Yorkshire Building Society earns Provider of the Year accolade
Yorkshire Building Society has been crowned High Street Provider of the Year for both mortgages and savings, after consumers voted in their thousands at the 2023 Moneyfacts Consumer Awards.
The Bradford-based mutual took the top awards in the two categories at the annual event, held in London, which aims to give the UK’s millions of customers a voice and a chance to reflect how they feel about the range of financial products available to them.
Award winners were chosen based on honest customer feedback from almost 200,000 consumers.
The Yorkshire was also highly commended in the First Time Mortgage Buyers’ Choice and Remortgage Buyers’ Choice awards categories.
Chris Irwin, director of savings at Yorkshire Building Society, said: “Our purpose has always been to help people build financial resilience and to own their own home – these two awards demonstrate we continue to do that, successfully, more than 150 years after we started.
“We’re proud our mortgage and savings products, which represent good, long-term value, and our friendly and high quality service has been recognised by so many customers as the best on the high street.”
Matt Bradfield, Website Editor at Moneyfacts.co.uk said: “The Moneyfacts Consumer Awards recognise those banks, building societies, insurers and financial service providers that are the absolute best in their respective categories. We congratulate all of the winners and those that have been commended and highly commended, and thank the almost 200,000 consumers that shared their views with us about the best brands for customer service during the past 12 months.”
North Lincolnshire firms offered grants to supercharge digital growth
A new grant scheme will enable North Lincolnshire businesses to supercharge digital growth and become more sustainable – fuelling the local economy and safeguarding jobs.
The cash is from the first round of the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with grants of up to £5,000 available for companies to invest in new technologies or cut their carbon footprint.
The grants were announced by North Lincolnshire Council leader Rob Waltham at a business breakfast held at the Baths Hall, Scunthorpe. He said: “This Government cash will enable many businesses leaders across North Lincolnshire to future-proof their companies by investing in the technology they need to create and secure jobs.
“Digitalisation is critical – adapting to and harnessing new technologies enables businesses to grow and expand at pace. And, or course, we are all working towards a greener, cleaner future so we’ve created another cash pot that businesses can tap into to make the transition that little bit easier.
“Simple things for some small businesses can make a big difference, just replacing light bulbs with LEDs or buying the newest appliances can slash energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.”
The Sustainability Business Grant can be used to invest in energy production infrastructure such as solar panels or biomass boilers and building improvements including insulation and heat pumps.
It can also be used to buy energy efficient products including LED lighting and low energy equipment such as fridges and dishwashers.
The Digital and Marketing Grant is aimed at companies looking to invest in new technology.
This can be everything from cutting-edge hardware and software, upgrading internet connections, buying e-commerce equipment, and paying for marketing campaigns or consultancy costs.
Businesses of all sizes are eligible to apply for the grants, with the minimum award being £500.
This latest grant programme is part of the council’s pledge to deliver on the levelling up agenda while focusing on the A Green Future strategy – enabling the local economy to grow, protect and create new jobs while building a greener, more sustainable North Lincolnshire.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and aims to provide £2.6 billion of funding for local investment across the UK by March 2025. The fund aims to boost productivity and tackle inequality.
Forgemasters sign MoU to develop nuclear reactor components for Holtec Britain
Sheffield Forgemasters has signed an MOU to collaborate with Holtec Britain on the development of components for its SMR-160 reactor.
Following similar agreements signed with three other nuclear power companies, the MOU with Holtec will see Sheffield Forgemasters develop the design of Holtec’s SMR-160 components to identify the best routes to manufacture.
The latest MOU positions the company at the apex of the UK’s manufacturing supply chain for the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) market and builds on its long history of supplying components into civil nuclear projects across the globe.
Dominic Ashmore, Head of Strategy and Business Development – Clean Energy at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We are looking forward to working closely with Holtec Britain on the SMR-160 designed reactor.
“This MOU complements a broader body of work that we are undertaking for the UK’s future civil nuclear programme, with Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s) as a key element, alongside larger nuclear power plants and the real possibility of fusion power.
“We’ll work with Holtec to jointly develop the design for manufacture and purchase specifications for specific forgings, with specific attention on providing components which reduce the required machining, assembly, welding, and in-service inspection requirements for those components.”
SMR power plants are seen as a revolutionary development in the civil nuclear market, and are designed at much smaller scale than commonly commissioned ultra-large (1000+Mwe) reactors and are therefore scalable, depending on energy needs. They can also be assembled from factory-made components.
Dr. Rick Springman, Senior Vice President of International Projects and Executive Committee member at Holtec, said: “SMR-160 small modular reactor power plants are engineered to provide clean, reliable 24/7 power from their unconditionally safe reactors. Holtec wants to deploy a fleet of SMR-160 plants in the UK to supply nine million homes.
Spades in the ground for new extra care housing scheme
The first shovels are in the ground for a new development in Ashbrow, which will help people with extra care needs live independently.
Part of a wider housing development, the new scheme will consist of 50 one- and two-bed apartments.
The extra care scheme will sit alongside a further 111 two-, three- and four-bedroom homes.
Of these homes, 98 will be for market sale, and 13 will be affordable homes.
There will also be 10 homes under the ‘First Homes’ pilot scheme.
The new development in Ashbrow will be owned and managed by Kirklees Council.
The scheme is being constructed by Equans Regeneration, who specialise in green solutions. The wider housing development is being constructed by Keepmoat.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet member for Growth & Regeneration, says: “I’m pleased to see this new development delivering a much-needed extra care scheme for Kirklees residents. Kirklees Council is working with housing developers on this scheme and will ensure the development reflects the needs of our local communities whilst helping to achieve market demand for new homes on a local and national level.
“Extra care homes are an important part of our housing strategy, ensuring we have homes and accommodation for residents of all ages allowing them to live independently longer.”
Haydn Tomlinson, land & partnerships manager at Keepmoat Homes, says: “Keepmoat Homes are delighted to be delivering this development in partnership with Kirklees Council, this multi-tenure development will offer much needed, new affordable homes for a wide range of local people. The new homes, extra care facility and green open spaces throughout, will add to the rich character of the local area.”
Sean Corcoran, regional director at Equans, says: “We are delighted to be working with our partners to create these much-needed new homes in Kirklees, which will enable residents to live independently in their community, with the security of care and support on site as and when they need it. Extra care schemes always prove popular with local people, and I’m sure this development will be no different.”
Planning consent secured to transform “eyesore” brownfield site in Sheffield
Sama Investment Group has been granted planning permission to build a 498-bed purpose built student accommodation scheme and an 85-bed care home on a long-abandoned brownfield site just east of Sheffield city centre.
Located on Maltravers Road, the site is near Sheffield Hallam University and within a short walking distance of a Supertram stop that connects the city.
Sama’s two schemes for the hilltop site – aptly named ‘Parkhill Views’ – are set across a 1.7-hectare plot. The first is an 11-floor student block comprising of 354 studio rooms and 144 cluster flats. Set further back and separated off from the student accommodation
will be a three-storey care home, with each development having its own dedicated access.
Bilal Ahmed, the co-founder and chairman of Sama Investment Group, said: “This large, barren plot on Maltravers Road has long been an eyesore for locals. It’s tremendous that Sheffield City Council have backed our plans to transform the site with attractive schemes for a new care home and purpose-built student accommodation.
“By housing some of Sheffield’s 60,000 student population in large purpose-built facilities like Parkhill Views, we will help free up rental property in the city for other residents, which in turn will ease the housing crisis.”
Axis Architecture have worked with Sama to create a village-like environment for residents of the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). Alongside the 354 studio rooms are
twenty-four 6-bed (144 in total) en-suite cluster flats.
Parkhill Views PBSA comes with multiple onsite facilities for students, including an indoor
sports area and gym, a cinema, a laundrette, and 193 sq m of cycle storage. Communal
areas comprise of two gaming lounges, two dining areas, a 65 sq m roof terrace, an 867 sq m first floor landscaped courtyard, and 274 sq m terrace on the sixth floor. The 1,315 sq m
of brown roofs, spread over two floors, will increase the biodiversity of the site. The raised
plot also provides great views of the city of Sheffield.
Sama’s second scheme on the Maltravers Road brownfield site is a three-storey care home,
which has been designed by ADG Architects. The plot is set back from the road, with the 85-bedroomed property surrounded by its own peaceful, landscaped gardens.
The Parkhill Views care home plans contain a café, a hair salon, and a family room. There is
123 sq m of lounge space on the ground floor, as well as 258 sq m of lounge space
spread across the other two floors.
42 new homes set for Slaithwaite
Kirklees Council’s Huddersfield planning sub-committee has voted in favour of a new housing scheme in Slaithwaite, which will see 42 homes built by local builder, SB Homes.
The scheme ranges from one to five-bedroom homes, set over one-, two- and three-storeys.
SB Homes purchased the land on Lingards Road three years ago and has been working closely with Kirklees Council’s planning department to deliver the project – which features in the council’s Local Plan.
Stephen Byram, Managing Director and founder of SB Homes, said: “I have lived and worked in the Colne Valley my whole life – it matters to me and us as a family business.
“We feel this development will bring many benefits to the local community: new housing, social housing, contributions to local schools, new footpath links linking Lingards Road to Manchester Road, open space through the site and footpath links throughout the site.”
Stephen continued: “We are currently building a scheme of 18 new homes off Gillroyd Lane in Linthwaite and have recently completed a build-to-rent scheme in Marsden, providing much needed rental accommodation.
“We are also pleased to see some of our newly completed commercial premises thriving, including business members’ club, Empire House; Sass Yoga & Wellbeing; Arcade Marsden and Swan House – which features three AirBnBs and five small businesses. Our primary aim is to see the Colne Valley thrive, and we look forward to building more high-quality homes at Lingards Road too.”
East Yorkshire business site welcomes “world-leading” manufacturer as latest tenant
One of East Yorkshire’s biggest business sites has welcomed a home-grown and “world-leading” manufacturer as its latest tenant.
Paneltex, a manufacturer of specialised commercial refrigerated vehicles and storage systems, has completed a deal to move into a 140,000 sq ft industrial facility at Dianthus Business Park, premises which also include first-floor offices and amenities including a gymnasium and canteen.
Formed in Hull in 1991, Paneltex produces hundreds of refrigerated vehicle bodies, vehicle body kits, and portable cold stores each week, out of six specialised factories across the UK.
The business announced last year that it had secured a major contract to work with new zero emission electric vehicle brand Volta, supplying the cargo boxes for the new range, described as the world’s first purpose-built full-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics.
The move to the Newport facility, which is based directly off the main A63 out to the motorways network, will help create another 240 jobs and take employee numbers to around 900 once full fit-out of the premises is complete and manufacturing begins in May to produce products to ship to Austria.
It follows significant investment at the firm’s premises in Somerden Road, Hull, and a new export kit factory on Sutton Fields.
The deal to move to Dianthus Business Park was overseen by David Garness, of Hull-based commercial property specialists Garness Jones, which handles lettings at the site on behalf of its owners.
He said: “I am delighted to have completed this latest letting at Dianthus Business Park to Paneltex as they are a fantastic business and real success story – a locally formed company which is leading the way in its industry through innovation and ambition.
“It is a business, which like many others on this site, is creating a lot of highly-skilled jobs and making a really positive contribution to the local economy. It is fantastic to be able to support them on the next step in their journey and it is another landmark letting for Dianthus Business Park, adding to the great diversity of businesses in occupation.”
Jelle Zwemstra, Managing Director at site owners Newport Buildings, said: “We are delighted to bring Paneltex onto Dianthus Business Park, they are a local, fast growing, successful company with a very strong management team, who require good quality modern facilities for their operations.
“We look forward to working closely with Paneltex and ensure that they can keep growing and bring even more employment to East Yorkshire.”
MP congratulates site manager Matt on award success
Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart has visited Bovis Homes’ Longfields Development in Beverley to congratulate site manager Matt Earnshaw for winning a Seal of Excellence in the National House Building Council Pride in the Job Quality Awards.
Matt said: “I am extremely proud to have been among the Seal of Excellence winners at this year’s Pride in the Job Awards. It is a real team effort and it’s fantastic that our commitment to delivering the highest quality homes has been recognised. It was a pleasure to welcome Graham Stuart MP to the development and to show him the new community we’re creating.”
Graham, who was joined by local council candidate Harry Bulmer and Conservative Ward Representative for St Mary’s Peter Stevens, enjoyed a tour of the site and spoke with Matt and his colleagues, area build managers John Firth and Liam Knowles, about his award and the development.
Graham said: “It was great to visit Longfields Development and congratulate Matt on his amazing achievement. When new homes are built in Beverley we want them to be built to the highest quality and to fit in with the area which is why I am so pleased that Matt has won this prestigious award.”
“The Pride in the Job Awards are about celebrating the highest standards of house building and championing top calibre site managers,” commented Toby Hollis, Regional Director, North East at NHBC. “Matt’s work at the Longfields development is an example of a great site manager taking real pride in his team’s work, resulting in quality homes its residents will enjoy.”
ABP commits to planting 21,000 trees to boost environmental commitment
Hull is to get a share in 21,000 trees from a nationwide commitment to by Associated British Ports under a partnership with charity Trees for Cities.
The project will help transform urban areas into greener, healthier spaces, says ABP, which has committed to sponsoring 21,000 trees because ABP owns and operates the Humber ports amongst the 21 to has in England, Scotland and Wales, supporting over 119,000 jobs across the supply chain.
Rory Field, Corporate Partnerships Director at Trees for Cities, said: “We are proud to work with Associated British Ports on this strategic project. Urban trees sequester CO2, improve air quality and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change.
“The trees also host thousands of species and subspecies in the harshest of environments and contribute to our physical and mental health. ABP is helping us to create a greener, happier, and healthier environment for today’s and future generations.”
Forming part of The Queen’s Green Canopy, with more than a million trees already planted across the UK in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.
Henrik L. Pedersen, ABP’s CEO said: “Improving social, economic and environmental sustainability in the communities surrounding our ports is important to us, which is why we are delighted to sponsor Trees for Cities to improve biodiversity.
“This fantastic project will enable the planting of thousands of trees across diverse UK regions, helping to improve air quality and community wellbeing.”
In addition to supporting biodiversity, ABP’s ports play a key role in enabling the UK clean energy transition. With ABP’s sustainability strategy due to be launched in late February 2023, the company will be publishing its targets to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations.
Smart repairs sees turnover soar to £8m
Smart Repairs, the independent cosmetic vehicle repairer, has announced a record-breaking 2022.
The Leeds-based company, based at 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, saw its turnover grow by 38 per cent to £8m last year, whilst trebling its workforce.
Turnover is predicted to rise to £9m this year.
The company now has 100 staff across the country, with 40 based in Leeds. At least another 15 technicians are being recruited this year.
As part of its national expansion programme this year, Smart Repairs has invested £1m into its van fleet and equipment.
Darryl Short, Managing Director, said: “This has been a game-changing year for us, by far the most successful year we have ever had. We had previously concentrated on looking after customers and clients in the north of England, but now we have expanded our operations to service the whole of the UK.
“We have recently expanded into Scotland and we have further sustainable growth plans for the North West, the South West, the Midlands and the area by the M25,” said Darryl.
Smart Repairs, which boasts most of Yorkshire’s major car dealerships among its clients, is co-owned by its founder Dan Besau and major investor Phil Newstead. The company carries out 180,000 vehicle repairs a year.
Phil Newstead said: “The second-hand car market remains buoyant, despite the cost-of-living crisis and the current economic uncertainty. The outlook for the sector is positive and we have every reason to be confident about the future, though we will never be complacent.
“We can see that our future lies in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”
