Centrica study predicts sales of more than 160,000 electric vehicles for business this year
UK businesses are set to adopt more than 163,000 electric vehicles this year as part of a major investment in fleet electrification, according to a new study by Centrica Business Solutions.
The increase would see over a third more business operated EVs on the road by the end of 2022, compared to the 121,000 registered by firms last year.
The research also found businesses spent £11.6bn on EVs and supporting infrastructure in 2021 and are planning a 15% spending increase over the next year, taking the total investment in fleet electrification to £13.6bn.
three in five fleet operating businesses said they expect to operate a 100% electric fleet within the next four years, comfortably ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles.
Almost half said they had increased the number of EVs in their fleet over the last 12 months. However, despite the record levels of planned investment, almost two thirds of businesses are worried about accessing public charging points to keep their fleet moving.
To overcome the charging challenge, almost half have installed EV charging points at their premises, with more than a third (36%) planning to invest in on-site charging infrastructure in the next 12 months.
The research also revealed that two fifths (40%) of businesses have invested in renewable energy generation technology such as solar panels to power their fleets, while a further two fifths (43%) plan to do so in the year ahead.
Greg McKenna, MD of Centrica Business Solutions said: “The UK continues to make significant inroads towards achieving its electric vehicle ambitions and it’s encouraging to see UK businesses prioritising investment in the journey towards electrification over the next 12 months.
“Businesses will continue to play a vital role in achieving the UK’s green transport ambitions, but with a record number of EVs expected to enter the UK this year, we must ensure the supply of vehicles and wider charging infrastructure is robust enough to meet the demand. Combining energy technology such as solar panels and battery storage into the wider charging infrastructure will help harness renewables and reduce the demand on the grid during peak charging times.”
Surveying practice becomes employee-owned
A surveying practice with offices in Leeds is transferring ownership of the company to its employees.
Trident Building Consultancy is a limited company and all shares have now passed to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT).
Directors at the consultancy, which has over 90 staff, said it was “business as usual” with the existing management structure staying in place.
Employees will benefit from a greater say in how the company is operated and how available profits will be shared by employees every year.
Trevor Dowd, Trident’s MD and one of its founding partners, said: “We have been looking at various options for Trident’s future, looking for one that would benefit all our staff as well as one that secured our long-term success.
“We have put in place a succession plan that will see new generations at Trident continuing to support our existing clients and developing new ones based on our reputation long after myself and others have retired.
“We think the Employee Ownership Trust is the perfect solution and we are incredibly excited for the next chapter in the Trident story.
“The trust will be managed by five trustees, who will act on behalf of all employees. I genuinely believe this is an amazing opportunity for every employee to become a part owner of the company.”
Employee Ownership Trusts were introduced in the Finance Act 2014, with the aim of facilitating a shift towards “a John Lewis economy” so the employees of a firm receive some of the benefits normally enjoyed by private shareholders.
Executive director Daniel Roe added: “Trident has always been a people-centred business, so when we were looking at options for the future of the company, setting up an EOT was the obvious choice.
“It’s always been vital to us that our staff feel a strong sense of value and belonging, and the EOT is the most tangible and practical way of us demonstrating that.
“The move secures the Trident brand for the long term and moving forward it can be steered by the company’s most valuable asset – our people.”
Trident Building Consultancy was founded 24 years ago and has an £8m turnover. The practice has offices in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Dublin, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
Sheffield hotel sold to international hospitality group
Specialist hospitality and leisure property adviser, Christie & Co has sold the Quays Hotel and adjacent multi-story car park in Sheffield off a guide price of £10 million.
Confidentially brought to market on behalf of Furnival Quay Ltd, the 128-bedroom purpose-built hotel, which occupies a three-acre site, had previously traded as one of Hilton’s core-branded, four-star UK properties.
Following a strategic review of the business by Christie & Co’s consultancy team including an operator search and selection process, Legacy Hotels were appointed to reopen the hotel which was rebranded in 2020 as a Best Western Plus. Christie & Co’s Corporate Hotel team then utilised it’s regional UK network, managing the sale process in collaboration with David Lee, regional director – Hospitality North East.
The sale has concluded to Canadian-headquartered Northland Properties Corporation, the parent company of multiple hotel chains, restaurants and sports teams, founded in 1963 and owned by the Gaglardi family.
Northland presently operate three hotels in the UK under their Sandman Signature brand in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Gatwick with a number of new locations currently in negotiation and under consideration.
Dale Fixter, on behalf of Furnival Quay Ltd, says: “As experienced, local developers and investors, we acquired the former Hilton hotel and adjacent MSCP with a view to either redeveloping all or part of the site given it was a building of over 100,000 sq ft on a three-acre site close to the city centre.
“Together with the Christie & Co team and Legacy Hotels, we worked through a variety of scenarios and the competitive bidding achieved for the property validates our decision to proceed with the sale to a long-term owner with significant operational expertise.”
Mitch Gaglardi of Northland Properties adds: “The acquisition of the Quays Hotel is a strategic one for our group as we look build our UK platform. The extensive real estate plays to our development skills and we look forward to showcasing the next Sandman Signature following the significant programme of investment we envisage being undertaken in due course.”
Jeremy Jones, head of Hotel Brokerage at Christie & Co, concludes: “The demand for good quality, freehold provincial hotels with further potential for development remains strong, with competitive interest from a variety of corporate operators being generated in this particular instance.”
Help with tax welcome, but we’re still worse off than in spring, says FSB
Responding to new income tax and national insurance contribution thresholds introduced yesterday, FSB Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said: “It’s right that the Government ensures employees and sole traders can keep more of what they earn.
“That said, memories haven’t faded of the tax hikes that landed in April, which today’s changes only partially unwind. These adjustments shouldn’t be seen in isolation, we still face a higher tax burden than we did in March.
“Higher Employer NICs rates still mean less money in the economy for pay rises, let alone sustainable investment, recruitment and discretionary spending.
“Though the Employment Allowance marks a vital relief on Employer NICs, and we’d encourage all small firms to check their eligibility, we need to see government go much further in addressing the cost of doing business crisis that underlies the cost of living emergency.
“Amid surging fuel prices, spiralling energy bills, higher debt costs, a weakened pound, supply chain disruption, labour shortages and new trade paperwork, firms are still faced with the biggest tax burden since the late 1940s.
“Taxes which are levied with no regard for profitability or ability to pay – not least business rates, NICs, VAT and fuel duty – are really hurting firms at the moment.
“Doing more to alleviate their impact on margins would go a long way to helping small businesses, many of which are hanging by a thread.”
Euro Pool System signs ten-year ease on iPort premises
Euro Pool System has signed a 10-year lease for a 10,850 m2 high-quality distribution facility at Doncaster’s iPort.
iP1a is the third of four speculatively-developed warehouses completing at iPort this year.
John Clements, Executive Director at Verdion, said: “Euro Pool System is an innovative business leading the way in sustainability and efficiency in the fresh supply chain with their returnable packaging containers, and we are pleased to be able to facilitate the growth requirements for the company’s business in the UK. With discussions under way well before the building was completed, this deal is further evidence of the demand we are experiencing from potential tenants reinforcing the importance of our wider speculative development programme.”
Dirk Vercammen of Euro Pool System, commented: “iPort is one of the UK’s most advanced multimodal logistics hub and industrial accommodation close to Junction 3 of the M18 and the East Coast Main Line. It provides an ideal base as a strategic location for Euro Pool System expansion in the UK to service customer needs using advanced solutions for our retail customers.”
In addition to this year’s 63.000 m2 of speculative development and existing facilities for Amazon, Fellowes, CEVA, Lidl, Maritime Transport, Dusk, Kingsbury Press and Woodland Group, iPort’s remaining 158.000 m2 includes capacity for further specialist buildings up to 74.000 m2.
KCom names four new winners of it Community Grants
A sanctuary for refugees, a pre-school charity, a tree planting foundation and a group helping people stay safe at night are the latest winners of a KCOM Community Grant.
The grant scheme, which donates up to 1,000 to community groups and charities, highlights groups which improve the quality of life for people across the KCOM region of Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.
The four latest winners are Hull’s Welcome House, Barrow Upon Humber Pre-School, The PATT Foundation in Preston and Hull Street Angels.
Neil Bartholomew, KCOM Retail’s MD, said: “These groups are doing amazing things to help make life better in their local communities and I’m honoured to help and support these truly deserving causes.”
Nicola Johnson, of Barrow Pre-School, said their grant will be used to provide the children with more facilities and opportunities at their already established forest school area.
She said: “We would firstly say a huge ‘THANK YOU’ and be very excited as a preschool. We would not be able to wait to put the grant to good use and impact on the children’s learning and wellbeing.”
Dr Andrew Steele, CEO of The PATT Foundation, said: “The grant will help us kickstart a bigger ongoing project as we’re looking to open the doors at the facility to the wider community. We’ve been working hard for six months to get to this position with a lot of the work self-funded by PATT and volunteer time to resurrect a site that has formerly been derelict for five years.
“We also hope to offer KCOM the opportunity to volunteer on-site as in parallel we will be growing trees to support the Northern Forest. This is the first step in forging relationships around the city with different groups so that we can collaborate and help more people.”
Welcome House will use its £1,000 grant to buy a chiller unit to store donated meals and drinks which they can safely pass on to their service users.
Bashir Siraj, General Manager of Welcome House, said: “We are very grateful and thankful, this will make a huge difference to us.”
Hull Street Angels provide help and support individuals who need a helping hand on the evening weekends in Hull City Centre. Their £400 grant will support the production of promotional literature to raise awareness and provide a conflict resolution course for volunteers.
The charity’s spokesperson said: “Thank you for the grant, it will help greatly towards raising awareness of our work in the community.”
KCOM Community Grants were launched in 2006 and have since supported hundreds of local groups to make life better in their communities.
Grants of up to £1,000 each are awarded every two months and are available to any charity or community group with the KCOM area of Hull, East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. The window for applications is always open and the only criteria for entry is that each entrant must work to improve the quality of life for people within their area.
EY Yorkshire welcomes new office managing partner and three partner appointments
EY has announced Tim West as the new office managing partner in Yorkshire to lead the office and continue its growth in the region.
Tim takes over the reins from Suzanne Robinson, who has successfully completed a five-and-a-half-year tenure in the role and will continue in the firm as Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) leader across UK and Ireland.
Since joining the Leeds office 22 years ago, Tim has held a variety of roles, providing tax advice to a wide range of local businesses, and has become well known throughout the North as a result. As a partner in EY’s Business Tax Services Team, Tim frequently instructs QCs in tax courts and tribunals on some of the region’s most high-profile cases.
Commenting on his new role, Tim said: “Having spent my entire working life in the Leeds and Yorkshire business community where I’ve made many great friends and acquaintances, it’s an absolute pleasure and privilege to be taking on the EY Yorkshire office managing partner role.
“In such a dynamic and changing world as we find ourselves currently, there will be opportunities for all to rapidly enhance commercial and specialist skills and their careers as a result. We have a great team spirit and a genuine desire to guide and support our colleagues in a way that very clearly differentiates us from our competitors. That’s a team I am proud to be a part of and delighted to lead.”
In addition, EY has announced three partner appointments in Yorkshire as part of the firm’s continued investment in its regional business. This includes the appointment of Rob Skinner, and the promotion of Hayley Carrington and Leo Brown.
Stephen Church, EY North managing partner, said: “These latest partner appointments will help further strengthen our presence across the region. Across the North region we now have 105 partners, reflecting a significant investment in our people and business as we seek to meet growing client demand.
“I’d also like to extend my congratulations to Tim on his new role and know he will be a great asset to the region. And to Suzanne, thank you for your commitment and dedication to the office managing partner role.”
Financial adviser continues East Yorkshire expansion with acquisition
Yorkshire-based financial advisers Navigation Wealth Management has acquired BRC Wealth Management, as part of the firm’s continued growth of its East Yorkshire operation.
The strategic acquisition will add nearly £40 million Funds Under Management to the Navigation portfolio. BRC owner Martin Baltazar will also be joining Navigation’s Financial Advisory team.
Matt Hammond, Chief Executive at Navigation Wealth, which has offices in Beverley and Wakefield, said: “We are delighted to welcome BRC to the Navigation family at such an exciting time for the firm. Not only do we have a highly skilled adviser joining us in Martin, the acquisition will also help support the recruitment of additional advisors in the East Yorkshire area, which will prove a huge asset for both our clients and stakeholders.”
Navigation Wealth, which provides holistic wealth management advice to personal and business clients across the UK, has seen rapid growth over the last 3 years with its team more than tripling in size.
Martin Baltazar said: “By moving to Navigation Wealth Management, I am securing the services of a full professional team to support me and my clients in one go, a team that cares about people and takes the time to really understand what is in the best interests of their clients, both in the short and long term.
“This was a fundamental part of my decision as some clients have been with me for over 25 years – and the advice we give has the potential to make a real difference to their financial wellbeing.”
North Lincolnshire plans to install 20 electric vehicle charge points
Twenty new electric vehicle chargers will be installed in car parks across North Lincolnshire thanks to £80,000 from the Government.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “With Government cash, we have started the transition to ensure the infrastructure is in place to support the anticipated growth in electric vehicles– clear evidence of levelling-up.”
Chargers in the Parishes car park, Scunthorpe, have already been installed and are now live. More are scheduled for Robert Street and Kings Street/Winterton Road car parks.
Others will follow through the summer in the car parks at Bottesford Road, Ashby; Old Courts, Brigg; Cottage Lane, Barton; Potts Lane, Crowle, and Church Street, Epworth.
The council is exploring other technologies including solutions to enable access to charging points in communities where off-road parking spaces are at a premium.
Cllr David Rose, cabinet member for the environment, said: “This latest cash from Government will make a huge difference to way people travel across North Lincolnshire and further encourage the transition to electric vehicles.
“This latest project is a part of our Green Future environmental agenda – is at the forefront of everything we do, and this is a big step forward in making sustainable living accessible for everyone.
“This is a significant step-forward towards our ongoing commitment to protecting and enhancing our environment now and into the future.”
The chargers – which have been part-funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV)- are all fast, 22w charging points.
Pensana signs letter of intent with Yorkshire Energy Park for its rare earth processing hub
Pensana has signed a letter of intent securing private wire connection to battery storage operated by Yorkshire Energy Park under which it will have access to 4 MW rising to 10 MW of low carbon electricity for 10 years for its world-first rare earth processing hub powered by offshore wind.
Pensana will use the low-cost and resilient supply of low-carbon electricity to power its Saltend separation facility, and then later to power the conversion of NdPr Oxide into magnet metal, making it the first in the world to use offshore wind to produce ultra-low carbon magnet metal.
The Yorkshire Energy Park will include up to 200 MW of battery storage and is located adjacent to Pensana’s site within the Saltend Chemicals Park. The £200m next-generation energy facility will connect 7 GW of offshore wind to industrial consumers via large-scale batteries. The closest wind farm is the RWE-operated Humber Gateway located 32 kilometres from Saltend.
Pensana Chairman Paul Atherley said: “Through the private wire connection to Yorkshire Energy Park, our aim is to become the world’s lowest carbon magnet metal producer, with Pensana becoming the first company globally to use offshore wind to produce ultra-low carbon magnet metal.
“In our off-take discussions with the major Automotive OEMs there is increasing importance being placed on the security of supply and low-embedded carbon. The production of an ultra-low carbon magnet metal further enhances Saltend in its rapidly growing importance in the European and US magnet metal supply chains.”
Yorkshire Energy Park Chairman Chris Turner said: “The future for energy in the Humber estuary is very exciting, and YEP is at the forefront of the drive to zero-carbon.”
