High street records fifth month of negative in-store sales
In-store sales fell by -1.7% in April, which is the fifth consecutive month of negative results, according to new data from BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker.
BDO’s data, which records sales across discretionary spend categories, highlighted that while overall sales, combining both online and in-store, remained flat at +0.4% in April, it was the performance of high street stores which brought the overall figure down.
This drop is primarily due to a significant fall in sales in the fashion sector, with in-stores sales down -8.3% compared to April 2023.
The fashion sector’s poor performance means that it has now recorded eight consecutive months of negative in-store sales.
The homewares sector also saw a negative in-store result, with sales down -1.5%. However, online sales provided a small boost, increasing +8.2% in April, bringing the homewares overall total to +1.8% year on year.
The lifestyle sector was the only category to record positive in-store and non-store sales figures last month, also recording +1.8% increase compared to 2023. In-store sales grew by +3.4% whilst non-store increased by +5.8%.
Sophie Michael, head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO, said: “This is yet another disappointing set of results for the retail sector. While an increase in online sales may offer a glimmer of hope, it’s clear that consumers are simply not spending their spare cash on the high street.
“The fashion sector will be particularly concerned by such a poor sales performance in the run up to summer. Unpredictable and unseasonably cold weather may have dampened the mood of shoppers who would usually be investing in their spring and summer wardrobe.”
Sophie continued: “The competition for the consumer purse has never been fiercer. With us recording a seventh consecutive month of negative or <1% growth for discretionary spend categories, retailers should be realistic in thinking this may not be a temporary trend.
“Those who want to succeed must acknowledge that the competition is not just with other retailers but with the hospitality, leisure and travel sectors, with many choosing ‘experiences’ over products. If sales continue to fall, it may mean we see more consolidation in the sector, more empty stores, and a real risk to a crucial part of the UK economy.”
HSE decision to end farm safety inspections branded as ‘deeply troubling’
Speaking for the first time as chair of the Farm Safety Partnership, NFU Deputy President David Exwood warned that it was wrong to compromise on the safety of our farmers, farm workers, or those living on or visiting farms.
He said: “The decision to halt inspections is deeply troubling and we urge the government and HSE to reconsider and continue to work collaboratively with farmers to help ensure they are compliant. We simply must prioritise the wellbeing of the nation’s farmers and growers.”
The HSE is switching to a focus on occupational health issues rather than preventative general health and safety inspections. It will continue to provide investigative inspections in response to serious incidents such as on-farm accidents or deaths.
The HSE advised that despite efforts over several decades, there has not been a significant reduction in the fatality rate for agriculture. HSE advised the reduction in actual numbers of fatal injuries have been attributed to a reduction in the numbers working in the industry since the 1980s.
Mr Exwood said the lack of public awareness surrounding this decision raised serious questions about HSE’s prioritisation of safety within the farming sector. “While the HSE assures us that investigative inspections will continue in response to serious incidents, the lack of all regular inspections, training and events leaves a notable gap in proactive and preventative safety measures that could prevent accidents and save lives,” he said.
“Agriculture has one of the highest rates of fatalities and serious injuries in any workplace and to help bring this number down, as a sector we need to work on changing the culture of farm safety. This decision by HSE completely goes against that goal.
“We are calling on Defra and the Department for Work and Pensions to recognise the critical safety implications of this decision, urgently review the potential impacts and establish a clear plan to prioritise the safety of those in the sector.
“The FSP is committed to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of agricultural workers. We will be engaging in conversations with the government and the wider industry to support the development and implementation of policies and practices that safeguard the livelihoods of those working in agriculture.”
Siemens completes University of York solar farm
Siemens has completed work on a 200kWp solar farm at the University of York’s new Institute for Safe Autonomy, as part of £1.5 million research project.
Funded through the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, the project will enhance the Institute’s research capabilities to develop and test robots and other autonomous systems for the inspection and maintenance of solar arrays.
The solar farm will create a ‘living lab’ for the Institute to give insight to landowners and operators of solar farms on how best to integrate robotic technology in the field. It will also enable the Institute to become net zero for energy by 2025, generating power for more than 80 per cent of the building’s 600kWh expected daily use.
Siemens’ team supported through consultancy services helping to design, commission and optimise the solar arrays for the robotic technology being used as part of the institute’s research in addition to setting up a data collection system for the panels which will underpin research projects at the Institute.
The farm, which spans more than 1400 square metres, consists of a range of different panel configurations including static ground installations and a sun-tracking array. Some solar panels are also mounted onto the side of the Institute’s building and its rooftop as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) to achieve wide range of installation positions.
It is one of nine projects that are set to improve environmental sustainability, thanks to almost £19 million of funding from UKRPIF.
Andrew Smyth, Head of Energy Performance Services at Siemens, said: “Through the solar farm the University will gain valuable insights to enhance the use of robotic technology, as we continue to look to integrate it into our everyday lives.
“We are seeing this technology deliver meaningful change across a range of industries and it will form a key pillar of our Transform 2024 conference as we bring together industry leaders to debate these key issues.”
Professor Miles Elsden, Director of the Institute for Safe Autonomy, added: “Robotics, autonomous systems and AI have the potential to transform the way we live, travel and work in the future. Integrating them with the production of renewable energy will ultimately play a key role in the journey towards net zero.
“This innovative research project marks an important milestone for the Institute since we opened earlier this year and reaffirms our commitment as a university to sourcing sustainable energy.”
The solar arrays were installed by LYNX Sustainable Solutions Ltd. The Institute for Safe Autonomy is a new initiative at the University of York which takes a safety critical approach to the design, development and testing of robotics and connected autonomous systems. The purpose-built facility was completed in summer 2022 and provides collaborative work and test spaces for more than 100 researchers across a variety of disciplines.
Council successful in purchase of former B&M site as part of major transformation plans
Boston Borough Council have been successful in purchasing the former B&M site at the heart of the proposed Rosegarth Square development.
This strategic move empowers the Council to move forward with development proposals and bring forward the vision for the area utilising £14.8 million of Levelling Up funding.
The B&M store ceased operating a number of years ago and since then, the site has been earmarked for redevelopment. The area is an important part of the Council’s overall aspirations for the town centre regeneration.
Leader of Boston Borough Council, Cllr Anne Dorrian, said: “Improving the town centre is one of our top priorities and we are determined to push ahead to ensure our vision becomes a reality.
“Developing this large, derelict building is yet another piece in that transformation jigsaw. I am really pleased that we have been able to utilise government grant funding to purchase the former B&M site, and we have exciting ideas to ensure that the site makes a positive contribution to our town.”
Work begins on redevelopment of arts centre in Bradford
Work has started on the redevelopment of Kala Sangam’s Grade II Listed arts centre, with Simpson having been appointed as main contractor.
The project will see the creation of a new theatre, five new dance studios, a new central staircase and a permanent home for volunteer-led community radio station Bradford Community Broadcasting (BCB).
The introduction of a new entrance, two new lifts and a dedicated Changing Places facility will ensure the building is fully accessible for the first time in its 140-year history. The building is scheduled to reopen as Bradford Arts Centre in Summer 2025, as a landmark moment in Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture.
York-based Simpson has extensive experience working on the redevelopment of heritage buildings and arts venues, with recent projects including York Art Gallery, Hull Maritime Museum and Salford Cathedral.
Professional services company Turner & Townsend has also been appointed to the project as Capital Project Manager. Specialising in major programmes and programme management, Turner & Townsend has significant experience supporting the successful delivery of cultural and heritage capital projects around the world, with examples in the UK including the redevelopments of York Guildhall and Battersea Power Station.
Turner & Townsend join a Capital Design Team led by Principal Architects and Contract Administrators Halliday Clark Architects, who has been developing the project with Kala Sangam since its inception in 2018.
Also staying with the project are Quantity Surveyors DKP Consulting, Mechanical and Electrical specialists BWB Consulting, and Structural Engineers SGM Structural Design Ltd.
Jas Athwal DL, Chair of Kala Sangam, said: “After many years of planning, we are delighted that work has finally started to transform our home at St Peter’s House into a fully accessible space, ready to welcome artists, audiences, our local communities and businesses in 2025 as Bradford Arts Centre.
“I would like to thank our funders – the Department of Culture Media and Sport and Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Garfield Weston Foundation and Bradford Metropolitan District Council – for supporting the redevelopment.
“Bradford is desperately in need of more space to create and enjoy arts and culture, and this redevelopment will ensure our building is a more open, welcoming and inclusive venue that the whole district can enjoy.”
Alex Croft, Creative Director of Kala Sangam, said: “I’m delighted that we have appointed Simpson Limited as Main Contractors for the redevelopment. Right from our first meeting, we’ve seen the passion, dedication and professionalism that they bring to their projects – it feels like we couldn’t have placed this critical project in safer hands.
“It has also been brilliant to welcome Turner & Townsend onto the team. Their support and hard work have been critical in getting the project to this exciting stage and we’re all looking forward to working with them, and drawing on their extensive experience, throughout the build.”
Andy Gatenby from Simpson said: “Simpson are excited and honoured to be working with the client Kala Sangam on the redevelopment of their cultural hub into the newly named Bradford Arts Centre.
“The project which aims to extensively reconfigure and upgrade the existing buildings facilities, will continue to be a great asset to the community. This is an exciting time for the city ahead of Bradford being the City of Culture for 2025 and one that Simpson are proud to be a part of.”
During the redevelopment, Kala Sangam will be based at Bank House in central Bradford. This temporary home houses two studio spaces – allowing the company to continue its critical support for artists in the run up to Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture – and a range of spaces available to hire for meetings, events and conferences.
Whilst Kala Sangam’s theatre space is closed, the company is taking its performances on tour, with events at venues and non-traditional spaces across the district.
Grant to help create Hull city centre office space
Hull’s Gosschalks’ building will undergo significant refurbishment to create city centre office space and employment opportunities thanks to support from Levelling Up Funding (LUF).
Sixtyone QG Limited has been awarded £381,807 as part of its large-scale project in the city centre at 61 Dock Street.
The grant award has come from Hull City Council’s government LUF and is to support the refurbishment of the building to upgrade, repair and refurbish offices, whilst also releasing surplus space for third party use.
Works also include improving the building’s energy efficiency by replacing gas heating systems with electric.
This grant award will help to bring back into use 355 sq m of vacant floor space, whilst it is also expected to create 34 jobs through existing and incoming tenants.
The total cost of the project is estimate at £1,909,039, meaning over £1.5m of private capital will be invested in Hull city centre.
Garry Taylor, assistant director for major projects, culture and place at the council, said: “City centre office space is much sought after in Hull and this project will help to provide extra provision.
“I am delighted that the council has been able to support the applicant to make this a possibility through LUF.”
University of Lincoln graduate lands job supporting farmers
Agrovista has appointed Leah Williamson as rural consultant and agronomist within its northern regional team to help farmers make the most of new income opportunities as England’s agricultural policy transition gathers pace.
Leah currently offers guidance on the Sustainable Farming Incentive and nutrient management planning, and will also provide advice on Countryside Stewardship and capital grant work as demand builds.
After growing up on the family arable farm near Lincoln, where she helped out and developed a sound grounding in her practical farming skills, Leah obtained an HND at Bishop Burton College followed by a foundation degree in agriculture at the University of Lincoln.
Leah, who is BASIS and FACTS qualified, said: “Most of my work is supporting agronomists and their farmer customers to get the best from these schemes,” says Leah, who now lives on her partner’s dairy farm in Cumbria.
“Working closely with the agronomy team makes sense, as they are already an integral part of a farming business and know what is likely to work best for their customers.
“SFI in particular can fit very well with practical farming if it is implemented correctly; Agrovista’s aim is to keep as much land as possible in production while enabling farmers to make best use of SFI options.
“That has to be the right approach, and I’m really looking forward to helping farmers make use of what’s on offer and to help them to farm as efficiently as possible to help offset the loss of BPS payments.”
Sheffield United Women unite with Autoglass to give women a stronger voice in male-dominated industries
Autoglass and Sheffield United Women have joined forces at a joint Partnership Day to promote and support women in male-dominated industries.
The Partnership Day saw technicians at Autoglass and Sheffield United Women’s team players meet and share experiences at the Autoglass HQ in Bedford.
The Sheffield United players got a tutorial in windscreen repair and replacement from technicians at Autoglass, followed by a series of football games led by the Sheffield United players. Autoglass staff also got involved in a series of competitions and games held throughout the day.
Ian Rowlands, Commercial Director at Autoglass, said: “Our partnership with the Sheffield United Women’s team builds off our ambition to create a more diverse and equitable business. Gender diversity has been a priority for us not only because it’s the right thing to do, but it also makes business sense – it ensures we are reflective of our customer base and provides us with a balanced approach to business decisions.
“We draw parallels with the Sheffield United Women’s team as we look to create more gender balance and shift mindsets within our industries. The partnership gives us a fantastic opportunity to share and learn from each other as we continue working hard towards more inclusive workplaces.”
Paul Reeves, Head of Commercial at Sheffield Utd FC, said: “It was a fantastic partnership event to highlight the synergy between the football club and Autoglass. Our shared commitment of championing equality in male-dominated industries was highlighted throughout a truly inspiring day, packed with lots of fun and engaging activities. We look forward to many more opportunities to further foster our mutual ambition and growth between our two organisations.”
Sheffield’s West Bar reaches topping out stage
The first phase 100,000 sq ft Grade A office building and two residential towers with almost 370 build-to-rent apartments have reached the topping out stage at Sheffield’s West Bar project.
West Bar Square in the heart of the commercial area and Soho Yard serving the residential BTR apartments, are also due to complete soon.
Senior officials from Sheffield City Council, Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, and Legal and General, which are all stakeholders in the significant regeneration project, attended the ceremony to celebrate the occasion.
Peter Swallow, Managing Director at Urbo, said: “We are delighted to reach this significant milestone at West Bar Sheffield which is a strategically important regeneration project for the city. Indeed, it is integral to the transformational plan for Sheffield city centre, extending its prime core, and bringing forward much need new space for commercial and residential accommodation.”
Ben Rodgers, Head of Regeneration, LGIM Real Assets added: “We’re thrilled to reach this project milestone as we get closer to realising the vision for West Bar. This mixed-use scheme will create a vibrant new quarter that re-connects with the city centre, delivering much needed office accommodation, housing, and green landscaped public spaces. This further helps demonstrate the power of responsibly investing pension savings in urban regeneration, transforming and reshaping cities, creating productive, sustainable assets for future generations.”
Kate Josephs, Chief Executive at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield needs high quality, energy efficient office and commercial space so it’s great to see this development close to completion. West Bar is a prime example of what can be achieved through strong partnership between the public and private sector.”
Bowmer + Kirkland, principal contractor for the scheme, showcased progress on site from the top of the office building, No.1 West Bar Square, which acts as an impressive gateway for the site. It also presented the significant social, local, and economic impact achieved to date. This represents £14.9 million of value to the local economy with 57% of jobs created locally within a 30-mile radius, 288 apprentice weeks and the overall sustainability of construction demonstrated with 99.5% of waste diverted from landfill.
West Bar represents the long-awaited redevelopment of a prominent seven-acre brownfield site on the Inner Ring Road between Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters. It is to comprise one million sq ft of mixed-use space including over 500,000 sq ft of office accommodation with amenities, public realm and hundreds of apartments and the project expects to create up to 8,000 new jobs when completed.
After many years in planning, the first phase was able to commence following 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.
As part of the agreed deal between Legal & General and Urbo, a second 100,000 sq ft office building will be delivered to follow No.1 West Bar Square. A new 450 space multi-storey car park is also part of the first phase which offers around 300 cycle storage spaces and electric car charging points. Connectivity into the surrounding walking and cycling routes is incorporated to encourage more sustainable travel.
Firms invited to share in Government’s £1.8m freight decarbonisation fund
Businesses across the UK are being urged to apply for a share in £1.8 million of government funding boost to develop ways to deliver innovative tech that will decarbonise freight.
SMEs can get their share by deploying cutting-edge AI technology and automation to improve the way trains, lorries, vans, and ships carry parcels and goods.
Examples of the developments made possible through earlier grants include Royal Mail working with Skyports to deliver mail by drones across Orkney. This is the first time ever mail is being delivered by drones in the UK, allowing Royal Mail to deliver 24 hours faster than using vans or ferries.
The Freight Innovation Fund has also supported FedEx in trialling new eCargo bikes to deliver parcels quickly in traffic-heavy city centres, helping decarbonise deliveries.
Roads Minister Guy Opperman said: “The freight and logistics sectors are part of our economy’s backbone, ensuring supermarket shelves are stocked, hospitals receive crucial medical supplies and important deliveries are made.
“That’s why, as part of the government’s plan to grow the economy, the Freight Innovation Fund is supporting businesses to innovate and back skilled UK jobs.”
