Ward welcomes York scrap merchant into the family
Midlands-based metal recycling and waste management specialist, Ward, has welcomed York scrap merchant, L. Clancey & Sons into its extended family with the acquisition of its metal processing business in York.
Independent, fourth generation family run business, Ward, has completed a deal with L. Clancey & Sons for its 3.9-acre scrap metal site in York and the business as a going concern. The acquisition of the business will further enhance the nationwide capabilities of Ward, offering greater coverage in the North of England, while enabling the succession planning of Clancey’s, as two of its partners take retirement.
Clancey’s has a well-established reputation, developed over its 160 history and this successful operating model will be maintained, as will the business name. One of the sellers, Richard Clancey, a member of the founding family, will stay on as site operations manager, employed by Ward and all other staff are being retained.
Thomas Ward, commercial director at Ward, said: “This is a really exciting time for both our family businesses. Clancey’s have a solid reputation in metal recycling, they share our values, outlook and approach to customers. We hope they will become an extension of the Ward team operationally, while retaining its own identity.
“This new site gives us even more geographical reach for both businesses with good transport links to our Midlands, Immingham and Redcar sites.”
Richard Clancey, partner, at L. Clancey & Sons, said: “Both our businesses are strongly family orientated and we have very similar values, from the way we look after our teams to the way we support our customers. This will be a really positive step for us all. Both myself and my daughter are looking forward to working with Ward and seeing what we can achieve together.”
Ward was supported with legal advice from Square One Law (led by Charlie Fielding) and financial due diligence was provided by PKF Smith Cooper (led by David Nelson). Azets (led by Stephen Garbett) and Harrowells (led by Matthew Rowley) acted on behalf of L. Clancey & Sons.
Manufacturing company fined after worker loses part of hand
Laxtons Limited, a West Yorkshire manufacturing company, has been fined for safety breaches after a worker lost part of their hand in a textile machine.
On 24 March 2021 an employee of Laxtons Limited was running a number of textile machines. When he opened a guard to check on a build-up of fibres, he reached in to remove material, losing part of his hand.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that one of the machines had a defective interlock device. This allowed the machine to continue running when the guard, which was located over a pair of in-running rollers and gears, was opened.
Laxtons Ltd of Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11 (1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. The company was fined £15,750 and ordered to pay £759 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
HSE inspector Julian Franklin said: “Machine guarding should be in line with the appropriate standard, and regularly checked.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply training staff in the safe and correct way of operating machinery, and regularly checking that safety devices are functioning.”
Leeds-based games developer secures £5.9m investment
Leeds-based independent games studio and virtual reality (VR) developer XR Games has secured £5.9m ($7m) investment, in a round led by existing investors act media ventures, Praetura Ventures and Maven.
This investment will support XR Games’ expansion as it moves to a brand-new studio in the centre of Leeds later this year. It will enable the business to grow its team as it invests in intellectual property (IP), the development of new games, and research into VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies, following the success of its Zombieland: Headshot Fever launch in 2021.
XR Games initially raised £1m in a round led by act media ventures (formerly known as ACT Capital Partners), and subsequently raised £1.5m in a round led by Praetura Ventures alongside act media ventures in 2019. XR Games raised a further £1.5m in 2021 as part of an investment round led by Maven utilising both Maven managed VCT Funds and NPIF – Maven Equity Finance, which is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF), with backing from act media ventures (formerly known as ACT Capital Partners).
In less than a year, XR Games has tripled its headcount to employ more than 85 people and continues to grow. In March, XR Games acquired specialist VR game studio Fierce Kaiju to expand its games portfolio and scale its teams. The expansion of XR Games’ team has allowed the company to take on larger projects, and revenues at the business grew tenfold last year.
XR Games works with major partners and internationally-renowned brands, including Sony Pictures VR and Rovio Entertainment, to create games for the rapidly-growing VR and AR market. The global industry saw sales of $21.8bn last year and is forecasted to grow to $84bn in 2028.
Bobby Thandi, XR Games founder and CEO, said: “We are extremely proud of the fantastic work and success the team at XR Games continues to achieve.“This latest investment will enable XR Games to continue to bring new innovations to the AR/VR sector over the next few years. Our new Leeds studio will allow us to continue to grow our team, and the number of projects we’re working on.
“And with the hundreds of applications we are receiving for each job vacancy, it’s clear there’s a growing appetite for this space. We’ll continue to push XR Games to the forefront of the new virtual reality revolution we are seeing in the creative industries.” Mark Lyons, director of investments at Praetura Ventures, said: “At Praetura Ventures, we pride ourselves on backing exceptional founders by providing our ‘more than money’ support to help them grow the best business they can.“XR Games is a stellar example of a northern business turning heads on a global stage. Since our first investment in 2019, it’s so rewarding to see the team’s continuous expansion in terms of both staff and development on their projects.”
Adam Schoff, CEO and founder of act media ventures, said: “As a very early investor in XR Games, we have been witness to the amazing growth of the company.“We are excited to participate in this latest investment round and look forward to the exciting journey ahead.”
Gavin Bell, investment director at Maven, said: “The team at XR Games has performed exceptionally since our original investment last year.“It’s great to see them expand their headquarters in the North and to continue to add talented people to the team. We’re very excited for what the future holds for XR Games.”
XR Games was advised by Park Place Corporate finance with legal advice provided by Lewis Silkin, Gateley Legal and TLT.
Chamber survey underlines what a tough time businesses have been having
Results of the Hull & Humber Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey come as no surprise by highlighting that this year’s Q2 was a challenging one for regional businesses, with most indicators in retreat as energy costs, inflation and interest rates all continued to rise.
Research by the Chamber highlighted difficult trading conditions across the board, with Home Sales and Orders and the export sectors all taking a pounding, with concerns over rising interest rates, pay settlements and raw material costs combining to contribute to a challenging business environment.
The Chamber’s QES reported Home Sales were down 42 points to 5, while Home Orders also tumbled, dropping 34 points to –3.
Export Sales tumbled 83 points to –50, while Export Orders mirrored the fall, dropping the same amount.
Employment in the last three months was also down, dropping 13 points to a balance figure of 0, while Employment Expectations for the next three months also dropped, but less dramatically, losing just 5 points as some businesses continue to struggle with recruiting staff, particularly in the hospitality sector.
Unsurprisingly, Cashflow in the last three months was also affected, dropping a further five points to –9, after a 60 point tumble in the first Quarter’s results.
Only 27 per cent of firms expect turnover to improve in the next quarter, while 25 per cent of firms expect it to decrease further, leaving a balance figure of 2, which represents a big drop from the figures seen in the last year of surveys.
The number of companies saying they were working at full capacity dropped by more than 25%, from 36% in the first quarter, to just 21% in this quarter, showing again the pressures local businesses are facing.
More than 70% of firms indicated that they are expecting to increase their prices in the next three months as the costs of raw materials and transportation costs rise, and for the second quarter in a row, no businesses said they were planning to reduce their pricing, but the balance figure was slightly down on that of Quarter 2 at 73 points.
With inflation predicted to peak at around 11% that was the biggest External Concern for Humber businesses, while competition and tax were also highlighted as issues. Business rates dropped a point, while fears over Interest Rates and Exchange Rates were also down slightly this time around.
The biggest pressure on prices this quarter was pay settlements, up 17 percent as employees seek larger pay rises in the face of rising costs across the board. Raw material costs were also highlighted, rising nine points higher than in the previous survey.
Concerns over the cost of finance were about the same as reported in the last survey, dropping just four points to a figure of 21%.
Investment in training fell to –9 points.
The Chamber’s External Affairs and Membership Director, David Hooper, said: “These results for Quarter 2 of 2022 clearly demonstrate that Humber businesses are facing pressure from almost every direction as energy costs, inflation, interest rates and staffing issues all continue to test our local business leaders.
“It all adds up to very difficult trading conditions across the board which are hitting business confidence as firms cut back on investment for the future as they try to cope with rising costs and soaring inflation.
“Inflated energy, petrol and diesel prices are all adding to the cost base for businesses and with supply chains still being affected by lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine, these challenges are unlikely to subside for a while yet.”
Packaging specialist to invest for growth following £250,000 funding deal
A Leeds-based custom-made transit packaging supplier is embarking on the next stage of its growth plans after agreeing a £250,000 flexible funding deal with Reward Finance Group.
Procurement Supplies provides a complete design, manufacture and ‘stock and serve’ service for environmentally-responsible transit packaging materials. Through its UK stockholding and logistics facility, the company has the advantage of being able to provide customers nationwide with a stable supply of products, including stretch film for pallets, tapes, shelf-ready corrugated cases (SRP) and transit outers – all of which protect goods during transport to customers.
The company was founded in 2020 after owners Paul and Stella Sykes spotted an opportunity to help businesses reduce the environmental impact of their packaging. Its products are carefully sourced according to their environmental composition and quality, and it is here where Procurement Supplies sees strong growth potential as its plastic products are exempt from the Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT) because they contain at least 30% recycled content.
Following an introduction by Mark Storey of BHP Debt Advisory LLP, Reward Finance Group recommended its Asset Based Solutions product which provides Procurement Supplies with access to a £250,000 facility. This will support the company’s growth by enabling it to leverage value from its assets, chiefly to invest in increasing its stockholding of sustainable packaging products sourced from its UK and Italian suppliers.
Commenting on the new funding deal, Paul Sykes, director of Procurement Supplies, said: “We are delighted that Reward have been able to provide us with a funding facility through its Asset Based Solutions that gives us the flexibility we need to grow and take the business forward. Working with Reward has been a pleasure, with Simon and the team taking time to understand our business and recognise the growth opportunities for us.”
Simon Micklethwaite, business development director at Reward Finance Group, added: “Procurement Supplies is a company with excellent growth prospects, particularly given the need for all businesses to operate more sustainably, and we are pleased to be able to support them. Through our Asset Based Solutions, Paul and his team have a flexible working capital facility at their disposal which can be used as and when required to suit the needs of the business.”
ABP to welcome public to Immingham port to celebrate its 110th birthday
Associated British Ports will open the Port of Immingham to the public on Saturday 23rd July, as it celebrates its 110th anniversary.
Immingham, which handles the largest weight of cargo on the Humber, was opened on 22 July 1912 by HM King George V and Queen Mary.
The 1,230-acre site was built to export of coal from the Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and was designed by Sir John Wolfe Barry, who built London’s Tower Bridge. Today it is home to the Humber International Terminal and the biomass railroad facility which is part of the Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal, Immingham Container Terminal, and Immingham Bulk Terminal.
Simon Bird, Regional Director in the Humber said: “We’re celebrating Immingham and how great it is as a port and where it sits nationally and globally. This weekend is special because we’ve spent two years in a pandemic and it’s an opportunity to showcase our world-class facilities.
“People will get a glimpse in to the work being done and the key part the port plays in the UK economy and the vital part it plays in keeping the country’s lights on. It’s a rapidly expanding port as it responds to global markets, and I think many will be amazed at what happens here.
“This open day is also a chance to share with people our history and strong connection to the town of Immingham, which developed because of the port. The museum, tin house and The County Hotel are all worth a visit too and will be open for visitors on Saturday.”
The free tours will commence from the Immingham Civic Centre, where people will be greeted by ABP representatives, take refreshments, and learn more about the port before starting the tour, including a look at the world’s largest hydraulic crane, which arrived in April.
There will also be an opportunity to learn about its history at Immingham Museum, which ABP supports, and visit the Tin House, built to house those who helped construct the port. There will be time to visit The County Hotel, which is home to a museum dedicated to Lord Louis Mountbatten, Admiral of the Fleet in the Second World War, when Immingham was the base for the fleet.
Second phase of Wakefield employment park starts on site
The second phase of the Flanshaw Business Park development in Wakefield has started on site this week.
West Yorkshire multi-let developer, Frank Marshall Estates of Bradford, bought the four-acre site from Flanshaw Property Ltd for £1.3 million in 2020.
Since then, the first phase of the employment park on the outskirts of Wakefield, by Junction 40 of the M1, has been fully let.
This phase was speculatively developed last year and featured 17 units, including seven hybrid Nano units and 10 light industrial and warehouse units ranging up to 9,500 sq ft.
The second phase of the development comprises 26,000 sq ft of brand-new units ranging in size from 1,500 sq ft up to 6,000 sq ft. Work has now started on site and it is scheduled to be completed by June next year. The main contractors are Percy Pickard of Bradford.
Edward Marshall, director of Frank Marshall Estates, said: “We are extremely proud of the success of our speculative development of the first phase of Flanshaw Way, which is a resounding endorsement of what Flanshaw has to offer, and we are delighted to be already receiving strong interest in the second phase.
“When we bought this land, we promised to create the best business park that Wakefield has ever had. We are now delivering on that promise, despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding Yorkshire’s commercial property market.
“It is clear that there is a massive pent-up demand in West Yorkshire for high-quality buildings of 10,000 sq ft and under in great locations. We are pleased to be the leading developer in the region for this specific market.
“We favour quality local businesses as tenants, as we enjoy dealing with people who love their business as much as we love ours. Our great relationships with all the occupiers of the first phase of Flanshaw Way proves this point.
“Wakefield is a logistics and distribution hotspot, thanks to its superb position at the centre of Yorkshire’s excellent motorway network. We estimate that the park, once it is fully developed out, will maintain 200 new and sustainable jobs, providing a substantial boost to the area’s economy.
“This is already a development of which Wakefield is justifiably proud. The city is a well-established commercial centre with a large, skilled labour force. The majority of occupiers of our first phase are quality local businesses who needed properties to match their expanding businesses. But we are also bringing companies from other areas into Wakefield.”
Rob Oliver, principal at property consultancy Avison Young, said: “When we sold this site to Frank Marshall Estates, we were confident from the outset that a scheme of this nature would be well received by the local occupational market. Whilst there has been a number of mid-size and big box developments in the Wakefield area over recent years, there has been relatively little development of smaller units, despite good demand.
“We are delighted that this development has been so well received by the local occupational market and are proud of our role in securing deals here,” he added.
Avison Young are the joint marketing agents for Flanshaw Way, together with Hazel Cooper of Carter Towler and Jonathan O’Connor of Ryden.
New homes initiative will pump £180m into economy to build homes on underused brownfield sites
Derelict and underused brownfield sites across England will be transformed into thousands of new homes, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced.
From now, councils will be able to apply for a share of the new £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, which will help to transform disused urban areas into 17,600 new homes and create around 54,000 jobs over the next four years.
The first phase saw £300,000 released for Rotherham to provide 44 new homes on the site of two former adult care residential facilities
An initial £40 million is available to support local regeneration projects, releasing council land for around 4,000 new homes (and creating 12,400 jobs). The Government says the move will boost local economies and help thousands of young people and families into homeownership. The remaining £140 million of the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 will be made available to councils over the next 2 years.
The scheme forms part of the government’s plan to level up communities across the country and turn unloved areas into new places for people to live and work
Minister for Government Efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Opening up this land is a fantastic opportunity for regeneration, improving government efficiency and playing a vital role in tackling the housing shortage while increasing home ownership. I am pleased to see this work is being delivered, after many attempts over the decades.
“This will provide a boost to the economy, foster the creation of thousands of jobs, and it is also the opportunity to convert derelict and unloved land into beautiful new hamlets or villages, which will give many young families their first step on the housing ladder.”
The fund aims to support the transformation of small council-owned sites that have been previously developed, by funding small scale infrastructure and remediation work to enable the release of the land for new homes. This builds on the success of the first Brownfield Land Release Fund which saw £77 million go to councils across the country to release brownfield sites for around 7,750 new homes. As with the previous scheme, the new fund will be delivered through the One Public Estate partnership between the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Office of Government Property and the Local Government Association. Councils will be able to draw on their understanding of local needs in determining the type, tenure and delivery approach for the new homes. They have until 19 August 2022 to submit applications via the designated accountable body of their local OPE Partnership.Doncaster College welcomes development of sign language 999 service
Pathway Learning Mentor Karen Holdsworth is celebrating the launch of the new British Sign Language 999 emergency service app, and the fact that her grandson features in its promotional video.
A new app allows users to make free calls to UK emergency services through a BSL interpreter. Karen Holdsworth, who has worked at Communication Specialist College Doncaster for 15 years, is thrilled that the new service has been created.
She said: “If anything was to happen to anyone, or if I was to witness something, I can now contact the emergency services directly myself without having to rely on someone to telephone them on my behalf, therefore wasting valuable time.
“Also, my children are able to do the same, using BSL via my phone if anything was to happen to me. This direct access to the emergency services will save lives and remove another barrier to good health and wellbeing for deaf people.
“I think it’s fantastic, very huge and it has been a long time coming. Finally!”
Karen’s son Daniel attended Doncaster College for the Deaf, which later became Communication Specialist College Doncaster, to study sports between 2004 and 2007. Her grandson, Noah, aged 9, is an actor in Hollyoaks, where he plays Oscar Osborne.
She said: “Seeing Noah in the promotional video for the new BSL 999 service is a real sense of pride for me and my family.
“Sign Health asked Noah to be in the film and Daniel was very happy for him to be involved. The more people that know about the service the better.”
CSCD and Doncaster School for the Deaf will be talking about the new service with pupils and students in their lessons to make sure that they know what is available and how it can help them.
For more information about the 999 BSL service, FAQs, and how to download the app, visit the 999BSL website.
Gleeson gets green light for 232 homes in Holton le Clay, and looks for local labour
Gleeson Homes has been given planning permission for 232 homes on Louth Road in Holton le Clay.
Construction at what’s to be called Holton Croft is expected to start in December this year and will take until January 2030 to complete. The development’s three show homes are anticipated to launch in November next year, with the first homes released for sale around Spring 2023, and the first residents expected to move in in November 2023.
Gleeson will be providing financial contributions of £128,000 towards highways, plus a further £122,100 investment into the NHS, as well as building a new cycleway connection along Louth Road. Holton Croft will also consist of 30% affordable homes and is anticipated to create 20 employment opportunities for local trades.
Holton Croft will be Gleeson’s second development in the area, with Macaulay Park in Grimsby located just six miles away and seeing great success, with 125 of the 224 homes already sold.
Wayne Sutton, Regional MD for Yorkshire East, said: “We believe this development will further enhance our presence within the community and demonstrate our commitment to the region, complementing our existing local development, Macaulay Park, where we have seen strong and encouraging levels of local demand. We are looking forward to working with the community and will employ a workforce that comprises of local labour, including apprentices and contractors.”
Gleeson is seeking local labour and sub-contractors to work on this new development, including applications from local young people who are interested in joining the Gleeson apprenticeship scheme.
