Plans to transform Scarborough’s historic West Pier and celebrate the town’s long-standing fishing industry are set to be considered by councillors.
North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee will next week consider proposals as part of the prospective multi-million pound scheme.
Permission is being sought for the regeneration project which includes restoring and repairing the harbour’s existing heritage facilities, as well as replacing buildings that are no longer fit-for-purpose.
It is hoped that the proposed regeneration would also see new kiosks, improved offices, sheds and warehousing for the fishing sector as well as new parking arrangements, public toilets and a space that can be used for outdoor events and cultural activities.
The chairman of the Scarborough Town Board, David Kerfoot, said: “Scarborough’s West Pier is due to provide a major boost for both economic and environmental reasons.
“The proposed project is an opportunity to transform the harbour whilst respecting and celebrating Scarborough’s rich fishing heritage.
“Many of the buildings on the West Pier are in desperate need of renovation, and these proposals would dramatically improve the facilities for the local fishing industry, staff and visitors to the pier.
“It is also imperative that we continue to drive growth in the town, and the plans would make West Pier a must-visit destination for hospitality, leisure and events which we hope will encourage further investment to boost the local economy.”
The regeneration scheme sits alongside the council’s wider investment plans for Scarborough Harbour, which include work to the infrastructure and other facilities for harbour users.
The project would be funded from the £20.2 million grant which was awarded to Scarborough as part of the Government’s Towns Fund, as well as by North Yorkshire Council’s investment fund and regeneration budgets.
The Towns Fund has already helped finance work to enhance the West Stand at the town’s cricket club and new teaching facilities at the Construction Skills Village.
Other major projects to be delivered include improvements around the town’s railway station, work to boost access on the Cinder Track between Whitby and Scarborough, the Scarborough Fair cultural initiative and activities linked to the Wild Eye outdoor and nature project on the coast.
The proposals are due to be considered by the council’s strategic planning committee on Thursday next week (30 January).
Record-breaking movie director amongst trio of new board members and investors at Sheffield United
A trio of new board members and investors have been revealed at Sheffield United, including a famous director, as COH Sports pushes forward with its long-term plans for the club.
Joe Russo, Len Komoroski and Terry Ahern have all joined the board of directors of Sheffield United and become investors in COH Sports.
Joe, Len and Terry bring decades of experience in sports, entertainment and real estate and will support the ambitious agenda that COH Sports and co-chairmen Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy have for the Blades.
Joe Russo is a record-breaking director and producer who has been responsible for some of the most successful and culturally relevant global content. Through a quartet of movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Joe Russo raised the bar for blockbuster filmmaking.
Len Komoroski brings more than 40 years of sports and entertainment experience. He currently is senior advisor of Rock Entertainment Group, which is an umbrella entity of teams and venues including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, previously having served 19 years as CEO.
Terry Ahern is a leading figure in real estate advisory and investment management as co-founder, principal and chief executive officer of The Townsend Group.
Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, co-chairmen of Sheffield United, said: “We are delighted to welcome Joe, Len and Terry to the board of directors of Sheffield United Football Club.
“We want to see the Blades competing in the top-flight of English football consistently, not just on a one-off basis. An important element of this is ensuring Sheffield United Football Club has the highest quality team not just on the pitch but in the boardroom as well.
“Each of Joe, Len and Terry bring outstanding capabilities and decades of experience to the table as we plan for the long term, develop the brand and ensure we have the best infrastructure in place. As prospective board members and investors we know all Blades fans will give them a warm welcome at Bramall Lane.”
2025 Business Predictions: Eamon Fox, partner and head of development at the Leeds office of Knight Frank
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Eamon Fox, partner and head of development at the Leeds office of global property consultancy Knight Frank.
There is no doubt that this has been an interesting, if challenging, 12 months for the commercial property sector in Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. However, the combination of a stuttering economy and political instability has not dampened investor enthusiasm and confidence in building and enhancing brand-new offices in Leeds, confidence based on continued strong letting activity, large relocations to Leeds by firms growing into Leeds for the first time and thinning pipeline of quality office space.
There have been some significant deals, including the recent x+why deal for 34,000 sq ft at Bridgewater Place, and the £80 million acquisition by Ashtrom Properties UK of M&G’s 230,000 sq ft Central Square was Leeds’ largest office investment deal for more than five years. The sale was described by my colleague Henrie Westlake as a deal that will “almost certainly be viewed as the bellwether deal of this cycle.”
It’s important to be optimistic. The iconic City Square House, next to Leeds Station, is now open for business with high-class occupiers such as DLA Piper and Markel having moved in, while Kinrise’s Trevelyan Square and 34 Boar Lane continue to set a high bar for superb office space. CEG’s Temple continues to be an exceptional success and Opus’s 12 King Street has big news coming in Q1 2025 on the final few lettings in the building.
As we look forward to 2025, it is highly likely that prime office rents, now hovering around £40 per sq ft, will rise to a £46 per sq ft high by the end of the first quarter. This is primarily because of a scarcity of quality office space, but also because Leeds is now regarded as the most successful and enterprising regional city, along with Manchester, in the UK. We are also blessed with a number of talented developers, such as CEG, Rushbond, Kinrise and Opus North. At Knight Frank, we expect to be busy, across all sectors, including investment and industrial, as well as office agency.
Team17 CEO “delighted” with “strong end” to 2024
Results are ahead of expectations at Team17 Group, the games developer with offices in Wakefield, Nottingham, and Manchester.
In a new trading update for the twelve months ended 31 December 2024, the business noted it had continued to trade well in the second half of the year, driven by an “improved” performance from new releases and “another excellent” performance in the back catalogue across the group. The Christmas period also saw strong trading, with this momentum continuing into January. As a result, Team17 expects to deliver 2024 revenues and adjusted EBITDA slightly ahead of market expectations. The business has also announced a rebrand of the company to everplay group plc, “reflecting the evolution of the business following its IPO in 2018.”Steve Bell, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted with the strong end to the year’s trading, and the momentum into 2025, which is further evidence of the success of our refocused strategic initiatives.
“I am grateful for the dedication of all our employees, whose continuing hard work has helped grow our revenues in 2024 to another all-time high. I look forward to sharing greater insight into our exciting plans for 2025 at the full year results in March.
“I am also excited to be unveiling our new Group brand today, which we believe better represents our business which has evolved greatly since the IPO and reflects our DNA to never stop playing.
“This rebrand not only creates an ideal backdrop to foster greater cross-collaboration internally, but also reflects our aspirations to expand our reach across complementary sectors within the broader indie market.
“Fundamentally, we want to create pioneering and captivating experiences that enrich and inspire players around the world, and I firmly believe everplay will become synonymous with creating games that deliver a lifetime of play.”
Goole buildings to be brought back into use in conversion project
Three large adjoining properties on Goole’s Boothferry Road shopping precinct are being fully refurbished and brought back into use with the help of a grant from Goole Town Deal’s Property Activation Fund.
The four-storey, period properties at 32, 34 and 36 Boothferry Road, best known to many local residents as the former site of the Boots store before it relocated to Wesley Square, are being brought back to life as part of a £2.4 million investment by Sunshine Vita Property Ltd, which owns all three addresses.
The Property Activation Fund has contributed £900,000 towards the cost of restoring the three properties, which together make up one of the largest and most prominent vacant buildings on Boothferry Road.
The largest of the two existing commercial units on the ground floor of the buildings is being subdivided, creating three newly-refurbished, modern commercial units in all. Meanwhile, the second, third and fourth floors of numbers 32, 34 and 36 will accommodate 14 self-contained residential flats.
Over the course of more than a century, the buildings have housed a host of different local businesses. Records show that number 32 was a chemist from as early as 1917, long before it was bought by the Boots chain, which also occupied number 34. Prior to that, number 34 was a draper’s shop and, later, a ‘house furnisher’ before becoming the Scotch Wool & Hosiery store. Records show that The Goole School of Music and Elocution was also based there in the mid-1930s.
A spokesperson for Sunshine Vita Property Ltd said: “Our conversion project will make effective re-use of the existing buildings, which sit vacant, under-utilised and partially derelict.
“This development focuses on providing sustainable residential accommodation to meet the needs of existing and future residents, as well as delivering cost-effective commercial floor space that will appeal to a much wider business market than the previous large, single expensive unit on the ground floor, which was vacant for years.”
Phil Jones, Chair of the Goole Town Deal Board, said: “Of the projects that have received financial support from the Property Activation Fund to date, this is a significant investment. It’s a large prominent building made up of three adjoining addresses, with a frontage that faces directly onto the shopping precinct and extends some way along it.
“The large commercial unit has remained empty for several years and the three properties were in an increasingly poor state of repair.
“As a Board, we’re committed to encouraging more interest in Goole town centre so we welcome the sizeable investment by Sunshine Vita Property Ltd, which will not only secure the future of these beautiful old buildings and bring them back into use, it will also make a genuine difference to the way Boothferry Road looks and feels.
“As well as three newly-refurbished commercial units, this project will also deliver high quality rental accommodation at the heart of the town centre.”
Modern construction methods and energy efficient products are being used wherever possible as part of the project. Sunshine Vita Property Ltd has been working in partnership with Doncaster-based construction firms Building Link Design Ltd. and R. Betts Property Ltd. on the project. Work began last year and is due to be completed by the summer of 2025.
Proposals approved to develop historic Estate Buildings in Huddersfield
Kirklees Council’s Cabinet has approved a proposal to spend £1.25m on Estate Buildings in order to prepare the site for future development.
This money has already been allocated for the development of the Estate Buildings, and is part of the One Public Estate Brownfield Land Release Fund – a government fund to support local authorities in transforming surplus land and buildings into new homes.
The Grade II Listed building has significant heritage value, and was identified as an important feature within the Huddersfield Blueprint during early planning stages. After careful consideration, focusing on the blueprint vision to increase the number of people living in the town centre, the historic building has been identified as an opportunity to create new housing in Huddersfield.
Estate Buildings is located right in the middle of millions of pounds’ worth of investment in Huddersfield town centre – through blueprint projects like the George Hotel, Huddersfield Market and improvements to the neighbouring Byram Arcade, and the multibillion-pound Transpennine Route Upgrade which will further improve rail links to the nearby Huddersfield Railway Station.
Council teams have been working together to draw up a specification and tender package for these preparatory works which will see the Estate Buildings developed in the future. The aim is to provide new housing for those looking to base themselves in the town centre, including recent graduates from the University of Huddersfield, as other investment in the town centre makes Huddersfield a more attractive place to live.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, says: “Our plans to prepare Estate Buildings for future development are a great example of how regeneration projects will future-proof key parts of Huddersfield’s history and protect the heritage of the building which dates all the way back to the 1800’s.
“I want to thank One Public Estate for the investment which will go towards repairs to help bring the building back to life. This partnership working is key to developing and restoring our historic buildings for a vibrant future use.
“The investment is a vote of confidence in our Huddersfield Blueprint and supports our aim to making the town centre a great place to live, work and play.
“Developing the current site will support our blueprint plans of Huddersfield becoming a vibrant and convenient place to live for the younger generation, with plenty of facilities nearby for people to travel and shop – increasing the footfall within the town centre.”
Enlarged conservation area adopted for Morley
Protection for Morley’s unique architecture and historic character was increased on Tuesday 21 January as a newly combined and enlarged conservation area and management plan was adopted.
The new conservation area will protect historic areas of Morley from harmful change and encourage high-quality new developments while also protecting trees within its boundaries. It replaces the previously separate Town Centre and Dartmouth Park conservation areas.
Morley’s town centre is dominated by dramatic nineteenth-century buildings that were a part of the town’s transformation from an agricultural village to an industrial powerhouse. Public consultation has repeatedly shown preserving the town’s rich architectural and cultural heritage, much of which is nationally recognised, is a high priority for residents and visitors.
Recognising the importance of the town’s heritage, the Morley Town Deal, funded through a £24.3 million grant from the government’s Towns Fund, commissioned Buttress Architects to create the Morley Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.
Planning for the new conservation area and management plan looked at the historical development of the town and explored what makes up its local distinctiveness and sense of place to identify ways that this special character can be looked after and protected now and in the future.
The expanded conservation now includes five areas that were previously unprotected, including:
- The Morley Hole area, Victoria Road and Asquith Avenue to include historic back-to-back and through terraces.
- St Peter’s Church area and the station approach – Church Street, Victoria Road, Springfield Road and Lane, Rooms Lane, New Bank Street and Station Road.
- The mixed residential and industrial area of the historic town including development in the area of Ackroyd Street, Peel Street, Albert Road, the northern part of Clough Street, Lewisham Park, South Parade, South Street, Melbourne Street, Gillroyd Parade and Wide Lane.
- Fountain Street, to include historic back-to-back properties, industrial buildings and the former Grammar School.
- The historic back-to-back, through terrace and villa development on Bruntcliffe Road.
Plans to create Centre for Learning to be discussed for Hull
Plans to create a Centre for Learning in Hull will be discussed at cabinet next week.
Proposals are to refurbish the former Derek Crothall Building on Charlotte Street Mews to create a city centre training hub.
The Centre for Learning would complement Hull City Council’s wider investment in education and learning, as well as improving accessibility to more residents across Hull.
It would also enable the relocation of council corporate services, as Hull Training and Adult Education (HTAE) and Learning & Development (L&D) would call the site home.
The facility has stood empty since Hull Trinity House Academy relocated to the former Endeavour School site in September 2023 to address secondary school sufficiency shortages within the Hull boundary.
HTAE and L&D have since had temporary homes in the Avenues Centre and Brunswick House respectively, with HTAE’s engineering department based at Dane Park Road.
The council’s cabinet will discuss the plans and determine whether to allocate £2.4m of capital funding required for the £5.6m project to finalise designs and to enter into a contract with Hull Esteem Consortium LEP for the works.
Cllr Linda Tock, portfolio holder for learning skills and safeguarding children, said: “This refurbishment proposal would provide an opportunity for the relocation of HTAE and L&D to one central hub.
“In addition, it would also bring a range of learning, development and skills provision in a more accessible way.”
2025 Business Predictions: Laura Hill, commercial litigator specialising in AI at Ward Hadaway
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Laura Hill, a commercial litigator specialising in AI at law firm Ward Hadaway.
As we move into 2025, businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber will need to grapple with a changing landscape that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI). The 2024 budget highlighted a strong commitment to fostering AI innovation, with significant funding allocated to research and development, alongside promises to establish clearer regulatory frameworks. These measures are designed to position the UK as a global leader in AI while addressing ethical and operational concerns.
For businesses, particularly in strong regional sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and professional services, the implications are profound. Anticipated regulations will likely centre on transparency, accountability and the prevention of bias in AI systems. Firms using AI for decision-making, whether in supply chain management or client interactions, will need to ensure compliance with these standards to avoid potential liability and reputational damage.
Beyond compliance, AI presents a pivotal opportunity as businesses are increasingly embracing AI not just as a tool for automation but as a strategic asset to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs and gain competitive advantages.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, adopting AI could help businesses navigate economic pressures while contributing to regional growth. However, success will depend on proactive investment in technology, workforce training and a keen eye on the regulatory horizon. As legal advisors, we encourage businesses to act now to integrate AI responsibly, ensuring compliance with legal obligations, while being primed for innovation in the years ahead.
Halifax law firm moves into Dean Clough mill conversion
Ramsdens Solicitors has completed a deal on 5,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation at Dean Clough.
Ramsdens employs 280 people across 12 offices in Yorkshire, and is relocating to Dean Clough from existing premises in Halifaxto facilitate growth.
The new office is located in Bowling Mill, one of 16 Victorian stone heritage buildings at Dean Clough. Bowling Mill is one of the latest mill buildings to be repurposed providing 75,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace over seven floors, of which 53,000 sq ft is let or under offer.
Jodie Wielgus, partner at Ramsdens Solicitors and manager of the Halifax branch, said: “We are excited to move into our new home at such an impressive location. Our move to Dean Clough Mills marks an exciting new chapter for Ramsdens Solicitors in Halifax. The modern office space is designed to enhance our services through innovation and efficiency, providing greater flexibility for our team and a more convenient location for our clients.”
Dean Clough is already home to around 150 businesses employing over 3,000 people on site. Major office occupiers include Covea Insurance, Activate Group, Chadwick Lawrence, and Prestige Gifting with many having their headquarters on the site.
