2 Sisters Food Group has been named National Egg & Poultry Awards Processor of the Year winner 2023.
Backed by the British Poultry Council and British Egg Industry Council, the awards celebrate, honour and exhibit best practice and excellence within the Egg and Poultry sector.
To win the award the company’s UK Poultry and Agriculture teams needed to demonstrate that 2 Sisters is an efficient business which has great relationships with our retailers and great partnerships with our suppliers. We’re committed to investing in our colleagues and machinery and able to show that our investments are delivering results.
Nick Davies, Group Agriculture Director, said: “We’re really delighted to win this award and be honoured as Processor of the Year. It’s a testament to all the hard work the 2SFG and supply chain partners have put in over a long period of time to create the right environment to move our standards even higher.
“Our delivery of the Oakham Gold higher welfare chicken also shows the teamwork of the wider orgnisation and our partners, that includes our customers, our commercial teams, our technical partners and the end to end project team. Together we have produced a great tasting, quality product that meets consumer expectations and reflects our willingness to deliver new brands to give our customers and the British shopper the widest possible choice for chicken.”
The Collaboration 4 Growth project providing business support to SMEs who trade on a business to business has come to an end after seven years during which it has supported more than 350 businesses in nd around Lincoln.
The project was run through a collaborative effort involving Lincoln BIG and the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Charlotte Watson, Deputy Chief Executive at Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce said “The C4G project has been an invaluable opportunity to support business growth for SME’s in West Lindsey, North Kesteven and the City of Lincoln. The variety of business support, free workshops and grants provided have proved a successful and required tool to help local start-ups and SME’s take the next step and grow.”
“A huge part of C4G was the revenue and capital grants available for micro, small and medium businesses. We are delighted to have awarded 123 businesses with more than £605,000 in grants, providing 60% of the total cost of staffing, equipment, and support. A grant beneficiary from Electric Egg Ltd stated “It successfully created logistical, financial, and creative benefits for us.”
Alongside the grants, C4G provided 242 businesses with 12 hours of support, this involved free business advice on a one-to-one basis, or in the form of workshops and /networking opportunities.
A workshop attendee from Five Rounds More commented ““It has provided a basic understanding which I’ve been able to use to go forward and learn more from, as a steppingstone to developing a better marketing and social media interaction for my customers.”
Workshops covered a variety of topics ranging from Social Media 101, Photography, Paid Advertising, Media Communication & Awareness, Presenting with Excellence and much more!
The project aimed to create new opportunities for SME’s and successfully created 68 new job roles and 13 new enterprises.
Yvette Mills, Lincoln BIG’s Project Manager, stated “I have thoroughly enjoyed working on the project and have made a lot of new connections from a wide variety of businesses through hosting workshops, conferences and networking events. It has been a lot of fun and very rewarding supporting the businesses both through the grant scheme and also through workshops.”
Streets Chartered Accountants covers the success of its Charity Golf Day, inheritance tax reliefs applicable to farmland, National Insurance Contributions, and more in its new news roundup.
Streets was delighted to host its tenth annual Charity Golf Day on Friday 7th July, raising a record amount of more than £8,000 for the Air Ambulance. The total amount fundraised will be divided between three regional charities; East Anglian Air Ambulance, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The winning team on the day was Varley Orthopaedics with Civil Recovery Solutions coming in second and The One Group in third place. The winners of the Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin competitions were Adam Aisthorpe and Paul Ward respectively…
Agricultural Schemes and IHT Reliefs
There are two main reliefs for inheritance tax that can apply to farmland. These are Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). APR applies to the agricultural value of the land and applies where it is occupied for the purpose of agriculture. The length of ownership and occupation required depends on who occupies the land; if it is occupied by the owner or a company they have a controlling holding in then the period is 2 years, if occupied by another, e.g. a tenant, then the period is 7 years…
Retrospective Voluntary National Insurance Contributions
The UK government has announced a further extension to the deadline for making retrospective voluntary NICs covering the period from April 2006 onwards. If there have been gaps in your National Insurance Contributions, there is a possibility that you may not meet the qualifying year requirement to receive the full state pension (dependent on the size of the gap and how close you are to state pension age). Retrospective contributions can fill these gaps and ensure the full state pension is received…
Could you and your business get greater value from your Year-End?
Not to be confused with the tax year-end which is 5th April each year, the year-end date for your business is specific to you. The largest proportions of businesses tend to opt for either a 31st December or 31st March year-end. Typically, most businesses, when it comes to their year-end will focus primarily on finance and financial reporting, with Directors, owners and shareholders keen to know the financial outcome…
Streets Summer Newsletter 2023
It is looking as if the only respite we will get from ongoing economic challenges this year is warmer weather. Hopefully, readers of Streets’ newsletter will find something of interest that will help ease the burdens of rising fuel, food and other energy prices and provide business readers with ideas to meet their current challenges. As always, if you would like more information regarding any of the issues Streets has flagged in this summer edition, please pick up the phone…
SmartMoney – July/August 2023
SmartMoney is the bi-monthly magazine from Streets Financial Consulting plc, Streets Chartered Accountants’ independent financial planning arm, full of news and helpful information on personal financial planning…
The environment your staff work in has a big impact on their mood and productivity. Lincolnshire-based commercial design and fit out company APSS looks at four ways to make the office as appealing as possible.
Here are some ideas to consider when it comes to your office design:
Keep things simple
Technology means we now carry our work with us wherever we go, via laptops, tablets and mobile phones. With so many distractions already lowering productivity, companies don’t want to add to this. Keeping it simple is a good way to reduce distraction.
Take time to declutter the office, a clean environment helps promote productivity. Make sure you have enough storage solutions for everything.
Nice views, daylight and simple written graphics or sculptures are great. They aid creativity and lift the general mood. However, big TV screens, busy artwork or loud colours often go the other way.
Flexible noise
Different people work better with different noise levels. Consider what’s right for your office and your staff.
Is it appropriate to play music? Do people have the need for headphones or do people need silence at certain points of their working day? Consider the neurodiversity of your employees.
Neurodiversity is a topic that has seen more attention lately and with good reason. If people have certain triggers within an environment, every step needs to be taken to address this from an employer’s perspective.
Creating a certain mood within a working space is integral to motivating employees. For business owners, it can increase employee productivity. Glass walls or partitions can be a great addition to an office space. Installing them creates a natural divide to give people privacy and quiet. However, they still give the feel of an open space.
Modern ways to work
Staff want comfort in their workplace now, having spent so many months at home during the pandemic changed the way people saw the workplace. Many businesses are moving away from the traditional work surface of desk and chair. The aim is to create a more relaxed environment to aid creativity and teamwork.
Sofas and lounge furniture are great for rest breaks, relaxation or brainstorm areas. However, they might not necessarily be good for long hours of work. They can have comfort and health implications if used for too long.
Biophilic design is also important, the process of bringing the outdoors inside has had a proven calming effect on employees. It can be as simple as providing more natural light, investing in diverse plant life or creating outdoor spaces that opens up existing office space. The days of harsh strip lighting and dull surroundings are set to be a thing of the past.
Standing up at work is becoming increasingly popular as the nation becomes more health-conscious. Therefore it’s always good to give people various options.
A question of light
Maximising natural light in the workplace is known to boost morale and in turn productivity. When it is not possible to have windows close to the workspace, there are other ways to make best use of what is available.
LED lights are proving to be very popular in modern offices as they have many health benefits. Lamps can also be fun and functional in an office space where certain areas need more lighting than others.
Try to keep wall colours light and fresh. This will make the overall space seem lighter, airier and larger than darks or vibrant bright colours.
For office design inspiration, APSS has more than 25 years’ experience providing exceptional workspaces across the East Midlands.
The corporate team at independent law firm Brabners advised on more than £475 million-worth of deals in the first half of 2023, as it continued to support the UK and international M&A market.
Having supported 85 deals this year, with an average value of more than £5.5 million, Brabners is on track to surpass the 127 transactions it advised on in 2022 and exceed its pre-pandemic performance for the third year in a row.
The firm’s 50-strong corporate team in the North of England has supported a broad range of significant transactions in recent months, including Manchester Airport Group’s acquisition of ParkVia, which provided an exit for investor Mercia.
A number of deals involved the transition to employee ownership, including for renowned Manchester architectural practice Jon Matthews Architects.
Brabners’ specialist team continues to be highly active in Management Buyouts across the region, as well as supporting on buy and build strategies for long-standing clients like Swedish group Atlas Copco, as it acquired Northampton-based distributor Maziak Compressor Services.
Transactions involving private equity also continued to be supported by the firm, including Omni Partners’ investment in Warrington-based Aesthetic Technology Ltd (ATL) and the £24m YFM Equity Partners-backed buyout of Warrington-based Resulting IT.
Over a quarter of the total deals for H1 came from the firm’s growing Leeds office, which recently marked a year since its launch. The Leeds team was instrumental in the sale of The Pharmacy Group to Leeds-based HubRx, which was one of the largest deals in the retail pharmacy sector nationally in the past 12 months, covering 34 community pharmacies and more than 300 employees.
Healthcare continued to be a key theme in Brabners H1 deal activity, after further investment in its specialist team resulted in a strong flow of transactions concerning pharmacies and dental businesses.
Brabners’ corporate team continues to support sustained revenue growth across the firm, which has invested significantly in its presence across Manchester, Liverpool, Lancashire and Leeds in the past 12 months.
Marcus Armstrong, partner and practice group head (Leeds), said: “The demand we continue to see demonstrates the resilience of businesses across the UK, from new clients to those we’ve been with since the beginning of their growth journeys.
“The findings from our recent Northern Investment Index report suggest that there will be significant appetite from both domestic and international investors for the remainder of the year, particularly in the regions.
“That investor appetite is likely to play a key role in further market consolidation, as we continue to see polarisation in the performance of businesses and the availability of funding from traditional lenders. As such, we can expect an active second half to 2023, with trade buyers – often private-equity backed – seeking opportunities to build out their offer with the acquisition of complementary organisations.”
Brabners’ inaugural Northern Investment Index report for 2023 surveyed more than 400 UK and US-based investors and found that Manchester was the number one city for investment in 2023, ahead of London. Cardiff was third, while Liverpool and Leeds ranked joint sixth overall.
CBRE has formed a new leadership structure for its rating service across the North following the decision by David Cownie to step back from leading the Northern team after 25 years.
Leeds-based Nick Marsden takes up the role as head of rating North and Mark Hayes has been named as head of the Manchester rating team. Cownie’s new remit will be focused on specific mandates for CBRE. Marsden has spent more than 15 years in rating, working on behalf of occupiers, landlords and investors throughout the North to manage and mitigate their business rates. Nick has a proven track record in the sector including rating advice across large, complex national property portfolios and office developments, as well as extensive investor relations expertise.He said: “Having worked at CBRE for 13 years, I am proud to be part of the incredibly talented team across the North. I look forward to providing our client base with first class rates advice and growing the team further.”“The 2023 Rates Revaluation has seen all business’s rateable values and rates costs change, with many facing significant increases. Furthermore, with changes to the appeal system and other reforms coming in 2026, the system has become increasingly complex to navigate. We are well placed to steer clients through these changes to help them to proactively mitigate their tax burden,” continued Marsden.Mark Hayes will lead the Manchester rating team, bringing an extensive track record built up over a 14 year career, having provided rating advice to some of the largest occupier and investor clients in the UK. Hayes has significant experience presenting cases at the Valuation Tribunal and has also represented several high profile clients at the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber).Hayes said: “It will be an honour to lead the team in Manchester, who are a talented group of individuals and among the best in our industry. My focus going forward will be to ensure that our clients receive the best possible service at a time when the Business Rates system is seeing huge change.”John Ogden, MD, CBRE North, said: “We would like to thank David for his dedication to the business and leadership of an exceptionally high performing rating team in Manchester and more latterly the Northern region over his considerable tenure with CBRE.“We congratulate Nick on his promotion to head of rating North and to Mark as head of the Manchester team. With David’s continued support, Nick and Mark will progress the plan for growth of the rating business throughout the next era and we look forward to celebrating the continued success of the service line under the new leadership structure.”
Global real estate adviser JLL is moving to the 12 Wellington Place office development in Leeds.
JLL is taking the first floor of the building, totalling 10,219 sq ft, and will relocate from elsewhere in the city next year.
The firm, who act as joint letting agent on the Wellington Place scheme and employs more than 80 people in Leeds, said the move demonstrates its continued commitment to the city and wider Yorkshire market.
The letting also aligns with its ongoing strategy to deliver flexible work options as well as sustainable, technologically advanced, inclusive and amenity-rich workplaces.
Tom McWilliams, head of office at JLL in Leeds, said: “JLL is playing a major role in shaping and supporting evolving workplace strategies and we are delighted to be moving to a location that shares our ambitions in how office environments can foster partnership and innovation and develop positive cultures, wellbeing and positive social impact.
“12 Wellington Place offers our colleagues a collaborative and vibrant space, with the opportunity to flex their working habits in line with our clients’ needs. We are really excited about our ongoing commitment to Leeds, Yorkshire and the north.”
Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, the developer and asset manager behind Wellington Place, said: “JLL shares our market leading approach and commitment to sustainable development, community-focused office locations and using urban regeneration to support social value initiatives. We are delighted it has committed its ongoing future in Leeds with us.
“JLL’s move follows on from our recent announcement of a 9,000 sq ft letting at 11 Wellington Place to law firm Hill Dickinson and previous lettings to Lloyds Banking Group and Arup. We look forward to announcing further new arrivals to 11 & 12 Wellington Place as we conclude those lettings. The Wellington Place estate continues to set new standards for sustainable development in the Yorkshire region and beyond.”
Jeff Pearey, head of UK regional office agency at JLL, added: “From its list of leading occupiers to its first-class amenities and inclusive community, Wellington Place is undoubtedly one of the region’s premier developments.
“As one of the UK’s most sustainable office buildings, our move to 12 Wellington Place aligns with our commitment to eliminate emissions from our workplaces by 2030 and to mainstream net zero carbon buildings in the industry.”
JLL and Savills are the joint commercial letting agents on the scheme, with Lyons Thompson Letts (LTL) appointed to market its retail and leisure space.
A VIP brunch event bringing together about 100 guests has explored the potential of food production in Lincolnshire with its UK Food Valley initiative – a project by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP to position the Greater Lincolnshire food sector as a Top 10 Global Food Cluster.
The event, staged by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Team Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire County Council, brought together a number of expert speakers who briefed guests on various aspects of food production in our area, from investment opportunities to sustainability.
Speakers included LEP Food Board Chair Sarah Louise Fairburn, Mark Suthern from the UK Food Valley, Councillor Colin Davie from Lincolnshire County Council and the LEP Board, Mark Willcox from Branston Potatoes, Simon Dwyer from the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance, and Carrie Davie from Bridge Farm in Spalding.
Alison Hands, Chief Executive of the Lincolnshire Co-op, said: “I’ve really been impressed. I think the opportunities are fantastic and the scale of the operation is just amazing.
“The UK Food Valley bringing that strategy, support, help and connectivity really creates a power, and when you work together that’s where there’s real benefit. Working in a co-operative that’s exactly what were about, so there are real synergies there for me.”
Simon Dwyer from the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance said: “The UK Food Valley has a strong message, and it resonates with people whether in the agricultural world or the seafood world. If everyone is together, teamed up and joined up, it will motivate people, businesses and investors to come into the area, which is really key.
“Events like this one give us the opportunity to talk about the jewels in the crown that we have in the UK Food Valley and about the jobs and opportunities around decarbonisation and net zero. We just need to continually beat the drum!”
Shona Hatton from Influence Landscape Planning And Design, who is working on the landscaping of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ), said: “It’s really exciting to see the extent of developments that are happening and to hear all the interesting things that people are saying in terms of employment in an area that we know very well and in a landscape that we love and really want to promote.”
Carrie Davie from Bridge Farm in Spalding said: “The UK Food Valley is hugely important. It brings so many jobs and so much innovation, and it highlights Lincolnshire across the UK.
“You only have to look around the room to see the number of people here today. When collectively industries work together it adds value, and I think the UKFV will go from strength to strength.”
It supports growth and encourages inward investment by promoting the scale, diversity and importance of the food sector to the area, and by supporting existing food sector companies and new investors.
Employers are being encouraged to take up Occupational Health offers to help employees access vital mental and physical health support at work, particularly for those working in SMEs.
The move comes in a joint consultation published today by the Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care on ways to increase uptake of Occupational Health provision.
These proposals include introducing a national “health at work” standard for all employers to provide a baseline for quality Occupational Health provision, which includes guidance, an option to pursue accreditation, and additional government support services – for example outreach workers to support SMEs to meet the standards.
It also seeks views on developing longer-term workforce capacity to help meet any increased demand for Occupational Health services in the future by:
Encouraging NHS leavers or those who are considering a career change to pivot towards the Occupational Health specialism
Developing a longer-term, multi-disciplinary workforce to provide Occupational Health services
The consultation will also ask employers to share their examples of good Occupational Health provision to help inform other businesses and encourage them to provide the same.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said: “This Government is investing billions in getting people back to work and growing the economy. We need employers to keep playing their part too. Healthy businesses need healthy workers – employers will benefit from higher retention rates, more productive workers, and fewer work days lost due to sickness. Improving health in the workplace is a vital piece of the puzzle in our drive to increase employment.”
Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove, said: “Long-term sickness is a huge contributor to economic inactivity, and while of course some people are unable to work, better accommodation of health problems in the workplace will open up a wider workforce to employers and support employees with a range of needs.
“Many small and medium-sized business owners already invest significantly in the health and wellbeing of their workforce, but this will be a gamechanger in identifying and removing obstacles to people with health conditions starting, staying and succeeding in work.”
To also help keep people in work, the government will today also publish a separate consultation looking at options to increase investment in Occupational Health services by UK wide employers through the tax system. This follows its announcement at the Spring Budget where it committed to consult on incentivising greater provision of Occupational Health through the tax system.
The government wants to explore the case for providing additional tax relief to businesses on their Occupational Health costs. In particular, the consultation asks respondents for their experiences of providing Occupational Health, including what services they provide and any barriers they experience. It also asks for evidence on the effectiveness of existing tax incentives and asks respondents for their views on the merits of expanding the existing Benefit-in-Kind relief, and thoughts on any alternative tax incentives.
Tax reliefs on Benefits-in-Kind are already available for certain occupational health services. This consultation will test if expanding these reliefs or introducing new ones could be an effective lever to achieve greater Occupational Health provision, as well as thoughts on any alternative tax incentives. The consultation will determine if expanding tax incentives is an appropriate measure to boost Occupational Health provision.
This is all a key component of the measures in the 2023 Spring Budget to grow labour market participation, reduce economic inactivity and get more people into work. The Department is helping millions to return to work with inactivity falling by 360,000 since the peak of the pandemic.
Long-term sickness is currently the main reason people of working-age give for being economically inactive, but just under half of workers have access to Occupational Health services. Over 90% of large employers offer Occupational Health support, compared to under a fifth of small ones.
Sheffield-based Mechan, experts in the design, manufacture and delivery of handling equipment for rail depots and workshops, has won a major contract with the public transport arm of the Welsh government.
The business will be designing, building and installing a bespoke bogie drop at the Canton rail depot in Cardiff, on behalf of Transport for Wales (TfWRL).
The custom-made unit enables bogies to be changed without decoupling trains, saving valuable maintenance time. It will be used to remove underframe equipment, including bogies, wheelsets, transformers and cooling units, from the diesel and tri-mode class 231/756 Stadler Flirt vehicles that are being introduced on South Wales Metro services. It will also accommodate all of TfWRL’s existing rolling stock.
Sales director, Lindsey Mills, said: “We are really pleased our tender was acceptable and we are now seeing our design come alive during the manufacturing process. Installing a bogie drop in an operational depot environment is a mammoth undertaking and we will be working closely with TfWRL to ensure we deliver the project efficiently and with minimum disruption.”
The Canton bogie drop will enable underfloor units to be changed at track level, whilst allowing traffic to move freely when it is not in use. It has a rollover capacity of 60 tonnes and incorporates mini jacks that act as car body supports, to accommodate Stadler’s articulated bogies.
Daniel Harper, TfWRL infrastructure project manager, said: “We look forward to working with Mechan on the installation of this vital equipment, as we continue to upgrade our Canton depot.
“We’re investing more than £800 million in new trains for the Wales and Borders network and the Stadler-built class 231s are a key part of the transformation of our fleet. This equipment will allow us to maintain our full fleet more efficiently, helping to keep trains in service for our customers.”
Union Chain Bridge linking England and Scotland over the River Tweed has been recognised for its historical engineering significance, months after Spencer Group finished its complete restoration.
Image: Friends of the Union Chain Bridge
Heritage bridge works specialist Spencer Group has refurbished and rebuilt the bridge, crossing the Tweed from Horncliffe in Northumberland to Fishwick in Berwickshire, has a single span of 449 feet, and was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1820.
It is both a Grade I listed building in England and a Grade A listed building in Scotland, and is credited with being a catalyst for bridge innovation. It influenced the design of many other famous structures and remains the world’s oldest suspension bridge still carrying traffic.
The bridge has now been named as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Engineers from across the world bestowed the honour on the bridge, which joins the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge.
A delegation of leading engineers visited the bridge to unveil a special plaque on the Scottish side of the structure. The sponsors of the prestigious accolade are the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Japanese Society of Civil Engineers, together with the Patron of the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge community group, Professor Dr Roland Paxton.
Joe DiMauro, Engineering Director for Spencer Bridge Engineering, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to deliver the complete restoration of this historic bridge. Union Chain Bridge is an iconic, much-loved structure, further evidenced by this international recognition.”
More than 40 businesses have received technical support in the DMC MakerLab, in Barnsley’s County Way, to help grow their businesses with solutions, new products and business efficiencies through the Digital Innovation for Growth Project.
With access to both technical expertise in the DMC MakerLab and academic research support through Sheffield Hallam University, businesses have been able to use digital technology to improve products and services, maximise efficiency and adopt new ways of working with no charge to the business.
With 44 SMEs using the 12 hours of dedicated available technical support time in the DMC MakerLab, businesses such as Sheffield Tribology Services have prototyped ideas, changed ways of working, and eight brand new products have been launched by the time the project ended at the end of June. In total, over 100 businesses engaged with the programme through a variety of interventions, events and workshops.
Ben White, Co-founder of Sheffield Tribology Services, said: “For our product, which detects friction on the railway lines to warn of potential damages, the support we’ve had has been essential – we’ve been able to take design risks, and in return, we have a better quality product.
“The DMC and access to support through the programme has provided access to equipment such as laser cutters and 3D printers to prototype our new device and turn it into an innovative business, ready to reduce damage and improve safety on the railway.”
Cllr Robert Frost, Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: “We’re sad to see the Digital Innovation for Growth project come to an end. It’s been a great collaboration between the MakerLab at the DMC and Sheffield Hallam University to the benefit of many businesses in our region.
“Many businesses in Barnsley have fantastic ideas and being able to run a space which provides them the space, technical knowledge and most importantly equipment to support the ideas to allow them to grow really is a benefit to everybody in our borough.”
Yorkshire Water has signed 15-year agreements with SGN Commercial Services and Centrica Energy Trading that will see biomethane gas to grid plants introduced at its Knostrop and Blackburn Meadows wastewater treatment works.
Biogas is produced as a by-product of Yorkshire Water’s sewage wastewater treatment processes and can be upgraded to separate methane from the other component gases. This upgraded biogas is called ‘biomethane’ or ‘renewable natural gas’.
As part of the deal, biomethane gas to grid plants will be designed, developed and operated at the two sites. The biomethane will then be injected into the local gas network via underground pipelines and used as a renewable fuel, either in vehicles, homes or industry.
Once operational, the plants shall produce roughly 125GWh of biomethane annually, enough to heat more than 10,000 homes.
Tom Hall, head of bioresources at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re excited to be working alongside SGN Commercial Services and Centrica Energy Trading to make best use of the biogas Yorkshire Water produces through sewage treatment.
“We already benefit from biogas-fuelled renewable energy generation, but this project demonstrates our commitment to using markets to improve our operational efficiency, reduce customer bills and facilitate carbon emissions reductions in the wider economy.”
It is hoped the biomethane gas to grid plants will be operational at Knostrop and Blackburn Meadows in early 2025.
SGN’s business development director Marcus Hunt said: “SGN is committed to delivering a greener gas grid and continuing to be at the forefront of providing heat to UK homes and businesses.
“We’re delighted to announce this partnership with Yorkshire Water – it adds to our ambition to increase biomethane injection into the gas network to provide local customers with green gas and support decarbonisation plans.”
Kristian Gjerløv-Juel, director for renewable energy trading and optimisation at Centrica Energy Trading, said: “This agreement marks an important milestone for Centrica’s biomethane activities in the UK.
“Having recently expanded our capabilities to handle trading, nomination, and transportation of green gas in the UK market, we’re working to accelerate biomethane production across Europe and using our capabilities to help businesses deliver on their green procurement strategies and reduce emissions.”
The Eventus Business Centre at Market Deeping in Lincolnshire has had a refresh and now offers local businesses more options than ever for offices, meeting space and facilities.
Work has taken place to reconfigure the building, in response to the needs of start-ups and established, growing businesses.
Eventus, situated on the Northfields Industrial Estate, has new meeting areas and work pods, designed to give smaller businesses the use of top quality space on a flexible basis. Electric vehicle charging provision is also soon to be upgraded at the site, which has over 40 offices ranging from 15 square metres to 141 square metres. Smart TVs and meeting ‘owl’ cameras have been added to meeting rooms.
Cllr Tom Dyer, executive support councillor for economy and place at the county council explained: “We’ve invested in Eventus in response to the changing needs of businesses and I’m delighted that we can now support even more small enterprises in the area. We now have greater options available for permanent office space, but also facilities for occasional use.”
Businesses have the choice of new work pods to use – all with free high speed wifi. This includes single self-contained desk spaces as a quiet place to work, and partially enclosed pods that allow users to work together but in a private space.
Cllr Dyer continued: “The pods are available to existing tenants who may have fluctuating staff numbers or work patterns, but also to the wider business community such as sole traders, start-ups and Virtual Tenants, who may need occasional hot desking space.”
“As with all our business centres, tenants benefit from support from industry specialists and easy in/out lease options. We really are determined to support our small businesses in Lincolnshire – they are the backbone of our economy.”
Gateley, the professional services group, has acquired Richard Julian and Associates Limited, trading as RJA Consultants, in a deal worth up to £6 million.
The deal includes, subject to certain revenue targets being achieved, an earn out based on the EBITDA achieved in each twelve-month period expiring 31 March 2024 and 31 March 2025.
Established by founder and Managing Director, Richard Julian, RJA is a chartered surveying practice, providing quantity surveying and project management services across a variety of construction sectors. It specialises in the provision of these services to organisations that deliver affordable housing, a resilient sector which is underpinned by high levels of grants to support delivery of the Government’s housing targets.
Richard Julian and directors Steven Collin, Liza Julian, Hardeep Kooner and Chris Clubb, will continue to work as part of the RJA management team post acquisition.
The company employs approximately 50 staff based in Nottingham and Leicester.
In the financial year ended 31 March 2023, RJA generated revenue of c.£3.9 million, corporatised profit before tax of c.£0.8 million and organic revenue growth of 65% against the prior year.
Rod Waldie, Chief Executive Officer of Gateley, said: “I am delighted to welcome the team from RJA, who are already well known by our colleagues in Gateley Smithers Purslow.
“There are common threads between the two teams and across our Property Platform, bringing opportunities to increase market share, as well as target new markets and workstreams. They have considerable expertise in the construction market and specifically in resilient sectors such as affordable housing and insurance services.
“RJA has a strong track record of growth, excellent relationships with clients, a dedicated and positive culture and an ambitious management team, qualities which closely match Gateley’s business and culture.”
AEW UK REIT has bought a freehold, mixed-use asset in York city centre for more than £10m.
The 99,769 sq ft asset is multi-let to five tenants. 75% of the income is received from National Car Parks Ltd (NCP), who have occupied the 297-space car park since 2005 and have a further nine years remaining on their lease.
NCP is one of the UK’s largest car park operators with an estate of approximately 189,000 spaces over 642 sites. The company is owned by Park24, a Japanese based multi-national parking operator, and the Development Bank of Japan.
Another four tenants occupy the ground and first floor retail and office accommodation fronting onto George Hudson Street.
The site totals 0.8 acres and is located inside the York City Wall, bordering the historic centre of the city, within the Micklegate Quarter. It is situated in a prominent corner position on George Hudson Street and Tanner Row, within a 10-minute walk of key visitor attractions, including York Minster, the Yorkshire Museum and the York Dungeon.
York’s key retail provisions at Coppergate Shopping Centre, Coney Street, Davygate and Parliament Street are all within a 7-minute walk.
Laura Elkin, portfolio manager of AEW UK REIT, said: “We are pleased to have purchased this very well-located mixed-use asset at a day one yield that will be accretive to the company’s earnings. Our due diligence has shown that NCP trades well from the location and we expect this to continue given the popularity of York as a destination.
“Completion of the acquisition marks the strategic reinvestment into higher yielding assets of capital generated from recent sales. We continue to analyse an interesting pipeline of potential acquisitions and expect to make further purchase announcements in due course, which will bring us closer to our short-term target of full deployment of capital.”
UK inflation fell to 7.9% in June, according to the latest ONS figures, down from 8.7% in May and coming in below expectations.
With hopes that this means a turning point for stubbornly high inflation, reduced motor fuel and food prices drove the decrease – the lowest inflation has been since March 2022.
Core inflation, meanwhile, which takes out energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, was down from 7.1% to 6.9%.
Commenting on June’s inflation figures, Editorial and Research Fellow at the free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, Professor Len Shackleton, said: “If last month’s 8.7 per cent annual increase in the CPI was unexpectedly high, this month’s 7.9 per cent is a shade lower than expected. This is mirrored in other indicators such as CPIH and core CPI.
“Since these figures were tallied, Russia has ended a deal to allow grain exports from Ukraine, which will likely push up global and UK food prices. Mortgage rates have also gone up. Nevertheless, since the extraordinary increases in the money supply that ultimately fuel inflation have ended, inflation is set to fall further.
“Rishi Sunak’s pledge to halve inflation by the end of the year may still be optimistic, but at least there are no grounds for the Bank of England to raise interest rates further. Nor are there any grounds for panic measures to hold down prices artificially, such as Grant Shapps’ silly initiative to curb supermarket petrol prices.”
A new campaign in West Lindsey is urging businesses to work with communities to support, protect and enhance the environment.
Our Small Steps – Big Impact campaign launched by the District council aims to encourage and support local people to take some simple, easy steps including anything from leaving the car at home in favour of using public transport more, cycling or walking more, or doing more recycling and wasting less.
Whatever people decide to do, the council hopes to share some top tips and advice to get people thinking. Says Cllr Stephen Bunney, Chair of the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change working group: “If everyone in West Lindsey commits to doing something, together these changes will help us work towards plans to become net zero by 2030.
“Making changes to reduce our impact on the environment is a significant challenge not only for us as a council, but for everyone who lives in and enjoys the environment of West Lindsey. Urgent actions is needed, but we know by working together, these challenges can be met head-on and with each small step we move towards making big changes.
“Science tells us we need to act now and on our own that may feel like one giant leap. We believe that together the small steps we all take lead to a contributing big impact and by working together we can make a real difference.
“We know many people across the district are already doing a lot in this area, and we’d like to hear more about what you’ve been doing so that we can spread the word to others.
“So, to help us all make little changes, we will be sharing some top tips, facts, stories, and ways people of all ages and businesses can get involved to help our environment.”
Restoration work is about to begin at Wentworth Woodhouse’s derelict Georgian stables, which were the biggest and costliest in England when they were built.
The work is being funded with £4.6 million of the Government’s £20 million Levelling Up investment in Rotherham, which was secured by Rotherham Council to help improve the town’s leisure economy and skills.
Historic England is providing £500,000 of partnership funding, bringing the total invested in this project at Wentworth Woodhouse to £5.1 million.
The huge, Palladian-style complex, now Grade I Listed, was created for the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham by architect John Carr of York.
It took 16 years to build and when completed in 1782, housed 84 hunting, riding and carriage horses and more than 30 stable boys, grooms and gardeners. It featured a riding school, a carriage house, a saddlery and an inner courtyard with a huge fountain.
But by the time Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust took over in 2017, along with the Palladian mansion The Stables were in a sorry state.
After spending six years on urgent repairs to the mansion, and most recently renovating a derelict Camellia House, the Trust is beginning the first stage of its ambitious plan to regenerate The Stables.
The south-west corner of The Stables will in future become the main arrival point for Wentworth Woodhouse visitors – and as a result of this project, will house a production kitchen, with a new café and events space to follow.
The 197 sq m kitchen will enable more catering outlets to be developed at what is fast becoming one of South Yorkshire’s most popular tourist destinations, and will be able to provide training for hospitality and catering skills, helping to address local skills shortages in the sector.
“This first stage of developing The Stables, part of a much wider regeneration programme we have planned for this enormous site, is only possible thanks to Rotherham Council’s determined and successful bid for Levelling Up investment, and the support of Historic England,” said Sarah McLeod, CEO of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, which bought the site for £7 million in 2017 to restore and regenerate the South Yorkshire economy.
“It will help us to draw more visitors, which will further boost this region’s tourist economy and help us to employ more people. The kitchen will be a very valuable asset for delivering one of the Trust’s key aims – developing the skills of local people.”
Heritage construction specialist William Birch & Sons Ltd and heritage architects Donald Insall Associates, who recently restored the Grade II* listed Camellia House, have been appointed to The Stables kitchen and café project.
The complex consists of a carriage house, a riding school, Ostlers House and mews cottages, multiple stables and courtyards.
From the late 1940s to the 1970s, areas were converted into classrooms and sports facilities for students of the Lady Mabel College of Physical Education, which opened in 1950.
William Birch’s team has overseen the demolition of the college buildings, which has revealed some hidden architectural features.
The original 18th Century yard which York architect John Carr created between the Carriage House and the Riding School has been exposed, uncovering areas finished with York stone flags, rather than the cobbles or gravel normally used.
Another surprise was the discovery of a well, which could have provided horses with fresh water, and the original doorway to the Riding School has been revealed intact.
Along with other undamaged Georgian features, it proves the Lady Mabel College buildings were carefully constructed to cause minimal damage to original structures.
A freestanding scaffold and a temporary roof are now being constructed so that historic walls and decaying roof timbers can be repaired and roofs re-slated. Heritage craftsmen will be re-using original materials wherever possible.
Buildings that attach the Riding School to the main stable block will then be extended to accommodate the new kitchens.
A photo from the past played an important part in architects Donald Insall Associates gaining planning permission for the extension.
The archive image, of the Earl Fitzwilliam’s chauffeur and car, was taken outside a garage which had been added to the Riding School and Stables – it was proof that the original footprint had previously been increased.
Work to create the kitchens is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
Leader of Rotherham Council, Councillor Chris Read said: “The Council aims to grow Rotherham’s leisure economy by making the most of our unique assets and green spaces and investing in training to support jobs in this sector.
“Wentworth Woodhouse is a local gem and these improvements will help in making it a spectacular visitor attraction to be enjoyed by locals and visitors for years to come.”
Other attractions also benefiting from the Levelling Up funding include Thrybergh Country Park, Rother Valley Country Park, Magna, Skills Street at Gulliver’s Valley and Maltby Learning Trust.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has taken part in a ground-breaking ceremony at the site of a new multi-million pound primary school in Northallerton.
Rishi Sunak, who is the MP for Richmond in North Yorkshire, joined the milestone occasion, which signalled the start of construction at the Alvertune Road site.
Also in attendance were representatives from North Yorkshire Council, the Dales Academies Trust and the contractors, Hobson and Porter.
The school, which academy leaders have promised will be a “flagship of excellence,” will be run by the Dales Academies Trust and will be based in the northern part of Northallerton, where a major new housing development is being built.
The trust has announced the new educational establishment will be called Oakbridge Church of England Primary School and will begin welcoming its first pupils in September next year. A phased opening will start with reception children in 2024, expanding to the full cohort over seven years.
Speaking about his visit, Rishi Sunak said: “It was great to see work under way on a very important multi-million-pound investment in education in Northallerton.
“This is a vital element of the North Northallerton development project, part of making sure the new housing has the appropriate infrastructure in place to support the families that will be moving here.”
The school’s location is close to the new link road which spans the site earmarked for housing, ensuring access for pupils, staff and other members of the public is convenient.
The site was acquired through a planning condition agreed with a housebuilder developing land nearby and Oakbridge Primary itself will account for investment of more than £7 million when complete.
Joe Booth, business development director at Hobson and Porter, which has been awarded the contract to build the school, said: “Starting work on this new school is an exciting moment for everyone involved with this project. There’s no doubt that once it’s complete, this school will become a hugely valuable part of the local community.”
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