Rapidly expanding Smart Repairs moves into top gear with record-breaking year
Smart Repairs, the independent cosmetic vehicle repairer, has announced a record-breaking year.
The Leeds-based company, which recently bought 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, has seen its turnover grow by 34 per cent.
This year turnover will soar to £7m, with net profit set to exceed seven figures.
Darryl Short, Managing Director, explained: “This has been a game-changing year for us. We had previously concentrated on looking after customers and clients in the north of England, but this year we have expanded our operations to service the whole of the UK.
“One of the keys to our rapid – and sustainable – expansion has been our flourishing new relationship with Insurance Underwriters Fortegra, which has come about because of a number of factors.
“Fortegra were looking for a working relationship with a company that had a proven track record for outstanding levels of service, a company which wanted to grow with their own client base and showed a genuine desire to go above and beyond.
“This contract is gaining momentum by the day, with repairs of more than 300 cars per week for this one client alone. Significantly, Fortegra is one of the many new clients added to our portfolio this year.”
Smart Repairs, which has 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. The company currently employs 92 staff across the UK with that number expected to rise to 110 by the end of this year.
Phil Newstead added: “Clearly the global pandemic had its challenges last year, but one of its consequences was a boom in the second-hand car market, which naturally led to a great deal more work for us. We managed to stay open and working most of the time, despite the difficulties of the various lockdowns.
“We are expanding across the UK this year, with a special focus on the M25, Essex, the North West, the North East and Scotland. We are now hiring experienced mobile technicians to help with this expansion drive, which will see full UK coverage by the end of the year.
“We can both see that our future is in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”
NatWest ‘should have known better’ as it’s forced to give money back to more than 700 SMEs
NatWest is being forced to refund a share in more than £600,000 to more than 700 SMEs after it wrongfully forced them to open current accounts to secure a loan, which cost money.
The Competition and Markets Authority has found that NatWest breached banking rules by forcing business customers to open a business current account, which incurs fees, in order to secure a loan – a practice known as ‘bundling’.
As such, hundreds of businesses have been charged monthly for a business account that they may not have wanted or needed. It also limited businesses’ choice as they were unable to hold an account with a separate provider, which may have better met their requirements.
The breach lasted for more than three years, with NatWest failing to alert the CMA until January last year. Having scrutinised the error more closely, the CMA became aware the bank had signed certain customers up to a business account, when they had specifically requested to have a fee-free account.
Adam Land, CMA Senior Director of Remedies, said: “Forcing businesses to open costly current accounts to secure essential loans is unacceptable – and a direct breach of our rules, which have been in place for 20 years. NatWest should have known better. These rules are there for a reason: to make sure small businesses are treated fairly, and to make sure the market is competitive.
“The CMA has now issued legal directions to NatWest, and the bank is in the process of refunding affected customers. NatWest will now write to all affected SME customers with a business account to offer them the option of switching to a fee-free loan servicing account.”
The move comes as part of the CMA’s crackdown on breaches of its banking rules. Over the past four years, it has put a stop to bundling by HSBC, Dankse Bank, Clydesdale and Lloyds, as well as securing millions in refunds in relation to overdraft charges: £17 million for Santander customers, £11 million for Metro Bank customers, £8 million for HSBC customers, and £7 million for Nationwide customers.
New rules will protect UK’s pork industry, says Government minister
Strict new controls restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain to help safeguard Britain’s pigs from the threat of African swine fever have been announced.
African swine fever poses no risk to human health, but is a highly contagious disease for pigs and wild boar. It has been spreading in mainland Europe leading to the deaths of thousands of pigs and causing significant disruption to the meat trade. With no vaccine available, the disease poses a significant risk to this country’s domestic pig herd and long-term ability to export pork and other pork products around the globe.
UK’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Richard Irvine said: “If African swine fever ever reached the UK it would have a severe and damaging impact on our pigs and pig industry. A single outbreak of this highly infectious disease would also harm relations with our trading partners and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of our pig farmers.
“We are taking this action to limit the risk of disease spreading by banning people bringing in high-risk pork and pork products that could carry this virus until further notice. Everyone can do their bit to help stop animal diseases spreading to this country by simply not bringing pork and other meats onto our shores.”
The new control, which came into force yesterday, will strengthen the requirements for bringing pork and pork products into Great Britain from the EU and European Free Trade Association states. It will no longer be legal to bring pork or pork products weighing over two kilograms unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards. This does not apply to commercial imports, which remain unaffected by the control.
This action comes after a new risk assessment recognising that the chance that the ASF virus may be brought into Great Britain stands at ‘medium risk’. It found that the most likely way the virus could be introduced to Great Britain is by a member of the public bringing pork or pork products back from an ASF-affected country. This measure will help limit possibly infected pig meat being brought into Great Britain through various means, such as in passengers’ luggage or in vehicles.
Biosecurity Minister Lord Richard Benyon said: “An outbreak of African swine fever is one of the biggest threats our pig industry faces today. We are not complacent and this decisive and proportionate action will stop the entry of pork products that pose the greatest risk. It is essential we maintain the highest levels of biosecurity and all visitors to the UK will need to abide by these new regulations.”
Job creation in Leeds and Sheffield comes from £2bn Government building sell-off
More civil service jobs have been moved to our region than anywhere else in the country as part of a scheme to save more than £2 billion in savings from property sales and efficiencies, says Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.
The new strategy will accelerate the Places for Growth programme, which is moving 22,000 civil service roles out of London by 2030. The scheme has already relocated 7,000 jobs out of the capital, including 1,389 moved to Yorkshire & the Humber – the most of any UK region.
The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Department for Health and Social Care have moved more than 500 roles to Leeds while the Department for Education and Home Office contribute to around 250 Civil Service roles now based in Sheffield.
As part of the plans, the government will sell £1.5 billion of properties over the next three years, and predicts £500 million of savings from reduced operating costs, using modern building materials and energy sources, and cutting spend on leases.
Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “We are cutting the cost of the public estate so that we can return money to the taxpayer. All spending on government property needs to be justified. This will also help us deliver the Places for Growth programme, which will allow greater savings and mean the government is closer to the communities it serves.
The government estate is made up of hundreds of thousands of assets, from prisons and courts, to schools and museums, hospitals and health surgeries, job centres, military bases, administrative offices, and many more, spread all around the UK.
It will also ensure the Government estate supports delivery of the 25 Year Environment Plan and the Greening Government Commitments. Progress has already been made in this area with emissions from the government estate having fallen 57% since 2009.
The strategy outlines other successes which have already been delivered. These include reducing water consumption by 14%, and reducing the overall waste products from departments by 51%.
Tax avoidance scheme users urged to get out or face significant tax bills
Users of tax avoidance schemes have been urged to quit them after HMRC has named scheme operators for the first time.
HMRC is using new powers to publicly name directors of tax avoidance promoting companies, with customers being warned to leave the firms’ schemes or risk large tax bills.
Adam Fathers is the director of tax avoidance promoter Saxonside Ltd while Stuart John Brooke is behind tax avoidance promoter The Umbrella Agency Ltd.
HMRC says naming the directors behind these schemes will alert the public to steer clear of any avoidance schemes promoted by other companies with the same directors.
Mary Aiston, HMRC’s Director of Counter Avoidance, said: “Naming the people behind tax avoidance schemes is a crucial step in helping customers stay clear of current and future schemes they promote.
“Our recent action should serve as a stark warning to promoters who think they can get away with peddling avoidance schemes. We will continue to use all the powers at our disposal to crack-down on promoters.
“Customers who think they’re involved in a tax avoidance scheme, should withdraw from the scheme and contact us for help as soon as possible.”
The Umbrella Agency Ltd and its director have been exposed for the first time today. HMRC has also exposed the director of the previously named promoter Saxonside Ltd, with users of both schemes warned to withdraw or risk large tax bills. Both schemes’ users enter an employment contract with the promoter and are then paid the National Minimum Wage. Scheme users then receive the remainder of their income disguised in a bid to avoid paying Income Tax and National Insurance. Schemes such as these often wrongly promise their users can avoid National Insurance and Income Tax. A total of 15 companies involved in promoting tax avoidance schemes have been named by HMRC, though this is not a complete list of all tax avoidance schemes currently being marketed, nor a complete list of all promoters, enablers, and suppliers.Land Registry plans home-buying shake-up with switch to digital system
The Land Registry has launched strategy to help deliver a fully digital property market supported by a modern land registration system.
The vision includes a three-year Business Plan to guide the next stage of its digital transformation involving harnessing the power of digital tools and automation to speed up the homebuying process, in a move supported by the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, the Conveyancing Association, the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, the Council of Property Search Organisations, the Law Society, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Society of Licensed Conveyancers and UK Finance.
Acknowledging that the current system does not meet some basic expectations for a modern, professional service, and is therefore stressful and confusing, Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar of HM Land Registry, Simon Hayes, said: “This is a pivotal moment. The very high level of activity in the property market in recent times has underlined the urgency with which all players in the market need to work together to improve the system.
“With property transactions taking record time to complete, it is imperative that we work as partners to innovate and remove friction so that the process is as quick and painless as possible. For HM Land Registry, that means a step-change in our offering to customers so that they receive an outstanding, fully digital service.
`”As we do so, we are placing people – those buying and selling property – at the heart of our transformation.
Grant helps to bring historic building back into commercial use
The former Consolidated Fisheries building on the Port of Grimsby is to get a new lease of life thanks to an £18,800 heritage grant.
The Partnership Scheme in Conservation Arearepair grant will now allow them to re-render external walls, repair windows, replace cast iron rainwater goods, and reinstate the flagpole. WE1 Group (Heritage) Ltd, which leases the building from owners ABP, has been restoring the building since December 2021.
The grant scheme is a joint project between Historic England and North East Lincolnshire Council, with support from ABP and the council’s regeneration partner EQUANS and is designed to preserve and enhance Conservation Areas such as the Kasbah which sits within the Greater Grimsby Heritage Action Zone.
Simon Bird, ABP Regional Director for the Humber ports said: “It’s great to see another business taking on a building to bring it back to life. The Kasbah is emerging as a vibrant place and with the repair work being carried out it’s becoming an attractive area for people to move their businesses to.”
Steve Ridlington, MD of WE1 Group Heritage, said: “We are extremely excited to be involved with the Grimsby Heritage Action Zone and everything that is happening at the Port of Grimsby. We started renovating two properties on the docks in August 2021 and we now have twelve properties under restoration, we have six clients moving into three of our renovated workspaces this year.
“This is an amazing place to be, you are surrounded by so much rich history and the architecture is so inspiring, this is a really exciting time for Grimsby and we feel privileged to be associated with ABP and the Heritage Action Zone.”
Cllr Tom Furneaux, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Heritage and Culture at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We must look to a positive future for Grimsby and with the changes planned for our town centre and beyond, that will happen. In doing so, we must take our heritage with us where we are able – remembering where we have come from in order to grow. When we see schemes such as this, there is evidence that this is indeed happening. It is also a fantastic example of the council and its public sector partners working with businesses to successfully bring about change in one of our most historic and important areas.”
The building, which until March 2021 had been operated by George Herd, will re-open as the Black Gull Café. It’s hoped it will be in time for the Heritage Open Day on Saturday 17th September.
The PSiCA grant scheme is open to businesses on the Kasbah or organisations that may be interested in moving to this Conservation Area. Anyone interested should contact Stella Jackson, Heritage Action Zone Project Manager, at HAZ@nelincs.gov.uk.
Ripon Farm Services opens new Malton depot
Ripon Farm Services (RFS), the agricultural machinery suppliers, has moved into a new depot at the 30-acre Eden Business Park near Malton.
RFS has taken possession of a high-quality 22,000 sq ft building at the multi-million pound business park, which is located immediately off the A64 by the Pickering Road (A169) junction by Eden Camp.
Richard Simpson, commercial director of RFS, said: “The opening of our new Malton depot is a major milestone for Ripon Farm Services and signals our intention to ramp up the investment in our long-term future.
“This new building reflects the importance we place on serving the North and East Yorkshire farming, equestrian and ground care communities. We will be providing the full range of services that you would expect from a John Deere main dealer and will also be moving our Ifor Williams trailer dealership into our new depot.
“In addition, we will have a huge range of ground care equipment for both Groundscare professionals and homeowners alike. We can’t wait to get going,” he added.
The new flagship building will feature offices, training suites and meeting facilities for staff and customers and has been specially designed to accommodate the rapidly growing combine harvester business, including the John Deere X9. The new Malton location is the company’s twelfth depot in all.
Richard Simpson added: “We are especially pleased to be making such a big investment to improve our facilities in Malton, which has the enviable – and entirely justified – reputation as the food capital of the north. It is at the centre of North Yorkshire’s extensive agricultural community, which we are looking forward to serving.”
Miles Lawrence, director of York-based property consultants Lawrence Hannah, who are marketing Eden Business Park along with AWS Ltd on behalf of Yorkshire developers Commercial Development Projects (CDP) in conjunction with the Fitzwilliam Trust Corporation, explained: “We are delighted to welcome a company with such an excellent reputation as Ripon Farm Services. Their move is a ringing endorsement of the quality of Eden Business Park and marks the successful launch of Phase Two of the development.”
Plans submitted to create visitor destination and education centre within the grounds of historic Harlaxton Manor
Urban Edge Architecture has submitted a planning application to South Kesteven District Council on behalf of Harlaxton College for the restoration of the disused Walled Garden at the historic Harlaxton Manor, near Grantham, to create a stunning and sustainable visitor attraction and educational experience.
As landscape architect and project lead, Urban Edge worked in close collaboration with Harlaxton College to create a masterplan for the 56.65ha site and a detailed landscape design focused around the historic Grade II* Listed Walled Garden, which will not only restore the historic fabric, but recreate the original productive function of the garden and introduce opportunities for education and participation.
The proposals have been submitted following extensive engagement with stakeholders and with representatives of the community and officers of South Kesteven District Council, Historic England and Lincolnshire County Council.
Andrew Cottage, head of Landscape Design at Urban Edge, said: “This is an exceptional project in which we have applied our landscape design skills and understanding of the historic environment to deliver a practical and beautiful scheme that will meet the needs of the College and satisfy the requirements of Historic England and the planning authority.
“On completion the public will have access to assets of heritage significance which have previously been inaccessible to visitors helping them to understand, appreciate and interpret the past.”
The Walled Garden will be made fully accessible and will be arranged around a series of axial vistas dividing the area into a series of garden rooms, each with a different character. Some areas will focus on the historic roots of the garden, emphasising the production of fruit, vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, with others being themed with specialist planting, such as four seasons, medicinal and sensory gardens. Tall hedges aligned with the axial paths will introduce a sense of intrigue and drama by not allowing the whole garden rooms to be seen at once and will create a sense of arrival in to the next character area.
The scheme includes associated visitor infrastructure such as a new car park; footpath network and play area, whilst a large lawn will create a flexible space for informal gatherings and more formal events such as performances and parties. The listed Gardener’s House is being restored and converted by HP Architects Ltd into a new café, visitor facilities and education centre. The two historic vineries will be sensitively replaced and will serve as a café seating area with splendid views across the gardens and an education centre.
Despite the challenges of working with heritage assets, sustainability was a key focus of the design, which included elements such as green roofs, ground source heat pumps and solar panels on the roof of the new energy centre. EV charging points will be included in the car park, and the whole project is targeting BREEAM Very Good.
Concludes Andrew: “This is a remarkable opportunity for us to be involved in a very exciting project to restore an historic walled garden and make it relevant in the 21st century, creating opportunities for education, participation and horticultural innovation. It was immensely rewarding to lead and coordinate such a talented multidisciplinary design team to achieve such an impressive outcome.”
Urban Edge’s design is part of an on-going process by Harlaxton College, the overseas study centre of the University of Evansville, in close liaison with Historic England, to restore and preserve the historic features within the estate and remove the Grade II* listed grounds and gardens from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
Full Design Team:
Landscape Architect: Urban Edge Architecture
Architect: HP Architects Ltd
Business planner and Cost Consultant: Focus Consultants
M&E Engineer: BCA
Structural and Civil Engineer: CTP Engineers
Sustainability Consultant: Focus Consultants
Ecologist: Inspired Ecology
Arboriculturalist: RPS
North Lincolnshire promises faster pothole repair thanks to vehicle leasing agreement
Scunthorpe-based business Archway Roadmaster has leased a pothole repairing machine to North Lincolnshire Council to speed repairs and slash carbon emissions.
The machine will be able to fill potholes four times faster than the current system, reducing carbon emissions by as much as 80% in the process.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We cannot stop potholes forming but we can improve how we tackle the problem – this new machine it means they can be repaired much quicker and it will play a big part in our highway improvement works going forward.”
The new machine is safer for those carrying out the work and drivers as everything is controlled from inside the cab and it is much quicker, repairing defects in minutes with minimal disruption to traffic.
Cllr Neil Poole, cabinet member for Highways, said: “This is a strategic investment in our road network and will make a huge difference to communities across the area.”
Now the council is looking for suggestions to name the machine ahead of its maiden shift – anything goes, as long as they are fun, original – and clean.
Cllr Poole added: “As it’s the first pothole machine we are using in North Lincolnshire, we decided it was only right and proper it is given a name. We received some amazing ideas from people when naming the gritters so I’m expecting some imaginative ideas this time.”
