Praise for Sheffield’s West Bar at The Yorkshires
West Bar Sheffield has been recognised by leading professionals in the Yorkshire property sector for exceptional skill involved in its conception, design, and execution.
The major regeneration project received a special award at the prestigious ‘The Yorkshires’ Commercial Real Estate Awards 2023’ as a key ‘disruptor’ in commercial real estate over the last twelve months.
The Yorkshires (formerly The Yorkshire Property Awards) is the most highly regarded property event in the calendar, attended by over 1,000 property professionals. The annual awards at Rudding Park Hotel raises charitable funds to support The Yorkshire Children’s Charity.
Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, a joint venture between Urbo Regeneration and Peveril Securities, was commended alongside Sheffield City Council for completing a ground-breaking deal to secure £150 million funding from Legal & General.
This agreement represents the largest single city centre investment deal that Sheffield has ever seen, and enables delivery of the first phase comprising 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office space offering the largest floorplates in the city and meeting significant ESG commitments. It will also deliver Soho Yard, 368 Build to Rent residential apartments to be owned and managed by L&G, alongside a 450 space multistorey car park within a high-quality public realm.
West Bar as a whole is a £300 million regeneration scheme on a 7-acre brownfield site on the Inner Ring Road between Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters in Sheffield city centre. It is to comprise one million sq ft of space including over 565,000 sq ft of office accommodation with amenity, public realm and over 525 apartments. The project expects to create up to 8,000 new jobs when completed.
The Yorkshire Disruptors Award celebrates regionally significant projects that move the market for everyone. West Bar was selected by judges as the crème de la crème of achievements in Yorkshire, making waves with a material effect on the surrounding environment.
Specifically, West Bar was commended for the unwavering commitment of the joint venture team who dedicated a huge amount of time and financial resource in putting the development together, evolving the masterplan and driving the design and assembly of a commercially viable site, despite difficult macroeconomic conditions.
A spokesman for Urbo (West Bar) Ltd said:“To complete this deal with the difficult economic headwinds was especially challenging but perhaps the biggest complexity has been the many years of site assembly work, negotiating with landowners and tenants of 103 separate property titles within the development boundary. We worked hard to secure alternative and improved premises for these occupiers such that zero jobs were lost through the process. This was backed by a full compulsory purchase process including a full CPO Public Inquiry and ultimately secured 100% freehold ownership with vacant possession, paving the way for our deal with Legal & General. This is a rare and excellent example of best practice approach to area-wide urban regeneration.”
Completion of this landmark funding deal and the start of construction on the first phase, with completion expected in 2024, has established West Bar as a regionally important large-scale regeneration project for Sheffield. This was completed against the odds and after many years of careful work at a time of unprecedented economic challenge.
Yorkshire-based confectionery manufacturer continues acquisition drive
Zubrance Ltd, the holding company of the Serious Sweet Confectionery Group, has acquired the entire share capital of John Bull Wholesale Limited and the wholesale/private label business of John Bull (Confectioners) Ltd, based in Bridlington.
The new company will trade under the name of The Real Candy Co Limited. All employees remain employed and have been transferred to the new company.
The Serious Sweet Confectionery Group (SSC) now covers a wide range of Private Label and Branded product capabilities together with a significant confectionery manufacturing footprint.
The Serious Sweet Company based in Harrogate specialises in the manufacture and supply of own-label & white-label premium crafted sugar confectionery to all key UK retailers together with a number of international retailers on several continents, supported by a dedicated innovation team.
The Real Candy Co based in Bridlington, focuses on the manufacture of a wide variety of predominantly own label & white label sugar confectionery to many sales channels in the UK along with a wide variety of trade customers, thanks to its flexible manufacturing footprint
SSC Brands, also based in Harrogate, now comprises a number of fast-growing premium challenger confectionery Brands acquired between 2022 – 2023 with an RSV in excess of £10m including: Mallow & Marsh, Mighty Fine, Mr Stanleys, Real Candy Co, and Ultimate English.
The addition of The Real Candy Co significantly grows SSC’s manufacturing capacity and enrobing capabilities together with the ability to support both new and existing customers with a range of products, formats and solutions.
In today’s market the demand for truly premium, worth-it treats has never been stronger as consumers become ever more discerning with their confectionery choices. It will also allow SSC to develop a more sustainable manufacturing footprint in the years to come.
Rob Whitehead, director of SSC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the team at John Bull into the Serious Sweets family. Completing this acquisition changes the game for Serious Sweets, significantly enhancing the products and formats we can offer customers, and growing our capacity.
“We have a strong investment programme to build on the great work done by James and Jo-Anne and we’re very excited about what the future holds. Our management team has strengthened significantly including our broader innovation and marketing skills – key to keeping customers happy and meeting their every need.”
James Hodgson, owner of John Bull, said: “We’re very pleased to have passed on our wholesale/private label business to a team who will invest and develop the site here in Bridlington. We will now be focussing on our Retail, Leisure and John Bull-branded confectionery business. The opportunity for both companies to really focus and capitalise on future consumer demand looks strong.”
Hessle food firm climbs to top of ‘Better Food’ index
Hessle-based food producer Cranswick has been ranked as Number One in the second annual edition of The Better Food Index, climbing from the third place it managed last year.
Compiled by Tortoise Media, The Better Food Index is a comprehensive ranking of the performance of the UK’s largest food companies, based on their social and environmental impact.
Leading a field of 30 of the UK’s largest food companies, Cranswick outperformed peers in a combined score across five key areas: Environment, Nutrition, Social Impact, Affordability and Financial Sustainability. Using over 100 indicators from a range of publicly available sources, the Index compared Cranswick’s commitments alongside performance to arrive at the top score.
The index also emphasises the importance of transparent and comprehensive reporting, with companies scored on their transparency, the aim is to encourage companies to reveal their true impact, and to disentangle poor reporting from poor performance, therefore fuelling a data-driven race to the top of the ranking, which, Cranswick are proud to have secured this year, being named number one in the transparency listing.
A spokesman for Cranswick said: “This result sees an improvement on last year’s third place position, demonstrating Cranswick’s continuous commitment to making sustainability a priority through the Second Nature initiative and taking all possible steps to ensure a positive impact within its business operations.”
Jeevan Vasagar, Climate Editor at Tortoise Media, said: “The cost-of-living crisis, combined with the growing impact of climate change, underline the urgency of making our food system more nutritious, affordable and sustainable. This year’s Better Food Index shows us where progress has been made – and how much the companies that make our food have left to do.”
Lindum sends painting and decorating apprentice to skills event in Gdańsk
Lindum painting and decorating apprentice Dior Regan will be part of Team UK at the EuroSkills Finals in the Polish city of Gdańsk from 5th – 9th of September this year, when more than 100,000 spectators are expected to attend.
Dior also recently competed in the UK SkillBuild final in Edenborough, and won a Lincoln College Spotlight award for Apprentice of the Year.
Governments and industry will be watching with interest to benchmark how well Team UK performs compared to the country’s main European competitors. At the event, 600 skilled young professionals, under the age of 25, from 32 member countries including Germany, Switzerland and France will compete.
More than 100,000 spectators from across Europe are expected to attend this year’s finals after the event faced disruption in recent years due to the pandemic.
Ben Blackledge, Interim Chief Executive of WorldSkills UK, said: “The EuroSkills Finals provides a valuable mechanism for benchmarking the quality of skills. Through its competition-based assessment of young people’s skills against European industry standards, we can compare UK standards against those in the rest of Europe and importantly bring that international best practice back to the UK through the programmes we run at WorldSkills UK.
“This will be a life-enhancing opportunity for Dior Regan, and I wish them the best of luck. They and the rest of the Team are the embodiment not only of the characteristics that we should aspire for in a young workforce but of the UK Government’s ambitions for Global Britain too.”
Mark Locking, Principal and CEO at Lincoln College, said: “We are extremely proud of Dior’s outstanding achievement as she represents Lincoln College at EuroSkills Gdańsk 2023. Her success is a testament to the quality of education and training that we provide for our apprentices, but more so the professionalism, hard work and tenacity of Dior herself.”
Dior, a second-year apprentice, said: “Being selected to represent Team UK at the EuroSkills competition is the best feeling. It’s been hard work training, but the skills and techniques that I have learned at both Lincoln College and Lindum have given me the confidence to compete at this level. I am extremely grateful for the support and guidance that I have received.”
To secure a place in Team UK, the apprentices and students have been through an exhaustive selection process, taking part in the prestigious WorldSkills UK National Competitions. Following the European Finals, they will continue their training with WorldSkills UK with the aim of being selected for the WorldSkills Finals which take place in Lyon, France next year.
Change of ownership for CDUK
Leeds-based supplier of surface materials and complementary products, CDUK, has announced a change of ownership that sees Managing Director, Andy Noble, acquiring the business from Gary Baker.
Founded over 40 years ago by Geoff Baker and business partner Toni Hibbert, CDUK has built a strong reputation as the exclusive distributor of Corian® Solid Surface in the UK and Ireland.
Mr Baker, as he was known at work, discovered Corian® Solid Surface on a business trip in 1976 while on the hunt for a product that could be used to create an integrated basin for bathroom vanity units. In Hong Kong, he learned about Corian®, the material manufactured by US materials giant DuPont, which set Geoff firmly on the path to success. Since then, CDUK has become one of the world’s largest purchasers of Corian® Solid Surface and has been a key player in creating the UK and Ireland solid surface market.
Business ownership was passed to Geoff’s son Gary, who joined the CDUK family in 2006. Geoff held the role of chairman until his passing in 2021. The new owner, Andy Noble, joined CDUK as national sales manager in April 2013 and was appointed Managing Director in 2020. Andy carries over 17 years’ experience working in the surface industry and, working closely with Gary Baker, has contributed to changing the perception of the business from a material supplier to a trusted design partner for architects, designers and fabricators. Under his direction, CDUK has continued to expand its offering. This has resulted in a series of exclusive partnerships with innovative brands including PaperStone®, The 1810 Company and, more recently, The Good Plastic Company, as well as in a stronger and successful relationship with DuPont as the sole distributor of Corian® Solid Surface in the UK and Ireland. Gary Baker, outgoing owner and chairman at CDUK, says: “Since CDUK was founded nearly 45 years ago by my father and Toni Hibbert, we’ve prided ourselves on offering great service to our customers as well as being at the centre of the solid surface industry through distributing Corian®. “I am proud to be handing on the business to Andy with whom I have worked closely now for over 10 years. Over the last couple of years, Andy and his senior management team have taken on more and more responsibility for leading the business. “It was really important to me to have a succession plan involving people who understand where CDUK has come from and who will maintain the values we have always held dear. At the same time, the company is in a great place to thrive and adapt to new challenges. I look forward to seeing how Andy and his team grow and develop the business in the future.” CDUK secured a £3 million finance facility from Lloyds Bank plc which was implemented as part of the management buyout. Andrew Gaunt, business development director at Lloyds Bank, says: “CDUK is a long-standing and valued client of Lloyds Bank plc. As such, we were incredibly pleased to support Andy with the management buyout of the business, as we have no doubts that he will be able to take it to the next stage of its growth journey. “Over the last couple of months, we have seen growing confidence from Yorkshire businesses with an emphasis on growth and expansion, so we are looking forward to standing alongside CDUK as it enters the next phase of its development.” Andy Noble, Managing Director at CDUK, says: “I’m incredibly proud and lucky to have been given the unique opportunity to continue the market leading work established by Gary and his father Mr Baker over the last 44 years. “We work with some excellent supply partners, not least Corian® Solid Surface with whom we have a long-lasting and fruitful partnership, as well as some world class designers, fabricators and manufacturers who turn our surfaces into the outstanding applications and projects. “Added to that is an enthusiastic, forward-thinking team at CDUK who I thoroughly enjoy working with. Having worked with them for 10 years, taking ownership of the company is a great opportunity and I’m very much looking forward to connecting with new communities and markets with a wider portfolio of surface solutions in the future. “I’ve been extremely privileged to have spent many years working with Gary and Mr Baker. I thank them for everything that they have taught me and the opportunities they have given me. As we look to the future, we won’t forget our history. I’m certainly very optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead.”Work starts on Lincoln City’s Stacey West project
Building work has started on the Stacey West redevelopment project to create a brand new Lincoln City Foundation Skills & Education Hub as well as a number of other key infrastructure improvements to the LNER Stadium.
Funding for the £2.5 million development, which is expected to be completed in Summer 2024, has come from the Be Lincoln Town Deal, which has contributed £800k, Football Foundation, EFL Stadia Fund, Youth Investment Fund and Lincolnshire Co-operatuve as well as almost £400k from the Stacey West Investment Bond.
This multi-agency funded build will see a new two-storey extension to the existing stand providing Lincoln City Foundation with the facilities and space to expand its vital social impact work in the local community. In addition, the stadium will benefit from a new mains water supply, increased power supply and a state-of-the-art pitch irrigation recycling system. This will coincide with the club’s ongoing plans to invest in safer standing solutions in both the Stacey West stand and a section of the GBM stand.
Caroline Killeavy, Town Deal board member, said: “The Community Hub coming from the Stacey West development will be hugely beneficial for those who live in the wider county, the city and the local community in Sincil Bank.
“The Be Lincoln Town Deal is proud to support the project and we can’t wait to see works progress.”
The Stacey West stand holds a special place in the hearts of every Imps fan serving as a permanent memorial to Bill Stacey and Jim West who along with 54 Bradford City fans lost their lives in the 1985 Valley Parade tragedy. Trevor Stacey, Bill’s son, was on hand to place the first spade in the ground and mark the start of an exciting new chapter for the club.
Trevor was joined by representatives from the many grant funding agencies including Karl McCartney MP, Cllr Donald Nannestad(deputy leader of the City Council), Misha Chotai (Youth Investment Fund), Sam Turner (Lincolnshire Co-op) and Rob Bradley (Red Imps Community Trust), as well as City chief executive Liam Scully and Foundation chief executive Martin Hickerton.
Martin said: “This is a really key moment for the club, and particularly the Foundation, as we can start to see our new home truly becoming a reality. The need for our services has never been greater, and this expanded space means we can continue our growth to help those in our communities.”
New planning measure approved to help protect and preserve the infrastructure at Doncaster Sheffield Airport
City of Doncaster Council has approved a new planning measure which will help protect and preserve the infrastructure at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA).
Subject to the ensuing call-in period for the decision, the demolition of any building at the airport will require planning permission to be granted permitting it.
The measure, known as an immediate Article 4 Direction, allows the council to remove certain rights which would otherwise be permitted without needing to apply for planning permission.
With an Article 4 Direction in place, any proposal to demolish a building at the airport – including the terminal, control tower and runway – will need to be assessed via the full planning process.
A joint statement from Mayors of Doncaster & South Yorkshire & Doncaster MPs regarding Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: “We are pleased that this step has been taken and we will collectively continue to fight for the airport.”
Commercial law firm grows into 11 Wellington Place, Leeds
Commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has agreed a lease for 11 Wellington Place, one of the most sustainable office developments in Yorkshire. The firm’s rapidly growing Leeds team is set to move into the 254,879 sq ft building later this year.
The firm will occupy a full floor of the 10-storey number 11 building, taking 9,000 sq ft – a substantial increase on the 2,500 sq ft office the firm currently occupies in Bond Court.
The move comes as Hill Dickinson’s Leeds team continues to grow at pace. It has welcomed 12 new members of the team in the last 12 months, including Alison Starr, who joined as a partner from Eversheds Sutherland in January.
Hill Dickinson’s 40-strong Leeds team is currently focused on healthcare, corporate, real estate and construction. The move to Wellington Place is part of the firm’s long-term strategy to build a comprehensive business services offer within the city.
The new space also supports the firm’s drive to improve the sustainability of its operations, with buildings 11 & 12 Wellington Place rated EPC A and BREEAM Outstanding. They were the first outside London and the fourth in the UK to achieve a NABERS Design Reviewed Target Rating of Five Stars or above.
The smart-enabled building allows occupiers to monitor air quality levels in real time, is net zero carbon in use and is targeting 41% less energy consumption than the average building. The building will generate its own electricity through 7,500 sq ft of solar panels, feature air source heat pumps for heating and cooling, and water attenuation tanks.
The building’s green credentials are further boosted through the provision of electric vehicle charging points and 140 bicycle spaces.
As part of the fit-out, Hill Dickinson will launch a dedicated client suite alongside modern colleague facilities.
Tas Quayum, chief operating officer at Hill Dickinson, said: “11 Wellington Place marks a key milestone for our Leeds team and clients. It is a vibrant city with one of the fastest growing economies in the UK, and we see it as an important part of the future growth of Hill Dickinson. We are looking forward to being in the space with our team and clients later this year and celebrating this next step of our journey within the city.”
Esther Venning, Hill Dickinson partner and head of Leeds office, celebrated the signing, saying: “Having operated within Leeds for five years now, our team has grown considerably in that time. We are in a position to accelerate these plans even further as we expand our offering to new and existing clients. As such, we require an inspiring space that can grow alongside us, with 11 Wellington Place perfectly placed to offer this in the heart of the city.
“We are investing considerably in our sustainability efforts across Hill Dickinson, and our offices play a vital role in this. 11 Wellington Place boasts impressive green credentials, providing us with a new home that is fit for the future and exceeds our environmental requirements. We are incredibly excited to begin the move so our people and clients can take full advantage of this impressive new development.”
Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, the asset manager and developer behind Wellington Place, said: “Hill Dickinson has gone from strength to strength in Leeds and we are pleased to be supporting the firm here at Wellington Place as it continues its growth journey.
“As a forward-thinking business Hill Dickinson is committed to operating sustainably and its move to Wellington Place will support this important agenda.
“We continue to build upon our vibrant neighbourhood here at Wellington Place and we look forward to Hill Dickinson becoming a part of our growing business community.”
The firm will be joining Lloyds Banking Group and Arup, which recently announced their moves to 11 & 12 Wellington Place.
Fox Lloyd Jones was the agent for Hill Dickinson, with Savills and JLL acting for Wellington Place.
Yorkshire-based recruitment firm celebrates triple milestone
Recruitment company Edwards & Pearce is planning a triple celebration to mark the milestones of a change of ownership, a 25-year anniversary, and a move to new premises.
The firm, with offices in Hull, Doncaster, and York, was bought by Felicity and Dan King just before the pandemic hit in 2020 and reached its quarter-century in 2023. Now the business has relocated into offices on the banks of the Humber at The Deep Business Centre in Hull with Director of Development Felicity, Commercial Director Dan and their team of 20 taking inspiration from the views across the Humber. Felicity said: “We moved here for a fresh perspective and the blue sky.” The couple added to the capabilities of the company on acquisition by integrating the learning and development business which Felicity had built up over 25 years. The combined skills and knowledge provided a stronger base to serve their clients. Felicity said: “We were very impressed by the company’s values and what it stood for and we were also attracted by the client integrity and the fact that the team were so long standing. “We have colleagues who have been here since the beginning and have celebrated 25 years, others have 20 years with the business and, most of all, everybody works together to train and develop the new team members as they come in.” The introduction of Felicity’s learning and development business, bringing in contacts from other parts of the country, has strengthened key attributes within Edwards & Pearce. She said: “The two distinct parts of our business are very intentional. We have reinforced our skill sets, our passion for people and our commitment to empower people to be agents of their own experience at work. “Our learning and development isn’t by the book and it’s not traditional. It’s about empowering a leadership team so they become the driving force behind empowering the rest of that organisation. When organisations create an environment where they recognise, celebrate and value difference, everyone can be themselves and a force for change, as a team”. Dan added that the changes since the takeover, including the opening of the office in York, have added to the flexibility for staff and clients. He said: “Our recruitment team pride themselves on their consultative approach. They won’t simply send CVs, they enjoy engaging to understand our clients’ business objectives and how new team members will add value for the long term. Clients don’t come to us to see a handful of good fit applicants, they come back year after year because they know and trust our level of service and ongoing support we provide. “Adaptability and resilience are key attributes for our own team in the same way they are for any business looking to sustain their growth in the world of superfast change we live in”. Felicity added: “Our plan is to grow our business with the motto ‘For when your people matter most’, and by working with organisations that truly believe people are their greatest assets. Freya Cross, Head of Business and Corporate at The Deep, said: “We have a strong track record of supporting our clients at every stage of their development, from start-ups to established teams. “Edwards & Pearce are recognised as a leader in the recruitment sector with ambitions to expand and to help other businesses do the same, and we look forwarding to working alongside them as they continue to grow their business.”