Sheffield’s Leadmill granted premises licence

Stuart Pearcey
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Sheffield’s Leadmill granted premises licence
An application for a premises licence for ‘The Leadmill’, 6-7 Leadmill Road, has been granted, with conditions, by Sheffield City Council’s Licensing Sub Committee. The application was submitted by MVL Properties 2017 Ltd, the landlord of the building. The venue is able to remain open and continue to operate under its current licence conditions. Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “The Leadmill is a much-loved venue which has hosted some of the world’s best bands. It holds an important place in our city’s music scene, and I know many residents have very special memories of The Leadmill. “The application for a shadow licence was approved because the council’s Licensing Sub Committee found that the applicants demonstrated they could uphold all four of the licensing objectives. “As a statutory Licensing Authority, the council has a legal duty to be fair, unbiased and treat each licence application the same. The application for a shadow licence for ‘The Leadmill’ by MVL Properties 2017 Ltd was treated impartially and the case was considered on its own merits. “I’d like to reassure residents that the premises licence held by The Leadmill’s management team remains valid and the venue is able to remain open and run as normal.”

Andy joins Pugh auction house in Director role

Stuart Pearcey
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Andy joins Pugh auction house in Director role
Auction house Pugh has boosted its senior team with the appointment of award-winning auctions specialist Andy Thompson, previously a director at SDL Property Auctions. Thompson joins Pugh as a director, and has over 15 years’ experience of the North West auctions market, starting out in his property career with Edward Mellor before joining SDL Property Auctions in Manchester as a valuer in 2017. He was appointed SDL director of auctions in 2022. Thompson’s appointment comes after Pugh joined forces with South Yorkshire property auctioneer Mark Jenkinson this summer to combine the two firms’ monthly auction listings/
Pugh MD Paul Thompson said: “Andy has rapidly become one of the leading lights of the North West auctions industry and we’re really pleased to welcome him to the Pugh team, where I have no doubt he will go from strength to strength and help to drive the continued growth of the business.” Andy Thompson said: “This is an exciting time to join Pugh, which is fast becoming the go-to property auction house in the north and more widely across the country. “I am looking forward to playing a key role in the firm’s continuing growth, building on my experience of selling a vast range of residential and commercial properties on behalf of both private individuals and corporate clients across the North West.”

Henry Boot Construction re-establishes Yorkshire framework position and expands into the East Midlands

Tess Egginton
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Henry Boot Construction re-establishes Yorkshire framework position and expands into the East Midlands
Henry Boot Construction has been re-appointed to the £8bn Procure Partnerships National Framework for its second iteration. In addition to securing its position in the Yorkshire region again, having been originally selected in 2019, the business has now been added to the East Midlands region of the framework as well. The second framework will start to support the procurement of projects from November 2023 and run until 2027. Henry Boot Construction’s Framework Manager, Jason Thompson, shared his thoughts on the appointment: “The framework really aligns with our own company values ambitions – putting social value, sustainability and technical innovation at the heart of the projects we undertake. “In the first edition of the framework we represented Yorkshire, seeing us secure the £7.5m Weston Park Hospital Linear Accelerator contract. “We are now thrilled to be able to increase our coverage and add East Midlands to the programme. This will offer us and our supply chain even more business opportunities further afield and continue to grow our reputation across the UK. “It is also a fantastic opportunity to be able to build on the strong, successful working relationships we at Henry Boot Construction have developed with those in the Procure Partnerships team. “Developing these relationships is essential to the success of frameworks such as this one. Collaboration and shared learnings are key to frameworks succeeding and that is something that we value greatly. “This is not just an opportunity to bid for and hopefully win projects, but it also will help to provide us with the support and growth opportunities that will allow us to expand our regional supply chain – supporting the wider sector in the Midlands and the North of England.” Speaking about Henry Boot Construction’s appointment Robbie Blackhurst, Director at Procure Partnerships Framework at Procure Partnerships, added: “Henry Boot Construction has an extensive portfolio of delivering successful projects and we’re delighted to welcome them back onto the second iteration of the Procure Partnerships Framework. “The new edition of the framework is set to transform public and private sector procurement and we look forward to seeing what Henry Boot achieves over the next four years.” Established to support public sector bodies to procure contractor partners, the Procure Partnerships Framework is divided regionally, supporting the framework values of local delivery with national governance. The Procure Partnerships Framework pushes the boundaries of how procurement can support public sector bodies to deliver their strategic targets. The framework is designed to be flexible and provides clients with different call-off options and up to eight forms of call-off contracts.

Net zero support unequal across England with less than 1% of small firms receiving help from key schemes

Tess Egginton
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Net zero support unequal across England with less than 1% of small firms receiving help from key schemes
A national ‘Help to Green’ scheme will help narrow the resource gap of small firms in their pursuit of net zero as they face significant differences in government support levels from region to region, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Warwick Business School, published today (Tuesday 26 September). The ‘Help to Green’ scheme is a FSB initiative backed by 11 other trade associations and former Energy Minister Chris Skidmore’s Review of Net Zero. It consists of an online hub of practical information on reducing energy usage and a voucher or grant scheme, with a value of up to £5,000 a time. The research, which was carried out by researchers at the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick Business School, measured the breadth and depth of net zero support programmes. It found that less than one per cent of local small firms have benefitted from key local support schemes across England on net zero, raising concerns over the reach and accessibility of the programmes as the UK’s 2050 target edges closer. The Less Than 1% Club report identifies 719 interventions across England targeting SMEs, such as online tools and information, training and one-on-one advice, provided through 282 programmes. Despite the substantial number of programmes and interventions, these are failing to reach the vast majority of small firms. The most common type of net zero intervention offered to firms is online tools and information. Training, one-to-one advice and grants are also prevalent. Small firms face a fragmented and uneven net zero support landscape. For example, in the East of England, home to over 540,000 small businesses, there were only 43 interventions from 19 programmes. In contrast, more than 530,000 small businesses in the South West region were offered 102 interventions through 37 programmes. Small businesses also face future challenges due to the changing funding landscape for net zero business support in England. While local authorities emerge as the most common funder, the second most common source of funding – the European Regional Development Fund – came to an end in June this year, as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, leaving the future of some programmes in limbo. In light of the findings, the report puts forward a list of recommendations to the UK Government and local authorities, including:
  • Introducing a national ‘Help to Green’ scheme, consisting of an online hub of practical information on reducing energy usage and carbon emissions. The scheme would include a voucher or grant scheme, with a value of up to £5,000 a time, which would make a grant contribution to investing in low emission transport solutions, sustainable manufacturing, energy efficiency or microgeneration.
  • Simplifying the English business support landscape for net zero by establishing one business support brand across England, e.g. Business England. This can make it easier for businesses of different sizes to navigate, whilst maintaining the connection to local support.
  • Offering small businesses a combination of audits and grants for net zero where possible. Audits provide clarity over the required steps which are tailored to specific needs. For most small businesses, participation and help overcoming the financial barrier many businesses face in the transition to net zero.
Richard Askew, FSB England Policy Unit Chair, said: “Small businesses play a critical role in reaching net zero by 2050 and it’s encouraging to see that many firms are taking steps to mitigate their impact on the environment – from installing basic measures such as LED lighting to becoming fully self-sufficient microgenerators. “But reaching net zero is a complex process and there are still many small businesses that lack the money, resources and time to progress their decarbonising efforts. “Despite the availability of various programmes and interventions aimed at net zero practices, there are major concerns about their accessibility and reach. These existing programmes are also now facing uncertainty due to the end of the European Regional Development Fund, changing the funding landscape. This report outlines ways in which the current gap between engagement and achieving net zero can be closed. To make sure we remain on track towards net zero, we need to make sure existing barriers are overcome so that small firms can access the right support.” Dr Kevin Mole, Associate Professor at Warwick Business School and author of the report, said: “Our research has found that net zero support in England is fragmented and piecemeal, which is concerning when we consider the scale of the climate challenge we are facing. Small firms are being asked to pick up the bill for net zero when they are still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic and find themselves in the midst of a cost of living crisis. This situation urgently needs to be addressed and more investment in support is clearly justified given that the benefits from moving to net zero are shared by all of us.”

Incommunities appoints new IT and digital transformation director

Tess Egginton
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Incommunities appoints new IT and digital transformation director

Bradford-based housing provider Incommunities has appointed David Cawthray as its new IT and digital transformation director.

David joins from Accent Housing where he was director of digital innovation for four years.

Prior to that he was at Bradford Council, first as IT director and then as director of transformation. He started his career working for Pace plc based in Salts Mill where he worked for 17 years before deciding that he wanted to move into a role with more social purpose.

Executive director of business operations, Sara Sheard, said: “I am delighted David is joining us at such an exciting time in our journey as we develop our five-year corporate strategy where we really want to transform how we use technology to transform the customer experience.

“He will bring extensive experience in developing digital transformation strategy which will be of immense value as we continue on our journey to drive change and improve services for our customers.”

David Cawthray added: “I have found social housing to be such an exciting, rewarding and challenging sector to work in. I am very much looking forward to joining Incommunities. I believe that technology can be used to deliver a modern customer focused service while freeing up colleagues to concentrate on customer and community needs.”

David will begin his new role in October 2023.

Pioneer of city living in Leeds moves back into the property game

Tess Egginton
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Pioneer of city living in Leeds moves back into the property game

Leeds city living specialist, Jonathan Morgan, who spent more than a quarter of a century pioneering and driving the city centre’s transformation into a thriving residential market, has returned to the property industry after joining Zenko Properties.

Jonathan launched Morgans in 1997 and the company became the leading city living agency in Leeds, at the forefront of the city’s urban revolution, before being acquired in 2019. Services spanned sales, lettings and property management on behalf of a vast range of clients including individual landlords, private developers, housing associations, banks and major institutions.

Zenko Properties was founded in Leeds city centre in 2015 by Tobias Duczenko and its lettings division currently manages more than 700 properties, as well as offering residential sales, specialist property investment services and block management.

Jonathan joins Zenko as a partner and will support Tobias and the 10-strong team in growing the business and building the company’s reputation as the go to residential agent of choice in Leeds city centre.

Following Jonathan’s appointment, Zenko has already been appointed to let and manage 20 brand new apartments at Devonshire House on York Place.

Leeds-based property investment company, King & Co is behind the transformation of the Grade II listed building, which was originally built as woollen warehouses in the late 1800’s and designed by architect George Corson in the Victorian Gothic revival style. The apartments will be ready to move into this month.

Jonathan said: “City living has been a major part of my life for more than a quarter of a century and after a short break, I realised that I’m not done with it yet, and I’m excited to be starting a new chapter at Zenko.

“It’s a business that I’ve admired for a long time, with an experienced team, and it has quickly established a strong foothold in the market, with a growing rentals portfolio and a strong sales division.

“It’s a fascinating time for city living in Leeds, with numerous high-quality schemes on the horizon from both local and national developers, and we’re delighted to win the instruction to let and manage Devonshire House, as we work on becoming the leading city living agent in Leeds.”

Zenko’s founder, Tobias Duczenko, added: “Ever since our first major appointment in 2015 to sell more than 100 homes at The Chandlers on The Calls, and retaining 50% to start our lettings and management journey, we have been able to continue growing and expanding our market share.

“I still deal directly with each individual landlord and this personal touch, combined with high quality marketing and exceptional customer service, is key to our success. Welcoming Jonathan into the team will only enhance this further.

“He’s very well-known in the industry and is still synonymous with the most successful residential agency the city centre has ever seen, so there’s no doubt he’ll be a valuable addition to Zenko.”

Jonathan is also well-known for his work with local charities in and around Leeds. He is currently a director of two community enterprises in The Hunslet Club and Gipton Fire Station Community Enterprise and was a joint founder of the Crypt Factor, the annual singing competition for the north of England’s property industry, which has so far raised over £900,000 for charity.

Hull firm adds to heritage portfolio with acquisition of Old Town pub

Tess Egginton
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Hull firm adds to heritage portfolio with acquisition of Old Town pub
A family firm which has won business and heritage awards for its part in regenerating Hull city centre has acquired an historic pub in the Old Town. Allenby Commercial has bought the Corn Exchange on the corner of North Church Side and Market Place for an undisclosed sum. The company, which has won awards for its transformation of the 17th century Danish Buildings and Bayles House and the Victorian Paragon Arcade, said it is committed to taking the same, careful approach to its latest addition. Charlie Allenby, development director at Allenby Commercial, said: “The Corn Exchange operated as a pub for maybe 300 years but more recently successive operators have struggled to make it work and earlier this year it became vacant again. “We haven’t made a decision about exactly what to do with it but we will look at the sort of options it presents, and we are absolutely committed to looking after it.” The Corn Exchange enjoyed a revival after being taken over in 2018 by Hull-based Atom Brewery. But the pub changed hands when Atom moved out in 2022 and it went on the market after closing again during the summer. Georgia Allenby, design and marketing director at Allenby Commercial, said: “It’s a prime site with a lot of history and it’s a great fit with our portfolio in Hull city centre which is all about taking iconic local properties, bringing them back to life with stylish and careful restorations, and creating jobs. “Our other projects provide plenty of evidence of our commitment to work with innovation and imagination and to embrace the heritage of our city. Whatever we do with the Corn Exchange will maintain the standards we have set.”

Altitude PR to reach new heights for charity

Tess Egginton
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Altitude PR to reach new heights for charity
The team at Sheffield-based PR consultancy Altitude are determined to live up to their name by taking on a 160ft charity abseil. The four-strong team will plunge in unison from the top of the towering Owen Building at Sheffield Hallam University in late September. Altitude has been working with fellow Sheffield Chamber of Commerce Patrons, St Luke’s Hospice, and is hoping to raise much needed funds for the charity by reaching new heights at the year’s Abseil Challenge. St Luke’s Hospice, which operates in Sheffield, supports people aged 18 and above with terminal illnesses, as well as their families and their loved ones, with medical and holistic care from the point of diagnosis and beyond. Adam Reeves-Brown, PR and Communications Director at Altitude, said: “When we launched in early 2022, we knew we’d be undertaking some kind of aerial challenge at some point. With a name like Altitude, it’s inevitable! “Not only are we eager to support a charity that we work with, and one that does a lot of good for the people of Sheffield, we’re eager to do something that aligns with our wider values and helps raise money to benefit St Luke’s patients across the region.” Gemma Lancaster, from St Luke’s Fundraising team, said: “We’re looking forward to seeing fellow Patron of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, Altitude, take part in the Abseil challenge to help raise money for our patient care. “We can’t wait to support the team as they descend 160ft down the Owen Building in aid of St Luke’s.” To help Altitude raise funds for St Luke’s please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/altitude-pr

Authority’s Board agrees £80m of project funding and announces new members

Stuart Pearcey
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Authority’s Board agrees £80m of project funding and announces new members
Members of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s Board have approved plans to deliver around £80m of projects across the region. More than £15m was granted to housing projects, including the conversion of Cannon Brewery to provide over 500 new homes in Sheffield and the retrofit of insulation to over 300 homes in Doncaster. A £760k grant was made to improve active travel options along the Tinsley-Magna corridor between Sheffield and Rotherham, while £670k is being released for the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Capability Fund, in advance of money being received from government to support the roll-out of charging infrastructure across all four South Yorkshire districts. The Board agreed to formally wind down the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership from September, and replace it with two new consultative boards. Applications to the Business Advisory Board were made over the summer, with the first appointments now made. The first six appointments are: Louisa Harrison Walker representing the three South Yorkshire Chambers (Barnsley & Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield); Rachel Abbott representing the Cutlers, South Yorkshire International Trade Forum, Manufacturers Forum and Made In Sheffield; Dawn Huntrod representing MakeUK; Paula Gouldthorpe representing the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB); Angela Foulkes representing the South Yorkshire Skills Advisory Board (SYSAB); and Liz Blackshaw representing the Northern Trade Union Congress. Members were also updated on the latest plans for the Local Visitor Economy Partnership, South Yorkshire Music Hub and Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Chamber AGM takes place in mood of ‘cautious optimism’

Stuart Pearcey
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Chamber AGM takes place in mood of ‘cautious optimism’
Cautious optimism was the theme of the AGM of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce at The Great Victoria Hotel in Bradford. Chaired by Amanda Beresford of Schofield Sweeney, the thirty-minute meeting delved into how the Chamber has performed over the past twelve months – both in a financial sense and the physical work performed by Chamber members. The annual report, produced by James Mason, chief executive of the WNY Chamber, discusses the many achievements of the Chamber and the progress which has been made over the past year. This report was adopted by the Chamber members at the AGM unanimously and Amanda further noted that, despite recent challenges arising from political upheaval, interest rates and inflation, “optimism levels remain higher in Yorkshire than the national average and businesses are showing little sign of looking to reduce head counts.” Elsewhere within the meeting, sixteen individuals, nominated by local representative groups were appointed as non-executive directors of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber. These individuals included Amanda and James, in addition to Laurence Beardmore, Chris Black, Mike Briffett, Aquila Choudhry, Mark Cowgill, Sarah Czarnecki, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Kerry Hope, Scott Jenkins, Nasreen Karim, Dan Murray, Craig Thomson, Victoria Wainwright and Suzanne Watson. Following this appointment, Chamber members were asked to accept members of each of the three area representative groups (the Bradford Chamber Leadership Group, the York & North Yorkshire Chamber Leadership Group, and the Leeds Chamber Leadership Group). After the AGM came the Annual Lunch, at which members got an opportunity to listen to three guest speakers: Zulfi Karim DL, West Yorkshire High Sheriff, David Kerfoot and Alison Lowe from West Yorkshire Combined Authority and then take part in an informative Q and A session.
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