Council agree partnership with government-backed developers to transform Worthing town centre site

The planned regeneration of a key town centre site in Worthing has taken a big step forward after the Council agreed to join forces with an experienced government-backed development company.

In what is seen as a feat for the town, the innovative proposal will see the Council and publicly-owned firm LCR work in partnership to bring forward proposals for new homes, jobs, retail and possibly a cinema at Union Place.

Councillors agreed last night (Tuesday April 10) to push ahead with the deal with the company, which has an impressive track record of delivering world-class regeneration projects such as High Speed 1, St Pancras International, King's Cross, the International Quarter London in Stratford and Mayfield in Manchester.

The belief is that it will ensure the regeneration of the derelict site can be brought forward at greater pace while a shared vision for the economic development of the town is created.

Martin Randall, the Council’s Director for the Economy, said: “The Council moved in to buy the site this year because we felt this major town centre site had remained idle for too long.

“We promised that we would bring forward progress quickly and are therefore delighted to be able to agree this partnership.

“LCR has a fantastic record in bringing forward award-winning landmark projects and it is a real coup to be able to tap into their top-level expertise to transform this part of Worthing. We’re looking forward to working with them on this project moving forward.”

Worthing Borough Council stepped in to buy Union Place from its private owners earlier this year in an effort to bring fresh impetus for development.

A decision to enter into an agreement with LCR was agreed by senior councillors on Adur & Worthing’s Joint Strategic Committee last night.

The deal will see the current small open-air High Street car park sold to LCR at a price subject to independent valuation. This would ensure the firm has a stake in the scheme and allow the company to enter a 'land-pooling agreement' with the Council. The Council would retain ownership of the majority of the land and continue to operate the car park.

Councillors also agreed to the creation of a joint Strategic Board between the Council and LCR to oversee the project.

Other options, such as the Council selling on the site or bringing forward its own scheme, were considered but officials said this would create more risk of redevelopment not being delivered.

David Joy, Chief Executive of LCR, said: “We are delighted to be working with Worthing Borough Council to take forward plans for Union Place, a major town centre site for Worthing. The land pooling arrangement is the culmination of many months of hard work and will enable the Council and LCR to join forces to provide the best opportunity to achieve a success redevelopment of the site.

“LCR is working with a number of local authorities across the country as part of a wider remit to support the Government’s delivery of homes, jobs and growth.

“Our partnership with Worthing will enable the Council to harness LCR’s significant commercial and development expertise which, along with the Council’s experience and local knowledge, will allow for an innovative approach to unlocking the site after more than a decade of dereliction and inject some pace behind the redevelopment to maximise the benefits for the local economy.  

“We look forward to continuing to progress this strategically important project and to potential future opportunities with the Council and others.”

UNION PLACE: RECOMMENDATION TO CALL IN TOP GOVERNMENT DEVELOPER

A prestigious government-backed development company could join forces with Worthing Borough Council to revive a key site in the town.

The innovative proposal would see the Council and the company bring forward proposals for new homes, jobs, retail and possibly a cinema at Union Place in a partnership.

In a report to go before Council leaders next week it is recommended that the current small open-air High Street car park is sold to LCR which would then allow the company to enter a ‘land-pooling agreement’ with the Council. The Council would retain ownership of the majority of the land and continue to operate the car park.

LCR is an entirely publicly-owned development company with an impressive record of delivering world-class regeneration projects which include High Speed 1, St Pancras International, King’s Cross, the International Quarter London in Stratford and Mayfield in Manchester. It is wholly owned by the Department for Transport.

The report, to go before Adur and Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee next week, sets out recommendations to revive Union Place after more than a decade of dereliction. Worthing Borough Council stepped in to buy the site from its private owners earlier this year in an effort to bring fresh impetus for development. It promised to search for a partner to help bring plans to fruition.

Now the recommendation from Council officers is that LCR join the authority bringing with it top-level experience on much bigger sites. In order to have the company onboard for a ‘land-pooling’ arrangement and therefore unlock LCR’s expertise the company wants to have a stake in the scheme, hence the recommendation that the small car park is sold.

The report references a document written by the British Property Federation and the Local Government Association, Unlocking Growth Through Partnership, which argues that joining forces creates clear vision, the ability to leverage greater investment, shared purpose and as importantly shared reward and risk.

“By combining these strengths some of the most significant barriers to development can be overcome. From this, a range of benefits flow to partners, central government, communities and the wider economy,” says the report.

Joining with another organisation in public ownership allows for pace to be put into development and a shared vision for the economic development of the town to be created, the report argues.

Other options are also considered but carry more risk to the Council, says the report. Taking on the project itself would be costly and the Council would struggle with current resources to maximise potential on the site and would take on all the risk. Selling the land on again to a private developer might take Union Place back to ‘square one’ with the site remaining idle.

The report sets out costs and benefits of a number of options and estimates ‘land pooling’ might generate annual income for the Council of £72,000 not including the benefit to the local economy of new homes, retail and leisure.

A spokesman for Worthing Borough Council said; “This report sets out clearly the options for developing Union Place. The Council moved in to buy the site this year because we felt this major town centre site had remained idle for too long.

“We are now putting some pace into the project. The Executive Members will of course decide next week what option they would like to pursue but we should point out that if they approve the option recommended by officers the Council will be partnering with a company, 100 per cent publicly-owned, which has a fantastic record in bringing forward award-winning landmark projects.”

The report recommends that Council leaders enter into a land-pooling agreement with LCR with the purpose of progressing the development or sale of Union Place, to sell the High Street car park to the company at a price subject to independent valuation and to create a joint Strategic Board between the Council and LCR.

How your thoughts affect your focus and concentration in the workplace

Many people describe themselves as ‘procrastinators’, ‘perfectionists’ or ‘overwhelmed’ and the end result of these things is often the same. The things you need to do, had planned to do or want to do, don’t get done when they should. This then creates a cycle of feeling unfocussed, being unable to concentrate or get on with a task and worrying, feeling stressed or disappointed with yourself.

The antidote to feeling this way really is to learn how to focus and concentrate and make that a new behaviour. But how do you learn how to do that?

Some practical ways that can help are:

• ·       Organise your work environment, clear the physical and electronic clutter
• ·       Improve your time management
• ·       Delegate or outsource

But for many people, the problem is mind-set. Your mind really can achieve what it can conceive. If you believe yourself to be a procrastinator, then that will feel true and all the thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with procrastination will appear. But what if you were to think of yourself as something different? It may feel strange at first, maybe like a lottery winner might feel like the first time they check their bank balance!  But I am sure they get used to that feeling (!) and so can you; when you believe yourself to be something.

Here’s an exercise you might like to try.

Think of the last time you wanted to achieve or deliver something in your business. Then answer these questions.

• ·       Was it clear what you wanted to achieve?
• ·       What affected your delivery?
• ·       What did you learn from that?
• ·       How did it make you feel?

Now think about something you want to deliver/achieve in the future:

• ·       Is it clear what you want to achieve?
• ·       What obstacles might stand in your way?
• ·       What have you learnt in the past which may be useful?   
• ·       How do you want this to make you feel?

You see, we are emotional creatures and by attaching a feeling, it will make a difference.

The last piece of this exercise comes back to the messages you give yourself. Sometimes known as mind monkeys, inner critic or inner voice. It will be very helpful for you to come up with something positive you can tell yourself (often!). Here are some suggestions but you may prefer to use one of your own.

Sometimes known as ‘affirmations’ this will be what you tell yourself on a regular basis. You start with ‘I am’ and then add your choice:  

• ·       Focused
• ·       In the zone
• ·       Productive
• ·       Fearless
• ·       Confident
• ·       Talented
• ·       Experienced
• ·       Knowledgeable
• ·       Inspiring
• ·       Trustworthy
• ·       Clear headed
• ·       Energetic
• ·       Excited
• ·       Enthusiastic
• ·       Visionary
• ·       In control
• ·       Productive

Thinking differently can bring very different results and bring new and exciting opportunities your way. Give it a try. Right now 

Article by Honey Lansdowne

Worthing Museum host weekend celebration of Saxon Sussex

Worthing Museum have announced that they will be hosting their second Saxon Sussex Weekend on 27-28 April, following the huge popularity of their previous event last year.

On Friday 27th they will be teaming up with the South Downs Society for a tour of the local Anglo-Saxon churches, starting at the historical Sompting church at 9.30am, the tour will then followed by a walk up the Adur valley to visit the beautiful churches at Botolphs & Coombes.
 
On Saturday 28th Worthing Museum will be welcoming the Gesithas Englishcan Anglo-Saxon society as well as the Weorod Living History Group to the museum for a series of lectures and demonstrations of life in early Saxon Sussex throughout the day. This will involve battle re-enactments, living history demonstrations and possibly even a burial…

James Sainsbury, Archaeologist for Worthing Museum & Art Gallery, says: "The last Saxon Weekend was an astounding success so I'm particularly excited about our second event around these enigmatic settlers who founded Sussex and eventually England itself.  We are very lucky in Worthing to have such important Saxon sites like Highdown Hill in the vicinity.  The Weorod Living History Group are superb at re-creating the costume, lifestyle and weapons from the early Saxon period when places like Highdown would have been used as cemeteries for whole communities.  It promises to be a fantastic weekend, covering everything from pagan burial practices to later churches like Sompting"

Both events are free of charge to attend and all ages are welcome. For more information on Saxon Weekend visit worthingmuseum.co.uk or call Worthing Museum on 01903 221 448.

UNION PLACE: RECOMMENDATION TO CALL IN TOP GOVERNMENT DEVELOPER

A prestigious government-backed development company could join forces with Worthing Borough Council to revive a key site in the town.

The innovative proposal would see the Council and the company bring forward proposals for new homes, jobs, retail and possibly a cinema at Union Place in a partnership.

In a report to go before Council leaders next week it is recommended that the current small open-air High Street car park is sold to LCR which would then allow the company to enter a ‘land-pooling agreement’ with the Council. The Council would retain ownership of the majority of the land and continue to operate the car park.

LCR is an entirely publicly-owned development company with an impressive record of delivering world-class regeneration projects which include High Speed 1, St Pancras International, King’s Cross, the International Quarter London in Stratford and Mayfield in Manchester. It is wholly owned by the Department for Transport.

The report, to go before Adur and Worthing Councils’ Joint Strategic Committee next week, sets out recommendations to revive Union Place after more than a decade of dereliction. Worthing Borough Council stepped in to buy the site from its private owners earlier this year in an effort to bring fresh impetus for development. It promised to search for a partner to help bring plans to fruition.

Now the recommendation from Council officers is that LCR join the authority bringing with it top-level experience on much bigger sites. In order to have the company onboard for a ‘land-pooling’ arrangement and therefore unlock LCR’s expertise the company wants to have a stake in the scheme, hence the recommendation that the small car park is sold.

The report references a document written by the British Property Federation and the Local Government Association, Unlocking Growth Through Partnership, which argues that joining forces creates clear vision, the ability to leverage greater investment, shared purpose and as importantly shared reward and risk.

“By combining these strengths some of the most significant barriers to development can be overcome. From this, a range of benefits flow to partners, central government, communities and the wider economy,” says the report.

Joining with another organisation in public ownership allows for pace to be put into development and a shared vision for the economic development of the town to be created, the report argues.

Other options are also considered but carry more risk to the Council, says the report. Taking on the project itself would be costly and the Council would struggle with current resources to maximise potential on the site and would take on all the risk. Selling the land on again to a private developer might take Union Place back to ‘square one’ with the site remaining idle.

The report sets out costs and benefits of a number of options and estimates ‘land pooling’ might generate annual income for the Council of £72,000 not including the benefit to the local economy of new homes, retail and leisure.

A spokesman for Worthing Borough Council said; “This report sets out clearly the options for developing Union Place. The Council moved in to buy the site this year because we felt this major town centre site had remained idle for too long.

“We are now putting some pace into the project. The Executive Members will of course decide next week what option they would like to pursue but we should point out that if they approve the option recommended by officers the Council will be partnering with a company, 100 per cent publicly-owned, which has a fantastic record in bringing forward award-winning landmark projects.”

The report recommends that Council leaders enter into a land-pooling agreement with LCR with the purpose of progressing the development or sale of Union Place, to sell the High Street car park to the company at a price subject to independent valuation and to create a joint Strategic Board between the Council and LCR.

A memorial tree is to be planted in the heart of Worthing to mark the centenary of the end of World War One.

In November 1918, an armistice was struck bringing an end to the first ever global conflict which became known as the Great War.

In what is the first of series of commemorations across Adur and Worthing to mark 100 years since peace was struck, civic dignitaries and service personal will come together to plant an oak in Worthing’s Beach House Park.

It will take place on Tuesday (27 March 2018) at 10.30am with the Mayor of Worthing Councillor Alex Harman leading the commemorations.

The event has been arranged by the Worthing Royal British Legion and Combined Ex-Services Association, with support from Adur & Worthing Councils.

Cllr Harman said: “Even though the fighting took place many miles away, World War One had a dramatic impact on the whole of Worthing. Hundreds of men lost their lives in what is the most tragic conflict in human history.

“It’s important we remember our history but also look to our future. What better way to mark the centenary of the end of this conflict that with a tree, which will grow tall and remind future generations of the terrible consequences of war.

“I want to thank all of those who have helped arrange the event which I’m sure will be a poignant memorial for all.”

Councillor Tom Wye, Worthing Borough Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: "It is fitting that this tree is planted in Beach House Park to commemorate 100th anniversary of the ending of the Great War in which at least 660 Worthing men, boys and a lady sacrificed their lives. The tree is near the Holocaust Memorial and the Battle of the Boars Head Memorial giving this park a very special place in the hearts of Worthing residents."

How SMEs can afford to embrace apprenticeship schemes

Apprenticeships can be a double-edged sword for small businesses. They offer solid benefits but they come at a cost. Alternative finance can help SMEs get the most from the schemes.

Apprenticeships have clear advantages for small businesses. According to a new report by the Association of Accounting Technicians, of the smaller businesses in England that have taken on apprentices, over 90% reported that the apprentices had boosted productivity. Furthermore, in other news from National Apprenticeship Week, apprentices were credited with bringing fresh approaches and new ideas, reinvigorating stagnant projects, bringing different perspectives and bringing key tech skills.

It is undoubtedly the case that apprentices, if taken on, can add value to small businesses. However, there is a major stumbling block to the recruitment of more apprentices and that is cost. Just as the benefits of apprentices was a common theme of discussion during National Apprenticeship Week, so was the cost and the request for more funding from central government.

Introducing an apprentice into a small business comes with the obligation of providing training, which can total as much as 400 hours. For small businesses, which are already laden with a range of other policy and non-policy costs, this extra burden is hard to shoulder. Indeed, one of these policy costs relates to the Apprenticeship Levy, a tax that employers with an annual wage bill of more than £3 million must pay. In short, for small businesses owners, apprenticeship schemes cost a significant amount of money.

So, how can small business reap the benefits of apprenticeship schemes, and increase the number of apprentices they recruit, without pushing margins to breaking point? Alternative finance has a key role to play.

To fund apprenticeship schemes and the training and other related costs requires investment. While the government pledged more funding in the Spring Statement, there is still the need for more capital for extra resources (personnel and equipment) and to safeguard cashflow. As traditional lenders remain cautious with regard to SME lending and awareness of non-bank finance grows, the likes of invoice finance, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding are playing an increasingly significant part in helping small businesses access finance for these purposes.

This is how a small business in West Sussex used peer-to-peer lending, through a commercial finance broker that specialises in alternative finance, to raise the capital for new equipment.

Whether used as stand-alone services or integrated into a wide-ranging financial strategy, alternative finance facilities are providing small business owners the affordability, accessibility and flexibility they need to manage the financial demands of the various policy and non-policy-related costs, such as apprenticeships.

This is a critical time for SMEs and the advantages of apprenticeship schemes and employees that can add real value are arguably more important than ever. But for businesses to benefit fully cost-related barriers must be overcome. Alternative finance has a key role to play in achieving this goal.

To find out more about A&T Business Associates services, contact Tony on 01903 602211 or tony@atbusinessassociates.co.uk.

Kreston Reeves and Barclays GDPR & Cyber Security seminar

Join Barclays and Kreston Reeves for an informal business networking event and presentation on GDPR and Cyber Security. 

When: Wednesday 18th April, 8:00am-10:00am
Where: The Ardington Hotel, Steyne Gardens, Worthing BN11 3DZ
Timings: 
8:00am-8:20am - Welcome, networking & breakfast
8:20am-9:30am - GDPR & Cyber Security Presentations
9:30am-10:00am - Networking

With Cyber Crimes and The General Data Protection Regulation in the news on an almost daily basis it is important to understand how you can help protect your business against Cyber threats, and be ready for the regulation changes in May. Our Digital Engagement Manager will discuss both topics, share insights, tips and next steps.

At the event there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss and ask questions in the company of our team and your local peers. We hope you can join us.

Places are limited and are first come first served. To confirm your place, please RSVP to victoria.f.taylor@barclays.com

Myth Busting Apprenticeships – making the Levy work for you

The Apprenticeship Levy came into effect in April 2017 and the results so far have been pretty disastrous with confusion from Levy and non-Levy payers alike.  The next meeting of METALL – the Manufacturing Engineering Technology Alliance (METALL #7) – will focus on busting the myths around the scheme.

Analysing the effects of the Levy after the first full year indicate that the system is simply not working. Total apprenticeship starts for May, June and July 2017 fell a staggering 61% compared to the same period in 2016 and the second half of 2017 saw little improvement.

Aimed at engineering, manufacturing and technology businesses of all sizes, METALL #7 aims to signpost how any sized business can make the most of the system to find (and fund) the next generation of talent for manufacturing, engineering and tech businesses in the area.

Chris Coopey, Partner and Practice Director at MHA Carpenter Box commented: “This will be the first time that we have held a METALL event at the wonderful Ricardo Centenary Innovation Centre which is adjacent to the famous Ricardo plant in Shoreham, so it should prove to be very interesting for all attendees to see how like-minded businesses operate.”

The METALL #7 event will be held between 2.30pm and 6pm on Thursday 19 April at the Ricardo state-of-the-art plant in Shoreham, followed by a site tour. Places will be limited, so please sign up quickly if you would like to attend to avoid disappointment at www.metall.org.uk/events/

METALL is supported by MHA Carpenter Box chartered accountants, solicitors asb law and sector recruitment professionals, CBSbutler. It was launched back in July 2016 with the primary aim to inform, educate and facilitate discussion and progress in the Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology sectors.