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.
Lilly strengthens Hull-based family law team
Lilly Walker has joined law firm Rollits as an additional Senior Solicitor in its family law team.
She joins Alison Benson, Partner and Head of Family, and Senior Solicitor Sarah Wasling in the family law team.
Alison said: “Our expert teams have supported clients needing help through all types of family law matters for more than 180 years and Lilly’s appointment helps us ensure that we continue to tailor our services specifically to the needs of all clients.
“That applies to private and personal matters and to the corporate environment. In family and owner managed businesses, operations can be intertwined with relationships and undoubtedly family problems can affect the business if they are not properly managed.”
The family law team, which has almost 40 years of shared experience of divorce and separation matters, is based at Rollits’ head office in High Street, Hull.
Red Sea disruption causes severe headaches for UK businesses
Increases in costs and delivery times caused by shipping disruption in the Red Sea are causing headaches for UK businesses according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce.
Issues cited by firms included increased costs, with some reporting rises of 300% for container hire, and logistical delays, adding up to three to four weeks to delivery times. Firms also said this was creating knock-on effects such as cashflow difficulties and component shortages on production lines.
William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the BCC, said: “This research gives us immediate insight into the impact of Red Sea disruption on UK businesses.
“There has been spare capacity in the shipping freight industry to respond to the difficulties, which has bought us some time. And recent ONS data also indicates the impact has yet to filter through to the UK economy, with inflation holding steady in January.
“But our research suggests that the longer the current situation persists, the more likely it is that the cost pressures will start to build.
“Certain sectors of the economy are obviously more exposed to this than others. But with the recent introduction of the Government’s new customs checks and procedures for imports also adding to costs and delays, it is a difficult time for firms.
“The UK economy saw a drop in its total good exports for 2023, and with global demand weak, there is a need for the Government to look at providing support in the March Budget.
“We are calling for the establishment of an Exports Council to hone the UK’s trade strategy and a review of the effectiveness of government funding for export support.
“Overseas trade is vital to growing our economy. We must do everything we can to see businesses through these tough times, and then set a laser-sharp focus on expanding exports for the future.”
Sainsbury’s signs up as third retailer to back nation’s farmers with ‘buy British’ web tab
The move follows an open letter written by Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans to the chief executives of eight major supermarkets asking for a filter which would direct shoppers to homegrown food to help boost the economy and cut the UK’s carbon footprint.
The letter was was co-signed by 125 cross-party MPs, and echoed a long-standing NFU ask dating back to 2016.
Simon Roberts, CEO at Sainsbury’s, said: “Many of our customers want to support British suppliers and make more conscious choices when doing their food shop, and our new Buy British webpage helps them to do just that through a curation of over 450 quality, 100% locally sourced products.
“We recognise the pressures that British farmers are facing and the importance of supporting them to maintain a resilient UK food system for the long term. Our relationships with farmers and suppliers are incredibly important to us and we remain committed to sourcing British as much as we can, now and in the future.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said it was fantastic to see supermarkets getting behind Dr Evans’ campaign. He said: “I’m delighted that Sainsbury’s is also backing British farmers by adding a British section online in order to signpost shoppers to home-grown produce.Our own independent research shows the public want to buy more British food from retailers and we have been championing this issue for some time.”
SMEs get strong voice on Government’s Small Business Council
The membership of the new Small Business Council was unveiled ahead of its first meeting, as the Government reaffirms its commitment to the UK’s 5.6m SMEs. Chaired by Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake, the Council will work alongside the Prime Minister’s Business Council to tackle the key issues facing small firms who will be given new levels of access direct to government.
Almost every business in the country is a small business (99.9%) who in turn support 27 million jobs across the UK, accounting for £4.5 trillion of annual turnover. Almost every billion-pound company, tech giant or multinational corporation started off as small business, which is why this Council has been formed, to help support and nurture the next generation of small firms to thrive and grow.
Tina McKenzie said: “This new council is important because it will bring what’s happening at the front line of British business, from our 5.5 million small business owners, right into the heart of Government.
“Alongside No.10’s existing corporate Business Council, the new body will shine a light on the unique challenges small firms face on areas such as finance, regulation and skills. FSB is pleased to join it, and we hope to focus on how to reignite economic growth across our community.
Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “Small firms are at the heart of our communities and the engine of our economy – which is why the work of this council is so important. My own experience of working in a small business has given me crucial insights to the problems that SMEs face on a daily basis, from barriers to growth or access to finance.
“We’re giving small firms a big voice, so they can directly air their concerns to government without delay – only when we work together can we tackle some of the burning issues SMEs are facing – only then can we help boost jobs and grow the economy.”
Lighting contractor completes 89,000 streetlight bulb swaps in Leeds
Leeds City Council’s street lighting partner Enerveo, working as a subcontractor to Tay Valley Lighting, has completed a £22.5m streetlight bulb swap project that began in 2018 and involved changing 89,000 bulbs.
The company has installed LEDs, which is expected to yield annual savings of about £3.4 million in electricity costs at current energy prices. Additionally, the conversion to LED lighting is projected to reduce street lighting energy consumption by about 62%, resulting in 7,050 tonnes of carbon savings, with savings already being made throughout the lamp replacement.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Executive Member for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, attended the installation of the final LED light on Edith Sykes Drive in east Leeds this week, marking the conclusion of the project. Councillor Hayden said: “The completion of the LED Lighting Scheme represents a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in Leeds. This investment will deliver immediate cost savings and lay the groundwork for future advancements in smart technology”
Tom Cunningham, Tay Valley Lighting (Leeds) Director, said: “This investment has provided many benefits, including local employment opportunities during the period, reducing energy consumption and maintenance activities, resulting in significant cost savings to Leeds City Council and carbon reduction impact from the project”.
ABP appoints its first-ever Capital Projects Director
Port operator ABP has appointed Francis Paonessa to a newly-created role of Capital Projects Director to strengthen focus on growth and delivery of its pipeline of strategic developments.
He’ll be overseeing a number of major projects including the Immingham Eastern RoRo Terminal to significantly expand UK-EU freight ferry capacity and the same port’s Green Energy Terminal for the handling of green hydrogen, ammonia and sequestrated carbon.
Mr Paonessa will be part of the senior Executive Team and report directly to the Henrik L. Pedersen, ABP’s CEO. The role will also assume responsibility for the corporate Engineering function, allowing the Capital Projects Director to have an end-to-end focus on engineering strategy and assurance.
Francis will join ABP in April from Thames Water, where he has led a portfolio of projects with an annual investment of up to £1bn per year. Before that he was MD of Infrastructure Projects at Network Rail, where he headed up the UK’s largest portfolio of capital projects.
Mr Pedersen said: “ABP has an exciting pipeline of transformative and complex major projects to substantially expand both our trade handling and green energy enabling activities. The time is right to create a new role at the Executive Team level of the company, bringing focus and experience to what will be key growth engines for ABP. I’m delighted that Francis Paonessa has decided to join us on our growth journey. Francis brings deep expertise in strategic project delivery across a number of highly relevant infrastructure sectors.”
Mr Paonessa said: “I’m excited to be joining ABP and working with the team to make a whole portfolio of significant projects a reality. I’ve been really impressed by the vision and ambition ABP has to grow, not only in their core role of providing the UK’s main gateways for trade, but also through their rapidly expanding role as providers and enablers of infrastructure for the UK’s energy transition. It’s a great time to involved and I can’t wait to get started.”
ABP is a consistent investor in its ports and associated assets. This investment – around £750 million in the last five years – has been maintained despite challenges such as the Pandemic and global supply chain disruption.
Parliamentarians visit British Steel at Scunthorpe
In two separate visits Nusrat Ghani, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, to British Steel, and Sarah Jones, Shadow Minister for Industry and Decarbonisation, have visited British Steel at Scunthorpe.
Both toured the site and discussed decarbonisation plans.
British Steel says that whilst decarbonisation is a major challenge for the business, it remains committed to transforming itself into a green and sustainable company, believing electrification will provide a rapid and sustainable solution to the decarbonisation challenge in addition to providing support for sustainable employment.
Owners Jingye have already invested £330m in British Steel in less than four years and say they are committed to the unprecedented investment decarbonisation requires.
Levelling Up Funding supports £2m Hammonds of Hull refurb
Almost £2 million of private capital is to be invested into the former Hammonds of Hull building as part of an extensive transformation.
Redefine Paragon Square Hull Limited’s project is being supported by Levelling Up Funding (LUF) and has been awarded £315,000 for the refurbishment of 1 Paragon Square.
The grant has come from LUF monies given to Hull City Council for city centre regeneration by the government’s Department of Levelling Up, Housing, Communities.
The application is to facilitate the repurposing of the basement, third and fourth floors of the building to allow for a mix of additional office space and event space.
The total project cost is estimated around £2,233,161, meaning over £1.91 million of private capital is to be invested by the applicant.
Refurbishment of 1 Paragon Square will bring back into use 3,340.9 sqm of vacant and unused floor space.
Part of the plans also include a rooftop terrace for tenant use.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, portfolio holder for regeneration at the council, said: “This is a significant investment into one of the most iconic buildings in Hull city centre.
“We have already seen the success of ResQ in the former Hammonds of Hull building, thanks to support from LUF.
“However, there is still so much potential to unlock and this latest LUF grant, along with almost £2 million of private investment, will help to do that.”
