Marketing campaign aims to highlight Indiana Jones and the Yorkshire filming location
A new marketing campaign for North Yorkshire next year will highlight the location used for film and television backdrops for productions including the last Indiana Jones movie and Tom Cruise in the Mission Impossible franchise.
Visit North Yorkshire intends to highlight a wide range of locations that have been used in, inspired or have connections to movie blockbusters and hit TV shows.
More than £4 billion is brought into North Yorkshire’s economy each year through tourism and the industry supports 38,500 jobs, and the opportunity of promoting North Yorkshire’s connections to locations linked to film, television and literature has been highlighted as a way of boosting the county’s multi-billion pound tourism sector.
The All Creatures Great and Small series has been drawing visitors to the county for years, whilst more recently Fountains Abbey and Plumpton Rocks landscape gardens were used as locations for the Netflix fantasy drama series The Witcher.
The CEO of Screen Yorkshire, Caroline Cooper Charles, said: “At Screen Yorkshire, our mission is to attract high-quality film and TV productions to the region, showcasing Yorkshire’s diverse landscapes and historic locations.
“The impact of these productions creates a ripple effect from increased visitor numbers to filming locations, boosting tourism revenue, to job creation across hospitality, retail, and the arts.
“Screen Tourism offers a unique opportunity to showcase Yorkshire to the world while directly contributing to the region’s economy and cultural pride. It’s a powerful example of how the creative industries can drive meaningful growth and deliver lasting value to our region.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “Tourism is among the most important areas of North Yorkshire’s economy, and we are committed to ensuring we can boost the sector.
“So many people are fascinated by the locations which have been used in leading television and film productions, and are keen to see these places firsthand.
“The chance to highlight our links to film and TV is a prime example of how we can expand the market for visitors, and thereby benefit our tourism businesses and the wider local economy.”
The new campaign, called Starring North Yorkshire, will complement Visit England’s own international marketing drive, Starring Great Britain. It will see the locations used for film and television promoted via Visit North Yorkshire’s social media channels and an itinerary is being drawn up that will be available on the tourism organisation’s new website, which is due to launch in the spring.
2025 Business Predictions: Graham Edward, Managing Director, Edward Architects
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 Graham Edward, Managing Director at Edward Architects.
Edward Architects has experienced a healthy workload in 2024 and has enjoyed continued growth including the opening of a new Leeds studio. This was despite a lull over the summer as the property sector awaited the outcome of the General Election and an understanding of how this affected Planning Policy.
We are finding that our residential workload remains strong particularly on Partnership schemes where housebuilders are working with Housing Associations to deliver unit numbers. We see this continuing through 2025 though developers are feeling the pinch as BNG implications and a very slow planning system are harming returns and delivery.
Industrial demand appears to have peaked, but remains healthy. We are also working on the refurbishment of Industrial stock which will be coming onto the market in 2025 adding to the offer available to end users.
Strategic land remains a solid workload for us as these clients take the long term view.
For the Government to achieve its housing target and deliver growth in Construction in 2025, my one big tip is to fund Local Authority planning sufficiently to bring in a ‘mini army’ of experienced planners from the private sector to speed up decisions. The Government should also avoid adding any more red tape or layers of decision making as the planning timescales are directly maiming many SME housebuilders and is deterring property investment.
The current mix of a strong Government, delivery of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPFF) and UK interest rates creeping downwards can only add confidence to the property investment market for 2025. So, in summary, we are more positive about the prospects of 2025 versus 2024 as the market becomes more settled and investable.
At Edward Architects we are excited to face the challenges that 2025 is going to throw at us head on and will spread our specialisms of residential, strategic land and accessible design into new client bases. We are ready for the next phase of continued growth.
Council to take over running of Northallerton business centre
Day-to-day running of the 1852 Wing business centre at the multi-million pound Treadmills site, which is council-owned and currently run by C4DI Northallerton, will be transferred to the authority from April next year.
The former main cell block and female wing were transformed into a centre for digital innovation in 2020, after being derelict since the closure of Northallerton Prison more than a decade ago.
It formed part of a wider redevelopment of the site which saw all four listed buildings preserved and brought back into economic use – boosting the local economy while protecting Northallerton’s heritage.
Ten individual businesses currently occupy the C4DI Northallerton office space. C4DI and the council are liaising with tenants to ensure they face no disruption as part of the handover.
The council’s executive member for open to business is Mark Crane. He said: “C4DI has been a crucial part of the Treadmills redevelopment that has helped revitalise the local economy and foster business innovation.
“The 1852 Wing offers fantastic modern office spaces, meeting rooms and a collaborative environment for start-up and established businesses to thrive. We’re excited to build on the work of C4DI by taking on the day-to-day running of the building.
“We are proud of the fantastic relationship we enjoy with the businesses already situated in 1852 Wing and are excited to have the opportunity to further develop these, as well as inspire further investment at the site, as we move forward over the coming months.”
C4DI MD John Connolly added: “The new combined authority brings with it an increased scale of support for businesses across the region, as well as an excellent operational team to support the facility which will accelerate the growth of businesses based in and around Treadmills.
“We look forward to working with North Yorkshire Council as we continue to help businesses with events, mentoring, corporate innovation programmed and support for both start-ups and scale-ups.”
Building owner given notice to make Leeds buildings safe
The owner of an historic building on Lower Kirkgate in Leeds has been given 28 days to make it safe.
The dangerous state of the building, owned by City Fusion, has caused the road to be closed, but now the city council has been given permission to issue an urgent works notice covering that and five other historic properties on the same street which are at risk of collapse or further serious deterioration.
City Fusion has 28 days from the serving of the notice to begin a programme of structural work to make the buildings safe. If it doesn’t, the council can carry out the work before seeking to recover the cost of doing so from the owner.
The serving of the notice comes as the council explores the possibility of buying a number of the historic properties owned by City Fusion on Lower Kirkgate. Should these proposed market-value acquisitions go ahead, the council intends to bring the currently-derelict buildings back into beneficial use.
Trade associations unite to call for consultation over inheritance tax changes
Collectively, these associations represent more than 160,000 family businesses, who warn that the changes to agricultural property relief and business property relief announced in the Autumn Budget will have ‘a severe and long-lasting impact on these businesses and the livelihoods of the millions of people they employ’.
In the open letter, published by Family Business UK, leaders warned that the policy changes will ‘starve’ these businesses and the economy of much-needed investment, ‘leading to forced, premature business sales and the loss of jobs in constituencies across the country’.
They add that BPR and APR ‘are not loopholes’ but measures that exist to ‘allow profitable businesses to continue trading, without penalty, when the owner dies’.
Economic impact analysis commissioned by FBUK and produced by CBI Economics has revealed that between 2026/7 – 2029/30 the changes to BPR could reduce economic activity by £9.4bn, lead to more than 125,000 job losses – including among the SMEs the government is trying to support and protect – and result in a net fiscal loss to the Exchequer of £1.25bn.
The NFU’s own impact analysis, produced in consultation with former Treasury and Office for Budget Responsibility economists, found that 75% of commercial family farms will be above the £1m threshold.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said the Family Business UK letter further showed just how poorly thought through the inheritance tax changes were. He said: “As a signatory of the letter, alongside 31 other trade organisations representing the industry and associated businesses, we strongly echo the sentiment that the proposed tax could have far reaching consequences for the broader economy, employment and public finances.
“No one thinks this is a good policy, not even the government’s own advisers. It’s time for Treasury to listen to farmers and the multiple other organisations calling for these proposals to be opened up for consultation.”
CEO of Family Business UK Neil Davy said: “The model of family business ownership is unique. It powers the entire economy from farming to finance and everything in between. This letter, and those who have chosen to sign it, are testament to just how widespread family ownership is, and how committed we are to speak up on behalf of our members.
“Already, family business owners are taking decisions to withhold planned investments and are putting recruitment on hold.”
According to CBI Economics, family businesses mitigating the cost of a potential future Inheritance Tax bill would be most likely to reduce investment and employment leading to an:
- average reduction in investment of 16.5%
- average reduction in headcount of 10.2%
- average loss of turnover of 7.4%.
Hull and East Yorkshire Business Board names its first chair
Ideal Heating COO Jason Speedy has been appointed as the first chair of the recently-formed Hull and East Yorkshire Business Board.
He is taking on the leading role as a figurehead of the Board supporting and advising the development of the economic priorities of the new Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Made up of of 22 influential business leaders from across the region, alongside the two local councils, the Board is providing input into strategic decision making, including the delivery of a £400 million investment fund secured as part of the devolution deal with the Government.
Jason joined Ideal Heating as COO in November 2019, and previously spent over 20 years with Siemens.
He said: “The Business Board was created to bring together private and public sector leaders, to help shape the region’s economic growth strategy and ensure we have a single, clear voice representing our diverse business community and advising the new Combined Mayoral Authority.
“I’m honoured to have been appointed chair of the HEY Business Board, at a hugely significant time for our region.
“Devolution represents a transformational opportunity to unlock major inward investment and growth in areas such as employment, skills and innovation.
“As a leading business and large employer rooted in Hull and East Yorkshire, we at Ideal Heating are committed to playing our full part in forging a prosperous future for the region and unlocking all of the exciting opportunities offered by devolution.”
The Business Board is one of two recently formed strategic groups providing support to the new governance structures of the Hull and East Yorkshire region, alongside a Skills Board.
The forst elecrtinos to the new authority will take place on May 1st next year.
Yorkshire Building Society converts car park to solar power station
Yorkshire Building Society is installing solar panels in the car park of its Bradford HQ to support its target of reaching Net Zero in its estate by 2035 and saving at least £100,000 every year.
It’s using space in its car park at Yorkshire Drive on Rooley Lane to install solar carports, ground-mounted canopies with slightly angled roofs that are ideal for solar panels. The shape of the carport will optimise the energy they generate while providing shelter for parked cars. The electricity generated will be used on site, helping the Society to reduce its carbon footprint.
The solar panel installations, which will complement existing rooftop solar panels installed in 2014, will help to reduce the need for electricity from the grid, which will cut down carbon emissions.
Alice Sweeting, Senior Manager, Environmental Sustainability for Yorkshire Building Society said: “In our mission to build a greener society, reduce our carbon dioxide emissions and reach Net Zero in our property estate by 2035, we’re installing solar carports in two of our car parks at Yorkshire Drive.
“As well as providing useful sheltered parking for colleagues, the carports will provide a space-efficient way to generate our own energy which will complement the renewable energy we already source through the National Grid.
“This is one of a number of retrofit activities we have undertaken, underway or planned for our estate that will support our journey towards Net Zero in our property estate.” The installation was supported by Energy Efficient Solutions Group.
South Yorkshire site chosen for low carbon homes pilot project
Kiveton near Rotherham has been chosen as the trial site to trial a new low carbon homes project partnership involving British Gas, Strata, and heat pump manufacturer, Daikin.
In anticipation of The Future Homes Standard, customers will move into new build homes fitted with a full range of the latest low-carbon technology at no extra cost to the housebuilder or owner. The homes will be equipped with a 6-8 kWh air source heat pump, 4 kWh solar panels, 5 kWh battery storage, Hive electric vehicle charger and thermostat. The first trial phase will launch at a Strata’s “Breathe” development site in Kiveton, Rotherham. As a thank you for participating in the pilot, British Gas is giving homeowners access to a fixed rate tailored British Gas tariff. Each home will be fitted with a Hive hub, which connects to the WIFI network and acts as the home’s operating system, integrating all the sustainable technology. The customers energy and heat schedules and budget will be optimised by the Hive Hub for further savings. When the customer connects to Hive’s app they will be able to control and maximise efficiency by setting schedules and spending budgets and allowing the Hub to help them reduce their bills. Catherine O’Kelly, Managing Director at British Gas Energy, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Strata to create a new homes proposition that is not only sustainable, but scalable. Through this partnership, we are empowering homeowners with the latest green technology and providing them with more control and transparency over their energy usage. “Our proposition will allow new build development sites to equip their properties with the very best low-carbon technology, meet new legislative requirements and deliver energy-efficient homes that are fit for the future. This is all part of our ambition to energise a greener, fairer future.”Two more sentenced over illegal waste site in Lincolnshire
Two men have been sentenced for allowing the operation of an illegal waste site on their land in rural Lincolnshire, and doing nothing to prevent it.
Marc Greenfield and James Baggaley are owners of the illegal waste site on Fen Lane, Long Bennington, and were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.
Greenfield (46) was sentenced to 19 months in prison, and Baggaley (39) was sentenced to 20 months in prison, both suspended for 18 months. They have also been ordered to remove the waste from their land by September 2025, at an estimated cost of £2.5 million.
They are the latest defendants to be sentenced in the case, bringing the total so far to 11 people, including three family members who controlled the illegal waste site.
Sentencing them, His Honour Judge Coupland found that their offending was deliberate: they both lied to residents and tried to conceal the activity, while Greenfield also lied to investigators. The judge found that the highest level of harm had been caused, with the site changing from a grassed area to a ‘smoking wasteland’ which put nearby residents at harm from toxic fumes.
The investigation, named Operation Lord, saw Environment Agency officers spend months building a picture of evidence of the illegal waste site. Intelligence revealed lorry-loads of shredded waste were regularly being accepted onto the site the size of a football pitch. Waste was burned daily and buried. This activity intensified during the first Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, and so action was taken to bring it to a halt.
Environment Agency officers conducted a raid on the site in April 2020 with Lincolnshire Police. Two arrests were made, and they seized an excavator and a lorry which were actively depositing more waste at the site when officers arrived.
Leigh Edlin, Area Director for Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, said: “This was a serious illegal waste site which was highly organised and involved multiple offenders. Those involved sought to profit from Covid restrictions at the cost of the environment and by inflicting misery on the local community. The site and its operators had a major impact on legitimate businesses and our regulatory work.
“Our enforcement teams will continue to tackle serious illegal waste crime by working with partners such as Lincolnshire Police, fire services and councils, as we did in this case to hold those responsible to account.”
Interest rates left unchanged
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 4.75%, in line with expectations following the further rise in inflation announced yesterday.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, voted by a majority of 6–3 to maintain Bank Rate at 4.75%. Three members preferred to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 4.5%.
Alpesh Paleja, Interim Deputy Chief Economist, CBI, said: “It was widely expected that the Monetary Policy Committee would keep rates unchanged in December. Having cut twice this year, today’s announcement was in line with the gradual pace of rate cuts that the MPC has previously endorsed.
“However, the trade-off facing the Bank of England is getting more difficult. While the worst of the inflation crisis is undoubtedly behind us, we now expect the CPI rate to stay above the Bank’s 2% target for the next two years- following announcements in October’s Budget.
“Domestic price pressures also remain stubbornly high. At the same time, business surveys – including our own – show a notable deterioration in growth and hiring expectations.
“The MPC has prioritised its price stability mandate in the recent past, which aligns with a gradual loosening in monetary policy. As a result, we expect four more rate cuts over the coming year.
“However, if growth prospects worsen more materially, dampening domestic price pressures in the process, we may be looking at a scenario where rates are cut at a faster pace.”
