Acquisition sees Rix Petroleum strengthen Lincolnshire presence
Family-owned business Rix Petroleum Ltd has strengthened its base in Lincolnshire with the acquisition of a Grantham-based fuel provider.
The company, which is headquartered in Hull, has acquired EFuels Ltd in Gorse Lane for an undisclosed sum.
The move brings the number of fuel depots Rix Petroleum owns and operates in the county to four, with others in Immingham, Gainsborough, and Spalding.
The Grantham depot will remain branded as EFuels for the time being, and will continue to be headed up by existing depot manager Matthew Keightley, who moves to Rix under the deal.
Duncan Lambert, Managing Director of Rix Petroleum, said the move would enable the business to provide a better service to farms, businesses and rural households across south Lincolnshire.
Rix specialises in the provision of agricultural fuels and lubricants, standard diesel, and home heating oil for rural communities.
Mr Lambert said: “We’re delighted to complete this deal. Lincolnshire is a famously agricultural county and acquiring this depot will enable us to support local farmers, businesses, and rural communities across the south of the county more efficiently and effectively.
“As a sixth-generation family business, we pride ourselves on our values of fairness, great customer relations and service, and supporting communities, and it precisely these values we will bring to our newly acquired Grantham depot.”
The deal completes the company’s coverage in Lincolnshire, with the combination of all four depots providing easy access to communities across the entire county.
Depot manager Matthew Keightley, said he was delighted with the deal.
He said: “Rix Petroleum is well known in the industry as a long-established family business that customers can rely on.
“I know that our customers in and around Grantham will be very well looked after by myself and the wider Rix team, so I feel this is a fantastic opportunity to take the business forward.”
Council seeks business award winner from the East Riding
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is on the lookout for the business that’s contributed to the economic prosperity of the region to receive the 2025 Chairman’s Award.
The business award is one of four categories in a scheme designed to recognise outstanding contributions of individuals, businesses, and projects that have made a significant impact on our community.
Last year’s winner was Hawk Furniture, based in Holme Upon Spalding Moor. The company said that bring nominated had been an honour, and winning was fantastic. A spokesman said: “It shows that our efforts to create a great culture and team have been recognised. Thank you for acknowledging our hard work over the past few years.”
Council Chairman Linda Bayram will present the awards in May 2025. The awards celebrate excellence across four categories:
- Community: Honouring groups and individuals who have improved the lives of East Riding residents through non-commercial projects.
- Built Heritage: Celebrating private homes, new builds, or business premises that have been sympathetically renovated or restored.
- Business: Recognising businesses that have contributed to the economic prosperity of the region.
- Sport: Celebrating local talent and dedication to sports clubs and activities.
Housing Association ready to help deliver 1.5m homes challenge, says Chief Exec
The Chief Exec of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association has said 2025 must be the year for the government to inject real momentum into its housebuilding plans if Ministers are to meet their pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.
In a New Year message, Lee Bloomfield reflected on what he called incredible milestones achieved by the MHA over the last year.
Notable successes included being recognised as the first housing association worldwide to win the ISO 30415 accreditation for HR and diversity and inclusion, the launch of a greatly enhanced user-friendly website as part of its digital transformation agenda, and the upgrade of MHA properties with assistance from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.
Mr Bloomfield stressed that MHA, managing more than 1,400 homes for 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley, was keen to deliver more new homes.
He said: “Last month, we were privileged to host strategy and policy staff from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in Bradford and Keighley as part of the Social Housing Immersion Programme
“We made clear that MHA stands ready to help in any way we can to help the government deliver its promise of 1.5 million new homes within five years.
“Whilst Ministers have faced criticism for the direction taken in some areas of policy, I believe the tone and approach they have adopted in relation to housebuilding has been impressive.
“But with the clock ticking, they must inject real momentum into the process by swiftly enacting the planning legislation they have talked up before getting actual shovels in the ground.
“And signs of delivery must be visible this year, otherwise those who believe that the 1.5 million housing target is fanciful will have added reason to be sceptical.
“A new year brings new hope, new aspiration and new energy – nowhere more so than Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.
“The sincere wish of everyone in the housing sector must be that this new year will herald a new dawn in the delivery of new homes.”
Sheffield BID hails success of Christmas marketing campaign
Sheffield BID’s Christmas marketing campaign, designed to promote the city centre festive offer, support local businesses and add additional activities to bring festive cheer to the city centre by engaging thousands of visitors, has been a success, say organisers.
Diane Jarvis of Sheffield BID said: “We are thrilled with the success of this year’s Christmas marketing campaign. The engagement from the community and local businesses has been fantastic, and it’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying the festive activities in the city centre. We look forward to building on this success in future events.
“The Sheffield Christmas Trail has been an annual favourite with visitors since 2018, and we are committed to continuing creating vibrant and engaging events for our community.”
The festive marketing campaign achieved the following results across various platforms:
- Social media reach: The campaign reached 230,936 people on Facebook and X, generating 15,498 engagements and 11,378 clicks.
- Website traffic: The campaign drove 37,790 unique visits to www.sheffieldchristmastrail.com and www.sheffieldcitycentre.com.
- Email marketing: Over 6,500 emails were sent to subscribers, with a notable 35% open rate, reflecting strong interest and engagement from our audience.
Align consultancy leads on regeneration of historic asset in Whitby
A £1m scheme to restore one of Whitby’s most recognisable buildings and bring it back into public use is due to begin next month, led by Align Property Partners, the North Yorkshire Council’s multi-disciplinary building design consultancy.
The managing director of Align, Ron Walton, said: “Our building design team of architects and engineers have worked closely with the council to ensure this important building is restored in the best way possible.
“We are all looking forward to seeing the project come to life and work to be completed – to the benefit of everyone who lives, works in and visits Whitby.”
The Old Town Hall building has been one of the town’s most famous heritage assets and a focal point for residents, visitors and traders since the 18th century.
An outdoor market is currently held in the under croft of the building and Market Place – but the Grade II* listed premises is in a poor state of repair and the first floor has been unoccupied since 2017.
The renovation will allow the building to be used as a public space for community, heritage and cultural activities all year round.
Executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic development and regeneration, said: “The Old Town Hall is a crucial part of Whitby’s rich history and heritage.
“Through this scheme we hope to restore, renovate and repurpose the building so it can be a thriving community anchor for local residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy and use.
“Whitby is a place held in the hearts of so many people and we hope the project can help create and maintain a vibrant and bustling year-round market place, increasing crucial footfall into the town and providing a welcome boost to the local economy.”
BCC revises growth expectations downwards for the nest two years
The British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Forecast has revised down growth expectations for 2024, but marginally improved GDP expectations for 2025 and 2026.
Increased government spending is likely to boost GDP, but business investment and trade are likely to suffer this year through the impact of the national insurance rise and major global uncertainties.
David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Our forecast expects the national insurance hike, alongside other growing cost pressures on business, to impact on several economic indicators over the coming months.
“GDP is expected to pick up slightly next year, but that’s likely to be down to more government spending. Our research continues to show that most SMEs are not increasing investment, amidst an array of rising costs and admin burdens.
“The knock-on effect of rising business costs are likely to restrict wage growth in the short term and employment, as firms struggle to pass on costs and boost recruitment. With fears of a tariff war and continued trade barriers with the EU, international trade will be challenging for many firms.
“Our surveys already showed a fall in business confidence before October’s Budget. While the full impact of the Chancellor’s statement is yet to be seen, businesses face tough decisions as bills rise. It’s vital that business rate reform is accelerated and much anticipated strategies on industry, infrastructure and trade deliver at pace in the months to come.”
The QEF, winner of the 2024 FocusEconomics award for best GDP forecast, expects the UK economy to grow by 0.8% in 2024, a downgrade from the previous forecast (1.1%). Growth has been revised upwards for the next two years – with 1.3% expected in 2025 and 1.5% in 2026, higher than previous forecast (1.0% and 1.1%). Upgrades to 2025 and 2026 are driven by increased levels of government spending, but the overall growth landscape remains relatively weak.
The rise in employer national insurance contributions, announced at the Budget, has had a small impact on the forecast – including average earnings and unemployment.
Inflation is now expected to remain above the Bank of England’s target until the end of 2026, due to increased business costs and global trade uncertainties. CPI is forecast to be 2.2% in Q4 2025, unchanged from the previous forecast, and 2% in Q4 2026, slightly higher than the last forecast.
As businesses face tough decisions on costs, unemployment has been revised upwards to be 4.5% by the end of 2025 before falling to 4.2% in 2026 (previously 4.4% in 2025 and 4.1% in 2026).
VOA shares details of business rate valuation plans
The Valuation Office Agency has published details about how it will improve the information it discloses on business rates valuations.
This means that by 2026 ratepayers will be able to see more tailored information about their property, and by 2029, they’ll will be able to see more specific valuation information and evidence.
Carolyn Bartlett, the VOA’s Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, said: “We understand the importance of greater transparency in business rates valuations. The consultation showed there are different views about what property valuation information should be disclosed.
“We’ve balanced the desire for greater transparency from some with the concerns of others about the confidentiality of their data and a preference for simplified information.”
This is all part of a wider set of changes are coming to business rates in England and Wales from 2026 to 2029. These changes are being introduced in stages. They will support the VOA to deliver more frequent property revaluations.
The changes include a new duty on ratepayers to provide information about their property to the VOA.
The new information duty on ratepayers is expected to be introduced after 1 April 2026. It will be tested with small numbers of customers in phases from that point so we can make sure the system works for all ratepayers.
The duty will then be formally activated and mandated for everyone by 1 April 2029.
There is no action you need to take now. We will tell you about the changes and when you will be affected.
The new duty means ratepayers will have to tell the VOA within 60 days when there are changes to their property. These include changes to:
- the occupier
- their lease or rent
- the property.
New Lincoln housing development wins praise from police
Police have praised the design of a new housing development in Lincoln, saying it will help to reduce the risk of crime and improve peace of mind for local residents.
Hermit Mews has achieved Secured by Design Gold standard in recognition of the high-quality security measures it incorporates.
Secured by Design is a police-backed initiative that promotes security and crime prevention in new developments. The Gold standard is its highest level, requiring stringent adherence to security principles.
Hermit Mews was designed and built by Lindum Group on behalf of City of Lincoln Council. A former garage site in Lincoln’s Hermit Street was transformed, with the existing garage block and garages adjacent to the flats demolished.
Lindum Design Manager, Mark King, said his team had worked in conjunction with Lincolnshire Police to achieve the standard: “Achieving Secured by Design Gold standard at Hermit Street required us to build homes that were not only aesthetically pleasing but also prioritised the safety and well-being of the community.
“Examples of this include a new secure fence line to the rear of Portland Street which closes off public access through to alleyways and creates dedicated private access routes for residents.
“We also reorganised the CCTV to provide more comprehensive coverage and installed motion-sensitive lighting, which reduces the kind of dimly lit areas which might attract anti-social behaviour.”
Lincoln company celebrate new year with renewal of Royal Warrant
Lincolnshire-based lubricant and paint manufacturer the Witham Group has been granted a renewed Royal Warrant of Appointment as suppliers to the King.
Group MD Nigel R Bottom said: “We are immensely proud to have this Royal Warrant granted by His Majesty. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team. We are committed to continuing to serve all our customers with the utmost care and professionalism, and we are honoured to continue our association with the Royal Household and Royal Estates.”
Witham Group was first granted a Royal Warrant to The Queen in 1991. The Appointment was the start of a journey which has culminated in the company supplying lubricants and paints for the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, as well as other connected properties, estates and farmland.
The Witham Group is one of the UK’s largest independent lubricant manufacturers and paint suppliers. It is a privately owned, family run business with its head office and lubricant manufacturing site based in Lincoln and a distribution warehouse, trade shop and paint decorating centre based in Soham, Cambridgeshire.
Witham Group makes around 5,000,000 litres of lubricants and paint every year, and a litre of its products is sold somewhere within the UK every six seconds.
German family firm invests in hydrogen generation with South Yorkshire company
ITM Power has signed a contract to supply three of its NEPTUNE V hydrogen generation units, totalling 15MW, to a family-owned private German company.
The NEPTUNE V units will be build in Sheffield and deployed into three individual projects, with the first delivery expected in the first half of 2026. The electrolysers will provide green hydrogen to refuelling stations in Germany.
ITM Power CEO Dennis Schulz said: “We are establishing ourselves as the go-to partner for down-to-earth industrial companies and family businesses, for whom it matters that their plants work reliably, safely and efficiently. We are pleased to have signed yet another NEPTUNE V contract in just a few weeks. Customer interest continues to exceed our expectations.”
Launched in May this year, NEPTUNE V is ideally suited for mid-sized projects. It utilises ITM’s leading and proven TRIDENT stack technology. NEPTUNE V is our full-scope 5MW containerised electrolyser plant. It provides reliable, flexible, and highly efficient hydrogen production capacity and the industry’s smallest footprint per MW.
