Leeds engineering consultancy, RWO is preparing for further growth and expansion following a management buy-in.
Current directors Alex Erskine and Reece Kesson have each taken a 25% stake in the holding company of the RWO Group as part of an undisclosed deal. Founder and current Managing Director Ross Oakley retains a 50% stake in the business.
Alex will look to build on his position as group director for civils while Reece will continue to develop his role as group director for structures.
Both will have responsibility for each of their disciplines within the business as part of an overall strategic plan to take the business forward and drive growth in national construction, building, infrastructure, leisure, healthcare and residential sectors.
The move also ties the business closer together, facilitating greater collaboration and improved client service across the civils, structures and its geotechnical departments which form the core services RWO provide.
Managing Director Ross Oakley said: “I believe the future is extremely positive for the company and we look forward to developing further the range and quality of the services we offer and supporting our clients as they too invest in developing their operations despite the challenging times.
“We have in place a growth strategy for the business and several strategic partnerships, which will help progress the business further and bring even greater opportunities. I’m already extremely proud of what RWO has become and look forward to us achieving even more success in the future.”
Bradford mermaid washes up on Yorkshire beach to highlight plastic waste issue
The Yorkshire-based co-founder of social enterprise Be The Future has ‘washed up’ on the shores of Runswick Bay as a reclaimed waste mermaid, to highlight the sheer amount of plastic waste in the sea for World Ocean Day.
Helen Hill from Bradford created her costume, weighing in at 6kg and four metres long, using hundreds of plastic bottles, a broken tent, broken toys and other waste products. She says 42 such costumes would be needed to reflect the amount of plastic that’s tipped into the sea every second.
Be The Future is set to crowdfund to raise £18,000 to help launch ‘EDUtainment’ kits aimed at young children to engage them on the topic of climate change. The “EDUtainers” are about to launch a crowdfund to raise £18,000 to help them launch new ‘EDUtainment’ kits combining learning with fun activities. Featuring a new book, game and activity pack aimed at young kids (age 4 to 7) bursting with hope, wit and playful action to engage them on the topic of climate change.It comes as a survey of 2,000 people in the UK by Be The Future shows over a third of parents (37%) would love to teach their kids more about climate change if they had the right tools or ideas. Two in five parents (42%) said they aim to teach their kids as much as they can about climate change and a similar number (38%) said they’re not worried about sharing the realities of it with their children – even if it might scare them.
Helen Hill said: “As David Attenborough famously said, “what happens next is up to every one of us” – but crucially this doesn’t have to be a scary fact. Our collective fear, anger and paralysis won’t turn this climate beast around – nurturing a reaction of active hope rather than despair is the only way forward. Our reclaimed waste mermaid tails symbolise the fact that one of the best ways to engage and teach kids about climate change is through play.
“The new Little Mermaid film has been released by Disney – and with UNESCO saying that by 2050, plastic will likely outweigh all fish in the sea, it’s the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the sheer amount of plastic pollution in the sea for World Ocean Day.”
Government pledges £7m to support internet connectivity for businesses in rural areas
The new fund aims to bring together satellite, wireless and fixed line connectivity to help farmers and businesses take advantage of the latest agricultural technologies on offer by improving the connectivity on farm.
This is in addition to a number of government pledges to boost rural digital connectivity announced within the last year, which included an £8 million grant scheme to offer internet connectivity by satellite to the most remote homes of the country, and ‘Project Gigabit’, the government’s flagship £5 billion programme to improve internet speeds in rural areas.
The new plans were formally announced at the Future Countryside Conference by Defra Secretary of State, Thérèse Coffey.
The new announcement comes off the back of the NFU’s campaigning for better digital infrastructure in rural areas. The NFU’s recent Digital Technology Survey highlighted that more than a fifth of members believe their broadband speeds are a barrier to their further use of digital technology.
Over a third of members also said that if their business had faster broadband speeds, they would use this to improve their speed, efficiency, and frequency of business tasks.
The new announcement means that there is more opportunity for businesses in remote areas to make use of new technologies for agriculture and tourism that may require internet connectivity on farm.
NFU Vice President David Exwood said: “We have been campaigning for further investment in the country’s rural digital technology infrastructure for some time, so we welcome the government’s £7 million funding package which will help make farming businesses more productive and efficient.
“The NFU’s recent Digital Technology Survey revealed fewer than half of our members have broadband speeds adequate for their business needs. Fibre is often too expensive for farm businesses to install and the rollout is not happening fast enough.
“The government’s commitment to invest in alternative broadband solutions will be vital to enable farmers and growers to access good broadband speeds, regardless of where they live.
“With UK food security high on the political agenda, there is an urgent need to produce more of what we do well here. That means providing our farming businesses with the tools they require like decent broadband to enable them to meet their huge potential in producing food for the nation, helping tackle climate change and deliver on our net-zero ambitions.”
University of Bradford gears up to launch first-ever management summit
Some of the UK’s leading business minds will help launch the University of Bradford’s first ever MBA Management & Leadership Summit starting on Friday June 16th.
Nicola Thompson, ex-CEO of MADE.com, who has also worked with fashion brand ASOS, will join alumni Ian Adams, a director with NHS Resolution, and Paul Donovan, Chair of Eku Energy Group & action.ai, to launch the summit.
The summit will be hosted by the University of Bradford’s School of Management, as it ventures into a year celebrating 25 years of the Distance Learning MBA, as well as the School’s 60th Anniversary.
Professor Amir Sharif, Dean of the Faculty of Management, Law & Social Sciences, said: “This is a very exciting time for the School of Management, as we venture into a year celebrating 25 years of the Distance Learning MBA, as well as the School’s 60th anniversary.
“We are pleased to offer alumni from the MBA programme an opportunity to join us in our home city of Bradford, for our first Management and Leadership Summit. This is a great opportunity for our global MBA peers, alumni, and Bradford academics, and to take advantage of a free programme of talks and activities. MSc and DBA alumni would also benefit from attending.”
Throughout the summit, speakers and guests will explore a range of activities relating to the latest developments in leadership and management.
Businesses warned about using rogue business rate agents
The Valuation Office Agency is urging businesses to protect themselves from rogue business rates agents who’ve started to operate since new rateable values for business properties came into effect in April 2023.
Councils used these new values to calculate business rates bills, but businesses can challenge their valuation if they think it’s incorrect. They can use a rating agent do this.
Alan Colston, Chief Valuer at the VOA, said: “Be cautious of anyone who guarantees they can secure big business rates reductions. The vast majority of agents are reputable and provide a good service. But there is a small minority promising big reductions in business rates, based on incorrect information.
“These rogue agents often charge substantial fees for providing poor quality submissions using our online Check and Challenge service, which is free to use.
“We strongly advise businesses do their own research and explore different options before appointing an agent. Make sure you choose your own agent – don’t let an agent choose you.
“And remember, you can manage your business rates yourself by creating a Business Rates Valuation Account on GOV.UK.”
The VOA offers a checklist to help businesses intending to use an agent:
- Anyone can call themselves an agent, but this does not mean they are a member of a professional body. Check an agent’s background before signing a contract.
- If an agent is a member of the Rating Surveyor’s Association (RSA), Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), or Institute of Revenues, Rating, Valuation (IRRV), they must follow rating agent standards. This provides business owners with extra reassurance.
- Check the length of a contract before signing. Rogue agents have been known to tie business owners into costly, long-term agreements.
- Make sure you read the small print and fully understand the services you are paying for. Legitimate agents should not pressure you into signing a contract, or demand large sums of money up front.
- Familiarise yourself with the VOA’s Check service and create a Business Rates Valuation Account to manage your property and view correspondence between the VOA and your agent.
- It is your responsibility to ensure the information your agent provides to the VOA is correct.
British Steel secures four-year contract to supply Belgian rail network
British Steel’s Scunthorpe-based rail business has signed a four-year contract with Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel to supply 40,000 tonnes of rail in various profiles for the maintenance and renewal of track across the Belgian rail network.
Jérôme Bonef, British Steel’s Export Sales Manager, Rail, said: “Deliveries are scheduled to start this month, and we look forward to working in partnership with Infrabel over the next four years.
“We operate in a highly competitive market so it’s extremely pleasing that Infrabel has selected us to supply rail for the Belgian network once more. It’s a great endorsement of our proven technical record, ability to develop products to meet demand, superb logistics solution and excellent delivery performance – securing another contract with a national network operator is a source of enormous pride.”
The 100-metre-long rails will be manufactured at British Steel’s Rail and Section Mill in Scunthorpe, before making their way by rail to Infrabel’s welding facility in Belgium.
Today’s announcement comes a short time after British Steel announced it had secured a contract to supply the Guinea Bauxite Company with 244,000 steel sleepers – its largest ever order for rail sleepers.
Jérôme said: “By working in partnership with our customers we can offer superb value for money by reducing the need for costly and time-consuming maintenance and replacement works. The less disruption to a network, the greater the flow of traffic – major benefits felt by passengers and freight operators.
“We look forward to continuing to work together collaboratively with Infrabel as we deliver high-quality products into this partnership.”
Lindum-built store will create 35 new jobs in Mablethorpe
A new B&M store built by Lincoln company Lindum on land just off Peter Chambers Way in Mablethorpe will officially open its doors at 8am on Thursday, June 22.
Jon Quick, Lindum Construction Manager, said: “It is fantastic news that the new B&M store will be opening very soon and creating so many jobs for the local community.
“Lindum has been involved in the Mablethorpe area for 15 years, and so we are fully invested in the local community. We hope the new store will continue to benefit the people of Mablethorpe once it opens.”
A spokesperson for B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people, and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store. We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome our new customers through the door.”
Singapore property giant invests in York
Work has started to build a 303-bedroom student scheme in York after a forward funding deal was agreed with Singapore-based Q Investment Partners (QIP).
The mix of 195 cluster apartments and 108 studios will be spread across a three to five storey development on James Street in York.
Planning permission was secured for the scheme by S Harrison last year, and the respected York-based development firm is working with QIP and a wider development team to deliver the project in time for the 2025 student intake year. The development will then be operated by the Prestige Student Living brand of Homes for Students.
GMI Construction Group has been appointed as contractor, and it is expected that the development will complete in the Spring of 2025.
Peter Young, CEO and co-founder of QIP, believes that purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) is increasingly attractive to institutional investors. He said: “James Street is one of the student schemes that is part of a £200m build-to-core UK student housing venture between QIP and property investment group, Soilbuild.
“This expansion complements our existing stabilised portfolio, in partnership with Ares, that encompasses c.1,000 bedrooms across the UK’s leading student cities. This latest partnership reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the sector and allows QIP to leverage our existing platform scale to meet the rising demand for high-quality student accommodation in the UK.”
Martyn Harrison, from S Harrison, said: “We have been headquartered in York for over 70 years and have successfully designed and delivered many successful PBSA schemes in York, Leeds and Edinburgh in recent years, totalling thousands of bedrooms.
“Our ability to create exceptional developments in highly sought after locations means we have strong relationships with many leading PBSA and institutional investors, both in the UK and globally, and we’re very pleased to agree our first deal with QIP.
“High quality PBSA is in real demand in York, especially for schemes like this one, which is so close to both the University of York and York St John University. When this is combined with our local knowledge and QIP’s experience in the sector, there’s no doubt this development will prove to be very popular with the city’s student population.”
With an A-shaped footprint, the development has been designed by York-based CSP Architects and includes a large external central communal area, and also offers study space, a games room, cinema, gym and laundry facilities.
The site’s central location means it will mostly be car-free and a large cycle store forms part of the scheme. With plenty of soft landscaping and a South facing public pocket park on the site’s southeast corner and more than 200 sq m of green space, the Lawrence Street streetscape, which is a primary route into the city, will also be greatly improved.
Yorkshire’s divisional managing director at GMI Construction, Andrew Hurcomb, said: “GMI has a strong track record of delivering student accommodation across the North of England and the Midlands. The James Street development is in an ideal location given it’s within walking distance of two universities and will help York confirm its position as a top study destination by expanding the range of quality facilities available for students.”
Martyn concluded: “This scheme ticks so many boxes as it’s creating new, energy-efficient homes for students in an easily accessible location, as well as benefiting the local community with improvements to both pedestrian and cycle infrastructure, as well as a new community park for all.”
QIP is a private equity real estate firm that specialises in the global residential living sector. The company invests in the UK, US and Japan, by investing in PBSA, multi-family and co-living rental buildings, build-to-rent and care homes.
Lindum start work on £9.5m affordable homes project
By autumn next year Lincoln-based Lindum Group expects to have completed a £9.5m project to build 50 new affordable homes in the Cambridgeshire village of Bottisham, on behalf of Accent Group.
The development includes 30 shared ownership homes and 20 properties for affordable rent. It will be a combination of one-bedroom flats, two to four-bedroom semi-detached houses, and four two-bed bungalows.
The homes will all be built to the previous building regulations, but they will all achieve EPC rating A through the installation of solar panels.
Steve Morris, Accent Group Director of Development, said: “This is a significant development for us and reflects the ambitions of our development strategy which commits to building sustainable homes in areas of high housing need.
“The new homes will be thermally efficient, reducing both fuel consumption and the overall running costs for our customers. We have made a commitment to build all our new homes in our land led programme to an EPC A rating and currently have around 600 homes on site being built to this standard.”
Lindum Construction Manager Colin Knight said: “We are thrilled to be under way on what will be a very exciting project for Accent Group.
“These 50 properties will make a significant impact on the affordable housing needs of the area, encouraging first time buyers to come to the village, whilst also helping the people who grew up there to stay.”
Since work started, foundations have been put in place, and work will soon begin on the roads and sewers. The road works will connect the site to the existing road on Ox Meadow. The Scheme is being developed with part funding from Homes England.
Work starts on new home for Leeds Law School
Leeds Law School at Leeds Beckett University is relocating to the university’s Broadcasting Place building later this year, a move that will see the School’s facilities transformed and enable students and staff to bring law to life.
The new development will serve as the new home for Leeds Law School’s undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, offering state-of-the-art facilities that will allow students to work alongside legal academics and learn in an environment that will promote deep learning and develop critical analysis.
An immersive simulation suite, a courtroom with a jury deliberation room, a reading room and social learning areas are among the spaces that will support students to expand their knowledge of the legal profession and provide them with an ideal platform to launch their career.
The national charity Support Through Court will have a dedicated room within the new premises to support members of public to represent themselves in court.
Professor Deveral Capps, Dean of Leeds Law School, said: “The Law School has grown considerably in recent years, and we’ve now reached a level where we want to give our students and staff a real sense of place, and for them to have somewhere amazing they can call home. This huge investment means we will have the most modern law school in the country, which fills me with great pride.
“I’m incredibly excited to open the doors to our new Law School in time for us to celebrate the school’s centenary. We’ve been teaching law at Leeds Law School since 1924 and settling into such modern, state-of-the-art facilities by 2024 gives us a sense of great achievement and opportunity for our students and staff.”
Work on the project is due to start in June 2023 and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Once complete, it will provide the students at Leeds Law School with the chance to thrive in an environment designed specifically to support their needs.
