Bright ideas are top of the agenda at council-backed innovation events

Eleonora Gallina
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Bright ideas are top of the agenda at council-backed innovation events
A Leeds City Council funding scheme is set to shape the post-pandemic digital and tech landscape by helping unleash the talents of a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurial thinkers. A string of conferences and other knowledge-sharing events will be taking place in the coming weeks and months with support from the Innovation@Leeds scheme. Innovation@Leeds was launched last year with the aim of giving aspiring innovators the tools they need to make bright ideas become a commercial reality in fields such as digital and other emerging technologies. The organisers of the forthcoming events – which will reflect Leeds’s can do spirit through a focus on both research excellence and its practical applications – have all received funding from the scheme. The Innovation@Leeds LIVE programme will give the entrepreneurs of the future invaluable opportunities for learning and networking as the city centre’s co-working and event spaces continue their recovery from the effects of the country’s COVID-19 lockdowns. They will also underline the importance of collaboration – within Leeds and across the wider region – as new forms of tech evolve and offer fresh solutions to local challenges as well as global issues such as climate change and poverty. And they will shine a light on the many ways in which tech businesses in Leeds – already home to the fastest-growing digital economy in the UK – have adapted to the unprecedented difficulties and changing behaviours of the last two years. The Innovation@Leeds LIVE programme includes:
  • A launch event for the Green Finance Innovation Network, which is being established to connect the next generation of financial services professionals with experts on climate and environmental risks (February 28, Nexus – University of Leeds);
  • The Innovate Space Festival, organised by Space Hub Yorkshire and the University of Leeds Business School to encourage early-stage innovation in the space technology sector (March 15 and 16, Nexus – University of Leeds);
  • The FinTech North Leeds Conference 2022, where themes will include sustainability, diversity and inclusion in the world of financial technology (March 17, Salem Chapel);
  • AI Tech North’s Great Northern AI Summit 2022, where the agenda items will include creating new opportunities for businesses, start-ups and women in tech (March 17 and 18, Leeds City Museum).
  • Whitecap Consulting’s LegalTech in Leeds conference, which will bring legal and tech firms together with digital experts and a range of stakeholders (March 24, hosted by Bruntwood in central Leeds);
  • No Code Hack 2022, an event run by No Code Lab that will see multiple teams of self-confessed ‘non-techies’ working against the clock to tackle a technology challenge (March 31, Avenue HQ);
  • Northernlands, a conference organised by Open Innovations – in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – where key topics will include innovation, data, sustainability and trade relations (April 26, online).
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “We launched Innovation@Leeds with the intention of providing a launchpad for the kind of game-changing ideas that will strengthen Leeds’s reputation as a home of trailblazing business thinking. “It’s really pleasing, therefore, to see how quickly the scheme has begun to achieve results, with these events set to help people come together, share knowledge and connect in ways that have not always been possible since the start of the pandemic. “They are also a great example of the council’s commitment to delivering inclusive growth and our determination to make opportunities in areas such as digital and tech available to everyone.” Funding was allocated to Innovation@Leeds from the council’s Additional Restrictions Grant budget with a view to helping drive the city’s recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19. Grants ranging from £5,000 to £25,000 were then announced in October after the council invited applications from organisations that provide training, mentoring and support for innovation-led businesses.

Updated report sets out strategy for local skills development

Eleonora Gallina
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Updated report sets out strategy for local skills development
The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership has refreshed its Local Skills Report. The new report sets out the actions needed to make sure everyone has the skills which will allow them to get good jobs, both now and in the future – and it also addresses how it will contribute to other issues, from climate change to levelling up. Since 2018 Skills Advisory Panels have been bringing together employers, skills providers and key local stakeholders to better understand and resolve skills mismatches at a local level. The Greater Lincolnshire LEP leads the area’s Skills Advisory Panel (SAP) and is fostering greater collaboration and engagement with key local stakeholders to support its leadership role in the local economy. The Lincolnshire Local Skills Report is a framework for skills ambitions and offers a wealth of insights and ideas by organisations that have an interest in skills development in the area. The report published in March 2021 has been updated to reflect ongoing challenges in the labour market as a result of Covid-19. Since that first report Greater Lincolnshire has been successful in securing additional funding for a new Career Hub, allowing expansion of its support to secondary school; resources to address skills mismatches such as digital skills bootcamps at Grantham College and short courses delivered through the Greater Lincolnshire Institute of Technology led by the University of Lincoln; and the Skills Capital Programme which is continuing to enhance training facilities to meet our industry sectors’ needs. The refreshed report provides stakeholders, including Government departments, schools and post-16 skills providers, with a DfE-approved common evidence base and a strategic framework for actions that will contribute to recovery from Covid-19 and economic growth. Local Skills Reports will provide a clear and consistent view of local skills needs across areas in a relevant and engaging format for local partners. Reports will be a key source of local skills information that better enable cross-area comparison and help feed local intelligence to central government and the national-level Skills and Productivity Board (SPB). Local Skills Reports will help to maximise the influence of SAPs locally by:
  • Acting as an engagement tool – a vehicle through which SAPs can directly engage, influence and rally employers and providers in their areas to support the local skills agenda.
  • Being a ‘go-to’ document for everything local-skills related – bringing together existing and new skills information into a consistent format common to all SAPs.
  • Clearly setting out key skills needs – ensuring local skills needs are visible to local partners who can then engage with them.
  • Offering valuable insight and evaluation – detailing the progress made on current local skills initiatives and outlining future skills plans to plug key skills gaps.
They will feed intelligence to the national SPB and central Government – a consistent output common to all SAPs that the SPB can use to understand the needs and priorities of local areas and build a national picture of the supply and demand for skills. The SPB has been set a remit of answering the following three questions over the next 12 months:
  • Which areas of the economy face the most significant skills mismatches or present growing areas of skills need?
  • Can the board identify the changing skills needs of several priority areas within the economy over the next five to 10 years?
  • How can skills and the skills system promote productivity growth in areas of the country that are poorer performing economically?
Simon Telfer, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Employment and Skills Advisory Panel, said: “Major economic changes have been driven by skills demand trends and technological changes, and then accelerated by Covid-19 and Brexit. “During the pandemic our focus has been on mitigating actions in labour supply and demand. We have made good progress since the first Local Skills Report was published in March 2021, but we must maintain momentum to achieve our ambitions. “This report will drive wider influence and national leverage by feeding into the Department for Education’s Skills and Productivity Board, and into our regular reporting to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. We all have important roles to play in delivering the priority interventions we have identified.”

Housing developer chips in to help Woodfield Millennium Green

Eleonora Gallina
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Housing developer chips in to help Woodfield Millennium Green

When it comes to supporting local communities, Brierley Homes and partner The HACS Group are always looking to chip in.

So when the opportunity arose to help out Woodfield Millennium Green in Harrogate, the companies knew they had the right tool for the job. A space for “growing, sharing, meeting and playing”, Woodfield Millennium Green was established as part of a government initiative in 2000 to provide areas of public open space across the UK close to people’s homes. The donation of a wood chipper will help the trustees of the green and their group of volunteers maintain hedgerows around the site, which is a short distance from Brierley Homes’ new Woodfield Square development. County Councillor Derek Bastiman, Executive Member for Growth and Economic Development, said: “Playing an active part in the communities where developments are located is at the heart of their ethos as a company. So, along with partners such as The HACS Group, Brierley Homes are always looking for opportunities to help out where they can.” Matt O’Neill, Brierley Homes Director, added: “The volunteers who help look after the Woodfield Millennium Green should be commended for the work they have done to establish and maintain this important resource. We hope we have been able to make their task a little easier with the donation of the wood chipper.” John Hart, chair of the Trustees of Woodfield Millennium Green, thanked both companies for the donation. “The Millennium Greens were donated around the country to organisations so that they could partake in voluntary work in areas where perhaps some people don’t have big gardens,” he said. “This gives them an opportunity to get involved in the outdoors, to do some volunteering or do some gardening. “We have had support from the local councillor, from a couple of shops and from Brierley Homes and HACS and we are really very appreciative of that.” He also thanked local shop Roots and Fruits, which has donated plants, as well as cake and biscuits for the volunteers. Eddie Ashworth, HACS Group Commercial Director, said: “The trustees at the Millennium Green do great work for the people who live nearby and the wider community of Harrogate. We think it is important that this work is recognised and, as with the other projects we have assisted with, we are delighted to be able to help with the donation of the wood chipper.” Cllr Matt Scott, County Councillor for Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said the Millennium Green was a fine of example of residents taking pride in their local area. “Thanks to the dedication of the volunteers, this Millennium Green can be enjoyed by young and old, families and individuals,” he said. “I am delighted to have been able to support them in their endeavours and along with local businesses and now Brierley Homes and HACS, I hope it is around for generations to come.” The Woodfield Square development will comprise 19 two, three and four-bedroom homes. Brierley Homes is part of the Brierley Group, which was established by us in 2017 to bring together council-owned companies with the aim of improving front line services. The group offers services within North Yorkshire and beyond. Other companies in the group are NY Highways, Align Property Partners, First North Law, NYnet, Yorwaste, Veritau, North Yorkshire Education Services and NY Tech. Find more information about Brierley Homes, and follow them on LinkedIn.

Phase 2 begins at residential Sudbrooke development

Tess Egginton
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Phase 2 begins at residential Sudbrooke development
Construction works have now commenced on the second phase of The Parklands, a new residential community in Sudbrooke, Lincoln, bringing new homes to the market in 2022. Works started on the 155-home development in 2018 and developer Jackson Living – part of Jackson & Jackson Developments – has now moved into the second phase. Sitting north of phase one, phase two will see the delivery of 41 homes, including 11 five-bedroom properties – including a landmark home with a thatched roof – and 12 affordable homes, all overlooking Sudbrooke woodland. The exclusive 46.7-acre development is made up of 24 individual house designs and will feature two, three, four and five-bedroom homes in a unique woodland setting. The final phase, phase three, will commence next year in 2023. Due for overall completion in 2024, The Parklands has taken its design inspiration from the surrounding, historic woodland and traditional village setting and will feature communal outdoor spaces, woodland footpaths, a restaurant, kitchen garden and community allotments. Landscape and green space play a key part in The Parklands. As part of phase one, newly created footpaths were added around the existing ponds, native tree, shrubs, hedgerows and wildflowers were planted. Further work will include community allotments and a kitchen garden including heritage fruit trees, flower beds and space for sheds and glasshouses. Jackson Living worked with Newark-based firm Influence Landscape Planning and Design across all phases at The Parklands with the company designing the on plot gardens and public spaces. As part of phase 2, Influence Landscape Planning and Design produced the landscape plans which include open grass and wildflower areas, native tree planting and mixed shrub planting. Lindsey Arkley, senior landscape architect at Influence Landscape Planning and Design, said: “The existing site features of The Parklands, such as the ponds and trees, significantly led the landscape design process as they naturally informed the layout. We then created a landscape masterplan that reflected and respected the historic setting and promoted and enhanced the biodiversity and ecological value. “Our landscape designs include significant outside areas to encourage natural play and nature and alongside the developer, have chosen to plant species that are appropriate to the local area and are of benefit to local wildlife. We have also worked around existing parkland trees which are a beautiful asset within the development, and new trees are being planted and where relevant, reinstated. We are very pleased to be involved on such a special site.” Jackson Living project manager, Ben Martin, said: “As new home owners buy the final few plots of phase one, we are now moving onto phase two to continue to create this thriving, new neighbourhood. “Our homes are carefully considered in terms of materials and design, but we also place great importance on the green areas at The Parklands. A great deal of time has been channelled into the landscape side to ensure we maximise the opportunity to enhance the many beautiful and historic existing features and create new ones. We have been working with the team at Influence since 2016 and their expertise in creating and nurturing habitats is hugely important to the site. “All of the progress at The Parklands to date is a true testament to the overall position of what The Parklands offers, from the quality of the buildings to the natural landscape and woodlands. As part of phase two we are delighted to be able to release more plots and look forward to welcoming more residents to our exciting community.”

Forward funding deal agreed for 213,000 sq ft of industrial units in West Yorkshire

Tess Egginton
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Forward funding deal agreed for 213,000 sq ft of industrial units in West Yorkshire
Interchange 26 LLP has completed on a forward funding deal with 4th Industrial (UK) LP for up to 213,000 sq ft of new industrial units at the Interchange 26 logistics and manufacturing hub in West Yorkshire. The new scheme has the potential to create some 300 new jobs for the region. The forward funding commitment will see the delivery of three units at the prime logistics hub located at the major J26 intersection of the M62 Transpennine motorway and M606 Bradford link. Reserved matters consent has recently been granted by Kirklees Council for a 64,500 sq ft unit and a 43,500 sq ft unit. A further planning application is under consideration for up to 105,000 sq ft, which forms the final phase of development. GMI Construction has been appointed as contractor and work is scheduled to commence on site in early 2022 with delivery of the two consented units expected in late Summer 2022. Works on the final phase will commence once planning has been considered by Kirklees Council. Interchange 26, an Opus North & Network Space Capital owned company, acquired the former water treatment works site on an unconditional basis in 2019 to facilitate the development of prime industrial accommodation and address the severe regional shortages. A comprehensive remediation and earthworks package has now been completed. This latest deal follows on from Interchange 26’s 10.4 acre land sale in 2020 to British Airways Pension Trustees Limited and Tungsten Properties. Work is underway on Super B, a new big box warehouse, which is set for completion in Q3 2022. Interchange 26 forms part of Opus North’s wider development strategy to enhance its £250m development programme with a focus on the logistics sector. Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, said: “This forward funding agreement will enable us to bring three much needed mid-box units to the severely constrained regional pipeline, fulfilling our vision for this strategic site. This development will go some way to addressing the supply and demand imbalance in South Bradford and North Kirklees, while facilitating new jobs for the wider region.” Interchange 26 LLP was represented by Dove Haigh Phillips and Knight Frank in the transaction while 4th Industrial represented themselves.

rradar appoints new commercial director as part of growth strategy

Tess Egginton
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rradar appoints new commercial director as part of growth strategy
rradar, the litigation and commercial law firm which specialises in digital and insurance innovation, has appointed Richard Sheridan as its new commercial director. Richard joins Hull-based rradar from global insurance claims management firm Sedgwick International UK. In this newly-created role, Richard will report directly to rradar’s CEO Gary Gallen and will be a key member of rradar’s senior leadership team. Gary explained: “This is a very significant appointment for us as we embark on a sustained period of growth. Richard will refine and implement our commercial plan, centred on a programme of diversification and development to achieve our vision of becoming a next generation legal services business, providing first-class legal and other business services through a human and digital hybrid. “He will be responsible for overseeing our product development and pricing, identifying new market opportunities, developing and implementing a targeted sales strategy, overseeing client relationship management and ensuring high client satisfaction. “We pride ourselves on transforming how legal services are accessed and Richard’s appointment will help us to deliver our vision as part of our five-year business strategy. It is crucial to have someone of Richard’s calibre and high-level experience on board, complementing our existing leadership capabilities. This will ensure we are ready to meet the challenges and growth opportunities ahead for the rradar team.” Richard commented: “This is a tremendously exciting opportunity and challenge for me. I am delighted to be joining such a progressive and innovative firm as rradar, especially at a time when the company is embarking on a sustained growth strategy. “It is a privilege to be a member of the senior leadership team and I believe that my extensive experience as a director with Sedgwick, and with the Capita Group before that, will enable me to make a significant contribution to rradar’s expansion and success over the coming months and years.” Richard brings extensive experience to rradar as an innovation and corporate business leader, having served in senior roles in insurance, business process outsourcing and professional services. He has over 25 years’ experience in building and growing long-term client relationships based on integrity, innovation and service delivery coupled with a strong record in sales and new proposition development. Richard’s move follows hard on the heels of recent high-profile leadership appointments of Andy Clarke as rradar’s chief technology officer and Kieran Rigby as non-executive director to rradar’s board.

Yorkshire-based ultrafast internet provider celebrates extraordinary expansion

Eleonora Gallina
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Yorkshire-based ultrafast internet provider celebrates extraordinary expansion
A Yorkshire-based internet provider is continuing its extraordinary success by connecting 5,000 new customers in just 12 months. Pure Broadband, which offers full fibre broadband across Yorkshire, has also recruited employees to seven new roles during the same period, with key appointments including a financial director, service operations manager, sales manager and marketing manager to support the company’s ongoing growth. Other milestones for the Hull-based ultrafast broadband provider during the year include the expansion of its internet offering into Doncaster and Rotherham, the launch of new branding and a new website and a move to new premises on Hessle’s Priory Park. Tony Jopling, who was appointed as Pure Broadband’s managing director in mid-2021, entered the role with the target of doubling its growth over the next three years. With its 5,000th customer acquired during the year set to be connected this month, the company is now ahead of this initial target. Tony said: “As a team, we couldn’t be happier with the results we have seen over the past year. “From customer service advisors to technicians, our employees have truly gone above and beyond to take our business to the next level, and to connect 5,000 new customers in just a year is testament to their hard work. “With our strong recommendations on review websites such as Trustpilot, more residents across Hull and the wider Yorkshire region are choosing Pure Broadband as their internet provider every day. “We’re looking forward to continuing to beat our growth targets as word spreads further that there’s a great alternative to some of the bigger broadband providers right on their doorstep.” For more information about Pure Broadband, please visit: www.purebroadband.net.

Harrogate-based IDHL acquires eCommerce transformation specialist

Tess Egginton
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Harrogate-based IDHL acquires eCommerce transformation specialist
Harrogate-based digital heavyweight, IDHL, has acquired specialists in eCommerce transformation, Ampersand as their acquisitive growth strategy accelerates following Bridgepoint investment.

Manchester-based Ampersand specialises in technical solutions that look beyond the website to relieve growth-limiting operational pain points for leading eCommerce brands including Selco, Swoon and Seraphine.

Able to provide a greater service offering to their client base as part of the Group, Ampersand is set to benefit from the IDHL proprietary platform and robust operational infrastructure that will underpin business growth as they continue to scale.

For IDHL, the addition of Ampersand further builds upon its Manchester presence, while strengthening its development resource capability at a point of significant growth in the industry.

This latest acquisition closely follows the addition of luxury eCommerce agency, Fostr, extending the collaboration opportunity across the Group’s wider web division which also comprises of eCommerce agencies Pinpoint and Statement alongside web digital transformation experts, NetConstruct.

Following the acquisition, Darryl Adie will continue to lead Ampersand, along with Managing Director Brett Cooper, working in close collaboration with IDHL’s leadership team to integrate and grow the business as part of the network of agencies.

Darryl Adie, Ampersand CEO, said: “We are excited to be joining the IDHL Group and the opportunities it will bring to the Ampersand team and our customers. We look forward to accelerating the work and achievements of the Ampersand team to date with the Group’s support.”

Dennis Engel, Chief Executive at IDHL, said: “We are delighted to have Ampersand join IDHL Group. Their eCommerce technical capability enhances our web division offering which supports our growth strategy and investment in this expertise.”

‘Best Companies’ scheme awards Clarion top three star accreditation – again!

Eleonora Gallina
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‘Best Companies’ scheme awards Clarion top three star accreditation – again!
Leeds law firm Clarion has once again been recognised as one of the UK’s ‘Best Companies’ to work for. Having achieved three star accreditation in the small companies category in 2020, it has this year again been awarded the top accolade, this time in the large company category in recognition of the ‘world-class employee engagement’ of its 288-strong workforce. Clarion once again took part in the nationally recognised and respected ‘Best Companies’ scheme which is a standard of excellence for UK businesses. The initiative assesses workplace engagement and measures it against the rigorous Best Companies Index score, which covers factors such as leadership, wellbeing and personal growth, in order to celebrate and showcase outstanding employers. With a turnover of over £23m and with 30 partners, Clarion recognises that people are at the heart of its success and the firm has made attracting and retaining talent central to its culture. It has consistently achieved high levels of employee engagement in its internal annual surveys with 95% of colleagues reporting both that they are ‘proud to work at Clarion’ and that they would recommend the firm as a place to work. Helen Saunders, head of HR at Clarion, said: “We are extremely proud to once again be recognised in these prestigious national awards. To receive the highest three-star accreditation is testament to our success in ensuring we are focussed on all elements of our culture and the impact that has on our people. From ensuring colleagues are kept fully informed and have opportunities for regular feedback, to participating in innovative CSR activities with community partners and providing mentoring and coaching opportunities to support career development, we care about our people. We believe colleagues should be recognised and rewarded for their contribution, and also undertake regular employee engagement surveys as well as developing our award-winning BeingWell programme as part of this commitment. “To be able to always put our people at the front comes from authentic leadership – we are committed to living our values and making our culture stand out. This has been particularly evident over the last two years as colleagues have faced difficult times amid the pandemic disruption, but have remained engaged, working hard within their teams and supporting one another as they swiftly adapted to new ways of working. Our aim is to make Clarion a fabulous place to work and this latest award shows that we are making that happen.” Joint managing partner Roger Hutton said: “As a relatively young law firm, we have put people at the heart of what we do from our inception. As we have grown, we have not lost sight of this focus and, indeed, our unique Clarion culture has been vital to retaining and attracting talent as the team has expanded – we welcomed another 41 colleagues last year alone. “Excellent communications with two-way listening is vital, as well as providing constant ongoing support. We have worked hard to ensure that our positive culture is purposeful through every touch point internally – it has to be  true and lived in order to thrive, and it is only by having a truly engaged team that we can continue to provide outstanding service to our clients.”

Perkins&Will confirmed as architects for new Leeds hospitals

Eleonora Gallina
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Perkins&Will confirmed as architects for new Leeds hospitals
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has taken another step forward with its vision to transform healthcare for its patients and staff by confirming Perkins&Will, led by Penoyre & Prasad with Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, as designers of the two new hospitals on the Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) site. The architects have now signed a contract with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to design the two new state-of-the-art hospitals on the site of the LGI. The 94,000m² building will house two unique hospitals—one for adults and one for children— including a centralised maternity and neonatal unit. Significantly, these designs bring together for the first time clinical services for children and young people under one roof. This world-class team have designed and delivered some of the most innovative hospitals and women’s and children’s care environments in the world, and bring a combined experience of over 146 years of healthcare experience to the project. Their appointment follows a competition held by the Trust in 2021 to find an architect to design its “Hospitals of the Future” project—one of 40 new hospitals that the U.K. government has committed to build by 2030 as part of its New Hospital Programme (NHP). The design team is now undertaking staff and patient engagement sessions to gather input and support the next stage of design development. The feedback from adults, children, young people, parents and carers from across the region will help shape how the facility might look and feel in these early designs. Meanwhile, work continues to clear the LGI site where the new hospitals will be situated, following the demolition of the Trust’s Old Nurses’ Home, the Hearing and Balance Unit, King Edward Building, Children’s Paediatric Offices and Wellcome Wing.  Construction is scheduled to start on site in 2024 with the new facilities planned to be fully operational in 2027. Simon Worthington, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Director of Finance and Senior Responsible Officer for the Hospitals of the Future Project, said: “The Perkins&Will concept design is very exciting and will create a fantastic landmark for the city of Leeds. The way the new hospitals have been designed will enable them to operate independently, but also benefit from improved and more efficient communication and care when located together. We are excited to be moving into the next phase of the design and engaging with staff and the community to help bring to life these flagship hospitals, which will serve Leeds and the wider region for many decades to come.” Mark Rowe, Managing Principal of Perkins&Will, said: “We’re delighted to have been appointed to design the Trust’s new hospitals at the Leeds General Infirmary site. Not only will this new healthcare project bring incredible resources to the people of Leeds and the wider region, but it will also set the bar for best-in-class healthcare facilities. The design will benefit everyone—staff, patients, and visitors. We will create a beautiful place that enables the Trust to continue to be a leading light in the fields of healthcare innovation, research, and education.”
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