Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, near Leeds, has welcomed a range of independent retailers. One of the oldest family-owned mills in Yorkshire, Sunny Bank now sustains nearly 500 jobs and is home to over 100 businesses, half of which are public facing. The new businesses include The Spinning Room Hi-Fi, Cargo Wines and Hoop Knit. Paul Knipe, the owner of The Spinning Room Hi-Fi, which is based in the Festoon Rooms, said: “The Festoon Rooms is such a perfect location to be the home of The Spinning Room Hi-Fi that I believe the room chose us. “Of all the amazing spaces within the extensive Mills there is literally nowhere which could be more suited to our business. Our location shares a corridor with the thriving Record Plant record shop and Sunny Bank Mills’ very own art gallery and shop, which is the centre of the Mills. “We are also very close to the Old Woollen live venue space which forms the beating heart of the music area of the Mills. The collaboration between Record Plant and The Spinning Room Hi-Fi is the key to ensuring that our vision of helping more people enjoy music at home is fulfilled. “Collaborative events are already in the pipeline to further establish Sunny Bank Mills as the ‘go to’ destination for all things music in Leeds and the wider area.” Independent wine merchants Cargo Wines has moved into the Twisting at Sunny Bank Mills. Director Richard Kilian said: “The size of the unit and the availability of outside space are perfect for Cargo, allowing both a retail area as well as comfortably seating up to 50 guests inside, around 40 on the terrace and now over 60 on Weavers’ Lawn. We’re ready for every type of weather! “Although we were aware of the artistic community that has built up in Farsley over the years, it was only when the Old Woollen music venue opened that we could see the potential for a hospitality business. “As the Mills has progressed with the likes of CAHM luxury fragrances and Record Plant, the opportunity to expand the wine retail business as a hybrid with the bar hospitality aspect of Cargo made perfect sense.” Hoop Knit is a third independent retailer that has chosen Sunny Bank Mills as its new home. Director William Lingwood explained: “Sunny Bank Mills is a vibrant, creative hub that draws craft and design enthusiasts from a wide area, making it an ideal location for a premium yarn shop. “My wife Vanessa opened Hoop Haberdashery in 2011, as a small high street store in Tenterden, Kent, full of gorgeous supplies and natural fibres for knitters and crocheters. Now, 15 years later, we have relocated to Yorkshire, where we have opened our new online store and a large, welcoming yarn shop at Red Mill Lane.” Other new retail and leisure occupiers at Sunny Bank Mills include: Candy Spa For Kids, the Welly Club Forest School, Right Nice Stuff, Duo Pilates, a physio-led reformer and mat Pilates studio with Louise Samuels, Metz Cheesemonger, Swimsport, Silly Loaf and Record Plant (expansion). John Gaunt, joint managing director of Edwin Woodhouse and Co Ltd, the family company which owns Sunny Bank Mills, said: “It’s so exciting to welcome these new retail businesses to Sunny Bank Mills. It was always our vision to create a place that people both love to visit and to work in. The new retail businesses fit that vision perfectly. “50 per cent of the businesses at the Mills are now public facing, ranging from destination retail, cafes, a pizzeria, bars, our art gallery and shop, workshops, a music venue, and lots more. 10 years ago, it was only 15 per cent so it’s very satisfying to see that vision become reality.” William Gaunt added: “These are very exciting new lettings for us – and we are absolutely delighted at the range of businesses which are now joining us at Sunny Bank Mills. They broaden our appeal and provide wonderful new retail facilities for everyone who works here and for those who visit us from further afield.”

Scarborough Borough Council has approved a £1.8 million budget for essential repairs to the West Pier’s harbour wall. The aim is to extend the lifespan of the structure by addressing corrosion and reinforcing the steel sheet-piled wall along the harbour-facing section.

The council awarded the contract to Neom Engineering Limited, with the overall project estimated to cost £1.2 million. The additional £546,000 contingency accounts for potential unforeseen costs, including inflation and any issues beyond the contractor’s control. Internal staffing costs for the project are budgeted at £15,000.

The project is a critical move to ensure the harbour’s stability. Without these repairs, the structure could face significant deterioration under the pressure of water over the coming years. The council has emphasised its commitment to maintaining the harbour, despite the substantial investment involved. They believe the repairs will secure another decade of use.

Due to the harbour’s limited revenue-generating capacity, the project will be funded through borrowing from other council reserves, with repayment contingent on future revenue surpluses from the harbour. Interest will not be charged on the overdrawn balance, though the council may revisit this if harbour income increases significantly.

Once the repairs are complete, the ongoing maintenance will be managed through the existing harbour maintenance budget.

The Procure Partnerships Framework has launched a new nationwide sustainability initiative in collaboration with 33 main contractors, aiming to improve environmental outcomes across their supply chain. Sustainability and social value have long been integral to the framework’s performance indicators, with over £147 million in social value generated by its contractor partners in the last year alone. The new initiative, Project Green, builds on this foundation by providing a focused platform to reduce carbon emissions, cut construction waste, promote green travel, and deliver environmental education and training. Contractors signed up to the initiative include Kier, GRAHAM Construction, Tilbury Douglas, BAM Construction, Seddon, and Wates Group. Their collective effort marks a shift from the framework’s previous Collaborative Working Groups, with the new initiative responding directly to government Net Zero targets and internal data that identified environmental themes as the least utilised within Procure Partnerships Frameworks’ reporting tool, Compliance Chain. Project Green’s scope includes carbon offsetting through activities such as tree planting, education programmes aimed at increasing sustainability awareness among both young people and adults, and initiatives to reduce environmental impact in day-to-day operations. This includes encouraging the use of non-toxic, refillable cleaning products within contractor offices. Since its launch in May, early results from Project Green have demonstrated a strong level of engagement. Contractors have reported the offsetting of 3,604 tonnes of carbon, the planting of over 16,000 trees, completion of more than 2.3 million green travel miles, and the delivery of upwards of 400 hours of sustainability-focused training. In a further example of commitment to operational change, contractor partner ETEC has adopted the use of Miniml, a zero-waste, eco-friendly cleaning solution, across its office sites. Importantly, Project Green is a voluntary commitment by framework contractors and operates separately from formal project-level environmental and social value obligations. The programme has been developed in response to a shared industry concern over the pace of change and the recognition that greater collaboration could accelerate tangible outcomes that benefit the environment. Jack Neath, social value advisor at Procure Partnerships Framework, said that the built environment has a central role to play in addressing climate change, noting that the construction sector is responsible for an estimated 45 per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions. “Climate change is accelerating, and last year was the hottest on record. As a framework, we are uniquely positioned to encourage industry collaboration, and the response to Project Green has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s clear from the early outcomes that small, coordinated changes can deliver measurable impact. “What makes this initiative particularly powerful is that it sits entirely outside of our contractors’ formal framework-level obligations. They are choosing to work alongside us giving their time, resource and expertise because they genuinely share our vision. It’s no coincidence that our contractor partners deliver an average of 62% Social Value Add on their projects, well above national benchmarks. That commitment is what’s driving real change.” Maggie Hall, environmental & sustainability manager at BAM UK and Ireland, praised the framework for facilitating a collaborative environment: “BAM is delighted to support Procure Partnerships Framework’s environmental initiative. This forum allows us to share knowledge and align our sustainability ambitions with peers across the industry.” Stuart Darby, framework manager at GRAHAM, added: “We’re proud to be part of this initiative and fully support its goals. At GRAHAM, we’re committed to driving sustainable change and collaborating with partners to deliver lasting impact.” Lucy Davies, ESG director, Tilbury Douglas, said Project Green reflects the wider construction industry’s growing focus on climate literacy and environmental responsibility. “This is an area of strategic importance for Tilbury Douglas and one we are committed to. Climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is a present reality, with profound implications for future generations. “Project Green provides an opportunity for the industry to collaborate voluntarily and meaningfully outside of formal project obligations. Initiatives like this are critical to advancing environmental literacy, embedding climate responsibility across our value chain, and supporting a transition to a lower carbon future.” Procure Partnerships Framework has confirmed it will publish quarterly reports on Project Green’s outcomes and hold regular contractor meetings to review progress and plan future activity.   Contractors involved:

Willmott Dixon

Danaher and Walsh

BAM

Wates

Etec

Encon

Speller Metcalfe

Morris and Spottiswood

Carmelcrest

Seddon

Stepnell

Burmor Construction

Overbury

Tilbury Douglas

McLaren

Graham Construction

Bethell

Eric Wright

Vinci

Galliford Try

Borras

McLaughlin and Harvey

CR Reynolds

Thomas Sinden

Beard Construction

Quinn

Neilcott

Health Spaces

GF Tomlinson

Kier

Hutton

AR Demolition

Milestone Infrastructure