A £250,000 grant pot of Government cash is to be used to help businesses invest in low energy technology – protecting the environment and jobs. Up to £10,000 will be available to local businesses looking cut their carbon footprint and embrace a more sustainable future. The Sustainability Business Grant can be used to invest in energy production infrastructure such as solar pv panels or biomass boilers and building improvements including insulation and heat pumps. It can also be used to buy energy efficient products including LED lighting and low energy equipment such as fridges and dishwashers. Cllr Rob Waltham, Leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “The Council is committed to being carbon neutral, and this massive injection of Government money will help our businesses go a long way towards achieving that. “We all want a greener, cleaner future for the planet, and we can achieve that by putting North Lincolnshire at the cutting edge of sustainable technology. “This grant is not just aimed at our larger industries – small businesses can make a big difference just by replacing their light bulbs or buying A+ rated appliances.” The grant announcement comes after a £75,000 investment in start-ups was launched last week, giving eligible businesses up to £1,000 to get up and running. It follows more than £200m of Government investment in the region since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. More information on both grants, eligibility criteria and how to apply is on the Invest in North Lincolnshire website.

Two of Lincoln’s largest property specialists, Brown & Co and JH Walter LLP, recently joined forces in a deal handled for JH Walter by Sills & Betteridge’s Lead Corporate Partner, Martin Walsh. The combined business which provides property, business, planning and energy services to corporate and private clients, will continue to operate from both JH Walter’s Lincoln city centre location and Brown & Co’s existing offices on Doddington Road Lincoln, and its other offices throughout East Anglia and the East Midlands. The new trading name of the Lincoln operation is Brown & Co JH Walter. John Elliot, Managing Partner of JH Walter, explained the firm’s decision to bring Martin on board to deal with the sale: “Having been approached by a number of interested parties with a view to merging our long-standing chartered surveying and property sales business, we needed an experienced senior corporate lawyer to assist us in the process. “We had no previous experience of combining with another business. Fortunately for us, the law firm Sills & Betteridge, with whom we have worked for a number of years, had such a lawyer, in Martin Walsh. “Throughout the whole process his experience shone through. He guided us through our preliminary discussions with various interested parties before we reached a conditional agreement with Brown &Co to combine our respective businesses. “During the process to give effect to the combination, Martin’s advice was commercial, practical, clear and concise. In addition, he worked calmly and tirelessly in making sure each issue was properly considered, negotiated and settled to meet the agreed deadline for completion of the combination of the business of JH Walter LLP with that of Brown & Co. “I know I speak for all of the partners in JH Walter in saying we have no hesitation in recommending Martin Walsh and the law firm Sills and Betteridge to anyone considering selling or buying a business as Martin made the process so much more manageable, leading to a successful outcome for all involved.” Martin Walsh added: “JHW have been a very long-standing client of the firm. I was delighted to be able to help JHW and its partners successfully transition their business to that of Brown &Co resulting in a larger complimentary client base and so increased business opportunities for the combined firm. I very much look forward to seeing the business continuing to thrive.”

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Richard Heslop, Managing Director of DE Commercial, a boutique property consultancy in Ilkley. The first half of 2022 will be dominated by Covid, supply chain issues and the increasing costs of construction. While Covid has been with us for 2 years now, the latter two came to the fore in the second half of 2021. What is certain going forward into 2022 is the uncertainty created by these issues. Having said that the commercial property market remains resilient. We expect to see the warehouse/industrial market continue to make the gains witnessed over the past 12 months which has seen development land deals exceed £1million per acre with freehold and leasehold values gaining more than 20%. A cloud will remain over the office market which is now dominated by “work from home.” Going forward we expect more companies to develop their strategies of employees mixing home and office working. This will have a dampening effect on the growth potential for this market. The investment market remains robust and the supply shortages will continue to hold back this sector at the smaller end. Property yields continue to outstrip other asset classes and private investors will be loathe to sell if there is no alternative home for their capital. Demand from institutional investors, particularly for warehousing/distribution buildings, will ensure yields harden further as they look to strike deals off plan or during the early stage of construction. With regard to the retail market, the two overriding factors affecting demand will continue to be the high level of rates payable coupled with the inexorable rise of internet shopping. As work from home spills over into 2022, the internet will continue to win out.