Fire and Rescue Services change rules on response to automatic fire alarms
Fire & rescue services across the UK have implemented a new policy regarding response to automatic fire alarms in certain types of commercial premises.
The changes impact many businesses, says PIB Insurance Services. IN essence fire and rescue services won’t turn out to automatic fire alarm calls during the day unless someone calls and confirms that there actually is a fire.
UK fire and rescue services face significant operational strain due to the large number of automatic fire alarm calls. These calls often result in unnecessary deployments, impacting resource allocation and readiness for genuine emergencies.
Automatic Fire Alarms go off and alert the fire service, but this havens even when there is no visual sign of a fire. They can be triggered by things such as steam, dust or not being maintained properly. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue says it will no longer be responding automatically to AFA’s in non-sleeping risk premises. We will require visual confirmation of a fire before responding to alarms at these premises.
On average, over the last five years, these false alarms accounted for around a third of all West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue operations – more than 7,000 mobilisations a year where no fire was found. Fewer than 2% of these fire alarms result in a fire being found.
‘We need £1m compensation for road delays’, Council tells National Highways
News that Hull’s £350m Castle Street project has been delayed until Spring 2026 by National Highways has been met with dismay and demands for a £1m compensation package.
The Hull and Humber Chamber says the city’s traders and motorists now face another year of delays and challenging trading conditions as access to and from the city continues to be hampered.
National Highways say they have encountered some extremely challenging ground conditions near the Humber that could not have been anticipated before the scheme began.
Patience is rapidly running out as traders and drivers now face another year of disruption and delays, says Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly. “This is not the Christmas present we wanted from National Highways, and this terrible news will put Hull’s business community under even more pressure at a time when many are struggling to cope with increased trading costs after the recent Budget.
“The Chamber is therefore calling for National Highways to set aside a £1m fund to help local businesses survive for the further 12 months this work is now going to take after all the delays and damage caused to the businesses community in Hull city centre.
“We thought after all these years the end was in sight, and now we have to endure another 12 months of traffic chaos which deters people from coming into the city centre.
“I’m not sure what they expected to find when they dug down below the water table, but surely after all the years of planning, there shouldn’t have been any surprises!
Kathryn Shillito, Exec Director of Hull’s Business Improvement District added: “Although we recognise the works are essential, we are disheartened to learn that completion is now scheduled for Spring 2026. Hull city centre businesses have been both accepting and patient but in exceptionally challenging times, this news comes as another blow. HullBID has tried its utmost to entice visitors into the city with events and marketing campaigns, whilst the businesses have gone the extra mile to keep their custom. Financial support would be welcomed to continue pushing out the message that Hull city centre is very much open for business.”
Jim Harris, the Centre Manager for St Stephen’s Shopping Centre, and HullBID chair, said: “This is very disappointing news. City Centre businesses have been heavily affected by the Castle Street scheme, and a lot of hard work has been done to mitigate the issues, but we could really do with some financial help if this is going to continue for yet another year!”
Self-employed tradespeople achieve record weekly earnings, says Hudson Contract
Self-employed tradespeople achieved record weekly earnings last month, with average payments reaching £1,053 according to the latest Pay Trends analysis by Hudson Contract.
The company says October’s figures show a month-on-month increase of 0.5% and year-on-year growth of 2.6%, despite broader economic headwinds.
Monthly earnings growth was strongest in roofing, where rates increased by 5.6%. Demolition and surfacing subcontractors followed with robust rises of 5 and 4.1%respectively.
Regional analysis shows the North East leading growth at 3.7%, with the East of England and South East following at 2.4 and 2.1%, reflecting continued strength in these key markets.
Hudson Contract MD Ian Anfield said: “As it has been all year, demand for good skilled labour remains high. Earnings are continuing to increase at a measured pace.
“We’re hopeful the government’s planning reforms and housing market stimulation measures will materialise next year. Sir Keir Starmer has promised ‘a golden era of building’ to improve the country’s prosperity. Our numbers are showing steady growth, which suggests the market might be moving in the right direction.”
Ripon firm wins £5.7m contract to modernise council gritting fleet
Ripon-based Econ has signed a seven-year £5.7m contract with North Yorkshire Council to upgrade half of the council’s fleet of gritters.
The contract will see 31 new gritters to treat the county’s 5,800 miles of roads, which, laid end to end, would run from Northallerton to Tokyo.
The gritters have been delivered in batches starting from October, and the final ones will be on the road by January.
Econ MD Jonathan Lupton said: “We are delighted to build on our longstanding partnership with NY Highways with the delivery of these 31 new gritters, which will play a vital role in keeping motorists safe on North Yorkshire’s roads this winter.”
The winter maintenance service needs about 70 gritters across the county each year, with the new gritters replacing the oldest vehicles in the fleet.
Councillor Keane Duncan said: “Our investment in the new gritting fleet further demonstrates our commitment to delivering the most efficient winter service across our vast county.
“The partnership with Econ not only means we have the most up-to-date and reliable vehicles, but we’re delivering a significant cost saving for taxpayers too. We are also pleased to be able to support a local firm as they are a big employer in the county.
“We look forward to the gritters taking to the roads as we strive to keep the county moving this winter.”
Gritters, their drivers, duty managers and officers are on call 24 hours a day between October and April – and longer if weather conditions require. Last year, more than 5,000 routes were treated.
Cameras and trackers are fitted in the gritters, which provide up-to-date information and allows them to be tracked online.
Inflation remains a threat to UK economy, says BCC
Inflation remains a threat to the UK economy, says the British Chambers of Commerce, predicting that the Bank of England is likely to remain hold the interest rate tomorrow lunchtime.
That’s the view of David Bharier, Head of Research at the BCC reacting to news of a rise in CPI to 2.6%.
He said: “Our research shows that taxation and inflation remain the top two concerns for businesses. Many businesses think the recent announcements such as the NICs increase, and Employment Rights Bill will lead them to increase their prices as they struggle to manage input costs.
“Our latest forecast expects CPI to remain above the Bank of England’s target until the end of 2026, mainly due to increased business costs and global trade uncertainty.
“Business investment will remain challenging unless firms are given extra help to deal with rising costs. Pushing forward with business rate reform would be one crucial step to take, coupled with a clear industrial strategy to unlock growth.”
Inflation up for second month in a row
UK inflation rose for the second month in a row in November, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), inflation ticked up by 2.6% in the 12 months to November 2024, up from 2.3% in the 12 months to October.
The largest upward contribution to the change came from motor fuels and clothing.
Core inflation, meanwhile, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, rose by 3.5% in November, up from 3.3% in October.
Martin Sartorius, Principal Economist, CBI, said: “Another consecutive monthly rise in inflation, reaching its highest level since March, underscores the persistent price pressures within the UK economy. Wage growth remains strong, and we expect that the policy measures announced in the Autumn Budget will contribute to higher prices next year.
“Today’s inflation uptick reinforces our expectation that the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee will leave Bank Rate unchanged tomorrow. Looking ahead, we anticipate a gradual, quarterly pace of rate cuts throughout 2025.”
Men behind £1m scam jailed
Four men who exploited the government’s Green Deal initiative, cheating their way to more than £1 million through a home improvement scam, have been sentenced at Leeds Crown Court.
The group offered home improvement services – particularly supplying and fitting windows and doors – and targeted victims across Yorkshire and Derbyshire between April 2017 and August 2019.
They used fake names to hide their true identities, secured business by misrepresentation, knowingly delivered defective services and persuaded customers to pay with substantial deposits for substandard work.
They also generated customer interest through a misleading advertising campaign which enticed customers to contact them, at which point the group began their pushy sales techniques.
The defendants were convicted of fraud and proceeds of crime offences in relation to the activity of several companies that claimed to be home improvement specialists, with expertise in fitting windows.
In many cases, the windows were of poor quality, often arriving undersized, cracked or scratched. They were often installed badly, causing damage to homeowners’ walls and leaving them with large gaps between the windows and the walls.
The sentences handed down are: Zulkernan Mahmood – sentenced to 6 years and 4 months imprisonment, handed a 10-year criminal behaviour order (CBO) and disqualified from being a director for 14 years; Rehan Yousaf – sentenced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment (to run consecutively with a sentence of 7 years and 11 months that he is currently serving), handed a 10-year CBO and disqualified from being a company director for 12 years; Jonathan O’Grady – handed a 2-year suspended sentence, ordered to complete 220 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from being a director for 6 years; David Goody – ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and disqualified from being a director for 3 years.
A fifth man, Jordan Coalby, failed to attend court and an arrest warrant has been issued.
Nearly all complainants were enticed by a professionally filmed TV advert.
One victim, an 80-year-old man, hired ‘Pilkington Home Improvements’ in 2018 to build an extension after being cold-called by a man named ‘Adam’. The victim paid £89,000 for work that – if completed to a satisfactory standard – should only have cost £46,000. Instead, he was left significantly out of pocket for work which left his home in a dangerous condition.
Another victim hired the company after being told he was eligible for a ‘special offer for over 70’s’. The victim was pressured by ‘Adam’ into paying the £1,325 deposit for work which was never started. Luckily, he was able to get his money back following an intervention by Trading Standards.
The defendants were prosecuted following an investigation led by the National Trading Standards Yorkshire and Humber Regional Investigations Team, hosted by City of York Council.
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “These men left many people with extensive remedial works required at their homes; some were left living in structurally unstable properties with no viable means of repairing the damage done due to the financial losses they incurred.
“This sentencing follows a lengthy investigation by Trading Standards officers, and I would like to extend my gratitude to them for their hard work in bringing this gang to justice.
“We urge consumers to stay vigilant about home improvement scams – watch out for anybody trying to pressurise you into parting with your money and always seek advice from trusted friends and family members. Criminals are always seeking new ways to exploit people’s concerns for their own gain, and with many people considering making their homes more energy efficient, these types of scams remain a real threat.
“If you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please report it to the Citizens Advice consumer service helpline by calling 0808 223 1133.”
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment at City of York Council, said: “Our Trading Standards team investigations are helping secure justice for innocent people and are a warning to anyone considering exploiting homeowners that they will be caught. Home and energy efficiency improvements are vital for people to have warm, low-cost homes, and it is really damaging if peoples’ trust is eroded by a small number of criminals.
“Our dedicated team is committed to upholding people’s rights, enabling confidence in decent suppliers, and ensuring that those who seek to cheat people and erode that trust are brought to justice.”
Grimsby pharmacy sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Cottingham Pharmacy in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.
Cottingham Pharmacy is a standard hour’s community pharmacy in the well-regarded village of Waltham on the outskirts of Grimsby. Dispensing circa 10,500 items per month, this is a busy retail pharmacy with the benefit of an established e-commerce website selling circa £10,000 of OTC items with good margins included in the sale.
Following a confidential sales process with Jon Booth at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through David Ward at Christie Finance, it has been sold to husband-and-wife team, Isioma and Ezinne Honnah, who own Laceby Pharmacy nearby as well as another in Grimsby.
The pair plan to work on synergising the offering of the three pharmacies for the benefit of the community in the area thanks to the proximity and similar catchment area.
Isioma Honnah, the new owner of Cottingham Pharmacy, said: “This is a fantastic strategic acquisition for our family business, taking us to three contracts across the wider Grimsby area.
“The village of Waltham, where the pharmacy sits, has a distinct but similar population to our existing pharmacy in nearby Laceby, and we look forward to expanding what we do there as well as enhancing the excellent business that we have acquired.”
Jon Booth, Director – Pharmacy at Christie & Co, said: “On paper, this is the sweet spot of the market across the North of England – a standard hours pharmacy with low rent, over 10,000 items dispensing and good margins.
“However, experience has shown that buyers can be a little bit harder to find for sites in these coastal locations which are a long distance from the large cities of Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield.
“Whilst it took a bit of time to get the deal tied up, in the end, several parties were interested, and it is pleasing to see the deal now complete to Isioma and Ezinne – a pair of committed and hardworking local independents with already established contracts in the town.
“I look forward to seeing how they progress with Cottingham which offers a great base to grow from and wish them the very best of luck with the new site.”
David Ward, Senior Director at Christie Finance, said: “Having assisted Isioma and Ezinne with their initial purchase, working with them to help them acquire their third pharmacy has been particularly satisfying.
“Lenders are understandably scrutinising businesses more closely and it is important to match each business with the appropriate lender to ensure that together we can meet their growth aspirations.”
Cottingham Pharmacy was sold for an undisclosed price.
Grant Thornton agrees strategic investment with Cinven
Business and financial advisor Grant Thornton UK LLP’s partnership has unanimously voted in favour of a strategic investment from international private equity firm Cinven, which will accelerate Grant Thornton’s growth through additional capital and other resources. The firm will retain its partnership structure and ethos, but with external investment.
Having grown significantly over recent years, the firm, which has offices in Leeds and Sheffield, has been exploring external capital to accelerate the next phase of its growth, allowing it to substantially invest in its talent and technologies.
Having reached record revenue in 2023 (£654m), the firm is expected to surpass this in 2024 and, with the support of external investment, aims to reach £1bn over the coming years.
Following a review of its strategic options over recent months, the firm’s partners have unanimously voted in favour of a strategic partnership with Cinven, owing to the two firms’ shared vision for Grant Thornton’s future success and complementary cultures.
Cinven is one of Europe’s largest private equity firms and has been investing for more than 40 years. It has raised circa €50 billion funds.
Malcolm Gomersall, CEO of Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “The story of our growth journey over recent years has been remarkable. We’ve weathered some of the most significant macroeconomic events in history and we’ve come out of them even stronger, both financially and culturally.
“The dynamics of our sector, both here in the UK and internationally, have also changed dramatically over recent years. We’re incredibly proud of the firm we are today, and we’re ready to write the next chapter in our story.
“We recognise the opportunity that external investment can offer to help us further accelerate our growth, whilst retaining our partnership structure and ethos, and provide an outstanding experience for our people and clients. We’re therefore looking forward to partnering with Cinven.
“We were attracted to their admiration of our commitment to high-quality service (particularly in our audit practice), our breadth of services, our client centric offering, the culture we foster at our firm and our growth plans.”
Maxim Crewe, Partner and Head of Cinven’s Financial Services Sector team, added: “Grant Thornton’s reputation for quality, its stand-out culture and considerable financial performance in recent years provide a very attractive partnership proposition.
“Through this investment we see considerable opportunity to further enhance the quality of the firm’s service to clients and build and nurture high-performance teams. We’re excited to work with the team as we support Grant Thornton to accelerate the next phase of its growth.”
The firm has also announced plans to introduce an Employee Benefit Trust arrangement for many of its people below Partner grade to benefit from Grant Thornton’s long-term growth, comprising both cash and equity rewards.
Also as part of the transaction, the firm’s partners have agreed to hold back a material amount of equity for future partners during the investment period – thus protecting the future generation of partners over the next few years.
The terms of the proposed transaction between Grant Thornton and Cinven remain confidential. The transaction is expected to complete towards the end of Q1 2025, subject to regulatory approval, and other standard conditions.
2025 Business Predictions: Carrie Webb, head of communications, The Bigger Boat
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.
Here we speak to Carrie Webb, head of communications at The Bigger Boat.
Audience-driven communications will be key in 2025.
Trust building and truthtelling. Informing decision making. Meeting heightened expectations for digital and physical experiences… There’s a lot riding on your brand’s content, yet it needn’t be a tall ask of your content marketers. When it comes to understanding and delivering on your customers’ needs, your content strategy is the driving force in communicating crucial messaging. And it cannot be empty words.
In 2025, your content must be perfectly attuned to your audience segments and their customer journey, i.e. it must go so much further than simply meeting them at each brand interaction. It should be steeped in solid research that’s gotten under the skin of who your customers are, and what drives their decisions and frustrates them.
You should glean insight from your stakeholders, and extract data from pivotal moments of the customer journey to understand the why behind their behaviour. Only then, armed with a thorough view of the customer experience, will meaningful content truly engage audiences and ‘perform’ (a word that’s bandied around often but suffers from very different perceptions attached to it).
