Councillors have voted unanimously to approve plans for 162 new homes off Hull Road in York.
The plans, put forward by York-based housebuilder Persimmon, will provide a mix of homes for local families, first-time buyers, and downsizers. 49 homes (30%) will either be transferred to a local housing association or sold as First Homes at a discount of between 30 and 40 percent. The site is allocated for housing in the York Local Plan and was recommended for approval by the council’s planning team. All homes will feature electric vehicle chargers and air-source heat pumps, meaning the development will exceed current building regulations and will be ‘gas-free’. The development will achieve a significant biodiversity net gain of 69% through a combination of on-site enhancements and off-site woodland planting. Properties will range from 1 to 4 bedrooms including apartments, terraced, semi-detached and detached houses. Residents will also have access to nearly 3 acres of public open space, including a children’s play area. £1.45 million will be provided for local education with other contributions going towards the NHS, sport provision, new bus stops and a new children’s play area. Joel Frank, Land Director at Persimmon Yorkshire, said: “We’re pleased that committee members have voted to reaffirm the Council’s recommendation for approval. “This development will provide a range of house types for young people, families and downsizers alike with excellent access to local amenities. “We all know the difficulties local people, particularly families have faced to get on the property ladder in the city, so we’re pleased to be playing our role in delivering new homes for the people of York.”Heywood Homes moves forward with £13m development in Holmfirth
Blacks Solicitors has advised Heywood Homes on the development of a site in Holmfirth for 35 ‘Low Carbon’ homes with a gross development value of almost £13 million.
The development of the site is backed by the £5 million of finance from Homes England, with Blacks providing advice to Heywood Homes.
Andrew Pedley, Partner in the Real Estate team at Blacks Solicitors, said: “We are delighted to have supported Heywood Homes to successfully bring this housing scheme to the market alongside Homes England. It has been a pleasure to work with the team, offering advice on complex matters to ensure they can continue to offer environmentally friendly and EPC-A rated family homes designed in a manner not widely used in the sector.”
Blacks’ involvement first began in 2022 with acquiring this sought after site. Subsequently planning advice was given by Senior Associate Solicitor, Katy McPhie, including matters such as reserved matters approval, securing a further planning permission and addressing complex infrastructure agreements.
Heywood Homes was first introduced to Blacks through Andrew’s 10 year strong relationship with them and it has now been a client of the firm for more than three years. Blacks continue to support in successfully bringing sustainable and modern housing schemes to the market.
Jonathan Mayo, MD at Heywood Homes, added: “It was great to work with Andrew and the Blacks team again as, having worked together for some time, they help us to navigate through development constraints whilst achieving our environmental goals. It was important for us to work with a funder who valued our ecological building principles, recognising the importance of all properties being EPC-A rated by using building techniques that are reducing carbon emissions, conserving energy and promoting sustainability; helping us to build a greener future by contributing to a healthier environment for generations to come.”
Joanna Simpson, Development Finance Manager at Homes England said: “This development is an excellent example of the support that Homes England can provide ambitious SMEs through government funding and we are proud to be supporting Heywood Homes and partners on this project.
“The emphasis on sustainability in this development is particularly noteworthy, with all properties to be EPC A rated, a focus on the incorporation of outdoor spaces and the use of low carbon building techniques. This is a testament to how Homes England is able to support SMEs with our capacity and resources, and we encourage others to get in contact to find out if we can provide government-funding to kick-start their projects.”
Construction begins on £10m development at Melton West business park
Construction has begun on the latest development at Melton West business park in East Yorkshire.
The £10m Evolve @ Melton West development will create 85,000 sq ft of prime commercial space for growing companies.
Set within the wider Melton West site, west of Hull, the development will comprise of two larger units of 37,000 sq ft and 22,900 sq ft and a terrace of five smaller units of 5,000 sq ft each.
Yorkshire commercial property developer Wykeland Group, owner and developer of Melton West, has appointed West Yorkshire-based Triton Construction as the principal contractor on the project.
Construction work is now underway on the speculative development, with interest in the units high, ahead of occupiers moving in from February 2025.
Wykeland Development Director Jonathan Stubbs said: “Evolve @ Melton West will plug an important gap in the region for high-quality, modern commercial space.
“Small and medium-sized businesses are the beating heart of our economy and it’s vitally important to create spaces fit for today, and into the future, in which they can expand and grow.
“Equally important is the development’s outstanding sustainability credentials. Sustainability is something which connects all businesses, and companies are increasingly seeking facilities which are of a high environmental quality.
“Evolve @ Melton West meets that need and this was a key focus for us when planning this development.”
All of the units at Evolve @ Melton West will be EPC A-rated, with rooftop solar panels, green living walls and electric vehicle charging infrastructure available for occupiers.
Cycle storage shelters will form part of the development, which will also feature planted green roofs, with fast electric vehicle charging also available for public use.
The buildings allow high levels of natural light in, thanks to translucent roof panels, creating bright workplaces and reducing the length of time when artificial lighting is required.
Paul Clarkson, Managing Director at Triton Construction, said: “It’s great to be working with Wykeland on a development which will create new business opportunities and support the economic growth of the East Riding.
“We’ve got a track record of delivering quality commercial developments just like this one, and we’re pleased to be playing our part in the evolution of Melton West business park.
“Triton Construction is celebrating its 20th anniversary next year, and this sort of project underlines our capabilities and expertise in commercial development.”
LHL Group, which has offices in Hessle, East Yorkshire, is acting as the employer’s agent for the development, supporting the management and delivery of the project.
Jo Dooley, Business Investment & Tourism Services Manager at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting Wykeland to build much-needed small industrial units at Melton West business park.
“The project will provide almost 100 construction jobs, and then at least the same amount of permanent opportunities once the industrial units have been completed and are fully occupied.
“This is another example that the East Riding is an ideal area in which to start, locate and grow businesses.”
Almost 2.5m sq ft of space is already under construction at Melton West, including global medical technology business Smith+Nephew relocating from its existing site in Hull to a new £120m research and development and manufacturing facility, and a £180m Amazon fulfilment centre.
There are now around 1,500 people employed at Melton West, rising to 5,000 in the near future.
Derelict mill demolition paves way for new college building in Bradford
Newly-appointed contractor Morgan Sindall Construction is demolishing a derelict mill on Bradford’s Thornton Road, making way for Bradford College’s purpose-built Future Technologies Centre.
The demolition of Junction Mills marks the start of construction on the state-of-the-art four-storey building, which will become the home of modern automotive and digital engineering training at Bradford College.
Once opened, the facility will offer students skills in new technologies, such as electric/hybrid vehicles and advanced manufacturing. The Centre will be vital in supporting the growth of technology and low-carbon skills capability within West Yorkshire.
The project was made possible thanks to £15 million funding from the Department for Education’s Further Education Capital Transformation Fund , secured in October 2022, and boosted by a £2 million College contribution.
Christopher Malish, Bradford College’s Vice Principal of Finance & Corporate Services, said: “We’re thrilled to see work scaling up after years of logistics and planning and are delighted to be working with Morgan Sindall. We have an exciting time ahead as we develop sector-leading facilities. This is a huge boost for the College but also a transformative investment in Bradford city centre, that also supports the wider city centre development.
“This multi-million-pound investment will create a cutting-edge learning environment for the local community, allowing the College to deliver on its mission of transforming lives. These new facilities are designed to address big societal challenges, enrich our local workforce, and showcase a range of inspiring careers.”
Northern Trains bids for slice of ‘traincation’ action, seen as the next big thing in holidays
‘Traincations’ could be the next big tourism trend and the North of England should aim for ‘as big a slice of the pie as possible’, says train operator Northern.
The concept is seen as a natural development of the ‘staycation’ and the train operator is now working with travel influencers such as @CheapHolidayExp Chelsea Dickenson to promote the idea with consumers, and raise awareness of the benefits of train travel with tour operators and group travel organisers.
If it takes off, package deals including train tickets rather than coach travel or domestic flights could become commonplace.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “Staycations have become part and parcel of the leisure industry and the rail industry needs to ‘get in’ on the action.
“The North of England has an amazing tourism offer and businesses should be working together to ensure the region gets as big a slice of the ‘traincation’ pie as possible.”
According to VisitBritain, there were 117.3m domestic overnight trips in Great Britain during 2023. In total, they generated £30.9bn in visitor spend.
The train operator put its theory to the test with a pop-up travel agency in Trinity Leeds shopping centre, offering sample mini breaks in towns and cities across the North, including Blackpool, Buxton, Chester, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
And now, Northern – who already works with tourist boards and local visitor economy partnerships across its network – says it is looking to work closer with tour operators and group travel organisers to develop the idea.
Leeds-based storage equipment supplier acquired by Cheshire firm
Leeds-based Yorkshire Storage has been acquired by Cheshire-based Palletower, which has also bought WP Group and Astirvant, making it a dominant player in the North West racking market.
All three of the acquired companies have been market players in the North West for more than three decades, and have built up a loyal customer base. Therefore, Palletower will not only benefit from strengthening its product and service offering but will also amplify its customers
Palletower MD Matthew Palmer said: “This multi-acquisition provides Palletower with the opportunity of offering its customers a full end-to-end storage equipment solution. Customers will be able to come to us for storage planning all the way through to purchasing storage and logistics solutions, and will no longer need to source multiple suppliers.
“As such we are delighted in supporting further growth with Astirvant, Yorkshire Storage and WP Group under the Palletower Group and are looking forward to providing an optimised product and service solution to our customers.”
Solicitor moves on from firm started by her grandfather
A solicitor who took her first steps in the legal profession with the practice founded by her grandfather has made the move to join the property department at Rollits.
Georgina Gibbon joins Rollits from BG Solicitors, a firm which traces its roots back to 1944, founded by Tom Beetenson and her grandfather Lawrence Gibbon, and at which her father Richard was also a partner for many years.
Georgina Gibbon, who comes from Grimsby, graduated from Northumbria University in 2013 and qualified as a solicitor two years later.
She specialised in property for nearly 10 years with BG Solicitors and worked across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, she became Partner in charge of the firm’s property department in 2022.
At Rollits, Georgina is undertaking all aspects of residential property law. She specialises in the right of first refusal and handles other work including all matters around sales, purchases and leases of land.
Georgina said: “For many years, I have focused on providing exceptional legal services to residential property clients, and I am confident that my experience in conveyancing matters and in particular property trust deeds, deeds of easement, overages and option agreements, will seamlessly integrate with the team’s existing strengths.”
Yasper takes on media and content brief for 24 Seven Cloud
Leeds-based Yasper has been appointed by 24 Seven Cloud to deliver a media and content brief aimed at driving awareness amongst its target audiences.
Yasper will initially be supporting the business telecoms provider with strategic B2B media relations support, as well as the production of web and social media content to promote the firm’s independent network and connectivity products — Pod and Jump, as well as a range of other smart bespoke telecoms solutions for businesses and telecoms resellers.
Julian Pearce, Founder and MD of Yasper, said: “I’ve known the team at 24 Seven Cloud for almost a decade and I’ve seen first-hand the smart way they approach business telecoms. Working with David and the team, we’ll look to reinitiate their profile within the business telecoms landscape and produce content that generates cut-through.
“Working with businesses like 24 Seven Cloud demonstrates Yasper’s ability to get under the skin of complex industries, understanding nuance and technical detail to ensure we can communicate difference.”
David Samuel, Founder and MD of 24 Seven Cloud, added: “Working with Yasper, we’ll be looking to raise the profile of 24 Seven Cloud’s products, services and ideas to a business and reseller audience. We were impressed by their knowledge of the sector and their insight-led approach, engaging with our team to fully understand the brief and our requirements.”
Founded in 2018, 24 Seven Cloud was launched to provide its channel partners and resellers with next generation technology via its own independent and fully resilient network. It has provided a range of connectivity solutions for thousands of clients to date, including those in construction, property, travel, and healthcare as well as the emergency services.
New flagship store opens at Trinity Leeds this week
Zara will launch its new flagship store at Trinity Leeds this week at the former Topshop unit on Briggate.
The move will see the brand upsize and relocate into the shopping centre from its current location on Briggate, and is part of an optimisation plan from Zara’s parent group Inditex.
Steven Foster, Centre Director at Trinity Leeds, said: “It’s been years in the making but the new Zara store is most definitely worth the wait. A huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to get to this point, and we’re sure guests will be impressed with this incredible new addition to Trinity Leeds.
“Zara is a huge name in retail and it speaks volumes that they’ve chosen to snap up a prime spot in such an iconic retail location in the heart of the city centre.”
Zara follows a number of brands that have recently joined the line-up at Trinity Leeds, including Nike: Rise, Jack & Jones, Five Guys and Knoops.
FSB sets out plans to revive high streets and their traders
The Federation of Small Businesses has unveiled a package of new measures to help transform life on the high street for the millions of small firms
Supporting pop-ups and temporary use initiatives for new businesses, creating mobile phone-based loyalty programmes, and showcasing local high streets in major tourism campaigns are some of the recommendations set out to revive the UK’s village, town and city centres, in a landmark new report by the FSB.
Tina McKenzie, Policy and Advocacy Chair at the FSB, said: “Our small businesses are an integral part of the high street and will be central in leading the transformation of their local economies. By providing the infrastructure, flexibility and digital connectivity that modern businesses demand, high streets will have the resources available to become resilient, dynamic hubs ready for the future.
“As well as core recommendations targeting fundamental issues for small firms on the high street, including business rates, transport and parking, this report also lays out innovative asks to ensure these businesses can survive into the future and ultimately help revive our town centres.
“High streets must be helped to evolve to keep pace with changes in consumer behaviour as well as how small firms want to work. One example of this is introducing loyalty schemes for high streets to encourage local businesses to collaborate and incentivise consumers to shop, eat, and drink locally.
“It’s been exciting to hear from many online small firms that want to take steps to open up in a bricks and mortar premises on the high street. These businesses need support to make that change – and should be given the flexibility to access pop-up and temporary units.
“Before the General Election, we were pleased to see Labour’s emphasis on improving life on the high street for small firms. It’s now time for the new Government as well as local authorities to put these plans into action and ensure that small firms on our high streets are fully supported.”
The Future of the High Street report calls for a specialised fund to be created to support pop-ups, markets, and temporary use initiatives for first-time businesses to encourage new ventures and help them set up on the high street. With more than a third of high street small businesses saying the availability of affordable commercial space is important for the future of an area, ensuring temporary spaces are available will not only fill vacant sites but also provide opportunities for small firms eager to launch in a physical premises.
The report also suggests a specialised fund to support a mobile phone-based loyalty programme for high street firms, and launching community-specific online marketplaces to showcase local shops and services.
To bring in visitors and increase footfall, local high streets should be featured in domestic and international tourism campaigns. FSB is encouraging tourism groups like VisitBritain, VisitEngland and Local Visitor Economy Partnerships to showcase the unique character and offerings of local high streets across the UK in promotions and coordination of campaigns.
The research also found:
- Plummeting consumer spending (70%), falling footfall (47%) and crime or anti-social behaviour (47%) are the biggest risks to high streets according to the small firms based on them.
- Over half of local businesses (57%) say a diverse range of independent businesses is one of the most important features for the long-term sustainability and future of their local high street.
- Good transport links are also key for the future of the high street, according to almost half (43%) of small businesses based on them.
- Around half (49%) of high street small businesses say parking facilities are managed poorly on their local high street.
- Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, most local businesses saw a range of closures on their local high street, including: retail stores (72%), hospitality (69%), banks (58%), post offices (28%), and entertainment venues (20%).
