Future Humber brought together a 15-strong delegation of partners in London to spotlight the Humber’s ambitious vision for industrial decarbonisation at Innovation Zero 2024. The event, now in its second year, attracted thousands of attendees to London Olympia, driving conversations and actions towards a sustainable, low carbon future.
Supported by the UK Government, Innovation Zero is the UK’s largest sustainability conference and provides a meeting place for announcements, partnerships, deal-making, and collaborations for those who develop, produce, deploy, and fund low carbon solutions. At the forefront of London Olympia stood the Humber Pavilion, showcasing representatives and projects from leading partners Air Products, Arup, Aura, Drax, Equinor, Humber Freeport, Meld Energy, Oh Yes! Net Zero, Phillips 66, Prax, px Group, SSE Thermal, Uniper, the University of Hull and VPI. With more than 10,000 delegates visiting , the Pavilion served as a hub for engaging discussions and networking opportunities, allowing attendees to delve into the region’s decarbonisation initiatives through interactive displays and engaging conversations with partner representatives. Diana Taylor, MD of Future Humber, said:”As a region, the Humber is at its strongest when it aligns with a single, consistent voice. The decarbonisation agenda is perhaps the greatest example of cross-sector collaboration we have seen to date. The Humber Pavilion at Innovation Zero is a true show of force and statement of intent from our region and serves as an important reminder that the Humber simply has to play a critical role on a national stage to drive the UK to net zero.”SME confidence creeps back, but interest rate ‘hold’ was a missed opportunity, says FSB
“Our most recent research into small businesses’ economic prospects supports the argument for a summer cut in the rate. Nearly three times as many small firms rated the availability and affordability of new finance as ‘poor’ than rated it as ‘good’ in the first three months of this year, according to our most recent Small Business Index, while the proportion of successful new finance applications among small firms dropped to the lowest level recorded since this time last year.
“The domestic economy is cited as by far and away the biggest concern with regards to future growth prospects, while the second-most commonly cited barrier to growth is consumer demand. Keeping the rate at its high plateau for longer than absolutely necessary will make it much harder for small businesses to think about growth and investment, which is what will be needed for the economy as a whole to get out of its pattern of near-zero growth.
“We’ll know today whether we are formally out of a recession, but the tentative recovery seen in the first part of this year is still fragile. Small firms’ confidence is returning – in part because they are anticipating rate cuts this year. There is only so long they can wait, which is something we would urge the Bank of England to bear in mind.”
UK exits recession
The UK has moved out of recession, with new figures showing the economy grew by 0.6% in the first quarter of the year.
Strong economic growth in March (0.4%) contributed to the strongest quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of 2021, when the economy was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was influenced by growth across the services sector and manufacturing, while construction output fell.
GDP (gross domestic product), a key measure of economy growth, had been predicted to rise 0.1% month-on-month and 0.4% in the quarter.
Ben Jones, CBI Lead Economist, said: “Back-to-back increases in output over the first months of this year suggest the UK is now on the road to recovery. With falling inflation boosting households’ spending power, as well as opening the way for a reduction in interest rates in the months ahead, the economy should be able to sustain some momentum through the year.
“But a consumer-led recovery could prove short-lived without more determined action to tackle the long-standing problem of weak productivity growth, which ultimately sets the UK’s economic speed limit.
“Firms want to see action that could help support investment and cut costs which, includes extending full expensing to leased and rented assets, and a business tax roadmap to give firms the certainty and confidence they need to plan ahead and invest in a vibrant UK economy.”
Secretary of State tours British Steel’s Scunthorpe railmaking plant
Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch has visited British Steel at Scunthorpe as talks continue with the UK Government about the company’s £1.25-billion decarbonisation plan.
She was shown the UK’s only plant making rails, where the company is to build one of two electric arc furnaces as it undertakes the biggest transformation in its history on the road to net zero.
British Steel President and CEO Xijun Cao said: “We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State to British Steel and to reiterate the vital importance of safeguarding the future of steelmaking in this country.
“Our world-class rails help transport people and goods throughout the UK, forming a critical part of Britain’s infrastructure. We will shortly open a new £10-million rail storage facility at our Scunthorpe site, and we’re unique in delivering 216-metre lengths of rail for installation in Britain’s railways – a service that reduces delays for rail users caused by maintenance.
“We’re also the UK’s only manufacturer of constructional steel, and a leading supplier of wire rod, special profiles and semi-finished steel – products that all keep Britain on the go. It is therefore imperative that if Britain wants to secure its sovereign steelmaking capability, the UK Government supports our plans to transform into a clean, green and sustainable business.”
Detailed studies show electrification would enable British Steel to continue making the products its customers require and it has recently received planning permission to build EAFs in Scunthorpe and Teesside.
British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification and has promised to support employees affected by its decarbonisation plans.
Xijun added: “We are confident our proposals, which are subject to appropriate support from the UK Government including the adoption of the correct policies and frameworks, will help secure the low-embedded carbon steelmaking the UK requires now and for decades to come.
“We are committed to working with the UK Government and need to reach an agreement quickly so we can achieve our ambitious goals, secure thousands of jobs and keep making the steel Britain needs for generations to come.”
British Steel prepares ground for new furnace – and new industrial opportunities
Significant preparation works are ongoing at British Steel in Scunthorpe after the company was given planning permission to build an electric arc furnace at its Scunthorpe site.
British Steel is pressing ahead to discharge planning conditions as well as undertaking environmental and technical studies to ensure its proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity while discussions with the UK Government continue.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “The council’s planning committee has approved the application for British Steel to build an electric arc furnace on its site in Scunthorpe. The application met local and national planning policies.
“Work is ongoing to consider site masterplan opportunities to attract green jobs to the 300-acres of surplus land at the steelworks.
“There is an opportunity to create something new, attracting innovative technology companies here to Scunthorpe on an underdeveloped site of industrial heritage.”
At the beginning of April, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council approved British Steel’s application to build an EAF at the company’s Teesside site.
The new furnaces would replace the aging iron and steelmaking operations in Scunthorpe which are responsible for the vast majority of the manufacturer’s CO2 emissions. The company proposes maintaining current operations until a transition to electric arc steelmaking.
Dior heads to France for Worldskills competition this autumn
Lincoln apprentice painter and decorator Dior Regan has been selected to represent the UK on the world stage in France later this year.
Dior, who works for Lindum Group and studies at Lincoln College, is one of 31 young people heading to the WorldSkills contest in Lyon in September.
All aged under 25, Team UK is made up the finest apprentices and students from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Dior was selected after successfully demonstrating her painting and decorating skills at the European finals in Poland in September last year.
From the 10th to the 15th of September, 1,500 young people from 65 countries will strive for gold, silver, or bronze awards in their chosen in discipline, which includes cyber security, renewable energy, digital construction, cooking, hairdressing as well as construction skills such as painting and decorating, cabinet making and joinery.
Ben Blackledge, Chief Executive, WorldSkills UK said: “WorldSkills Lyon 2024 – think Olympic Games – where the prize is the world-class skills that UK employers are crying out for.
“The UK’s participation in the ‘skills Olympics’ will provide vital insights to ensure we can develop our apprenticeship and training programmes, to make them truly world-class.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the exceptional young people in Team UK; they are fantastic role models. We will use their participation at WorldSkills to boost the prestige of technical and vocational education, inspiring many more young people to take up technical and vocational training across the UK to help drive investment, jobs and economic growth.”
Dior, who lives in Lincoln and went to Christ Hospital School, began her apprenticeship with Lindum in July 2021. She has since excelled in her craft, earning praise for her accuracy, painting, tidiness and preliminary marking out and measurements.
Lindum Co-Chairman Edward Chambers said her selection was testament to both Dior’s talent and determination and to her colleagues, who have supported her training and growth. “We are really proud of Dior and are delighted to see her abilities being showcased on a world stage,” he said.
Bank of England holds interest rates at 5.25% for sixth time in a row
The Bank of England has held interest rates for the sixth time, at 5.25%.
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) sets monetary policy to meet the 2% inflation target, which is expected to be achieved in the near term, before rising again later in the year.
In line with expectations, at its meeting on 8 May, the MPC voted by a majority of 7–2 to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%. Two members preferred to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 5%.
Anna Leach, Deputy Chief Economist, CBI, said: “Today’s vote 7-2 to hold rates is in line with the CBI’s expectation that the MPC want to see more evidence that past falls in domestic inflationary pressure are sustainable before they’ll move to cut rates.
“Services inflation and wages data both suggest a cautious approach is warranted. Inflation in the services sector is triple the inflation target and average earnings growth is still running at around double the rate consistent with the inflation target.
“With the economy appearing to be moving out of recession – albeit anaemically – there is a delicate balance to be struck between managing inflationary pressures and not snuffing out a nascent recovery.
“It is noteworthy that the Bank judge that demand growth is going to run behind supply growth over the next couple of years. Overall, today’s release does not change our view that the first rate cut is most likely to be in August.”
Leeds City Council Chief Executive to leave at end of 2024
Leeds City Council’s Chief Executive Tom Riordan has revealed his intention to leave his role at the end of the year to explore new opportunities.
After 14 years at the helm of the second-biggest local authority in the country, Tom has decided the time is right to try fresh challenges.
As one of the longest-standing UK local government chiefs, he has made a big impact in Leeds, working alongside council leaders and other senior politicians towards achieving their best city and best council ambitions. He was awarded the CBE for services to local government in the 2020 new year’s honours.
Tom said: “After 14 of the happiest years I’ve decided that the time is right to move on. I have genuinely loved being Chief Executive of Leeds City Council, working with the best people in the best city.
“We’ve established a collaborative Team Leeds culture that delivers, working together with our partners to ensure we have a city that’s regenerating and growing sustainably.
“A generation of children are growing up supported by outstanding-rated services, vulnerable people are supported wherever possible and older people are helped to live independent and fulfilling lives, in a city admired for what it gets done and the way it works.
“This has been the most difficult decision, but the time’s right to give someone else a chance to do one of the best jobs in the country.”
Leeds City Council Leader Councillor James Lewis said: “Tom is an outstanding chief executive and public servant who has worked tirelessly alongside senior politicians, officers and partners over many years with an unwavering determination to achieve the best for Leeds.
“We’ve faced a lot of challenges, not least on the financial front. His contribution has been invaluable in helping us deliver council services that are highly rated, while building stronger communities where people are supported towards better lives and life outcomes.
“In his time with us we’ve also attracted major investment, high-profile events and made great progress on building social housing and infrastructure to under-pin communities for the future.
“Tom has played a key part in helping us to get to where we are today and has built a strong team of senior officers to continue that work. I’d like to take this chance to thank him for his considerable contribution and dedication to the council and city.”
Since moving to Leeds City Council in 2010 Tom has been passionate about working alongside the political leadership to broaden the council’s impact across the city and the region while simultaneously supporting vulnerable people and frontline services.
In this time the council has been involved in attracting Channel 4, Burberry, the Bank of England and the UK Infrastructure Bank to the city, along with international events like the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. It has built the first direct Arena, greatly expanded the city centre across the South Bank and worked to facilitate the openings of the Trinity Leeds and Victoria Gate shopping centres.
A recruitment process will begin shortly to find Tom’s successor.
Jobs on the line as Liberty Steel consults on mothballing Scunthorpe plant
Consultations have begun as Liberty Steel proposes to mothball its Scunthorpe Liberty Merchant Bar (LMB) plant.
The potential closure of the factory, which creates flat steel sections used in shipbuilding and car making, puts over 120 jobs at risk.
Liberty Steel’s chief transformation officer, Jeffrey Kabel, said that after restructuring and refocusing Liberty Steel’s UK operations over the last two years, to enable them to operate viably, the company have “explored every option to achieve the same” at Liberty Merchant Bar.
According to Kabel, however, a number of external factors have prevented this, including the high energy costs UK steel producers face, and the loss of third party gas supply to its furnaces. This has led to the proposed mothballing of the plant. Kabel added that the company will look to retain critical skills and redeploy staff where possible.Sewell starts work on Bradford College facilities later this month
Hull-based Sewell Construction is working with Bradford College to create multi-million-pound T Level facilities.
The work, starting this month, will involve the remodelling of a number of areas within the College’s David Hockney Building to create a high quality training environment, enabling students to learn skills which will help them in their future careers. As well as adding new lecturing spaces for business and media students, the project will also create new hair and beauty salon facilities and refurbish the college’s existing training restaurant. Both will be open to the public and used by students to hone their new skills in real-life environments. The commercial and training salon will include a barbers, nail bar and laser room for beauty treatments, and the restaurant will incorporate a new outdoor street food cabin and dining area. Business and admin students will have refurbished classrooms, and media students will be able to use the latest technology in a new TV studio, editing and sound suites. The fast-paced construction programme will take place over the summer, allowing students to return in September to their brand new facilities. Pamela Sheldon, Head of Projects at Bradford College said: “We’re delighted to be working with Sewell Construction again to bring even more exceptional vocational T Level facilities to Bradford College. Their team is helping us realise our ambitious plans to create the best facilities to help turn our students’ passions into successful professions.” “Sewell Construction haven’t just helped us to create a better campus for our students, but they’re also getting involved in our curriculum, supporting our construction students with masterclasses, work placements and industry insight days. Together, we can help young people achieve their potential, and really change lives.” Dave Major, leading the project for Sewell Construction, said: “It’s fantastic to work with a partner who shares our values, and our team have loved getting involved in supporting the next generation of construction professionals. The college have been really keen to embed sustainability and social value into their refurbishment projects, and we’re looking forward to seeing students enjoying their new facilities when they return after summer.” Sewell was appointed through the Procure Partnerships Framework. Sewell Construction and sister company I&G have delivered more than £40m worth of projects alongside Procure Partnerships, with the framework offering public sector clients a dynamic and compliant route to market using mini-competition and direct award functions. This project is also the result of a £3.5m Department for Education (T Level Capital Fund – Wave 5) investment.