Grant helps Tadweld develop for the future
Tadcaster-based welding and fabrication company Tadweld has been given a £20k grant through the Made Smarter programme to enhance digital capabilities and fostering innovation within businesses.
Established in 1983, Tadweld initially served the agricultural and quarry industries, quickly expanding to provide welding and sheet metal work for local breweries. Over the years, the company has grown to become a leading player in the field, with a team of highly qualified and skilled personnel. Tadweld designs, develops, creates, and installs steelwork solutions for blue-chip companies across the UK and Europe.
Tadweld sought support to innovate and evolve as a business though the Made Smarter scheme, exploring how digital tools could enhance its operations and contribute to growth. The company was given a range of support, guidance, and solutions from the programme, including personal engagement from Heidi Green of North Yorkshire Council and extensive support from Mike Pennington of the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub.
Tadweld MD Chris Houston said: “The introduction of laser welding technology represents a significant step forward for Tadweld. As a pioneering technology in the welding industry, it offers numerous advantages over traditional methods, particularly in terms of weld quality and cleanliness. These aspects are crucial in the high-tech sectors Tadweld serves, including food and drink, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Tadweld anticipates that this technology will give us a competitive edge, enabling us to provide superior products and services.”
In addition to the technical advances that are bought with new equipment Tadweld have been heavily investing in their employees. With support from Calderdale College and York-based leadership and engagement specialists Pro-Development (UK) Limited, they have been running management training courses and an Employee Engagement Survey. This has been a fantastic way to up-skill managers, and to get honest feedback from their entire workforce. They have already installed new facilities, provided new equipment, and held a popular staff BBQ because of the survey. Now, the company is exploring further training opportunities through the York & North Yorkshire LEP Skills Bootcamps and the Made Smarter programme for Digital Transformation and Supervisor skills.
Tadweld plans to have the laser welding equipment in place by next January 2024. The company acknowledges the importance of training and maximizing the value of this new technology and is excited to explore its capabilities. Tadweld is also considering further digital investments in systems and equipment for the future, as they strive to remain at the forefront of innovation in their industry.
About Tadweld’s collaboration with the Made Smarter programme, Mike Pennington, who provided extensive support to the company, expressed his pride in assisting their journey. He said, “It has been a pleasure to work with Tadweld on their path to support innovation and growth. Tadweld’s commitment to embracing digital technologies and their dedication to offering top-quality solutions to their clients is truly commendable. I am proud to have played a part in their success and excited to witness the positive impact this support will have on their future endeavours.”
Tadweld’s commitment to support innovation and growth exemplifies their dedication to delivering top-quality steelwork solutions to their clients. The company’s journey is a testament to the opportunities that digital transformation can unlock for businesses, ultimately strengthening the local economy and reinforcing Tadcaster’s position as a hub of industrial excellence.
More Gainsborough properties to have improvements funded
Approval has been given for heritage improvements to five more Gainsborough buildings as part of the Townscape Heritage Initiative.
West Lindsey District Council has been working with building owners and tenants to improve the condition of historic buildings. The aim is to reverse the decline of the town by offering substantial grants towards the costs to renovate the buildings, bringing empty properties back into use and maximising the potential for them to be used today.
The council has already been awarded £1.25m to repair, restore and regenerate the buildings in Gainsborough as part of the THI. The National Lottery Heritage Fund award for historic building repair grants was later supplemented significantly by a large additional award from the Levelling Up Fund.
Work in the town has been moving apace with a number of projects completed or near completion and a new round of exciting developments are set to get underway.
Leader of West Lindsey District Council, Cllr Trevor Young said: “As someone who has grown up and lives in Gainsborough and is enthusiastic about seeing improvements, it is very exciting to see the number of buildings which are now involved with the scheme.
“Visitors and residents will no doubt be familiar with the work that has been completed with 5-7 Market Place, now The Fabric Place, 27-29 Lord Street and 7 Lord Street. The improvements to these buildings have had a positive impact upon the townscape. I am delighted that the Restoration Grants Panel unanimously approved the funding for more buildings and I am looking forward to watching the work begin and seeing the final completions.”
Buildings to receive funding include:
- 24 Market Street – the Old Courthouse which stands across the road from the Guildhall will have the sash windows overhauled, alongside repairs to the brickwork, pointing and rainwater goods.
- 37 Lord Street – Café Latte will have work conducted on the windows and brickwork. The largest difference people will notice will be the reinstatement of a traditional shopfront and awnings.
- 1,3,5 Lord Street /2 Ropery Road -Clock House and Salon 5 – and 2 Ropery Road, which shares a roof with 1 Lord Street. It is the repair of this roof that will form the bulk of the work, alongside the replacement of the windows with wooden sash, and the introduction of more traditional entranceways and awnings.
- 25 Lord Street – has already undergone a significant amount of work to introduce three new retail units on the ground floor of the former public house, will see work continuing to the exterior. Work will include the repair to the roof and windows, the removal of cement render and the reinstatement of the stone string course which was discovered to have been carved with the former name of the inn – The Black Bull.
- 34-36 Market Place, better known as Walter’s Opticians is looking to carry out repair work to the bricks and windows and an adjustment to the shopfront, bringing it closer in design to what it would once have been.
- The former WHSmith’s building on 1 Silver Street will also see a big change. Alongside the replacement the shopfront with a traditional wooden design, three new retail units will be created in the former warehouse section along Curtis Walk, bringing exciting opportunities to an often-overlooked area of the town.
Travel plans earn national awards for four Hull organisations
Four Hull businesses and organisations have received national certification for workplace travel plans encouraging about 2,530 employees to walk, cycle and use public transport for their daily commute.
The Deep and the Holiday Inn Hull Marina have received Good Travel Plan (Bronze) awards from Modeshift STARS with the Double Tree by Hilton Hull and the University of Hull receiving Approved Travel Plan (Green) certificates. These four businesses join national retailer, Next, who have a bronze accredited travel plan, and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, one of the city’s largest employers, whose travel plan has progressed from bronze to silver accreditation in the space of just 12 months. The national STARS accreditation scheme recognises workplaces that go above and beyond in developing, implementing and monitoring an effective travel plan to bring about a change in travel behaviour and reduce the number of single occupancy car journeys to, from and between their sites. Sites are awarded Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum accreditation. Hull City Council offers businesses and organisations within the city the chance to join Modeshift STARS for free as part of its strategic objective of promoting active travel choices. The benefits and advantages of a workplace travel plan, include:- reductions of single car occupancy journeys, which helps alleviate pressure and congestion across site car parks
- identifying availability and accessibility of viable transport options, based on staff locations
- potential to improve and develop site connectivity links through sustainable and active travel
- improving staff wellbeing, with physical and mental health benefits.
Doncaster Chamber produces wish list for King’s Speech
Doncaster Chamber is calling for the King’s speech to announce legislative changes that will benefit the region.
The King’s Speech is a major part of the State Opening of Parliament Ceremony, and is where Government puts forward the various laws that it wants to pass over the coming months. With a theme of setting our country on the right path, the 2023 iteration of this is said to focus on how the UK can seize new opportunities, safeguard its economic prosperity, and ultimately deliver a brighter future.
Eager to see these ambitions extend to South Yorkshire, Doncaster Chamber is highlighting the need for legislation that will help the local business community to grow, access the right talent, overcome present challenges, and have greater long-term confidence.
Those key asks are:
- A Skills Bill that helps businesses and workers, while establishing Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) as integral for the long term
- A Trade and Customs Bill, which gives confidence to businesses and prepares them for the digital trade expansion ahead
- The speech should consider how SMEs can benefit from wider technology adoption
- The speech should also outline how HS2 funding will be reinvested into the North’s transport infrastructure
Government plans ‘minimum service level’ laws to mitigate disruption
The government plans to impose minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called.
The legislation brings the UK in line with countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the US where public services reliably continue during strikes. The International Labour Organisation also recognises Minimum Service Levels as a sensible solution to protect the public from serious consequences of strikes.
The minimum service levels are designed to be effective and proportionate by balancing the ability to take strike action with ensuring we can keep our borders secure, supporting people to make important journeys including accessing work, education, and healthcare, and allowing people to get the emergency care they need.
Earlier this year, the government consulted widely on proposals to introduce minimum service levels legislation across a range of sectors, under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act which received Royal Assent in July. The responses to these consultations have been published today with the legislation set to be laid in parliament tomorrow.
For border security, the regulations will apply to employees of Border Force and selected HM Passport Office staff where passport services are required for the purposes of national security. The laws will set out that border security services should be provided at a level that means that they are no less effective than if a strike were not taking place. It will also ensure all ports and airports remain open on a strike.
For train operators, it will mean the equivalent of 40% of their normal timetable can operate as normal and, in the case of strikes that affect rail infrastructure services, certain priority routes can remain open.
Minimum service level regulations for ambulance workers will ensure that vital ambulance services in England will continue throughout any strike action, ensuring that cases that are life-threatening, or where there is no reasonable clinical alternative to an ambulance response, are responded to.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We are doing everything in our power to stop unions de-railing Christmas for millions of people. This legislation will ensure more people will be able to travel to see their friends and family and get the emergency care they need.
We cannot go on relying on short term fixes – including calling on our Armed Forces or civil servants – to mitigate the disruption caused by strike action. That’s why we’re taking the right long-term decision to bring in minimum service levels, in line with other countries, to keep people safe and continue delivering the vital public services that hard-working people rely on.”
Where minimum service level regulations are in place and strike action is called, employers can issue work notices to identify people who are reasonably required to work to ensure minimum service levels are met.
The law requires unions to take reasonable steps and ensure their members who are identified with a work notice comply and if a union fails to do this, they will lose their legal protection from damages claims.
Last year, we raised the maximum damages that courts can award against a union for unlawful strike action. For the biggest unions, the maximum award has risen from £250,000 to £1 million.
Groundbreaking finance deal wins major award for West Bar in Sheffield
Sheffield’s £300m West Bar development has won a national award for its progress in transforming a major part of the city centre.
Urbo (West Bar) Ltd, a JV involving Urbo Regeneration and Peveril Securities, was recognised, alongside Sheffield City Council, at the EG Awards in London for completing a ground-breaking deal to secure £150m funding from Legal & General, enabling delivery of the development’s first phase.
The funding deal secured with Legal & General for West Bar is the largest single city centre investment deal ever seen in Sheffield. It enables delivery of the first phase comprising 100,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, 368 Build to Rent residential apartments, a 450 space multistorey car park and considerable new public realm. Construction is progressing apace on site with completion due by mid-2024.
The West Bar regeneration scheme covers a 7-acre brownfield site on the Inner Ring Road between Sheffield’s Kelham Island, Cathedral and Castlegate Quarters. It is to be made up of a million sq ft of space including over 565,000 sq ft of office accommodation with amenity, public realm and over 525 apartments. The project expects to create up to 8,000 new jobs when completed.
Urbo MD Peter Swallow said: “We are thrilled to receive recognition from our peers, both nationally and regionally, for what we have achieved in bringing our vision for West Bar to reality. It is testament to the conviction of our own team, Sheffield City Council, Legal & General and our professional advisors that have worked tirelessly over ten years to make the scheme commercially viable and deliverable.
“These many years of assembly work involved detailed negotiation with landowners and tenants of 103 separate property titles within the development boundary. The team secured alternative and improved premises for these occupiers such that zero jobs were lost and a full compulsory purchase process, including a full CPO Public Inquiry to ultimately secure 100% freehold ownership with vacant possession, paved the way for our deal with Legal & General. This is a rare and excellent example of best practice approach to area-wide urban regeneration.”
Ralph Jones of Peveril Securities added: “This landmark funding deal and the start of construction on the first phase, with completion expected in 2024, has established West Bar as a regionally important large-scale regeneration project for Sheffield. This was completed against the odds and after many years of careful work at a time of unprecedented economic challenge.
The EG Awards is the biggest and most prestigious annual event for the UK real estate industry, celebrating the very best deals, developments, businesses, talent, and places. The Best Regional Deal category recognises projects that could not only show high returns but were innovative in bringing life back to our regions. The panel of highly regarded expert judges said that Urbo impressed them for the scale of investment it was able to secure for its city, as well as being a catalyst for huge redevelopment and changing of place.
2,000 Scunthorpe jobs on the line as British Steel reveals intent to shut down blast furnaces
British Steel has revealed £1.25 billion decarbonisation proposals that unions say could see 2,000 jobs lost in Scunthorpe.
The company is planning to shut down blast furnaces at the manufacturing site, replacing them with greener and cheaper electric arc furnaces. The new furnaces could be operational by late 2025 and would replace the aging iron and steelmaking operations in Scunthorpe which the business says are responsible for the vast majority of its CO2 emissions. British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification, and has promised to support employees affected by the decarbonisation plans. It has agreed for its proposals to be reviewed by an external specialist on behalf of the trade unions. The company added that it is working with North Lincolnshire Council on a masterplan to attract new businesses and jobs to the Scunthorpe site, parts of which could become vacant if the proposals go ahead.Firm appointed to deliver £16m Goole community hub
Plans to invest in a new town centre community hub in Goole have seen Willmott Dixon appointed for a £16m project to deliver a multi-purpose facility that provides health, fitness and leisure under one roof.
The company has been chosen by East Riding of Yorkshire Council via the YORbuild3 framework for the Goole Hub redevelopment on North Street in the centre of the East Yorkshire town.
The project, which received £3m from the Goole Town Deal, involves demolishing much of the existing East Riding Leisure Goole facility – with just the swimming pool building and sports blocks retained – to make way for Goole Hub.
Designed by Watson Batty Architects, Goole Hub will include more than 1,600 square metres of new floor space delivering a variety of community-based services such as a food court, library, customer service centre, laser tag area, ten-pin bowling alley, soft play, and learner pool with health suite.
In addition, Willmott Dixon will refurbish the existing swimming pool, changing facilities and spectator area.
Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon, said: “The all-new Goole Hub will provide a connection between culture, recreation and leisure in one easily accessible location and there is a real ambition to create a new destination within the town. We’re therefore really pleased to have been selected as the preferred bidder by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to deliver this exciting project.
“Aging leisure facilities are fast becoming out of touch with modern requirements, so it’s our job to not just deliver a building but create a high-quality multipurpose destination for the people of Goole, which will enhance lives and serve multiple generations. It will incorporate sustainable energy technologies – such as solar panels and air source heat pumps – to ensure it performs more efficiently and runs as healthily as its users.
“Parts of the existing facility will remain in use while the new building is constructed, so we’re looking forward to getting on site and beginning works to deliver a new hub for the town.”
External work will include improving pedestrian access to the building as well as new landscaped areas to provide public spaces for the community to relax and enjoy outside. The development will also create additional parking spaces for visitors.
New vision revealed for historic Elsecar Ironworks
A new vision for the former site of the Elsecar Ironworks has been announced, including a new heritage railway, new rail college, outdoor events area and more.
The vision for the historic site, now a scheduled ancient monument, has been carefully developed over the last two years, based on extensive public consultation and working closely with Historic England, as a legacy project of Barnsley Council’s Heritage Action Zone partnership.
The future vision for the former ironworks includes:
- New heritage railway destination, including a reconstructed 1849 Fitzwilliam locomotive, powered by sustainable fuels
- New rail college and rail technology test track, training more than 400 students each year
- Advanced engineering workshops showcasing the region’s innovation
- New ‘Cultural Canteen’ and outdoor events and performance area, against the spectacular backdrop of the ironworks furnaces and restored blast wall
- Active Travel Hub and Cycle Hire, to enable families and visitors to travel to Elsecar, and explore the Elsecar Valley, on foot and by bike
Nicholas Associates Group makes senior bid manager appointment
Apprentice to Boardroom recruitment specialists, Nicholas Associates Group has strengthened its sales team following the appointment of Jenny Begley as group bid manager.
With a national remit and a central role at the company HQ in Sheffield, Jenny joins the team to fortify the firm’s strategy to increase its stronghold in securing volume contracts with leading employers in the industrial, engineering, construction, apprenticeship, graduate, and white-collar sectors.
An accredited member of the ‘Association of Proposal Management Professionals’, Jenny has over 20 years of experience working in senior roles in the recruitment sector as a bid and proposal specialist. She also successfully led the bid management process for the recruitment of 1,500 employees and volunteers for the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham.
Reporting to group sales director Sunny Singh, Jenny will manage the entire bid and contract renewal process. She will oversee that all the firm’s submissions meet the stringent criteria required to be considered for substantial recruitment contracts across the firm’s portfolio of brands which include, Apprentice Employment Agency, Stafforce, Cra-Cro Site Services, Nicholas Associates, Ashley Kate HR & Finance, Main Board and Olano.
Jenny’s mandate encompasses managing the complete tender process, from pre-qualification to contract award. She will coordinate and project-manage national stakeholder teams, ensuring the timely delivery of responses for various recruitment solutions including Managed Services, RPO, Total Talent Management and Consultancy.
Sunny Singh, group sales director, said: “Jenny and I have previously worked together very successfully, and I have first-hand knowledge of an exceptional bid-to-win ratio. Her expertise will undoubtedly benefit the Group’s positioning in competitive tender situations.”
Jenny’s extensive experience encompasses bid preparation for temporary, permanent, and professional staffing, search and selection, executive search, outsourcing, training, outplacement, and HR consulting. Her addition to the team will significantly enhance the service offering provided by Nicholas Associates Group.
