11 minute read
News
from SBT issue 439
Brighton property market to benefit from lockdown fever
The lockdown has got even more people dreaming of living by the sea according to the UK’s biggest property website - and that’s good news for the market in Brighton & Hove.
Rightmove has reported a spike
Monthly in enquiries about
News seaside property, both from buyers looking for a second home and from those wanting to move full time to the coast to live and work.
Rightmove’s Property Expert, Miles Shipside believes that being in lockdown has given many homehunters time to reassess what they want from their next move. He said: “Having the chance to look out your window to a sea view is something many home-hunters tell us is a dream of theirs. This means that the properties that do offer this are able to charge a premium compared to those in-land.
“Lockdown has changed what a number of home-hunters are now looking for from their next home, and while some are looking for more space or a bigger garden, others are now contemplating a move to the seaside.” It’s perhaps unsurprising that coastal living is increasing in popularity as it has been shown to significantly improve mental wellbeing. Sea air helps improve sleep, being by the sea is also associated with feeling relaxed, calm and rested, seaside residents are more likely to exercise and, according to reports, living by the sea is even more calming than living near green spaces.
The good news for anyone planning to make Brighton & Hove their new home
city is that exciting new work-and-live projects are already in the pipeline.
Edward Street Quarter, for instance, is a new community in the east of the city which aims to become known as the centre for creative and commercial innovation in Brighton.
It will provide office, retail and residential space all on one site - meaning that people can work, live and play in the same environment. It even includes a spectacular roof terrace with sea views for those who work there.
Steve Eccles of developers First Base said: “It’s no surprise to see that moving to the seaside is becoming more popular when you consider we have all been cooped up for so long. The lockdown has made people realise how important outdoor space is to their lives and they are looking to get away from crowded inner-city areas.
“From that point of view, Brighton couldn’t be more perfect. Not only does it have the sea and a vibrant cultural scene, but it is also a growing area for business development. That’s why we decided to build Edward Street Quarter here and to embrace the idea of living, working and socialising in the same community. For anyone looking to get away from London or wanting to upgrade their offices on the south coast, it’s an exciting project.”
Estate Agents in Brighton & Hove are also noticing an increase in interest following the pandemic.
James Epps, Director of Oakley Property in Brighton commented: “Since the government announced that Estate Agencies were allowed to return to work, we have seen a significant increase in enquiries week on week, particularly from people in London and surrounding counties looking to move out from the city for a better quality of life.
“Many people now realise that they can work effectively from home which is encouraging them to live outside of the capital. If the stamp duty holiday is introduced, I can only see demand for property in Brighton & Hove increasing as people considering buying will want to take advantage of the time limited tax saving!”
Emma Ormiston, Partner at SHW added: “Covid-19 has been a major disruption to both work and life in general, but there seems to be a consensus that it has aided further thought into work/ life balance. It was a common theme to see those that were able to relocate outside central London to lockdown with family members that had access to more outdoor space.
“Brighton was no exception to this, and with people focussing on wellbeing and a better home environment it is not surprising that interest in homes in Sussex has increased. Working from home appears to have been a great success and it is likely that most companies will continue with this at least in part.
“However, it is important that teams can get together to collaborate and for some, working from home is impractical. So, we shouldn’t be waving goodbye to our office buildings just yet. With more and more people looking to relocate to the seaside, we envisage more businesses choosing Brighton as an office location, where they can access a large pool of talent and staff will be happy to be able to live and work by the sea.“
For more information, please visit www.edwardstreetquarter.com.
Alej Ez
Multi-award winning
Monthly News craft distillery Brighton Gin has announced the release of its Pride 2020 Rainbow Fund bottle. Working with the Brighton-based LGBTQ+ artist Alej ez, the limited edition was released for sale on Thursday 30th July, with an initial run of 250 bottles, individually signed and numbered by the artist, making each one a unique artwork.
Every year since 2016, Brighton Gin has released a limited edition Pride bottle to not only celebrate Brighton Pride but also to support the work of The Rainbow Fund, the Brighton and Hove based grant-giving hub for local grassroots LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS organisations. 2020 is a landmark year for the global Pride movement, marking the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march and 30 years of Brighton Pride.
Brighton Gin works with a different LGBTQ+ artist each year. The Granadaborn Alej ez, whose original training as an architect is reflected in the detail and the structures of his work, says: “My work reflects my intrinsic LGBTQ+ nature and interests. The flag is our symbol and represents us. I researched what is arguably the LGBTQ+ rights movement’s most recognizable and unifying symbol - the original rainbow flag was designed by the gay rights activist Gilbert Baker in 1978 and lies in the London Design Museum. I had a eureka moment, imagining this rainbow flag across Brighton skies reflected by the sea.
“The final image shows the victorian railings along the Brighton & Hove promenade with the inviting steps that take you down to the pebble beach and welcome you to the sea, where the iconic structure of the remains of the West Pier stands. We may not be able to celebrate together this year but I am also inspired by the movement named ‘Pride Inside’ - we are proud no matter what.”
Through their Community Spirit initiative, Brighton Gin has supported hundreds of community organisations and charities across the city and beyond. Kathy Caton, Founder of Brighton Gin said: “with the Rainbow Fund having lost its major fundraising event through the necessary cancellation of Brighton Pride, we want to do all we can to support their work with grassroots community organisations doing such vital work in Brighton and beyond. We may not be able to be together in person, but we can raise a glass to better times to come and raise funds at the same time”.
Chris Gull, Chair of the Rainbow Fund says: “thank you so much Brighton Gin for raising funds, yet again, with another beautiful limited edition Pride bottle. All the money raised will be distributed as grants to the local LGBTQ+ and HIV projects that we support. It’s a tough year for all of them, trying to continue to support hundreds of LGBTQ+ people in Brighton & Hove between them who require their vital front line services”.
The Brighton Gin Pride 2020 Rainbow Fund Edition bottles can be bought directly from brightongin.com. Recognising what a challenging year it will be for raising funds, £5 from each bottle will be donated to the Rainbow Fund.
Latest figures show insolvencies lower than last year due to Government support but debt is increasing dramatically
Despite the what is now officially a recession, a wave of money and government support totalling over £83bn (furlough and loan schemes only) is still keeping UK companies afloat, but corporate debt levels are soaring as a result.
The result of the unprecedented support is that according to figures just released by the Insolvency Service, English corporate insolvency levels remain over a third lower than this time last year (955 July 2020, 1,451 July 2019), but corporate debt levels have increased dramatically. Bank of England figures show that lending to Worthing-based wheelchair athlete Lizzie Williams is receiving financial backing from a local charitable foundation to boost her dream of competing at the World Para Athletics European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in 2021. Lizzie already competes internationally in T54 wheelchair racing events and is aiming to represent Great Britain at next year’s showcase thanks in part to support from the Carpenter Box Charitable Foundation (CBCF). Lizzie was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones), but her athletic ability and determination to succeed has seen her win numerous sporting accolades. Now she is training hard to achieve her dream of becoming a GB para-athlete next year. Even during lockdown, she has managed to continue her six days UK SME’s in June 2020 was nearly 16 times higher than it was in April 2020, and over 8 times higher than any other month in the last 7 years.
Whilst we still await the detailed breakdowns, the Insolvency Service figures show that there was a small uptick in Administration appointments, but Liquidation appointments remain very low compared to historic levels. This is also partly due to the prohibition of Statutory Demands and Winding Up petitions in May and June, and the resultant backlog still being dealt with by UK courts. a week training regime at home, thanks to a ‘rolling road’ and creative adaption of equipment to maintain her strength and conditioning routines. The specialist equipment required for wheelchair racing makes it an expensive sport for participants, and so far Lizzie has managed to generate her own funding. Now though, she feels that the sponsorship from CBCF could be a game changer for her. “Now that I have the support of CBCF, it’s taken some of the pressure off me, knowing that every month there is a pot of money there that I can use to support my training regime and maintain my equipment”, said Lizzie. “I am so thankful for their support and hope that sometime soon when we can race again, I will be able to show how much difference it has made to my performance.” Gareth Harris, Restructuring Advisory Partner at RSM commented: “Given the wave of money provided to UK corporates the insolvency figures don’t really come as any surprise. However, despite this support and the furlough scheme, the recent employment figures suggest that UK corporates are starting to feel the pain and are taking some difficult decisions regarding future sustainable employment levels. A string of recent major job losses from many high street names, and the depth of the fall in GDP when compared to other European nations supports the view that
Lizzie targets European Championships with support from charitable foundation
there are major challenges ahead.” When not racing, Lizzie actively promotes disability sport in the local community and over the last couple of years has worked with around 50 schools across West Sussex, sharing her story and supporting specific campaigns and sports days.
Chartered accountants MHA Carpenter Box has offices in Worthing, Gatwick and Brighton and was one of the first businesses in Sussex to set up a charitable arm with a focus on supporting smaller local organisations and people who often find it difficult to raise funds. The foundation – which has now raised over £200,000 in total – is run by staff trustees along with one partner, who together decide on donations and grants.
www.carpenterbox.com/who-arewe/csr/
Posture People announce free online ergonomic advice clinics to create more healthy work spaces at home .
Brighton-based
Monthly News ergonomic experts Posture People are helping people working from home to create a more comfortable and safe home working station using their new free online clinic. The clinic will run fortnightly by MD and professional workstation assessor, Jo Blood.
The workshop has been created following demand for advice following the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, which has resulted in many more people working from home. Recent
research found only 13% of people working remotely have access to a home office and another survey found half of home workers are experiencing more physical pain since they started working at home.
Posture People’s free clinic will share expert advice on how to improve posture and productivity using everyday objects while working from a kitchen or dining room table. Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions about their home workstations and personal aches and pains caused by working at the kitchen table. Ergonomic expert and Posture People MD, Jo Blood, has created the clinic to tackle negative side-effects associated with sitting incorrectly. She said: “As working from home becomes more common, it’s important people have a suitable workstation to reduce the risk of long-term health damage, which we know is exacerbated by sitting for long periods of time at a computer.
“With so many people working from home without adequate equipment, it’s time they took action to improve their working environment and time for businesses to step up and provide remote staff with the same level of care they receive in the office,” added Blood.
Posture people also offer advice and have many resources available on their website. To book your free space at the next working at home clinic on Friday 17th July, sign up here.
Jo Blood
