A former army reservist who was posted to Africa with the renowned Gurkhas before setting up his arboriculture and ground management company is celebrating 10 years in business with a record start to the year.

Rotherham entrepreneur Luke Hamill, who founded Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services LTD in 2014, has expanded the business year on year and now leads a team of 14 from their Rotherham HQ.

Servicing both the commercial and residential construction industries throughout the north of England, Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services also delivers emergency and project-based services for a number of Local Authorities.

Whilst recent weather events have ensured that side of the business has been brisk, a string of wins with major housebuilders has seen 2024 start at a record pace, as Luke explains: “I think if you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be leading a team of 14 with work right across the north of England I might have taken it with a pinch of salt but it goes to show what a focus on quality, teamwork and honest graft can do.

“My forces background has instilled that in me but the entrepreneurial side is something I’ve developed day by day and I am still working hard at because this business has huge potential.”

Sky High Tree & Ground Maintenance Services has invested over £4 million in recent years on equipment and staff training, purchasing their first 14-tonne Arb Digger (reducing costs typically passed to clients) in 2022.

That was soon joined by a RoboEvo tracked robotic flail, helping to remove operatives from working on unsafe terrain whilst being more cost-effective.

“We are committed to continuing to invest in the future to provide the best service possible for our clients,” explains Luke.

“Our latest piece of kit is the Mercedes Unimog which will mean we have the ultimate set of tools for our arb and ground maintenance teams and ensure we are working at maximum efficiency.

“However, despite our strong start to the year we will not lose sight of our role as custodians of the planet and do our best to ensure that we balance what we remove and clear.

“Last year, we contributed to our local area by planting and installing over 100 trees, as well as completing a long overdue biodiversity project for a nearby school. We are always on the lookout for similar projects we can get involved in, so do get in touch if we can assist.”

Hull-based MKM has acquired Mansfield company Oceanair in a move designed to strengthen its offering by moving into the HVAC sector. Kate Tinsley, CEO of MKM since 2020, said: “This is an interesting acquisition for MKM and enables us to expand into further emerging marketplaces; Oceanair is a great company with very talented people. I’m really excited about our growth plans.” Oceanair owner Tony Evanson will remain involved in the business for the foreseeable future providing support during the transition. He said: “I’m incredibly proud to see the business grow over the years and have developed some fantastic relationships with staff, customers, and suppliers.  I have thought long and hard about selling the business and was adamant it needed to go to the right home. I’m very pleased to be around the business to support the MKM team and look forward to seeing Oceanair grow under its new ownership”. Rob Barnes, MKM’s Business Development Director leading the acquisition, added: “This acquisition fits perfectly with MKM’s plans for expansion, allowing us to branch out further into the HVAC industry. Continuing to work closely with the current Oceanair team guarantees a seamless transition, customers and suppliers can expect business as usual.”

Businesses will be urged to tackle in-work sickness and stop people falling out the workforce, following the appointment of Dame Carol Black as the Government’s new Occupational Health Tsar. She will lead a Taskforce producing a voluntary occupational health framework for businesses, including establishing minimum levels of occupational health needed to stop sickness-related job losses, and help businesses better support those returning to work after a period of ill-health. Dame Carol said: “It is a privilege to Chair the new Taskforce which will review occupational health services available to employees across businesses of all shapes and sizes, and ] create a framework to support better employee health and wellbeing. We will encourage employers to embrace practices that prevent or reduce ill-health related job loss. “We know the impact high sickness absence and presenteeism has on businesses and their productivity, which is why I am so pleased to work with other members of the Taskforce to ensure occupational health support is in place for employees and employers alike.” Just 28% of employers in Britain provide some form of occupational health, with large employers (89%) nearly three times more likely than SMEs(28%) to do so. Minister for Employment Jo Churchill added: “Millions of working days are lost each year through sickness. We are helping businesses tackle this challenge head on so we can help boost productivity and grow our economy. “The work of Dame Carol and her expert Taskforce will be crucial as we drive down absenteeism, which we know is holding back British businesses and really focus on making occupational health support available to all. “Our £2.5bn Back to Work Plan will also help one million people, including those with long-term health conditions and disabilities, find work and reap the benefits it has to offer. Only 45% of workers in Britain have access to some form of occupational health, and with an estimated 1.8 million workers reporting work-related ill health in 2022/23, the government is acting to tackle long-term sickness to help people stay and succeed in work.”

Ambitions to develop Sheffield’s cultural offer and ensure the city is creative, prosperous, diverse and full of opportunity for its residents, have moved forward. A review of Sheffield’s culture sector has highlighted areas of growth and opportunity for the city, including strengths in its grass roots offering and independent businesses showcased. Some of the city’s larger, anchor institutions were also recognised for their acclaimed national and international profile. However, the city also faces challenges, with the report outlining that Sheffield must ramp up cultural investment and attract more funding for the sector. More must also be done to champion diversity and inclusion and better reflect the city’s residents and creators. The report also indicates that young people who face barriers accessing culture must be better supported. The audit was commissioned as part of the new Sheffield Culture Strategy 2024, which is being developed to address some of the long-standing obstacles faced by creatives living and working in the city. The strategy is being championed by the Culture Collective and Culture Consortium, and funded by Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and Arts Council England, and aims to tackle obstacles laid out in the review. The sector audit is just the first phase of work being done ahead of the development of the strategy, and will help to shape it, along with the outcomes of consultation with both the public and individuals working in the sector.

Streets Chartered Accountants covers updates to payroll management, HR and compliance, Trade Credit Insurance, and more in its latest monthly news roundup.

Payroll, HR & Employment Update 2024

Streets recently hosted its annual Payroll HR & Employment Update to keep you informed of the issues, regulations and changes affecting payroll management, HR and compliance.

Streets also looked at the broader HR matters that may concern employers now and in the year ahead, along with the potential impact of changes to and the introduction of new employment legislation. If you missed it you can catch up now!

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Specialists in the Hospitality industry

Following the recent merger of the award winning Steele Financial with Streets Chartered Accountants, Streets now has a team of dedicated hospitality accountants, tax and business advisers on hand to support those running hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs and other businesses forming part of the industry supply chain and eco system.

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Podcast: More than pedal power for start-up loans

This episode of The Streets Sessions features Michelle Stewart, Director of Operations for NWES enterprise agency, who talks about the British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loan Scheme.

Find out more about how the scheme can and has supported start up and early years businesses. In particular how it has helped Ethan Crown, founder of the specialist independent cycle shop Pedall, based in Kings Lynn, Norfolk

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Trade Credit Insurance can protect your business 

Does your business have Trade Credit Insurance? Have you reviewed it recently to ensure that your policy is the right fit and level of cover your business needs?

Trade Credit Insurance protects manufacturers, traders and service providers against losses from non-payment of a commercial trade debt. Debts can arise as a result of a customer becoming insolvent or failing to pay within agreed terms.

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Open Road is Colchester office’s new nominated charity 

As part of Streets’ commitment to the communities in which its teams live and work, the Colchester office of Streets Whittles has an established approach to supporting a nominated local good cause. 

As of March 2024, Streets has selected Open Road to benefit from its support. An established drug and alcohol recovery support charity in Essex and Medway, Open Road provides services to support individuals on their journey to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

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Have we become too obsessed about the use of technology in our businesses?

Is it time to regain control of our senses about the benefits and use of technology? The last 12 months seem to have been unprecedented in terms of the use and introduction of technology and digital innovation.

Who would have thought that OpenAI and ChatGPT only really came to market and wider use in November 2022? With the launch of Google’s AI and other platforms there does seem to be a frenzy of activity as organisations seek to understand what artificial intelligence can do for them or how it might impact their businesses.

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SmartMoney – January/February 2024

SmartMoney is the bi-monthly magazine from Streets Financial Consulting plc, Streets’ independent financial planning arm, full of news and helpful information on personal financial planning.

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East Riding councillors have voted to withdraw from conversations about the possibility of a nuclear geological disposal facility being built in South Holderness. Councillors have voted 53-1 in favour of a motion brought by Councillor Sean McMaster, which called on the council to withdraw from the siting process for the facility. However, the process is ongoing for another site in our region, at Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire. Councillor Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The purpose of the Working Group was always to open a conversation with the community about whether a GDF would be right for the South Holderness area. The council and NWS were clear about that from the very start. “In the past few weeks, many people within the community have made it clear that they find this idea unpalatable and do not want South Holderness to be part of the conversation. “Many other people have attended the drop-in events curious to find out more about the long-term benefits a GDF could bring to its host community. “Councillors have today considered all these views and decided that it is right to withdraw from this process.” Nuclear Waste Services, a division of The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, is currently seeking a suitable site for a GDF for the UK’s legacy of radioactive waste.

Renewable energy company Drax has become the latest founder member of the University of Sheffield’s newly-launched Energy Innovation Centre. The new partnership will drive forward research into next generation carbon capture technology, including innovations in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS. Drax joins Boeing as the second founder member of the Energy Innovation Centre (EIC), launched by the University of Sheffield Energy Institute, which offers partners from industry access to two of the University’s newest world class research facilities. The first – the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC) – is a first-of-its-kind facility in the UK that tests and certifies new sustainable aviation fuels. The second – the Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) – contains pilot-scale production facilities suitable for investigating different methods of carbon capture, utilisation and storage. The partnership will use the first-of-their-kind technology available at TERC to carry out research and development into carbon capture and utilisation technologies, and to investigate the use of other routes to decarbonise and defossilise industry, including renewable natural gas, hydrogen, battery storage and new BECCS technologies. In particular, Drax will look at BECCS, a process in which carbon dioxide from using biomass as an energy source, such as wood pellets or agricultural residues, is captured and stored. Because plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the process results in negative emissions. Access to the equipment at TERC, including the first-of-its-kind Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell, and a grate-fired biomass boiler which enables studies into BECCS, will mean Drax can carry out pilot-scale testing on some of the most cutting-edge carbon capture rigs in the UK. Drax is the second largest producer of sustainable biomass globally, and its biomass power station in North Yorkshire is the UK’s single-largest source of renewable power by output. The new partnership with TERC aims to further demonstrate and understand the opportunities for new forms of energy and application of BECCS in the UK’s energy and industry landscapes. Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, Managing Director of the University of Sheffield’s Energy Innovation Centre, said: “We are excited to welcome Drax as a founding member of the EIC. Drax’s commitment to furthering renewables and other low-carbon sources of energy make them an ideal partner for driving research and development in these areas. “Combined with the expertise of the researchers at TERC, we hope Drax’s work within the EIC will lead to impactful, practical applications of innovative processes and technology. We look forward to working with Drax and to the continued growth of the EIC.” Jason Shipstone, Drax’s Chief Innovation Officer, said: “This new partnership between Drax and the University of Sheffield is hugely exciting for the carbon removals sector. The incredible facilities, and the global academic excellence of TERC, will enable Drax to innovate further as we look to deploy BECCS technology at scale in the coming years. “Governments around the world are increasingly turning to BECCS in the fight against climate change as it is the only technology which can simultaneously remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while generating dispatchable renewable electricity.”

There is some reason for cautious winter economic cheer with the latest research from the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3, showing that all regions and nations across the UK, including Yorkshire and the Humber, saw an increase in the number of new businesses launching in January 2024 compared with the previous month.

According to the research, based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, the number of start-ups in Yorkshire and the Humber rose by 39% from December 2023 to January 2024, with another 5,405 new businesses setting up in the region last month – over 1,500 more than in the previous month.

Some other regions and nations performed even more strongly with the North East seeing a 61% rise month-on-month; the South East up by 54%; and the South West and Wales experienced a 50% uplift. The lowest increases were in Northern Ireland with a 33% rise; and in the West Midlands, up by 35%.

However, there was a less rosy picture in Yorkshire and the Humber in terms of insolvency-related activity last month. While this type of activity (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings) fell in all 12 regions and nations, Yorkshire and the Humber saw the smallest drop with a decrease of just 4.8% since December.

This means that in January, 236 businesses in the region were affected. The North East also saw a single digit drop in insolvency-related activity (-9.5%); followed by Wales (-13.3%); and the North West (-19.6%).

In contrast, the greatest decreases in insolvency-related activity were in Northern Ireland (down by 58%); followed by the South East (-35%); the East Midlands (-34.5%); and the South West (-33%).

Eleanor Temple, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and a barrister at Kings Chambers in Leeds, said: “It is certainly encouraging to see so many brave entrepreneurs across the UK having the confidence to launch a new business as we head into 2024, and also fewer businesses last month being impacted by insolvency-related activity.

“It is perhaps a sign that the tide is turning and people are starting to feel that the worst is over as inflation steadies and there is talk of possible interest rate drops later in the year.

“However, the UK economy is continuing to disappoint with inflation proving to be sticky, operating costs rising and consumer spending remaining under pressure. In such a difficult landscape, many businesses may be heading towards insolvency and would be well-advised to seek professional advice as soon as possible to avoid financial problems spiralling out of control.”

A must-attend event for professionals in the construction sector and the built environment will take place on Wednesday 28 February 2024.