Finance agreement will see University’s campus development accelerated
Sheffield Hallam University and Pricoa Private Capital have agreed a Private Placement issuance that will enable the University to accelerate its campus plan.
The agreement will see Sheffield Hallam draw down £70m to support the development, which is a key part of the University achieving its ambition to become the world’s leading applied university.
Planning has already been approved for the first phase of the plan, which will see three new buildings for teaching and learning on the site of the former Science Park and adjoining car park adjacent to Howard Street leading up from Sheffield Station.
Improvements will enhance a key gateway to Sheffield City Centre and create a new ‘university green’ public space, whilst creating new buildings that are zero carbon ready. The predominantly brick buildings will also preserve and enhance the character of the surrounding Cultural Industries Quarter, which is home to several historic buildings from Sheffield’s industrial heritage.
The Science Park has already been demolished and construction is set to begin in 2022. The development is the first phase of wider plans to improve the city centre campus, which is estimated to see over £200m invested in delivering significant benefits for students, staff and the wider community – making Sheffield Hallam an even more attractive place to study and work.
Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Our campus plan will greatly enhance the learning and working experience for students and staff, therefore we are delighted to have been able to work with Pricoa Private Capital on this agreement to support the acceleration of the development.
“Work has already begun on the first phase of the campus plan, and we look forward to the development progressing over the months and years ahead.
“This transformational change is a key part of Sheffield Hallam’s vision to become the world’s leading applied university; showing what a university genuinely focused on transforming lives can achieve.”
Adam Shield, director at Pricoa Private Capital, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Sheffield Hallam University through a £70 million Private Placement issuance to support the acceleration of the University’s campus plan.
“Sheffield Hallam is a vitally important institution to the South Yorkshire region, its industry partners and in widening higher education access. The University’s investment in high quality facilities in the heart of Sheffield will bring significant benefits for students, staff and the city of Sheffield, as well as furthering the University’s ambition to create an environmentally sustainable campus.
“Sheffield Hallam shares Pricoa’s culture of building long-term relationships and we are excited to be a partner to the University in the years to come.”
The Campus plan is being developed by a number of key partners as part of collaborative ‘Hallam Alliance’. The first of its kind in the UK for a university building programme, the Alliance involves all design, construction and facilities management partners working collaboratively with the client through all stages of design, construction and operation.
Members of the Alliance include Sheffield Hallam University, BDP ARUP (Design), BAM (Construction) and CBRE (Facilities Management).
Sponsors back 2022 festival showcasing Leeds manufacturing careers
The Leeds Manufacturing Festival, which is due to launch its 2022 programme next month, showcasing the diverse career opportunities on offer for young people in the city’s large manufacturing sector, has announced the line-up of organisations that are supporting this year’s initiative.
Leeds City College, specialist recruiter for the manufacturing and engineering sectors E3 Recruitment and accountancy firm Saffery Champness are all sponsoring this year’s programme of online and in-person events, which are focused on informing school and college students about the realities of working in a modern manufacturing business and the skills that employers require.
Beginning in February, this year’s festival will feature a series of events including careers panels, opportunities for young people to meet employers and visits to some of Leeds’ leading manufacturing firms.
Gina Yates, head of careers, work experience and progression at Leeds City College said the 2022 programme would give students and staff a unique opportunity to engage with Leeds manufacturers and learn more about working environments, careers and progression options.
She added: “On a strategic level, the college’s engagement with the festival will open dialogue about innovation and changes in vocational education and continue to build a collaborative approach to addressing regional skills shortages and the future talent pipeline.”
E3 Recruitment director Andrew Joseph said: “To address the skills gap that manufacturing and engineering faces, it’s more important than ever that we promote our industry to young people, advising them on the opportunities and careers that are open to them.
“I know from personal experience as a parent that there has previously been a void in students’ knowledge around career opportunities in manufacturing, and the festival plays an important role in showing youngsters and their parents what’s on offer.”
Saffery Champness partner Sally Appleton added: “We are proud to be supporting this year’s festival. The manufacturing sector is key to our local economy and we are keen to play our part in showcasing the opportunities available to young people in our region in this dynamic industry.”
Tracey Dawson, who chairs this year’s Leeds Manufacturing Festival, said: “The backing of our sponsors is vital to ensuring we reach as many young people as possible and show them just what excellent job opportunities and diverse career paths the manufacturing industry can offer them.
“Technical and practical skills are essential to the future of the sector and are currently in short supply so students will see that equipping themselves with these vital skills at an early stage will make them highly employable when they come to start a career.”
Now in its fifth year, the festival is organised by the Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and Leeds Chamber and supported by Leeds City Council, the Leeds City Region LEP and the Ahead Partnership.
Schools, manufacturing businesses and students can find out more and get involved at www.leedsmanufacturingfestival.co.uk.
Video game label to acquire German firm in £83m deal
Yorkshire indie video game label, Team17, which has offices in Wakefield, Nottingham, and Manchester, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire astragon Entertainment GmbH (astragon), a developer, publisher and distributor of sophisticated ‘working’ simulation games based in Germany, for a maximum cash consideration of £83 million.
The initial cash consideration payable is £63 million, with a further consideration of up to £20 million payable in cash on the delivery of EBITDA performance targets for the financial years ending December 2021 and 2022.
In addition, a Management Incentive Plan of up to £6.25 million has been established for the existing management and employees of astragon linked to the delivery of EBITDA performance targets.
The acquisition is not subject to regulatory approval and is expected to complete mid-January 2022. The vendors of astragon are André Franzmann, Dirk Walner and FFF – Beteiligungs GmbH.
Debbie Bestwick MBE, CEO of Team17, said: “We are delighted to welcome the astragon team into Team17, and believe we are joining forces with one of the leading experts in the simulation games space. They have decades of game creation and publishing experience, have built an outstanding and highly devoted community and have developed an outstanding portfolio of owned IP across this genre.
“At Team17, we have always strived to build, develop and publish great content for the widest audience possible. With the addition of StoryToys and the expansion of our Games Label, which includes the recently acquired USA based ‘The Label’ and now astragon, we have significantly expanded Team17’s appeal to the widest ever cross section of gamers, spanning multiple genres and age groups.
“We look forward to working closely with astragon’s joint CEOs Julia and Tim and their whole team who share our ambitions to grow their own IP titles on the path to developing a leading global simulation portfolio brand as part of the Team17 family.”
Julia Pfiffer and Tim Schmitz, CEOs of astragon, said: “Team17 is the perfect home for astragon as we enter into this exciting new chapter. From the first day we felt that Team17 shares the same vision for our games and understands our target group.
“Our goal is to become the number one brand in the field of ‘working’ simulation games. Collaborating with Team17 will enable and help astragon to evolve and focus on this strategy. We look forward to the possibilities that are opened up by working with what we believe to be a great partner to deliver our ambitions.”
Rotherham insurance broker snapped up
Marshall Wooldridge, the Yorkshire hub for Global Risk Partners (GRP), has acquired the business and assets of Rotherham-based Goldthorpe Insurance Brokers for an undisclosed sum.
Marshall Wooldridge Managing Director, Geoff Kirk, said: “Completing the deal was a great way to kick off 2022. Goldthorpe is a good fit for us; it is a family-owned and managed business with a strong local presence, writing commercial and personal lines business.
“We will retain the Goldthorpe brand and office, and I’m confident that with the added support from Marshall Wooldridge and our parent GRP, the team will have the opportunity to accelerate their growth in Rotherham and the rest of South Yorkshire.”
Steven Garlick, who founded Goldthorpe over 30 years ago, said: “Marshall Wooldridge are a big Yorkshire broker, but Geoff and the team understand the value of community presence, as well as the strength of our being a family business.
“It was clear during our discussions that Marshall Wooldridge are the best possible custodians of Goldthorpe, enabling us to continue to play to our local strengths, but providing the additional product, service and regulatory support we need to offer our existing and future clients high quality insurance.”
Steven’s wife, Julia, together with son and daughter, David and Helen, work in the business and all the team will remain under new ownership.
Merger on the cards for law firms with Leeds presence
Having agreed headline terms, Weightmans LLP and RadcliffesLeBrasseur LLP are now in formal contract negotiations with a view to completing a merger of the two firms at the end of March 2022.
The two firms, which both have offices in Leeds, share a number of synergies in respect of clients and sectors. The merger will add to both firms’ national practices.
The merger will expand the existing support provided to the firms’ clients, as well as enhancing the capabilities across core services.
The combined firm will create a leading UK practice in healthcare in particular and increase the market presence of both firms in London.
The merged firm will have 225 Partners and a total headcount of over 1,400 people and will be known as Weightmans LLP.
Knaresborough pest control technology company acquires manufacturer of flying insect control systems
Knaresborough-based pest control technology company Pelsis Group has acquired Brandenburg, a manufacturer of flying and biting insect control systems, for an undisclosed sum.
Brandenburg has become a wholly owned subsidiary with all its 110 employees, customers and suppliers transferring to Pelsis.
The deal marks the second acquisition made by Pelsis in the last two months. The first was the purchase of Madrid-based professional pest control products businesses Sanitrade and distributor Vesta Distribuciones in December.
Brandenburg, which is headquartered near Dudley in the West Midlands, also has operations in North America based out of its facility in Saint Charles, Missouri. In addition, the company has a manufacturing plant in the Pune region of India.
Established more than 70 years ago the company delivers its products to 140 countries through an international distributor network.
Following the acquisition, Pelsis now has a turnover approaching €200m and employs more than 700 people across 18 sites located throughout Western Europe, the US and India.
Brandenburg founder and Chief Executive, Mathew Kaye, said: “It has been a long and rewarding journey to have built Brandenburg into the company it is today.
“We feel that our business is ready for the next stage in its journey. Joining the Pelsis Group presents a great opportunity for deep collaboration and further investment in product innovation. Ultimately, it improves our ability to grow and develop our business to serve our customers even better. We are very excited about the future.”
Last year, Pelsis purchased Lyon-based pest control supplier Edialux France in February and California-based manufacturer of humane bird deterrents Bird-B-Gone in May.
Pelsis Group Chief Executive, Derek Whitworth, said: “We are very pleased to be bringing Brandenburg into the Pelsis Group family of brands as the business shares similar goals, values and aspirations for the future.
“Operationally, it fits very well within our strategy of adding companies that are leaders in their category which can help to deliver synergies for our group.
“We see great potential for ongoing growth opportunities and there are many clear benefits of working together that will provide customers with enhanced levels of product innovation, service and support.”
Pelsis was advised on the legal and financial aspects of the Brandenburg acquisition by DLA Piper and EY respectively.
Hull construction business goes into administration
Hull-based P.D.R Construction Limited, a long-established privately owned main contractor within the construction sector, has entered administration.
All trading operations have ceased and all staff were made redundant shortly prior to the appointment of Joint Administrators Philip Deyes, Sean Williams and Andrew Poxon, of Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery, on 11 January 2022.
The Joint Administrators will be seeking expressions of interest for the sale of the construction contracts ledger, including active and completed sites where applications for payment and/or retention balances remain outstanding.
As part of this sales process, the Joint Administrators will liaise with relevant JCT Contracted Employers in relation to all part completed sites.
An additional marketing exercise will be undertaken by the Joint Administrators seeking buyers for separate land property assets owned by the company.
Joint Administrator Phil Deyes said: “The company has experienced challenging market conditions including the timely delivery of a number of recent projects, resource issues within the sector principally as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and contractual disputes with private clients including a recent significant lost adjudication.
“New work opportunities have been delayed as a result of the uncertainty in the economic and political environment causing a significant fall in turnover. The company had fallen behind with payments to its creditors and sub-contractor supply chain, culminating in a winding up petition being served on the company on the 4th of January.”
Bumper pay increases set for professionals as companies grapple to hold onto top talent
Salaries for white collar professionals will increase by as much as 25% in the first quarter of 2022, as companies bouncing back after the Omicron-slowdown fight to hold onto their best staff.
According to the findings from the Robert Walters 2022 UK Salary Guide, professional services firms are planning to increase their budget for pay raises by 10-15% this year – the largest increase seen since 2008 and almost 3x the inflation rate.
Whilst the biggest pay rises will be reserved for new starters – at least 5% of the increase in payroll budgets will be reserved for existing employees in 2022. These pay raises are expected to be for workers across all seniority levels – from entry-level workers and temporary staff right through to management level and executives.
Pay rises for retention
Almost half of companies (43%) from the Robert Walters survey said they’re planning salary increases for current employees to keep pace with higher pay they’ve awarded new hires.
This will come as a relief to professionals who have stayed with their employer throughout the pandemic, with over half (54%) of workers stating that they are expecting a pay rise this year following a two-year salary freeze.
In fact, two thirds stated that they will leave their job if they are not rewarded fairly, with 75% feeling ‘very confident’ about job opportunities in their sector this year.
Wage compression hits
In the past year wages for new starters grew by 6-8%, and for those professionals who moved into ‘hero industries’ such as technology or health care saw pay hikes as high as +15-20%.
Chris Poole, Managing Director at Robert Walters UK, says: “Wage increases above market value for in-demand hires was a recurring theme of the past year. As a result, we saw new starter salaries outstrip those of existing employees.
“The consequences of this will result in ‘wage compression’ – where existing employees feel their additional experience at the company (over new starters) is no longer valued or has not grown in value over the past two years.
“Looking at the year ahead we will see more companies raise the pay of their existing employees to sit in line with new starter salaries.”
Soft perks growing stale
According to the 2022 UK Salary Guide, it is excellent compensation & benefits (65%), a desirable bonus scheme (53%), and job security (40%) which are the top three values of a post-pandemic professional.
In fact, flexi-hours (29%), remote working (22%), and holiday entitlement (20%) all rank much lower in importance for professionals – perhaps because over half of white-collar workers (53%) stated that they “wouldn’t bother” asking about flexi-working in a job interview in the coming year because they naturally assume “it is a given now.”
Gym discounts, company cars, and voucher schemes have all been traded in for the hope of “inspiring colleagues and company culture” – with over a third of workers (37%) stating this is an important factor in staying on or taking on a new role.
Inflation plays a role
Over a third of businesses (39%) said they’re increasing pay to keep up with rising inflation, but recruiter Robert Walters warns that companies may find themselves in a ‘wage-price’ spiral in the coming year – whereby higher prices and rising pay feed into each other and accelerate even more.
Chris Poole adds: “Many companies decided on their 2022 raises a few months ago before we had a clear picture of how much rising wages for new hires, as well as inflation, would impact the labour market.
“There is little point in companies offering a pay rise as a morale booster if the impact of that increase isn’t really felt in the real world – and so we are increasingly seeing more companies consider the cost-of-living when determining the average pay rise an individual gets.
“Businesses will have to decide how much to raise their salaries to keep their employees, whilst also deciding how much to pass on those costs to their clients and consumers.”
New integrated housing IT system to launch this month in York
To further improve residents’ experience of working with City of York Council’s housing services, a new integrated ICT system is launching.
This will let them set up their own account, and will bring together all housing data from 24 January 2022.
The system called Open Housing, is launching with a first phase which will connect and improve the way the council, customers, staff and contractors work together. Further new features will be added later in the year.
This system will give access to council housing applications, temporary accommodation, resettlement services, housing management, housing repairs, planned maintenance, minor adaptations and leaseholder services.
Tenants will be able to set up accounts on the system giving them direct access to their account where they can check their rent balances, when payments are due, update customer and household details and check progress of repairs. In a later phase, tenants will also be able to set up and amend Direct Debits, and request and schedule repairs.
Wherever staff work in the service, they will be able to answer any housing-related enquiries because they will be able to see information on all aspects of the service. This could range from checking and updating a tenant’s contact details, to advising on rent account balances and payments, checking the progress of a repair and when planned maintenance is due.
Building services’ contractors will be allocated work through Open Housing’s contractor portal. They will be able to update progress and completion of works on the job, reducing officers’ time with processing orders and invoices.
Cllr Denise Craghill, Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods, said: “Open Housing replaces many separate systems with one integrated web-based system which will help tenants and staff by providing a single source of information.
“It gives customers greater independence as they can self-serve when it suits them. With one log-in, they can access more real-time information than ever before. This includes detail about their tenancies or their applications for housing in York, which they have told us they want.
“Open Housing will have a phased approach and bring in different features to deliver significant service improvements and efficiencies. Please be aware that service may temporarily be a little slower as we implement the system, and as staff and customers get used to using it.”
Residents will be able to use Open Housing to apply for social housing in York from April 2022. People who have already applied for housing in York, will be contacted soon to check their priority and requirements. Those who are eligible and qualify under the new, York-only policy, will be asked to make a new application through Open Housing later this year and which will be backdated.
Staff can still be contacted via email and phone as usual, and any tenants not online can book time on Explore Libraries’ computers.
Find out more at www.york.gov.uk/OpenHousing where there is a link to the Open Housing portal. The portal will open on 24 January 2022.
Plan ahead for the new year with new routes, as Connecting Leeds transforms travel
This new year Connecting Leeds will start construction on several major highways’ schemes, which are all part of transforming travel in the city and across the district.
Connecting Leeds construction works will begin first on the Armley Gyratory, before focusing on roads around City Square, Leeds train station and along routes linking to the city centre. This will be the first phase to create a world-class public space and arrival gateway to the city centre for train, bus users, pedestrians, and cyclists, and will eventually see City Square closed to through traffic in readiness for the Year of Culture in 2023.
These are all part of over £100 million of transformative highways works to overturn historic barriers and issues developed from the ‘Leeds Motorway City’ of the 1970’s. This created substantial ‘through traffic’ across the city centre, which has contributed to environmental issues and disconnected neighbourhoods – which can make it more difficult for people to travel on foot or cycling between different areas. Leeds City Council’s approach to re-route traffic away from the city centre on to the more appropriate Inner Ring Road and the M621 orbital route following the closure of City Square, will enable public transport, walking, cycling and public realm plans to be realised in the city.
Although still subject to programme changes, the construction timetable covers these affected areas:
Winter 2022
- Armley Gyratory starting with off-highways, then on-highways
- Boar Lane
- Crown Point Road
- Neville Street / Meadow Road
- Bishopgate Street – works for diverting utilities
- Great Wilson Street
- Aire Street, King Street and Wellington Street
- Lady Lane
- East Parade bus gate and Calverley Street
- Bishopgate Street and Dark Neville Street
- Quebec Street
- Late summer – the final closure of vehicular access to City Square
