Santander signs three-year partnership with University of Bradford

Stuart Pearcey
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Santander signs three-year partnership with University of Bradford

The University of Bradford and Santander have agreed a three-year partnership with Santander to help its students kickstart their careers.

The new partnership marks the University of Bradford as part of the bank’s UK university network, which aims to remove barriers to higher education for students by providing grants, scholarships and internships to students, and funding to budding entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses. The partnership with Santander includes a £150,000 package of support across the three years providing funding for University of Bradford students across three areas; education, entrepreneurship, and employability. Professor Shirley Congdon, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford, said: “We are delighted to be invited to join Santander’s UK university network. Santander’s university network has an outstanding reputation for helping students from across the UK and beyond to develop skills and overcome any potential barriers they may have which prevent them from achieving their future career aspirations. “We are excited to establish this partnership and look forward to delivering a range of new opportunities which make a positive difference to our students, staff, businesses and communities across the Bradford district.” Through the new agreement, one University of Bradford student will receive an annual grant of £10,000 over three years, as part of the Santander Scholars Programme, which aims to support under-represented students in higher education. On top of that, £15,000 will be allocated to support entrepreneurship and start-ups; a minimum of three budding businesses created by students will receive up to £5,000 each. The employability strand of the partnership will provide support package includes £15,000 of funding per year. Students will receive up to £1,000 each to help them towards gaining employment, which could be used to fund internships, work experience, and volunteering opportunities. The final area of support will be Brighter Future Grants which will provide 10 students with a £1,000 grant each year. These awards will be available to all students at the University of Bradford.

UK government’s committed to country’s steel industry, says Minister

Stuart Pearcey
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UK government’s committed to country’s steel industry, says Minister
The UK Government is committed to British Steel, Secretary of State Kemi Badenoch said during visits to company sites. The visits to Scunthorpe and Teesside came as talks continue with the UK Government about British Steel’s £1.25-billion decarbonisation plan and the Secretary of State said: “The government is working very hard to keep primary steelmaking capability in the UK. “This is about more than steel. It is also about economic resilience. It is about sovereign capability. It is about supply chains all across the UK that rely on steel. And one of the reasons that I am here today is to show people not just how much we care, but how much we are doing in order to ensure the steel industry in the UK survives. “This government is fully committed to UK steel. We are committed to British Steel, to the Tata steelworks in Port Talbot and of course, most importantly, to the communities who have relied on this industry for hundreds of years and whom we know will be able to continue working in steel and in the future green economy that it is going to transition to.” 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. Significant preparation works, including environmental and technical studies, and equipment selection, are underway to ensure the company’s ambitious proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity while discussions with the UK Government continue. British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification and has promised to support employees affected by its decarbonisation plans.

Mansfield Pollard wins ‘best place to work’ accolade

Stuart Pearcey
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Mansfield Pollard wins ‘best place to work’ accolade
Bradford-based Mansfield Pollard has been recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Best Places to Work in 2024. This prestigious accolade is awarded to organisations that demonstrate excellence in creating a supportive and engaging work environment, and we are proud to be listed among the best. The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards are determined through a rigorous two-part process. This includes a detailed written submission from the company and an in-depth survey of 35 wellbeing related questions completed by employees. Mansfield Pollard achieved an outstanding engagement score of 86% across our workforce.

Ramsdens Solicitors bolsters senior team with five promotions

Tess Egginton
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Ramsdens Solicitors bolsters senior team with five promotions

Yorkshire-based Ramsdens Solicitors has promoted Jennifer Slater, Katie Sharp, Jane Holroyd and Rosanna Drewery to the position of partner across its network of a dozen offices in the region. Jolene Briggs has been promoted to conveyancing manager for the Calderdale region.

Paul Joyce, managing partner of Ramsdens Solicitors, said: “As a firm, we are committed to bringing on board new talent and giving them the support they need to develop their careers with us.

“It’s fantastic to see these five knowledgeable and committed lawyers moving up in the firm, and these promotions are well deserved recognition of their contribution to the continued growth of the firm.”

Working within the firm’s private client practice at its York office, Jennifer Slater has over 18 years’ experience, including expertise in advising on wills and lasting powers of attorney.

She also specialises in lifetime tax planning, and the creation and administration of trusts and estate administration, in particular, estates with complex issues and agricultural estates. Jennifer is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and a member of the Law Society’s Private Client Section.

Having qualified as a solicitor in 2015, Katie Sharp has worked in conveyancing for over 10 years.

Based at Ramsdens’ Mirfield office, she has in-depth knowledge of the residential property industry, including the sale, purchase and re-mortgage of freehold and leasehold properties as well as new-build, unregistered and help-to-buy properties. Katie also deals with private mortgages, lease extensions and title splits.

Based at the Edgerton office, Jane Holroyd is a partner in Ramsdens’ commercial property team.

Since qualifying in 2014, she has dealt for all types of property transactions, such as the acquisition and set up of development sites, buying and selling commercial freeholds and commercial leases from both the landlord and tenant perspective, including new leases, renewals and licences.

Jane also specialises in acting for SIPP and SSAS pension trustees in respect of pension schemes’ commercial property investments.

Having joined Ramsdens soon after her qualification in 2014, Rosanna Drewery has become a partner in the child law practice and works across both West and North Yorkshire.

She has a specialism in public law proceedings, also known as care proceedings, and primarily undertakes work under the Children Act 1989, representing parents, grandparents and other family members. She also deals with special guardianship cases.

Rosanna is an accredited member of the Children’s Panel, representing children in public and private law proceedings, through their guardians.

Jolene Briggs has become conveyancing manager for the firm’s Calderdale offices in Halifax and Elland. Based in Elland, she deals with all types of conveyancing matters including freehold, leasehold, unregistered, equity, right-to-buy and auction properties.

Jolene previously worked in a property practice in Leeds for 10 years before joining Ramsdens in 2014.

Hospitality trade show sells out exhibition space

Stuart Pearcey
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Hospitality trade show sells out exhibition space
The inaugural Lincolnshire Hospitality Trade Show has sold out all available exhibition spaces for the county’s first and only B2B-focused hospitality event. Scheduled to take place at the prestigious Harlaxton Manor on Wednesday this week, the first-of-its-kind event is poised to revolutionise the way businesses in the hospitality industry connect, network, and thrive, according to organisers Globella and Stokes Tea and Coffee, who have signed up more than seventy exhibitors, speakers, and interactive sessions. Hannah Tomlinson of Globella said: “We are ecstatic to witness such an overwhelming response to our inaugural event. The fact that the exhibition spaces sold out in record time underscores the immense enthusiasm and anticipation within the industry for a platform that fosters growth, creativity, and excellence. “We are extremely grateful for the tremendous support from exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, and attendees and cannot wait to open the doors next week to deliver an exceptional experience that exceeds all expectations.”

Property firm promotes four

Tess Egginton
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Property firm promotes four

Four commercial property professionals have been promoted at Leeds property consultancy, GV&Co.

Daniel Walker, Tom Preene and Matt Harriman have all become directors, and David Geary has been made an associate. The promotions follow the firm’s recent expansion into bigger city centre offices at Carlton Tower on St Paul’s Street and the company’s twentieth anniversary celebrations.

Daniel works within the agency and investment team. He joined the business in 2012, completed a degree alongside his day job in 2017, and became a chartered member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2019.

Daniel said: “Every day is different, dealing with lettings, acquisitions, investment sales and advising on long term strategic development sites. Recent highlights include the work we have done on employment allocation for Integral, a 60-acre scheme at Thorpe Park, the £25m acquisition of Total Park, Leeds and advising on the lettings of 285,000 sq ft at Catalyst, Sheffield Business Park.

“We are optimistic about the market and can clearly see an increase in positive sentiment. Occupiers can understandably take their time making decisions, but there is a definite sense of market confidence returning, after the recent downturn in activity, which followed a very busy few years.”

Tom works in lease advisory and asset management. He joined GV&Co in 2022 having spent six years at a global property firm and is responsible for negotiating rent reviews and lease renewals on behalf of both landlords and tenants.

He said: “The industrial market continues to perform well with headline rents reaching record levels and I’m looking forward to growing this side of the business further, as more landlords and tenants recognise the value that we add.”

Matt works in building surveying and project management. He joined GV&Co as a graduate ten years ago when the department was first established, and since then it has grown to a seven-strong team, with an enviable client base.

Matt said: “I really enjoy working on a diverse spectrum of commercial property across multiple sectors, and have keen interest in contract administration, dilapidations and acquisition surveys.

“In the last twelve months, I’ve managed over £3m worth of commercial refurbishments and successfully negotiated over £1m of dilapidations. As a director, I’ll be more involved with helping to manage the team and mentoring colleagues, as well as continuing to drive the department forward.

“Upcoming changes to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) legislation is the hot topic at the moment and with a fundamental understanding of building efficiency upgrade costs, we are well positioned to advise clients on improving EPC ratings to ensure assets remain attractive to both occupiers and institutional investors.”

David Geary joined GV&Co’s building surveying and project management team eight years ago and has successfully completed a Masters (MSc) in Building Surveying during that time. David project manages construction projects across all sectors, as well as carrying out condition surveys and negotiating dilapidations claims.

David said: “I really enjoy my role at GV&Co. I’m heavily involved in refurbishment schemes, predominantly around Yorkshire and the Midlands, but I have recently completed a large-scale refurbishment of a Grade A listed building in the centre of Edinburgh.

“The building is now fully let to multiple occupiers and holding its own in a prime part of the city. On a local level, the market is busy in the world of building surveying and the pipeline until the end of 2024 is strong.”

Plans lodged for retirement living development in Baildon

Tess Egginton
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Plans lodged for retirement living development in Baildon
Developer and manager of retirement communities, McCarthy Stone, has submitted plans to Bradford Metropolitan District Council for the redevelopment of land at the former Ian Clough Hall, Baildon. The proposals are for retirement living accommodation, specifically designed to meet the need of people in later life and would represent the regeneration of a brownfield site. The scheme will deliver a sensitively designed development of 47 apartments, featuring a homeowners’ lounge and set amongst attractive, landscaped gardens with on-site parking provision. There will also be a guest suite, lift access to all floors and a mobility scooter charging and storage room. Ahead of submitting a planning application, McCarthy Stone carried out a public consultation with the local community on its initial proposals. Ciaran Aldridge, Divisional Managing Director North, McCarthy Stone said: “There is a real need for specialist retirement accommodation in Baildon, and this proposal would go some way to addressing that, whilst at the same time releasing existing family homes onto the market and relieving the pressure on local greenfield sites. “Located close to the town centre, McCarthy Stone residents provide a vital boost to local businesses, typically using local shops and services daily, or often. “Research shows that residents of a typical 47-home McCarthy Stone development would collectively spend £362,000 a year on the local high street. This spending would support local retail jobs and help to keep businesses open in Baildon.” McCarthy Stone’s plans will be determined by Bradford Metropolitan District Council in the coming months.

Yorkshire & Humber firms remain confident despite challenging business conditions

Tess Egginton
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Yorkshire & Humber firms remain confident despite challenging business conditions

Although the headline NatWest Yorkshire & Humber PMI® Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – rose for the first time since the beginning of the year from 46.9 in March to 47.3 in April, it remained below the 50.0 no-change mark, making the region the only monitored part of the UK to see private sector output shrink at the start of the second quarter.

The decrease in the region’s economic activity contrasted starkly with the UK-wide trend, which signalled the fastest expansion in a year.

Notably, Yorkshire & Humber was the worst-performing part of the UK, both in terms of business activity and new orders, as was also the case in the previous month. That said, business confidence remained strong, while employment levels across the region were only marginally reduced, despite widespread reports of intensifying wage pressures.

The level of new business received by private companies in Yorkshire & Humber continued to shrink in April. The rate of decline was fractionally faster than that seen in March, and was therefore the quickest since November last year.

Weak client confidence was linked to the reduction in sales, while some respondents commented on generally subdued demand conditions across various industries.

Notably, Yorkshire & Humber was one of just two parts of the UK to see a drop in new business, with the region also seeing the quickest fall.

The Future Activity Index posted well above the 50.0 no-change mark, signalling robust growth expectations by private sector firms in Yorkshire & Humber during April. New product releases, strategic business changes and forecasts of greater customer numbers underpinned optimism, anecdotal evidence showed.

Although the level of positive sentiment dipped to a three-month low, it was slightly stronger than seen for the UK on average.

Continuing the trend which began in February, private sector businesses in Yorkshire & Humber cut their workforce numbers during the latest survey period. The non-replacement of leavers was commonly noted as a reason for lower staffing capacity, anecdotal evidence showed.

However, the decrease in employment was only marginal overall. This compared with broadly unchanged staffing levels at the broader UK level.

Posting below the 50.0 no-change threshold for a fourteenth successive month in April, the seasonally adjusted Outstanding Business Index signalled a sustained reduction in the volume of work pending completion at private sector companies in Yorkshire & Humber.

Furthermore, the latest data pointed to a solid decrease in backlogs of work, and one that was the quickest of all 12 monitored parts of the UK.

Private sector companies in Yorkshire & Humber recorded a further steep month-on-month increase in their overall operating costs in April. Moreover, the rate of inflation quickened markedly from March to its highest in a year. Greater wage pressures were reported by survey respondents, in addition to higher costs associated with raw materials, fuel, insurance and the distribution of goods.

Prices charged for the provision of goods and services continued to be raised by companies in Yorkshire & Humber, latest survey data showed. In many cases, selling prices were lifted to offset the impact on margins from greater costs. That said, the extent to which output charges rose was moderate and the slowest for three months.

Yorkshire & Humber recorded the second-softest rate of selling price inflation of the 12 monitored parts of the UK, with only the North West seeing a slower pace of increase.

Malcolm Buchanan, Chair of the NatWest North Regional Board, said: “April marked yet another challenging month for the Yorkshire & Humber private sector, which was once again the only part of the UK to see a decrease in business activity.

“That said, April data was better with the rate of contraction slowing since March. Positively, growth expectations remain above UK trend and with economic conditions domestically and abroad improving, this should provide tailwinds for growth in the coming months.”

Barnsley pub gets new lease of life as part of Heineken’s £39m investment

Stuart Pearcey
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Barnsley pub gets new lease of life as part of Heineken’s £39m investment
Heineken UK is investing £39m in upgrading and reopening pubs in its Star Pubs’ estate this year in a move which it says demonstrates its confidence in the resilience of the great British local in the face of global uncertainty. The move will create an estimated 1,075 new jobs. More than 600 of Heineken UK’s 2,400 pubs are in line for improvement, with 94 of these set for makeovers costing on average £200,000. The investment will also cover works to reopen 62 long-term closed locals in 2024. By the end of the year, the company will have reopened 156 such pubs since the start of 2023, reducing the number of closed pubs in its estate to pre-pandemic levels. Amongst those given a new lease of life is The Ship at Worsbrough near Barnsley. A £370k refurbishment reopened The Ship earlier this year after a four-and-a-half year closure, creating 11 jobs. As well as being a pub, The Ship holds coffee mornings for senior citizens, care home residents and mother & toddler groups and has football, darts and pool teams. It also puts on charity fundraisers and provides meeting space for local groups. In the evenings, there are weekly quiz, bingo, karaoke and live music nights. New licensee Rebecca Skelly said: “The Ship needed a complete facelift to get customers back – a lick of paint wouldn’t have cut it. The smart new design has been key to converting residents into regulars. The Ship is proof of the need and demand for traditional locals. It’s part of the town’s history. Everyone comes here, from families with children to retirees – it’s a social hub, especially for the neighbourhood’s senior citizens, many of whom sat at home alone before The Ship opened again.” Lawson Mountstevens, Star Pubs’ MD, said: “People are looking for maximum value from visits to their local. They want great surroundings and food and drink as well as activities that give them an extra reason to go out, such as sports screenings and entertainment. Creating fantastic locals that can accommodate a range of occasions meets this need and helps pubs fulfil their role as vital third spaces where communities can come together. “Pubs have proved their enduring appeal; after all the disruption of recent years, Star is on track to have the lowest number of closed pubs since 2019. It’s a tribute to the drive and entrepreneurship of licensees and the importance of continued investment. We’ve spent more than £200m upgrading and maintaining our pubs over the last five years, and we’ll continue to invest to keep them open and thriving. “Time and again we see the value consumers place on having a good local and how important it is to communities. Well-invested pubs run by great licensees are here to stay, but like all locals, they need Government support to reduce the enormous tax burden they shoulder.”

Tram disruption ahead as VolkerRail improves infrastructure in Sheffield

Stuart Pearcey
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Tram disruption ahead as VolkerRail improves infrastructure in Sheffield
Multi-million pound investment work to future-proof and extend the lifespan of the Supertram network will take place for nine days from 24 May. The first phase of rail replacement engineering work will start in Sheffield city centre from after the last tram on the evening of Friday 24 May until start of service on Monday 3 June, and will affect all tram and Tram Train services. Further works are planned in other areas of the tram network over the summer. During the works, carried out by contractor VolkerRail, no tram services will be able to operate between Fitzalan Square/Ponds Forge and University. Melanie Corcoran, Executive Director of Transport at SYMCA, said: “These essential works are vital to extend the lifespan of the Supertram network. Every effort is being made to minimise the impact and to keep people moving while this work progresses. “By replacing the track we’re making sure the region’s tram network can continue to safely provide its popular service for generations to come.” In addition, works will be carried out at Netherthorpe Road tram stop to replace the tram shelters. To ensure the health and safety of both the passengers and site workers, the platform will be closed throughout the works. Trams will not serve Netherthorpe Road tram stop and will, instead, run directly between University and Shalesmoor tram stops, in both directions.
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