- Funding for Keighley Creative Community Hub to create a cultural destination in Keighley, joining up other creative enterprises and running outreach programmes with schools, communities and businesses across the Keighley wards.
- Funding for Keighley Art and Film Festival working with Keighley Creative to support the development of the annual festival, along with a year round programme of celebratory and engaging events.
- Funding for the Women Employment Project to establish a textile academy delivering a bespoke skills training package for local women from diverse backgrounds. The funding will provide an annexe to an existing building to house sewing machines and equipment within a learning and working environment.
Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund projects get the go ahead
The first set of business cases for Towns Funds in the Bradford district worth over £7million have been given the go ahead to proceed.
The projects in the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund areas both include funding to help local businesses to grow. This is funding to support businesses to become more productive, helping them to modernise and diversify to be more competitive and to increase productivity and safeguard jobs.
The other projects in Keighley are:
Trio of new AMP buildings granted detailed planning permission
Creation of three new buildings at South Yorkshire’s Advanced Manufacturing Park has inched closer with the granting of detailed planning permission.
Permission was sought to create buildings measuring almost 93,000 sq ft, and which would be divided into 11 units.
Rotherham Council has now granted planning permission for the development, subject to conditions, under delegated powers. An officer’s report said: “It is considered that the scheme has been sympathetically designed, taking account of the characteristics and constraints of the site and the character of the surrounding area.
“Therefore the scheme is considered to be of an appropriate size, scale, form, design and siting that would ensure it would enhance the quality, character, distinctiveness and amenity value of the borough’s landscapes and will be visually attractive in the surrounding area.”
Outline planning permission was granted in July 2021 for up to 242,000 sq ft of new business, manufacturing and office floorspace at the AMP.
The new units will range in size from 5,750 sq ft to 11,000 sq ft and have been designed to match the existing buildings at the AMP. Proposals include 130 car parking spaces, with parking for disabled users and electric vehicle charging points.
York security ID specialist accesses all areas with German acquisition
A York company that supplies security ID cards, and the print equipment used to create them, is significantly expanding its product and service range, after acquiring a German counterpart that specialises in access control systems for large-scale events.
cards-x has acquired Adon Development, which is based in Ratingen near Dusseldorf and is one of the world’s most prominent suppliers of turnstiles, barriers, gates and electronic door systems.
Its access control systems operate alongside an advanced online, browser-based event registration system that is fully customisable in terms of look and feel, enabling it to incorporate event branding and other features relevant to any event.
It can also be tailored for individuals attending the event, offering everything from access to special zones through to food and drink credit in hospitality areas. The company’s products are available to lease or rent, serving clients including the Eurovision Song Contest, Ski World Cup Croatia, as well as global motor racing events.
Adon Development’s founder, Peter Mooshage, and its six-strong team will all remain with the business, which is being rebranded to cards-x Development.
cards-x chief operating officer, Andy Reeves, said: “cards-x is now at the forefront of the market in terms of security ID cards and the print equipment used to create them, and this latest acquisition is a key part of our ambition to become much more than a distributor and manufacturer.”
Norman Kämmerling, CEO at cards-x, added: “Adon Development is a world leader in access control systems with an innovative product range that is supported by an advanced online system that can provide an array of bespoke services to ensure sports fans, music lovers, exhibition attendees, and anyone else visiting an event, have an outstanding experience.
“It’s very exciting to be able to incorporate these products and services into our offering and the acquisition will enable us to continue growing our client base throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.”
This latest deal follows cards-x acquiring the eco-friendly manufacturer of ID card holders, Evohold at the end of 2020.
Food price rises inevitable, says FDF Chief Executive
Today the Food and Drink Federation’s Chief Executive is expected to give a stark warning to the UK Government and British shoppers during her organisation’s annual conference.
Karen Betts believes Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a genuine geopolitical, energy and commodity shock that will have serious ramifications across Europe and globally.
She predicts President Putin’s assault on Ukraine will lead to rising costs, rising inflation and unpredictable supply chains that will mean food price rises are now inevitable.
“The effects of the war are already being felt in the supply chain. Energy prices are soaring while shortages of sunflower oil and wheat are causing huge spikes in global market prices. These impacts are hitting an industry only just starting to recover from the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.
The chief executive will use her speech to call on the UK Government to act now to ease the supply chain pressures on food and drink companies and support the millions of vulnerable households already suffering from the mounting cost-of-living crisis.
Ms Betts will ask ministers to react quickly and with greater flexibility for when ingredients become unavailable; will call for a National Food Security Council to enable industry and Whitehall to react in real time to supply chain impacts; and to urgently review all upcoming regulation to avoid unnecessary costs being placed on businesses and ultimately shoppers, claiming “the UK Government was once a beacon for the better regulation agenda – it should strive to be so again.”
There will also be a message to the food and drink sector itself. The FDF’s chief executive will tell its members that it is “critical for our industry’s long-term growth and success, and to the economy more broadly” that they continue to invest in productivity and growth.
She will set out the case for more money to be spent on skills, new technology and more sustainable products, while the manufacturers must not lose sight of their Net Zero ambition and endeavour to seize new trade opportunities.
Get a team together and make a splash for LIVES!
The iconic Lincoln Dragon Boat Festival, which takes place on 18 June on the Brayford Waterfront, will this year be raising money in aid of LIVES.
Several local firms across the region, including the reigning champions, Belton Construction, have already entered crews in what promises to be the biggest Dragon Boat Festival to date in Lincoln.
There is still plenty of time to raise a team and join in the fun! So, get your team of up to 10 paddlers, plus a drummer, together and battle it out in ornate 30 foot Chinese dragon boats over a 200m course along the Brayford Waterfront. The event promises to be colourful and great fun, no previous experience is required, just plenty of team spirit!
The teams will be encouraged to raise money for LIVES through sponsorship, raising funds for a life-saving Lincolnshire charity.
Tiffany Allen, fundraising manager from LIVES, said: “We are delighted to have received such an excellent response to our call for crews from local businesses across the region. The Dragon Boat Race promises to be a great day out and will entice some healthy competition between local businesses in order to raise these vital funds to keep our Emergency Responders on the road and continue saving lives in Lincolnshire.”
For further information and details of how to become a participating team contact Alex Bennett alex.bennett@ringroselaw.co.uk or visit https://www.ringroselaw.co.uk/about/lincoln-dragon-boat-race/
Firms gather in Barnsley for Covid Bounce Back event
A ‘Covid Bounce Back’ learning event in Barnsley brought together representatives from 60 local businesses and other organisations to promote the message that culture, creativity and community were firmly at the heart of Barnsley’s post-pandemic economic recovery plan.
All have recently completed a seven-month Covid Bounce Back business development programme funded by Barnsley Council and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
The event celebrated the success of the programme, and also the potential of these sectors to support community renewal and economic growth post-pandemic.
Kathy McArdle, Barnsley Council’s Director of Regeneration and Culture, said: “The Bounce Back programme was set up to help key players in our diverse creative and cultural economy and our vibrant community and voluntary sector come out of the terrible shock of the Covid pandemic actually stronger than they went into it.
“This event enabled us to celebrate what the businesses have achieved through the programme and share the learning. We now look forward to continuing to support these sectors to thrive and make a real difference to communities across the borough.”
The borough’s cultural, creative and visitor sectors will now benefit from further investment in networking, programming and facilities thanks to a £3.93 million grant having been awarded to Barnsley by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, and delivered by Arts Council England.
Wayne Hemingway, who has worked on regeneration projects in several UK towns said: “The distinctive identity of any place comes from its culture and its community and it is so important to recognise their value. Taking Barnsley into the future means putting independent cultural thinking at the heart of the town; deciding what you stand for now and what you want to do.”
John Loughton, who set up a social enterprise that fed thousands of vulnerable families during the lockdowns, said: “It’s the people living in a place who so often know how best to tackle the public health and economic challenges they face. Covid showed us that community groups, when trusted and empowered, can take the lead and deliver well-placed, fast-paced and values-based action.”
The Covid Bounce Back programme is one of seven Prioritised Recovery Projects, part of a £2m economic investment, funded by Barnsley Council and Sheffield City Region. As part of Barnsley’s Economic Recovery Action Plan, these projects aim to help the local economy bounce back from Covid; and support people, businesses, traders, charities or community organisations to safeguard existing jobs as well as creating new jobs and businesses.
Agemaspark scoops tech award for 3D printing innovation
Doncaster-based Agemaspark has won the Digital and Technology Award at the 10th annual Made in Yorkshire Awards 2022.
Agemaspark won the award for its innovative use of 3D printing to develop a new technique to improve the efficiency of a mould tool by as much as 20 percent, and reducing cycle times for multi-impression mould tools.
MD Paul Stockhill said: “We are thrilled to be named winners of this regional manufacturing award. Our new and pioneering 3D metal printing technique has now been put into practice, resulting in major reductions in cycle times for multi-impression mould tools.
“Innovation is at the heart of our business, and we recognise the issues that companies face and the need for them to reduce their environmental impact while increasing efficiency and productivity and we can only do this by developing new, more efficient ways of working.
“It was a great event and wonderful to see so many innovative and inspirational businesses in our region celebrating together.”
Agemaspark is working with companies across Yorkshire and the UK using the new technique to produce their components helping its customer to comply with new EU regulations.
Paul added: “Being recognised for our innovative approach will be a real boost to the team and will help us to showcase this improved way of working to customers in many different sectors.”
Boost to British nuclear and steel industries as Sheffield Forgemasters joins the Sizewell C Consortium
Sheffield Forgemasters, a South Yorkshire-based heavy engineering firm specialising in the production of nuclear grade steel castings and forgings, has announced it will join forces with other leading firms with the aim to supply large-scale gigawatt nuclear projects across the UK, starting with Sizewell C.
To underscore this new partnership, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed outlining its intent to supply Sizewell C. The agreement will see Sheffield Forgemasters provide a range of specialised qualification components for the project and indicates potential longer-term opportunities for collaboration on future European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) projects across the UK.
Through this new strategic partnership, Sheffield Forgemasters will join the Sizewell C Consortium, an organisation representing more than 200 businesses across the nuclear and construction supply chain, which is preparing to mobilise onto Sizewell C as the construction of Hinkley Point C draws to a close.
This builds on three previous MoUs signed by the Sizewell C Consortium with Wales, the North of England and East of England, which will inject over £7.2 billion into the supply chain and create 70,000 job opportunities throughout the construction of Sizewell C.
David Bond, CEO of Sheffield Forgemasters, commented: “Joining the Sizewell C Consortium marks a positive step forward for our business and unites two strategically significant industries at the forefront of driving clean energy growth opportunities for Britain.
We will be manufacturing qualification components in order to join the supply chain for Sizewell C, with the eventual aim, to supply components into the build. If we can secure supply into the UK’s nuclear fleet, we can continue to invest in our workforce, provide local high-skilled job opportunities, and re-shore nuclear manufacturing for the UK fleet.”
This latest announcement will come as further good news for the British steel industry, which has been under pressure in recent years due to international competition and high domestic costs. It will similarly benefit the nuclear industry through deepening expertise across clean technology, which the UK in turn can begin to export globally.
Nuclear represents one important aspect of the UK’s clean growth and energy security ambitions. With the backing of the British steel industry, there is further potential to support the development of technologies like hydrogen and Direct Air Capture, which will require collaboration across the supply chain to deliver.
Cameron Gilmour, Spokesperson for the Sizewell C Consortium, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Sheffield Forgemasters into the Sizewell C Consortium. With a long history of supporting British infrastructure builds, their knowledge and expertise will be valuable in driving forward our ability to deliver new large-scale nuclear, with Sizewell C as the next project in line.
As with other large-scale infrastructure projects, expertise gained throughout the supply chain can, through replication, drive down overall construction costs and help to accelerate the speed of delivery. Especially important for the UK as it sets about reviving its nuclear fleet.
Sheffield Forgemasters is at the forefront of pioneering new methods of manufacture for civil nuclear projects. If the company qualifies to supply Sizewell C, and the UK’s future nuclear fleet, this has the potential to unlock new inward investment to help drive forward greener steel production.
Leeds manufacturer invests in new digital robot as part of effort to increase efficiency
A new digital robot has been installed at the Pland Stainless factory in Leeds as part of continued investment to improve efficiency and maintain the welfare of their polishing team. The robot polisher is being put to work on stainless steel bowls, a volume line where large headed brushes improve the overall finish but can cause Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS), for polishers if used over long periods of time.
The investment has meant that their skilled workers can focus on more intricate products, leaving the robot to polish standard bowls with a consistency in both speed and finish.
“We have always had to monitor and limit the time that our skilled polishers can spend on some of our volume lines due to health and safety concerns.” Said MD Steve Duree who has over 40 years of service with the business.
“This investment has meant that our tradesmen can focus on some of our more complex and intricate pieces where smaller brushes usually result in less vibration and allows us to control any potential issues from using larger polishing brushes. Our investment in robots is certainly not to replace any of our skilled craftsmen, in fact business is booming at present and we are up 10% on last year’s sales, so we are consistently looking for new recruits both skilled and apprentices to train from all age groups.”
Pland has a long-standing reputation for producing stainless steel products mainly for the commercial market. Their products are targeted at many sectors including healthcare, sanitaryware, washrooms, laboratory, education, catering, janitorial or their anti-vandal range for secure accommodation.
Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards choose Green Park Business Park to aid reorganisation
Work has got underway to create a new regional headquarters for Yorkshire & Humber Drainage Boards (YHDB) to aid the restructure of the organisation.
YHDB is a public sector management group that administers eight partner Internal Drainage Boards (IDB) which work together to manage inland rivers and watercourses across the region for the benefit of local communities.
The bespoke, 5,124sqft office and workshop facility is being built at Green Park Business Park, Newport, and will also function as the depot for the local Ouse and Humber Drainage Board – an IDB that covers a large part of East Yorkshire.
The restructure has led to the organisation rapidly outgrowing its former premises in Howden, and the need to upgrade its facilities to comfortably house all staff and equipment.
Andrew Mclachlan, CEO of the YHDB, said Green Park Business Park offered a range of benefits when it came to choosing a new home.
He said: “We looked at a number of sites, but for our needs Green Park best matched our preferred solution.
“Our Internal Drainage Boards look after more than 800 miles of watercourses, rivers, and flood defences and over 80 pumping stations. The Ouse and Humber Drainage Board is the largest of our IDBs, managing water from around 20 per cent of East Yorkshire.
“Green Park is central to the area we cover and provides the quickest connection to our watercourse and river network via the B1230 for our local operational teams, and convenient access to the M62 for our technical staff, enabling them to access large parts of the region as quickly as possible.
“The site offers improved security and has afforded us the space to create a bespoke facility from where we will be able to deliver a much more efficient service, ultimately reducing the risk of flooding to our communities.”
The scheme, including all ground preparation works, is being carried out by Lindum Construction, which has an office at Elvington, near York. It is expected to be completed by spring, 2022, with the YHDB forecasting to relocate in May.
James Nellist, Director of Lindum Construction, said the business had acted as the YHDB’s construction partner throughout the process, negotiating the land purchase and providing a design and build solution.
Mr Nellist said: “We have a good relationship with YHDB and with our business being established on an existing public sector contract framework, they came to speak to us about their needs.
“We immediately thought Green Park would be perfect for their purposes. It is within their patch, has fantastic road access and there are other businesses on site with similar plant and equipment, meaning the infrastructure was perfect for this development.
“We’re very pleased to be working alongside the YHDB to provide their new home.”
Green Park Business Park is being brought forward by leading East Yorkshire commercial developer the Horncastle Group PLC, which is also located on site.
Director Ian Hodges said he was delighted to see another important local organisation take space on the rapidly evolving business park.
Mr Hodges said: “YHDB, and in East Yorkshire, the Ouse and Humber Drainage Board, carry out incredibly important work helping to reduce the risk of flooding.
“We’re delighted they have chosen Green Park Business Park for their new regional headquarters. It’s located within their operational area and near to the road network making it the ideal site for their needs.”
