Wealth management and professional services group snaps up Harrogate business
Evelyn Partners, the wealth management and professional services group, has acquired Leathers LLP, a firm of Chartered Accountants and tax specialists with offices in Newcastle and Harrogate.
Leathers was founded in 1990 by Michael Leather and is focused on advising high net worth individuals, families, business owners and corporates, with strong expertise in personal and business tax planning, succession planning, as well as property and business structuring. It offers a broad array of audit, accountancy, tax compliance and corporate finance services.
Andrew Wilkes, chief professional services director of Evelyn Partners, said: “We are delighted to have acquired Leathers LLP. Michael Leather has built a highly respected firm with a great client base and one which is a very complementary fit with Evelyn Partners both in terms of expertise and culture.
“Strategically this acquisition will further develop our professional services presence in the North of England, supporting our ambition of being able to provide our range of professional services to private clients and businesses right across the UK.
“I look forward to welcoming Stuart Wright and Ryan Harrison to the partnership group where their expertise and experience will be a great asset to us in developing our professional services offering in the North of England.”
Michael Leather, senior partner and founder of Leathers LLP, said: “Forward planning, client service and development of the team have been at the forefront of our success but in a changing environment, it is time for the business to gear up, extend the resources available to clients and to further develop the client service offering.
“Identifying the best way to do this has been challenging, but Evelyn Partners’ clear commitment to developing the business and their range and depth of resource have been key to the decision we took.”
Reed Boardall efforts to support former soldiers are recognised by the MOD
Boroughbridge-based Reed Boardall has been earned a Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme as an employer supporting defence personnel and inspires others to do the same. Already, the Yorkshire-based logistics business has 23 veterans, serving personnel employed part-time and reservists in the team at its Boroughbridge site.
Over the last year, the company has formalised its support of former and serving defence personnel, as well as building links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders. It has partnered with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions.
As a result, the company has introduced a number of initiatives both to actively recruit from these communities and also to ensure that it provides adequate support once people join the Reed Boardall team. It also takes part in recruitment fairs and virtual workshops with CTP and local Regional Resettlement Centres, linking with service personnel going through the resettlement process and giving them an insight into the logistics sector, including Reed Boardall’s Driver Academy.
One of the leading providers of cold storage and distribution services to food producers and retailers across the UK, Reed Boardall’s Bronze award is a demonstration of its pledge to advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align its values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
Daniel Delacoe-Eyre, a veteran who served for over 17 years in a number of regiments before joining Reed Boardall in 2020 to lead its HR operation, comments: “As a former soldier and officer myself, I understand only too well the concerns and even fear felt by service personnel as they contemplate leaving the armed forces. It’s vital that businesses do what they can for them when they return to civilian life.”
Accountancy firm offers free insight into energy markets
Businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire have been invited to a joint seminar later this month to help them understand the current energy market and how they can make potential savings as well as accessing finance to support growth, whether existing firms or startups.
Yorkshire accountancy firm 360 Chartered Accountants is hosting the free event with Ashley Hunter from River Energy and Rebecca Pickering from Mercia Asset Management giving presentations and taking part in a Q&A session. There will also be members of the 360 team available to discuss the impending taxation changes or any other accounting issues.
360 MD Adrian Hunter said it’s a crucial topic for businesses, particularly as energy bills are set to soar from April when the Government’s subsidies for gas and electricity are slashed. “A report last year found that 54% of UK SMEs are at risk of collapse from rising fuel and energy prices. That’s an alarming figure. We are all looking at ways we can make our workplaces as energy efficient as possible to save costs as well as to reduce our environmental impact. And as our bills continue to rise, we want to help businesses better understand how they can use the renewables market to drive down costs – and show them how to finance their growth.”
The free event is taking place on Tuesday 21st February, at the MKM stadium, Hull between 12 and 2pm. It will include a tour of the stadium. Lunch will also be provided.
Engineers who solved telecoms security challenge raise £1m for roll-out
A Sheffield company which has developed a new encryption solution for telecoms and data networks has raised over £1m from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), Mercia’s EIS funds and private investors.
Sitehop’s system solves a major challenge for telecoms companies, cloud and internet service providers – how to add encryption to their network to ensure it is secure but without affecting quality or causing it to slow down.
Sitehop’s Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) board can be added to an existing network with minimal time and cost. As encryption takes place on the board rather than on the server, it enables the network to maintain superior performance while using just a tenth of the energy of current systems. It also protects against cyber attacks as hackers would need to access the board to breach the system.
In addition to telecoms and cloud providers, Sitehop’s solution can be used by big companies to create secure private networks at a fraction of the cost by removing the need for physical interconnections. It could be used to safeguard IoT systems such as ‘smart’ factories and connected devices such as drones and self-driving cars.
Sitehop was founded in 2021 by two engineers. Melissa Chambers was co-founder of Prism Microwave which provided products for wireless infrastructure and was sold to Tongyu Communications in 2016, while Ben Harper has worked on cyber systems for companies including BAe Systems and Sheffield-based Curvalux.
The company is in talks with a number of international network providers and is set to begin a trial in Brazil before launching the system in spring. The funding will enable it to invest in equipment to support the trial and expand its six-strong team with the creation of 20 new jobs by the end of 2023.
Melissa Chambers, CEO, said: “With the surge in demand for video calls and cloud computing, network operators are under pressure to roll out high-speed services rapidly and security is often the last consideration. Because of the impact on performance, many services are being launched without encryption which puts users’ data at risk.
“Our hardware-based solution has none of the disadvantages of current systems and makes the addition of security a ‘no brainer’. The funding will help us to take the final step and bring it to market.”
Dan Thomas of Mercia added: “Almost every aspect of our lives now relies on the internet but the connected world brings with it new risks. Until now there has been no way to provide the necessary security without slowing down response times and affecting quality. Ben and Melissa have found a novel way to address a problem that even the big tech companies have so far failed to solve. We are pleased to be able to support them on the next stage of their journey.”
Detailed planning secured on largest consented single unit distribution scheme in Leeds
Leeds-based developer Wilton Developments has secured a detailed full planning consent for the largest single unit logistics and industrial building in the Leeds area on its LEEDS 500 scheme on the M1 north of Garforth.
Leeds 500 sits in a prime location directly on Junction 47 of the M1 close to the M1/A1 (M) intersection, providing access to the M1, A1(M) and M62. It’s central position makes it easily accessible to all parts of the UK and mainland Europe and due to its strategic proximity to the area’s extensive road network, Leeds continues to strengthen its position as the logistics capital of the North.
The Industrial & Logistics team at CBRE in Leeds have been appointed sole agents on the first phase which will accommodate a 492,500 sq ft logistics/industrial unit. The 75 acre development site was acquired by developer Wilton Developments and detailed planning has now been secured for the city’s largest consented single unit distribution unit on part of the site.
The first phase of the scheme will comprise a 465,000 sq ft warehouse with 23,000 sq ft of office accommodation over two floors and a 5,000 sq ft warehouse hub office, and could provide around 600 jobs.
The development which will be BREEAM Excellent boasts many ESG specifications including a multi-use games area (MUGA); showers/changing and locker facilities; outdoor segregated breakout spaces; sustainable urban drainage (including 2 filtration ponds); rainwater harvesting, 40 secured cycle spaces, 28 electric vehicle charging spaces with a further 50 enabled for future charging. The building has the ability to generate 2.7 million KWh per annum of energy from the installation of solar panels to the roof.
Mike Baugh, executive director at CBRE, said: “We are delighted to be appointed by Wilton Developments as sole agents on this strategic logistics scheme, the largest consented distribution development of its kind in Leeds.
“This will be a superb logistics facility with first class ESG credentials, which continue to be sought after by occupiers, as well as benefiting from its prime location close to the motorway networks and many local amenities.
“Wilton Developments has a strong track record in developing both large scale distribution and manufacturing facilities in the region.”
Jason Stowe, Managing Director, Wilton Developments, said: “This is an important permission for Leeds ensuring that the city offers the option for larger occupiers who would normally have to locate to other parts of Yorkshire and the region to occupy a building of this size in Leeds. This class leading building has detailed planning consent and is available for an immediate start subject to occupiers’ requirements.”
Start of cinema fit out brings prison transformation close to completion
Contractors have moved into Northallerton’s new Everyman complex to start the final stages of fit out ready for its opening.
The cinema is part of the final phase of the £20m Treadmills development which has seen the former Northallerton Prison transformed into a retail, leisure and business destination.
The cinema and adjoining restaurant units are being part funded with £4.75m from the Government’s Future High Street Fund, awarded to Northallerton two years ago. It is expected to open this spring.
The Treadmills scheme has been delivered by the Central Northallerton Development Company Ltd (CNDCL), a joint venture between Hambleton District Council and Yorkshire developer Wykeland Group.
Hambleton District Council Leader, Councillor Mark Robson, said: “It is very exciting that the cinema is now so close to opening. It will come just as this council takes its last breath, so it is fitting that we can complete our innovative Treadmills development at that time.
“We know it will be a much welcome addition to our county town and bring with it a new option for spending time there. The arrival of the cinema clearly demonstrates Hambleton’s commitment to developing and enhancing our market towns.”
Jonathan Stubbs, Wykeland Development Director and a member of the CNDCL Board, added: “The Everyman Cinema and restaurant units will add a further dimension to an already award-winning scheme.
“We’re proud to have worked so closely with the council to transform the previously derelict former prison site into a thriving mixed use development. The beginning of the cinema fit-out means we’re now close to completion of a remarkable journey of conservation, restoration, reinvention and investment.”
The Treadmills project also features the digital innovation centre, C4DI, Lidl and Iceland stores, a yoga studio, kitchen showroom, restaurants and bistro and an educational campus – Campus@Northallerton, C@N. The development is also being supported by the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which secured investment of £1.8m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund for the redevelopment and fit-out of C4DI and a further £675,000 from the Government’s Getting Building Fund for the Campus@Northallerton (C@N).
New tenant for York Biotech Campus
York Biotech Campus, a hub for bioscience in Yorkshire, has adapted over 10,000 sq ft of space onsite, including the modification of 3,000 sq ft of laboratory space, in order to welcome an international organisation to the campus.
Cargill Bioindustrial, which is part of Cargill, a provider of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products to customers around the world, will be leasing the space. It delivers innovative and sustainable product solutions to industrial customers, including in the automotive, marine, medical, and food packaging sectors.
York Biotech Campus has worked flexibly with Cargill Bioindustrial to create workspaces bespoke to its requirements, helping to facilitate teamwork and innovation between its staff and its customers.
The fitout includes a significant design change transforming two single labs and an office with lab space into one large open plan space to enable greater collaboration between teams. There will also be fitouts of specialised rooms, including soundproofed rooms to house loud equipment.
Cargill will also be taking over 5,000 sq ft of office space, and architects have been involved in the fitout of a large open plan kitchenette, break out space, focus pods and meeting areas.
Approximately 50 people will be moving into the office and lab space in March 2023, covering all functions within the business, from customer service and regulatory teams to synthesis and application scientists.
Liz Cashon, Innovation Campus Manager at York Biotech Campus, said: “We’re proud to create spaces that truly serve the needs of an organisation, which is why when Cargill came to us with the requirement for a more collaborative space to fuel innovation, we knew we’d be able to help.
“Welcoming an internationally successful business to site is testament to the reputation of the campus as a leading hub for bioscience. Already, Cargill feels part of our community and it’s exciting to see the team already sharing knowledge with other tenants through joining us at our campus networking events.”
Ian Hobday, Global Research and Development Director at Cargill, said: “We knew as we emerged from the pandemic and began to work from the office more, we needed a space that would allow us to innovate and collaborate with, and for, our customers. With this move to York Biotech Campus, we are also joining a community and network of other innovative and scientific companies based here.”
Sheffield EV payment software company acquired
FLEETCOR UK, a global business payments company, has acquired Mina, a cloud-based digital electric vehicle (EV) charging software platform based in Sheffield.
After a successful investment and two-year partnership, the acquisition provides Allstar’s parent company with the market-leading home charging software company for commercial fleets in the UK and reinforces its commitment to supporting the transition to EV.
The acquisition gives Allstar the UK’s only EV charging solution that captures, calculates and pays for home business-use charging directly to the energy provider, Mina Homecharge.
Also branded as Allstar Homecharge, the solution allows commercial fleets to replace cumbersome employee reimbursement processes for home EV charging with a more accurate, controlled and streamlined alternative for employers and employees.
Combined with Allstar’s on-the-road EV charging capabilities, fleet managers now have access to a comprehensive suite of turnkey EV charging solutions that will help effectively manage their transition to EVs.
The shareholders of Mina were advised by a team from Clarion including Sarah Harrison and Santino Stifanelli.
The deal follows FLEETCOR’s recent acquisition of Plugsurfing and investment in Zap-Map, which both complement the extensive on-the-road fuel and EV network built by Allstar across the UK.
In addition, Allstar continues to invest significantly in building out products and capabilities that not only help fleets move to EVs but also solve the complexities associated with managing mixed fleets.
Alan King, group president, Global Fleet at FLEETCOR, said: “Our goal is to provide companies of all sizes with a better way to pay. In the fleet space specifically, this acquisition means that our customers can now benefit from a full suite of comprehensive payment and reporting solutions for on-the-road and home charging regardless of whether they operate ICE, EV, or mixed fleets.”
Tom Rowlands, global MD of EV solutions at FLEETCOR, added: “After working closely together with Mina for two years and seeing first-hand how the solution makes home charging simple, fair and secure for both employees and companies that operate some of the largest fleets in the UK, I am excited to officially welcome the Mina team to FLEETCOR.
“Unifying Mina with FLEETCOR enables us to roll out this market-leading home charging solution more easily and quickly, not just in the UK, but also take it to other geographies.”
Ashley Tate, CEO and co-founder of Mina, said: “In less than three years we’ve seen Mina grow from an idea to enabling some of the largest fleets in the UK to transition to EVs. None of this would have been possible without the support from FLEETCOR, who have believed and invested in Mina since we first came under their radar back in 2021. I’m extremely excited to continue this journey with the FLEETCOR team.”
Government set to be asked to progress plans for North Yorkshire devolution deal
Widespread support from leading organisations and the public has been gathered as the Government is set to be asked to forge ahead with plans to bring a host of benefits including new jobs, more affordable housing and measures to tackle climate change.
Hundreds of residents, businesses and charity and voluntary organisations took part in the biggest public consultation ever undertaken by councils in North Yorkshire to collect the public’s views on a proposed devolution deal.
Members of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will meet next week when they are due to endorse plans to send the results of the public engagement to Ministers to progress proposals to create a mayoral combined authority, which is due to be established towards the end of this year.
The combined authority is set to be overseen by an influential metro mayor elected under the proposed devolution deal, co-ordinating key strategic projects ranging from major transport improvements and boosting skills and education to providing more affordable housing in York and North Yorkshire.
Members of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will meet on Tuesday next week (14 February) to discuss a report outlining the consultation results. If they approve the report, it will be discussed at a full council meeting later this month before a decision is made to send the results to the Government.
Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “The prospect of a devolution deal for York and North Yorkshire is a huge opportunity that will bring benefits to hundreds of thousands of people that will be felt for generations to come.
“We have the opportunity to take a greater control of our futures, with greater prosperity through new jobs and better skills and education and the chance to tackle long-standing issues such as a lack of affordable housing and the growing threat of climate change.
“To have so many people taking part in the public engagement is very welcome, as it shows the interest that is there on the proposed devolution deal. The responses will be carefully considered by the county council before a decision is taken to submit the results of the engagement to the Government.”
The engagement was conducted under the Let’s Talk banner, which asked for the public’s views on the proposed devolution deal as well as how the new North Yorkshire Council, which will launch on 1 April, will serve local communities and also its financial priorities.
A total of 1,943 people completed the survey in full for the devolution element of the public consultations, expressing views on a range of topics including housing, transport, skills and employment and climate change. The response rate is understood to have compared favourably to other devolution engagement campaigns with the public elsewhere in the country.
The eight-week consultation was launched on 21 October and ran until 16 December last year, and views were gathered through face-to-face engagement events, an online survey and via letters and emails. A concerted effort was made to engage with as many sections of society, including the younger generation and communities across North Yorkshire, and documents were available in nine different languages including Arabic, Kurdish, Romanian, Polish, Ukrainian and Bengali.
Most respondents were generally in favour of the proposed governance of the devolution deal, with organisations including the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network recognising that it is a tried and tested model for building strong local leadership with new powers.
A total of 54 per cent of respondents online either strongly supported or supported the proposed governance of the mayoral combined authority, while 32 per cent were opposed or strongly opposed with the remainder not expressing a view or stating they did not know.
The Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, highlighted successes in Teesside using devolved adult education budget to support residents with skills that businesses need and creating employment opportunities.
The majority of responses were positive about the transfer of powers under the proposed devolution deal and the potential to look at transport in a broader strategic way. Organisations including Community First Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the LEP highlighted how taking a strategic approach as to how York and North Yorkshire connect to neighbouring areas could benefit economic growth across the region.
The public engagement also highlighted that affordable, low-carbon housing should be made a priority under the proposed devolution deal. Several organisations, including Zero Carbon Harrogate and Northern Power Grid, suggested that zero carbon or low-energy housing should be a formal requirement as part of plans. The Government agency, Homes England, said it is keen to work with the mayoral combined authority to increase local housing supply.
Work to curb climate change that is due to be introduced through devolution was welcomed, especially to reduce carbon dioxide emissions as well as promoting more sustainable transport.
Both the University of York and BioYorkshire, which is overseeing a 10-year plan for sustainable innovation, saw themselves as useful allies for the mayoral combined authority for both economic growth and achieving net zero targets for carbon dioxide emissions. The two organisations also strongly supported the net zero, climate change and natural capital delivery commitments that have been set out in the proposed devolution agreement.
The Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network also recognised that the food and farming sectors have a major contribution to make towards the ambition of reducing carbon emissions to net zero.
A total of 63 per cent of respondents online either strongly supported or supported plans for the proposed combined authority to work with the Government on climate change, while 23 per cent were opposed or strongly opposed with the remainder not expressing a view or stating they did not know.
However, concerns were expressed by some members of the public about ensuring the mayoral combined authority remains democratically accountable to the electorate, especially as it will serve such a vast area across England’s largest county. Other respondents voiced reservations that a top tier of local government was being introduced with the combined authority over-arching both the new North Yorkshire Council and the existing City of York Council.
But Cllr Les, who will assume the leadership of North Yorkshire Council from 1 April, said: “The mayor is due to be elected by residents of York and North Yorkshire so they would be directly accountable to the electorate at the ballot box. Beyond that, their activities will be scrutinised by an overview and scrutiny committee.
“As devolution has progressed in other parts of Yorkshire – there are deals already in place in West and South Yorkshire – we do not want York and North Yorkshire to be left behind. The mayoral combined authority will work closely with both the new North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council to listen and ensure the views and priorities of communities and businesses across the whole area are represented.”
Students get inspirational visit from Yorkshire Energy Park
Yorkshire Energy Park employees have joined forces with UKSTEM to roll out an education programme across the region to inspire students about the next generation of green skills coming to the Humber.
The team visited schools in Hull and the East Riding to tell them about the £200m Yorkshire Energy Park development and jobs that will be created in the years to come.
UKSTEM, a national organisation that aims to engage students in science, technology, engineering and maths by running workshops alongside industry, joined the team to talk about the onset of hydrogen as a renewable energy source and ran a session with students to build a hydrogen fuelled car.
Cameron Wood, Junior Consultant at Shared Agenda, who is working on the Yorkshire Energy Park project said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the Humber, with more jobs being created in renewable industries and we wanted to take the opportunity to work with local schools to inspire the next generation about careers they could consider.
“As the team behind the Yorkshire Energy Park project and a local business ourselves, it’s incredibly important for us to bring local people and students on this journey with us. Work is due to start on site later this year and we want to help people understand what’s coming and what fantastic news this is for the region.”
Julia Lovel, Lead Practitioner from Holderness Academy & Sixth Form College, said: “The team gave our students a fantastic learning experience. It was a privilege to see them having the opportunity to build a hydrogen fuelled car and rising to the metacognitive challenges of the task with, in some cases, such fierce competitive drive! They enjoyed a remarkable experience that they will go home and talk about and recall in the future.”
Mike Cargill, MD of UKSTEM, added:“It was great to see the students engage with the workshop so much. Not only did they enjoy creating the cars and racing them, but it gave us the opportunity to speak to them about the wider hydrogen economy and how sustainable energy is going to be such a huge part of their future and how they can be a part of that, particularly with being located in the proposed Humber Freeport.”
Once completed, Yorkshire Energy Park has the potential to create around 4,480 jobs, upskill local workers, create state-of-the-art community sports facilities and an educational campus in conjunction with the University of Lincoln. The project will attract investment in the energy, data, technology and manufacturing sectors to an area that has an abundance of skills and experience in these industries already. Combine all of this with YEP’s location within the East Coast Carbon Capture and Storage Cluster and the proximity to the UK’s “Energy Estuary”, and it is clear that YEP will play an important role in boosting jobs and investments in the region.
