York Handmade secures one of the most significant contracts in its 35-year history
York Handmade Brick Company has secured one of the most significant contracts in its 35-year history.
The company, based at Alne, near Easingwold, is supplying 385,000 specially manufactured bricks for 3 Circle Square in the heart of Manchester’s innovation district.
The contract is worth £580,000 and is a resounding endorsement of York Handmade’s decision to invest £1.5m in brand-new machinery earlier this year.
3 Circle Square, which is being master-minded by Manchester-based developer Bruntwood, will be a stand-alone brick-built block, close to Oxford Road. Designed by Bridge Architects of Manchester, it will offer flexible office space, helping creative, digital and technology businesses to start up and flourish. It will also feature a communal roof terrace.
Work started on site last year and will be completed by February 2025.
David Armitage, the chairman of York Handmade, said: “This is a massive project for us, especially in the context of these challenging economic times. It has been a tremendous boost for our factory and a great honour to contribute to a pioneering and innovative development which is redefining Manchester’s cityscape for the 21st century.
“This has been a crucial year for us at York Handmade. We have invested £1.5 million in brand-new machinery which has transformed how we make our bricks. Over the years, we have undertaken significant technological improvements, culminating in this overhaul and renewal of our manufacturing process, which has speeded up production, facilitated two brand-new products and increased efficiency.
“This has proved to be a transformational move, by far the biggest and most significant in our history. Our revolutionary new manufacturing line combines three different types of brick – the Handmade Style, as currently produced, together with Water Struck and Pressed Bricks.
“Crucially, the bricks we have supplied are for 3 Circle Square are Waterstruck Thirkleby Blend, part of our Viking range and a stunning example of what we are able to manufacture with our brand-new plant.
“Most of the Water Struck Bricks, which are currently very popular in London, are imported, so we are now fulfilling an important demand and supporting the sustainability agenda. We have an impressive track record in London, with iconic projects across the capital, and we can now build on this.
“More generally, this investment will enable us to manufacture high-quality, UK-made bricks for many years to come and it reflects our commitment to the brick industry and the astounding architectural projects using bricks.”
Streets Chartered Accountants covers tax changes, mortgages, Foreign Exchange and more in new news roundup
Streets Chartered Accountants covers tax changes, mortgages, Foreign Exchange and more in its latest monthly news roundup.
Basis Period Webinar – catch up
Streets recently hosted a webinar about changes to the way the self-employed and those in business partnerships are taxed. It aimed to provide a clear understanding of what the basis period is, the recent changes, who it affects, when it takes effect and considerations for those affected. This presentation was recorded and is now available on demand for those who weren’t able to join live. Watch now to catch up.
Mortgage mayhem… time for advice
As of 6th October, we have seen multiple lenders fall below 5% interest charged on some fixed rate residential mortgages, with a rate war appearing to break out between the lenders and further announcements being made every day. The consequence is the difficult consideration for clients to decide whether they fix now or try and hold out whilst rates continue to fall. This month the base rate held for the first time after 14 consecutive months of increases, which has been a catalyst for rates falling. This gives cause for optimism of falling interest rates and inflation, which in turn should lead to mortgage rates falling further. Read more.
The inflationary challenges of managing a businessManaging a business during a period of high inflation certainly brings its own set of challenges. For some younger business people and perhaps even older ones, this is something that has not been faced before. Perhaps explaining more about what inflation is might not be necessary as we are exercising the effects in our daily lives, but for context inflation is the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services. It is a complex economic phenomenon that affects various aspects of an economy. Businesses, regardless of their size or industry, are not immune to the far-reaching consequences of inflation. Read more.
Do you know the true cost of your FX/Foreign Exchange?One of the more complex and often overlooked areas for a business to manage is ensuring they know what their international payments are truly costing them. The good news is that help is on hand through Streets Banking & Finance’s long standing partnership with a global Foreign Exchange specialist. In tandem with their specialist’s help, Streets can assist clients with the provision and cost of Foreign Exchange. By completing a complimentary currency health check, Streets will be able to demonstrate whether you are on a ‘good deal’ or if in fact there are savings to be made. Read more.
John Good Group goes carbon neutral across its business portfolio
John Good Group has achieved operational carbon neutrality for all its businesses – John Good & Sons, Good Travel Management, Dan Shipping & Chartering, TEPS, and Bay Shipping.
The 190-year-old family business was supported by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM to measure and report the carbon footprint for 2022 aligned to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and their Quantis tool for Scope 3 emissions. Adam Walsh, Chief Exec of the John Good Group, said: “It’s an important first step for the Group to achieve operational carbon neutrality, and I’m proud of the team that has worked on this. It’s something we’re all passionate about, but we’re fully aware we have a lot more to do. For our non-operational scope 3 emissions, which are more than 100 times greater than our operation emissions, we’re engaging with both customers and suppliers to look at solutions that are on the horizon and how they might meet our customer needs. A good example of progress in this area relates to the emissions relating to the flights we book in our travel business on behalf of our customers. We’ve introduced carbon insight at the point of booking for our customers, and all our team has undertaken sustainability training led by travel sustainability experts, Responsible Futures.” Walsh continues, “Reduction is our focus now, and whilst it might be our reality for several years yet, we know reliance on carbon offsets is not the answer to the climate problems we’re facing or to be relied upon by the Group for the answer to our responsibilities. Our businesses operate in industries that have material impacts on the environment, so reducing carbon output is essential. Our view is a pragmatic one, however, and we believe by engaging and collaborating within these industries, showing leadership and working with others to make a difference, we have the opportunity to challenge and influence the wider industries we operate in to help shape a greener future.” Achieving operational carbon neutrality is one of many steps in John Good Group’s sustainability journey. The Group has rolled out carbon reduction programmes across each of its businesses, including renewable energy generation, the introduction of Hybrid and EV vehicles, a review of suppliers, and the development of several people focussed initiatives aimed at carbon-contributing factors such as commuting miles. The reduction initiatives will continue at pace over the coming years to ensure the business is reducing its emissions as much as possible. However, the Group’s largest carbon-producing business, TEPS, is constrained by the pace of the industry’s technological developments. Progress on new fuelling solutions is slow and the availability of suitable vehicle alternatives is still several years away. Frustratingly for the Group, additional solar energy generation is also being limited by the national electricity grid – which is currently prohibiting the business from exporting surplus solar energy, which it could generate by making extra investment into solar panels on its warehouses. These are issues the Group hopes will diminish over the coming years. To offset the Group’s residual emissions for 2022, John Good Group partnered with Climate Impact Partners to purchase carbon credits. Working together, the two teams selected initiatives that make significant contributions to the communities they serve while also addressing the global issue of climate change by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions. The projects selected include Rural Clean Cooking in India, Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve REDD++ in Indonesia, Mudbrick Rocket Stoves in Malawi, and Degraded Grasslands Afforestation in Uruguay. James White at Climate Impact Partners explained: “Our collaboration with John Good Group is about delivering action on climate change and creating a more sustainable world. We worked together to identify projects that truly align with their ethos and support the UN’s SDGs in the most meaningful way.” These projects align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals that John Good Group has committed to: No Poverty (SDG 1), Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8) and Climate Action (SDG 13).KCOM launches foundation scheme to connect communities in the Humber region
KCOM has announced first details of its foundation to help connect communities across the Humber, having joined forces with the HEY Smile Foundation.
The KCOM Foundation which will award grants of up to £25,000 during the next three years to promote online inclusion, build stronger communities, connect generations and help boost digital skills and awareness across the region.
CEO Tim Shaw said: “The KCOM Foundation which will play a huge role in connecting people and their communities right across the Humber region – from Hull and East Yorkshire to North Lincolnshire. “It’s hugely important to us that no-one is left behind in this digital age – either because they don’t have access to the internet or because their community doesn’t have the full fibre broadband, they need to make the most of the opportunities available online. “These grants will enable us to make a real difference with big projects such as connecting community digital hubs to provide online access for isolated or deprived communities, as well as funding smaller initiatives such as helping individual charities. “We want to hear from as many interested communities as possible who think The KCOM Foundation can help them transform lives and create a better connected, more vibrant region for us all to live in.” Funds will be allocated at the discretion of the assessment panel, supporting a number of projects of up to £25,000. There will be two windows to apply for the grants, between October and January and again between June and August, with the grant winners being announced in February and September respectively. Applications to the fund can be made through Beecan – HEY Smile Foundation’s online grant giving platform, which brings funders, community groups and charities together. Smile Chief Executive Jamie Lewis, said: “HEY Smile Foundation is proud to be working alongside KCOM as its trusted partner. This is a huge amount of money going back into the heart of the community, especially in the face of digital poverty and the cost-of-living crisis.” Smile aims to empower charities, people and communities and this funding will do just that. We recognise how important this funding is to communities and we will ensure funding goes to organisations that can make change happen and deliver the sort of transformation our partners at KCOM are determined to drive.” The KCOM Foundation is in addition to the KCOM Community Grants scheme which already distributes grants of up to £1,000 each year to local groups and also initiatives such as KCOM Kits, which in the past three years has donated more than 100 full team strips to children’s grassroots football teams. During the past 12 months, KCOM employees have also donated more than 1,000 volunteer hours to help out in the local community.Building work on Goole business centre development to start next year
Less than 18 months since its launch, Goole’s £8.1 million RaisE Business Centre is now more than 60 per cent occupied by tenants from a broad cross-section of industries, and construction work on a second phase of development is due to start early next year.
This follows the announcement that the University of Birmingham, supported by Siemens Mobility, has been awarded £15 million by the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund to establish a new world-leading railway research and innovation centre next to Rail Accelerator for Innovation Solutions and Enterprise. Both developments form part of the new Siemens Mobility Rail Village being established at Goole, which is set to create at least 1,000 jobs. RaisE Business Centre opened in April 2022, offering dedicated office, workshop, meeting and conference space set across three floors and extending to 3,200 square meters. It also houses an onsite café, which is operated by Feast 78 and serves business based at RaisE, as well as the wider community. The second floor of the building is occupied by Siemens Mobility, which was the catalyst for the development of Goole Rail Village when it announced that its new £200 million rail factory would be located in the East Yorkshire town. The manufacturing site is situated directly opposite RaisE Business Centre and will create up to 700 new jobs when it starts building trains for the UK market next year. RaisE Business Centre was developed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council using grant funding of £1.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £1 million from the Getting Building Fund, facilitated by the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Since its launch, RaisE has attracted small to medium enterprises (SMEs) from a variety of different sectors. The following tenants now have a presence within the centre:- Pace Technology UK, leading suppliers of vehicle tracking, GPS tracking, telematics, vehicle security, in-vehicle cameras and reversing systems.
- First Avenue Training, specialists in delivering childcare and teaching assistant qualifications through work-based learning.
- CWE, an independent supply, maintenance and logistics partner to the rail industry.
- Argyll Drummond Financial Services, an independent mortgage and insurance brokerage.
- CNC Recycling, a nationwide UPVC window recycling specialist.
- Bel Esprit Social Care, a family-run business providing residential support to working age adults with mental health needs and/or learning disabilities.
- DFDS Logistics Limited, a transport and logistics company.
- Sure Healthcare, a provider within the healthcare and social care setting.
- K&K (UK), a distributor of fasteners, industrial fixings and parts to a number of industries, including the rail industry.
- Business Daily Group Limited, a multi-disciplinary marketing, communications, publications and advisory business.
- Fox Red Wealth Management Ltd, a wealth management company.
- 21 Transport Ltd, a transport services business.
- HandB Commercial Projects Ltd, a principal contractor operating across the UK.
From today agri-food firms can tap into funding from new £7.5m pot
From today agri-food businesses in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland can apply for funding from a £7.5m pot to support innovation and growth.
A partnership of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, New Anglia LEP (covering Norfolk and Suffolk), and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has been awarded the funding from Innovate UK under the Launchpads programme.
The programme SMEs in the region to apply for competitive grants for R&D and innovation projects that focus on agrifood. The grant funding available starts from £25,000, and up to £300,000 is available for projects that provide exceptional impact to the cluster.
To be eligible, projects must make a significant contribution to one or more of the following:
- enhancing the productivity of primary crops, the bioeconomy, livestock, aquaculture or ornamental plants
- biotechnologies related to agriculture, food and nutrition
- food that promotes safe, healthy and nutritious diets
- resource-efficient production methods for low-emission foods
- sustainability in the context of environmental challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity
- protecting, maintaining or enhancing animal welfare within current UK regulatory standard
- nutritional composition, food manufacturing and processing, packaging, and safety
- minimising negative effects such as pollution, food loss and waste
- resilience and responsiveness in the supply chain, mitigating risks, interruptions or disruptions
Humber businesses call for ‘transformational investment’ in the region
Leading businesses in the Humber have presented a united front to a Government Minister calling for transformational investment enabling the region to lead the UK’s drive to net zero.
Members of the Humber Energy Board, MPs, and council leaders met with Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, to push the case for game-changing investment to decarbonise the region and provide a huge stimulus to the economy.
The Humber Energy Board is the collaboration of private sector businesses and public sector organisations leading on the energy strategy for the region and behind the Humber 2030 Vision, which is a prospectus of major decarbonisation projects that represent a potential £15 billion investment in the Humber.
These include:
- BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) at Drax Power Station, which would be the world’s largest engineered carbon removals project.
- Humber Zero, a world-scale CO2 reduction project to support the decarbonisation of critical UK industry, involving post combustion carbon capture, led by Phillips 66 and VPI Immingham.
- H2H Saltend, Zero Carbon Humber’s low carbon hydrogen production facility with carbon capture at Saltend Chemicals Park, one of a number of major hydrogen projects in the region.
- Refinery of the Future – large-scale investment at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery, the only producer of speciality graphite coke used in lithium-ion batteries in Europe and the only UK refinery to make and supply sustainable aviation fuel at scale.
Spencer reports profits of £1.7m in the face of difficult market conditions
Engineering business C Spencer Ltd has delivered a resilient trading performance in its latest published accounts in the face of difficult market conditions.
The company reported turnover of £52m and a pre-tax profit of £1.7m in the year ending 31st March 2023, despite the head winds of high inflation, rising interest rates, Brexit hangovers and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Charlie Spencer, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Hull-based business, said: “The considerable economic uncertainty during the year depressed capital investment in the UK economy, stalling the progress of a number of schemes as clients carefully considered the impact of escalating raw commodity prices.
“Despite these challenges, we continued to deliver projects to an exceptionally high standard and secure a healthy pipeline of new work, much of it repeat business with our existing clients.
“The capability we have to both design and deliver engineering projects using in-house resources is a key differentiator and gives us a competitive advantage in the markets we serve. These skills also enable us to fully engage with our supply partners to drive full value for our clients.”
C Spencer Ltd trades under the Spencer Group brand and delivers solutions to complex engineering challenges for its blue-chip client base in the rail, bridges, industrial, infrastructure and energy markets.
During the 2022-23 business year, C Spencer Ltd completed a series of flagship projects, including a major upgrade of Manchester International Depot to transform it into a modern train servicing and stabling facility, and maintenance and repair projects on some of the UK’s most iconic bridges, including renovation of Union Chain Bridge on the English/Scottish border and the Grade I listed Menai Suspension Bridge in North Wales.
Prestigious contracts currently being delivered by C Spencer Ltd include construction of the £26.5m White Rose Rail Station in Leeds and a flagship international project to create a bespoke access system to inspect cables on the new Pattullo Bridge in British Columbia, Canada.
Government offers £4m grant to help Pensana create magnet metal plant at Saltend
Pensana has been a grant of up to £4,000,000 towards the funding it needs to build a rare earth oxide separation facility in the ‘Humber Freeport’ at Saltend.
Chairman Paul Atherley said: “The successful development of the $250 million Saltend project would be an important step in supporting the UK automotive supply chain, which employs over 780,000 people, as it transitions to electric vehicles.
“By 2030 the UK is expected to have transitioned from being a major European producer of internal combustion engines to be a world leader in the manufacture of electric drive units, producing three million every year, with a large proportion destined for export. Without a secure magnet metal supply chain this is under threat.”
Pensana is establishing an independent, sustainable rare earth supply chain with mid- stream processing to produce magnet metal in the UK.
The Saltend project will deliver 450 jobs during construction and 150 high value jobs in operation with a significant opportunity for further expansion.
The Offer of Grant, made under Section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, follows an application submitted by Pensana to the Automotive Transformation Fund, is subject to terms set out in a grant funding agreement and conditional upon Pensana providing 1) clearance from the relevant authority monitoring state subsidies and 2) a funding, activities and deliverables plan which are expected to be provided in the coming weeks.
Multi-million pound apartment plan takes step forward with loan for land purchase
Specialist lender Together has agreed a loan for a developer to buy a plot of disused industrial land – paving the way for a tower on Leeds’ South Bank.
Property investors Countrylarge have bought the land on the corner of Sayner Lane and Carlisle Road, near the Royal Armouries Museum, after securing the short-term finance facility.
Antony Rosindale, of developers Country Large, said the proposed scheme would provide much-needed homes for young professionals.
It will transform the previously derelict site as part of a wider regeneration project – by breathing new life into a former industrial plot of brownfield land in the city centre.
Mr Rosindale said: “The Sayner Lane site is behind Leeds Dock in the South Bank, which had been undergoing a massive regeneration initiative to greatly improve the area.
“There is a large project currently underway to build homes on the former Tetley Brewery site and other mixed-use developments already underway, with not only homes but medical facilities, a school and later life living units.
“As an urban developer, we believe it’s important to look at brownfield sites, building on previously developed land, which is far more sustainable that building in the countryside. Our strategy is to deliver Build-to-Rent apartments, which will provide good quality homes for young professionals.”
The £500 million South Bank regeneration, first put forward by the Council in 2011, is one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects. The aim of the scheme is to eventually double the size of Leeds city centre.
The wedge-shaped brownfield site at Sayner Lane currently has outline planning permission for a development of 150 apartments, which was granted last November.
However, the developers are preparing a fresh application for the sustainable development of the 0.2 hectare plot.
They expect to submit to planners at Leeds City Council within the next few weeks after securing the finance needed from specialist lender Together.
The lender, which provides commercial and personal finance and has a loan book of £6.4billion, agreed a bridging loan to buy the land.
Michael Devanny, corporate sales director at Together, said: “We are currently working with Country Large on other projects in Yorkshire and were impressed with their vision to breathe new life into this derelict corner on the South Bank.
“Our short-term finance allowed the developers to quickly complete the purchase, paving the way for a tower of much needed city centre apartments. The latest development proposals will deliver benefits not only in terms of new housing but also through off-site green space improvements in the area, contributing to the transformation of Leeds South Bank as a mixed use community in an expanded city centre.”
