further education and voluntary sectors from across the D2N2 area. For more information about who is on the D2N2 board, go to www.d2n2lep.org/Board.

D2N2 had an increased presence promoting the area at the MIPIM property exhibition in Cannes

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Taking a look at D2N2’s action plan to increase growth in its eight key sectors of economic focus

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How D2N2 has made a commitment to improving skills across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire

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Major improvement schemes that have been backed by the D2N2 Local Transport Board

Rising to the challenge of boosting economic growth Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, looks back over a busy year. THE past 12 months has seen a transformation in the organisation, operation and effectiveness of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. A combination of clearer government policy and increasing local capacity, including the appointment of a Chief Executive at the start of last year, has seen the LEP rise to the challenge of delivering not only its Strategic Economic Plan but also a range of products and initiatives which have culminated in the Growth Deal with Government that now sets the pathway to sustainable economic growth across the D2N2 area over the next ten years. Specifically, D2N2 as part of the East Midlands has over the past 12 months been the fastest growing area in the UK, outside London. This is illustrated by the number of employees in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire area rising to 874,000 – up 6,200 on the previous year. The number of apprenticeship starts is 23,970 – up 540 on the previous 12 months– and business start-ups stands at 10.3% – up 0.4%. Indeed, all the key metrics that D2N2 uses to assess performance of our economy have shown improvement over the past year. In addition to the responsibility to develop our Strategic Economic Plan – The UK’s Most Inspirational Postcode – and the EU Structural Funds Programme, the Local Enterprise Partnership itself has had responsibility for four specific initiatives: ■ The Regional Growth Fund, with our own programme, Unlocking Investment for Growth ■ The Growing Places Fund, a loan programme to accelerate stalled development ■ The Nottingham Enterprise Zone ■ A pilot scheme, along with our partners, entitled Skills Support for the Workforce. In April 2013, D2N2 secured £5 million through our partners EMB Ltd for the Unlocking Investment for Growth programme and in the first 12 months, £2,745,948 had been approved in grants, creating 241 jobs with another 300 expected, with the amount of grants requested at an advanced stage standing at £2 million. All funding has been allocated from the Growing Places Fund, to help create thousands of jobs. From the loans already advanced, 227 jobs will be created in a project leading to 800 new homes, a new school and apprenticeships. Accelerating delivery of our Enterprise

Peter Richardson, Chairman of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. Zone, which consists of four sites, has been a key challenge for the LEP. By working in partnership we have been successful in securing £5.5 million in government funding for the MediPark site, the Beeston Business Park is now on site and progressing the main Boots site remains an absolute priority for this partnership. A £7 million Skills Support for the Workforce was launched as a pilot, with our partners, in November 2013 to offer jobspecific courses to firms in areas covered by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and to date it has supported 1,705 employee training opportunities. And we secured a £1.25 million Local Response Fund for Skills, plus an

additional £1million to support Work Programme learners with extended support in the workplace. This time 12 months ago, Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, stated that the D2N2 area is at the heart of rebalancing the UK economy, delivering high-quality private sector jobs to help implement the Government’s Industrial Strategy. D2N2 is the UK’s Most Inspirational Postcode and, as we now look to move from planning to implementation, we are absolutely committed to positioning this area to compete in the global economy and secure our goal of helping create 55,000 private sector jobs by 2023.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT

D2N2: THE UK’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL POSTCODE

Our aim is to help create 55,000 new jobs by 2023 David Ralph, chief executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, reports on how the organisation plans to drive increasing growth in a prosperous East Midlands economy. IT IS not overstating the case to say that this has been a decisive year in the history of your Local Enterprise Partnership. Not so long ago, these young organisations were trying to find their feet at a time of enormous financial and economic uncertainty. We had been handed an important mission in local economic development by Government, but lacked some of the tools needed to deliver. Towards the end of 2012, our chairman, Peter Richardson, was appointed and made it his first task to recruit an operational chief executive – which is where I came in! Since then, we have put in place structures, relationships and plans that together mean we have moved firmly into delivery mode. Plans have been drawn up, budgets are being secured, and the result is that the area we cover – Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – is now in a better position to exploit its considerable economic assets and drive growth. We don’t pretend for a moment that we are alone in this. Our plans are here to serve the

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people and businesses of our area and they have been drawn up with the help and wisdom of local authority partners, sector agencies, business organisations and the many stakeholders in the economies we serve. But I genuinely believe that D2N2 is now a stronger, more robust and more delivery-focused organisation than it was 12 months ago. With our partners, we WILL make a difference. A year ago, we set ourselves three clear targets: that we should become a visible force for good, that we should set out a clear economic plan for the area we cover, and that we should secure resources that would enable us to begin delivering that plan. What was the thinking behind those targets? We needed to become more visible because we needed to engage with our business community and the area’s stakeholders, harness their knowledge and crystallise our collective priorities, while at the same time making central government aware that there was significant potential that must be supported. A clear economic strategy was the necessary consequence of those conversations. It has resulted in the development of a Strategic Economic Plan, known as the SEP, that has supported an application for substantial government resources to help us exploit that massive potential. Those resources will be added

David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, left, believes its is a stronger, more delivery-focused organisation than it was 12 months ago. D2N2 priorities include Infinity Park in Derby, top, and the proposed new HS2 station at Toton, above and centre. to substantial sums that have already been secured: ● £5 million from the Regional Growth Fund and £2.8 million from the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Unlocking Investment for Growth programme ● £5.5 million to support the development of the new MediPark business incubator within the Nottingham Enterprise Zone ● 244 million Euros of European Union funding between now and 2020 from the ERDF and the European Social Fund (ESF) ● 5.5 million euros from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) This is not some opportunistic

trawl for public funding. What lies underneath the SEP and the funds we have and hope to secure is an ambitious – but achievable – outcome: the creation of 55,000 new jobs across the D2N2 area by 2023. Where will those jobs come from? These will be private sector jobs that come from the transformation of the economy from one that is currently servicesector oriented to one that has a broad spread of strengths across industries like manufacturing, bioscience, food and drink, clean technology, the visitor economy, transport and logistics. Alongside that goal, we have identified a strategy to help develop and improve the skills

among people at schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace in a way that supports the needs of these industries. This is crucial to making sure that growth is sustained in the longer term, and the collective work done by our further education colleges has been encouraging. The confirmation of our Growth Deal with Government, a £555 million co-ordinated programme, kickstarts our journey. The initiatives it will support over the next six years, will help us to secure those new jobs. We believe there are compelling reasons why our SEP should be supported, and that

substantial investment in the local economy would deliver considerable long-term benefits not just to the area but to the UK economy as a whole. Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire can justifiably claim to be the engine room of the East Midlands economy, with acknowledged centres of excellence in industries which are at the forefront of global economic growth – aerospace, automotive and transport engineering, life sciences, creative industries, data analytics to name but a few. We have significant opportunities, too, in emerging areas of the local economy – clean technology, logistics, food and

drink and the visitor economy, for example. There is another reason why substantial investment in the D2N2 area makes sense: the East Midlands is the fastestgrowing economy in the UK outside London and is showing most growth in the private sector. One of the most important things for any organisation responsible for stimulating economic growth is meaningful data, and we now have 12 key metrics measuring the performance of the local economy. Every single one is in ‘green for go’ territory and we believe substantial support from the Local Growth Fund is justified. Priorities include: ● Infinity Park at Derby, the 250-acre commercial and technology park which will support 8,000 jobs in high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries ● Preparatory work for the development of the proposed HS2 rail station at Toton between Nottingham and Derby ● The development of the Southern Gateway to Nottingham, which supports the development of the city's multimodal transport interchange, the redevelopment of Broadmarsh and its surrounding area, and the project to enhance Nottingham Castle's status as a visitor destination of national standing ● The Newark Southern Relief Road, which will provide an important strategic link between the A46 and the A1 ● Chesterfield Waterfront, the ambitious proposals for the development of new office and commercial space alongside Chesterfield Waterside ● The provision of new industrial employment space alongside Rolls-Royce at its site at Hucknall There are two reasons why driving ahead with projects like these is important. As I have already identified, the economic potential is there provided we grasp it. But while ground can be gained, it can also be lost: the planned closure of large-scale employers like Thoresby Colliery and Imperial Tobacco,

show we must remain vigilant and be vigorous in pursuing new opportunities So although our economy has momentum, genuine global strengths and some clearly identified opportunities, there is a job to do. That includes increasing our efforts to raise the profile of the D2N2 area, both as a location for inward investment and as a visitor destination. We supported Derby and Nottingham at MIPIM, the international property development and investment expo in March, and the conversations we had with senior figures in the industry made it plain that now is the time to market the area as hard as we can. By the same token, our research tells us that we can significantly increase the numbers of people who visit and stay in our

The East Midlands is the fastest-growing economy in the United Kingdom outside London. area as a tourism destination. The work done by the Peak District Business Partnership in developing a growth plan has been encouraging, as have the successes of Experience Nottinghamshire in both visitor numbers and conference wins. Put simply, there has never been a better time to invest in destination marketing. While external partnerships are critical to D2N2's success, I also want to acknowledge the role played by the two teams within the organisation itself. One is the Board, which has offered both support and wisdom at decisive moments, working incredibly hard to help us deliver. The other is the small team of staff within D2N2. Their commitment – embodied by numerous late nights helping us to put plans together – has been incredible. I firmly believe that D2N2 has demonstrated that it can make a significant contribution to the growth of the economy in Derby and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We're ready for action.


HELPING FIRMS TO GROW UI4G GRANT FUNDING

The Ear Firms urged to Foundation use UI4G cash A to make their dreams reality Millions of pounds of funding is up for grabs to help the long-term growth of D2N2 businesses. Richard Baker reports.

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HIS summer, D2N2 discovered how successful it had been in bidding for the Local Growth Fund, the £2 billion a year pot of Government money set up to help support Strategic Economic Plans for the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships. Support for the Strategic Economic Plan is crucial to the delivery of D2N2’s long-term economic ambitions, specifically its desire to help create 55,000 net new jobs by 2023. But that work is already under way, thanks to a number of other funding streams. One of the most significant is a programme called Unlocking Investment For Growth – known as UI4G – which is supported by £5million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund and £2.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund. UI4G provides vital funding to businesses who are ready to make substantial capital investments that will generate long-term growth, but can’t quite get their hands on all the money they need. D2N2 estimates that by providing this additional funding, UI4G could actually unlock around £20million of direct investment in businesses in Derby

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and Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. What’s more, this funding will support hundreds of new jobs. There are a number of criteria that must be met for a successful application to the fund – and competition is, of course, intense. As these pages demonstrate, a number of businesses in the D2N2 area have already secured backing from UI4G – and a number of other applications are currently being considered. The programme will provide a grant in support of capital investment projects with a minimum overall project value of £200,000. In exceptional circumstances up to £500,000 of grant funding is available for projects that can demonstrate real potential to create new jobs. The main criteria for assessment will be: ■ Overall strength of business case in terms of deliverability, impact and risk minimisation ■ Number of new sustainable, private sector jobs created ■ Level of private sector support investment that is leveraged by the grant funding ■ Eligibility for Regional Growth Fund support – including State Aid compliance ■ Value for money Dozens of applications are being worked through and EMB Ltd, who manage the programme on behalf of D2N2, want to see capital investment projects that will create long-term sustainable jobs. For more information, go to www.d2n2.org/UI4G, email [email protected] or call 01332 826366.

£120,000 grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership will pave the way for a leading national charity to triple the number of families it helps. The Ear Foundation is an independent charity supporting deaf children, young people, adults and their families to make the best use of their hearing technologies to develop communication skills. And the helping hand from D2N2’s Unlocking Investment for Growth programme, supported by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, has acted as the enabler to get the £700,000 expansion off the ground. Based in Lenton, Nottingham, 1,000 families and 3,500 delegates a year currently go through its doors and the new SoundSpace development will provide a purpose-built facility that meets the needs of all users under one roof. The expansion will double the professional training offered and triple the number of people helped – up to 3,500 – through the Ear Foundation’s family programme, education programme, clinical services and research programme. It will also see the number of full-time employees rise from 11 to 18, with other jobs safeguarded. Further investment was required to fund the project and work got under way in May. It should be completed by the end of the year, with the facility in use by Spring 2015. Dr Sue Archbold, chief executive of the Ear Foundation, said: “This grant from D2N2 has made the difference when it comes to this expansion happening or not. Without it, work on SoundSpace would not have started in May. “It has helped open doors to other funding and, backed by a sound business plan, was key to giving us the confidence to go ahead. “The purpose-built facility will make such a difference and enable us to deliver more of our valuable services and have a positive impact on deaf children, young people, adults and their families.”

Left, the new Ear Foundation building in Lenton. Its expansion with the assistance of a UI4G grant from D2N2 means the charity can triple the number of people it helps.

Top, apprentice fabrication welder Jack Middleton working at FC Laser’s Stanton by Dale premises. Above centre, Tommy Tucker products. Above, Richard Munyard with some of the S&S Products.

AWL Trucks

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n Ilkeston truck company is ploughing ahead with its expansion plans to mark its tenth anniversary after securing a grant with help from one of the region’s leading independent accountancy firms. AWL Trucks, at Websters Industrial Estate, in Hallam Fields Road, specialises in buying and selling trucks – mainly road gritters and snow ploughs – across the UK and exporting to Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Poland. Owner Aaron Webster has secured £87,000 from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s Unlocking Investment for Growth scheme, thanks to advice and support from Baldwins Accountants in Eldon Business Park, Attenborough, Nottingham. The grant means AWL Trucks has recruited three extra members of staff in marketing, valeting and sales as well as helping to purchase its 6,760 sq ft premises and buy machinery to diversify into manufacturing the bodies of gritters and fitting them to second-hand trucks. Mr Webster, whose company

celebrated its tenth year in business in June, said being able to buy the two units had been key to the expansion plans. “We have been steadily building up the business and are now determined to go to the next level,” he said. “Our products are sold all over the world but we wanted to be able to diversify and manufacture some of the production aspect ourselves because there is the demand for this service.” Martyn Shakespear, business development and client services director at Baldwins Accountants, said the Unlocking Investment for Growth programme was ideal for companies such as AWL Trucks. “The aim of the initiative is to help local businesses grow and create new jobs which is exactly why we urged AWL Trucks to apply and helped with the application process,” he said.

FC Laser

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RAPIDLY-GROWING Ilkeston company has immediately boosted its staff by a third thanks to grant funding from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership – with

more new jobs to follow. In its second year of trading after being set up by Danny Fantom, FC Laser is an industry leader in laser cutting and associated fabrication services, offering laser-cut components to a number of different industries including aerospace, motorsport, retail and general engineering. It has been successful in applying for a grant from D2N2’s UI4G programme. The company, which won Most Promising New Business at the Derbyshire’s Best Business Awards, received more than £66,000 towards the purchasing and installation costs of a new £320,000 laser cutting machine at its premises, next to the M1 on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border. The second machine will provide extra capacity and backup for “down-time” and has already created four new jobs, to boost staff numbers from 12 to 16, with a further four employee posts to be created by 2016/17. Mr Fantom, FC Laser managing director, said: “Without the grant from D2N2’s UI4G programme we wouldn’t have had this new

machine, especially this early. It would have taken at least another 12 months before anything could have happened. “It has enabled us to employ another four people immediately and they are now in post. It also paves the way for a further four new recruits in the next few years while helping to secure the existing jobs. “When you are operating with just one machine you are vulnerable in case it breaks down and all production stops. The grant has helped purchase a second laser cutting machine and it takes away that vulnerability. “In turn it helps secure new contracts and new customers, allowing us to continue to grow our business.”

Tommy Tucker

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POPCORN and candyfloss manufacturer is expanding its workforce after receiving grant funding from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership. Tommy Tucker, which has premises in Shireoaks and Retford, has employed 11 full-time staff as a result of the expansion and that

number rose to 15 by the end of March. The Nottinghamshire company produces popcorn, candyfloss and confectionery and is a leading supplier to the cinema and leisure market across the country. New machinery has been brought in to increase capacity and allow the company to produce new products and move into different markets. The firm expects to see up to 30% growth in the business during the next five years. It has been successful in applying for a grant from D2N2’s UI4G programme and the £62,500 received will go towards the £317,500 project at its Shireoaks site. Simon Stanham, financial director of Tommy Tucker, said: “The UI4G funding has made the difference between us deciding to go ahead with this project. “As a result, we can produce new products and move into different markets and it is an entire plant expansion.”

S&S Plastics

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N established Nottinghamshire firm could create up to 15 new jobs after grant funding from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership helped it expand a new manufacturing process. S&S Plastics specialises in the design and manufacture of technical, precision, plastic injection moulding tools, injection-moulded components and associated assemblies. Recently, it has successfully tested the market on a small scale involving a 3D foiling veneering technology that adds a wood grain effect to window and door components. The £56,500 grant from D2N2’s UI4G programme will go towards the £226,000 project to buy new machinery, upgrade the warehouse and create a controlled foiling room to expand production of the new process. And while it will guarantee five new, full-time jobs at the Kirkbyin-Ashfield business, managing director Richard Munyard says if all goes to plan, a further ten positions could be created by early 2015, boosting the workforce to a total of 60.


HELPING TO CREATE JOBS GROWING PLACES FUND

D2N2 loans are providing the impetus to move forward

Joining forces to make Unity Square a reality

Computer generated images of how the new Castleward area might look. Inset right, the area being cleared.

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2N2’s Growing Places Fund loan will help to create 100 jobs when the construction of Nottingham’s Unity Square begins next year. A loan has been approved towards demolition, clearance and preparation of the site opposite the train station. The two-phase, five-year scheme will culminate in the construction of a 160-bedroom hotel and 50,000 sq ft office building. Nottingham City Council has agreed terms with developer Peel Group, and has agreed to occupy half the space. The Unity Square development was first revealed several years ago, but progress stalled when the recession struck. The council’s pledge to take space in the building means Peel Holdings can now spend money on the project knowing it already has at least one paying occupier signed up. The development aims to provide a new, modern and sustainable commercial destination for the city. The new buildings will be developed to meet BRE Environmental Assessment Method excellence standards. David Ralph, Chief Executive of D2N2, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derbyshire and

Jason Noble looks at how D2N2’s Growing Places Fund kick-starts job-creating developments that have stalled across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

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2N2’s Growing Places Fund has recently closed to applications. It saw organisations apply for up to £2.5 million in infrastructure improvements and tackle issues in site constraints in an effort to help create jobs for local businesses. The money is paid back to the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership over a period of time which then allows D2N2 to make further investments in economic growth. A number of schemes across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire are set to get the go-ahead and will follow in the footsteps of large developments such as Derby’s Castleward project and the Langley-Mill based company Prometheus Ltd. The firm received a £160,000 loan to more than double its staff numbers from five to 12, expand its premises, and develop and manufacture its own fire retardant, moving away from the research and consultation work it had completed before. “It was absolutely essential. We had explored and exhausted all other funding routes except for an outline interest from the Rapid Growth Fund manager at Envestors,” technical director of Prometheus Ltd, David Aslin said.

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Further investment from conventional sources may also be easier to come by if growth as a result of Growing Places investment exceeds their capacity, he said. Mr Aslin is hopeful of an annual turnover of £1.5 million from 12 members of staff instead of the five the company previously employed before the loan. While the Prometheus loan was relatively small compared to that of other projects, D2N2 is committed to helping small firms as well as well as large companies. David Ralph, chief executive of D2N2 said, “We will be looking at a number of factors when making decisions about which schemes to support, including their economic impact and how quickly investments can be repaid to support other schemes. “We have already seen successes like Prometheus and a further five schemes are being finalised, ready to come to fruition. “Anyone thinking of applying should download the guidance from our website and, if suitable, submit an expression of interest. I would also urge them to work closely with their local authorities.” D2N2 has looked for projects which will promote economic growth and create jobs.

David Aslin, of Prometheus, whose firm received a £160,000 loan from D2N2.

Project aims to revive city’s Castleward area

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VAST regeneration scheme in the heart of Derby which will create 1,600 jobs, take up to 20 years to finish and create over 30 acres of new homes and businesses is by no means a small undertaking. But for Compendium Living, the regeneration firm behind the development, the Castleward project is well under way. Beginning last May, construction of the first phase is nearing completion, with the initial homes and business units expected to be ready for 2015. Eight of the first dozen homes have been reserved in Hope Street and senior site manager Richard Plowman believes more will be available soon. “We’re delighted with the progress we’re making,” he said. “As the roofs are now being installed, the pace of the transformation will start to pick up and people will begin to see Castleward really take shape.” The first properties are available to buy off-plan, where

buyers can snap-up one of the new homes before construction is finished in what is described as a new urban neighbourhood called The Boulevard, consisting of two, three and four-bedroom family homes. While the first homes are available to buyers, Midlandsbased commercial property specialists Innes England will oversee tenants looking to rent a business unit, and has already gathered significant interest. As part of the first phase, disused buildings have been demolished to make way for 163 homes, 16,500 square feet of business units and a park, as well as creating 320 jobs. Helped by funding from D2N2, Compendium Living has so far received a sizeable sum from the Growing Places fund – one which aims to kick start jobcreating developments through investment in local infrastructure. A tree-lined boulevard will also be built between Derby railway station and the Intu

shopping centre to create an appealing entrance to visitors. Once completed, Castleward will feature almost 800 new homes situated between the railway station and the city centre, 34,500 square feet of commercial units and a new school, all developed on brownfield and under-used land. The regeneration specialists have vowed to use local labour and materials where possible, including employing 17 apprentices and sourcing cement from the Tarmac factory in John Street. Compendium Living has already received its first industry certificate from the Considerate

Constructors Scheme, which champions efforts to minimise disruption and maximise safety. The developers have also been keen to employ sustainable methods of working by recycling 96 per cent of waste generated. Now the developers are opening the Castleward Project Office in Canal Street. “This is Derby’s most exciting residential development project in decades,” said Neil Walker, project manager. “Feedback we have had on our plans has been very positive. People know the regeneration will have a great impact on the city for those living here and create a great impression for those visiting.”

The design for Unity Square Nottinghamshire, said: “This is a flagship development right at the heart of the Southern Gateway regeneration area, a main arterial route into the centre of Nottingham and through our Growing Places Fund, D2N2 will be playing its part in making this happen in the very near future. “This GPF funding will help towards the demolition, clearance and preparation of the Unity Square site to see this project get up and running, helping create a substantial amount of new jobs during phase one and even more in the future.” Peter Richardson Chairman of the D2N2 LEP said: “I am confident that D2N2 will be able to play its part in making this happen in the very near future.”

Court’s redevelopment is just Full of potential

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ESPITE its inclusive name, Full Street in Derby has been lacking somewhat over the past ten years. The empty magistrates’ court and police station have been a blot on the landscape and victim to vandalism and weather damage. Now, thanks to funding from D2N2, the multi-million-pound regeneration of both has begun. The police station is being torn down, while the court is undergoing refurbishment into commercial office space. Having received an application from Derby City Council, the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership

advanced a loan to get the project running. It will see more than 15,000 square feet refurbished for offices, a library, conference space and a café. The financing of the project is also being supported by the city council’s regeneration fund. The building, which dates back to the 1930s, is Grade II listed by English Heritage, with the work subject to strict conditions. The offices, due to be completed this month, will be between 80 and 1,800 square feet, and targeted for start-up businesses under the City Council Connect programme.

D2N2’S GROWING PLACES FUND (ROUNDS 1&2)

LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

2013/14

Jobs created: 227 plus 800 new homes, new school, apprenticeships Loans approved: £13,088,000 Jobs to be created:

2,952

Contracted jobs created 241 Amount requested at an advanced stage: £2,000,000

private sector job target set by 2023

Expected further jobs return: 300

77,000

home target set by 2023

JOB CREATION 874,000

Apprenticeship starts:

23,970

(up 540 on previous year) Business start-ups:

10.3%

(up 0.4% on previous year)

£2.745,948

Jobs to be created: 2,719

55,000

(up 6,200 on previous year)

Amount Approved:

Projects under review: £5,211,000

TARGETS SET

Number of employees in D2N2 area:

UNLOCKING INVESTMENT FOR GROWTH PROGRAMME

SKILLS SUPPORT FOR THE WORKFORCE £7m Skills Support for the Workforce

Launched in November 2013 to offer jobspeciﬁc courses to ﬁrms in areas covered by the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), to date supported 1705 employee training opportunities

£2.25m Local Response Fund

for Skills (including an additional £1m to support Work Programme learners with extended support in the workplace)

£93m of further Regional Growth Fund available to business in the D2N2 area through Derbyshire Economic Growth Fund, Global Derbyshire, Nottingham Technology Grant and Foresight Nottingham Fund

EUROPEAN FUNDING

ENTERPRISE ZONE

Secured €244m for 2014 to 2020

£5.5m Government funding for MediPark announced in January, 2014

Secured £5.5m funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in December, 2013

MediCity opened on the Boots site in November 2013 – 20 businesses in place

£5m committed to opening up Boots site infrastructure road (planning application pending) July 2013 Joint venture

agreement signed

Beeston Business Park

now on site

THE UK’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL POSTCODE

PLANNING AHEAD KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS

PROPERTY FOCUS D2N2 AT MIPIM

Making the most of our area’s potential for economic growth

D2N2 has been to Cannes. Richard Baker reports.

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HERE’S sun, sea and sand. But since this is one of the single biggest business networking events in Europe, where thousands of people are competing for billions of pounds worth of business, there’s every possibility you won’t see much of it. Welcome to Cannes, the riviera resort in the south of France which hosts MIPIM – the Marche International des Professionals d’Immobilier – every March. Bigger than the Cannes Film Festival, MIPIM is an event where property investors and developers and the professionals who work with them on major projects come face to face with cities from all over Europe who are looking for inward investment to kick-start oven-ready sites or major regeneration projects. In the immediate aftermath of the credit crunch, which had a serious impact on property values and property lending, deals were hard to come by at MIPIM. But 2014 was the year when it became apparent that the investment cycle which ultimately governs the fortunes of property and development had turned. This is why D2N2 joined forces with representatives from Derby and Nottingham to attend this year’s MIPIM, putting in £20,000 to help make it happen. It manned a stand in the main exhibition hall to raise the profile of both cities and act as a base for meetings. D2N2 Chairman Peter Richardson, who launched the stand in front of an audience of business people and potential investors, said: “MIPIM is one of those events that attracts all sorts of headlines, largely because it is held in some very glamorous surroundings. That’s a historic decision of its organisers which

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As the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership lays out its action plan for the eight key sectors of economic focus, Jason Noble and Gemma Toulson look at the LEP’s aims for the future.

Peter Richardson, the chairman of the local enterprise partnership D2N2, launches the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire stand at MIPIM.

D2N2 rolls out the red carpet at Cannes Doing business on the Nottingham and Derby stand at MIPIM, the international property and development exhibition which took place in Cannes in March. we can’t influence. What we can influence are the developers or investors who have the potential to help us deliver on the very significant opportunities we have across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire for commercial development. To do that we need to get in front of them, which is normally no easy task. When they’re all in one place at MIPIM it is common sense – and business sense – to get out there and target the ones that matter.” Both Nottingham and Derby had a prominent presence at Cannes. What was badged as Talented Team Nottingham was based in a café directly opposite the exhibition centre, while Marketing Derby located its

Derby Embassy at a prominent hotel a short walk away. David Ralph, Chief Executive of D2N2, said this year’s MIPIM may mark an economic turning point. “We have to be absolutely clear on one thing: this was a critical year to attend MIPIM because the investment cycle in property has now turned. “There are huge funds available for property investment and the competition for them is intense – that much was obvious from the lengths some cities were going to in order to attract attention at MIPIM. We have all heard stories about the London property market in particular becoming overheated because of the scale of foreign money that has come into

the capital, and there’s no question that UK funds are now more willing to examine proposals for investment in the regions, which look more affordable. “We think the East Midlands, and Nottingham and Derby in particular, are very well-placed to take advantage of this potential.” Both cities staged events where invited audiences of potential investors were given details about development opportunities. In front of an audience of 150 people at the Derby Embassy, Richard Williams, Director of Regeneration at Derby City Council, outlined the need for significant development in residential property and the opportunities presented by the city’s investment in landmark facilities like the velodrome and its proposed Olympic-standard swimming pool. Nottingham hosted a series of events. Some of the most influential figures in regional property development and investment shared a stage with the city at a panel breakfast hosted by Team Nottingham. And the following day it revealed that another major developer, Peel Group, had agreed terms to construct a 50,000 sq ft office building and a 120-bedroom hotel in the city opposite the newly revamped railway station. Peter Richardson concluded: “The atmosphere at MIPIM this year was extraordinary and seems likely to yield meaningful results for both cities. We’re very proud to have played our part in supporting their efforts.”

Food and drink manufacturing

Construction

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MPLOYING more than 16,000 people, providing 17% of the region’s GDP and introducing more than 1,500 new products each quarter, the food and drink manufacturing sector in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire is very much to be sniffed at. Relying heavily on innovations and new produce, the changes and advances in the industry are frequent, and makes planning for the region important. The industry needs to change its image with many believing that work in the sector is all factory, white boots and blue hair nets, with a lack of young people coming through. This is something D2N2 is addressing in its latest action plan. Publicising that weekly wages are higher than the national economy average, and with the stability of work high (just six per cent of food and drink manufacturing workers are temporary), D2N2 is promoting it as an appetising industry for young workers looking to forge a career straight out of education. Working with schools to get students interested in food and overhauling the tarnished image of the industry, D2N2 will make job opportunities more visible and work with careers teams. At further education institutions, apprenticeships and career opportunities will be more readily available, and job prospects will focus on relevant courses such as food hygiene to prepare them for the industry. Such is the innovative nature

of the industry, many companies like to train in-house at their premises to keep in line with the latest company developments, and D2N2 believes that offering skills support can help manufacturers keep up with rapidly-changing industry standards. D2N2 has a thriving Derbyshire upland landscape in the Peak District and Nottinghamshire’s relatively flat and rich soil enables farmers to produce high quality food & drink, supplying to local businesses. To broaden the opportunities to sell to our cities and potentially internationally, D2N2 plan to assist SMEs to sell to our cities and potentially export, with specific rural support for grants and advice. It will link with the logistics and Low Carbon sectors to improve city and town centre deliveries and parking. The Local Enterprise Partnership has recommended cutting the red Food training tape around SMEs planning, expansion and technology improvement to help small business growth. With a significant push to recruit talented individuals also comes educating future workers in industry sustainability. Carbon-efficient plans and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes are key, and providing opportunities for firms to adopt these processes is central to D2N2’s plan. D2N2 has also identified the strong potential in exporting quality produce from the region. Small grants will be available for this purpose, as well as greater networking to export their produce outside of the region.

S the construction industry moves out of recession and into growth, a wealth of economic development opportunities are now available in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It is a sector which employs more than 40,000 people in the two counties and despite the recent upturn that figure is still lower than the workforce before the recession. The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership therefore sees the potential for further growth. House building It believes the

construction industry can play an important role in generating additional economic activity, as every £1 invested in house-building generates almost £3 through wages and profits and spending with suppliers. An important issue for businesses is having access to tendering opportunities. With this in mind, D2N2 is providing an unprecedented opportunity for

public and private organisations to work together to capitalise on the upturn in the construction industry, to provide employment, skills and training opportunities for new entrants into the sector. The Sector Task Group responsible for developing an action plan to capitalise on the economic opportunities has identified procurement as a key element. It is looking into mechanisms which would enable the industry to better plan for the future. The group has suggested the creation of a project called “pipeline analysis”, which gathers information on proposed major public sector capital developments from organisations including local authorities, rail and water companies. This information would then be mapped and shared with companies in the construction sector to help them invest in apprentices and retain staff.

Transport and logistics

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2N2 is one of the best located LEPs for logistics given its area forms the backbone of the country. Building on its strengths, the University of Derby has a strong academic logistics faculty and a warehousing and logistics training facility in Buxton to get people started on the skills ladder. It is a growth sector, with demand for products and services to be delivered at ever faster and more convenient times. As a result, Nottingham City Council and Nottingham University are exploring “low-

carbon last mile” delivery solutions. In Castle Donington, Marks and Spencer has opened the UK’s largest dedicated e-commerce warehouse, close to East Midlands Airport, with a rail freight terminal next door. “There is so much scope for growth and logistics is the glue that links the other D2N2 growth sectors together, such as food & drink or construction,” said Lindsay Allen, Senior Programme Manager for D2N2. “We are very keen to support this sector with skills training.”



Low-carbon goods and services

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2N2 launched its low intention of using waste energy carbon action plan for as a cheaper means of power consultation in for businesses, and with the November 2013. potential for jobs to be also Low carbon and energy created. efficiency are very important to The £49 million plan businesses to save money and proposed by Chinook Sciences pioneer new innovative Ltd will see the creation of 200 technologies. jobs in construction, research Ambitious and legally-binding and training, thanks to its EU targets are in place for innovative process of generating reducing carbon emissions by clean energy from waste 2050, meaning any investments materials. in low-carbon initiatives across The LEP’s funding to both the region will be significant, and Nottingham and Derby City the industry already accounts for Councils is set to lay important 10% of economic activity groundwork in developing nationally. partnerships to create smart The D2N2 area is already energy communities, particularly involved in research in in infrastructure, district heating sustainable technology, systems and supply-chain employing many people in workshops and events. businesses such as Rolls-Royce Research figures suggest that and Toyota. 80% of existing homes in the Nottinghamshire County UK will still exist in 2050, and Council has already identified the with low-carbon technologies low-carbon areas in which the likely to develop significantly in region is strongest, that time, including waste methods of management, retro-fitting recovery and solar panels and recycling and insulation will water supply be an area ripe treatment. Derby for investment. Green energy generation City and The retro-fit Derbyshire schemes will be County Councils, meanwhile, in targeted neighbourhoods and have started working with the combining this with University of Derby to engage apprenticeship schemes keeps local businesses and students in the project in line with the the low-carbon economy. D2N2 principle of investing in Nottingham city currently job-creating enterprises. D2N2 is keen to put generates more energy from together an energy valley, renewable and low-carbon where all businesses involved in sources than any other in the low-carbon vehicle emissions UK and has plans to reduce can operate. It would also carbon emissions by 26%. include testing facilities and Indeed, the city’s district heating training centre in conjunction network is the largest in the with local colleges and country and its expansion is universities. already planned to provide the But perhaps the most most linked network of power influential in a continued supplies across the whole area. sustainable growth of the lowPlans for a Nottingham Energy carbon market is the potential Park are in place, with the for exports. D2N2 plans to set up a series of trade delegations and exhibitions to promote potential business opportunities overseas. As the UK carbon-friendly economy grows, the potential D2N2: The UK’s most inspirational postcode for overseas buyers could also increase.

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Visitor economy

Life sciences

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ith the aim of producing a global hub for life sciences, the UK Government has shown a commitment to bringing businesses, clinicians, patients and researchers together to adopt innovative health technologies across the health sector. Drawing from research from three universities and a host of experts across Derby and Medicity Nottingham, the sector plan was produced and put out for consultation. As a result, D2N2 is providing healthy investment for start-up companies, expanding businesses and laboratories in the life science’s industry. Nottingham’s Biocity is the largest collective space for bioscience firms, encapsulating 80 businesses since being set up in 2003. While Biocity has plans to expand, the recently-launched Medicity which is a joint venture between Biocity and Alliance Boots, focuses on innovations in consumer healthcare, medical technology, diagnostics and beauty projects. In further developments to concentrated medical research facilities, a proposal for a Medipark located near Nottingham QMC is being considered. The government has allocated £5.5 million for infrastructure Medical innovation and decontamination work, but further funding or solid plans have yet to be finalised. But with a location adjacent to QMC and close to several universities and Nottingham city centre, the potential for further growth in the life sciences sector, as well as a significant number of job opportunities, could be influential in the final decision. D2N2 is also looking to help smaller businesses with specialist mentoring for those with a high ambition for growth. Using guides experienced in developing

life sciences businesses, the mentoring scheme will provide one-to-one support to boost economic growth and job creation. Life science industries typically have to invest heavily due to the expensive nature of the technologies being developed. A number of local and national funding opportunities are available but D2N2 plans to review schemes, and the possibility of a technologybased investment fund. The potential Medipark facility is likely to seek public funding. With the life sciences industry being so reliant on industry research and innovation, D2N2 plans to support more collaborative research projects for SMEs who may not have the necessary influence to attract support from a local university’s research. SMEs are set to be influential in the growth of the life sciences sector in the region, and providing innovative research to smaller firms is something D2N2 feels will help create job prospects in a burgeoning industry. The LEP believes the opportunities for growth, funding and collaboration that life science businesses, particularly in connection with high-profile projects such as the Biocity and Medicity expansions, will help put a spotlight on Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire as a centre for development in the industry. With the growing global population, and people living longer, the dependence on life science projects will only be increased, and D2N2 plans to help establish the UK, and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire in particular, as the hub for life science activity.

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ROM Sherwood Forest to developments include a the Peak District and all redesigned and extended urban attractions in between, museum section, opening up the tourism and the visitor economy caves beneath Castle Rock and is big business for Derby, installing a glass lift. Derbyshire, Nottingham and At Derwent Valley Mills visitor Nottinghamshire. A multi-billion site, investment in developing pound sector, the region attracts parking and traffic facilities, flood thousands of visitors each year to risks and environmental impacts its iconic landmarks and cultural have all been put in place to events. improve the visitor experience. For D2N2, the visitor economy The £35 million Buxton covers a broad range of Crescent transformation into a businesses, including hotels, luxury spa and hotel is due for restaurants, sports and leisure completion in 2016. activities and museums and tourist D2N2 is keen for investment attractions. in these big projects and to also As part of its action plan for help smaller visitor economy the sector, D2N2 has identified a businesses in the region including need for more investment into pubs, restaurants, hotels and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’s accommodation. attractions. One project Headline aimed at drawing projects include visitors is the the £24 million Grand Tour 2015 revamp of – a year-long Nottingham campaign boasting Castle, Derby previously unseen City Council’s works of art Nottingham Castle regeneration of including the Derwent Baroque, Valley Mills World Heritage Site Enlightenment and contemporary and the Buxton Crescent hotel artists. With investment from and spa project. D2N2 and Arts Council Cultural As one of the central Destinations, it is a joint venture attractions to Nottingham, between a number of firms investment in the castle aims to including Derby Museums, the double its visitor numbers to Harley Foundation and 400,000 a year, bringing more Chatsworth House Trust, as well people to the city as a whole. The as Visit Peak District &

Derbyshire and Experience Nottinghamshire. Partnerships between the public and private sectors can also be influential, as the recent visitor economy strategy meeting at Chatsworth House highlighted. Chair of Visit England, Lady Cobham, stressed the importance of D2N2 projects in helping the region’s visitor economy grow. Discussions at the meeting included ways to turn day-visits into overnight stays, bringing Chatsworth House the food and drink sector closer to visitor attractions and boosting the skills sets of both existing and future workforces, particularly young people. Due to the seasonal nature of the tourism and visitor economy sector, employment has fluctuated in recent years, but with more than 65,000 currently employed D2N2 is hopeful investment in projects with job creating potential will increase the number of workers. This coupled with marketing activity will help lengthen the season and encourage longer stays which promotes the area and is better for the environment.

D2N2 has the Summer of Cycling for 2014, celebrating the Tour de France passing through Derbyshire, the Milk Race in Nottingham and L’Eroica Britannia cycling festival, with Derby’s Velodrome due to be completed later this year. For Nottingham Castle alone, 200 jobs will be created in the construction phase, with the potential for more service employment at once work is complete. Recognising a number of opportunities in the visitor economy sector, D2N2 also relies on destination management organisations Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and Experience Nottinghamshire. The prospects include a greater dependence on branding, festivals and events involvement, and a more tactical approach to marketing campaigns. Targeting potential opportunities in prevalent locations like Sherwood Forest, Creswell Crags and the Buxton Crescent restoration, D2N2 can not only improve the appeal for visitors coming to the region, but also invest in the people who work on them.

TV, architecture and construction engineering. The Creative Quarter Company, a publicly-funded body, was set up last year to support the area. The initiative has already assisted more than 100 businesses by signposting sources of funding, helping deliver around 300 jobs, as well as creating around 50 opportunities for apprentices. And as well as benefits for people coming to the area, current businesses have said they

are excited about developing for the future. Kathy McArdle, chief operations officer at the Creative Quarter Company, said she was proud of the work that had taken place over the last year. She said: “There’s a good vibe already and we want to have a place where there’s support for start-ups and allow them to thrive. “We’ve had a really good first year and will publish our plan where we see how we see the Quarter developing until 2023.” The sector has begun consulting on the D2N2 Creative Industries sector plan and the skills needs of the sector have been identified.

Creative industries

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ottingham’s Creative Quarter is just one example of the burgeoning creative industries projects within Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. More than 26,000 people work for businesses involved in this wide-ranging sector, which includes businesses in video, film and photography, music, publishing, radio and TV, computer games, social media and the software that supports these industries. A total of 40% of the creative industries workforce is situated within the cities of Derby and Nottingham cities. There is a cluster of creative

industries in the Dukeries area of Nottinghamshire, including the Harley Gallery, Thoresby Gallery and the School of Artisan Food, and the Creative Greenhouse initiative provides networking opportunities. The Creative Quarter covers an area which stretches from Sneinton, through Hockley and the Lace Computer games Market, out to London Road. The area is already home to businesses operating in a range of sectors including digital media and design, biotechnology, film and


Transport equipment manufacturing

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he recent £1 billion Crossrail deal for trainmaker Bombardier demonstrated the strength of the transport equipment manufacturing sector in the D2N2 area. With plans for HS2 also on the table, now is the time to be in this sector. SMEs will be able to bid to tender for contracts on these schemes, providing healthy opportunities for upskilling and developing the supply chain. The presence of a number of large and globally significant employers such as Toyota, RollsRoyce and Bombardier and their supply chains, already provides a key contribution to the local economy. The current strength of the industry is built on many years of innovation and manufacturing expertise, with Derby celebrating 175 years of rail manufacturing in 2014, and Raleigh Bicycle Company established in Nottingham in 1890. Today, it is an industry which provides more than 20,200 jobs for people living in this area, which is why the local enterprise partnership has selected it as a key sector for driving economic growth. D2N2 aims to build on its success when drawing up the area action plan for this sector. The document will provide a blueprint for future growth strategies and job creation. The Bombardier Crossrail deal will see the company provide 65 trains for the new line in London. It has secured around 760 jobs and will create 244 more, including dozens of apprentices. David Ralph, chief executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The awarding of the Crossrail contract to Bombardier in Derby should recognise the joint efforts of the

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Gemma Toulson takes a look at major job-creation projects being backed by the D2N2 Enterprise Zone

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Workers on the factory floor at Bombardier in Derby, above, and, left, celebrating winning the £1 billion Crossrail contract.

business community and civic leaders in its campaign to support rail manufacturing in the city. “They have worked tirelessly over the past two years. It is this response that has helped turn heads of government back towards UK manufacturing and, specifically, the importance of UK rail design and manufacturing at Derby.” The transport equipment manufacturing sector is complemented by strengths in the area’s research base at local universities. Professor Richard Hall, director of the Institute for Innovation in Sustainable Engineering at the University of Derby, said: “The university will be working closely in support of Bombardier and its local supply chain, as Bombardier joins the board of the IISE.

“Engineering is one of our flagship subjects and there is a real hotbed of talent here at the university ready to help Bombardier realise this contract. “We are also collaborating with the Derby and Derbyshire Rail Forum and engaging in a wide range of activities on technological innovation, sustainability and lowcarbon initiatives.” Links between industry and academia will be strengthened further by the development of Derby’s new Infinity Park, which is being billed as a hub that will provide businesses with easy access to the latest academic research and development. The 250-acre commercial park will cost £200 million to create and will be situated between Sinfin and Chellaston, next to Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace division and will

work with companies in the supply chain of Derby’s major engineering manufacturers. It is being partly funded from Derby’s £40 million grant from the Regional Growth Fund and should be in operation by 2015. The first building planned for the business park is the Innovation Hub, which will give businesses access to academic research and development. A new organisation established to help firms seeking to grow or break into the UK’s supply chain in the transport engineering sector has been announced as the flagship tenant in the Innovation Centre. Enscite, which aims to help small and medium-sized businesses, is a collaboration involving four partners – Derby City Council, the University of Derby, Aston University and Cranfield University. Its aim is to forge close working relationships across the aerospace, automotive and rail supply chains. Managing director Colin McKinnon said: “Enscite is committed to becoming the UK’s leading national centre for supply chain innovation in the transport engineering sector.”

he Nottinghamshire Enterprise Zone is a major infrastructure project that will turn dormant sites into prime economic land, attracting new businesses and creating thousands of jobs. It was made one of the first priorities for investment from D2N2’s £25 million Growing Places fund. Situated over 100 hectares, it is made up of four components. Part of the enterprise zone is centred on an area of the Boots campus which is free for redevelopment. Beeston Business Park, Nottingham Science park off University Boulevard, and a proposed MediPark for medical science businesses on a site next to the Queen’s Medical Centre complete the plans. The Boots Campus and Medipark developments are seeking to become the UK’s centre for innovation in life sciences, medical research, health, beauty and wellness with Beeston targeting telecoms and high-tech businesses and the Science Park focusing on advanced manufacturing/engineering and clean-tech activities. The sites offer a combination of

Mark Chivers, Boots director for the Nottinghamshire Enterprise Zone, in one of the labs at MediCity in Beeston.

MediCity aims to create that feelgood factor business space, including offices, development land and manufacturing space. All are at different stages of market-readiness but some early phases are already under way. MediCity is up and running on the Boots site. It is based on the model of BioCity Nottingham, an incubator for growing life sciences businesses based at Pennyfoot Street and one of the largest of its kind in the country. A joint venture between BioCity and Boots, the idea being to do for health, beauty and wellness what BioCity has done

for life sciences businesses. The aim is for it to attract a cluster of new businesses targeting health, beauty and wellness. There, the scientists and entrepreneurs who run businesses often meet to swap ideas and share experiences about how to make their technologies work. Further plans are also expected to be unveiled soon for the Boots site, which will eventually comprise a mixture of residential and commercial development. Mark Chivers, Boots director for the Enterprise Zone, said:

Markham Vale making the most of motorway location MARKHAM Vale is the site of a second Enterprise Zone in the D2N2 area. Straddling the M1 near Chesterfield, the Zone comprises 20 hectares of employment land, which is part of a wider 80 hectare development that has direct

access to the motorway at Junction 29A. One part of the site – 6.6 hectares – is on the northern side of the motorway, while the other 13.2 hectares is to the south. The location, scale and accessibility of Markham Vale make it an attractive location

for large national and international businesses in a range of hi-tech and engineering sectors. The area is immediately available for development, with an extensive internal road network already complete on the south site.

“MediCity is a miniature example of what we are going to do on a larger scale. “We’ll be putting in a planning application for a through-road to open up a part of Nottingham that’s not open at the moment. The Boots site is largely hidden. “We’ll also put in an outline planning application which effectively zones the development site into areas for residential, commercial and the throughroad.” He said: “I want it to be the first point of call for those businesses within the sphere of health, beauty and wellbeing. “We are already seeing that on a small scale in MediCity. I think it will bring quality jobs and increased economic prosperity for the area. “Nottingham has a very high dependency on public-sector jobs so bringing different jobs to the area will reduce that dependency and increase diversity.” Nottingham will receive up to £5.5 million to unlock the MediPark health science site by decontaminating land, building an access road, enhancing flood protection, and building a new pedestrian footbridge. When complete, the 20,500 square metre project will employ up to 900 people and develop the next generation of medical innovation.

D2N2 has made a commitment to improving skills across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Stevie Roden reports.

As a start to delivering successful future ESF partnership programmes the D2N2 LEP has played a vital role in shaping the effective use of European funding at a local level through the Skills Support for the Workforce programme. This work has proven valuable as a starting point in shaping the skills landscape to be more demand and employerled in the future. West Nottinghamshire College, the prime provider, with support from a consortium of colleges and training providers, secured the £7 million package to provide solutions that respond to local skills needs of small and mediumsized enterprises to support employed individuals, of 19+ to enhance their skills in order to become more successful in the labour market, advance their career prospects and reduce the risk of long-term unemployment and welfare dependency. While the focus is on staff with low or basic skills, the project can

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2N2 – the Local Enterprise Partnership for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – launched its Skills for Growth Strategy with the backing of Government. The plan was welcomed by Matthew Hancock MP, the Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise, backing the commitment of the Local Enterprise Partnership for putting skills at the forefront of its agenda. D2N2 Chief Executive David Ralph outlined the initial plans at a special breakfast event hosted by Destination Chesterfield at Chesterfield College’s Heartspace building in October. Mr Ralph said: “Businesses consistently identify skills as their number-one barrier to growth and for that reason alone skills is one of the cornerstones of our Growth Strategy – to deliver 55,000 private sector jobs over the next ten years. “We have to recognise that for there to be a step change in skills, outcomes will not be delivered through any magic bullet but with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Fundamentally, and in D2N2’s view, placing employability and the needs of employers across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire at the forefront of our Skills for Growth Strategy is key. “If we are serious about economic growth then we need to be serious about positioning delivery to support employers. “Under the localism agenda, success is in our hands. Raising aspirations comes best from local champions and best practice and it will be the delivery of local collaboration, energy and excellence which makes the lasting difference.” Mr Hancock said: “I welcome the

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Matthew Hancock, Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise, backed D2N2’s commitment to put skills at the forefront of its agenda.

Building skills is cornerstone of growth plan launch of D2N2’s skills plan. There is a clear commitment to driving up apprenticeship opportunities and to working with employers, colleges and training providers to prioritise the skills needs of business now and for the future.” D2N2 chief executive David Ralph added: “Matthew Hancock said the next stage must be to turn the plan into action, and therefore through wide consultation with local businesses through our key sector consultative task groups, providers, and government agencies. “We have an integrated package of skills capital infrastructure, freedom and flexibility requests from Government and a comprehensive plan for how we will spend European Social funding over the next six years to help us better deliver the skills our employers need and to tackle social exclusion, get people into work and develop their skills.” The Strategy outlines six key

skills priorities. They are: ■ Develop sector growth agreements to make explicit ownership and shared responsibilities for investment, ICT, labour market intelligence and impact measures. ■ Improve business leadership, management skills and training needs analysis to help increase productivity and performance. ■ Promote and develop apprenticeships and traineeships to achieve higher-level skills and improve social mobility. ■ Foster enterprise and the characteristics of entrepreneurial behaviour, career adaptability and resilience. ■ Raise the visibility of and access to career insights and specialist careers support for young people and adults to raise aspirations, participation, retention and achievement in learning and work. ■ Promote graduate recruitment and facilitate graduate retention in the region.

‘This multi-million pound funding package is great news for businesses and employees.’ also deliver intermediate and higher-level courses where there is an identified need, and programmes up to Level 4 for firms with fewer than 50 employees. Solutions are tailored to each business and delivered on their own premises, to reduce time spent off the job. Already, it has supported 1,705 employee training opportunities, targeted at businesses operating in priority sectors set out by the D2N2 LEP. The project is fully-funded by the European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency, which means the training is free to businesses that are eligible for support. It is estimated almost 6,000 employees will benefit during the lifetime of the project, which runs until July 2015. Skills Support for the Workforce project manager Steve Cressey said: “This multi-million pound funding package is great news for businesses and employees. Not only will the training enable those already in employment to enhance their skills, it gives employers the opportunity to strengthen their workforce to meet current and emerging needs.”

Gemma Toulson looks at six major improvement schemes for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire that have been backed by the D2N2 Local Transport Board.

An aerial view of the A52 at the Wyvern in Derby. £10m is being spent improving the junction and improves a new foot and cycle bridge linking Chaddesden and Spondon to Pride Park.

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ith road and transport links central to the success of key industry sectors, the D2N2 Local Transport Board recommended six proposed developments to the Department for Transport for implementation between 2015 and 2019. Among the schemes is a £10.04 million major junction improvement scheme to tackle congestion and access issues on the A52 as it passes the Wyvern. The scheme includes plans for a new foot and cycle bridge linking Chaddesden and Spondon to Wyvern and Pride Park, a widened A52 westbound carriageway and a two-lane, realigned access to Wyvern and Pride Park from the A52. A £9 million bus priority scheme is proposed for Nottingham, in anticipation of major growth in jobs and housing, to improve and strengthen links between the east and west of the city. The scheme would provide enhanced public transport services from Daleside Road in the east through to Beeston in the west. The £32.4 million Gedling Access Road, which would link Mapperley Plains and the A612 Burton Road, was also chosen by the Local Transport Board. The long-awaited scheme could allow for up to 1,000 new homes to be built directly south of the old Gedling Colliery. A total of £4.86 million has been earmarked for a major junction improvement scheme for the A61 Whittington Moor Roundabout between Chesterfield and Sheffield. D2N2 has also backed a £3.24 million scheme to enlarge and convert the existing five-arm roundabout at the A57/A60 St Anne’s Drive in Worksop. It aims to provide additional traffic capacity to accommodate planned housing and employment growth in the town. And £7 million has been

Road improvements being put on the map

A computer-generated image of Markham Vale, showing its proximity to the M1. A new junction – 29A – puts it just a minute’s drive from the motorway. allocated to build a link road at the Markham Vale enterprise zone, next to junction 29A of the M1. This development would open up a further 33 hectares on the former Seymour Colliery site, with potential to create around 141,500sq m of new industrial space and bring around 3,000 new jobs to the site. Their selection came after Nottinghamshire County Council, Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Derby City Council all submitted proposals for major road and transport developments to the LTB. To be eligible for funding in the D2N2 area, projects had to cost more than £2 million in total and have strong economic benefits.

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership Chief Executive David Ralph, who also sits on the 12-strong Local Transport Board, said: “The provision of key infrastructure is one of the four cornerstones of the D2N2 Strategy for Growth and confirmation of these six schemes is an important milestone. This will facilitate significant jobs growth, as well as easing certain congestion bottlenecks across the whole of the D2N2 area. “The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership will continue to work with all the councils and Local Transport Board to try to bring forward further important infrastructure projects as quickly as possible.” LTBs have been established to

develop, administer and implement new programmes of major schemes in each Local Enterprise Partnership area. The Government wants a greater local influence over the delivery of such projects and while funding will come to the D2N2 area from 2015 and be delivered between then and 2019, the LTB has been set up now in order to agree a programme of schemes and oversee their development and implementation. The D2N2 Local Transport Board is made up of 12 voting members. It comprises two members each from Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and Derby City Council, a Derbyshire district and borough councils’ representative and the same for Nottinghamshire. The D2N2 LEP and Sheffield City Region LEP, whose boundaries overlap the D2N2 area, also have a representative on the board. The D2N2 LTB, as the decision-making body, is supported by the Infrastructure Group which features directors of highways and transport services of the respective local authorities and acts as the principle adviser to the board.

www.d2n2lep.org 0115 957 8765 [email protected] @D2N2LEP

D2N2

THE UK’S MOST INSPIRATIONAL POSTCODE D2N2 PERFORMANCE ON KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS Previous year position

Latest position Past year: Direction of travel

GVA per FTE [£]

50,759

51,194

+435

Total employees

867,800

874,000

6,200

Private sector employees [No.]

663,100

680,100

17,000

Private sector employees [%]

76.4

77.8

+1.4 pt.

Employment rate [%*]

91.2

92.2

+1.0 pt.

Unemployment rate [%*]

8.8

7.8

-1 pt.

Business start up rate [%]

9.9

10.3

+0.4 pt.

Business 3 year survival rate [%]

60.0

61.0

+1.0 pt.

Business 5 year survival rate [%]

N/A

44.7

N/A

Working age pop. with L4+ quals. [%]

29.3

29.9

+0.6 pt.

Working age pop. with L3+ quals. [%]

50.1

52.9

+2.8 pt.

Working age pop. with no quals. [%]

11.0

9.4

-1.6 pt.

23,330

23,870

+540

Apprenticeship starts [No.]

Sources: Annual Population Survey, Business Register and Employment Survey, Business Demography, Regional Accounts, Skills Funding Agency. * The employment and unemployment rate are based on those that live within D2N2 regardless of where they work.

For more information on our key economic indicators please visit www.d2n2lep.org/growth

D2N2 LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP 2013/14 Total Expenditure 2013-14

Actual Apr 2013 01

Actual May 2013 02

Actual Jun 2013 03

Actual Jul 2013 04

Actual Aug 2013 05

Actual Sept 2013 06

Actual Oct 2013 07

Actual Nov 2013 08

Actual Dec 2013 09

Actual Jan 2014 10

Actual Feb 2014 11

Actual Mar 2014 12

Total

Total expenditure

23,697

17,994

18,896

34,266

21,141

36,851

24,205

79,464

36,983

51,247

37,954

56,719

439,417