Savoy Cinema commits to £9m plan for Gainsborough

Stuart Pearcey
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Savoy Cinema commits to £9m plan for Gainsborough

West Lindsey District Council has teamed up with Savoy Cinemas for the delivery of a £9m town centre regeneration project including a four-screen cinema, restaurant, retail units and car parking.

Savoy Cinemas MD James Collington, said: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting regeneration initiative of Gainsborough town centre. The area has undergone significant change over the last few years, and it still has huge potential to develop further. We are looking forward to commencing work on the development and welcoming you through our doors on opening night.”

The development will be funded through contributions from the Council, the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the government’s Levelling Up Fund and Savoy Cinemas.

Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Trevor Young, said: “We are thrilled to finally be able to announce our deal with Savoy Cinemas. As a local family cinema operator, Savoy shares the Council’s passion for investing in Gainsborough, with a development that will breathe life back into our town centre.”

Director of Planning Regeneration and Communities at West Lindsey District Council, Sally Grindrod-Smith,said: “This has been an incredibly challenging site to bring forward. The Council was required to step in and acquire the land, lead the demolition of the former Lindsey Centre and secure grant funding to make the scheme viable. This is all part of our enabling role.

“The eagerly anticipated development will significantly contribute to the town’s local economy, increasing footfall, dwell time and spend. It will add to the town’s leisure offer, servicing local residents and encouraging new visitors to the town.”

The development will provide a new walking link between Marshall’s Yard and the historic market place, where further investment from the Levelling Up Fund and National Lottery Townscape Heritage Initiative, is rejuvenating the historic marketplace.

The scheme has also been designed to be environmentally efficient, through the inclusion of solar panels and air sourced heat technology. It will also enhance the setting of the Town Centre Conservation Area through its historic design and use of high-quality materials.

Georgian country house hotel sold in Northallerton

Tess Egginton
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Georgian country house hotel sold in Northallerton
Solberge Hall in Northallerton has been acquired by wedding and events company Wharfedale Grange for an undisclosed sum. The 24-bedroom Georgian country house hotel is set in 9 acres of woodland situated near the North Yorkshire Moors and Yorkshire Dales. It has been owned by Classic Lodges hotel group since 2015 when it was purchased for £1.8m. Wharfedale Grange is a luxury weddings and events venue between Leeds and Harrogate including a purpose-built wedding barn, farmhouse accommodation and floristry shop. The deal included the purchase of all assets, including the hotel, restaurant, facilities and grounds. All 40 members of staff will be directly transferred to new ownership. The company are renaming the hotel as Wharfedale Country House following a refurbishment. Claire Thomas, Chief Executive of Wharfedale Grange, said: “We are excited to announce the successful acquisition of Solberge Hall Hotel and our intention is to substantially enhance and upgrade the 200 year-old manor house hotel over the course of the next year and put it back on the map as Wharfedale Country House, an opulent hospitality destination specialising in luxury weddings and events. “Solberge Hall fits perfectly into our growing hospitality portfolio.” A multi-disciplinary team from Schofield Sweeney advised Wharfedale Grange on the purchase.

The Luxury Food Collective launches exclusive corporate gift hampers in time for Christmas

Tess Egginton
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The Luxury Food Collective launches exclusive corporate gift hampers in time for Christmas
Specialist online retailer The Luxury Food Collective has unveiled a new range of exquisite corporate hampers and gifts, perfect for sending a very special thank you to clients this festive season. Bringing something different to the corporate gifting market, The Luxury Food Collective launched in summer 2023 by entrepreneur Peter Ahye. Peter devoted almost two years to sourcing the finest food and drink offerings from producers, growers and artisans across Europe. By nurturing relationships with the people who hold these traditional and time-honoured methods of production, he has been able to bring a unique portfolio of products to the UK for the very first time to create something truly special. Starting from £38 and ranging to £240, each hamper has been expertly crafted by the team at The Luxury Food Collective for every taste. With products from artisans such as Fauchon, the French delicatessen, H Forman and Son’s delectable smoked salmon range, and champagnes and wines from the very best vineyards in Europe, the gifting range is the perfect solution for businesses searching for gifts with a personal touch for clients and colleagues. Around 90% of the products available from The Luxury Food Collective are exclusive within the UK, meaning that a hamper or gift box is a totally unique way to spread joy this festive season. Each delivery from The Luxury Food Collective comes with a personalised information card detailing the products and their provenance. The card includes a scannable QR code for recipients to learn more about their gift. Highlights from this year’s Christmas range include the Non-Alcoholic Wines, Juices & Tea (£95.00), a selection of six delicate beverages designed to toast to the party season without the alcohol content. Featuring French Bloom’s iconic Le Rosé Organic Bubbly as well as Alain Milliat Jus Raisin Rouge, a luxury Merlot grape juice. Also available is the Hand Selected Crisps & Snacks Gift Box (£42.50) – the perfect selection of nine luxury snacks including artisan popcorn from Popcorn Shed, Fauchon’s Mini Crepes with Cheddar and Brusa’s Grissini Piemontesi breadsticks from Italy. For the season that’s peppered with guests popping by, it always pays to have some delicious snacks to tempt. For a classic option, the Champagne, London Cure Smoked Salmon & Caviar Gift Box (£150.00) offers a timeless combination to ring in the festive season. This set comes with a mother-of-pearl serving spoon for that perfect final touch. Founder of The Luxury Food Collective, Peter Ahye says: “Businesses are built on relationships, and we believe that there is no relationship more important than our connection with food. “It’s that time of the year when many of us are searching for ways to show appreciation for clients and professional contacts across our networks, and we wanted to offer something that is truly special. A hamper or gift box from The Luxury Food Collective is unique and meaningful, as our range is meticulously curated to offer delicacies that you simply can’t find anywhere else.” Thanks to The Luxury Food Collective’s close relationships nurtured with the producers directly, it is committed to championing ethical and sustainable products. The full range is responsibly farmed, prioritises animal welfare and minimises environmental impact. Additionally, there is a range of year-round gifts, prices from £60. The Luxury Food Collective delivers throughout the UK. For more information and to purchase, please visit www.theluxuryfoodcollective.com/collections/corporate-gifting.

Stronger links between science and innovation and financial institutions to be forged at new Innovation Hub in Leeds

Tess Egginton
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Stronger links between science and innovation and financial institutions to be forged at new Innovation Hub in Leeds
Stronger links between UK science and innovation and financial institutions will be forged at a new Innovation Hub in Leeds. The Hub, part of the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment (CGFI), is situated in Nexus, the University of Leeds’ innovation community, in partnership with Leeds University Business School and the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures. The Centre has three key pillars to its work; research, policy and innovation, built on a foundation of convening, collaboration and capacity building to transform finance and investment for a greener future. Dr Martin Stow, Pro Vice Chancellor for Business Engagement and Enterprise at the University of Leeds, said: “The CGFI hub, based in Nexus, is an exciting new initiative that will help further strengthen and foster collaboration between academia, start-ups and businesses in the North. “This hub will help accelerate the adoption of climate and environmental data and analytics by financial institutions, delivering a positive impact on the regional economy and beyond.” The Leeds Innovation Hub is one of two physical hubs, with the other located at Imperial College London, that will support innovation and commercialisation in the North. Activities will aim to help financial institutions to accelerate their use of climate data and analytics, including:
  • Connecting industries and networks across environmental science and finance;
  • Knowledge exchange and support for the application of climate science in industry;
  • Innovation and early-stage business support.
Professor Iain Clacher, Professor of Pensions and Finance, Leeds University Business School and Director of the UK CGFI Leeds Innovation Hub, said: “The opening of the CGFI Innovation Leeds Hub is the next step in accelerating the use of climate and environmental risk analytics into institutional investment and finance. “By working with industry, we will be able to deploy the best analytics for the problems facing finance today. “As well as providing best in class analytics for real-world use cases, the CGFI Innovation Hubs will help to build the talent pipeline through CGFI Connect events, tech sprints and hackathons, as well as through internships and placements. “Building the talent pipeline is going to enable the UK to remain a global leader in climate finance and innovation in this space and will help to capture the economic benefits across the country from the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient world.” Professor Jason Lowe OBE, Chair in Interdisciplinary Climate Research – Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds and Head of Climate Services at the Met Office, added: “The latest climate science has enabled us to better understand the past in a way that helps us predict future climate and what the impacts might be. “Now CGFI is bringing together this climate knowledge and data alongside other academic disciplines to provide new perspectives that help make the science directly relevant to finance. Our Leeds hub adds the next ingredient, working with business to apply it in the real world.” Funded as part of CGFI by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Innovate UK, the Hub will nurture and support a vibrant ecosystem of enterprises providing climate and environmental analytics products and solutions built on robust science. Matt Scott, Executive Director, CGFI, said: “The Leeds Innovation Hub will bring together climate science, financial institutions and innovative companies in the field of climate and environmental analytics to unlock opportunities for the UK and help to transform finance for a greener future.”

Property firm embarks on hiring spree

Tess Egginton
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Property firm embarks on hiring spree
A Teesside property business has filled several new roles after a record year in which demand for the firm’s services has soared. Just two years ago, Horizon Sales and Lettings compromised of just the three current directors. Now, after a bumper 12 months, it boasts 20 staff. The new hires are all in key management roles and have grown the Middlesbrough-based firm’s workforce by over a third. “Three years ago, we set a target to sell 60 units a year, but now we are selling significantly more,” said Denis Shail, one of the company’s directors who is also an experience mortgage advisor. “We are consistently achieving high rankings on Rightmove, while enquiries and valuation requests are at record levels.” Co-director Chris Bunn added: “Business is booming, as is the Teesside property market, and that’s why we knew that the time was right to expand our talent pool. “And it comes as no surprise that our staff have absolutely hit the ground running in their new roles.” The new staff will take up various roles across the company, in either the estate agency or refurbishment aspects of the business. Among the new recruits is Jan Westbury, who brings 20 years of invaluable industry experience into his new role as branch manager. Two of the roles have been filled internally, with Charlotte Young promoted to the position of investor relations manager after two years with the Newport Road company. Her colleague James Miller becomes site manager after 18 months as lead joiner. Externally, new business development manager Jordan Ward and maintenance manager Jeff Barber arrive after leaving well-known local estate agents, while Wendy Jonas has arrived as Horizon’s new operations manager having moved from a national house building chain and Flynn Linklater-Johnson has joined as full-time property assessor. Director Martin McManus added: “We are thrilled with them all, and they are natural fits for our business, each bringing with them the skillsets, knowledge and enthusiasm that will drive us even further forward. “The fact staff have been willing to move here from some very prestigious North East property companies shows just how much they believe in the vision for this company and the fact they want to help us grow it shows just how committed our staff are to the business. “We believe there’s great things ahead and we are delighted to have them onboard for that journey.”

West Lindsey manufacturing firms offered fully-funded business advice

Stuart Pearcey
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West Lindsey manufacturing firms offered fully-funded business advice
Manufacturing businesses across West Lindsey can access a fully funded programme of support thanks to Business Lincolnshire. Business Health Assessment, Consultancy Coaching or Training support, Online Workshops and a Peer Networking Forum, are just some options available to business as part of the Manufacturing Support Programme, subject to certain criteria being met. Across Greater Lincolnshire, the manufacturing sector currently employs 66,000 workers;14 percent of the total employment for Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland. This contributes £4.76 billion to the area’s total economic value. Businesses can participate in every part of the service or just the parts that solve a particular need. It includes focused individual support to help implement the actions resulting from the Business Health Assessment the programme, popular areas for support include:
  • Business Coaching.
  • Productivity Improvement & LEAN Manufacturing.
  • Sales and Marketing.
  • Finance & fund raising.
  • HR and Workforce Development.
  • Protecting Intellectual Property.
  • Leadership & Management Training.
The programme is open to manufacturing businesses (that either manufacture, add value or service physical and digital products) that have more than one full-time employee, a greater than £100,000 turnover and have traded for more than one year. Further information: Mike Epton 07733 107238.

Awards recognise the best in building design in Leeds

Stuart Pearcey
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Awards recognise the best in building design in Leeds
Designs that are making a difference to lives and local communities have been celebrated at this year’s Leeds Architecture Awards. Awards were presented in five main categories – new buildings (up to £10m in value), new buildings (more than £10m in value), adapted buildings, cultural projects and public realm & landscape. The respective category winners were Maggie’s Yorkshire Centre, the University of Leeds’s Sir William Henry Bragg Building, Opera North’s Music Works, Leeds Playhouse and Moortown Park. The Heatherwick Studio design team that worked on Maggie’s – a cancer support centre in the grounds of St James’s Hospital – had double cause for celebration as it also received the evening’s top prize, project of the year. A cheque for £1,000 was also presented in support of the work of the Maggie’s charity. The roll-call of winners was completed by 11 & 12 Wellington Place, which was given a special sustainability award. Guests at the ceremony heard from speakers including Councillor Helen Hayden, the council’s executive member for sustainable development and infrastructure. The three award judges – renowned architects Natalia Maximova, Robert Evans and Charles Campion – also took part in a panel discussion with event host Andrew Edwards. This year’s awards were the first to have been held since 2019, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said: “I know the judges thought long and hard before choosing the winners – this reflected the incredibly high quality of entries this year. Leeds Civic Trust champions high quality architectural design, and there is no doubt that this year’s competition displayed these qualities in abundance. “I was particularly pleased that this year’s competition found time to pay tribute to Mark Finch who, as director of real estate at Rushbond PLC, led the regeneration of some of the city’s most iconic buildings, including two on the shortlist for this competition – the First White Cloth Hall and the Majestic. “Mark sadly passed away earlier this year but it is hoped that his memory will live on through a prize at future awards ceremonies.”

Government asks businesses for advice on Turkish free trade agreement

Stuart Pearcey
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Government asks businesses for advice on Turkish free trade agreement
The Government is asking businesses for advice on the stance to take in negotiations for a new, modernised free trade agreement with Turkey. Trade between the two countries reached £23.5 billion in 2022, making Turkey a top 20 trading partner for the UK. In 2021, around 7,500 UK VAT-registered businesses exported goods to Turkey, including well-known brands like Vodafone. The UK and Turkey have an existing FTA which is based on outdated provisions from the 1990s negotiated when the UK was a member of the EU, and only covers goods. We are committed to negotiating a new, modernised FTA that is fit for the 21st century and covers sectors such as services, tech and digital. The Call for Input will give businesses, organisations, and individuals the opportunity to shape the UK’s negotiating aims ahead of talks and ensure the updated trade deal is tailored to the strengths and priorities of British businesses. International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston will launch the Call for Input on a visit to Vodafone’s Newbury headquarters. Vodafone is one of the UK’s largest investors in Turkey. International Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Trade deals are all about creating opportunities for businesses, growing the economy and supporting jobs – that’s why it’s so important businesses tell us what they want from them.

“Turkey is a great strategic partner and we already have a thriving trading relationship – up more than 30% in the last year alone. I’m incredibly excited to start upgrading our FTA, opening up opportunities for growth and giving British businesses better access to a market of some 85 million people.”

Mike Sheldon gets second three-year term as Chair of the Seafish Board

Stuart Pearcey
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Mike Sheldon gets second three-year term as Chair of the Seafish Board
Defra Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey and the Devolved Administrations have reappointed Mike Sheldon as Chair of the Seafish Board for a second term of three years from next April.
He said: “It is a real privilege to work in such an organisation. There is so much talent directed towards supporting industry to tackle the challenges it faces.
“We have a full agenda of work over the next few years, and I am really looking forward to bringing even more value to our stakeholders and doing our bit to ensure a thriving seafood sector.
The Seafish Board is made up of seafood industry and independent members comprising a Chair, Deputy Chair, and eight members. They are responsible for the strategic direction of Seafish. Amongst the membership is Nigel Edwards of the Hilton Food Group, which supplies Tesco and Waitrose with seafood products from its factories in Grimsby.
Mike is also a board member on the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Chair of its Pork Sector panel. He brings more than twenty years’ non-executive experience and chairmanship of public bodies and private companies, as well as significant experience of establishing long term strategies and delivery plans.  

Global developments see Rotherham firm’s headcount reach 2,000

Stuart Pearcey
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Global developments see Rotherham firm’s headcount reach 2,000

Continuing global expansion means the AES Engineering Ltd group, including AESSEAL and AVT Reliability, has taken on its 2,000th employee worldwide.

The group has accelerated its growth by investing in people as well as in the latest robotic and AI-powered technology at AESSEAL’s recently-completed £61m “Factory for the Future” in Rotherham and through global acquisitions and partnerships. MD Chris Rea said the company goal was not to be the biggest, but to be the best. “We welcome all the new members of the AES ‘family’, as we need the best possible people to give the exceptional customer service that drives our success.” The group, headquartered in Rotherham in the UK, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of mechanical seals used in all types of industry and is a leading advocate of environmentally friendly investment to reduce pollution, lower carbon emissions, and cut water use. AES has been audited as Net Zero on its direct and indirect energy use since 2021 and continues to demonstrate that its positive environmental impact, helping global customers, exceeds supply chain emissions. This gives it the unique status among major engineering companies of having achieved Net Zero on all environmental scopes. AESSEAL, the group’s main global brand, was founded in 1979, with a handful of staff. It now operates from more than 231 locations in 104 countries, and holds, in addition to its engineered product portfolio, the world’s most comprehensive standard inventory portfolio of mechanical seals, bearing protectors, seal support systems, and packing. Acquisitions in Canada, Australia, Chile, and most recently a strategic partnership in Japan, joining forces with Torishima Japan Co., Ltd. have contributed to AES Engineering’s continuing expansion.
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