Next steps approved for new retirement living scheme in Golcar
Kirklees Council’s Cabinet met yesterday, to discuss the redevelopment of Sycamore Grange.
Members reviewed the proposed budget and approved plans to move forward with the submission of a planning application and required processes for the construction of the new retirement living scheme.
The scheme will now include 41 retirement apartments in addition to nine one-bedroom bungalows, five two-bedroom bungalows and four one-bedroom cottage flats.
Additional housing such as the bungalows and cottage flats will be available for older people. These properties will better suit their needs, as well as freeing up space for other Kirklees families.
Councillor Masood Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Housing and Highways, said: “I’m pleased with the updated plans for the progression of Sycamore Grange’s redevelopment, showing our commitment to supporting older residents to live independently for longer.
“By taking the feedback from the consultation, we’ve tailored the designs to better meet our tenants’ needs. I’m eager to see the continuous progress of this project as work begins next year.”
Next steps will see the council apply for planning permission for the scheme. Subject to the planning and building contract process, it is intended that contractors will start on site in late 2024.
Northallerton dairy farm shares details of journey to net zero
Northallerton father and son dairy farmers Howard and Tom Pattison have welcomed members of the farming and business world to their farm to take them through their journey to become a net zero operation.
In the third in the Future Farming series of events organised by the Centre for Business Innovation and North Yorkshire Council, more than 50 farmers, land agents, and agritech businesses came together at Willow Tree Farm.
The Dairy Farming for the Future event saw the Pattisons show off their 280 dairy herd, 162-hectare business and the steps they have taken towards a reduced carbon footprint. That includes going soy-free as soya has a high carbon footprint, using less fertiliser and focusing on slurry and muck, and changing their herd’s living space.
C4DI’s relationship manager Louise Cooke, said: “Since its official launch in 2022, C4DI Northallerton has seen an acceleration of opportunities for businesses, particularly within the agritech and food manufacturing sectors.
“Our focus has been on growing a community within those sectors as well as other digital tech companies to help support innovation and growth amongst businesses.
“Our event at Willow Tree Farm supported a growing demand to learn more about the evolving changes within agriculture and how digital technology can support that. Our role as a tech incubator is to support traditional business with innovation and to support tech business to scale and grow.
“Having supported thousands of businesses over the last 10 years, we hope to learn more from everyone and grow together through these events.”
Executive member for open to business Cllr Derek Bastiman said: “This session followed on our two other Farming for the Future events and was very much about collaboration. To encourage this, we had several agritech companies there to demonstrate products and there was lots of discussion about how we can work together to meet the needs of farmers.”
He urged North Yorkshire farmers to consider a new farm sustainability programme to support farm businesses to become more financially and environmentally sustainable, being developed through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Support may include farm energy audits, farm carbon footprints, specialist advice around precision agriculture techniques and regenerative agriculture practices.
Up to 50 audits will be funded with applications open in November. Farm businesses with up to 50 employees can apply, with priority given to farms ready to implement the recommended sustainability measures. Find out more about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Inflation stays stubborn
Inflation failed to drop as expected last month, stuck at an annual rate of 6.7%.
Remaining the same as in August, a fall in the price of food and drink has been offset by rises in restaurant, hotel, and fuel costs.
Core inflation meanwhile, which takes out volatile factors like energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, rose 6.1% in the 12 months to September 2023, down from 6.2% in August.
For those presiding over interest rate decisions at the Bank of England, the picture becomes ever-more complex. A continued decline in inflation would have presented a case for rates to stay where they are, but if inflation stays stubbornly high, the Bank may consider the only option to be returning to a stint of rate rises again.
It comes after figures last month presented a welcome, surprise slowdown for inflation and saw a pause to a run of interest rate increases.
Housebuilder submits plans for £105m development
Yorkshire-based housebuilder Beal Homes has submitted plans for a £105m development creating a new community on the south bank of the Humber.
Family-owned Beal has submitted a planning application for more than 500 new homes on a 57-acre site at Immingham in North East Lincolnshire.
The proposed development will provide a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes to support major investment in the area.
The Port of Immingham is a key gateway for trade to and from Europe and beyond and the area is playing a key role in the Humber’s growing status as a magnet for investment, capitalising on the region’s reputation as the UK’s Energy Estuary.
The south bank of the Humber is home to a series of blue chip businesses, including Ørsted, Phillips 66, Centrica and Wren Kitchens, with many of them investing in new facilities and projects, creating new, skilled jobs in the area.
That, in turn, has generated growing demand for new homes in and around Immingham.
East Yorkshire-based Beal has submitted a “reserved matters” planning application to North East Lincolnshire Council for 525 homes, with landscaping, areas of public open space and associated works, on land off Stallingborough Road, close to the centre of Immingham.
The site already has outline planning approval for 525 homes, so the new application is seeking consent for the detailed design and layout of the development.
The proposed development features a wide variety of homes, from two-bedroom terraced starter homes to four-bedroom detached properties, reflecting local demand and catering for a broad range of homebuyers.
Beal Chief Executive Richard Beal said: “This application sets out our plans to bring hundreds of much-needed, high-quality new homes to Immingham.
“It represents a major vote of confidence in the housing market in the town and the wider area. We see Immingham as a place with strong pent-up demand for new homes as well as potential for further growth, driven by major investment on the south bank of the Humber.
“We propose to deliver this development over coming years, meaning we will be investing millions of pounds into the area year after year, creating new jobs in construction and supporting services.
“The plans are for a wide range of properties, including starter homes that will enable local first-time buyers to take their first step onto the housing ladder.”
Beal land director Chris Murphy said: “We have worked closely with planning officers at North East Lincolnshire Council and other key stakeholders to develop and refine these proposals.
“The site is allocated for housing under North East Lincolnshire Council’s Local Plan and has outline planning approval for 525 homes, so this application is seeking final approval for the detailed layout and design of the development.
“It offers a natural extension to existing housing in Immingham and will enhance the quality, availability and choice of homes in the town.”
Don’t get caught in a scam, HMRC warns self-assessment taxpayers
Self Assessment taxpayers are urged to be on the lookout for scam texts, emails and phone calls from fraudsters.
This warning comes as HMRC received more than 130,000 reports about tax scams in the 12 months to September this year, of which 58,000 were offering fake tax rebates.
With around 12 million people expected to submit a Self Assessment tax return for the 2022 to 2023 tax year before next January’s deadline, fraudsters will prey on customers by impersonating HMRC. The scams take different approaches. Some offer a rebate; others tell customers that they need to update their tax details or threaten immediate arrest for tax evasion.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “HMRC is reminding customers to be wary of approaches by fraudsters in the run up to the Self Assessment deadline. Criminals are great pretenders who try and dupe people by sending emails, phone calls and texts which mimic government messages to make them appear authentic.
“Unexpected contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK, ” she added.
Customers can report any suspicious communications to HMRC:- forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599
- forward emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
- report tax scam phone calls to HMRC on GOV.UK.
Yorkshire-based printer invests heavily in factory upgrades and new jobs
Rotherham-based online printer instantprint has invested more than £500,000 on factory upgrades that will create new job opportunities in addition to the 40 new ones introduced since August.
The company’s latest investment includes the introduction of a top of the range inline cutting solution that enhances efficiency and reduces paper waste in line with its sustainability strategy. Increased quality and efficiency also means that instantprint is able to pass these savings on to their customers and remain a leader as the fastest turnaround printer in the UK with the latest cut-off time of 5pm for next-day delivery.
instantprint has introduced more than 40 new jobs since August, and is still hiring. They are currently hiring for a range of roles and positions including a Senior Graphic Designer, Production Planners and PPC Manager.
Laura Mucklow, Head of instantprint, said: “Our investment presents opportunities for both instantprint and individuals in the region who are seeking employment within a dynamic and expanding enterprise. It also means we’re able to offer our customers better quality products on a fast turnaround at a price that is fair.
‘At instantprint we’re all about providing customers with high quality print on a fast turnaround that makes our business clients grow. This investment positions us for sustained success and enables us to do what we do best – help businesses thrive.’
London firm moves to Sheffield to benefit from South Yorkshire’s advantages
Data technology start-up TUBR has moved from London to Sheffield and is set for growth with investment from Finance Yorkshire.
The company has now raised a total of £473,000 following a second funding round of £220,000 including £100,000 from Finance Yorkshire’s Seedcorn Fund alongside existing and other new investors.
Founded by entrepreneur Dash Tabor, the company provides a machine learning platform which enables businesses to turn data into informed actions quickly. The technology can be used across many sectors where it can predict likely future events, for example in retail, forecasting customer demand patterns as an aid to stock and staff planning or in environmental control, predicting pollution patterns from data collected through sensors.
Based at Sheffield Technology Parks, TUBR has attracted considerable interest with a previous funding round in 2022 which included US based venture fund BlueWing VC.
Dash’s career has been spent in technology data product management, monetising data solutions. She said: “I started building the TUBR technology understanding that companies would need machine learning and AI to compete post pandemic. The solution can be used to predict demand and improve operations.
“The investment from Finance Yorkshire and other investors will help us advance the technology and the speed of implementing it so we can start growing our customer base.”
Dash has relocated the TUBR business to Sheffield Technology Parks from London. “I was attracted to South Yorkshire because of the support available to start-ups and that I can tap into the ecosystem at the technology park and gain knowledge from its network to help build the business.”
Finance Yorkshire chief executive Alex McWhirter said: “Our seedcorn fund is perfect for supporting start-ups to scale up just like TUBR. Data technology is progressing at considerable pace and Dash’s vision and ambition for her solution is to be applauded. We are pleased to support the company and Dash’s entrepreneurialism.”
Finance Yorkshire’s seedcorn fund is part of a wider regional business fund which is expected to provide more than £50m to SMEs over five years. Investment is also available from its growth and business loans funds.
Yorkshire and the Humber resilient in the face of UK-wide fall in start-ups and rise in insolvency-related activity
With businesses across the UK facing the challenges of continuing high interest rates, Yorkshire and the Humber is remaining stalwart having put in a relatively strong performance in September compared to many other regions, according to the latest research from the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body, R3.
The research, which is based on an analysis of data provided by CreditSafe, shows that only two of the 12 regions and nations surveyed saw a rise in the number of new businesses last month. Yorkshire and the Humber had one of the lowest falls since August with a drop of just 1.7% as 4,294 start-ups launched in September. The highest levels of new businesses were in Northern Ireland (up 4.9%) and Wales (up 3%), followed by East Anglia (-1%).
In contrast, all of the other eight regions and nations saw month-on-month falls in new businesses of more than 4%.
In terms of levels of insolvency-related activity (which includes liquidator and administrator appointments and creditors’ meetings), much of the UK saw a rise between August and September 2023.
The greatest increases were seen in Northern Ireland (up 233%); and East Midlands (up 36%); while Yorkshire and the Humber (up 9%) was among four regions and nations with single digit increases. The best performing were the North East with a fall of 25.3%, Scotland (down by 17.6%) and the North West (-11.5%), and three others also saw falls in insolvency-related activity.
“In the midst of the pressure of high interest rates, there’s no doubt that businesses across the UK are feeling financial strain,” says Eleanor Temple, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and a barrister at Kings Chambers in Leeds.
“The combination of pandemic debt, together with higher borrowing costs and falling consumer confidence, is not only leading to increased levels of insolvency-related activity in many regions and nations, but is also having a detrimental effect on the number of would-be entrepreneurs prepared to launch new initiatives.
“While Yorkshire and the Humber appears to be faring relatively well in such a difficult economic environment, after 14 interest rates hikes and with fears that the UK may officially enter recession next year, the worst may not be over.
“In fact, many experts believe that UK interest rates have not yet peaked and may remain high long-term as the Bank of England continues to struggle to control inflation. Businesses would be well-advised to prepare for a challenging winter and seek advice from insolvency experts at the first sign of financial problems.”
Cheers! Drinks industry welcomes lighter touch on labelling
New reforms to the UK’s wine industry aimed at driving investment, growth and jobs, have been welcomed by the industry.
Miles Beale, Chief Executive of the UK’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association said: “We welcome the measures announced by the Government, many of which the WSTA has been calling for for a number of years.
“Removing the restrictive rules on importer labelling will significantly reduce the post-Brexit impact of having to have a unique UK label. Moving to labelling Food Business Operator should allow one common label for both UK and EU markets, which will maintain the UK as an attractive destination market and support our aim for UK consumers continue to have access to the widest possible choice of wine from around the world.
“And at a time when businesses are doing all they can to minimise packaging waste, changes to packaging rules will be good for business, the environment and consumers.”
Feedback from the wine industry showed that certain regulations within the current 400-page rulebook have been stifling innovation and preventing the introduction of more efficient and sustainable practices. Changes will include removing expensive and cumbersome packaging requirements – such as ending the mandatory requirement that certain sparkling wines must have foil caps and mushroom-shaped stoppers. This will reduce unnecessary waste and packaging costs for businesses. Outdated rules around bottle shapes will also be scrapped, freeing up producers to use different shapes. The government will also remove the requirement for imported wines to have an importer address on the label – the Food Business Operator responsible for ensuring all legal requirements are met will still need to be identified on the label, as is the standard requirement for food products. This will create more frictionless trade and reduce administrative burdens. Further reforms will also give producers more freedom to use hybrid varieties of grapes. This will enable growers to choose the variety that works best for them and reduce vine loss due to disease or climate change, while also providing greater choice to consumers.Four in five business leaders are ‘accidental managers’, report discovers
Doncaster Chamber is highlighting the need for businesses to have adequate training and development in place for their leaders, following the release of a nationwide study on the topic.
The Chartered Management Institute has revealed that 82% of new managers in the UK have received no formal training whatsoever, having instead been promoted to their position on grounds that they were good at their previous job, are popular within their respective organisation, or because they simply happened to be available to take charge. Categorising these individuals as “accidental managers”, it goes on to argue that they are not equipped with the necessary skills for running a team and that this lack of experience can have an extremely damaging effect on the wider business.
The Institutes findings chime with research conducted in South Yorkshire earlier this year, as part of the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan. Led by Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, this involved comprehensive desk-based research and consultations with more than 2,000 employers, with the ultimate goal of identifying the latter’s skills needs and offering ways to meet them.
Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “It’s important that we acknowledge this problem and do not turn a blind eye to it. A poor manager can make the difference between a team performing well and it needlessly floundering. Not to mention, they also are a major influence in terms of staff retention, with the old adage that ‘people leave managers not companies’ often proving to be true.
“On the other hand, a good leader can take a business to new heights and those employers that choose to invest in management development programmes will reap the benefits. Indeed, ensuring that your leaders are trained and supported can boost everything from productivity to staff morale and engagement.
“In this context, some of the Charted Management Institute’s conclusions are quite concerning. As the CMI has correctly pointed out, this negative trend must be reversed in order for UK businesses to thrive and be at their very best. Otherwise, they will never be able to unlock their full potential.
“While we will continue to lobby for further support to be made available in this regard — through the recommendations of our LSIP — I would like to take this opportunity to also implore local businesses to see what help is already out there for them. After all, we have a wealth of exceptional institutions, education providers and programmes right here in South Yorkshire that are delivering outstanding skills activities that can help managers with their professional development. Even if this might require some extra investment from employers, it will surely pay off in the long run. All too often we have a deficit-based conversation about skills, whereas we have some excellent provision in our region that can help with the challenges laid out in reports like the one published by the CMI.”
