HICA Group acquires Bridlington day centre
HICA Group has taken over the ownership of Swan House Day Centre, on Victoria Road in Bridlington, for an undisclosed sum. The centre helps to improve the independence and social engagement of service users who have a range of learning disabilities.
The acquisition marks a key extension of HICA’s portfolio, demonstrating the Group’s commitment to broadening its spectrum of care and support services within the community. HICA stepped in to ensure the continued operation of the day care centre formerly owned by John and Susan Ropero.
With the Roperos retiring, the Group wanted to ensure the day centre stayed open given the valuable role it plays in the community. The centre is renowned for being a vital social hub for individuals with learning disabilities, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where service users can develop lasting friendships, enhance their social skills and feel a sense of belonging within the local area.
Swan House currently employs three people, with the acquisition providing job security and the ability to expand the team when needed.
Terry Peel, HICA’s CEO, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Swan House Day Centre into the HICA family.
“This partnership not only expands our service offerings but also strengthens our resolve to support individuals in leading fulfilling lives as valued community members. It aligns perfectly with our broader mission to support and enrich local social care services who do a sterling job in delivering compassionate, person-centered care.”
In Bridlington, the purchase of Swan House adds to other support facilities HICA operates in the area which include Red House, a 48 bed residential care home, on St Annes Road, that provides specialised dementia care and physical support to older people, and Kirkgate House residential care home that provides care and support to 28 adults with learning disabilities.
Sue Cartwright, a support worker at Swan House, said: “The team is excited to join forces with HICA Group.
“This new chapter not only secures the future of our Centre but also opens up opportunities for expansion of our services and enhanced support for our service users. HICA Group’s reputation in delivering high-quality care and support aligns with our mission to offer exceptional services. This partnership enables us to continue to serve the local community with more support and resources. It’s an exciting time for the future of the centre.”
York animal health business sells majority stake in pet microchipping company
Animalcare Group, the York-based animal health business, has disposed of its majority shareholding in Identicare to BG Bidco 21 Limited, a newly incorporated company owned by funds managed by Bridgepoint Advisors II Limited, for a cash consideration of £24.9m.
Animalcare Group said the transaction represents a significant crystallisation of value for the company and its shareholders from a non-core asset, and allows it to focus on growth in its pharmaceutical-based animal health market.
Identicare is a UK-based pet microchipping and pet owner-focused services company. As part of the Group’s strategy to focus on pharmaceuticals and to drive growth through launching innovative products, Identicare was separated from the UK pharmaceuticals business within Animalcare Ltd in March 2021, with specialist leadership brought in.
The disposal of Identicare strengthens the balance sheet of the Group, enabling it to accelerate organic and inorganic growth initiatives.
Jenny Winter, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m very proud to see what we have achieved with Identicare in recent years. Today’s decision to crystallise the value from the sale is the logical next step, significantly strengthening our balance sheet and giving us additional financial flexibility and firepower as we concentrate on growing our pharmaceutical-focused animal health business.”
Employers urged to share vision of getting more autistic people into work
The government has set out a vision for workplace culture changes to support autistic people to start and stay in work.
And Sir Robert Buckland, who led the review, has urged employers to get involved. He said: “The review can make a truly radical difference to the lives of autistic people and their families. I call on employers and government to lead this change and make these recommendations a reality.”
About three in 10 working age autistic people are in employment, compared with half of all disabled people and 8 in 10 non-disabled people, despite the majority saying they would like to be employed.
A review has made a number of recommendations for businesses and government, including:
- signing up for the Autistica Neurodiversity Employers Index to access guidance on designing inclusive processes and procedures
- encouraging career progression by developing packages of training focused on autistic staff
- improving recruitment by ensuring careers advisers can provide appropriate advice to autistic jobseekers
- supporting autistic people who are already in the workplace by producing “autism design guides” to create appropriate premises, furnishings and equipment
- working with software suppliers to develop IT systems that meet autistic people’s needs.
New era for Harrogate College as £20m campus rebuild begins
Work on Harrogate College’s £20m campus rebuild is now underway. The college is replacing its main building and constructing a renewable energy hub to take its training and education provision to the next level.
The upgrade will result in state-of-the-art facilities including a mock hospital ward, digital technology suite, electric vehicle workshop and a construction centre focused on modern building methods.
Preliminary work began in February while the full construction phase, in what is currently the campus’ car park, will start in March.
Principal Danny Wild said: “We are really excited to see work on our new campus getting underway. The resulting, purpose-built facilities will allow us to keep producing the highly skilled individuals that our region’s businesses need, now and for decades to come.
“It will also allow us, while building on our close collaboration with local employers, to consolidate our position as the leading local provider of T Levels. We look forward to showing off the results, which will usher in an exciting new chapter for Harrogate College, its students and the people of North Yorkshire, in the summer of 2025.”
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones added: “As well as enhancing the facilities available to Harrogate College students, this £20 million new campus will bring many broader benefits to Harrogate, Knaresborough and the wider area.
“With many of the courses set to be on offer at the new campus geared toward sectors where there are currently local skills shortages, the development will provide a real boost to local economies, providing valuable opportunities for our young people and adults.”
The new main campus building is due to be completed by July 2025.
Yorkshire Building Society appoints Chief Finance Officer
Tom Ranger will join the Yorkshire Building Society as its Chief Finance Officer later this year.
He is currently Group Treasurer at Santander UK plc, a Non-Executive Director of Santander Financial Services plc Board and Senior Officer Santander Financial Services’ Jersey Branch.
Susan Allen, Chief Exec at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Tom later this year. The Society’s continued financial strength is essential to ensure we continue to deliver on our purpose of delivering Real Help with Real Life. His financial expertise and track record of achievement will be integral to our future growth and success.”
Tom said: “I’m delighted to be joining Yorkshire Building Society and look forward to working for a mutual organisation, owned by its members, and where all decisions can be made in the long-term best interest of its members.”
Tom succeeds Alasdair Lenman, who recently announced his intention to retire in June after seven successful years with the Society. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval.
Snaith-based Croda reports reduced profit for the last year
Snaith-based life sciences company Croda reports adjusted profit before tax for the last year down 33% to £308.8m – but the number isn’t unexpected and the group expects the figure for 2024 to be between £260m and £300m.
CEO Steve Foots says the firm is well-positioned for market recovery, adding: “Our performance this year reflects the prolonged destocking and weaker macro environment that has followed two record years post the pandemic.
“Despite the financial impact of this ongoing uncertainty, the technology trends that will drive our future growth have not changed with a continued transition to sustainable ingredients and biologics. We have successfully realigned our portfolio with these megatrends and our strategy is delivering with continued customer demand for innovation and sustainable ingredients.
“In Consumer Care, sales of new and protected products increased, and F&F outperformed once again. In Life Sciences, our Pharma business is leading the industry in biologics drug delivery with more partnerships and product launches strengthening our pipeline. Despite the challenging macroeconomic backdrop, we have continued to invest for the future, adding biotech-derived active ingredients to our portfolio through our acquisition of Solus Biotech and expanding capacity in Pharma whilst maintaining strict capital and cost discipline.
“Given the ongoing uncertainty in our end markets, the recovery trajectory for each of our business units remains difficult to predict and the range of possible outcomes in 2024 is therefore wider than usual at this stage of the year. Overall, however, the Group expects to deliver mid to high single digit percentage sales growth in 2024, excluding the c.$60m of Covid-19 lipid sales in 2023, with higher sales volumes more than offsetting lower price/mix.”
Wensleydale cheese and Grimsby smoked fish get protected status in Japan
From Thursday Yorkshire Wenselydale cheese and smoked fish from Grimsby will have protected status thanks to a new agreement between the UK and Japan to prevent imitation.
They’re two items on a list of 37 items to be granted special protected status for which Japan’s population of 125 million has a strong appetite.
The country’s status as the world’s third largest economy in 2022 and GDP per capita of £27,400 highlights the strength of its consumer market and the commercial opportunities for premium British products in Japan.
Securing GIs for iconic British products such as our region’s cheese and fish as well as Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Welsh Beef prevents counterfeit products being placed on the Japanese market, ensuring UK businesses can export with confidence and consumers receive authentic, high-quality products.
Trade Policy Minister Greg Hands said: “The UK’s excellent selection of unique, high-quality products are highly sought after around the world. Consumers in Japan can now be assured that they are enjoying the authentic taste of great British food and drink.
“This gives UK producers added confidence when selling into Japan, part of our plan to help British businesses grow and export more.”
Food and Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “Our GI protections are a guarantee of quality and excellence – so that the best of British food and drink can be appreciated not only here in the UK, but around the globe.“These additional protections will give assurance to British farmers and producers who export their unique products to Japan – and to Japanese consumers who will know they are buying the real thing.
“For UK businesses, GIs are vital for building trust and enhancing brand recognition, ultimately driving export growth and supporting the sustainability of local industries. They also reinforce the UK’s position as a producer of distinctive and sought-after goods.”New operator for Sheffield Arena revealed
ASM Global has been revealed as the new operator for Utilita Arena Sheffield, as of January 2025.
Last year, Sheffield City Council revealed that the city’s leisure and entertainment venues were set to receive £117 million of investment including rebuilds of some of the city’s most popular leisure centres and improvements to Sheffield’s Arena and City Hall.
As part of these plans, in June 2023, a competitive procurement process was launched in a bid to attract the best in leisure and entertainment provision to run Sheffield’s venues.
Operators were invited to bid on the running of Utilita Arena Sheffield.
Following a robust eight-month tender process, the Council has now selected ASM Global as the successful bidder and the new operator for the Arena.
ASM Global is one of the world’s leading producers of entertainment experiences, venue management and event strategy.
Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “I am really pleased to welcome ASM Global onboard as the new operators of Sheffield Arena, this is a major step forward in our ambitious plan for the city and entertainment facilities.
“ASM Global have an unrivalled reputation in the global venue industry and this new investment will certainly allow us to compete on a global scale.”
Utilita Arena Sheffield joins ASM Global’s network of more than 350 venues around the world, which collectively host 20,000 events and welcome 164 million guests every year.
Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “We are thrilled that ASM Global have chosen to work with us to bring the benefits of global scale to operate and invest in Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
“Sheffield is a city on the up. Coming on the back of hosting the MOBO Awards and with the city’s rich musical and sporting history and our reputation for hosting major events, this new exciting partnership with ASM Global is another example of our ambition for Sheffield.”
Chris Bray, President of ASM Global Europe, said: “Sheffield is a city with a rich cultural heritage. It’s known and loved for producing some of the UK’s most exciting musical talent who’ve gone on to put Sheffield on the map on a global scale. We are hugely excited to have been appointed to operate the Utilita Arena, which joins ASM’s industry-leading UK portfolio.
“Our goal is to ensure the venue is a must-play for world-class artists, and that the content is diverse, exciting and world-leading. We have exciting plans for reimagining the customer experience too and are looking forward to getting better acquainted with the city very soon.”
Alongside the Council’s earmarked investment, which will benefit a number of venues and services across the city, ASM Global have committed to significant investment to re-vamp the Arena.
New Sheffield office building welcomes major law firm as first occupant
DLA Piper has signed up to take the top two floors of Elshaw House, Sheffield City Council’s new zero carbon-ready office building.
DLA Piper’s move into Elshaw House will see one of the world’s largest law firms, and a key employer in the city, maintain its presence in Sheffield City Centre.
Fit out of the two-floors, as well as an adjoining private terrace on the top floor, will be completed in this spring. The space will span over 17,000 square feet in total.
Having reached completion last month, Elshaw House is the flagship office development within Heart of the City – the £470m mixed-use development scheme led by Sheffield City Council and its Strategic Development Partner, Queensberry.
Located on Carver Street, next to Pound’s Park, Elshaw House is the pinnacle of sustainability and will achieve a five-star BREEAM green energy rating, making it a key part of the Council’s green goals.
Additionally, Elshaw House has also recently achieved an ‘excellent’ five-star NABERS UK rating due to its lean design, providing a structure with 40% lower than average carbon usage. This places it in the top 1% of office buildings in the UK for energy efficiency.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “We are thrilled that DLA Piper has signed a lease on Elshaw House. It is one of the world’s largest law firms. For such an established business to reaffirm its commitment to the city shows a real confidence in everything we’re doing to drive Sheffield forwards and continue growing our economy.
“Elshaw House represents the very best in office space and is delivering new headline rents for Sheffield. Alongside the world class Pound’s Park, Grosvenor House – home to HSBC and CMS – and Europe’s largest food hall, we’re creating a truly transformational new city centre district.”
Andrew Davison, Project Direct at Queensberry, added: “In our opinion, DLA Piper has secured the best office space in South Yorkshire, with unrivalled sustainability, location and employee wellbeing benefits. World class commercial spaces like this are helping to take Sheffield to the next level on the national stage.
“Interest in the other floors in Elshaw House is incredibly high and the ground floor retail and F&B spaces are also attracting potential occupants.”
Elshaw House has six ground floor units suitable for retail or food and drink venues, complementing the seven storeys of workspace above.
Access to Elshaw House connects directly to the new urban park, Pound’s Park, and is integrated into Sheffield’s active travel strategy which focuses on ease and accessibility, with the building featuring bike storage, service centre and showers to help keep the city moving.
University of Leeds spinout receives £3.5m investment boost
University of Leeds spinout adsilico has received an investment boost to scale up its work and accelerate life-saving benefits for patients.
Northern Gritstone and Parkwalk Advisors have announced a combined £3.5 million investment into the computational medicine company.
adsilico is developing an end-to-end in-silico trials (IST) solution based on virtual ‘synthetic’ patient populations that will provide better and safer medical devices earlier to patients.
ISTs use modelling and simulation to produce scientific evidence of device performance and safety, before testing in human clinical trials.
It will reduce costs and accelerate research and development timescales for medical device developers, while reducing animal experimentation and partially replacing costly and potentially harmful human trials.
Based on research funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering at the University of Leeds’ Schools of Medicine and Computing, adsilico has developed an IST technique that combines multiple data sources and uses generative AI to create synthetic populations on a scale ideal for clinical trials.
Northern Gritstone’s investment of £2m sits alongside £1.5m from co-investor Parkwalk Advisors. The combined seed round investment will be used to fund essential development in adsilico and build the team.
Professor Alejandro Frangi, founder of adsilico, said: “Medical devices follow a lengthy evaluation with a tiny amount of scientific evidence currently derived from computer modelling and simulation.
“The cost is ever-increasing, delaying life-saving benefits to patients. Northern Gritstone’s and Parkwalk’s investment and support will enable adsilico to offer a scalable solution to the medical device market to produce evidence on an unprecedented scale.”
Professor Nick Plant, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of Leeds, said: “This funding will help to redefine the development of medical devices, enhancing performance and safety with more certainty and speed, and most importantly, prior to human testing.
“It is a further testament to Leeds’ pioneering approach and strength in driving innovation to accelerate the adoption of new health technologies, delivering improvements and impact directly to healthcare professionals and patients.”
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Computational modelling has the potential to revolutionise the MedTech industry and reduce the risks to humans. Northern Gritstone is delighted to support adsilico’s team, who once again demonstrate that great science and technology-enabled businesses are being created in the North of England.”
Moray Wright, CEO of Parkwalk Advisors, added: “We are proud to be backing adsilico through this seed funding round. adsilico’s pioneering approach to in-silico trials has potential to significantly accelerate the pace of innovation in medical device development. It’s fantastic to see this university spin-out take another step forward on its vision to bring safer and more efficient medical devices.”
Energy crunch will come in 2028, predicts new research
Demand for energy in the UK will exceed supply by 2028, according to a new report by Public First commissioned by the Drax Group.
In its report, called ‘Mind the gap: Exploring Britain’s energy crunch’, Public First says that’s when we should expect a perfect storm of increased demand, retirement of existing assets, and delays to the delivery of Hinkley Point C, which will culminate in demand exceeding secure capacity by 7.5GW at peak times.
Richard Gwilliam, Drax Group’s UK BECCS Programme Director, said: “Delivering energy security is a critical and longstanding challenge for all governments. The need to maintain it while tackling climate change and rapidly decarbonising economies makes the issue all the more acute.
“This research demonstrates the UK is facing a power generation crunch point, with demand set to outstrip the supply of secure dispatchable and baseload capacity – leaving the UK reliant on intermittent forms of generation.
“To keep the lights on, part of the solution will be extending the lives of existing generation assets. Drax Power Station and our pumped storage and hydro power sites already provide secure, renewable electricity for millions of homes and businesses – but there’s more we can do.
“Drax plans to massively expand the generation capacity of Cruachan pumped storage power station in Scotland, some of which could be available to help bridge the power gap. Additionally, providing we secure the appropriate transitional support, our project to deliver two units of BECCS at our Selby site would also support energy security and decarbonisation through the crunch and well into the future.”
This predicted energy shortfall is more than three times the secure de-rated power that Sizewell C will be capable of providing to the system when its finished, and nearly double the 2022 gap. Uncertainty for biomass generators, which contribute over 3GW of secure dispatchable power, risks compounding the shortfall by nearly 50%.
The research underscores that energy security will be a key issue in the next Parliamentary term. Without additional action taken to make up the shortfall, the UK will be more dependent on intermittent power from international energy interconnectors and renewables like wind and solar.
The report states building additional new capacity is unlikely to have a material impact in time and that to deliver certainty the Government should:
- Extend the use of existing baseload generation assets which provide secure capacity, including nuclear plants scheduled to retire, and agree transitional arrangements for biomass operators that plan to install bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) technology.
- Work to reduce peak demand by encouraging flexibility and installing more home insulation.
Council appoints contractor for Cleethorpes’ Pier Gardens facelift
North East Lincolnshire Council has formally appointed contractor WSP for its project to revitalise the town’s Pier Gardens, a 14,000 square metre garden area in the heart of the town.
Anson Forrester from WSP said: “We can’t wait to get going. It’s a fabulous resort and can only be enhanced by the work in the gardens. We’ll be looking for input from local people in to take the works from concept to final design – please do take part, ultimately, these are your public gardens, and like the council, we want to see these used. The design of the gardens will be key to that – creating spaces that people want to spend time in.”
Councillor Philip Jackson, Leader of the council, said: “Cleethorpes has a wealth of assets that can enable it to be at the forefront of regeneration. Opened in 1885, Pier Gardens’ location is at the heart of the resort and the scope for re-development is vast. The area for regeneration presents a unique opportunity to create a space that will become an attraction for residents and visitors alike. The linear park raised above Central Promenade is a hidden and an underutilised gem of a public green space that could offer so much more.”
WSP has recently completed projects in Swansea, Lowestoft and Blackburn, and has a track record of working with coastal communities delivering projects that change how people feel about spaces in their towns.
The next stage of the Pier Gardens work will involve drop in sessions where people can find out more and give their detailed views about the space – how it could work, what could be included, how the space needs to change and adapt for our future climate and mobility.
The first drop in session is a joint one with the Market Place project on 29 February at Cleethorpes Town Hall between 12noon and 7pm. The final design for the gardens will be based on feedback, as well as budgetary considerations, and is planned to be developed over the first half of this year, with construction starting in the autumn / winter of 2024.
Council highlights East Riding’s efforts for transport chiefs
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has shown Transport for the North chairman Lord Patrick McLoughlin and chief executive Martin Tugwell some of the area’s recent infrastructure projects, as well as highlighting some of the transport challenges the county faces.
The visit came ahead of news that the East Riding will receive £168million over the next seven years as part of the Government’s £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund. Under the new fund, £2.5billion of HS2 funding has been reallocated to improve local transport connections in the North.
Lord McLoughlin and Mr Tugwell were met at Brough train station by Cllr Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and Cllr Paul West, cabinet member for environment and transport, along with senior council officers, who took them on a day-long bus tour of the region.
The first stop was the Siemens Mobility Rail Village in Goole, where director of localisation Finbarr Dowling showed the group around the state-of-the-art facility and explained its contributions to transport in the UK.
The visitors were then taken to see several other key sites in the East Riding, including the proposed link road near Howden, the £87million A164/Jock’s Lodge improvement works on the outskirts of Beverley and the A164 Willerby roundabout scheme.
The tour ended at Ergo business centre in Hessle, where discussions continued on how the region’s transport network could be improved.
Among the topics discussed was the electrification of the rail lines from Hull to Leeds and Hull to Sheffield, a commitment made by the Government as part of its Network North plans and the Hull and East Yorkshire devolution deal.
Lord McLoughlin said: “I was in the East Riding to hear about the great work being done locally, but also why upgrading the transport infrastructure in this part of the North is vitally important not just for this area but for UK plc.
“The work being done by Siemens Mobility in Goole is a good example of local leaders and businesses working together to create transformative change in a way that will benefit everyone.
“It also gives an insight into the prize that can be won for not just the East Riding but across our region if we better connect the North of England.”
APSS Group invests in state-of-the-art showroom
Commercial interior design and fit out business APSS Group recently celebrated the completion of its newly-refurbished showroom with a VIP launch event at its headquarters in Lincoln.
Over 100 businesspeople from across the East Midlands, as well as local dignitaries including the Mayor of Lincoln Biff Bean attended the Gin and Jazz themed event with gin tasting provided by the team from Bainland Lodge Retreats and live music by saxophonist Ben Lester.
APSS’ commercial team provided tours of the new showroom, which features the latest in workplace technology, including acoustic ceiling rafts designed to reduce reverberation and echo, touch screen TVs, Zoom meeting rooms with angled tables so everyone can be seen on camera, and a virtual reality room for virtual tours of newly designed spaces.
With TPS Office Furniture having recently joined the APSS Group, the showroom also includes feature displays of chairs and the latest trends in commercial furniture as well as a soft furnishing sample wall so clients can see and feel the wide range of materials available.
A beech-hut-themed meeting pod and relaxed space are featured within the office space with a halo light – providing the option for an open or closed meeting space.
Laurence Barrass, Managing Director at APSS Group said: “The new showroom represents a significant investment and provides the perfect space to demonstrate what’s new in contemporary office design and space planning. This includes how technology can easily be incorporated into the workspace as an integral part of the design.
“The team was very excited and proud to showcase our expanded range of products and services. Over the past 25 years, we have evolved from providing office partitions and storage systems to offering a complete design and fit-out service.
“We really enjoyed showing our valued customers and suppliers around our Lincoln headquarters.”
Benedict Heaver, Managing Director at Streets Heaver, was in attendance and he said: “The showroom looks great and the benefit of seeing it first-hand is that it provides inspiration on what’s possible for contemporary workspaces.
“The VR room provides an enhanced experience as it allows you to really visualise how a space will look and feel. The halo lights, fabric swatches and furniture displays are a great addition to the showroom and impressive for those visiting for the first time.”
For over 25 years, commercial office fit out specialist APSS has been at the forefront of designing and creating dynamic spaces for organisations in a wide range of sectors including professional services, industrial, retail, education and healthcare. Following its recent acquisition of TPS Office Furniture, it has expanded its services to include high quality, contemporary furniture.
Laurence added: “As the group embarks on this exciting new chapter, it remains committed to keeping innovation, quality, and customer satisfaction at the forefront of the business. Our new showroom is testament to our commitment to transforming environments and enriching lives through exceptional design.
“Creating a more visually appealing working environment has been proven to increase productivity and is an attractive benefit for existing staff and well as prospective employees.”
Prime Minister brings Cabinet to meeting at Goole rail facility
Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet have visited the Goole Rail Village, meeting Siemens Mobility’s UK & Ireland Joint CEO Sambit Banerjee and speaking to a group of apprentice engineers and technicians.
Siemens is in the final stages of fitting out the Train Manufacturing Facility, which is set to open this spring.
Sambit Banerjee, said: “It was a great honour to welcome the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to our Goole Rail Village and for him to talk to our talented train engineers of the future.
“We are proud that we will be assembling the next generation of Britain’s trains right here in Yorkshire, as part of how we transform rail travel in the UK.
“Our investment in Goole is levelling up in action, and the lasting legacy of skills we are creating at this centre of excellence will help transform rail for the North.
The Components Facility, where the Government held the Cabinet meeting, is a part of the wider Goole Rail Village which made up from the Train Manufacturing Facility, Logistics Centre and the Rail Accelerator and Innovation Solutions hub for Enterprise (RaisE), establishing Goole as a centre of excellence for rail technology in the UK.
The Components Facility, which is open already, overhauls and repairs capabilities on gearboxes, traction motors, fan systems and HVAC units for Siemens’ train and tram fleets across the UK, which make up almost one quarter of passenger trains.
All of Siemens’ future UK train orders will be built at Goole, starting with the Piccadilly line trains for Transport for London. The Train Manufacturing Facility will also be capable of serving other global markets by 2030.
Hull’s hospital porters are the best in the country – and that’s official
Porters at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital have been selected from 300 entrants to be Portering Team of the year at the National MyPorter Awards held in London.
Graham Taylor, Interim Portering, Postal and Switchboard Manager, says: “Being recognised nationally as ‘Portering Team of the Year’ is outstanding and I am immensely proud to represent this team. Their responsibilities and duties go far beyond simply pushing a stretcher or moving a bed. “They are expert communicators, constantly keeping patients and their families informed and reassured during difficult and often uncertain times. Their dedication and compassionate attitude towards their work make them invaluable members of our organisation. “This team truly is phenomenal, and it fills me with pride to witness their unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of patients and their families every day. “The team may not always receive the recognition that they truly deserve, but their contributions are immeasurable. They are the unsung heroes who quietly and efficiently keep the hospital running and deserve to be celebrated for their hard work and dedication.”T he hospitals are part of a Group including Goole, Grimsby and Scunthorpe, employing 17,000 staff and caring for over a million patients every year. Getting people and resources to their destination in an organisation of that size is no mean task, but this 120-strong team handles this responsibility effortlessly.Hull’s Colonial Street subject to archaeological dig as development progresses
Hull City Council is carrying out preliminary archaeological excavations on Colonial Street as an important precursor for the site’s planned redevelopment.
The land to the rear of St Stephen’s Shopping Centre is currently under examination to establish the history of the site and whether it retains any archaeological interest.
The Colonial Street site is allocated for housing development in the Local Plan and is owned by the council.
In July 2023, Cabinet approved plans to seek to bring forward around 200 properties on the site.
The exploratory work is being undertaken by the council’s Humber Field Archaeology team and will help to inform the development approach and improve availability of site information, ahead of redevelopment.
If the site is found to be of archaeological interest, further investigations may be undertaken, with a community activity a possibility later in the year.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, said: “It is exciting that the council has made a start on the Colonial Street site, on the back of doing likewise at the former Clarence Mill site for the East Bank Urban Village.
“These developments are key to recognising the council’s need for city centre living, whilst regenerating previously unused land.”
West Yorkshire Mayor enrols almost 160,000 learners since devolution of adult education
More than 159,000 people have signed up for training in the two years since West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, took responsibility for adult education in the region, according to new figures.
Since being elected, the Mayor has invested £198 million of devolved funds to launch a wide range of courses aiming to boost skills and opportunities for people to get into good, well-paid jobs.
It’s also supporting West Yorkshire’s labour market and wider economy, creating a greater pool of skilled workers for businesses to recruit from.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said: “I want everyone in West Yorkshire to have the chance to unleash their potential – and it’s working.
“Devolution has given us the freedom to invest in what’s best for our region and support people into real jobs, which simply wouldn’t be possible from Whitehall.
“We know learning and qualifications help people to access better paid jobs, and this is supporting families during a cost of living crisis as we work to build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire.”
The news comes as the Mayor and Cllr James Lewis visited an all-female cohort of telecoms engineers who began training as part of a drive to boost the widespread skills shortage in the sector.
The Mayor has invested £2.5 million into the telecoms engineer training programme since it was launched in 2021. Over 1,200 people have become qualified as a result, and thanks to collaboration with local businesses, 80% have progressed directly into employment.
Cllr James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Business, Economy and Innovation Committee, said: “Access to training that rewards people with good, well-paid jobs should be available to all.
“Working with local businesses, we’re tailoring courses to fill vital roles in the local labour market, and highlighting the importance of a happy, skilled and diverse workforce.
“Devolution has already allowed us to upskill and re-train thousands of adults, and greater devolved powers would give us the opportunity to achieve so much more.”
Sheffield research to help make growing food greener
A new way to create synthetic fertilisers from waste by-products, which could provide a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to current synthetic fertilisers for the UK’s farming industry, is being developed by the University of Sheffield.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute and the Institute for Sustainable Food are working with Future Greens, a Sheffield-based SME specialising in controlled-environment agriculture, on a research project designed to improve the sustainability of growing food.
Unlike traditional farming systems that grow crops in soil, this type of agriculture uses vertical water-based hydroponics systems that are totally reliant on the application of synthetic fertilisers to supply nutrients essential for plant growth.
Using hydroponics to quickly grow food like leafy greens has been a fast-growing industry in the UK commercially, as well as for individual homeowners with limited space and resources to grow their own food. However, high energy prices and volatile fertiliser markets have put this emerging industry at risk.
Notably, the cost of synthetic fertilisers, responsible for a significant portion of global energy consumption, has risen by 139 per cent within the last year in Britain. The sourcing of these fertilisers has fast become an economic and environmental concern, with production also responsible for 1-2 per cent of global energy use.
This new University of Sheffield project aims to combine food and energy research to advance sustainable farming practices, enabling farmers to grow plants like lettuce and spinach in a more sustainable way by developing an alternative sustainable process for the production of synthetic fertilisers.
This process will convert the by-products from anaerobic digestion – a technology which turns waste farm products like manure into energy – into a high-quality, water-soluble fertiliser suitable for food crops. This system, which combines biogas energy production with the conversion of waste products, fosters a more sustainable, circular and resilient system for farming.
Successful development of this innovative idea would provide a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to current synthetic fertilisers for the UK’s farming industry, and would result in additional revenue for anaerobic digestion plants. It would also contribute towards the UK’s goal of a circular phosphorus economy, and build resilience in the UK food industry.
Dr Davide Poggio, Research Associate at the Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield, said of the project: “This project represents a novel, systemic approach to urban biowaste management. By integrating biogas technology with vertical farming, we aim to efficiently recycle nutrients and recover energy within urban settings, and enhance the security and sustainability of key hydroponic crops.”
Alexander La Fleur, from Future Greens, said: “Working with the university is really exciting for us, since graduating two years ago it’s nice to be back and tap into the valuable expertise. The grant presents a really promising opportunity to find a solution to the environmental and economic challenges facing the fertiliser industry.”
The project, which is supported by an Innovate UK Research Starter grant, will foster further collaboration between Future Greens, with Dr Davide Poggio from the University of Sheffield’s Energy Institute and Dr Ian Lidbury from the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food, with Jacob Nickles from the University of Manchester serving as the Innovation Manager.
The project will result in a demonstrator at the Future Green site to evaluate the practical application of the new technology.
West Yorkshire recycling company fined £120,000 after worker injured by 300kg batteries
A recycling company in West Yorkshire has been fined £120,000 after batteries weighing at least 300kg fell onto an employee and severely injured him.
The man was working with two colleagues at Wastecare Limited’s site on North Dean Business Park, Halifax when he was struck by the batteries being recycled on 22 March 2019.
The three workers had been restacking the batteries that were stored in Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) after it had toppled over.
However, the FIBCs started to rip in front of them leading to the batteries falling on to one of the workers.
He suffered a double compound fracture to his lower right leg, a fracture to the left tibia, a fractured right collar bone, some bruising to his ribs and a cut on his forehead.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Wastecare Limited failed to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its employees at work. The site was overstocked, bags of batteries had been stacked in an unsafe manner and there was no specific documented risk assessments or safe systems of work for the correct stacking and storage of batteries. This was not an isolated incident.
HSE guidance says FIBCs must not be stacked unless the FIBC is designed to be stacked and only then should it be stacked in either a pyramid form or against two walls.
Wastecare Limited, of Normanton Industrial Estate, Normanton, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,937.39 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 21 February 2024.
HSE inspector Jackie Ferguson said: “There are specific Industry Standards and Guidance relating to Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs) which provides users with information on a range of aspects relating to their use including filling, discharging, handling and storage.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by implementing simple control measures and safe working practices to ensure the batteries were stacked safely and securely. The industry should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Crockett and supported by HSE paralegal officer Stephen Parkinson.
