Construction underway on new further and higher education campus in Skegness
Construction has started on the new campus for Skegness TEC which will deliver further and higher education courses for the residents of Skegness and surrounding communities.
The new campus, supported by a £14 million government-funded Connected Coast Town Deal, is set to make a huge impact in the community, offering further and higher education tailored towards vocational skills training to meet local needs.
Having gained planning permission from East Lindsey District Council last year, works are now underway on the Wainfleet Road site, led by contractors Hobson and Porter.
Ann Hardy, CEO of TEC Partnership, said: “I am delighted that construction is underway on our new Skegness Learning Campus. It is going to be great to see our designs and plans become a reality. The new learning campus will bring with it a broad curriculum and new opportunities for the community of Skegness.”
Chris Baron, Chair of Connected Coast, said: “It is fantastic to see work now underway on the Learning Campus, a development set to be genuinely transformational for local people, offering access to training in much-needed subjects in Skegness.
“The Learning Campus is Connected Coast’s flagship Town Deal, and it has the potential to be an economic game changer for the area, allowing people to gain the skills and knowledge they need to get the jobs they want.
“The start of work is a hugely significant milestone, and I look forward to seeing this exciting new facility come out of the ground over the coming months, ready to welcome students in 2025.”
The campus will in turn bring enhanced employment opportunities and a broader range of curriculum tailored to economic changes and demands. Over the coming years, the project aims to help over 1,000 residents into employment, supporting growth in the local economy and enriching the community.
West Yorkshire buses taken back under public control
The Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has decided to take control of the buses in a major shake up to public transport.
In a landmark move, the Mayor decided to bring buses under local control – through a process known as franchising – as recommended by the Combined Authority at its meeting in Leeds.
Routes, frequencies, fares and overall standards for buses in the region will be set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority – not private operators, who will instead be contracted to run services on the Combined Authority’s behalf.
Buses are the most widely used form of public transport in West Yorkshire and provide a crucial public service, connecting communities and enabling people to get to work, school and meet family and friends.
But the current deregulated system has seen a decline in patronage over many years and the increasing use of public funding used to support services.
Despite the action the Combined Authority has taken through its Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), bus services in the region remain too infrequent and unreliable to meet passengers’ needs, with West Yorkshire ranking bottom for customer satisfaction according to a survey released by Transport Focus.
A franchised model will allow the Mayor and Combined Authority to better deliver on ambitions for a greener, joined-up and easier to use transport network as part of a better-connected West Yorkshire.
The Mayor’s decision follows a three month consultation which revealed that nearly three-quarters of the people and organisations which responded supported franchising.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “I’m delighted to announce that we are taking back control of our buses in West Yorkshire, empowering the public to hold me to account for better services.
“For too long, buses have been run in the interests of private companies, not passengers. Franchising will help us build a better-connected bus network that works for all, not just company shareholders.
“But we know that change will not happen overnight – the hard work we’ve been doing to improve the bus network continues while we work at pace to bring this new way of running the buses to our 2.4 million residents.”
To ensure a smooth transition, franchising will be introduced in phases, with the first franchised buses up and running in parts of Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield from March 2027.
In the meantime, the Combined Authority will continue with its BSIP, which has seen the introduction of the £2 Mayor’s Fares, increased frequencies on key routes, investment in bus stations and shelters and new bus services launching across West Yorkshire.
A new package of bus improvements for services across the region is also set to be announced in May.
Plans confirmed for new train maintenance facility in Shipley
Rail Minister Huw Merriman has confirmed plans as part of the government’s most recent £3.9 billion investment into the Transpennine route upgrade (TRU) to build a new maintenance facility in Shipley.
Around £100 million will be provided to deliver what will be known as the Shipley TrainCare Centre, which will provide extra resilience to the North of England’s rail network.
With construction set to begin this year, the new maintenance facility will be home to Northern’s electric fleet of trains operating across West Yorkshire, bringing essential maintenance works closer to the centre of the north Transpennine route, leading to increased reliability for passengers.
Neil Holm, Managing Director of TRU, said: “We’re delighted to reveal our plans for this major investment in Shipley, demonstrating the Transpennine route upgrade’s commitment to supporting local communities and creating local jobs.
“This brand new depot will support rail services while we carry out essential improvements and will also leave long-lasting legacy benefits for the town going forward.”
Rob Warnes, Strategic Development Director for Northern, said: “We’re delighted to announce this investment in our brand new TrainCare Centre for Shipley. As the future home for most of our electric train fleets for West Yorkshire, the new site will bring a wealth of highly-skilled jobs into the region, as well as providing resilience for our network across the North.“It will play a key part in helping us to deliver our plans for the Transpennine route upgrade and beyond.”
As many as 100 highly skilled jobs will be supported at the site, as well as apprenticeships. Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: “We welcome this major investment in Shipley, which is another vote of confidence in the district from industry and further positions Bradford as a great place to do business. “The new depot will be an important part of operating rail in the north of England, increasing service reliability for rail service users. A new state-of-the-art facility such as this is one of the many tangible improvements to the rail network we are supporting, delivering greener, more accessible trains across the north.“Increasing employment opportunities and developing skills through regeneration are key priorities for the council, so it’s great to hear that local jobs will be created to facilitate this project in the immediate term, as well as 92 permanent skilled posts being created in the longer term.”
Private equity investor supports Hull’s The 55 Group
Dan Smith, Partner and Head of Yorkshire at LDC, added: “The 55 Group is a great example of a fast growing Yorkshire business led by a hugely ambitious team. It represents LDC’s third investment in the region in just under 12 months, underlining our commitment to supporting the best businesses in Yorkshire.
“It is also another example of the strength of our leading software and data credentials in the built environment space, where we continue to see a shift towards more digital ways of working and an increased focus on ESG.”
Will Scales, Investment Director, added: “We are delighted that Simon and team have chosen LDC as their partner to support the delivery of The 55 Group’s next phase of growth.
“The quality of The 55 Group’s offering and technology in supporting sustainable and compliant practices is unique and we are excited about what the future holds for the business as it continues to invest in its people, products and services.”
The 55 Group was advised by Rothschild (Stephen Griffiths), Addleshaw Goddard (Richard Hunt and Peter Wood), Graph Strategy (James Tetherton) and KPMG FDD. Management were advised by Park Place (Richard Firth).
LDC was advised by KPMG (Ben Taylor), Squire Patton Boggs (Paul Mann and David Milne), DSW FDD (Jonathan Steed), PMSI (David Crout), Better Faster Growth and Catalysis.
HSBC, advised by DLA Piper, provided financing and working capital facilities to support the transaction.
Historic England funding to spur on multi-million-pound redevelopment of Rutland Mills
Wakefield Council has welcomed funding from Historic England to repair an historic mill as part of the multi-million-pound redevelopment of Rutland Mills.
Historic England has awarded £625,000 to help breathe new life into Phoenix Mill, a former textile mill in Wakefield.
Phoenix Mill forms part of phase two of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the Rutland Mills complex in Wakefield. The waterside area is being transformed into Tileyard North, a creative industries hub housing state-of-art recording studios, creative workspaces and events venues.
Cllr Michael Graham, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Growth at Wakefield Council, said: “We’re investing alongside Historic England and City and Provincial Properties so that the former mill buildings can be transformed into vibrant spaces for creativity. They will provide world class facilities to artists and creatives based right across the north of England.
“This is part our wider regeneration plans for Wakefield. Our programme is attracting external investment from across the public and private sector, making a positive impact as we position our district as a great place to do business.”
Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive, said: “After lying derelict for many years, it’s wonderful to see that Phoenix Mill is now rising from the ashes and will soon be given new life as an integral part of the fantastic Tileyard North.
“I applaud the bold vision of City and Provincial Properties who have rescued an important part of Wakefield’s industrial heritage and reshaped it into an engine of the town’s future prosperity.”
Paul Kempe from City and Provincial Properties said: “We extend our thanks to Historic England for the awarding of this invaluable grant, igniting the transformation of Phoenix Mill. With their generous support, we eagerly anticipate breathing new life into this historic gem, creating more space for our creative industries hub to grow.”
Wakefield Council has enabled the project from inception, with funding also provided by the Government’s Levelling Up Programme (LUF) and City and Provincial Properties.
This is seeing the refurbishment of Phoenix Mill along with the demolition of a second mill and construction of a new building alongside, called Gradient Mill. Further office space along with bars and a restaurant will be created.
Historic England’s £625,000 grant will fund work to the outside of the building including roof, drainage and wall repairs, as well as new windows. This will secure the building’s structure, enabling its future redevelopment as part of Tileyard North.
Phase one of the scheme saw the restoration of five mill buildings. It has created space for creative industries, music studios, outdoor events space, indoor events, space for festivals and concerts, a hotel, gin distillery, restaurant and bar. Utility corporation acquires Sheffield waste management business
Beauparc has acquired independent recycling and waste management company Fletchers Waste Management, expanding its UK footprint.
With over 40 years’ experience, Fletchers has built a robust reputation for providing regional and national waste management solutions for commercial and residential customers from their South Yorkshire base.
The acquisition expands Beauparc’s portfolio of 10 other well-known brands in the UK. The Group, which has UK coverage across Yorkshire, Merseyside, Manchester, Scotland and East and West Midlands operate a fleet of 400 vehicles, manage 2.0M tonnes of waste annually from 50k customers and are further developing the current network of 26 sites which focus on extracting valuable resources from waste to return to the circular economy via material recycling facilities.
Beauparc Chief Executive Brian McCabe said: “We’re delighted to welcome Fletchers to the Beauparc group of companies. As we continue our growth strategy, Fletchers is a significant geographical connection for our existing UK infrastructure.
“As part of the wider group, existing customers will experience tangible benefits such as a more expansive service offering, greater coverage, share in the developed ESG/Safety programmes and have the support from the wider Beauparc management team.”
Sheffield manufacturer acquires new site
A long-standing, family-owned Sheffield manufacturing business is set to expand following the purchase of a new site.
Tufcot, which is based on Coleford Road in Darnall, has purchased a neighbouring site on Catley Road. The acquisition will enable the business to separate its manufacturing facility from its engineering facility, to further grow the company.
Cathy Thomas, solicitor and owner of Mason Thomas Law who advised Tufcot on the purchase, said: “I am delighted at the successful outcome of the site purchase for Tufcot. Being able to assist them with their plans to expand the business further in Sheffield was wonderful to be involved in.”
Tufcot, a specialist manufacturer of composite materials and global distributor, will move the manufacturing division of the business to the new site following the demolition of an existing building. On the site, Tufcot will construct a new purpose-built, carbon-neutral facility.
Demolition of the Catley Road building is expected to commence next year ahead of construction of the new site.
Once completed, the new site will increase capacity at Tufcot by 50%, enabling the business to grow its workforce by 10% over the next three years.
Greg Majchrzak, Managing Director of Tufcot, said: “It has been a nail-biting 12 months securing the new site, but now that we have it, we can forge forward with our plans for business growth.
“Since the business was established 42 years ago, we have grown year-on-year, reinvesting heavily in both equipment and people. The new site takes Tufcot to another level. I am really excited by the projected growth of the company over the next five years.”
Tufcot was established in Sheffield in 1981 by three former employees of British Steel. From just one machine and operating out of a garage, the company now has 120 machines and employs more than 50 people.
Greg added: “We are a very proud Sheffield business. This is where we were founded and will continue to be based.”
Dunelm takes 20,400 sq ft logistics space in Barnsley
Harworth Group has let 20,400 sq ft of Grade A space at Gateway 36 in Barnsley, a major hub for logistics and manufacturing in Yorkshire totalling 127 acres.
Harworth has signed a 10-year lease with FTSE 250 retailer Dunelm, which will be used as a site to support the business’s Home Delivery Network, improving the 2-man delivery service for its customers. The unit is part of a total of 110,000 sq ft of new logistics space constructed in 2023 as part of the development’s second phase and has been built in line with Harworth’s commercial building specification, achieving a rating of BREEAM “Very Good” and benefitting from the installation of solar PV panels. The wider scheme includes 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. With this letting now complete, only one 50,255 sq ft unit remains available for occupation within Phase 2. Phase 3 is also in the pipeline following the receipt of planning last year for a further 138,800 sq ft unit together with a further 429,000 sq ft envisaged across three more buildings. Gateway 36, which is located adjacent to Junction 36 of the M1, has benefited from significant infrastructure funding from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and last year became part of the UK’s first Investment Zone, focused on advanced manufacturing. Jonathan Haigh, Chief Investment Officer, Harworth Group plc, said: “We are seeing strong demand for our newly developed industrial & logistics space across our regional areas of operation, including Yorkshire, where the supply of high-specification more sustainable space remains constrained. “Our development at Gateway36 is progressing well and we are delighted to welcome Dunelm to the scheme which aligns with our strategy announced in 2021 to progressively transition our Investment Portfolio to entirely modern Grade A space.” Harworth was advised by GV&Co and Knight Frank.Cathy named as Director to lead company’s regeneration activities
Leeds-based construction consultancy Walker Sime has appointed Cathy Palmer as Director of Regeneration Delivery to lead a newly-launched Region delivery Service.
Cathy joins from the role of Head of Regeneration Delivery at Wirral Council where she led Birkenhead’s once-in-a-generation transformation programme.
He department will offer a range of support including project mobilisation, investment plans, business case development, delivery strategies, governance, grant funding advice, bid support, procurement strategy, project planning and risk management, making it a significant offer in the industry.
She said the launch of the dedicated service had come in response to the increasing demands for regeneration initiatives, driven by government funding for Levelling Up, Long Term Plan for Towns, Future High Street and Sustainable Transport Settlement Funds. “I am excited to lead the Regen Delivery service at Walker Sime and look forward to collaborating with Private Developers and Local Authorities to bring about positive transformative change in communities.
“We are already seeing significant interest from several authorities and developers, and I am confident that our expertise and comprehensive approach will help drive successful regeneration initiatives in our communities,” she added.Carbon emission take a battering at eco-friendly Barnsley chippie
Barnsley chippie owner Craig Butcher has used a low carbon grant to revolutionise the way he prepares one of the nation’s favourite dishes.
He’s just finished the Net Zero Barnsley programme for his Two Gates Fisheries shop, delivered by The Business Village, in partnership with Barnsley Council.
That’s meant a review every aspect of the way he serves fish and chips to save energy, minimise waste and reduce food miles, and used his Low Carbon Grant of £12,499 to invest in a new £56,000 state-of-the-art electric frying range.
Craig, who runs the fisheries with partner Sarah Thompson, said: “Joining Net Zero Barnsley has really helped me look at my business differently and develop it in ways that are good for the planet and for our bottom-line.
“We want to invest in our future and the Low Carbon Grant is a great help. The new range is a huge initial outlay for us but if you’re buying the Ferrari of all chip shop ranges it’s going to be expensive.
“This range is engineered to be the quickest, safest and best insulated ever; and once it’s fired up the heat retention is phenomenal. When you need your range on eight hours a day, six days a week that’s absolutely core to the business.
Energy consumption analysis shows the new range should reduce Craig’s energy bills by £3,537 a year and reduce carbon emissions by 160.8 tonnes of CO2 during its 20-year life.
Net Zero Barnsley business development manager Kevin Steel said: “Two Gates Fisheries has embraced all the opportunities presented by the government’s legal requirement for UK businesses to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 – and Barnsley Council’s earlier target of 2045.
“Craig must be running one of the most forward-thinking fish and chip shops in the country and we hope his example will give others food for thought.”
