York and North Yorkshire Chamber to launch award in memory of former President
York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is to launch a prestigious new award in memory of its former president Andrew Digwood.
Andrew died suddenly aged 46 in November last year after a short illness. His passing led to an outpouring of tributes from the region’s business community and his funeral at York Minster was attended by hundreds of well-wishers.
To honour his legacy, the Chamber will launch the Andrew Digwood Award at the forthcoming York & North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner on Wednesday May 24 at York Racecourse.
The award will be given to a business or individual who has shown themselves to be inspirational and transformative in the region and an example to the next generation of young York leaders.
Laurence Beardmore, president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Andrew’s passing left a void that the region can never replace. We as a Chamber felt it vital that we honoured his legacy for future generations to come.
“The Andrew Digwood Award will be presented each year by the York & North Yorkshire president and, as the current holder of that position, it is my honour to announce that the official first recipient will be Andrew himself.”
Sheffield opens financial support scheme for firms replacing vehicles for Clean Air Zone
The retrospective financial support scheme for residents and businesses who have already upgraded their most-polluting vehicles is now live.
The scheme is open to those who have already replaced a polluting vehicle, which would have been charged in the Clean Air Zone, for a low emissions alternative. This vehicle must have been purchased after October 26, 2021, when the decision to introduce a CAZ was formalised, and before the launch of the retrospective scheme on May 9 this year.
Further details about the scheme, eligibility criteria, how much may be available to an applicant and a breakdown of who is unable to apply for financial support can be found on the Sheffield City Council website.
The retrospective scheme will be open to applications for eight weeks and will close on Thursday 29 June.
Applications for the retrospective scheme will be treated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Vehicle owners of older non-compliant vehicles, based in Sheffield and Rotherham, who have yet to upgrade their vehicle can still apply for financial support to upgrade or replace a vehicle to meet Clean Air Zone standards. To be eligible for support applications must be submitted to and approved by the CAZ team prior to ordering or purchasing of the CAZ compliant vehicle.
Local exemptions for Light Goods Vehicles and Hackney Carriage Taxi vehicles until June 2023 are ending soon. From Monday 5thJune, charges will apply to enter the CAZ unless the vehicle is compliant or has an alternative exemption, e.g. has a compliant vehicle on order and is waiting delivery.
York firm wins four awards at Energy Efficiency Event
Another award-winning night for Green Building Renewables saw its East Midlands team collect four accolades at the Energy Efficiency Awards regional finals, with recognition in every category it entered.
Regional Branch Manager Matthew Young won the region’s Business Development Manager of the Year, replicating Alex Walmsley’s success in the East of England Awards.
The company also won recognition in three other categories with Commended awards in the East Midlands Solar Installer of the Year, East Midlands Heat Pump Installer of the Year and small-scale project for our ground source heat pump installation at Cheyney’s Lodge.
The awards hosted at the Radisson Blue Airport Hotel in Derby were attended by over 150 industry professionals from across the region. Green Building Renewables was represented at the awards by colleagues from our regional office in Daventry.
The awards celebrate those companies and individuals leading energy efficiency work across the UK, whether that be companies leading the way in renewable technologies and services or businesses installing energy efficient products that improve the fabric of buildings.
MD Chris Delaney said: “This is another fantastic achievement for Green Building Renewables. It demonstrates perfectly that our local approach to building a nationwide network of regional experts in renewables is working. We succeed and deliver excellent customer service locally, and we can replicate this high-quality work nationwide. The success of the local team in the East Midlands follows on from the success we had in the East of England too.
“The team in the East Midlands should be incredibly proud of their achievements. Matthew and his team continue to offer exceptional service and high-quality work to local customers. The feedback the team regularly receives in reviews on platforms like Trustpilot is outstanding. Congratulations to everyone involved.
“Award ceremonies, like the Energy Efficiency awards, are a fantastic way to celebrate the people working in the industry. We hope to see further local success for the company at these and other awards in the future.”
Government needs to invest to restrain inflation, says BCC
Reacting to the Bank of England decision to raise the base rate to 4.5%, BCC Head of Research, David Bharier has said the Govermen should invest in infrastructure, skills training, and global trade.
He said: “The decision to raise the interest rate for the 12th consecutive time to the highest rate since 2008 shows the Bank is continuing to pull this lever hard as the rate of inflation remains stubbornly high.
“The unprecedented and prolonged spike in inflation has been devastating for many small firms who have been struggling to absorb continued price rises.
“But interest rate rises can also have serious negative effects too, particularly for firms looking to borrow to manage their cash flow problems. Our most recent Quarterly Economic Survey found that interest rates were a concern for 47% of hospitality firms. The combination of high interest rates and high inflation would mean the worst of both worlds for many small firms.
“The UK Government should consider further action to break this vicious cycle by boosting economic growth.”
Yorkshire Building Society employees earn national recognition for community work
A team of professionals at Yorkshire Building Society has been recognised at a national award ceremony for the positive impact they have on communities across the UK.
The 12-strong Social Purpose and Sustainability team at Yorkshire Building Society were crowned the Corporate Social Responsibility Team of the Year at the Third Sector Business Charity Awards on Wednesday (10 May) for driving the mutual’s social initiatives and responsible business activities.
The awards celebrate organisations and the teams behind them that are turning amazing charity partnerships into impactful work.
Alex Spragg, senior manager of the Social Purpose and Sustainability Team at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be recognised for our work and are so proud that our collective efforts to support communities and create responsible business practices has been recognised.
“As a mutual organisation, we have a long-standing commitment to giving back to the communities in which we live and work through fundraising, volunteering and supporting good causes. The recent unprecedented circumstances have put additional pressure on those we support and it’s only right that we’ve responded with increased investment in our purposeful activities focusing on financial education, skills, employment and wellbeing.”
Among the initiatives celebrated were the Society’s charity partnership with Age UK, a financial services-first partnership with Citizens Advice, it’s financial education series Money Minds and other wide-ranging community activities.
Planning powers recommended to help safeguard Doncaster Sheffield Airport
A planning measure that would make planning permission a necessity before any building on the Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) site can be demolished is to be considered next week.
A report to City of Doncaster Council’s Portfolio Member for Planning highlights that the planning tool – which is known as an Article 4 Direction – could be made with immediate effect if approved and could help to preserve the airport and its operational ability, which is essential given the local and regional desire to see the airport re-open in the future.
The direction would ensure that any proposals to demolish buildings in the defined area are subject to a planning application and assessment via a full planning process. These buildings include the control tower, fire station, hangars, cargo and transit sheds, the runway and the terminal building.
The report which will be considered next week (May 19) sets out what the direction means, the reasons it is required, the consultation undertaken and the potential next steps.
The direction, which would be made under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended), is a means by which certain rights which would otherwise be permitted without needing to apply for planning permission (otherwise known as ‘Permitted Development Rights’) can be removed. By removing specific permitted development rights, a planning application would be required to approve any proposal to demolish buildings at the airport, and any application would therefore be subject to the normal national and local policy considerations and key statutory consultation.
Over 96 per cent of people who responded to a public consultation on the Article 4 Direction supported the move to safeguard the site. The remainder of responses were either neutral or opposed the potential move.
The report also notes that an international airport brings benefits to the residents of Doncaster. There are direct benefits, such as ease of access to an international airport for foreign or potentially domestic air travel. There are also wider economic benefits in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) generated from jobs and businesses directly or indirectly associated with the airport in both Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the UK. An airport enables access to and from international markets for trade, businesses and tourism. It can also act as a driver to stimulate growth in higher value economic sectors which are lacking in Doncaster and can drive GVA up as well as stimulating growth in supply chains.
The Article 4 Direction is also recommended following comments made by representatives for the Peel Group that certain buildings could be at risk of demolition, although these representations did not provide specific details.
The report can be viewed at Issue details – Article 4 Direction removing permitted development rights linked to the demolition of buildings at Doncaster Sheffield Airport. – Modern Council (moderngov.co.uk)
The consultation on the proposed Article 4 Direction ran from April 5 – April 26 2023 and received 271 responses. Of these, 261 (96.3 per cent) were in support, four responses against (1.5 per cent) and seven responses were neutral or did not express an opinion (2.2 per cent).
Customer support specialists take 7,000 sq ft at Hull office scheme
Customer support specialists, ResQ, has joined the growing number of businesses taking occupancy at FI Real Estate Management’s recently refurbished Cherry Tree Court in Hull.
ResQ’s new lease of 7,000 sq ft of Grade A office space bolsters the business’s expansion plans, creating hundreds of new jobs in Hull.
ResQ’s new office at Cherry Tree Court will be home to 160 members of its team, strengthening its position as the chosen outsource partner for the likes of EE and Vodafone.
A £2m refurbishment programme at Cherry Tree Court was completed in 2022, revealing 35,000 sq ft of office space, comprising a newly renovated reception area, meeting rooms and coworking space.
Tim Knowles, Managing Director and founder of FI Real Estate Management, said: “There is a shortage of Grade A office space in Hull, and we are experiencing extremely high demand at Cherry Tree Court as a result.
“We are proud to support local and regional businesses through the provision of high quality office facilities and I look forward to seeing ResQ continue to expand and thrive in their new space.”
Tech business secures new office in Leeds City Centre
System C, one of the UK’s fastest growing suppliers of software to the healthcare, social care and education sectors, has relocated its social care division from the outskirts of Leeds to Park Row House, a landmark Grade II listed building in the city centre.
The move comes in response to rapid expansion within System C’s social care division, which has been based in Leeds for almost 25 years.
Along with the addition of several major customers, growth has been driven by the recent acquisition of Oxford Computer Consultants, a British IT company that supplies solutions to the private and public sectors, including local government and the NHS. There are now 280 people on the System C social care team.
“We are thrilled with the success of the social care division as System C continues to grow and we are delighted to move to this new central city location,” said System C Social Care Managing Director, Mark Scott.
“As we continue to develop, it’s important that we have an open office environment that will encourage collaboration, engagement, productivity – and importantly, be an inspirational space that our employees really enjoy. We feel like we have found that with this beautiful new workspace, which has been specifically designed for us.”
System C’s social care team previously occupied space at Brookfield House on Selby Road. With employee and customer numbers growing, the business found itself in need of a more central, modern location.
“System C’s social care division is thriving and a great fit for Park Row House, which is located in the heart of the city’s business district, an area that is attracting some of the UK’s best and brightest technology and data companies. It is also surrounded by some of the best coffee shops, bars, and eateries that Leeds has to offer,” said Mark.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our customers and employees to this fantastic new address and using it as a springboard to dive into the next stage of our growth journey.”
New look for Whitefriargate at the heart of Hull
A new brand has been unveiled for Hull’s Whitefriargate, appearing for the first time on a striking banner and hoardings at the landmark Burton building.
The brand and its slogan “Old town, new beginning”, has been created by the two leading property owners in Whitefriargate – centuries-old Hull Trinity House and commercial property developer Wykeland Group. Hull Trinity House owns the whole of the south side of the street, with Wykeland now owning around 60% of the frontage on the north side. They have come together to collaborate to promote the area’s rich history and exciting potential. They have created the brand to support the rejuvenation of Whitefriargate, seeking to attract new occupiers and investment as a critical part of the regeneration of Hull city centre. The new signage on and around the Burton building showcases the fascinating history of the landmark as well as signalling an exciting future for Whitefriargate. The Burton building provides a gateway into Whitefriargate from Queen Victoria Square in the heart of Hull city centre. Wykeland acquired the building from the administrators of collapsed retail group Arcadia and is delivering a £2.4m project to restore the Grade II listed structure and bring it back into sustainable use. Dominic Gibbons, MD of Hull-based Wykeland, said: “We’re excited to reveal the new Whitefriargate brand and to use the restoration of the Burton building to showcase the area and the opportunities it offers. “The brand provides a strong and recognisable identity for one of Hull’s most important retail locations and is a very visible statement of our intent to promote and invest in Whitefriargate. “We’re committed to working collaboratively with Hull Trinity House to create a prosperous future for Whitefriargate as a strategically significant thoroughfare linking the heart of the city with the Old Town and waterfront.” Captain D. M. Shaw, Master Warden of Hull Trinity House, said: “As the two leading property owners in Whitefriargate, it makes sense for ourselves and Wykeland to collaborate to promote the area. “The new brand provides Whitefriargate with an attractive visual identity to underpin our shared ambition to bring new investment and energy to this key part of the city centre.”Did you overpay corporation tax last year? HMRC won’t tell you, says accountancy group
UK businesses overpaid £11.9bn in corporation tax the past year, according to national accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.
The company warns businesses that HMRC will not automatically refund them if they overpay corporation tax. They must reclaim any overpayment themselves – and if they fail to realise they have overpaid, they will miss out on much-needed cashflow.
Large businesses pay their corporation tax based on estimated profits for the upcoming year. An overpayment in corporation tax is a sign that companies’ accounts teams overestimated profits and therefore overestimated the amount of tax they would need to pay.
The problem can be particularly bad when the economy is weak, and profits have fallen from the previous year.
Nikhil Oza, Corporate Tax Director at UHY Hacker Young says: “Overpayment of corporation tax is a multi-billion-pound problem. Most large corporates spot overpayments, or at least have good tax advisors which do they checking for them, but small companies without dedicated tax advice can lose out on thousands in overpaid tax if they don’t look out for the problem.
“HMRC won’t tell a business that it is overpaying corporation tax, they don’t see it as their job, and the money will simply sit in HMRC’s account, earning a very low rate of interest. Businesses need to take the initiative and approach HMRC to get their money back so that they can put those funds to better use.”
“Many businesses are struggling due to rising costs and a slump in consumer spending, so they should pay special attention to ensure they aren’t making unnecessary overpayments.
