Planning secured for 110,000 sq ft of industrial & logistics space to begin Phase 2 of Gateway 36, Barnsley
Harworth Group, a regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has secured planning for 110,000 sq ft of industrial & logistics space as part of Phase 2 of its Gateway 36 development in Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
The next phase of the scheme will see the direct development of three buildings ranging from 23,000 sq ft to 49,500 sq ft, which will include up to 10% office space and will be marketed as ‘R-Evolution 36’. The smallest building will be split into four units of 5,750 sq ft each to ensure its suitability to a broad range of occupiers. This will support the development of two additional buildings as part of Phase 2, which will provide an additional 425,000 sq ft of industrial & logistics space.
The proposed development will be built to BREEAM “Very Good” standard, with 11% of the roof area covered by solar PV panels, and an enhanced design to allow occupiers to increase this coverage to 100%. The scheme will also include 20 EV charging points, rainwater harvesting and a sustainable heating and cooling system, as well as a building envelope design that is sympathetic to the surrounding environment.
This development will build on the success of Phase 1 of Gateway 36, which comprised the direct development by Harworth of 145,300 sq ft of industrial & logistics space across four units, which were sold to Mayfair Capital in 2018. It also follows last month’s sale of a 24-acre land parcel at the development to Firethorn for £11.6 million, which will be used to deliver a BREEAM “Excellent” standard, 340,000 sq ft logistics facility.
Located close to Junction 36 of the M1, Gateway 36 provides occupiers with direct motorway links to Leeds, Sheffield and Doncaster. The development is supported by £3.1 million of funding from Sheffield City Region, with all of the facility now drawn down contributing to the infrastructure that has opened up development of the site.
Harworth is already well progressed with the creation of development platforms and access roads at the site, and intends to begin direct development of Phase 2 in early 2022. The units will be marketed by Knight Frank and Gent Visick.
Andrew Blackshaw, Chief Operating Officer, Harworth Group, said: “Gateway 36 is a major hub for logistics and manufacturing in Yorkshire, benefiting from its adjacency to Junction 36 of the M1. The development of this discrete second phase of the scheme will be a contributor to Harworth’s strategy of increasing its direct development of industrial & logistics space over the next five to seven years.”
Chris Davidson, associate director, Harworth Group, said: “The next phase of Gateway 36 will meet the growing demand for well-connected, high-specification industrial & logistics space in Yorkshire. In addition to supporting new jobs in the area, the development’s environmental impact will be minimised through the use of onsite energy generation and energy efficient design.”
£20,000 fine for gas engineering company after unsafe work completed at food factory
A gas engineering company has been fined after undertaking Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) installation work at a food factory near Spalding that was later condemned as being unsafe.
Lincoln Magistrates’ Court heard how Glen Farrow UK Ltd undertook the installation of a liquid LPG bottle filling system at the food preparation company during January and February 2018. An inspection by the LPG supplier on 13 February 2018 found numerous defects in the installation which put the safety of workers at the factory at risk.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company took on work that they did not have the competencies for. They failed to plan the work adequately and to specify the correct materials and design for the installation. The engineer they sent was not competent to work on a liquid LPG installation of this sort. When asked to quote for this work, Glen Farrow UK Ltd should have realised that it was outside of their competence and subcontracted the work to a company with expertise in liquid LPG installations.
Glen Farrow UK Ltd of Glendum Close, Pinchbeck, Spalding pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3131.60.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Giles, said: “Gas engineers must understand that certain tasks are not part of their normal functions and should only be done by competent contractors.”
Western Growth Corridor plans to progress after Secretary of State decides against call-in
Work to deliver Lincoln’s Western Growth Corridor can now progress after government decided not to ‘call in’ the scheme’s planning application.
A planning decision notice for the project has today been issued as the Secretary of State’s office confirmed it will not be scrutinising the proposals.
City of Lincoln Council, sitting as Planning Committee, approved the Western Growth Corridor plans on 12 January 2022.
Western Growth Corridor, which will be jointly delivered by City of Lincoln Council and Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd, will be the largest project undertaken in the city for decades, bringing more than £500 million worth of investment into Lincoln over its lifetime and providing hundreds of jobs locally.
The development will supply the city with 3,200 much needed new homes, a leisure village, an industrial park and transport infrastructure that will help alleviate some of Lincoln’s worst traffic problems.
Significant time has been taken to plan transport infrastructure which will improve the overall road network in the area, including a new spine road, which will run through the centre of the development, providing a main road to connect the development into the city centre and surrounding area.
Traffic modelling, undertaken by independent industry experts, shows that, once in the place, the planned infrastructure improvements would take significant amounts of traffic away from Skellingthorpe Road. This includes linking Skellingthorpe Road to Tritton Road via a new bridge over the railway, which will play a major part in helping ease current congestion at the railway crossing.
To further assist delivery of the Western Growth Corridor project, there has been extensive independent studies and surveys conducted, including flooding and water management strategies which will help ensure the development and wider area are protected from flooding, with suitable mitigation in place.
There has also been a number of ecology studies to assist developers in ensuring that any disturbance to the site’s natural assets such as trees and wildlife is kept to a minimum, with large areas of green space still available and preserved.
Now that the call-in has been refused, initial works on site are expected to begin later this year.
Leader of the city council, Cllr Ric Metcalfe, said: “We are very pleased that the Secretary of State has rejected the call-in request for the Western Growth Corridor planning application, giving city councillors the ability to make the ultimate decision for the site.
“The planning application has significant local importance; it is policy compliant and allocated within the Local Plan. Government has responded quickly and favourably in refusing the call-in and allowing us to progress with the project.
“The decision notice for the site has now been successfully issued, and I look forward with the project starting in the near future.”
Mark Foster, Lindum Planning Director, said: “We are delighted that the plans have not been called in by the Secretary of State and we are now looking forward to re-engaging with the local community, ward councillors and Lincolnshire County Council as highways authority, to deliver a scheme that’s right for Lincoln.
“We have taken note of concerns raised during the application process, and articulated on the night of the Committee, and we want to work together to ensure we get this right.
“It has taken many years of hard work to get to this point and we are pleased to see the scheme now gathering momentum.”
Following the rejection of the call-in request by the Secretary of State, city council leader Cllr Ric Metcalfe has written to Lincolnshire County Council to better understand the reasoning behind its request.
Sheffield City Council shares the new council housing plans
Sheffield City Council’s plans for council housing over the next 5 years will focus on continuing to build more houses in the city, maintaining and improving tenants homes and improving energy efficiency.
£310 million will be spent on major improvements to existing council homes on top of the £40 million that is spent on day to day council house repairs each year. A further £339m will be spent increasing the supply of new homes, £650 million in total.
This £650 million will be the largest Council Housing investment programme the city will have seen since the national Decent Homes Programme and will also create thousands of apprenticeships and employment opportunities for the city.
The Council has already increased the number and variety of homes available in Sheffield and introduced the council’s first new Independent Living Housing Scheme for older people. While these schemes continue, they have also set out some of our key priorities for the next five years.
These include investing £53 million in carbon reduction measures, looking in detail at how repairs and the repairs backlog is managed as a result of Covid, improving how they work with other council services, investing in fire safety improvements, engaging with tenants and focussing on providing quality customer services for all of the tenants and residents.
Stock increase programme
The ‘stock increase programme’, which will increase the number and different types of homes available, will see the building of 3,100 new homes by 2028/29. The council is a major contributor to delivering the affordable housing shortfall and its key that it continues to make progress and deliver in full:- 732 new homes have been built, a mixture of homes purchased on the open market and new homes built or purchased ‘off plan’
- 221 new homes are under construction and scheduled to be completed by Summer 2022
- 762 homes on 8 sites are currently being planned and will include new supported accommodation units
Independent Living Housing scheme
The council’s first new Independent Living Housing scheme, the ‘Older Persons Independent Living with Care’ scheme is also underway in Parson Cross (Buchanan Green) and will be ready in Spring 2022. New Older Persons Independent Living Schemes in the south and southeast of the city at Hemsworth and Newstead are also planned. Both schemes will improve the choice and type of homes available for older people.- 8 new learning disabilities accommodation units were completed in September 2021
- A further 8 units will be delivered as part of the Buchanan Green scheme in Spring 2022
- 6,000 homes benefit from new roofing
- 18 of our high rise council homes receive new roofs and additional insulation
- Over 1,900 homes will benefit from heating replacement
Their priorities
One of the biggest priorities for the council is to outline how the repairs backlog and impact of Covid on services will be managed. New and improved ways of working will be looked at as part of the ‘better repairs’ project to deliver a better repairs service to tenants. A key priority in the plans for 2022/23 is to resume providing the services that were affected safely, increase front line service activity, tackle tenancy breaches and issues that are having a negative impact on council tenancies and estates. They will look to take a more pro-active and multi-tenure approach to dealing with tenancy management issues within the neighbourhoods. Better partnership working with other council services in our neighbourhoods and estates is also planned, so that tenancy and estate related issues can be managed more efficiently. Estates and neighbourhoods need to be places where tenants feel comfortable and where they want to live.Going forward
There are planned improvements to the frontline services that tenants receive, with a focus on quality customer service, plans to invest in fire safety and IT for council housing systems as well as options for how council housing can contribute to reducing climate change – part of Sheffield’s ambition of net-zero by 2030. The 5 year investment programme will support bringing all council homes up to EPC level C. Currently around 6,900 homes don’t meet energy efficient levels. Continued work with Government to submit funding bids for green grants will be the focus too, when they become available, which will help the Council to reduce costs. The plan also outlines how the council will develop apprenticeships, employment and training opportunities to create a workforce representative of housing communities across the city. Tenants will be asked for their views and opinions on plans to charge for enhanced services and about introducing cost recovery for some repair and housing management activities. Council house rents and garage rents will be increased in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard and burglar alarm charges, temporary accommodation and furnished accommodation charges will be increased by the rate of inflation this year, if the plan is approved. There will be an increase in community heating charges at a time when the energy market is seeing significant turbulence and increases in prices. The increase to the community heating charge is estimated based on the likely total charge from suppliers and the forecast usage over the next 12 months. At the Council’s Cooperative Executive meeting today, councillors approved all of the recommendations in the plan, known as the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan. Councillor Paul Wood, Executive Member for Housing, Roads and Waste Management, said: “We are well underway to see 3,100 new council homes by 2039 and we’re making sure that there are more houses of the right type and in the right places. We’re on target with this building work and the planning that goes with it and this is really good news. “We know housing repairs is a big issue. We’re committed to getting this right and delivering for tenants and as part of our ‘better repairs project’ we will tackle the backlog, which was largely driven by the impacts of the pandemic. The climate emergency is a big issue and our plan is responding accordingly, by providing better energy efficiency, making homes warmer and keeping bills down. “One of our challenges is the huge increase in energy bills which will have both an impact on the community heating charge and on all tenants because of the increases in costs from energy suppliers. In response, we have increased the council’s HRA hardship fund to support our most vulnerable households affected by inflationary increases. “It’s so important for people to keep safe and warm for health and wellbeing, so we will do what we can to address the struggles that many families in the city will face due to these energy increases.”Become a Qualified LGV with GBA Services and Transafe
A new UK wide Driver Training Academy has launched which will provide LGV trainees with qualifications in logistics, first aid and mental health, alongside their CE licence. They can also develop their skills and behaviours using a full-sized, state-of-the-art LGV simulator.
Transafe Training has joined forces with a leading logistics firm, GBA Services to create and launch the new driver academy for LGV trainees. Launched this January, with the first cohort set to start in March. Recruitment is currently underway across all GBA Services locations.
People who are interested in joining the Driver Academy can register and upload their CV at https://transafetraining.co.uk/gba-services/
This comes as part of a long-term commitment by GBA Services to recruit, employ and train LGV drivers, commencing with 20 new drivers in 2022.
The Driver Training Academy is being developed and run by Transafe, based in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire and part of MODAL Training, for logistics supply chain operator GBA Services.
Alongside classroom learning and practical driving training, trainees will spend time across other areas of GBA Services to gain a business-wide knowledge. These transferable skills will allow them to develop their future career within the company, opening up opportunities in areas such as transport management.
Hugh Callaway, Managing Director at MODAL Training, said: “I am delighted that through Transafe Training, we are supporting GBA Services to develop their workforce by creating and delivering a Driver Training Academy to develop the next generation of professional LGV drivers.
“GBA Services recognises the importance of fully-trained drivers and specialist logistics skills for both individual careers and business-wide benefits, which is commendable. This is an excellent opportunity to start in this sector and establish a career with GBA Services, with the opportunity to also progress in other areas of their business.
“I look forward to working closely with GBA Services as the first of many cohorts start on the programme.”
GBA Services is a family business which prides itself on being family-friendly, with strong family values. When asked to score how proud they were to work for the company, 89% of drivers answered 10/10.
Drivers were recently asked why they enjoyed working for GBA Services, commenting: “I enjoy the freedom and trust my manager gives me just to get on with the job, knowing that he is happy with my work ethic as it is the same as the company’s.”
Paul Birkbeck, Managing Director of GBA Dedicated Fleet, said: “Through our partnership with Transafe, we have defined a new standard for supporting and developing those who wish to join our profession. Experience and income are no longer a barrier. I really look forward to welcoming the new members to our team and seeing each develop with their new career.”
UK Food Valley seafood pilot launched in Grimsby
The Grimsby seafood cluster has launched a £430,000 six-month UK Food Valley pilot programme to help upskill the fish processing workforce in Europe’s largest seafood cluster.
The pilot is supported by the National Centre of Food Manufacturing (NCFM) in Holbeach, part of the University of Lincoln, and is part of the Government’s Community Renewal Fund. It was a priority project supported by North East Lincolnshire Council and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.
The seafood sector and the NCFM will use this pilot to shape a new centre for food processing education, research and innovation in Grimsby. Formal proposals are expected to be brought forward this year.
The aim is to ensure that the food processing cluster, centred on the seafood industry but also including expertise in other foods and food logistics and cold storage, has the expertise needed to drive forward growth.
The project was launched on Thursday 13th January at Grimsby Town’s Blundell Park stadium.
Val Braybrooks, Dean of the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, is leading on the project with Simon Dwyer, a key figure in the seafood sector.
Speaking at the launch, Val said: “This fund is so exciting; it really opens up the opportunity to put some resources into Grimsby to help our businesses.
“The process was highly competitive. North East Lincolnshire Council has led the charge with a number of projects, and we’re really pleased we have got this piece of work to help our sector.
“We have got to make sure we deliver the huge impact everyone really wants, and we only have a short window of time. It finishes in June so we have a lot to do. We have a great team of people to work with and organisations such as Grimsby Institute, Seafish, North East Lincolnshire Council and the Grimsby and Humber Seafood Alliance.
“We are a great partnership, we have lots of strengths and can cover lots of ground, whether it’s skills, innovation or digital automation – we have huge resources to help business. We are hugely excited.”
The fund will support not just food manufacturing and processing but also hospitality and retail.
Simon Dwyer, who represents the scores of fish merchanting companies in Grimsby, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for all the businesses in the region, whether a large business or an independent mobile fishmonger, or somewhere in between.
“Grimsby’s seafood cluster is one of the largest in the northern hemisphere, employing over 5,500 directly in seafood and fish processing and another 10,000 in the supply chain.
“Most of these people working in the industry are living in North East Lincolnshire, processing fish coming from all over the world, some 30 species from 40 different countries. We are supplying all the major retailers and food service organisations throughout the UK and exporting, although that has been tricky with Brexit.
“We are home to the protected geographical indication for Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish and we have world-class people working in the industry today interested in innovation, sustainability and marketing, doing great things.”
Yorkshire mid-market still facing the challenges of hybrid working
New research from Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker has revealed that, prior to the implementation of ‘Plan B’ and the return of work-from-home guidance, a hybrid working approach was being adopted by the majority of mid-market firms in Yorkshire, but that some were still facing challenges with its implementation.
Hybrid working, where people split time between working remotely and in an office, was the most common working practice in early December, with the research finding 90% of Yorkshire’s mid-market businesses surveyed were operating in this manner, yet some were still struggling to adapt.
The research highlighted that one of the most problematic hybrid working challenges was reduced productivity, with nearly a third of respondents (29%) who were adopting hybrid working stating that this was an issue.
Given the significant operational challenges businesses have had to deal with since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, it’s unsurprising that managing junior workers (40%) and provision of training remotely (44%) were all common issues.
Ensuring a high level of staff welfare was equally concerning, with 29% pointing to mental wellbeing issues such as reducing isolation and anxiety levels as being a challenge under the current circumstances.
Andy Wood, managing partner for Grant Thornton UK LLP in Yorkshire, said: “Many Yorkshire businesses are well-adapted to hybrid-working now, but some are still encountering the same few issues they were almost two years ago. Adapting to this new way of working needs time, clear leadership and commitment to be truly effective and it’s evident there is no ‘one size fits all approach’.
“As a priority I feel business leaders have to ensure that their people continue to feel connected and supported, which is why I am convinced the office still has a role to play in our working lives, particularly for younger team members, who relish face-to-face interaction and the opportunity to learn first-hand from their more experienced colleagues.
“As hybrid working continues to be adopted, I believe setting out clear goals and explaining the support that’s available to their people will help businesses to better manage this transition.
“Moving forward, Yorkshire businesses need to be open to evolving and challenging themselves as to how their hybrid working approach can be made more effective, such as through investing in new technology that helps teams to communicate and stay connected, and providing additional guidance on how work is organised and co-ordinated.”
Pace of UK recovery slows as Omicron impact bites
Omicron stalled the growth of consumer-facing businesses in December, as manufacturers benefited from easing supply chain pressure, according to the Lloyds Bank UK Recovery Tracker.
Despite headwinds that resulted in an overall slowing of the pace of the UK’s economic recovery, the total number of UK sectors monitored by the Tracker reporting output growth held steady month-on-month – with growth in 10 sectors in both December and November.
Activity in the tourism and recreation sector – which includes pubs, hotels, restaurants and leisure facilities – contracted for the first time in nine months in December (43.2) as concern over the Omicron virus variant impacted consumer behaviour. A reading above 50 signals output is rising, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction.
UK transportation – which includes airlines, hauliers and rail operators – experienced its first loss in momentum for four months, recording its weakest output growth since August 2021 (54.3).
In contrast, three of the manufacturing sectors monitored by the Tracker registered a stronger month-on-month performance in December, supported by strong demand and easing supply chain pressures.
This included manufacturers of household products, which saw output growth accelerate to the fastest rate since June 2021 (56.7 in December versus 52.2 in November), manufacturers of technology equipment (60.1 vs. 53.1) and industrial goods (52.2 vs. 50.0).
Business capacity issues remain, with staffing a major concern
The number of firms reporting an inability to meet demand due to staff or material shortages continued to ease from its peak in September 2021. However, the level remained elevated relative to the long-term average. In December, the number of firms reporting rising backlogs due to staff or material shortages, was around five times the long term average, compared with September when it was over six times the long term average.
According to the Tracker, UK companies were more likely to report capacity challenges stemming from staff shortages than counterparts in the Eurozone. The potential for the availability of qualified candidates to remain tight, and competition for talent to translate into further wage pressures could lead to high inflation in 2022 lasting for longer in the UK than in the Eurozone, even if supply chain pressures continue to ease.
All of the fourteen UK sectors monitored by the Tracker reported rising input costs in December, with wages remaining a key driver of costs – particularly for service sector businesses. Overall, UK firms were 4.3 times more likely than the long-run average to report an increase in their wage bills as businesses sought to attract and retain skilled talent, up from 3.8 times in November.
At the global level, the UK remained one of the countries with the largest gap between the Tracker’s input and prices indices – signalling more acute pressure on firms’ margins.
In December, the gap between the UK indices registered 15.2 index points, the joint-second highest with Italy, as Spain registered 17.2, which is well above the global benchmark of 9.5. This could fuel inflationary risks if businesses look to alleviate margin pressures through future prices rises.
Jeavon Lolay, head of economics and market insight at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “While consumer-facing businesses, like those in travel and hospitality, unsurprisingly bore the brunt of consumer concern over the Omicron variant in December, the resilience shown in other service sectors and manufacturing helped soften the impact on the economy as a whole.
“Further signs of optimism were evident in data showing supply chains slowly recovering and staff numbers rising in all sectors with the exception of tourism and recreation.
“However, the cost backdrop remained acute as higher energy prices and wage bills pushed up firms’ expenses. It’s no surprise that an increasing number of firms plan to raise their prices in the year ahead, indicating rising and potentially sustained domestic inflationary pressure.”
Leeds’ Nexus expands shared laboratory space offer with international life sciences partner
Nexus, the University of Leeds’ innovation hub, has joined forces with international life sciences specialist Eppendorf to meet global demand for shared laboratory space.
Nexus Innovation Lab will help bridge the gap between increased demand from life sciences companies and the shortage of purpose-built lab space in the UK, especially in the south of England.
Latest data shows that London’s wet laboratory innovation centres are all full and there is a desperate lack of provision for start-ups and small companies.
“Our partnership with Eppendorf – which is world-renowned for its expertise in the life sciences sector – takes our laboratory space offer to the next level,” said Dr Mark Tock, Nexus Operations Director.
“But it is about much more than the physical wet and dry lab space and state of the art equipment. The demand we are seeing from companies worldwide, is also for shared expertise, collaborative research projects and to be part of a community of like-minded innovators. Connecting businesses with the expertise and talent at the University of Leeds as well as wider support networks across Leeds City Region and the rest of the UK, has proved a major driver for Nexus membership.”
100 local businesses sign up to Made in Lincolnshire project
The Made in Lincolnshire brochure is celebrating its 100th business, cementing its reputation as the go-to for manufacturing talent across the county.
Launching in May this year with 70 local businesses, the interactive brochure celebrates Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland’s diverse range of manufacturers and features businesses of all shapes, sizes and sectors. From crafting violins for celebrities to building parts for planes, the brochure showcases local businesses that are producing some of the UK’s most innovative products.
However, the brochure doesn’t just highlight the homegrown manufacturing talent right on our doorstep, Made in Lincolnshire also helps local manufacturers to connect with one another. By inter-trading and working together, local SMEs can boost both their business and the Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland economy, creating new jobs and opportunities for all.
Darren Joint, Managing Director of Viking Signs Ltd and Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP Manufacturing Board, said: “When we created the Made in Lincolnshire brochure, our goal was to put the spotlight on the many fantastic local manufacturing businesses, but it was also to help them connect with one another and boost our local economy.
“So, to see that more than 100 businesses have decided to join and put themselves out there to work with other talented Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland SMEs is amazing.”
The manufacturing sector in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland brings roughly £1.8 billion a year to the local economy and employs 39,000 workers – roughly 16% of all jobs. And the sector is only continuing to grow in the county, despite a decline in the number of people working in manufacturing across the UK as a whole.
Darren continued: “There are still plenty of opportunities for local businesses to connect with one another and do great things – to find a like-minded business you’d like to work with, all you have to do is download the Made in Lincolnshire brochure from the Business Lincolnshire website. There’s also still time to join and be featured yourself, so if you’d like to be included, don’t hesitate to get in touch!”
Interested in having your business feature in the Made in Lincolnshire brochure? Email businesslincolnshire@lincolnshire.gov.uk or visit the Business Lincolnshire website for more information. You can also download it here.
