Two estates consultancies have revealed their plan to merge, creating a new estates advisory business.
East Yorkshire-based Shared Agenda and Leeds-headquartered Community Ventures will merge from January next year, creating new larger estates consultancy Sewell Advisory. The new business will employ more than 60 people, and will operate across the UK.
The two businesses have already been working together on projects for some time, with both being part of the wider Sewell Group of companies. The decision to formalize the merger was made to help grow the company and ensure all clients could benefit from the strength and depth of expertise available across both businesses.
As part of the wider Sewell Group, both companies are part employee-owned.
Current Community Ventures Chief Executive Emma Bolton will become CEO of new company Sewell Advisory, with Shared Agenda Chief Executive Tim Wigglesworth moving to a role as Director of Partnerships across the wider Sewell Group, and also continuing as Chief Executive of Hull Citycare.
Sewell Advisory will specialise in strategy, development and management of public sector estates, particularly in the health, social care and education sectors. The new company will bring together professionals to offer strategic advice, project and programme management and operational estate management, and will also have a dedicated team of digital and data experts.
New Chief Executive Emma Bolton said she was looking forward to the new chapter for the business.
“Our team of over 60 experienced consultants and estates professionals will put us on a par with some of the biggest consultancies in the country, and means we can take on larger projects, more long-term partnerships, and use our wider team to offer even more value, technical expertise and fresh perspectives for our existing customers.
“It’s a really exciting time for our staff and clients, and we can’t wait to unlock new estate improvement opportunities for our health and education sector clients. This merger shows we’re a key player in the estates consultancy industry and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”
Sewell Advisory will launch from January 2025, with all Shared Agenda and Community Ventures staff moving over to the new company.
Orsted announces award of major contracts
Renewable energy company Ørsted has announced the award of contracts collectively worth up to £100m with UK companies.
JDR Cable Systems, Severfield and Smulders, all based in the North of England, will produce integral components and services for the Hornsea 3 wind farm on UK soil.
Severfield, headquartered in York, is the largest steel fabricator in the UK but this is their first contract on an offshore renewables energy project, marking an important step in their journey into the sector. Severfield will work with strategic key contractor Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes, site of the recent Great British Energy launch, and will undertake final assembly of key components at the Teesworks Port in Teesside. Smulders is a leading steel fabricator in the offshore wind industry, and since 2016, has operated the UK based facility in Wallsend (Newcastle).
Severfield and Smulders will supply a large proportion of secondary structures for Hornsea 3’s foundations from the UK. This includes the Suspended Internal Platforms or SIPs, key internal parts of the foundations on which the wind turbines sit. In addition they’ll build the boat landings where smaller vessels will arrive, allowing technicians to directly access the turbine foundation. They’ll also provide anode cages, which protect the steel-made foundation structure from corrosion.
North East England-based JDR won the Array Cable Testing and Termination contract. JDR will prepare and connect the cables between the turbines and offshore convertor stations and then using their state of the art testing system will ensure that all array cabling is fully integrated into the offshore electrical infrastructure and working safely.
The work on Hornsea 3 will help support more than 300 jobs across the three partners.
Hornsea 3 MD Luke Bridgman said: “We value our partnerships with local suppliers and our continued commitment to working with the UK supply chain is reinforced today with these contract announcements.
“Operating with existing suppliers like JDR and Smulders and supporting Severfields’ diversification into offshore renewables is testament to the strength of the UK supply chain and the role Hornsea 3 is playing to boost economic growth across the UK.”
2025 Business Predictions: Matthew Arends, partner and head of UK retirement policy at Aon
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
In this ‘Year of Elections’ both in the UK and across the world, there was much to affect markets, change views and to give increased reason for thought in the UK pensions industry. As the final weeks of 2024 approach, Matthew Arends, partner and head of UK retirement policy at Aon, which has offices across Yorkshire, looks ahead to what will be concentrating minds in 2025.
2024 saw the UK pensions landscape continue to evolve and there is no sign of that changing as we approach 2025. Improvements in defined benefit (DB) pension scheme funding mean that, for many, the ‘endgame’ for the pension scheme now feels tangible, instead of a distant ambition. However, the advent of the new funding regime will overlay a new discipline. With defined contribution (DC) schemes, questions around adequacy remain uppermost for members, while the absence of a timetable for the extension of auto-enrolment minimum contributions continues to be a concern.
We now know that Employer National Insurance Contributions and minimum wage changes in April 2025 will increase the cost of employing staff. One casualty of that could be employer pension contributions above the auto-enrolment minimum, meaning less saved into pensions. And yet we know that DC savers are already generally not saving enough for adequate retirements, meaning that there is a real risk of retirement adequacy declining. There may be solutions on the horizon, but while multi-employer CDC schemes – which have the potential to deliver better average member outcomes – have taken a big step forward in 2024, their widespread implementation remains in the future.
First phase of new town centre industrial site completes in Keighley
The first phase of the Providence Park industrial site in Keighley town centre has been completed.
The £12 million redevelopment of the former Universal Mills site, on the corner of Dalton Lane Bradford Road, began in April 2023 and has received £6.5 million funding through the Government’s Keighley Towns Fund.
It has been owned by Keighley developer Peter Rock for more than 50 years, and was formerly the base of his business Modern Equipment & Foundry Engineering Ltd.
The new site will stay true to those engineering roots because as well as housing industrial units, part of it will be used by Keighley College as a new Manufacturing, Engineering and Future Technologies Hub. The hub will be used to provide students with academic and practical experience, and T-level qualifications.
Providence Park will be home to five buildings which will house up to 23 industrial units – the smallest of which is 150 square metres with the largest at 828 square metres. Part of the original mill building has also been retained and sympathetically converted to a unit suitable for a café or other retail use, under scheme architect Bridget Hansford (Peter’s daughter).
The extensive work has involved the demolition of previous buildings and structures; full site remediation; installation of surface water management system; and the construction of units to let.
Peter, now aged 96, visited the 7,000 sq m site most days to monitor progress and his grandson Tom Rock, who has led the redevelopment with Peter’s son Bernard and other grandson Andy, explained: “The site required significant remediation works prior to any re-development in part due to old cellars underground, from the terraced housing that was on the site before my grandfather’s period of ownership.
“The cost of these initial works was always a significant barrier to re-development, which the Keighley Towns Fund grant funding helped us to address.
“Interestingly ‘Providence Place’ was one of the former residential streets located there, which led to the name of the site. The history of the site is fascinating. Part of it was previously under the Prince Smith Estate, which was such a prominent part of the Keighley economy, it warranted a royal visit by King George & Queen Mary in 1918.
“It’s gratifying to know that this development will once again see the site becoming a hub of business and employment in the town.
“We are grateful to the team at Bradford Council for their support and see this development as a real success of the Keighley Towns Fund.
“The specific challenges of the site, coupled with the economic realities of development in towns such as Keighley would have meant that a regeneration of this scale was not viable without the towns fund’s support, and as multi-generational, proud Keighlians we are delighted to deliver the project, a development which will deliver long term economic benefit to the town.”
Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Planning, Regeneration and Transport Alex Ross-Shaw said: “Demand for employment and high-quality commercial sites such as this is huge across Keighley and the whole of the Aire Valley, so this development is much needed and welcomed.
“We believe between 80 to 100 jobs will be created across the site, which is a real boost during the current economic climate, and we anticipate local businesses will be keen to link up with the hub to provide apprenticeships.
“We are so proud of the work that has been undertaken here and the training and employment legacy it will have for generations to come.”
Tim Rogers, chair of the Keighley Towns Fund, said: “We are really proud of what has been achieved at Providence Park and the opportunities it will create for generations to come.
“This is another very exciting commercial development for Keighley, and an incredible skills and training opportunity for the town through the creation of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Future Technologies Hub in partnership with Keighley College.”
The second phase of work – which includes the completion of the college unit – is due to be completed by early 2025.
Sheffield City Council’s Parkwood Springs plan progresses
Plans to turn an area of land, part of which was once the site of the Sheffield Ski Village, into a Country Park in the city have continued following the confirmation of funding from central Government.
As part of the ambitious plans for Parkwood Springs, Sheffield City Council will create a new access road, including improvements to cycle and pedestrian access, and improvements to the public realm.
Work will be carried out to develop the old Ski Village site, including the treatment of Japanese Knotweed, and further improvements will see mountain bike trails, new paths and path improvement work take place.
Discussions with Skyline Luge of New Zealand have also continued, now funding is confirmed, and Sheffield City Council are putting in place a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow Skyline to masterplan the site.
Alongside exciting future plans a new kiosk in the park has been built and is now open along with a number of improvements to the country park.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Parkwood Springs is an incredibly important site in Sheffield, it had been used for many years by a whole host of people.
“Since the ski village closed, the area has needed something to breathe new life into it. Our plans do exactly that, we want to create a country park in the city, a place for Sheffield residents and visitors to go, relax and enjoy on a daily basis. Confirmation of funding from the new government will help us to transform the area.”
Funding of £19.4 million for the project was confirmed by the Labour Government in the budget at the start of November. That money will now allow the work to continue onsite including preliminary work on a new access road.
The relocation of a local business has also progressed with a new site being identified for new purpose-built accommodation. This will allow the area to be prepared for the next stage of the transformation.
Cllr Miskell added: “Sheffield is changing, it’s transforming into a fantastic area, full of character and full of place, just like Parkwood Springs. What was once a busy bustling area, will be once again with a new regional leisure destination included that will further enhance the city’s reputation as ‘The Outdoor City’.”
The regeneration of Parkwood is overseen by an Area Board, that includes key stakeholders, including community groups and is chaired by Gill Furniss MP for Brightside and Hillsborough, who said: “Securing government funding enables us to progress with the exciting next stage of redeveloping the Parkwood site.
“Comparable in size to Hyde Park, this vibrant space is home to a number of community groups and projects, all actively contributing to the Area Board I chair. Together, we’re working to create something truly exceptional—a giant urban lung for the city, providing people with opportunities to get out and enjoy our beautiful green spaces.”
Work starts on new research and development facility for food and farming sector
Work has started on creating a new research and development facility at the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme Park Campus, enabling new industry collaboration and research opportunities for the UK’s food and farming sector.
The glasshouse will facilitate regional industry specialisms, support innovation in food and farming, deliver collaborative, impactful and high value research with industry, and further establish the University’s Riseholme Park Campus and Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) as specialist centres.
The Glasshouse Research & Development (R&D) Facility will use geothermal ground source heating technology to provide heating from renewable energy. The building will therefore operate with a considerably lower carbon footprint than traditional facilities of its kind and will demonstrate plausible pathways towards a Net Zero transition for this segment of the agriculture and horticulture industries.
When completed, the glasshouse will offer access to specialist research infrastructure and innovation support services. This will allow SMEs and other businesses in the UK’s food sector to adapt or improve their products or services.
The glasshouse will have capacity for multiple R&D projects to take place simultaneously in independently controlled compartments. Eligible businesses will also have access to academic experts from the University of Lincoln, as well as many research and knowledge transfer opportunities. This ongoing support will enable adoption of new technology, new processes, acquisition of skills and the development of new products.
Prof. Neal Juster, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “We are very excited at the prospect of our new Glasshouse Facility being constructed at the University’s Riseholme Park Campus, and it will be working with Net Zero technologies that are in line with our ongoing commitment to sustainability and a carbon free future.
“Lincolnshire is the UK’s Food Valley, from its seafood industry in Grimsby, through agri-tech in Lincoln, to its fresh produce sector in southern Lincolnshire. We are facilitating growth with an industry-led investment agenda. Our enabling strategy, working in conjunction with industry can deliver success by attracting and supporting investors.
“By working together, locally and with the government, we can deliver much more investment, innovation, job creation and food security. It is incredibly important that we invest in applied research and development opportunities such as this and encourage the growth of our University as a commercial entity.”
The Glasshouse R&D Facility will form part of Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s proposed Agricultural Growth Zone (Ag Zone), designed to support Greater Lincolnshire agriculture and the delivery of the UK Food Valley.
The research and development infrastructure will also be used for the new AgriTech Incubator established by the University of Lincoln in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs.
The total cost of the project will be £2.2 million with the majority of the capital being provided by a local growth fund from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by Summer 2025.
LNT chooses Dudleys for care home assistance
LNT Construction has appointed Dudleys Consulting Engineers to help develop planning and civil engineering aspects for a number of new projects across the UK.
As part of ambitious expansion plans, LNT was seeking to enhance its supply chain and approached Dudleys Consulting Engineers due to its care home project credentials.
Dudleys North West team is currently advising LNT on six new 66-bed care home projects with expert engineering advice and design information to support the planning and construction processes. These include projects in Coalville, Colchester, Diss, Gloucester, Ross-on-Wye and Shrewsbury.
Chris Brady, Technical Director leading Dudleys Manchester office, said: “We are delighted to assist LNT Construction with strategic advice through pre-planning stages, drainage strategy, flood risk assessments and subsequently provide engineering design to support construction processes.
“Timescales have been very tight for most of the projects, but our team has been very efficient in working with various drainage, highways and lead local flood authorities in each geographical location. Different planning policy requirements were also a key consideration and working within the policy framework of each area requires in-depth knowledge and experience of the technical challenges to be overcome. We have also assisted in designing off-site S278 highways works and off-site drainage outfall solutions, negotiating with highway and drainage authorities during the process.”
LNT Construction is a part of LNT Care Developments, currently the UK’s largest provider of carbon-zero, affordable and high-quality care homes. Established for more than 30 years, the Group has developed more than 230 sites with a built value exceeding £3.7 billion, providing over 15,000 beds so far.
Innovative first aid business secures investment for growth
Yorkshire-based Mini First Aid is expanding with investment from Finance Yorkshire.
The company was founded nine years ago by Kate Ball who has successfully grown the business which now operates more than 70 franchises covering most of the UK.
Mini First Aid provides first aid training and education to people of all ages with its original parent and carer classes proving most popular. Other classes are aimed at children and adults with workplace training available.
Kate started the business from her home after her brother died suddenly from heart failure. His student friends called the emergency services but the students did not know how to do CPR. Later, pregnant with her first child, she found there was little in the way of first aid training for parents-to-be.
A £100,000 investment from Finance Yorkshire’s Loan fund will support Mini First Aid in its growth ambitions which include new product development and staff hires including a marketing manager.
Mini First Aid’s parent and carer class covers all emergency situations including CPR, choking, bleeding and burns. On average, 1,000 families are trained each week. The company also sells branded first aid kits and has recently added a reuseable hot and cold gel pack to its product range.
Kate said: “My aim has been to build a brand providing first aid training which is memorable. All Mini First Aid classes are a brilliant learning experience – they are hands-on with skills taught in a way that people will remember should they need to put them into practice.”
Kate is joined in the business by her husband Matt who is operations and financial director. They have six children and Kate was named Yorkshire Businesswoman of the Year 2024.
The couple are now working with leading charities and the NHS to provide fully funded classes for low-income families. Kate added: “Only 10% of new parents are learning first aid so the opportunity to grow Mini First Aid in the UK is massive. There is also the potential for us to roll out our training model in other countries.”
Alex McWhirter, CEO of Finance Yorkshire, said: “Under Kate’s leadership, Mini First Aid has become a widely recognised brand delivering vital life skills to people of all ages. We are pleased to support the Mini First Aid team in their ambitions to grow further by reaching more people with their innovative style of first aid training.”
Leeds law firm strengthens team with six new appointments
Ward Hadaway, a Leeds-based law firm, has appointed six new team members as it continues to grow.
The appointments include an equity partner, two solicitors, two trainee solicitors and one paralegal across sectors including real estate, healthcare and commercial litigation.
Emma Digby, Executive Partner in Ward Hadaway’s Leeds office, said: “The expansion of our Leeds team is a clear reflection of our firm’s growing presence across Yorkshire and beyond. With new appointments across multiple roles, we’re enhancing our ability to provide high-quality, sector-specific legal services to our clients.
“Our new team members, representing a blend of emerging and experienced professionals, will play a crucial role in our wider growth strategy. Their expertise will enable us to continue offering agile, high-calibre legal support to our diverse client base, while maintaining the independence that is core to our identity.”
Based in the Leeds office, Laura Hill joins as a Partner in the commercial litigation team. She brings specialist expertise and experience in handling AI-related litigation.
Emma continued: “Enhancing our teams to meet changing demands is also essential to our growth. For instance, as AI innovation accelerates, we are seeing increasing demand to support businesses in navigating the evolving legal challenges it presents.
“We help clients design and implement AI solutions within a fragmented regulatory framework, while closely monitoring developing legislation to ensure compliance. Our growing expertise in this space ensures clients can innovate confidently while managing emerging legal issues.”
Partner Laura Hill added: “I’m excited to join Ward Hadaway, a firm that’s deeply committed to innovation and providing practical, client-focused solutions. As AI continues to transform industries, I’m eager to contribute to the firm’s efforts to help businesses manage the unique legal hurdles that arise in this space.
“With our strong track record in supporting tech companies, we’re well-placed to guide organisations through the complexities of AI, ensuring they can grow and innovate while managing risks and staying ahead of changing regulations.”
New South Yorkshire survey aims to unlock the secrets of effective business communication
Cannon PR is inviting businesses from across South Yorkshire to take part in a new research project, aimed at understanding how companies connect, communicate and engage with others.
Believed to be the first comprehensive review of its kind, Cannon PR’s business communications survey will explore how companies are responding to challenges posed by changing communications methods, and the techniques used to engage with different audiences.
For many businesses, there has never been greater choice when it comes to engaging with others. Yet at the same time the communications landscape has never been more complex, particularly when it comes to embracing the many different tools, channels and techniques to stand out from the competition.
Earlier this year, data published by Ofcom revealed significant changes in the way that adults consume news. The Ofcom survey revealed that 52% adults rely upon their social media feeds to keep up-to-date with current affairs, whilst seven in ten adults consume news primarily through online sources.
The survey also revealed that less than half of adults rely upon traditional news sources such as BBC news and ITV. 82% of 16-24 year olds rely upon social media feeds, with 41% turning to Instagram, 37% using YouTube and 35% relying upon their Facebook feeds. The aim of the Cannon PR business survey is to explore how businesses are responding to changing audience habits.
The survey can be accessed here: https://cannonpr.co.uk/pr-survey/. Cannon PR is also providing the opportunity for ten businesses taking part in the survey to receive a free mini communications audit.
Matthew Ridsdale, founder, Cannon PR, said: “Effective communication is the cornerstone of every business. Earlier this year Ofcom published its own findings which revealed some interesting trends in the way we all consume the news and information. Our survey aims to understand how businesses are responding to the challenges posed by a changing communications landscape.
“There are no right or wrong answers in the survey, our research aims to explore current practices, techniques and tools used by businesses to ensure their messages cut through and connect with their target audiences.”
