Developer plans major £11.5 million industrial scheme in Newmarket
Developer Chancerygate has submitted plans to build a major Grade A industrial, warehouse and R & D scheme in Newmarket which could create up to 100 jobs. The speculative scheme, called Nucleus, is on a 2.5-acre site which was formerly home to an electronics manufacturers on Exning Road, two miles south of the A14. It will cover 51,000 sq ft and involve 10 units ranging from 3,595-6,685 sq ft, available on freehold and leasehold and with a gross development value of around £11.5m. Chancerygate senior development director George Dickens said: “There is strong demand for high-quality, sustainable industrial and warehouse accommodation in strategic locations and in close proximity to key infrastructure which also allows R&D uses. Our proposal will provide this alongside much needed employment opportunities to Newmarket and the surrounding area.” The units at Nucleus will all have EV charging points and rooftop solar panels. Founded in 1995, Chancerygate has around 1.16m sq ft of urban logistics space under construction or ready for development across 10 sites ranging from Edinburgh to Croydon.
Council to expand net zero projects helped by infrastructure bank loan
The government-backed UK Infrastructure Bank is making a £17 million loan facility to West Suffolk Council for a series of net zero projects, including building decarbonisation, solar installations, and EV fleet upgrades. It will support the expansion of West Suffolk’s Solar for Business Scheme, which has involved £7.5 million and 8.7MW of solar since 2012. The council will roll out the scheme to more businesses locally, providing and installing rooftop solar. The funds will also help decarbonise the council’s estate by improving the energy efficiency of its buildings with heat pumps, better insulation and renewable energy. Lorna Pimlott, UK Infrastructure Bank managing director, local authority advisory & lending, said: “West Suffolk’s net zero fund is an excellent example of how a local authority can package together a number of smaller net zero interventions into one, bankable proposition….This model has high potential for replicability, and we hope to work with other authorities to adopt a similar blueprint to deliver their net zero ambitions.”
Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “Decarbonising the power sector by 2030 is a key mission for UK government. UKIB’s latest deal for West Suffolk is a good example of how local authorities can contribute to our national mission, create jobs and support the transition to net zero.”
Norfolk and Suffolk-based opticians business expands with acquisition
Norfolk and Suffolk-based Cecil Amey Opticians and Hearing Care has acquired Penningtons Opticians, adding a further three branches to its previous ten across the two counties. Ashtons Legal helped achieve a smooth transfer of both the Penningtons Opticians business and of its six staff who have all been retained by Cecil Amey. The firm marked its 100th anniversary in 2024 and has grown steadily since it opened its first branch in Norwich. Jasmine Allen, a solicitor in Ashtons corporate and commercial team, supported Cecil Amey on the deal, assisted by corporate colleague Mark Watson and employment specialist Jessica Piper. She said: “It is lovely to work with a business that has a clear strategy involving growing its network of branches in our region’s market towns. Sadly, too many other businesses are disappearing from our high streets. The successful transfer of all the staff was an added bonus…”
New electric cranes arrive at Port of Felixstowe
The Port of Felixstowe has taken delivery of its latest batch of five automated electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes. The machines, which also have a remote-control option, are part of an order for 17 electric cranes from Konecranes of Finland. Robert Ashton, chief operating officer of the Port of Felixstowe, said: “These new cranes are the latest stage of our drive to deliver a first-class customer service, improve working conditions for our employees and remove carbon from our operations. We have set an ambitious target to reach net-zero for scopes 1&2 by 2035. As part of our programme to phase-out all diesel equipment these new cranes take us another step closer to our goal.”
He added: “We recently increased the maximum depth of berths at the port to 18 metres to increase our ability to accommodate the world’s largest container ships. That upgrade is complemented by these new cranes and the increased use of automated and remote-control technology to improve the efficiency and predictability of service we offer them.”
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Cambridge growth group recruits new members
Cambridge Ahead, which promotes inclusive growth in the city, has recruited three new organisations - Cambridge United FC, This Land and Eastern Education Group. It takes the group’s total membership to over 50 organisations, representing a workforce of over 40,000 in business, research and academia. Cambridge Ahead CEO Dan Thorp said: “Cambridge United Football Club, and its Community Foundation, have strong, established connections to Cambridge’s diverse communities while This Land is bringing forward high-quality new housing developments across the region. Eastern Education Group is providing inspiring educational pathways for the region’s young people and working closely with employers to do so....our new members bring even greater insight in our local economy and communities, meaning we are well-placed to advise and guide new policy recommendations and interventions.”
Construction labour firm opens in Ipswich
Construction labour supplier Fortel Group is opening a new office in Ipswich, its fifth location, to accommodate the growth of infrastructure projects in the East of England, particularly Sizewell C. The firm has recruited Dean Everett, who has wide experience in the sector, as contracts manager. He said: “These are exciting times for the region, with such high-profile projects planned and underway. I am looking forward to engaging with our clients and communities to expand and develop the skilled workforce that will leave a lasting legacy for the region."
Healthy start to year for new business creation
2024 on track to become strongest for new business creation of the last five years, according to a New Startup Index from NatWest. It says a total of 37,200 new businesses were registered in the East of England in the first half of this year, up 4.22 per cent on 2023. , according to a 2024 New Startup Index from NatWest. Nationally, 468k new businesses were registered , up 6.36pc on a year ago. London led the way with 161,000 new start ups.
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