Phase Two of new Leeds city centre neighbourhood completes
Caddick Construction has completed construction of the SOYO neighbourhood’s two newest residential blocks in Leeds city centre on behalf of Hestia, the residential platform of Federated Hermes Real Estate.
Located at the south of York Road in Leeds, SOYO comprises two new residential buildings, known as Madison East and Mercer West, featuring 331 built-to-rent apartments, two commercial retail units, car parking facilities and sustainable public spaces for the local community.
The project has been developed by Caddick Construction through close collaboration with Hestia and joint enterprise partner Caddick Developments.
The £57.4m project follows the completion of an earlier phase at SOYO, New York Square, where Caddick Construction delivered two 16 and 17 storey, build-to-rent apartment developments, housing 515 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments for Moda Living.
SOYO is the newest multi-use neighbourhood in Leeds city centre and once complete the quarter will offer over 1m sq ft of space to live, work and enjoy.
Paul Dodsworth, Construction Group Managing Director, said: “Before a spade had even hit the ground on SOYO Madison East and Mercer West, collaboration was at the forefront of our operations.
“Working in partnership with Hestia and our sister company, Caddick Developments means that we can ensure we achieve the very best quality across the board, creating landmark residential developments that regenerate a vibrant neighbourhood in Leeds city centre.
“As we continue to grow our residential portfolio across the north of England, SOYO Leeds marks a flagship era for us, and we look forward to seeing the space form a new cultural hub for this thriving metropolitan city.”
Matthew Chillingworth, Fund Management Director, Federated Hermes, said: “The collaboration with Caddick on Mercer West Madison East has been highly successful, resulting in the delivery of 331 high quality sustainable homes, all set within Leeds’ vibrant new Cultural Quarter.
“We welcomed our first residents in January and expect to be at full occupancy by the end of the summer, which is testament to the continued demand for high quality home environments, which offer the amenities that residents really value, at accessible prices.”
Bank of England to increase Leeds presence
The Bank of England is set to increase its presence in Leeds with further details announced for an expanded and permanent presence in the city. The Bank is committing to a headcount of at least 500 staff to be based in Leeds by 2027, which equates to around one in ten staff.
The headcount target will be achieved through a combination of voluntary internal relocations and new Leeds-based recruitment. The Bank will look to maintain its overall current headcount number, whilst expanding its numbers in Leeds.
The increased office space in Leeds aims to improve trust and wider understanding of the Bank’s work across the UK, ensure as an organisation it better represents the people it serves, help tap into wider talent pools across the UK, and retain talented colleagues.
Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, said: “Leeds is a thriving city where the Bank of England has had a significant presence for over 200 years. Committing to a permanent, expanded Leeds office is a fantastic opportunity for us better to represent the public, build stronger links with the local business community and help promote the work of the Bank to a wider pool of talented workers.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “With booming cities, bustling towns and beautiful countryside, national institutions are flocking to West Yorkshire.
“This decision from the Bank of England is a major vote of confidence in our region, cementing our reputation as England’s leading banking capital outside of London, and opening up hundreds of local jobs for our talented graduates and professionals.
“By bringing decision-making power from London to the heart of the North, this move will benefit the entire country and help us rebalance our national economy.”
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “We are delighted that the Bank of England has chosen to expand their office space in Leeds.
“Leeds is the UK’s second largest city for financial services, and a major hub for related professional services, this move further reinforces the city’s progress and influence and showcases the strength of Team Leeds and the partners across the private and public sectors, that come together to deliver brilliant results in a truly collaborative way, for the best impact on our residents.
“Next week we welcome 12,000 delegates from across the world into our city for UK REiiF, and give them the opportunity to see why top global brands like Burberry, C4 and now the Bank of England are choosing Leeds.”
Work will continue with Leeds City Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the local business community to establish the Bank’s presence in the city.
New skills plan aims to create 4,000 new jobs in nuclear industry
A new government-backed strategic skills plan sets out activities to create 40,000 new jobs in the nuclear industry
Launched with a charter signing in Westminster, the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills details how the industry and government can work together to double the number of new apprenticeships by 2026, and double the current hiring rate to fill an estimated 40,000 new jobs by 2030 across the civil and defence nuclear sectors.
The plan was devised by the new Nuclear Skills Taskforce, and is designed to increase the industry’s available workforce by almost 50 per cent and promote the nuclear sector as an attractive, long-term career choice. Its activities will be delivered by the Nuclear Skills Delivery Group.
Beccy Pleasant, NSDG nuclear skills programme director, said: “The skills challenge can be met only if the sector works together to deepen and broaden the skills base. That is why the Skills Plan captures specific themes and projects the industry is now committed to. And this includes finding ways to align skills across the civil and nuclear defence sectors.”
Liz Gregory, director for supply chain and skills at the South Yorkshire-based Nuclear AMRC, said: “We welcome the launch of the Nuclear Skills Charter and look forward to working with our stakeholders to help achieve the ambitious targets set out in the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills.
“We are already working with partners in developing new programmes to assist with the doubling of apprentices and graduates by 2026, the training of the existing workforce, and the 40,000 new entrants required for the nuclear civil and defence sectors by 2030. It is an exciting time to be involved in the nuclear industry and, here at the Nuclear AMRC, we are proud to play our part in realising these ambitious targets.”
Activities in the plan include:
- Doubling apprentice numbers in the nuclear sector by 2025-26, supporting trades including welding, electrical and engineering roles.
- Doubling graduate numbers entering the nuclear workforce in the same period, supported by sponsorship and bursary schemes, while increasing the quantity of PhDs to ensure the highest level of technical skills and knowledge.
- Forming a future leaders scheme to develop tomorrow’s senior personnel.
- Upskilling initiatives for people joining the industry sector mid-career.
- Recruiting talent via a national communications campaign – Destination Nuclear, which launched earlier this year – to outline the wide variety of career opportunities available in the sector.
- Creating regional hubs to increase workforce capacity and capability tailored to local requirements.
- Increasing training capacity for the sector.
- Widening employee diversity and inclusion.
New award speaks volumes about work of Hull translation company
Hull-based Language is Everything has been listed in the prestigious Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024.
It is the first time the Hull-based translation and interpreting company has entered the awards, which grades companies based on feedback from employees. CEO Carolyn Johnson said that she was thrilled and that the award was a great way to measure how well the company was doing in nurturing its people. “We do our best to support everyone’s growth and wellbeing, and this high-profile, national accolade provides an excellent method of measuring how well we are doing and how our people really feel about working here. “We get to see the survey results with action plans to make improvements and changes, which is really helpful as we always strive to get better at everything we do. “I want to thank all of our fantastic colleagues for contributing to us winning this amazing award.” The company has been ranked in the top 100 in the ‘small organisation’ category following analysis of a survey completed anonymously by staff in which it scored ‘excellent’ in all areas. Highlights included a 98 per cent score for staff pride, 95 per cent for average happiness and confidence in management.Barnsley business grant helps bridge skills gap in logistics industry
Family-run business PFS Training has invested in expansion after helping more than 100 men and women to get HGV driving qualifications in the past year.
In response to its year-on-year growth the company has invested in a new training suite at its Penistone base with the help of a Rural Business Grant.
Directors Paul and Sarah Martin secured the grant through the Enterprising Barnsley programme, to cover half the cost of their new facility, complete with AV equipment and laptop workstations.
The Rural Business Grant is supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the project is part-funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund via its integrated Rural England Prosperity Fund.
Director Sarah said: “We’ve grown dramatically in recent years and helped more people than ever before to gain an HGV licence last year. On top of that, we secured our biggest ever training contract with the Department for Education.
“It’s brilliant that we now have more space and better facilities to deliver our HGV Skills Bootcamps and CPC courses; and to provide every individual with the learning support they need to pass their tests.”
PFS Training also gained grant support to invest in new business software systems which Sarah says has increased speed and efficiency in business admin ‘ten-fold’.
Paul, who has more than 30 years’ experience in driver training, worked alone until partner Sarah joined him in the business just two years ago. The company now employs a team of five and has two sub-contracted trainers; with plans to recruit a third full time trainer this year.
Farmers’ leaders pledge to take on mental health training
NFU President Tom Bradshaw and NFU Director General Terry Jones have pledged to take the RABI charity mental health training, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024.
The RABI mental health training aims to build greater resilience within the farming community by supporting people to have more open conversations about mental health and wellbeing.
NFU Director General Terry Jones said: “We are both people who interact with farmers and we can see firsthand the impacts that mental health can have on those individuals.”
The courses cover:
- Understanding common mental health conditions
- Recognising signs and symptoms
- How to support others to access the support they need
- Looking after our own mental health
April sees UK-wide hike in start-ups with over 30% more new businesses launching in Yorkshire and the Humber
Economic confidence in Yorkshire and the Humber appears to be on the rise with the region, along with much of the rest of the UK, experiencing a marked uplift in the number of new businesses launching last month compared with March 2024.
The latest research from the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3, which is based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, showed that in April all regions and nations saw a rise in start-ups since the previous month.
Yorkshire and the Humber was among the strongest performing with an increase of 32% which represented a total of 6,773 new businesses. Since December 2023, almost 22,700 new businesses have launched in the region.
Looking across the UK, the East Midlands saw the greatest month-on-month rise in start-ups with an increase of 41.7% while Northern Ireland and the North East both rose by over 33%. In contrast, the poorest performing of the 12 regions and nations was Scotland with an increase of just 1.8%; followed by East Anglia (up by 27.2%) and the South East (up by 27.6%).
The research also showed that insolvency-related activity (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings) had fallen across much of the UK in April. The most marked decreases were in the South East (-20.7%); Scotland (-20.6%); and Northern Ireland (-19.2%).
However, Yorkshire and the Humber was one of four regions and nations to experience a rise in this type of activity with 263 businesses affected here, an uplift of 8.7% since March. The East Midlands, Greater London and the South West also saw a month-on-month increase.
Eleanor Temple, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and a barrister at Kings Chambers in Leeds, said: “Last month’s rise in the number of start-ups across almost all of the UK is an encouraging sign of slowly returning business confidence.
“Unfortunately, the year got off to a slow start for many consumer-facing businesses, such as retailers and restaurants, amid high interest rates and energy costs, together with dismal weather further dampening spending.
“As we head into the summer, economic prospects appear to be brightening, although many experts are not expecting a real recovery until the autumn. Given the current uncertainty, it is vital that business owners remain vigilant and turn to a qualified insolvency practitioner for advice as soon as any financial problems become apparent.”
Solicitors raise more than £5,200 for Sheffield PACES
Wake Smith Solicitors has raised £5,227 for a Sheffield charity which offers life changing support for children and adults with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders.
Generous employees at the Sheffield solicitors fundraised the fantastic amount for PACES after a year of cash collecting activities including a quiz night, wreath making event, murder mystery evening, a sky dive, beauty product evenings, tuck shop, Bake Off-style cake sales, sweepstakes and seasonal competitions.
Biggest fundraisers of the year were the annual Christmas lunch, staff participation in the Wolf Run and Sheffield Half Marathon, the popular staff quiz and a wine tasting evening.
Kate Lax, solicitor at Wake Smith and charitable board member, said: “Employees at the law firm voted for PACES to become its chosen charity for the last year. Everyone has worked hard to raise this fantastic amount through various events over the last 12 months.”
PACES is a leading specialist centre in Sheffield for children with Cerebral Palsy and other motor disorders, established in the 1990s by a group of parents who recognised the benefits of the holistic approach of Conductive Education. It also offers support services to families and carers through school and adult services.
A growing number of families are taking advantage of PACES’ unique way of working, allowing their children to reap the benefits from its integrated approach, which focuses on personal goals and aspirations.
David Hall, fundraising and communications manager at PACES, said: “We would like to say such a heartfelt thank you to the whole team at Wake Smith Solicitors for their life-changing support of PACES over the last 12 months.
“We have had the pleasure of getting to know so much of the team as they have tackled Wolf Runs, thrown themselves from planes, hosted business luncheons, joined our own business club, ran marathons and championed PACES throughout the partnership.
“The whole team here at PACES have loved working with Wake Smith and would like to say thank you for all you have done for us, we hope to get the chance to work with you all again soon.”
The Wake Smith charitable board includes Kate Lax, Lorraine Slack, Aithne Moran, Anna Woodcock, Laura Saul, Eleanor Storey, Georgia Peters, Hayley Naisbett, Stephanie Chung, Dylan Friend, Laura Bathgate and Sophie Kerry.
Construction business appointed to deliver £36m Rotherham Markets redevelopment
Henry Boot PLC’s construction business has been appointed by Rotherham Council to deliver the £36m redevelopment of Rotherham Markets and an adjacent new library, forming a key part of the wider town centre masterplan.
The project comprises a major refurbishment and redevelopment of the existing indoor and outdoor Rotherham Markets. This will include creating a vibrant new food hall and dining area on the first level above the existing ground floor retail, in addition to new workspace for charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups on the second floor.
While the refurbished adjoining outdoor market will continue to be used predominantly as a market for local traders, it will also be redeveloped for use as a multi-functional space to host exhibitions and community events. A new library will also be built to offer a café, meeting rooms and flexible gallery space.
As part of Henry Boot Construction’s objective to make a positive impact in the region, the business has committed to deliver significant social value, employing local subcontractors, creating jobs and delivering training initiatives during construction.
The contract was procured and awarded to Henry Boot Construction through the Crown Commercial Services’ (CCS) Construction Works and Associated Services framework.
Tim Roberts, CEO of Henry Boot, said: “The Rotherham Markets is an important and significant local redevelopment and the fact that we have won this project is testament to the strength of our construction business and its track record of high-quality delivery, having led on major urban regeneration projects in Barnsley and Sheffield over recent years.
“In what is a challenging market for the sector, this latest contract means that we have now secured over 60% of our order book for 2024 and continue to work hard to grow our pipeline in our target markets.”
Andrew Bramidge, Interim Strategic Director for Regeneration & Environment Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, said: “We’re delighted to secure Henry Boot Construction as our partner in delivering this latest regeneration project in our historic town centre. Their building expertise will help breathe life into our detailed plans for this key location and produce an impressive new venue for present and future generations to enjoy.”
Olivia qualifies with 360 Accountants
360 Chartered Accountants assistant manager Olivia Sutton has passed her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualifications to become fully qualified as a chartered accountant.
Olivia joined the company straight from school as an apprentice, and passed her Association of Accounting Technicians exams two years ago.
Company founder Andy Steele said: “We are really proud that another of our apprentices has become fully qualified as a chartered accountant, having passed all exams first time around, which is testament to Olivia’s hard work and dedication. We saw her potential when she first interviewed for the apprenticeship scheme seven years ago and we have been impressed with her performance ever since.
“We promoted Olivia to assistant manager two years ago and will now continue to develop and nurture her to step up to manager level. We’re excited to see what the future holds for her at 360.”
