Developers are due to be urged to come forward with initial plans to transform a series of sites in Scarborough’s North Bay amid proposals to bring a wave of new investment to the seaside town.
Locations which are owned by North Yorkshire Council have been identified for potential redevelopment in the area.
The sites are seen as providing an ideal opportunity for future development and are aimed at bringing fresh investment to Scarborough while helping to boost the town’s vital visitor economy, which is already worth £561 million each year and employs more than 5,600 full-time staff in the area.
Members of executive will consider plans on Tuesday next week (4 February) for a marketing exercise to ask developers how they would transform the locations that have been identified for investment.
The executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic development and the visitor economy, said: “Scarborough is one of our most popular destinations on the coast, and we want to help ensure that there is the investment in the town to benefit both local communities and visitors alike.
“We believe these sites in the North Bay offer real potential to help to drive forward the local economy.
“We will consider the proposals carefully to ensure that any market testing attracts the right sort of developer to provide the right kind of schemes for the town.”
The sites which have been identified include the former Atlantis Waterpark, the former Marvel’s amusement park and the land that was previously the location of the Kinderland children’s activity park.
The other sites include land where the town’s former indoor pool was based alongside its off-street parking while there are plans to maximise the potential for footpaths that weave around the North Bay.
The Alpamare Waterpark, which North Yorkshire Council took control of in December 2023 when the previous operator went into administration, and its off-street parking have also been identified as one of the sites.
The Alpamare site is currently run by Malton-based Flamingo Land, which has signed a 12-month lease after re-opening the attraction in July last year and has expressed an interest in extending the deal for a further year.
A report to the executive has stressed that a waterpark should remain as one of the long-term attractions in the North Bay.
The proposals would see the market testing launch in the middle of next month (February) and continue for between four and six weeks. It is hoped the exercise would allow the council to engage with private developers and gain an understanding of market interest and the potential for future development for the sites.
The responses received from developers would be assessed and used to inform the council’s approach for the sites, with updates presented to elected members later this year.
Deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include the authority’s finances, said: “The North Bay area of Scarborough does provide exciting opportunities for the town, and its future development would bring benefits for both residents and visitors.
“The sites which have been identified could also have major financial benefits for the council if they are redeveloped and we will consider the options which are available for the approach to the market testing when the executive meets next week.”
The report to the executive has outlined plans to bring high quality development to create a clear identity for the North Bay area and provide a contrast to the more traditional “seaside town” nature of the resort’s South Bay.
The ambition would be for development to complement existing attractions in the area, including the Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the North Bay Railway and Peasholm Park.
Under the plans for the market testing exercise, developers would be asked to provide a 1,000-word brief outlining projects which they have been involved in.
They would also be asked to identify the potential for the sites and whether they would be interested in taking on more than one location for redevelopment.
The market testing would ask for views on the inclusion of the Alpamare Waterpark site within the package of sites, and whether the council should also look to broaden the redevelopment plans to other locations in the town for longer-term partnerships.
The chair of the Scarborough and Whitby area committee, Cllr Liz Colling, who represents the Falsgrave and Stepney division in Scarborough, said: “This is set to be the first step in identifying potential developers for these sites which will hopefully lead to investment to benefit our local communities in the town.
“While the visitor economy is a huge part of Scarborough’s economy, we need to make sure that any development in the town is beneficial for residents too.
“This is about the future of Scarborough and potentially bringing new job opportunities and careers to the people who live here and in the surrounding area.
“This would help to ensure that the younger generations of our residents can remain in the town where they grew up and embark on a career here.”
Work starts on sustainable Harrogate business units as part of scheme that could support 2,000 jobs
Opus North and Bridges Fund Management have begun construction of the Harrogate 47 sustainable employment development in North Yorkshire. These works will deliver new flexible business units totalling more than 106,000 sq ft of high-specification Grade A space, with a focus on sustainability. The units are expected to complete in Autumn 2025.
The partners will speculatively develop two terraces of flexible business units from 5,540-12,188 sq ft, as well as three detached units from 10,200-21,600 sq ft. Access and infrastructure works for this major new mixed-use employment scheme are now complete, allowing delivery of the first units on site. The appointed contractor is Stainforth Construction.
The units are situated on a 45-acre site near Harrogate at J47 of the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, which in total comprises more than 600,000 sq ft of employment space for industrial, logistics, hi-tech and office uses, as well as amenity uses, within a landscaped environment.
Planning permission was secured from Harrogate Borough Council for the low-carbon scheme, which is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and has the potential to support 2,000 jobs.
Ryan Unsworth, Joint MD, Opus North, said: “Seeing construction of the units get underway at Harrogate 47 is a great way to start the year. Our innovative scheme has been designed with energy efficiency in mind to offer sustainable, high-quality property solutions for businesses.”
Henry Pepper, Partner, Bridges Fund Management, said: “This well-connected development on the A1(M) corridor will support economic growth and job creation in the local area.
“Our plan is to develop sustainable units that will be highly attractive to a range of regional or national occupiers looking for cost-efficient, future-proofed employment space. We are delighted that construction can now begin on the units.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “This is a very welcome investment in mixed use business accommodation in North Yorkshire.
“It’s in a prime location to boost employment in the county and encourage economic growth across a range of sectors. We look forward to seeing the development take shape and hearing about the businesses that will eventually occupy the site.”
Appointed agents for Harrogate 47 are CBRE and Gent Visick.
Contractor appointed in Hull for Drypool Bridge investment
Hull City Council’s cabinet has approved the appointment of Esh Construction Limited to deliver a programme of works to futureproof and extend the lifespan of Drypool Bridge.
The historic structure has been a part of the city’s transport network and skyline for generations, but a routine inspection in April 2024 discovered that several of the load-bearing columns under the bridge had significantly deteriorated, resulting in a short-term closure to enable emergency repairs to be undertaken and allow the bridge to re-open.
Since then, council engineers have been proactively planning a wider scheme of investment to the full structure, which will guarantee the bridge for 25 years and add a further 50 years to its operational life.
“We’re committed to Hull’s bridges, as they play a massively important role in people’s day-to-day lives,” said Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways.
“We know the council must maintain and invest to fix Drypool Bridge and that’s why we’re taking action.
“Now that we’ve approved these next steps, the council will work with our contractor to deliver a scheme that will improve the bridge’s integrity and maintain it as a reliable transport link for decades to come.
“We fully understand the frustration that roadworks can have for residents,
commuters, businesses and visitors, but the council needs to step in now to fix this bridge.
“As part of the scheme, we will look to reduce the likely impact that these essential works will have on the city.”
Details of the scheme, including exact timeframes, will be announced in the coming weeks, but it is anticipated work will start on site in the spring and take approximately six months.
Streets gains greater footprint with further merger
Streets Chartered Accountants, a Lincolnshire-based top 40 UK professional service firm, has established Streets Hackett Griffey LLP.
It follows the merger of the well-established Haverhill practice of Hackett Griffey Chartered Certified Accountants with Streets Chartered Accountants.
This latest merger sees Streets establish a greater footprint in the East of England.
When asked about the merger, Jon Griffey, Partner at Streets Hackett Griffey, said: “The firm was founded in 1984 by Philip Hackett but our roots can be traced back to the 1950s, making us by far the longest established firm in Haverhill and the surrounding area.
“As such when myself and fellow partners Simon Iron and Nicky Harris were looking at a merger with a larger firm, it was important that we considered and were able to retain a local presence and personal service that our staff enjoy and clients expect.
“We chose to merge with Streets as they are a very well respected and established firm and we are delighted to say they share the same client focussed ethos as we do which makes them somewhat unique amongst larger firms.
“Streets are not private equity backed and have no interest in being so, which offers long term security for our staff and clients.
“The need to look at a merger was driven by the fact that to remain competitive; to service the needs of clients and to look after our staff now and in the future, we need to be part of something bigger.
“Being part of Streets offers economies of scale and a wide range of expertise and other services, the benefits of which we can pass onto our clients. They also offer sector specialisms such as agriculture, technology, legal and entertainment which will enable us to attract clients that require a more specialist service.
“They also have a strong presence and so were the perfect fit for us.
“The merger will offer much greater career prospects for our staff as Streets are keen to promote rising stars and offer opportunities to do more specialised work if they so want.”
Looking at what the merger means to Streets, the firm’s Managing Partner, Paul Tutin, said: “We are delighted to have partners Jon Griffey, Simon Iron, Nicky Harris and their colleagues join the practice. It is especially pleasing to see and experience the mutual benefits and synergy to be had through firms like ours coming together.
“It certainly is important to us and those firms we come together with to share the same ethos and values and to have a real sense of community in terms of that in which we live, work and for the clients we look after.
“Following on from the merger of the Colchester and Essex practice of Whittles, now Streets Whittles, as well as Mitch Consulting, the specialist tech start up and scale up accountancy practice in the East of England, we have been keen to increase our presence locally.
“With Hackett Griffey joining the practice we are truly becoming a significant player in the region. With our regional approach forming part of our overall strategy to be a substantial UK practice.
“We continue to find that firms we talk to and that merge with us like our approach, which is very different to the private equity led deals, as we seek to build on the success of the existing practice and empower individuals to drive and lead on their future growth and success.”
Streets Law, the firm’s dedicated corporate and commercial law offering led by Managing Director and Solicitor, Adam Aisthorpe, undertook the legal work on behalf of Streets for the merger, including drafting the sale and purchase agreement and dealing with the due diligence process in collaboration with internal colleagues in the tax and audit teams at Streets.
Keighley firm appointed to fit out new Darley Street Market
Bradford Council has appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to complete the fit out of two of the floors at the new Bradford city centre Darley Street Market.
The company, which is based in Keighley, will be working with the traders on the fit out of the fresh food and the non-food floors at the new state of the art venue.
They will be producing drawings based on individual trader requirements, prior to starting work on site to deliver the final fitout of these stalls which will be located on the middle and lower floors.
R N Wooler and Co Ltd have experience working on markets, having carried out the refurbishment works to Keighley Market several years ago. They have also been involved in the transformation of the former Odeon building into Bradford Live.
The new Darley Street Market building is set in a 4,000 square metre prime city centre location and has three trading floors that will welcome independent traders, as well as creating a cultural space for live music, arts and entertainment.
The top floor will be a modern food and drinks hall with bar area, stage and large screens for events. This floor also has a terrace balcony overlooking the 1,000m2 open air market square.
The middle floor will have a wide range of fresh food stalls including butchers, bakers, fishmongers, greengrocers and delicatessens.
The ground floor is where the non-food stalls are, as well as two cafes which open out on to the market square. The square features a big screen and can hold around 500 people for events and concerts. It also has a series of interlocking umbrellas, which can be used to create an undercover area for pop-up market stalls and events.
Below the market square is a large underground area for trader deliveries, additional storage and waste handling and recycling.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce that we’ve appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to work with traders on the creation of the stalls on the middle and lower floors based on their requirements. They did an amazing job on Bradford Live and it’s great to have them involved in another of our flagship regeneration projects.
“The new market will be a real game changer for the city centre, providing a much-needed connection between the improvement work which has taken place at the top of town on the North Parade area as well as the new public spaces and traffic-free areas at the lower end of town which make it easier and safer for pedestrians.
“The new Darley Street Market fits into our plans for City Village, which will create a healthy, sustainable and community-friendly neighbourhood with 1,000 homes, three community parks, retail, and office space.”
Gareth Wooler, Director at R N Wooler and Co Ltd, said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed to work on the fit out of the new Darley Street Market. We’re a Bradford district business based in Keighley, so it’s fantastic to be working on such an incredible building and with local traders to produce market stalls that meet their requirements, which will also be serving local people and visitors to the district.”
Harworth predicts good financial results after strong year
The Chief Exec of land and property developer Harworth says the company is confident of its ability to reach a £1 billion EPRA NDV target by the end of 2027.
In a trading update on the back of a strong performance in 2024 Lynda Shillaw said: “We have an extensive platform to scale the business, owning and controlling a sizeable land pipeline, capable of delivering 33.6 million sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space and 31,264 new homes, and we remain well positioned in structurally undersupplied sectors that are fundamental to the UK’s economic growth.
“With low debt and high available liquidity, we are well placed to take advantage of opportunities whilst remaining resilient through the near-term macro-economic uncertainty.
“The consistency of Harworth’s performance over time continues to highlight the agility and resilient nature of our business model, and our team’s expertise in identifying and driving significant latent value from the portfolio.
“We continue to make solid progress in delivering our strategy and are confident in our ability to continue to drive both strong returns and long-term value from our landbank and development activities.”
Robotics software platform company secures £4m investment
University of Sheffield spinout BOW (Bettering Our Worlds), a robotics software platform company, has secured £4 million.
Law firm names new associate director
Yorkshire law firm Berwins has appointed estate planning specialist Paul Colman as an Associate Director.
Paul specialises in supporting those with complex estate planning needs and has a track record of delivering effective solutions in an accessible way.
MD Danielle Day said: “As a firm, we know the impact that deep expertise can have on the lives of those we support. Paul has that in abundance, and he combines that with an ability to condense complex legal concepts into accessible solutions.”
Paul will take on leadership on the firm’s estate planning work, working alongside department head, probate specialist, Derek Hellawell, who said: “The creation of two centres of excellence within the Life team, one focused on estate planning and one on estate administration, is designed to enhance the client’s experience” added Derek.
“It means that clients will have direct access to leaders in their respective fields and will help to maintain the high levels of care Berwins is renowned for delivering.”
Demolition marks start of redevelopment I Boston town centre
Demolition of the old B&M store and the Crown House building in Boston town centre marks a major milestone in the Rosegarth Square redevelopment project.
The project, led by Boston Borough Council and funded by £14.8m from the Government, aims to transform the area between the River Witham and the bus station.
Demolition began with the safe removal of asbestos, which is expected to be complete this week. Contractors Lindum will then dismantle the B&M store, followed by Crown House. Planning permission was granted to replace Crown House with a mixed-use development featuring ground-floor retail units and upper-storey apartments.
Lindum Group Co-chairman Freddie Chambers said the entire demolition process should be completed by the end of March. “Lindum has been working with the council for more than a year to help bring forward the Rosegarth Square scheme.
“Initially, we were appointed to help with the public realm development,” he said. “But as the council’s masterplan progressed, and it purchased the B&M and Crown House buildings, our team assisted with the design and planning stages of the wider scheme.”
“We’ve been on-site since January, carrying out preparatory work. It should take until the end of March to complete the demolition and then construction of the new building will begin.”
The entire redevelopment is expected to take up to a 18 months to complete.
Yorkshire Water names seven contract partners for projects worth £850m
Yorkshire Water has appointed Barhale, Galliford Try, Glanua, Kier, Mott MacDonald Bentley, Tilbury Douglas, and Ward & Burke as contract partners to a non-infrastructure works framework involving projects worth £850m between now and 2030.
They will provide civil engineering, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and automation and building capability and expertise to the utility as it increases investment in clean water and wastewater networks across Yorkshire.
The utility will undertake its largest ever environmental investment programme in the AMP8 period, with plans to invest £8.3bn across the business recently approved by Ofwat, the water industry’s regulator.
Rachael Fox, head of programme delivery at Yorkshire Water, said: “We’re looking forward to working with our chosen partners as we embark on an ambitious investment programme from 2025. There’s a big challenge ahead – not only to meet new regulatory requirements, but to meet customer expectations too – and effective collaboration will be key to our success.”
Former logistics firm boss joins Community Foundation in trustee role
David Price, former MD of Price Express Transport Ltd, has joined the Board of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation as a trustee.
David established his business in 1979 from his parents’ home. Over nearly four decades, he grew Price Express Transport into a successful logistics company operating in a niche market across the UK, before selling in 2015.
He holds ‘The David Price Charitable Fund’ with SYCF, which supports local charities aligning with David’s passion for helping young people back into work, education or training and projects reducing social isolation amongst older people.
David said: “I’ve spent my lifetime living and working in South Yorkshire, so when I sold my business just over ten years ago, I wanted to find a way to help more disadvantaged people in the region.
“Through a personal fund, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation has enabled me to achieve that. But I wanted to do even more, so I’m absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to help make a bigger difference by becoming a trustee.
“SYCF is a unique organisation which does some incredible work, particularly supporting the real grassroots groups in our region. I’m proud to be a part of the team.”
Two join Eddison’s in transport planning team
Property consultancy Eddisons has expanded its transport planning and design team by appointing two graduate transport planners.
They are Sheffield Hallam University graduate Rhiannon Cowan and Hanna Wyn Jones, from the University of Liverpool.
Associate director Mark Cleary said: “We are really pleased to welcome our new transport planners Hanna and Rhiannon to the team. Eddisons prides itself on continuously attracting and developing the best young talent and their enthusiasm and fresh thinking are essential to the firm’s ongoing success.
“In the past couple of months alone, we were delighted to see our clients gain planning consents for three particular projects across the North West and Yorkshire that we provided transport and infrastructure advice on, and it’s great to be starting 2025 with momentum and a busy pipeline of work for the coming months.”
Eddisons’ transport planning and design team were integral to service station operator Moto’s recent successful application to redevelop its Barton Park Truckstop at junction 56 of the A1 motorway near Darlington. After consent was given by North Yorkshire Council last month, the facility is now set to be redeveloped as a full motorway service area, built on brownfield land.
South Yorkshire firm wins $7m funding to boost business in Africa’s DRC
Pay-per-use battery rentals company Mopo, which operates in Sheffield, has secured funding of $7m from British International Investment to expand its operation to reach a million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It will use the funds to enhance access to sustainable energy for millions in urban and rural African communities which suffer from unstable or absent grid infrastructure.
The company’s batteries provide power for lighting, phone charging, and DC appliances, and the larger MOPOMax, designed to power larger 230V appliances, replacing petrol generators or serve as a battery swap solution for e-motorbike taxis. Customers rent, return, and replace these MOPO batteries on a pay-per-use basis at MOPO’s solar-powered hubs managed by local agents.
This approach enables families and small businesses to access affordable electricity without the need for costly upfront investments in equipment or the need for consumer debt burdens. Furthermore, it provides a cleaner and significantly more cost-effective alternative to carbon-based fuel generation.
MOPO CEO Chris Longbottom said: “Our mission is to create a high-impact, sustainable solution that empowers households and small businesses by providing access to electricity without the burden of costly upfront equipment purchases. The partnership with BII aligns perfectly with BII’s mandate to finance initiatives that drive social and economic development. Together, we aim to make clean, affordable energy accessible to those who need it most, fostering growth within the communities we serve.”
Currently less than17% of the DRC’s population has access to electricity, ith the World Bank ranking the DRC among the 10 least electrified countries globally.
Mr Longbottom added: “We recently achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 23 million rentals across Sub-Saharan Africa, with the DRC emerging as one of our key growth markets. With a population exceeding 100 million and over 80% lacking access to electricity, the need in this country for our service is both compelling and substantial. This financing from BII marks the beginning of what we envision as a long-term partnership, enabling us to accelerate our ambitious growth strategy in the DRC and make a transformative impact on the lives of millions by delivering reliable and affordable energy solutions.”
Chris Chijiutomi, Managing Director and Head of Africa at BII, said, “Imagine a battery, that can power everything from phones to fridges, lights and larger appliances, enabling businesses even in the most remote locations, to thrive when the supply of electricity is non-existent or unreliable. This is why backing energy access is a key priority for BII to drive sustainable economic growth, particularly in Africa’s frontier markets including DRC.”
Senior appointments strengthen KPMG’s Northern Transaction Services Team
Professional services firm KPMG UK has made three senior appointments within its Transaction Services team in the North of England.
Partners James Kergon and Nick Taylor will lead the firm’s North Transaction Services team and Jake Williams has been promoted to Transaction Services Director. The team will also be welcoming Siobhan Dunne back into her role as Associate Director following a period of maternity leave.
James Kergon was previously the senior partner for KPMG in Scotland and led the firm’s Deal Advisory business there. During his 24-year tenure at KPMG, he has advised on a wide variety of transactions for both UK-based and international corporates and private equity clients across a broad range of sectors. In his new post, he has relocated to Leeds and will lead KPMG’s Transaction Services team in the Yorkshire and North East region.
Nick Taylor’s appointment follows 17 years in KPMG’s Transaction Services team, supporting clients across various sectors on M&A transactions. In his new role, Nick will relocate to Manchester from the Midlands, where he ran KPMG’s Transaction Services team for the last four years, and lead the team in the North West.
Leeds-based Jake Williams has nearly a decade of experience working in KPMG’s Business Services Deals team. In his role as Transaction Services Director, he will continue to provide transactional support to clients across the North of England.
The appointments follow a busy period for the North’s Transaction Services team, which has supported on more than 50 transactions over the last 12 months. Notable examples include Goldman Sach’s investment into Adler & Allan, Kitwave Plc’s acquisition of Total foodservice and Creed Catering Supplies, Sale of 55 Group to LDC, the management buy-out of A-SAFE UK backed by IK Partners and Twinkl’s minority sale to Vitruvian Partners.
James Kergon, North Transaction Services Team Lead at KPMG UK, said: “We ended 2024 with greater economic and political certainty, giving business leaders and investors across the North of England a more stable environment on which to achieve their growth objectives.
“I’m looking forward to working with Chris, Nick & Jake and the fantastic team we have here as we continue to build our on the ground presence and support for businesses looking to pursue M&A activity in the year ahead.”
Phil Murden, Yorkshire Office Senior Partner at KPMG UK, said: “Nick, James and Jake’s appointments come at an exciting time for KPMG’s transaction services team in the North of England. Their skills and experience will help us to meet the rising demand that we are seeing in the Deals market across Yorkshire and the North East.”
Law firm named as first tenant at new commercial district in Leeds
Vastint UK has named law firm Devonshires as the first tenant to move into new commercial building, 3 South Brook Street, at Leeds’ newest commercial district in Aire Park.
Devonshires, which opened its first Leeds office in 2017 to better serve its northern client base, is taking 6,157 sq ft across the 6th floor of the building, which will include meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and space for its now 41-strong team.
Aire Park’s new commercial district is set to become a vibrant destination with almost ¾ million sq ft of new office space on Leeds South Bank. The first two buildings on South Brook Street have created space for over 2,000 workers, offering 190,000 sq ft of Grade-A commercial space, including some of the largest floorplates available in Leeds.
Designed with ESG in mind, the buildings are targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification, along with a Platinum WELL accreditation.
Michael Cronin, head of portfolio at Vastint UK, said: “Today, occupants are looking for more than just great office space. To attract and retain talent, workplaces need to be vibrant destinations with real atmosphere and a sense of community.
“From our park to the new commercial space and our plans for the refurbishment of The Tetley building, our ambition has been to create something special at the heart of the South Bank. We’re thrilled that Devonshires has chosen to be part of this next chapter in Aire Park’s story and look forward to welcoming them to South Brook Street.”
Once complete, South Brook Street will feature seven buildings with 700,000 sq ft of Grade-A office space, creating space for over 10,000 workers, alongside 40,000 sq ft of retail space and a multi-storey car park.
Chris Drabble, co-head of Devonshires’ Leeds office, said: “We’re delighted to have secured our new home, expanding our footprint in enlarged office space in the city. The South Bank has long been due for redevelopment and Vastint’s vision for Aire Park is fantastic.
“It will inevitably become a thriving business hub, so we’re pleased to be a part of it from the outset, in what constitutes a vibrant working environment for our staff and our clients alike.”
The office space is currently being fitted out, with Devonshires due to move into their new office in March.
Weir proposes closure of Todmorden manufacturing site
Weir has revealed plans to “optimise capacity” across its Minerals Division’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, putting its manufacturing site in Todmorden at risk of closure. The company has initiated a consultation with employees on the proposal.
The business noted that a recent review of the Minerals Division EMEA region has highlighted significant overcapacity, particularly at the Todmorden plant. This issue is compounded by limited current demand and modest projected growth in the UK and European domestic markets traditionally served by the facility.
Weir added that the Minerals Division’s key growth markets within EMEA for mining future facing commodities such as copper are mostly located in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
The proposal includes plans to invest in a new engineering, technology, and sales & service centre nearby. This new facility will consolidate the operations of the Division’s existing Rochdale service centre, with the unaffected roles from Todmorden, on a new modern site.
If implemented, the proposal would result in the closure of the Todmorden plant by the end of 2025 with production being relocated to other facilities in the EMEA region, including to the Division’s South African foundries in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.
None of Weir’s other UK operations are impacted by the proposal.
Government’s solar farm announcement branded a ‘slap in the face’ for Lincolnshire
Government announcements that applications for solar farms at Heckington Fen and West Burton have been granted consent are another slap in the face for Lincolnshire, according to a county councillor.
Colin Davie, executive councillor for environment, economy and planning at Lincolnshire County Council, says adding two more giant solar farms to Lincolnshire’s countryside in the face of strong local opposition shows that the government has not listened to residents.
He said: “These two developments add more than 1,000 hectares of solar parks to the county, bringing the total land now allocated for five approved developments to around 3,500 hectares. A further 6,400 hectares are also being proposed in Lincolnshire.
“Trashing the countryside and putting ginormous industrial developments on agricultural land has understandably caused much local outrage. On top of this, I have no confidence that these schemes help in any way to delivering the affordable energy that we need.
“Quite frankly these decisions are another slap in the face for Lincolnshire, and the government must start considering the cumulative impacts of all these proposals in our county.
“In our recent survey, residents have told us that they are very concerned about the impacts that so many Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects will have on Lincolnshire, and the effects on our nature, landscape and communities.
“They also told us that they – like us – consider rooftops and brownfield sites being the most appropriate places to install solar panels. We must stop the industrialisation of the Lincolnshire countryside.”
West Burton solar project gets go-ahead
Island Green Power’s West Burton Solar Project has received the go-ahead from Secretary of State Ed Milliband.
The West Burton Solar Project will provide solar and energy storage in several land parcels in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, approximately 7.4km to the south and up to 14.6km southeast of Gainsborough in the local authority of West Lindsey District Council.
This Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) will provide three electricity generating stations, each with anticipated capacity in excess of 50MW, comprising ground mounted solar arrays, with associated development comprising energy storage, grid connection infrastructure and other infrastructure integral to the construction, operation, and maintenance of the NSIPs.
On completion the project is set to supply up to 480 MW of clean electricity to the National Grid. That’s equivalent to the energy needed to power around 144,000 homes and replace around 24% of the capacity of the coal powered West Burton Power Station.
Tara Chopra, Technical Director (EIA and Major Infrastructure) at Lanpro, who supplied planning, EIA and environmental expertise, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of the Secretary of State’s announcement today for West Burton, which marks the successful conclusion of three years of dedicated work by Lanpro for Island Green Power.
“This decision enables the project to deliver affordable, clean energy to hundreds of thousands of households across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. It plays a vital role in advancing the nation’s Net Zero goals.
“Again, this is a strong reflection of the current government’s commitment to renewable energy, and we are optimistic that it will lead to more favourable outcomes for our clients in the renewable sector.”
In preparing the planning application, Lanpro worked alongside Pinsent Masons (legal advisor), Dalcour Maclaren (land referencing) and Counter Context (communications).
2025 Business Predictions: Andrew Gent, director at GV&Co
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Andrew Gent, a director at Leeds-based property consultancy GV&Co, who is hoping that 2025 will be a better year for the big-shed market following a year of uncertainty in 2024.
Nationally take up of industrial properties over 100,000 sq ft during 2024 was up on the year before. However, most was in the Midlands and in the ‘Golden Triangle’ serving the south-east conurbations. 2024 was a slow year for take up in the Yorkshire region, with many businesses including on and offline retailers deferring decisions until the general election, and then when we hoped things might kick on, the market held back, waiting for the budget, which didn’t really deliver what businesses were looking for!
With an increase in national insurance and the minimum wage, labour costs are on the up and some businesses are re-thinking their plans, with deals stalling or being pulled all together. This may lead to a move towards automation, as increased labour costs give the capital investment a quicker pay back and remove future uncertainties over additional labour cost rises.
There are positive signs for 2025, with a number of pending deals which, if transacted, will give the Yorkshire market a fillip and set the scene for the rest of the year to push on. Factor in the government’s push for additional housing, which in itself will lead to increased demand for warehousing and in particular last mile delivery facilities, and 2025 could see increased demand for warehouse space. Plus, the return of Amazon to the marketplace could be another positive.
However, to a greater degree, current take up is being driven by strategic thinking as opposed to a response to increased sales and we have seen a degree of secondary space return to the market as occupiers look to modernise their supply chains, which is balancing the market in terms of supply and demand.
There are however headwinds in the offing, and whilst government rhetoric has been about economic growth so far, the budget has failed to inspire confidence with zero growth reported from July to September. Let’s hope that the anticipated raft of early lettings materialises and that the underlying metrics for the Big Shed market outweigh the short-term economic conditions.
Major new development approved in Epworth
Plans have been approved for a major new development in Epworth including a new GP surgery, a new Holmes and Garden Centre and foodstore.
The proposed development, on Belton Road in the town by Millea Land, will take place on predominantly brownfield land.
The proposals will offer an economic boost and create around 100 new jobs for local people.
During previous consultation on the plans, the community had been very positive about new medical facilities and potential for more shopping choice and new jobs.
During the planning process, the plans have been amended through positive discussions with Epworth Town Council and Council’s Highway Officers. These changes have included a new controlled crossing on Belton road and improvements to the public right of way linking the site with the town centre, including a safe pedestrian route.
Jonathan Millea of Millea Land said: “Gaining approval for this major development in Epworth is the culmination of over four years of hard work and listening to the community.
“We are very excited to deliver the development, and we will look to get onsite as soon as possible. These plans will bring many huge benefits to the town and area, including new jobs, better medical facilities and better shopping choice.”
