Move Commercial 66

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LIVERPOOL CITY REGION CHESHIRE MANCHESTER

FEBRUARY - MARCH 2019

FREE

Issue 66

Liverpool’s India Buildings

Driverless

cars

Is the region ready for the automotive revolution?

A catalyst for growth once again

Steering development Behind Spatial Regeneration Frameworks

PROFILE

Leading by example MSB managing partner Emma Carey on success and social responsibility

Means something better

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Outstanding new Grade A office space coming to No.1 Old Hall Street Call 0151 707 2666 | offices@downing.com Downing.com

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Issue sixty six Move Commercial

Welcome to Move Commercial

W

ith International Women’s Day just around the corner on 8 March, what better time to shine the spotlight on one of the North West’s prominent female leaders?

Our cover star Emma Carey has progressed from being MSB Solicitors’ first female trainee to its managing partner, and talks to Move Commercial (p.14) about a career of breaking new ground, achieving growth and success, and ensuring social responsibility is high on the agenda.

Plus we look to the future of the region’s roads (p.20), investigating how prepared the North West is to accommodate driverless cars and meet government targets on the major automotive change.

And as HMRC gets ready to move into Liverpool’s landmark India Buildings, we find out how its £40 million refurbishment is coming together (p.19) and look at the potential impact the new tenant could have on the surrounding commercial district.

Liverpool City Council’s head of planning, Samantha Campbell, also gives Move Commercial the lowdown on how the numerous Spatial Regeneration Frameworks being brought forward (p.22) are expected to steer development and work alongside each other and existing planning policies.

News 07 No.1 Old Hall Street phase nearing completion 08 Businesses should keep equality at the ‘top of their agenda’, says leader 09 Law firm ‘proud’ to continue support for dementia awareness workshops 11 Office furniture supplier plans recruitment drive following growth

Natasha Young, editor natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

Features 10 Key event Creative space The Yard launched in Manchester 13 Appointments Who’s moving where?

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14 Interview MSB’s managing partner, Emma Carey on success, growth and social responsibility

Photo: Grendelkhan / CC-BY-SA-4.0

16 Key event Employers offer career inspiration at Liverpool Skills Show 19 A new lease of life

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Expectations of wider growth as Liverpool’s India Buildings is refurbished to welcome HMRC 20 The autonomous revolution Is the North West prepared for the arrival of driverless cars?

Advertising Catherine McCarthy. Tel: 0151 709 3871 Editor Natasha Young. Tel: 0151 709 3871 Editorial Team Lawrence Saunders, Matthew Smith Design Mark Iddon.

Photography Liverpool Skills Show – Liam Deveney / Gareth Jones & All About STEM

Cover Image Courtesy of MSB Solicitors Published by Move Publishing Ltd Directors David O’Brien, Kim O’Brien, Fiona Barnet.

Printed by Precision Colour Printers Ltd. Distribution Liaison Manager Barbara Troughton.

Tel: 0151 733 5492 / Mobile: 077148 14662

22 Strengthening character How Spatial Regeneration Frameworks will steer areas’ development and work alongside each other

Cover sponsored by MSB Solicitors Copyright Move Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Move Publishing can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

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We provide a full range of leg gal services in the commercial property sectorr, advising landowners, develop pers, investors, bridging finance companies, commercial landlords and ten nants.

With a proven track record in plot sales, we work with prominent agents an nd developers across the North West and have been involved in projects that have helped transfform the skyline in the Liverpool City Region.

Speak to our expert team e today.

Neil Kelly

Brad Armstr A ong

Darren Barwick

neilkelly@msbsolicitors.co.uk

bradarmsstrong@msbsolicitors.co.uk

darrenbarwick@msbsolicitors.co.uk

0151 281 9040 msbsolicitors.co.uk 17 Allerton Road Mossley Hill Liverpool L18 1LG DX 18906 Allerton

No 4. St. Paul’s Square Liverpool L3 9SJ DX 14157 Liverpool

MSB House 20-22 Tapton Way Wavertree Business Village Liverpool L13 1DA DX 700701 Old Swan

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Latest News ‘Fantastic’ response as entries open for 2019 NWPAs

The new-look reception

No.1 Old Hall Street phase nearing completion

Downing’s creation of a brand new Grade A office space in Liverpool’s commercial district is nearing completion.

The 5,100 sq ft workspace forms part of a wider refurbishment programme underway at No.1 Old Hall Street.

The office space, above Pret a Manger, will overlook Old Hall Street through full height glazing, and is accompanied in the initial phase of the scheme by a remodelling of the building’s reception facilities.

The new-look reception will feature a waiting area and concierge lobby, along with accessible WCs, a shower area and an accessible lift. It will provide access to the new office via a relocated feature entrance.

John Clegg, head of property management

at Downing, says: “We’re excited to be nearing completion on this major phase of redevelopment at No.1 Old Hall Street.

“Our new office space will create an extremely rare opportunity for prominent, Grade A office space in the heart of Liverpool’s commercial district.

“These wider plans will provide a bright and elegant space for businesses, promoting wellbeing in the workplace and providing additional facilities that will enhance both our current and future resident businesses’ experience with us.

“We’re committed to creating a special, first class business address and we’re sure this latest phase of works will ensure new occupiers are attracted to this unique space.”

Excitement is building for this year’s NWPAs as an influx of awards entries and enquiries has already been received.

Entries opened earlier this year for 2019’s categories celebrating success across the North West’s property industry, including the inaugural ‘Best Property and Construction Accountancy Business’ accolade.

Recognising financial firms which are delivering the highest levels of service for clients, the new award is one of 13 that can be entered for free ahead of the 26 April deadline.

It joins coveted titles including ‘Best Commercial Let’, ‘Best Commercial Scheme’ and ‘Regeneration Award’.

Winners of the prestigious, free-to-enter NWPAs will be announced during a lavish ceremony at Lutyens Crypt in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 10 October.

Backed this year by headline sponsor Stewart Milne Homes, alongside associate sponsors Redwing Living, Redrow Homes and X-Press Legal Services, the NWPAs is established as a favourite on the events calendar for the region’s commercial and residential property sectors.

Kim O’Brien, director of Move Publishing which organises the annual celebration, says: “The initial response to this year’s NWPAs has been fantastic and the 2019 event is, without a doubt, shaping up to be the biggest yet.

“The North West is home to a wealth of quality property firms and schemes which are making a really positive impact, and we can’t wait to celebrate them at this year’s awards night. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it.”

For more information on opportunities and entering the 2019 NWPAs, visit www.nwpas.com.

Winners will be announced during a lavish ceremony at Lutyens Crypt

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News Latest

Businesses should keep equality at the ‘top of their agenda’, says leader ON T H E COVE R

Equality needs to be high on the agenda “until it no longer needs to be there” according to a North West business leader.

Our cover star Emma Carey, managing partner of Liverpool-based MSB Solicitors, tells Move Commercial about the importance of the issue within the law firm and the wider business community.

In an interview about her rise to the helm of MSB Solicitors, as well as the company’s growth, success and its culture of focusing on social responsibility, Carey says: “Equality is something I’m personally passionate about and it’s something all businesses do need to keep top of their agenda.

“It has to be there until it no longer needs to be there.”

The company, which is once again preparing to

mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, has received awards recognition for its own steps towards equality.

MSB’s LGBT+ committee, which was previously established within the firm as it worked towards achieving the LGBT+ supported Navajo Kite Mark, is in the midst of being turned into a wider equality committee for the firm.

Carey explains that the initiative will see partners at MSB “champion different marginalized groups within our society so there is somebody, a seniority, taking responsibility for it”.

She adds: “Hopefully it will generate positive initiatives, promote best practice and get everybody involved.”

Read the full interview with Carey on page 14.

Mere Grange Business Park recently attracted Assist Group

National companies ‘heading for St Helens business park’ Two further tenants are being lined up at St Helens’ Mere Grange Business Park following the recent letting to Assist Group.

Commercial agent BE Group has confirmed the latest companies signing up to the site, which can’t be named at this stage, are national firms setting up new operations in the town.

New occupier Assist Group recently took 3,090 sq ft at the complex, which is home to 10 buildings of office space.

Real estate investment company Squarestone Growth acquired Mere Grange Business Park last year from Network Space and the park has since received a rebrand.

Simon Roddam of BE Group, which was appointed as an agent for the site 8

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alongside B1 Real Estate, says: “The St Helens office market has remained active for some time now. We have seen a particular demand at Mere Grange from occupiers seeking to make a progressive relocation to better quality office accommodation, reflecting a modern business park image.

“It is great to conclude the letting to Assist Group, and this will shortly be followed by two further lettings on the estate totalling another 8,689 sq ft of space.

“Whilst we can’t announce the names of the most recent lettings yet, we can say that they are well known national companies opening new facilities in St Helens which is a real coup for the town.”

X-Press Legal Services reveals major growth plans Warrington-based X-Press Legal Services has revealed plans to expand its national franchise network by 30% in the coming years.

The firm, which provides data to solicitors and conveyancing professionals, is aiming to achieve the goal by 2021 following a period of significant investment in legal technology.

The provider of regulated property searches and reports was formed in 1998 by Dave and Lynne Lister, and has since developed into a successful firm with a Warrington head office and a current total of 24 franchise offices across the country.

Lynne Lister says: “The recent investment in IT has formed a significant part of our strategic plans for growth.

“In order to deliver the very best service to our clients and our franchisees, we have to remain ahead of the curve; our new systems allow us to do that.

“We pride ourselves on delivering a highly personalised service to our conveyancing practice clients but this has to be backed up with superefficient reporting.”

The outlook also follows X-Press Legal Services’ success in being acknowledged within the PlanetCompliance LegalTech 500 power list for the creation of its online directory, ‘Law Plain and Simple’.

The directory has been named at number 10 on the list, which showcases organisations harnessing the power of technology to deliver improved legal Lynne Lister services.

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Latest News House of Memories offers training to carers

International business leader to speak at St Helens Chamber fair

Law firm ‘proud’ to support dementia awareness workshops

Photo: © Gareth Jones

Liverpool-based law firm JB Leitch says it’s “proud” to continue its support of an award-winning dementia awareness programme in the city.

The company, which specialises in property law, is sponsoring the ‘House of Memories’ initiative as it offers training and activities to enable carers to provide person-centred care for people living with the disease.

Led by the Museum of Liverpool at the Pier Head, the project includes free training workshops at the landmark attraction each month from February until November.

Open to health and social care professionals, or family and friends who want to learn more, the classes offer valuable

information and links to other activities and resources available.

As part of the House of Memories, the museum has also created ‘memory suitcases’ for use as part of group reminiscence sessions.

The suitcases, which can be booked by groups who have attended the workshops, contain photos, memorabilia and objects that can help promote conversations about memories of days gone by.

Michelle Leitch, practice manager at JB Leitch which has an office on Duke Street in the city centre, says: “The House of Memories workshops and memory suitcases are a fantastic resource and JB Leitch is proud to support such a worthwhile programme.”

Influential business leader Marnie Millard will be the guest speaker at St Helens Chamber Business Fair as it returns this spring.

The chief executive officer of international soft drinks Marnie Millard giant Nichols, which is behind brands including Vimto, will address attendees during the 4 April event, when more than 100 local companies will also be exhibiting.

Since joining the Newton le Willows-based firm as managing director in 2012, Millard has risen to the position of CEO and been an advocate of the Northern Powerhouse movement, as well as being awarded an OBE for services to international trade and businesses in the North West in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The free to attend St Helens Chamber Business Fair, which takes place at Haydock Park Racecourse, is this year sponsored by Inspired Energy.

Held from 10.30am until 3pm, the event offers opportunities for businesses to meet potential customers and suppliers, and network with firms around the North West.

For more information visit www.sthelenschamber.com/businessfair.

Merchants Place fully let as firm expands at business park Slater and Gordon will move around 60 staff into the remaining office suites at Liverpool’s Merchants Place after securing the space.

In February the law firm agreed to let 8,011 sq ft at the property, within the Century Building at Brunswick Business Park, and plans to move in during March.

The deal expands on the ‘significant’ accommodation already occupied by the company at Brunswick Business Park.

Jon Swain of Mason Partners, which acted on behalf of Merchants Place’s landlord alongside CBRE, says: “Following this latest deal, all of the space at Merchants Place is fully let.

“Refurbished office suites are still available in other areas of Century Building where our client has continued to invest in refurbishing accommodation to meet the needs of modern occupiers.”

Lambert Smith Hampton acted for Slater and Gordon to complete the transaction.

Merchants Place is located in the Century Building

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The Yard launch Key event Well-known faces launch creative hub Footballing legend Kevin Keegan and poet Tony Walsh were among special guests at the launch of a new North Manchester creative space.

Local entrepreneurs Mark and Jo Hamburger, Manchester City Council and partners invested in The Yard – a new space for aspiring artists, designers, photographers and actors to grow their talent and start businesses.

A former Jewish school building in Strangeways has been brought back to life with state of the art facilities through the project.

Former Newcastle United, Manchester City and England manager Keegan declared the hub open during the event, which featured live performances from Mancunian artists and an impressive cake by Rosie Dummer, aka Rosie Cake Diva.

The Yard comprises gallery and performance space, a sound and recording studio, workspace open to fashion designers and photographers, and flexible co-working space for start-up businesses.

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8 1. Guests filled The Yard and enjoyed performances 2. Kevin Keegan and fellow former footballer Dennis Tueart 3. Jo and Mark Hamburger have invested heavily in the project

4. Terry Caffrey performed a poetry reading in the new space 5. Terry Caffrey and Tony Walsh 6. Rosie Cake Diva’s creation was inspired by a mural at The Yard 7. Rosie Cake Diva and the spectacular cake 8. Mark Hamburger, Kevin Keegan and Councillor Nigel Murphy with Manchester Fashion Institute creatives Olivia, Morgan and Georgia

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Photography: Manchester City Council / Mark Waugh

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Latest News

Office furniture supplier plans recruitment drive following growth The Runcorn Station Quarter vision

A Liverpool-based office furniture supplier is planning to expand its workforce following a period of growth.

Go Green Office Furniture, which serves businesses across the UK and Ireland, has recently completed a major head office fit out for more than 120 staff.

Heading into the final month of Q1, Go Green has now unveiled plans to hire six to eight new members of staff.

The planned recruitment drive follows a successful period for the firm which has seen it develop closer ties with architects, interior designers and project managers.

Earlier this year, in what was one of its biggest jobs, Go Green completed the removal of more than 50 tonnes of office furniture from a workspace in London before supplying the company with new equipment.

In order to prevent the redundant furnishings going into a landfill, it has since been upcycled and added to Go Green’s stock range.

A spokesperson for Go Green tells Move Commercial: “This year has already surpassed our expectations and the future for Go Green looks bright.”

Go Green is enjoying a successful 2019 providing office furniture services

High street funding could help bring forward Runcorn Station Quarter A bid for a slice of the government’s Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) could help bring forward a major regeneration scheme in Halton.

The Runcorn Station Quarter aims to provide a new gateway into the town led by public realm and featuring a mix of commercial, residential and retail space.

Halton Borough Council signed off a masterplan for the area in November 2018 which covers more than 14 acres to the north east of, and includes, Runcorn railway station.

Local authorities interested in applying for a share of the £675 million FHSF are required to tender expressions of interest (EOI) by 22 March 2019.

In the first bidding round, councils are expected to outline the challenges faced by their high streets and set out their ambition for what the high street or town centre could become.

A report to be debated by Halton Borough Council’s executive board on 21 February requests members agree to the submission of an EOI for Runcorn Station Quarter.

The document also endorses a bid for £1m of Town Centre Commission funding, a programme within the Liverpool City Region’s Strategic Investment Fund, for ShoppingCity Runcorn.

The types of schemes which could be funded at the retail centre include the continuation of the youth zone, community shop and development of a roof top garden.

BALTIC’S LEISURE RISE MADE RESIDENTIAL SCHEME AN ‘IMMENSE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY’ worked with Knight Knox to sell units on the now completed development, says: “This development has provided an immense investment opportunity and significantly enhanced the Liverpool property market.”

Highlighting that the Baltic Triangle, which has been expanded with the transformation of the former Cains Brewery, is now home to more than 400 businesses including a “booming” leisure offering with bars and restaurants, Armstrong adds: “The area surrounding The Quarter has seen a surge in popularity in recent years.

“This rate of expansion is fantastic for Liverpool, and is showing no sign of slowing down.”

Cains Brewery is now a thriving hub of bars and eateries

Photo: Rodhullandemu / CC-BY-SA-4.0

The Baltic Triangle’s continuing rise as a leisure destination has helped turn a residential scheme into an “immense investment opportunity”.

Liverpool law firm MSB has worked in partnership to sell the area’s X1 The Quarter development, which is now fully sold, and says the district has developed as one of the city’s “most high-profile economic success stories” in the years since the 676-home multi-phase scheme first got underway.

The first phase of the project – The Gallery – reached completion back in September 2012, with final phase The Tower finishing this month.

Brad Armstrong, a partner at MSB which also

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Appointments

LSH boosts consultancy team with council hire Joel Chandler and Lauren Gavaghan

Regeneration specialist makes senior hires

Manchester-based regeneration specialist Genr8 has made two senior appointments following a period of growth.

Lauren Gavaghan joins from Peel Land & Property, where as leasing executive she was responsible for leisure provision on projects such as Salford Quays.

Meanwhile the firm has also welcomed Joel Chandler, who started his career with Lambert Smith Hampton in Sheffield, before moving to Manchester to work with the Canal and Rivers Trust on its UK portfolio of regeneration and development schemes.

Most recently, Chandler was land buyer at McCarthy & Stone, concentrating on Greater Manchester.

Mike Smith, partner at Genr8, says: “It’s an incredibly exciting time to join the company, with a number of fantastic pipeline opportunities. We have no doubt that Lauren and Joel will make a significant contribution to the continued growth of the business.”

Hardman joins Weightmans Construction and engineering expert Ian Hardman has Ian Hardman joined Weightmans as a partner.

Based in the firm’s Manchester office, Hardman has made the switch from Brabners were he headed up the non-contentious construction team.

Hardman’s role included providing advice on procurement options and documentation in relation to large building and engineering projects across sectors including education, retail, maritime, developers/investors and energy.

Legal directory Legal 500 describes him as “an experienced and commercially astute lawyer”.

Hardman says: “I am looking forward to collaborating with colleagues and clients to deliver results and success for all. It’s great to be here.”

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) James Shuttleworth has boosted its planning and development consultancy team with the hiring of James Shuttleworth from Manchester City Council.

During his 12 years at the local authority, Shuttleworth has worked on a number of projects including the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, the Northern Gateway Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF), and the Piccadilly SRF. Joining LSH’s now eight-strong planning and development consultancy team in Manchester as an associate he will support public and private sector clients in the planning and delivery of regeneration and development across the North West.

Paul Shuker, director of planning and development consultancy at LSH, says: “This appointment is a real coup for Lambert Smith Hampton.

“James will strengthen the strategic counsel, planning expertise and market insights we offer to clients.

“He has unrivalled knowledge of planning in the city not to mention the huge regeneration opportunities that will be realised in Manchester and the Northern Powerhouse over the next 20 to 30 years.”

Online.

Offline.

Anytime. movecommercial.com

Malcolm Hollis adds to Liverpool team

Independent commercial Paul Magill building consultancy Malcolm Hollis has boosted its Liverpool team with the appointment of Paul Magill.

Magill, who has previously worked for Trident Building Consultancy, joins as a senior charted surveyor.

At Trident, the former Liverpool John Moores University student focussed on dilapidations, contract administration, technical due diligence, building surveys and reinstatement cost assessments.

Martyn Furse, partner at Malcolm Hollis’s Liverpool office, says: “We’re pleased to welcome Paul to the team.

“He’s an exciting talent and I look forward to working closely with him on upcoming projects.”

Get the North West’s latest business and property news wherever you are @MoveCommercial

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Natasha Young natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

When Emma Carey joined Liverpool-based MSB Solicitors in 1999 she was its first female trainee.

Two decades later the now managing partner reflects on a career of breaking new ground, achieving growth and recognition, and keeping social responsibility at the heart of the company.

A culture of caring MSB Solicitors has come a long way in 20 years, from expanding into Liverpool city centre and dramatically broadening its team to moving with the evolving law and the city’s diversifying communities.

Previously serving the north and south of Liverpool solely from suburban offices in Walton and Aigburth, the firm had around 25 employees and two partners when Emma Carey joined.

Flash forward through years of “steady and organic” growth, and MSB is a prominent player in the city’s legal sector with a 130-strong team.

According to Carey, who qualified in 2000 and has been on an upward trajectory with the company ever since, becoming its first female partner in 2007 and then its managing partner in 2018, the business development of MSB has been three-fold.

It is, she explains, based on a “commitment to excellence in client care,” educating staff and promoting lifelong learning through investment in people, and exercising social responsibility to ensure the firm gives back.

Carey has played a key role throughout her rise in putting those principals into action.

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Having qualified at a time when solicitors broadly worked as general practitioners and, she recalls, were just starting to specialise in different areas of the law, Carey set up MSB’s family department.

“There was just me in the family department and I built it up to what it is today,” she tells Move Commercial.

“There are 35 people in the department now, including 12 lawyers, two trainees and two consultants.”

Becoming the biggest department in the firm, its range of services has grown considerably over time due to the changing needs of clients.

“The modern family doesn’t reflect the family we knew 15 or 20 years ago,” explains Carey. “When I first qualified, divorce was my bread and butter.

Divorce work, and finances and children ancillary to that.

“Whereas now that will be a small part of a family department when you’re dealing with things like abductions, surrogacy, forced marriage, honourbased violence and cohabitee disputes.

There are so many issues affecting the diverse families that make up our communities.”

This evolution is in line with MSB’s company-wide ethos of building on its skills and developing its people to change with the industry and succeed with a loyal client base.

“The law changes, society changes and we need to be one step ahead to make sure we have the knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of clients,” says Carey. “Something we really wanted [MSB] to stand for, going back probably 15 years ago when we started to grow, was that we wanted clients to be clients for life – that we would be their legal provider.”

Acquiring other businesses has accelerated MSB’s growth in presence and expertise, particularly during the year since Carey took the helm.

Having replaced Paul Bibby as the managing partner in March 2018, she has seen three established companies join the firm under her leadership.

The acquisition of Matrix, which focuses on debt recovery for SMEs, aimed to further support MSB’s small and medium business clients; while bringing in Liverpool’s private family practice Cheeseman & Company has enabled MSB’s traditionally legal aid

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Equality is something I’m personally passionate about and it’s something all businesses do need to keep at the top of their agenda. It has to be there until it no longer needs to be there.

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focused family department to expertly deal with high net worth clients.

Meanwhile the acquisition of Knox Ellis, which acts for housing associations and works with a predominantly Manchester-based list of property providers, enables MSB to help develop its Merseyside client base.

Representing social housing is something which, according to Carey, has developed from MSB Solicitors’ focus on social responsibility.

“We really want to do business with people who share our ethos and what we believe in,” she says.

“There’s a big thing around social responsibility and it’s something all businesses have got to do, and that’s great, but I truthfully believe it runs through the very core of our organisation and is something each and every member of staff buys into and wants to participate in.”

MSB chooses where it takes its business carefully, opting to use services which also pay back into the community.

“For example we use Blackburne House for our Christmas parties, conferences and events because that’s a profit for purpose organisation where

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Emma Carey, managing partner, MSB Solicitors Profile

Photo: Derek Harper / CC-BY-SA-3.0

the profit is then put back into the charitable arm and is supporting women in education,” explains Carey.

“If you promote those things and say ‘this is what we’re doing’, it challenges others to do it which is obviously a good thing.”

Carey is a board member of Blackburne House, leading by example as MSB encourages and trains its fee earners to sit on boards as trustees, and tells Move Commercial the social enterprise will be among those it’ll work with to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March as well as this year’s 100-year anniversary of women in the law.

Along with participating in Blackburne House’s events, the firm will also be helping to share the stories of “female lawyers who have had to go through different journeys to fulfill their career”.

“I think there are now really positive role models of women who have had amazing careers in law and have gone to the top of their profession,” says Carey, who was named in the Legal 500 – recognition amongst industry peers which she regards as a “major achievement” in her career.

She suggests the current questions

to ask when it comes to gender equality in the profession should be about the positions women hold rather than whether there are enough women in the sector.

“We’ve got female managing partners in Liverpool but I was a high achiever in school,” Carey says. “There was a reason I didn’t go and join a big firm in London, I stayed here and that’s the issue we’ve got to be looking at – what are the barriers to certain parts of the profession?”

MSB’s work in promoting equality is among its many credentials that have attracted awards recognition, as the whole firm, its individual teams and employees and its managing partner have achieved accolades across the legal sector and beyond.

Last year Carey was shortlisted for the Corporate Ally of the Year title at the NatWest British LGBT+ Awards, having been nominated by an MSB trainee, and the nod spurred the firm on to secure the Navajo Kite Mark – a recognised equality mark supported by the LGBT+ community.

“Equality is something I’m personally passionate about and it’s something all

“

The law changes, society changes and we need to be one step ahead to make sure we have the knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of clients.

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businesses do need to keep top of their agenda. It has to be there until it no longer needs to be there.

“As part of the Navajo you have to have an LGBT+ committee to show you raise awareness of issues and embrace it, and that you make contact with other organisations and look at how you promote things within the city.

“All the staff really got behind it and we marched in Pride and did lots of things around that, but we’re going to change it into an equalities committee and a partner will champion each different group so there is somebody, a seniority, taking responsibility for it.

“Hopefully that will generate a lot of good things, get behind a lot of good issues and just get everybody involved.”

For Carey, such measures fit into her wider outlook for MSB as she continues to lead beyond her first anniversary as managing partner of the firm.

“I’d like us to retain our ethos and our values and to grow and take the people we have with us, but to continue to develop and go into new emerging areas of law, continue to do things in our own way, and continue to be recognised as a firm that cares,” she says.

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Experts provide career inspiration at skills show Employers, apprenticeship providers, colleges and universities came together at Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium to provide young people with career insight.

The Liverpool Skills Show was the first of four events being held by the Liverpool City Region Apprenticeship Hub and organised by All About STEM across the area.

Visitors were inspired by interactive, hands-on activities during the event along with expert advice to help guide their futures.

Representatives from Jaguar Land Rover, Merseyside Fire & Rescue, Mott Macdonald and the NHS were among the professionals at the event, which covered a wide range of careers from construction to healthcare.

The free exhibition formed part of Visitor Economy Week, which was launched at an event with guests including Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, and is being followed by further skills shows in Sefton, Knowsley & St Helens and Halton.

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1. Careers exhibitors enjoyed a photo opportunity 2. Visitors took part in hands-on activities 3. The latest technology inspired attendees 4. Industry professionals

provided expert insight 5. Attendees at the Liverpool Hope University stand 6. A range of career paths were represented 16

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Liverpool Skills Show Key Event

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Photography: Liam Deveney, Gareth Jones & All About STEM

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13 7. The Liverpool Skills Show was an interactive experience 8. Businesses offered a fun approach to careers advice 9. Experts talked young people through options

10. Merseyside Fire & Rescue was among the exhibitors 11. School students were given inside insight into jobs 12. Models were used to showcase engineering pathways 13. A diverse range of industries was on show at the event

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India Buildings Focus

Natasha Young natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

Built from 1924-32, Liverpool’s India Buildings impacted on the city centre with its scale, architectural importance and significance as a commercial space.

As a £40 million refurbishment paves the way for HMRC’s arrival, Move Commercial looks at how the landmark’s prominence is being re-established, with expectations of wider business district growth.

How India Buildings’ refurbished interior could look

A new lease of life A “shot in the arm” for the city’s ongoing renaissance was how Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson described the news that the India Buildings would become a ‘UK government hub’.

The Grade II*-listed landmark, edging close to a century old, had proven in 2017 that it was still capable of attracting a landmark letting – the largest in Liverpool for several decades.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was to occupy the majority of the building for a northern ‘supercentre’, after the government agreed to let 270,000 sq ft comprising the upper floors, Regency Suite and Holts Arcade.

Effectively the whole site apart from its external retail units and Jubilee Suite (former Lloyds Bank) was included in the deal, which followed Green Property’s 2016 sale of the site to current owner Shelborn Asset Management Limited for £17 million.

“India Buildings absolutely ticks the boxes in terms of big floorplates and a central location, which were key to HMRC’s requirements,” explains Richard Wharton, director of offices at JLL which represented the government in securing the site. “HMRC also wanted its move to

serve as a catalyst for regeneration in its chosen area.”

Such was the significance of the HMRC deal to the building, Liverpool’s wider commercial district and the city that it attracted awards recognition, picking up the 2018 NWPAs’ ‘Best Commercial Let’ accolade.

On collecting the prize Mark Worthington of Worthington Owen, which acted on behalf of Shelborn Asset Management, said the deal was “massively important” to the area “in terms of it being 3,500 jobs, right in the centre of Liverpool that will regenerate Castle Street and Water Street”.

Wharton points out that the building needed some “significant investment both internally and externally” and, with HMRC’s large workforce due to unite under one roof later in 2019, an extensive overhaul was ordered to ensure the heritage building, designed by Arnold Thornley and Herbert J. Rowse, meets the incoming tenant’s state-of-the-art needs.

Styles & Wood was appointed in February 2018 to deliver a Category A fit out and refurbishment scheme expected to span 72 weeks.

“To date we have completed various

demolition and refurbishment packages to strip out eight floors of the building,” says Paul Lonsdale, executive director of project delivery at Styles & Wood.

“This has included the creation of open plan floorplates, replacing nearly 1,000 windows, refurbishing and installing new lifts, and development of a 17,000 sq ft food hall in the Regency Suite.

“Now that we have replaced all the roof coverings and stripped asbestos out of the building, we have a few milestones left before the project completes at the end of summer. Our next step will be to install the mechanical plant elements in February.”

Creating a modern workplace within India Buildings is challenging due to the need to retain its original character.

For instance, Historic England highlights “the elevator halls with their Travertine-lined walls and coffered saucer-domed ceilings” and “the central arcade with its coffered barrel-vaulted ceiling and decorative bronze shopfronts” among the asset’s marks of interior quality.

Spanning a whole block, the ornate structure is considered one of the most

significant works by architect Rowse, who was also behind the former Martin’s Bank and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

It was also one of numerous listed buildings Sir Thornley had to his name, with others including the Port of Liverpool Building.

“As is the case for many refurbishments of listed buildings, protecting the heritage is critical to the success of this project,” adds Lonsdale.

“A lot of time and planning has been necessary throughout the refurbishment as a result.

“We’ve been working with the relevant agencies and architect Falconer Chester Hall (FCH) to ensure the original features are protected.”

Quentin Keohane, associate director at FCH, says the “challenging balancing act” to modernise the historic commercial building, dating back to Liverpool’s maritime and shipping heritage, aims to “secure India Buildings as the centrepiece of Liverpool’s business district for the 21st Century”.

Ellen Cutler, director of investment and business growth at Invest Liverpool, anticipates the supercentre’s presence could act as a magnet for further government tenants.

“I am hopeful this decision will influence future government relocations currently under review and Invest Liverpool will support in any way possible, as we do with all new investments in the city,” she says.

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Lawrence Saunders lawrence@movepublishing.co.uk

Electric car ownership continues to rise and the government is hoping to have self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021.

The Autonomous Revolution 19 November 2017: Chancellor Phillip Hammond tells the public they should expect to see driverless cars on UK roads by 2021.

His subsequent Budget included hundreds of millions of pounds for more electric charge points, 5G mobile networks and artificial intelligence, as well as a pledge to legislate for autonomous driving without a human at the wheel.

Some 15 months on, will residents in the North West be enjoying driver-free journeys in less than two years time?

Almost certainly not, but that doesn't mean the notion is as far away as some may think.

Our American counterparts are, of course, a lot further along in this field, with Google and Uber’s similarly determined pursuits of commercialised autonomous travel much publicised.

Last December self-driving technology firm Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, launched its autonomous taxi programme to users in Phoenix, Arizona.

‘Early riders’ who took part in Waymo’s test schemes have been able to hail driverless cabs through an application on their mobile phones 20

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ever since.

Although a similar service here in the North West might be a way off yet, the wider region is starting to get serious about connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Most recently the draft release of Transport for the North’s (TfN) Strategic Transport Plan (STP) featured several nods to the next generation.

The document confirmed TfN’s support for government policies and proposals to meet the UK’s legislated emission reduction targets, including a commitment to working with the private sector to support research and development of CAVs. The STP, which outlined a £70 billion investment blueprint to revamp the North’s roads and rail network, also indicated plans to invest in EV charging points.

Many commentators agree that if CAVs are to become commonplace on UK roads, easy access to electric charge points will be essential.

“AV (autonomous vehicles) will almost certainly be electric, so the North West should be thinking about how to ensure there is sufficient charging infrastructure across the region,” says Richard Threlfall, partner and global head of infrastructure at

“

Photo: Grendelkhan / CC-BY-SA-4.0

So how is the North West coping with the EV (electric vehicle) evolution and what can be done to ensure the region is ready for the onset of driverless transportation?

AV will almost certainly be electric, so the North West should be thinking about how to ensure there is sufficient charging infrastructure across the region.

“

KPMG International.

“This will be particularly challenging in high density residential areas where on-street parking is the only option.”

According to the latest figures from electric charging point platform Zap-Map, only 7% of the 19,375 public connectors in the UK are located here in the North West.

The Greater Manchester Electric Vehicle scheme - the metropolitan area’s public electric vehicle charging network - boasts more than 300 of these with a further 48 rapid charging points set to be installed by September.

Meanwhile in the Liverpool City Region, Merseytravel’s EV public charging network, Recharge, has installed a total of 27 posts since 2014, and handed out grants for 26 workplace posts.

The executive body says it's hopeful of further funding for the project this year to continue providing charging points throughout the area.

Equally critical to the widespread roll out of CAVs as EV charging points is dependable access to communications systems that offer both high data capacity and extensive coverage.

A fully autonomous vehicle navigating UK roads will require human-like reflexes and the ability to

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Driverless transportation Focus A Waymo self-driving car

“ “

The technological advancement is here, but what’s holding infrastructure back is the laws which surround its implication.

collect huge amounts of data on the fly.

It’s the opinion of many experts that this would mean nationwide super-fast 5G – the fifth generation of mobile networks.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport commissioned consultancy firm Atkins in August 2018 to carry out a 5G feasibility study exploring the benefits of increased investment in upgrading the connectivity of UK roads.

Whilst a possible increase in the number of EV charging points and a mobile network viability report are steps in the right direction, North West roads aren’t likely to be flooded with CAVs anytime soon.

“It would be possible for the region to set itself at the forefront of the technology by investing now in particular corridors,” says Threlfall. “[The corridors] could be covered by a combination of fibre optic cabling and short-range (DSRC) communications, perhaps with a view to establishing an AV truck corridor, for example, from the Port of Liverpool to the M6 motorway.”

Threlfall’s route would link-up neatly with the M6/M74 corridor which runs between Manchester and Glasgow, identified last year as the most commercially valuable stretch for

driverless lorries in the UK. According to transport information firm Inrix, haulage companies could boost profits by employing autonomous HGVs on the cross-border route because of its long distance and comparatively low levels of congestion.

Jonathan Moss, partner, global head of transport sector and head of marine and trade at multinational law firm DWF, expects driverless lorries will become more of a reality in the next five to 10 years.

“We’re in the midst of a new industrial revolution,” he says.

“There will be increasing electrification of roads and the focus on driverless and autonomous vehicles will be very difficult to ignore.

“The technological advancement is here and is sophisticated, but what’s holding infrastructure back is the laws which surround its implication.”

Moss, who spoke at the 2018 International Business Festival in Liverpool on the findings of DWF's global transport technology report 'Delivering the Goods’, concedes that the UK has a way to go before its roads are ready to facilitate a real automotive revolution.

“We’re behind the curve,” he adds, highlighting a stretch of road outside of

Stockholm where vehicles can be recharged as they move, as the benchmark.

Approximately 2km of electric rail has been installed between the Arlanda Cargo Terminal and the Rosersberg logistics area as part of the eRoadArlanda project.

Opened in April 2018, the electrified road, which is the first of its kind, functions by transferring energy from a rail in the road to vehicles via a movable arm.

Whilst our own futuristic highway is still a way off here in the North West, tests involving driverless vehicles will be taking place in the region later this year.

As part of Project Synergy, two types of autonomous examples will be trialled in Greater Manchester.

A trio of Pods on Demand (POD) will ship four to six passengers between the transport interchange and entrance to Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport.

Initially mobility groups will be consulted with to determine whether the vehicles would offer an improvement on their current travel options when accessing the airport.

Alongside the PODs trial, three electric sports cars will be tested

between Stockport railway station and the airport.

With the vehicles operating autonomously in a convoy formation, the test will aim to determine whether ‘platooning’ could have a positive impact on congestion and energy/fuel use.

Taking place with partners including Westfield Technology Group, Conigital Ltd and Manchester Airport, the trials will begin in December and run through to January 2020.

“If people aren’t driving the vehicles they've got time to buy duty free or if they’re running late – check in for their flight,” explains John Paddington, senior project manager at Conigital, which is providing some of the supporting software for Project Synergy including a fleet management system and GEMMA – a virtual concierge for partially sighted and disabled users.

“We’re particularly targeting airports, hospitals and business parks because we see places like that as the early adopters,” he adds.

“They are more controlled [than open roads] and although it’s not necessarily easier, they are more manageable situations.”

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Frameworks Focus

Natasha Young natasha@movepublishing.co.uk

Councils are drafting Spatial Regeneration Frameworks (SRF) across the North West to steer development and enable areas to achieve their individual potential.

The past year has seen Liverpool City Council propose and appoint expert teams to work on masterplans for the commercial district, Baltic Triangle, Knowledge Quarter Gateway and the Cavern Quarter.

Photo: IronBird Aerial Cinematography

Move Commercial asks the local authority’s head of planning, Samantha Campbell, what difference they’ll make and how they’ll work alongside each other, existing policies and already approved schemes.

Strengthening character Why is it necessary to have a number of frameworks in central Liverpool, and why is now the time to bring them forward?

SRFs are a critical piece of masterplanning the direction and growth of a specific area, creating guidelines for future development.

Liverpool city centre has been expanding for the past 20 years and certain areas have reached a point where their future potential and usage needs to be reviewed. That’s true of Lime Street and its role as a gateway to the Knowledge Quarter and Paddington Village, whilst the commercial district is being impacted upon by its proximity to Liverpool Waters and Ten Streets, as well as the supply and demand issues relating to Grade A office space.

In terms of the Cavern Quarter and Williamson Square, their surrounding areas have undergone significant change which has changed the dynamics of the place and SRFs will seek to address that and set out a blueprint for their future growth.

The Baltic Triangle masterplan was seen by some as an attempt to save the area’s character after controversial developments have been approved. Is the aim to truly change the direction of development in some areas?

SRFs are unique to their own particular area - their history, characteristics, connectivity to its surrounding neighbourhoods and its usage and the mix of commercial or residential.

It’s important each SRF process gauges and engages the local community to truly understand the challenges and opportunities each distinct area presents. In part an SRF can be used to consolidate progress in a certain direction or to change direction.

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How much power will SRFs have and how will they work alongside national planning policy?

It’s intended the SRFs for the Cavern Quarter, the commercial district, Knowledge Quarter Gateway and Baltic Triangle will be adopted as Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) to supplement policies in the Liverpool Local Plan, once that has been adopted.

The Local Plan has to conform with the National Planning Policy Framework and SPDs have to align with the Local Plan.

They’re being prepared to meet planning regulations with regard to the preparation of SPDs, and to provide a more detailed planning framework that expands upon policies in the Local Plan, and reflects and responds to the development demands and issues specific to the area.

If approved by cabinet they’ll then have weight in the development management process and be used to guide investment. The documents will provide clarity to developers and landowners.

The document for Pumpfields is a development framework as opposed to a formal planning document.

Some areas at the heart of masterplans are already the subject of approved transformational schemes. How much impact can these documents genuinely have when major projects have already been decided without them?

The SRFs are being prepared to set out a clear vision and policy for these areas to guide future development and will be a material consideration in the development management process.

They’ll set out the city council’s ambition for positive change in these areas and ensure a co-ordinated approach to their future regeneration. Development proposals will continue to come forward in the interim and will be determined using existing policy and guidance.

How noticeable do you anticipate the changes will be once these frameworks are in place?

These documents are being prepared to set out the city council’s ambitions for the areas and to deliver positive change.

They’ll ensure a co-ordinated approach to the future regeneration of the areas, and those that go forward for adoption as SPDs will carry weight in the development management process.

As well as providing clarity for developers they’re also aiming to attract public and private sector investment, and therefore should bring forward positive change in the areas quicker than if there was no regeneration framework.

A key element in attracting investment will be bringing together ideas and plans that partners, stakeholders and developers will have and which the SRF process will seek to engage with and develop. The city council has access to various public funds which could be matched to monies raised within the private and voluntary sector.

How are these frameworks being devised to work alongside each other?

All frameworks are being prepared to align with Local Plan policy, which includes over-arching policies for each area that complement each other as they’re all aimed at ensuring a strong ‘regional centre’.

Whilst each area has its own specific issues to address, all are aimed at achieving sustainable, vibrant places within the city centre that respect the area’s specific characteristics and facilitate and encourage economic growth to ensure a strong and distinctive city centre which makes a significant contribution to Liverpool’s economy.

They’re being co-ordinated by the city’s planning and regeneration department and the teams appointed for each framework are engaging with each other.

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