Leeds engineers RWO complete Yorkshire business incubation hub contract
Leeds engineers RWO has completed an undisclosed structural and civil engineering contract to support the development of a major new business incubation hub in South Yorkshire.
Working in partnership with design and build contractor Esh Construction and architects The Harris Partnership, the project saw the Park Square-based engineers provide services for the latest phase of the Rotherham hub. This is a major commercial development that is creating new jobs and providing 20 workshops, 16 office units and two laboratories for dozens of micro and start-up businesses.
The second phase of work builds on the success of the nearby Century Business Centre, which was constructed in 2000 and has since supported over 300 businesses, playing a critical part in the economic regeneration of the Manvers area.
Located just off the A6195 at Wombwell, with good connection links to the M1 and A1, the hub will utilise the latest building information modelling (BIM) techniques to deliver the highest levels of energy efficiency and sustainability. This includes a building and renewable heating system incorporated within the office spaces via air source heat pumps.
Completion of the contract comes as RWO, which currently employs 35 people across its offices in Leeds and Newcastle, is seeing strong demand for its civil and structural engineering services from many of the region’s commercial property developers as well as national house builders.
Andrew Fairburn, head of RWO’s Leeds office, said: “We look forward to developing our partnership with Esh and support its plans for the delivery of ambitious development projects with unparalleled technical advice, skills and engineering excellence. This latest completion comes at a time when we foresee continued strong growth in 2023 with a pipeline of forward orders and enquiries from across the country.”
Esh’s operations director, Paul Waller, said: “We were delighted to work with RWO on a facility that allows businesses to become more successful and sustainable, contributing to a boost in local employment and the economy. Their engineering design experience and technical capabilities ensure the hub is being delivered to the highest standards of quality and on time.”
The Autumn Statement, perhaps it should have come with a health warning? By James Pinchbeck, partner, Streets Chartered Accountants
The Autumn Statement was the third fiscal statement from the Government in as many months, set against a background of rising inflation and an economic recession.
Our latest Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, with an expectation to last longer than his predecessor, sought to regain the confidence of the financial markets, gain the economic credibility of not just his party but that of the UK government across the world stage, as well as to create a stability for individuals and businesses. As he himself indicated prior to delivering his Budget, it was going to be no magic trick including rabbits or hats. Even the best magician was unlikely to conjure up a trick to impress or please a growing discontented and disillusioned audience.
In an attempt to reverse the damage and impact of the bungled mini Budget delivered by Kwasi Kwarteng under the premiership of Liz Truss, it would seem the majority of his announcements set out to reverse both their ‘ideology’ and as well as the changes to tax reliefs and financial interventions introduced.
For many, such steps would have perhaps seemed obvious, not least for the negative financial impact in one afternoon it achieved in terms of increasing both the governments level of borrowing along with the cost to servicing the national debt. That is aside of the impact it had on the cost of mortgages and the cost of living for individuals.
Only a few weeks ago we heard of plans for stimulating economic growth, with the rhetoric of ‘go big or go home’. With the UK economy now officially being in recession, Jeremy Hunt made little or no reference to growth. In fact it might be fair to say he did little to stimulate or encourage business growth, which perhaps is a very regrettable oversight. At best we can hope his budget at least provided the certainty businesses sought over the economic conditions in which they operate, whether we like them or not.
Perhaps holding off potential public spending cuts until after the next general election may help to lessen the impact of a recession.
Mr Hunt’s Budget not only saw the re-instatement of the proposed increase to corporation tax from 19% to 25% next April, but also the proposed introduction of Vehicle Excise Duty for electric vehicles from 2025, changes to R&D Tax credits, Stamp Duty Land Tax, Capital Gains Tax and Dividend Allowances – all are invariably less favorable for those to whom they apply.
The Chancellor also announced that the Income Tax additional rate threshold will be reduced from £150,000 to £125,140 with effect from 6 April 2023. This move will see an estimated 250,000 further taxpayers pay the additional rate of Income Tax of 45% from next April.
Then we come to ‘stealth taxes’ – a tax levied in a way that is largely unnoticed or might not be recognised as a traditional tax.
The Autumn Statement included a number of these by way of freezing the thresholds for the Personal Allowance, National Insurance Primary Threshold, Inheritance Tax and Residence Nil Rate Band.
Whilst September’s mini Budget perhaps created the feeling of a ‘sugar rush’, in terms of its tax giveaways, the Autumn Statement may well see many seeking more significant cures than a sugar rush as they grapple with an economic downturn and increasing costs of living from both a business and personal perspective.
Perhaps the Chancellor, a past Secretary of State for Health, should have made reference to the fact that his Autumn Statement may be going to hurt.
If you missed Streets Chartered Accountants’ post Budget webinar on Friday 18th November, you can access the recording here: https://my.demio.com/recording/oJuVaOve.
See, partner at Streets Whittles, Dan Insley’s thoughts on the Budget here in ‘The Autumn Statement – What it means to you‘.
Download the Streets Guide to the Autumn Statement 2022 here.
Food waste recycler fined £36,000 for illegally spreading and storing waste
A food waste recycling company has been fined £36,000 for the illegal spreading and storage of waste at three sites in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
In September 2022, Whites Recycling Limited pleaded guilty to eight offences, including the breach of environmental permit conditions related to the spreading of waste to farmland in Auckley and Blaxton, Doncaster, and Susworth, Lincolnshire, contrary to the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Doncaster Magistrates’ Court heard that Whites Recycling Limited, in breach of its environmental permit, spread liquid waste to fields near to Ivy House Farm, Auckley between March and May 2018; to Acomb Farm, Blaxton in November and December 2018; and to East Ferry Road, Susworth, Lincolnshire in November and December 2019.
Liquid wastes containing nitrogen and phosphates were spread on land by the company at the wrong time of year or in excessive quantities, which posed a risk of pollution to groundwater. In addition, the Lincolnshire-based company pleaded guilty to illegally storing liquid waste in a storage tank on Acomb Farm between July 2017 and April 2018.
Whites Recycling Limited is a company involved in the disposal and recycling of waste sludge and liquid waste, the majority of which are generated by the food industry. The company can lawfully spread such waste to farmland in circumstances where it can be demonstrated that land spreading will result in agricultural or ecological benefit.
Although the company had an environmental permit that allowed it to spread food waste to land for agricultural benefit, it was a condition of its permit that before it could start to store or spread waste at a location, it must notify the Environment Agency using a deployment form, and the Environment Agency must agree to the spreading.
This ensures that waste is only permitted to be spread to land when it benefits either the soil or the crop being grown in it and where it will not pose a risk of harm to the environment. If waste is spread to land without a deployment first having been agreed, or if waste is spread to land in circumstances which are not in accordance with the agreed deployment, then there is a risk of environmental harm.
Passing sentence, District Judge Young stated that the company had been negligent, in that it had failed to take reasonable care to put in place and enforce proper systems for avoiding the offences. The court acknowledged that the company had reviewed its systems and steps had been taken designed to avoid further offending. The court stated that it had to balance the need to bring home to the company’s management and shareholders the need to improve regulatory compliance, with the fact that the company had recently been operating at a loss.
The Court fined the company £36,000 and further ordered the company to pay a statutory surcharge of £170, and the Environment Agency’s investigation and legal costs of £38,008.17.
Area Environment Manager Steve Lawrie said: “Our rules are in place for a good reason and to ensure that any material that is spread is done correctly and managed in a way that protects the environment. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action in future for those who breach their permits and refuse to cooperate.
“We hope this case sends a message to other land spreading operators and farmers that we take land spreading offences very seriously. Operators must follow the correct procedures to ensure they spread safely, in accordance with their environmental permits.”
Swan Homes appoints new MD for Doncaster-based operation
Swan Homes has appointed Nathan Brough as Managing Director of its Doncaster-based house building operation.
Formerly Regional Director at Equans, Nathan joins the well-established Swan Homes team with immediate effect, bringing with him over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. This appointment heralds the start of an exciting phase of growth for the company.
Swan Homes is part of the third-generation family business, Vigo Group, which specialises in transforming spaces and the places they are set within, taking a whole value chain approach to sustainable development, from the recycling of construction waste into sustainable building materials, through to envisioning new futures for large scale previously developed sites.
Nadeem Shah started Swan Homes in 1985 as a niche housebuilder developing quality, craftsman-built family homes with original design features on small, boutique sites. Today the business retains its original values, adding sustainability, flexibility and the growth of communities at the heart of every development.
Nathan started in construction as a teenager, working weekends as a hod carrier for a local bricklayer, whilst studying for his construction qualifications. He joined Frank Haslam Milan (FHM), one of the industry’s longest-established firms, as a trainee site manager and a degree in Construction followed. He took on senior site managerial posts within Keepmoat Group, which became Equans in 2021, rising to his last post as Regional Director, where he was responsible for the delivery of housing projects.
Nathan said: “The role at Swan Homes excites me. It’s a company with humility, transparency and integrity in all its dealings. My background is in building teams and bringing the right partners together to get things done. I like to work with dedicated SME contractors who can thrive, grow and prosper from the relationship. I am focused on creating transformational change within the business and the places it works, and opportunities for team members to develop their careers.
“I share the passion and enthusiasm of the Board and the team to work flexibly and dynamically in collaboration with our partners and other key stakeholders to create more homes and improve places to have a positive impact on local communities.”
Group Director Tariq Shah said: “We believe we have created a unique housebuilding business in Swan Homes. We have been looking for some time for an exceptional professional with construction and leadership experience to complement our existing team; someone who shares our vision for good quality enduring businesses with a social conscience that can thrive and grow. Nathan has the qualities we seek combined with an excellent technical background and a wealth of knowledge and contacts gained from a leadership role in a large business.
“He comes highly recommended by industry contacts; he understands how to treat partners and build teams, believing strongly, as I do, in supporting everyone in the business, giving each individual the opportunity to influence our direction and grow personally.”
Remote working platform raises £400k
A Leeds-based tech company whose advanced remote working software is used by the Home Office and the NHS has raised £400,000 from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), and angel investors.
Flabba’s platform integrates with standard videoconferencing software such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams to provide a complete workflow solution. It enables professionals to collaborate with colleagues in different locations and manage projects from start to finish – for example booking appointments, managing and sharing documents, recording meetings and creating reports.
Flabba was founded by Colin Rhodes, a HR professional who had worked for enterprises including Microsoft, and software engineer Anthony Marris. The platform – Neugo – was created in 2017 to enable Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to manage recruitment of doctors and nurses from locations worldwide and has since been deployed across 20 other NHS Trusts and service providers.
It has also been adapted to help the Home Office to interview visa applicants and been approved by the NHS for remote patient consultations. The company has now developed specific versions for sectors such as legal, financial advice, professional services and creative industries.
The funding will enable the team to work with existing partners Zoom and Microsoft Teams to develop apps, and with Amazon Web Services to incorporate machine learning. Flabba, which currently employs nine staff, is planning to create a number of new jobs in Leeds.
Colin Rhodes, CEO, said: “Remote working is here to stay and we are very excited to be driving innovation to make collaboration easier and more effective for everyone. The funding will allow us to add new features, drive uptake across different sectors and establish the Neugo platform as the leader in the field.”
Will Clark of Mercia added: “Flabba’s platform is the next level in remote working and is currently the only one of its type in the market. It has already attracted some high-profile users and partners but the potential audience is huge. The investment will allow the business to build on its ‘first mover’ advantage and accelerate its growth.”
PwC and Aire Logic join line-up of Leeds firms creating a more diverse future for digital
International professional services firm, PwC, and Northern-based tech company, Aire Logic, have joined the list of Leeds employers sponsoring an award-winning initiative designed to help break down barriers and encourage young people from underrepresented areas and backgrounds to consider a career in digital.
Developing young people’s understanding of the importance of digital skills in many different sectors and careers, Growing Talent Digital Leeds is being coordinated and delivered by social value professionals Ahead Partnership.
The initiative recently completed its first year of employer-led activities including masterclasses, careers panels, online resources and festivals, having already reached 12,000 young people across the city. Of those young people involved, 90% said that taking part in the programme helped them understand the skills needed to work in digital.
PwC and Aire Logic join existing programme partners AND Digital; Infinity Works; Netcompany; BJSS; Leeds City Council; and Leeds Trinity University in sponsoring the initiative, which recently won the Diversity & Inclusion Award at this year’s Leeds Digital Festival Awards in recognition of its work to help break down barriers of perception and prejudice around jobs that require digital skills.
Megan Lipp, head of development at Ahead Partnership, said: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming PwC and Aire Logic to join this important initiative and help develop a more diverse and inclusive future for the city’s business community.
“Digital is a fast-growing industry that spans sectors from professional services to education, and so a collaborative approach is needed to inform young people about how they can develop skills to pursue successful and rewarding digital careers, in turn helping employers to meet future demand for workforce talent.
“An incredible 249 volunteers from 50 businesses from across the city supported our first year of activity, and we welcome other digital employers in Leeds interested in joining this easy and flexible programme to get in touch and find out more about how they can get involved.”
Jo Wan, Principal Consultant Agile Delivery at Aire Logic, said: “We’re really proud to sponsor Growing Talent Digital Leeds and work in collaboration with the wide range of businesses across the city to make a meaningful contribution towards breaking down barriers, myths and stereotypes about working in digital roles and empowering young people with the digital skills they need for future success.
“The best thing about this programme is the feeling you get seeing young people excited about the possibilities that a career in tech could bring them. We’ve taken so much from the events we’ve been involved in so far and we are excited about our plans for the next year.”
LDC expands Yorkshire team with senior hire
The Yorkshire team of LDC, the mid-market private equity firm, has appointed James Marshall as an investment director to further increase its support for mid-market businesses across the region.
With almost 15 years’ experience in private equity and corporate finance, James joins the firm from private equity firm NorthEdge. In his previous role, James specialised in identifying investment opportunities and leading transactions across Yorkshire in a range of sectors, including TMT, healthcare and consumer.
A well-known figure in the Yorkshire business community, James previously worked in the corporate finance team at Dow Schofield Watts, and in the transaction advisory services team at EY.
In his new role, James will join LDC’s team in Yorkshire to underpin the firm’s commitment to invest in 100 medium-sized businesses nationally over the next five years.
Since April this year, LDC’s Yorkshire team has completed three transactions with a combined enterprise value of over £115m. This includes investments in York-based Cellhire, the global provider of mobile voice and data Internet of Things communications services, and Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), the UK’s leading cost benchmarking and valuation platform for construction.
Alongside its investments, the team exited its investment in Specialist People Services (SPS) – a Bradford-based recruitment business providing critical labour solutions to the UK and international logistics market – after a partnership of more than a decade.
Dan Smith, partner and head of LDC in Yorkshire, said: “James is a highly respected member of the Yorkshire investment community who is known for his supportive and collaborative approach and is a perfect fit for our team. He brings a wealth of experience having supported businesses and worked with advisers in our region for nearly 15 years. I’m excited to have him on board and I know he’ll help us realise our ambition to increase our investment in businesses across Yorkshire.”
James Marshall, investment director at LDC, added: “Dan and the team in Yorkshire have a reputation for successfully supporting some of the region’s standout business growth stories. I’m looking forward to working with the team as they strengthen the support they provide to management teams across the region.”
New head of intellectual property for rradar
rradar, the litigation and commercial law firm which specialises in digital and insurance innovation, has appointed Emma Yates as its new head of intellectual property.
rradar’s head office is in Hull, with other UK offices in Leeds, Glasgow, Birmingham and Leicester, with the firm now employing over 160 staff across its locations.
Richard Crabb, rradar’s chief operating officer, said: “I am delighted to announce that Emma Yates has joined rradar as head of intellectual property. She brings a wealth of expertise, having established herself as an intellectual property (IP) law specialist, with a particular focus on disputes.
“Before joining rradar, Emma was a senior associate (IP Litigation and Defamation) with Irwin Mitchell in Leeds where she represented the full spectrum of clients from small owner-managed businesses, to large corporations in relation to IP and defamation disputes and advisory matters in the UK and EU (prior to Brexit).
“IP is a high value and fast growing niche area in the legal landscape, and represents a specialist growth area for rradar that will contribute to the continued expansion of the business and support our vision within the insurance and non-insurance arenas.”
Emma said: “I am delighted to be joining rradar at such an exciting time, particularly at a critical part of its growth. After meeting the leadership team, it’s clear to me that the firm is committed to offering a different, smarter and competitive way of managing intellectual property issues for its clients.
“rradar has a fantastic reputation within the legal sector in the UK and it is a privilege to be joining such a well-respected firm. This is a tremendous opportunity for me and I look forward to establishing rradar as one of the leading and most-respected IP advisers in the north of England and beyond.”
Gary Gallen, rradar’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, added: “Emma’s significant appointment further demonstrates that rradar is always at the cutting edge of our sector and that we are in pole position to support our clients with whatever issues they face.
“As one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country, we are very proud of what we are achieving – and what we have achieved at rradar in the 10 years since the company was founded. Our business growth, underpinned by increased turnover and an expanding workforce, is both swift and sustainable. We now have the potential and the expertise to scale-up to be a global player within the legal sector, as we strengthen our customer services and solutions as part of our five-year strategic plan.”
Before joining Irwin Mitchell in 2015 Emma trained in London and studied at University College London and the University of Pennsylvania.
Plans submitted for 136-hectare sustainable urban extension transforming Skegness
The future transformation of Skegness has moved a crucial step closer as plans are submitted to deliver a 136-hectare sustainable urban extension creating hundreds of homes, much-needed jobs for the local community – and an exciting new future for the town’s generations to come.
The planned Skegness Gateway development to the west of the town will provide more than 20 hectares of combined retail, business and industrial space. It also will provide 1,000 new homes – including specialist housing, hundreds of jobs, much-needed open space and recreational amenities and a college and learning campus with space for business startups.
East Lindsey District Council will soon consult on a draft Local Development Order (LDO) allowing the opportunity for the public and other stakeholders to comment on the proposals.
The Skegness Gateway, on land principally owned by local family business Croftmarsh, with additional areas owned by the Scarbrough family, is set to breathe new life into an area of the Lincolnshire coast that drastically needs change in order to secure its future, boosting the local economy and providing the education and jobs for local people that will encourage them to stay in the area.
Croftmarsh says that the project is vital for the future-proofing of Skegness, helping it to take its rightful place in the East Midlands as a place of opportunity and ambition. The scheme will also boost social value for local people – both existing and new residents.
Sue Bowser, of Croftmarsh, said: “We are pleased to support the council in its vision to bring these ambitious plans to reality. This LDO submission is a really significant step. Our family has lived and worked in Skegness for many generations, so it’s a great source of pride that we can support a development that will help secure the town’s future by creating thousands of jobs and homes for both existing local residents and attract a new generation of people to the area.
“We are working closely with East Lindsey District Council and other partners to bring forward a scheme that will work alongside the regeneration being enabled by the Towns Fund.”
Once complete, the sustainable urban extension will help establish the town as a hub for investment, opportunity and ambition, as well as creating a new sustainable community that blends high-quality new homes with plentiful green space.
Sue added: “We know that Skegness is a town that needs economic transformation. The mechanism for that is through urban regeneration and expansion of skills, training and education – all secured by investment and infrastructure and digital connectivity.
“Ours is a town in real need. There isn’t enough money in the town to pay for this all year round and the secret to this is to have more people living here. We need to create jobs. We need to build infrastructure and provide the significant benefits that government is seeking in places such as Skegness.
“We want to enable the delivery of hundreds of new homes not just for the people who live in the local area – but for those people we want to attract to come and live and work in Skegness. This scheme will transform the area, putting it on the map and making the town famous not just for its beaches, but for its enterprise.”
The aspirations for the Skegness Gateway have been showcased to the local public and stakeholders through engagement events and were well received as a catalyst for economic growth and wider regeneration.
Matt Warman, MP for Boston and Skegness, said: “This local sustainable development includes a state of the art learning campus funded through the Skegness Town Deal, providing new training opportunities for the coast. Importantly, training including digital skills, motor vehicle, construction and engineering, will allow people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get the jobs they want.
“Removing barriers to learning is a key focus for the Towns Fund and I’m delighted that this funding from Government will be helping to deliver these local opportunities.”
The Sanderson family – which owns the majority of the land set for development – has lived and worked in the Skegness area for seven generations and has long been passionate about securing the town’s future by providing jobs, skills and opportunities.
Neil Sanderson, also of Croftmarsh and Sue’s brother, said: “Skegness Gateway really is close to our hearts and homes, and making sure it becomes the reality that puts our town firmly on the map is our key aim. This is a town that we have grown up in and really understand what a difference the scheme and its benefits will make to local people.
“The LDO submission marks a key point in the journey to making these plans a reality for the whole of Skegness and the wider area to benefit from. We look forward to continuing our support to East Lindsey District Council throughout the process – and to making its vision a reality.”
York’s independent traders to be offered funding to boost Christmas trade
Groups of independent retailers in York are to receive a £25,000 funding boost to help with promotion during the Christmas trading period and to attract more customers in 2023.
Traders’ associations and groups in Acomb, Goodramgate, Haxby and Wigginton, and Bishy Road will benefit from the funding pot to drive inclusive growth in the city’s small and ‘micro’ business sector.
The financial support comes from City of York Council’s Independent Retail Fund and follows previous funds provided by the council to help local businesses continue recovering from the pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, the council has particularly focused on supporting the city’s small and independent sector, in total allocating over £9m in discretionary and local funding alongside advice and other support.
This latest funding will support retailers’ efforts to attract shoppers during the 2022 festive season and at Easter in 2023. This will include Christmas markets and Christmas lights displays, small music festivals and Easter-related celebrations.
City of York Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, Ashley Mason, commented: “York’s vibrant small and independent business sector is the backbone of our city’s economy.
“They have had to weather some extremely difficult times over the last few years and the Council has done as much as possible to provide support throughout it.
“This latest set of funding will support our retailers’ efforts over the coming festive season and support them as they continue to grow and adapt.
“There are some very exciting plans in store by traders across the city, so I would urge residents and visitors to support our businesses and shop local. Christmas particularly is a great time to support our local businesses by purchasing unique gifts and local produce.”
The project is one of eight key, one-off projects to support inclusive growth in York. The council allocated £300,000 to eight key projects in 2019 to ensure that the benefits of economic growth in the city were felt by all residents.
These include:
- establishing a York Poverty Commission
- community hubs as drivers of economic growth
- greening our retail estate
- community jobs fairs
- vocational training and work for ages 14 and above
- independent retail growth fund
- mental health, wellbeing and employment
- York Economic Strategy consultation
