A leading UK construction and regeneration group, operating in the public and commercial sectors, through six divisions of construction and infrastructure, fit out, property services, partnership housing, urban regeneration and investments.
The first tying-in of existing roads to new roundabouts on Norwich Northern Distributor Road is scheduled to take place under night-time road closures from tomorrow(Friday 16September). The aim isto cut down disruption and achieve a longer-lasting road surface.
Subject to final approval for night working*, Fir Covert Road will be closed for one night from 8pm on Friday 16 September until no later than 6am on Saturday 17th. To complete the tie-in, a further night closure is planned for Friday 30 September. Traffic will be diverted via Drayton High Road,Boundary Road (Norwich ring road) and Reepham Road.
The tie-in of A1067 Fakenham Road to the new roundabout and road realignment will be carried overnight from Tuesday 20 September to Friday 23rd. The road will close at 8pm each night, reopening no later than 6am the next morning. Light vehicles will be diverted (north to south) via the B1145 through Reepham, Reepham Road and Fir Covert Road. HGVs will be diverted (north to south) via the B1535 Weston Hall Road to the Wood Lane junction with the A47, then into Norwich, using Sweet Briar Road (Norwich ring road) to return to Drayton High Road (A1067).
Once complete, A1067 traffic will be moved on to the realigned section and the old road will be broken up, with the material re-used on the NDR.
If carried out under the NDR project’snormal 7am to 7pm working hours* without road closures, the work on these two roundabout tie-ins would take several weeks and have an extended impact upon traffic. Working alongside traffic under lane closures would also lead to multiple joints in the road surface, reducing durability, and would have safety implications for construction workers and road users.
*The working hours on Norwich Northern Distributor Road are set by the Development Consent Order. Any variation has to go through a formal assessment and approval process. This is expected to be concluded today (Thurs), allowing night working as set out above.
Brexit’s long term impact on Norfolk businesses and the rest of the UK is still far from clear. The Prime Minister, Teresa May says “Brexit means Brexit” but what does that really mean for Norfolk businesses?
At present there are no clear answers from the Government. Chamber members are – rightly – focused on the impact of this transition on their own business models and prospects. They also want the Government and Bank of England to deliver stability of markets, clarity on the political timetable for transition, and firm action on those matters that are entirely within Westminster’s gift.
The Chamber network is working hard on behalf of our members to influence the new Department of International trade, and other Ministers, to ensure that the voice of business is clearly heard in these negotiations.
We are calling for 5 key principles to guide the work of the Government in its negotiations on Brexit – as well as any future new trade arrangement – to ensure the best possible outcome for the Norfolk business community and the rest of the UK. These key areas are:
Full details of the BCC Brexit Transition Principals can be viewed here.
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:
“The majority of Norfolk businesses will be impacted by Brexit in some way. Even if your company does not do business with EU countries, there is a high chance that you have suppliers or partners who do, so there will be a knock-on effect to your business.
“Norfolk Chamber is calling for local businesses to provide case studies and feedback on how Brexit is impacting your organisation, and whether you are having to make changes as a result of Brexit.
“This is also your chance to have your opinion heard on Brexit where it matters – send us your questions and we will ensure, through the Chamber network, they are heard by the people in Westminster who can make a difference.”
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At the Chamber’s Bank of England Lunch, held at the Norwich City Football Club, attendees highlighted that at present they were seeing very little impact from Brexit. Tim Pike, the East of England Agent for the Bank of England asked for feedback on whether the businesses had seen a change in demand following the EU Referendum; whether they had altered their investment and recruitment plans; and if those importing raw materials had seen an increase in costs?
Overall,the consensus of the businesses who attended the lunch was that it was ‘business as usual’. However they did express caution for the future, due to the lack of clarity on Brexit.
Peter Foster, Vice President of Norfolk Chamber, who hosted the lunch said: “It is always fascinating to hear from Tim Pike and the feedback from the businesses in the room was positive. It is clear from the discussions that more clarity is needed from the Government in relation to Brexit before businesses can make any major investment decisions. I am looking forward to seeing the next QESresults as to whether the wider business community has similar thoughts.”
The Quarterly Economic Survey results for Quarter 3are due to be published week commencing 10 October 2016.
Norfolk County Council and Balfour Beatty are warning people living in and around Horsford, or who travel through Horsford on their way to Norwich, that travel will be disrupted by closures of the B1149 Holt Road from Monday 3 October to Friday 14 October 2016.
The closures, one either side of the Holly Lane junction with Holt Road, are needed to divert a gas main, water main and irrigation pipe. Attempts to carry out the work under traffic lights in August were unsuccessful because of the depth of the gas main – over 2 metres deep – and the presence of a fragile asbestos cement water main within the road. The scale of excavation needed can only be carried out under full road closures, which will take place as follows:
Monday 3 October to Friday 7 October
Holt Road closed between Horsford village and Holly Lane.
Long peak hour delays are possible on Church Street from its junction with the A140 Cromer Road. Traffic control will be in place at the Church Street/Cromer Road junction to help drivers make the right turn towards Norwich safely. However, A-road traffic will be given priority so delays on Church Street are unavoidable.
Temporary traffic lights will also be used at the Holt Road junction with Church Street. This is mainly to ensure that buses and other large vehicles can make the turn without causing a log-jam. Bus users are advised to check with bus companies for changes in timetables and routes.
Provided works are on schedule, the closure will be lifted for the weekend of 8/9 October.
Monday 10 October to Friday 14 October
Holt Road closed between Holly Lane and the Holt Road/A140 Cromer Road roundabout.
Holly Lane will be available as well as Church Street, but delays are likely on both routes. The right turn out of Church Street into Holt Road will be more difficult in the evenings because northbound traffic will be coming up Holt Road from Holly Lane.
John Birchall, NDR public liaison officer, said: “This road closure is the most difficult we’ve faced. Unfortunately, when we dug down, we found that the gas main was more than two metres deep and very close to a fragile water main. After looking at a number of options our engineers were forced to accept that much bigger excavations, under road closures, were unavoidable.
“It’s not possible to reopen the old Drayton Lane again. We delayed sewer diversion work in August to keep the lane open, but specialist contractors are scheduled to start sewer diversions in the next few days, and any further delay could cause access problems for Horsford later in the contract by holding up construction of the realigned Drayton Lane.
“This leaves Church Street as the only route available to the south of Horsford during the first week. We will have traffic control at the junction with the A140, but it’s bound to be under pressure, particularly during the morning peak.
“We would urge all users of the B1149 Holt Road to allow extra time for journeys, avoid peak hours and use alternative routes if possible.”
Norfolk County Council and Balfour Beatty apologise for the disruption these unavoidable closures will cause.
One of the country’s leading housebuilders, Barratt and David Wilson Homes, has opened its regional headquarters for a brand new division at Norwich’s Broadland Business Park.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia has taken a 7,220 sq ft Grade A suite in the Lakeside 300 office building on a 10-year term. The office currently accommodates 40 employees as part of the homebuilder’s new division, with an additional 45 staff members based onsite. The Lakeside 300 building has just undergone a complete modernisation and refurbishment to incorporate a range of new facilities including electric vehicle charging points and exceptional energy efficiency, with an EPC A rating achieved throughout the building.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes is one of the most active housebuilders in East Anglia and currently has sites under construction in locations including Sprowston, Cringleford, Horsford and Watton.
Simon Wood, Managing Director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia, said: “We’re thrilled to have opened the doors to our new divisional office at Broadland Business Park. The location provides us with excellent access to our developments across Norfolk and the new set-up will help us grow and thrive as a brand new division.”
A number of the region’s major companies are located on Broadland Business Park, including fellow housebuilders Lovell Partnerships and Persimmon Homes, along with businesses such as Lovewell Blake, Gardners Books, Start-rite Shoes, TaxAssist Accountants, Delta Fire, GAP Group, Marsh, Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council.
James Allen, partner at agents Roche Chartered Surveyors, said: “We are delighted that Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia has selected Broadland Business Park for its location. Lakeside 300 provides ideal accommodation for a business of the size and standing.
“Lakeside 300 has received a very healthy amount of interest since the completion of its major refurbishment this year. It is very good news that Barratt and David Wilson Homes has now moved in; we have several other live enquiries for many of the remaining suites in the three-storey building.
“Despite two years of a challenging market, it is encouraging to see such buoyant interest in high quality Grade A office accommodation in Norwich and we are looking forward to securing more lettings during the early part of 2023.”
Broadland Business Park, which is located at the junction or the A47 and A1270 Broadland Northway, offers both Grade A offices and prime development land for industrial and logistics uses.
Broadland Business Park’s sole agents are James Allen and Graham Jones at Roche Chartered Surveyors, 01603 619876, jamesa@rochecs.co.uk and grahamj@rochecs.co.uk.
More details and a video of the Park are at www.broadlandbusinesspark.co.uk.
Let’s face it, Americans love all things British, from the Royal Family to our history and heritage, they just can’t get enough. The American consumer market is no different, as the demand and trust for quality British products has never been higher.
As such, it came as no surprise when a client of ours recently tasked us to turn their product packaging from B2B (Business-to-Business) to B2C (Business-to-Consumer), with the intent to break into the US market.
World leaders in pressure casting technology, our client wanted a brand and logo for their ceramic water filters that not only said something about what their product does, but also had an underlying sense of ‘Britishness’ about it.
We were heavily inspired during the creative process by the Queen’s Guards, a British staple and even went as far as to call the product ‘Coldstream’, a name synonymous with the British Army. A real feature was transforming the ‘A’ in Coldstream into an image depicting the guards, bearskin hat and all. The end result (boasting like a true American) created one of our most on-brief and patriotic branding to date.
The branding followed orders, hit all the right marks and we have received ‘stand to attention’ responses. So if you are looking to add a quality ‘Britishness’ to your packaging, want to march to a different tune, or would like help to stream your brand into international markets, don’t get caught off guard, just drop us a line.
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Last week was a successful one for Norfolk businesses that took part in the Eastern heats of the Chamber Business Awards 2016.
In the same year that they celebrate their 50th anniversary, we were ecstatic to hear that MLM Multidisciplinary Consulting had been victorious in the ‘Best Use of Technology’ Eastern heat!
Loma Kanu, MLM Multidisciplinary Consulting, said: “Our Norwich Office entered the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Awards and we were delighted to have been awarded Regional winners of the ‘Best Use of Technology Award’. We found out there were over 500 entries for the awards and over 186 entries in this category alone, so were thrilled to have won.
Our application was based around our completed BIM Level 1 projects and what we are doing to implement what is required to achieve BIM Level 2, through the internal groups and training in place.
We also touched on our 50th Anniversary, our plans for growth, use of technology to support marketing and communication objectives and how our company implemented cyber strategy to protect our business, our customers and data.”
Formed in 1966, MLM is a multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy and corporate approved inspector, they provide professional services in all aspects of Environment Planning and Development, Buildings and Infrastructure, Compliance and Sustainability.
MLM Multidisciplinary Consulting will now be put forward for the national award that will be announced at the Chamber Business Awards 2016 ceremony in November.
Last week we were delighted to learn that Chamber member Finn Geotherm had won ‘Small Business of the Year’ in the Chamber Business Awards 2016 Eastern heat.
This accolade comes in Finn Geotherm’s 10th anniversary year and now qualifies them for the national award at the annual Chamber Business Awards 2016 ceremony in November.
Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award. We have been proud members of Norfolk Chamber for many years and it was an honour to be crowned Small Business of the Year in the east, particularly as Finn Geotherm is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To win such a prestigious award is the icing on our birthday cake!”
David Alston, technical director at Finn Geotherm, added: “This award is testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the entire team at Finn Geotherm, who have enabled the company to grow and expand over the past ten years. We are pleased to accept this award from Norfolk Chamber and very much look forward to the next ten years of installing more, great heat pump systems across the region.”
Finn Geotherm are one of the UK’s longest established renewable heating companies and in the ten years since their incorporation, have developed an extremely high level of expertise in ground and air source heat pumps.
Their business is going from strength to strength and it is no wonder they have been victorious in the Eastern heats of the Chamber Business Awards 2016.
People living in Swanton Morley and Dereham are the latest to benefit from enhanced bus services thanks to money received from the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve bus services across the County.
The Fab 4 service operated by Konectbus will begin a brand-new Sunday service on Sunday 19 February with the first bus leaving Swanton Morley at 7:40am. The service runs every two hours until 15:40 and stops at Dereham, East Tuddenham, Longwater, Cringleford and Norwich. The last bus back from Norwich is at 16:14 to Swanton Morley and at 17:25 to Dereham.
There are also two extra journeys which operate from Swanton Morley to Dereham at 8:40am and 17:35pm.
For the rest of the week (Monday to Saturday) the Fab 4 service will benefit from the following extra evening journeys:
Cllr Graham Plant, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, said: “Providing later services is something many residents asked for when we developed our bus service improvement plan – so being able to deliver these services to those who wanted them is exactly what the money secured from the DfT is for. Having buses run into the evenings and on a Sunday means more people can make the choice to leave the car at home and use their local bus service – which is key to us achieving our net-zero ambitions.”
A single trip on the services will cost just £2 between January and March as Konectbus are one of the local operators taking part in the fare cap promotion funded by HM Government as part of their Help for Households campaign .
Gavin Smith, Managing Director of Go East Anglia/Konectbus said; “ Konectbus are delighted to have been involved with the BSIP funding project, from initial public consultation to drawing up proposals for bus service enhancements, new services, and improved connections with other transport services across our region. This enhancement is great for people living in Dereham and Swanton Morley and with stops at many key areas of employment such as Longwater retail park and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital it means more people can choose the bus to get to work.”
This is just one of a number of service enhancements which are being funded by the £49.55 million funding which Norfolk County Council was successful in securing from the Department for Transport (DfT) to use on improving bus services across the County over the next three years.
Approximately £12 million of the funding has been allocated to provide new or expanded bus routes and increase service frequencies on key routes, including more evening and weekend services.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said; “People up and down the country deserve a clean, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided Norfolk County Council with almost £50 million to boost its bus services.
“Supporting Konectbus with providing more frequent services is great for local residents, who will now benefit and be able to make the most of the fantastic work, business and leisure opportunities Norfolk has to offer.”
Full details of the new enhanced service can be found at: https://www.konectbus.co.uk/fab4
Vattenfall launches campaign to register business interest in major offshore wind farm
Vattenfall, the developer of one of Norfolk’s largest wind farms, has called on local businesses to register their interest online with the company, advising “it’s important to start early”.
The Swedish company is at the early stages of developing the 1.8 gigawatt Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm. The project, if consented, is scheduled to start construction and operation in the 2020s.
Ruari Lean, Vattenfall’s Senior Project Development Manager for the Norfolk Vanguard scheme, said: “Our experience building wind farms in the UK tells us that if we want to maximise local business opportunities it’s important to start engagement early. Companies can benefit from early awareness of the opportunities, especially by understanding how and when to get involved in the procurement of a wide range of services.”
The energy firm, which is a member of the East of England Energy Group, recently joined the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber said it is keen to help the region secure business from projects like Norfolk Vanguard.
Caroline Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “Renewable energy is becoming increasingly important to the UK and it is great that Norfolk is going to be at the forefront of this new technological solution. We will be working closely with Vattenfall to ensure that local businesses take advantage of the supply chain opportunities this project will bring to the local economy.
“We will also be working together to ensure that Norfolk’s young people understand the long term career opportunities this project will bring.”
Businesses in East Anglia are invited to register their interest in Norfolk Vanguard at norfolkvanguard.vattenfall.co.uk/contactus
In March this year, Vattenfall launched the Norfolk Vanguard project after agreeing a lease with The Crown Estate, the manager of the seabed. A second development area, Norfolk Boreas, was also agreed with The Crown Estate. Norfolk Boreas, with a target capacity of 1.8 gigawatts, is currently at the very earliest stages of development.
(Story also featured on EDP Business)
For further information, please contact: Jason Ormiston, Media Relations; jason.ormiston@vattenfall.com; 07794524801
You can get more information on Norfolk Vanguard here>>> https://norfolkvanguard.vattenfall.co.uk/
You can follow Vattenfall on twitter>>> @VattenfallUK
You can get more information on the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce here>>> https://norfolkchamber.co.uk/