Sheffield adds 15 fully-insured vehicles to electric van trial
Almost 200 Sheffield companies have taken part in the city’s electric van trial, with more vehicles to be made available.
It’s two years since the launch of the first electric van trial in Sheffield, with the Council now going a step further to support local businesses, charities, and organisations by introducing fully insured vehicles as part of the trial.
Since launching in June 2021 with 30 vans, the electric van trial has gone from strength to strength, with about 190 businesses taking up the opportunity to trial a van for up to two months at no charge.
The Council is now going even further by offering up 15 fully insured electric vans for the trials – which businesses can access with a one-off admin fee of £200, to give even more people an opportunity to take part in the trial.
In most cases, the one-off admin fee will be a more cost-effective and less time-consuming alternative to individuals sourcing van insurance independently. To take advantage of this offer, all drivers need to be aged 25 or over, full terms and conditions can be checked during the application process.
The Council is working with Churchill Expert, Direct Line Group’s flexible fleet insurance specialist, to provide fully comprehensive insurance for the trials.
Cllr Mazher Iqbal, Co-Chair of Transport, Regeneration & Climate Committee, said: “The electric van trial in Sheffield is a brilliant initiative and we want all local businesses, charities and organisations that use vans to have an opportunity to take advantage of this trial.
“That’s why we have taken 15 vans and fully insured them, opening up the opportunity to those who have previously been unable to get involved. Light good vehicles, such as vans are only 13% of the vehicles on the roads but contribute to over a quarter of the harmful emissions in Sheffield.
“I hope this will encourage people to come and give the electric vans a go. Ultimately, we want to give people the confidence to invest in cleaner, electric vehicles moving forward – with the Clean Air Zone now live in Sheffield, now is the perfect time.”
Nicola Richmond, Head of Churchill Expert Flexible Fleet Partnerships, said: “Transitioning to an electric van can seem daunting, so we are delighted to support this unique initiative which allows businesses to experience what it would genuinely be like to drive one for an extended period. Electric vans are becoming increasingly popular and the range and choice of vans coming to market is rapidly increasing. With the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles fast approaching, this initiative is a great way to support businesses by helping to give them the confidence to switch from traditionally fuelled vehicles to electric ones.
“We are excited to be arranging fleet insurance for Sheffield County Council and look forward to growing this partnership in the future.”
Companies interested in taking part in the trial can fill out the online application: https://forms.sheffield.gov.uk/form/auto/apply_electric_van_trial
New company offers firms solar energy benefits with no upfront costs
Global financial services group company Macquarie Energy Leasing Limited has launched a new rooftop solar business in Great Britain. OnStream Solar will fund, install and maintain onsite rooftop solar PV systems and offer Power Purchase Agreements to commercial and industrial customers.
OnStream Solar seeks to accelerate the uptake of solar by commercial and industrial energy consumers across Great Britain by offering to install onsite projects at no upfront cost in exchange for a PPA.
This offers medium-to-large businesses a capital efficient way to save on their energy costs whilst directly reducing their carbon emissions and contributing towards their ESG goals. Thanks to strong cost declines over the last decade, rooftop solar typically enables consumers to reduce and stabilise their energy costs, especially in the current environment of high and often changing grid electricity prices.
OnStream Solar is able to support installations of all sizes and will initially be working with businesses operating in sectors such as cold storage, warehousing, logistics, data centres, manufacturing, food and beverage and retail and tourism.
Neil Denley, MD of Macquarie Energy Leasing Limited said: “As more businesses focus on rising costs, the challenges around the energy transition are shifting. The launch of OnStream Solar marks an important milestone in our ambition to create a leading commercial and industrial rooftop solar development platform. An agile, flexible, development-focused business, backed by the global expertise, resources and reach of Macquarie, OnStream Solar is the perfect vehicle to help businesses retain competitiveness whilst delivering on their sustainability ambitions.”
OnStream Solar builds on Macquarie Energy Leasing Limited’s two decades of experience and expertise working in the UK on behind-the-meter energy solutions and aims to offer a broad range of financial, environmental and operational benefits to its customers. Macquarie Energy Leasing Limited continues to support energy suppliers with the roll-out of smart meters as one of the largest independent investors in meters in Great Britain.1
York offers free tech advice to city businesses
Businesspeople in York can boost their digital skills through at a business event set up in a collaboration between the city council and Google Digital Garage, provide three webinars and a free, in-person training and mentoring day.
Google Digital Garage provides online and live webinar digital skills training to businesses and to individuals in the UK to help people grow their skills, businesses or careers.
In addition to the training, each business that attends the workshops will be able to sign up to free 1-to-1 online mentoring with Google Digital Experts to ensure they can get guidance tailored to their specific digital needs – from building your brand on YouTube, Google Search and Maps to creating more ways to bring customers to your business.
The event will take place on Thursday 18 May at the Hospitium and is free to attend. Places are limited so people are advised to book ahead.
Councillor Ashley Mason, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, said: “We continue our work to empower and support our thriving local business community, enabling local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and access advice and support.
“I’m delighted that our first event of 2023 was such a success, with so many attendees taking the opportunity to develop their skills. With the ‘Courageous Females’ course now fully booked, we hope it will support and inspire more local women in business.
“This event is open to anyone working for a York business. I’d encourage anyone in York’s business sector, whether leading an established business or thinking of starting one, to attend the event and boost their digital skills.”
Debbie Weinstein, MD of Google UK & Ireland, said: “Digital technologies are truly transformative and can help businesses and individuals across the UK to increase their earnings, boost their productivity and unlock their full potential.
“As a former business owner myself, I understand how tough it is to know where to turn to for advice. That’s why we’re providing hands-on support as part of our nationwide digital skills drive to help equip more people with invaluable skills that help to create jobs and economic opportunities.”
New law protects seafarers’ wages and blocks legal loopholes
Thousands of seafarers regularly entering UK waters should now enjoy better pay protections thanks to a newly-passed law boosting their rights and protecting working conditions while preventing firms from using legal loopholes to pay low wages.
It’s the Seafarers’ Wages Act, which has been given Royal Assent and is designed to protect those working on vessels operating an international service from being paid less than the National Minimum Wage.
The law change will also require authorities to charge operators of vessels who do not provide evidence they’re paying their seafarers the equivalent to National Minimum Wage and to refuse harbour access to those who continue to fail to comply.
Last year, P&O Ferries shamelessly sacked nearly 800 staff without notice or consultation. The UK government has acted swiftly to progress its 9-point plan in response to this disgraceful behaviour and remains committed to seafarers as a priority, both domestically and internationally.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Our maritime sector is world-leading. That’s down to the thousands of hardworking seafarers working tirelessly to maintain supply chains and transport passengers safely across our waters.
“These workers deserve a fair wage and I’m therefore delighted to see our Seafarers’ Wages Act become law, helping improve pay and protect seafarers from exploitation.”
The government continues to engage with the UK’s near European neighbours to protect seafarers’ welfare and pay, and explore the creation of minimum wage equivalent corridors in our respective territorial waters. Earlier this month, during the UK-France summit in Paris, the Transport Secretary met his French counterpart Clément Beaune, with both nations pledging to continue working together to improve conditions for those working in the Channel and to protect them from exploitation.FET prepares for INDEX 23 Exhibition in Geneva
Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK will shortly be exhibiting at INDEX 23, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition in Geneva, 18-21 April.
As well as featuring its latest meltblown and spunbond technology, FET will focus on its new Fibre Development Centre. Construction and fit-out of this new purpose-built building is now fully operational and welcoming visitors. This modern two-storey development provides state-of-the-art facilities, including enhanced laboratory for client testing and product development.
FET designs, develops and manufactures extrusion equipment for a wide range of high value textile material applications worldwide, with nonwovens playing an ever-increasing role. Central to FET’s success has always been its ability to provide customers with advanced facilities and equipment, together with unrivalled knowledge and expertise in research and production techniques. The new Fibre Development Centre will further improve this service. Clients frequently spend several days on site participating in development trials and technical sales meetings, so the new Centre is designed to make their stay even more efficient and comfortable.
Resident equipment in the Fibre Development Centre reflects the wide range of fibre extrusion systems offered by FET to clients across the globe and will enable continued growth of the company through innovation.
Complementing FET’s highly successful meltblown technology, the more recent spunbond range provides unprecedented opportunities for the scaled development of new nonwoven fabrics based on a wide range of fibres and polymers, including bicomponents.
“FET has long been a leading exponent of sustainability in fibre technology and the company’s commitment to extending its range of systems that enable sustainability is clearly illustrated in our message at INDEX 23” says FET Managing Director Richard Slack. “We are celebrating FET’s 25th anniversary since incorporation and look forward to meeting customers old and new at the exhibition in Geneva, where we can discuss your nonwoven technology requirements in detail.”
Bank of England announces interest rate increase to 4.25%
The Bank of England has voted 7-2 to raise interest rates from 4% to 4.25%.
This marks the 11th increase in a row as the BoE struggles to get to grips with the country’s spiraling rate of inflation.
Grants of more than £300,000 offered to Keighley and Shipley businesses
Keighley and Shipley businesses are being invited to apply for grants of up to £315,000 to help them grow or develop – and several businesses are already benefiting.
The Keighley & Shipley Towns Fund Business Growth Programme is a capital grant to support businesses to develop and grow within the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund Areas. The Programme is designed to help new start-ups and small, medium-sized and large businesses based in, or looking to move to the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund areas. The funding can be used to either expand, increase productivity, create a new business, safeguard existing jobs and/or create new jobs.
The Towns Fund is a Government-funded support programme to boost the economies of towns across the UK. The programme is part of the Government’s Levelling Up plan. Decisions on grants are made by Towns Fund Boards for each town, which are made up of private sector representatives with support from Bradford Council.
The scheme has secured £33m for projects in Keighley and £25m for Shipley. The Business Growth Programme Capital Grant is a £4m fund to directly support businesses within these areas with £2m each allocated to the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund areas.
The grant scheme was launched in the last quarter of 2022 and is now open for applications. Businesses can apply for grants of £1,500 to £315,000 at an intervention rate of ten to 30 per cent. Businesses will need to provide quotes for their capital projects and other supporting information, including financial details, proof of ownership of the property or of a minimum three-year lease.
The programme can also help businesses to invest in ‘greener’ measures, such as solar panels, double glazing and more energy efficient roofing, if such investments aid increased productivity, efficiency, growth and job creation or protection.
Projects already supported by the scheme include:
- Yorkshire Precision Engineering Ltd, Keighley had their application approved to fund a new type of lathe to increase production capabilities and allow the development of new products for the healthcare sector, a new market for the business.
- Pave Haworth Ltd, a deli and bistro in Haworth – funding to extend into empty premises next door. The money will part-fund work to expand seating capacity, and extend the kitchen and basement. The project will also create three new full-time jobs and a number of part-time and seasonal posts.
- Chef Akila Ltd, an Indian ready meal manufacturer, received funding to fit out their new premises in Keighley. They also bought new equipment, employed new kitchen staff and were able to work more closely with suppliers as productivity increased.
- Byworth Boilers Ltd, a manufacturer of industrial boilers, has had its grant application approved to help replace old bending rolls with a larger capacity new set of CNC Davi rolls which will allow the company to improve productivity and increase capacity. The investment will also create five new jobs.
Work starts on project to restore Hull building’s 1930s glamour
Major restoration work has begun on Hull’s landmark Grade II-listed Burton building to restore the crumbling granite façade and art deco windows to their 1930s grandeur by the end of the year..
The building’s modern shopfronts will be replaced with new frontages in keeping with the original style and design. The ground floor is being renovated to enable its use as a restaurant or retail outlet, with flexible space available on the upper floors.
The building, on the corner of Whitefriargate and Carr Lane in the city centre, has four floors, plus a basement, together covering 11,000 sq ft. The proposed retail or restaurant area on the ground floor will offer 2,400 sq ft of floorspace, with the first, second and third floors each covering 2,500 sq ft.
Regeneration specialist Wykeland Group is leading the project, working closely with Historic England and Hull City Council’s Conservation Officer.
The project is being carried out without occupiers lined up, underlining Hull-based Wykeland’s commitment to preventing a landmark building falling into dereliction and bringing it back into sustainable use.
Jonathan Stubbs, Development Director at Wykeland, said: “The start of restoration work marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for one of Hull’s most distinctive and recognisable buildings.
“Since acquiring the former Burton building, our priority has been to deliver a sympathetic, faithful restoration which will bring an important asset back into use.
“This project is an important part of our long-term commitment to the regeneration of the city centre and especially the gateway to Whitefriargate, which links the heart of the city with the Old Town and waterfront.
“It builds on our track record of successful regeneration in our home city, including our part in the transformation of the Fruit Market waterfront area from near dereliction into a thriving, mixed use community.”
As much as 80% of the granite cladding on the Burton building is damaged. Replacement granite has been sourced from the same quarry in Norway, matching the geographical origin of the original stone, which is in a poor condition.
The art deco windows, which have suffered heavily from corrosion and distortion, will be replaced with new windows which are sympathetic to the original style of the building.
The building’s shopfronts will be enhanced with a new design which reflects historical photos and drawings of the building, dating back to the 1930s, while the original entrance to the store will be reinstated. Three replica art deco-style Burton signs will also be installed in their original locations on the outside of the building, including parapet signage on the roof line.
Inside, significant restoration work has already seen the original lift refurbished, with the parquet floor extensive plasterwork to be undertaken in this next phase of work. The upper floors will see some walls removed to create bright, open-plan spaces.
Due to the extent of the restoration work and the building’s listed status, grant funding was essential to make the project viable. The project is being supported by £750,000 from the Levelling Up Fund Grant Scheme, with a further £450,000 grant from Historic England.
Fashion retailer plans ten-shop upgrade of its bricks-and-mortar high street presence
Leeds based fashion and homes retailer Joe Browns plans to open ten stores across the UK by the end of next year, creating 200 jobs.
The announcement significantly increases its bricks and mortar footprint from the two existing stores at Meadowhall and in York.
In terms of locations for the other ten stores, the retailer says it is actively researching the most suitable shopping centres, cities and towns across the UK.
Chief Exec Peter Alecock said: “Extending our bricks and mortar footprint is a key building block to growing future brand awareness and sales. In simple terms, it’s about getting the brand visible to as many potential customers as we can.
“We know from our two existing stores, that customers are returning to the High Street and are wanting a variety of ways to shop with us.
“The new stores will bring to life everything that is remarkable about Joe Browns in environments that are unique to us, backed up with engaging customer service from colleagues that live and breath the Joe Browns ethos.
“We are looking at a variety of locations that we can share when we have signed on the dotted line. We really can’t wait to get cracking – its exciting times for the evolution of Joe Browns and when better than in our 25th year.”
The retailer recently shared what it called a ‘robust Christmas’ with sales up 19.5%in the four weeks to last Christmas, with sales in Menswear up 35.2%, Womenswear up 8.2% and home up 27%.
LEP Chair fears government plans could silence the voice of business
The Chancellor’s announcement that he is minded to cease funding Local Enterprise Partnerships beyond 2023/24, raises serious questions about consequent costs and the role of business, according to LEP Network Chair Mark Bretton.
He says that by implication, the Growth Hubs that have helped support millions of small businesses will also lose funding.
He said: “The Chancellor’s statement was a further step in LEPs’ evolving role in the devolution agenda, if not managed well, it could significantly diminish or even silence the voice of local business and damage the unique convening power that gets projects delivered, acknowledged as the hallmark of LEP success for over a decade.
“We have now received the letter from Ministers and met with Officials. The letter included clear statements from Ministers that the “minded to” decision is not about performance, but is driven by political policy. Our meetings have revealed the full scale of the challenge and complexity facing Officials – most LEPs are incorporated companies, a structure insisted upon by Government. Unravelling this with the trailing liabilities and accountability for significant sums of money will not be simple, yet we need to do all of this whilst continuing to deliver for our local communities.
“What the 2000 business leaders, 350 FE and HE Principals and Vice Chancellors and, indeed, the 200 democratically-elected local politicians on our LEP boards want to be clear on is that:
- Whitehall recognises the transition will cost money, not save it, under the new burdens rule on Local Authorities, whereby any new functions must be funded by government, both LAs and government need to agree what these functions would cost to effectively deliver them. There is no money in the LEP system or core funding settlement to pay for this exercise which will only serve to divert scarce resources from where they should be focused, stimulating economic growth and supporting local enterprise;
- LEP directors cannot be expected to shoulder ongoing liabilities and going concern commitments. Government must provide full indemnities and take complete responsibility for the implications of their decisions;
- Business must not be silenced or made ineffective – it must retain a meaningful voice to ensure investment is relevant and that it enables the creation of jobs – after all it is business which creates jobs, not government;
- Lessons learned, especially in business case assessment, project execution governance and the delivery of committed outcomes are not lost. Government needs to avoid a “cookie cutter” approach and ensure solutions are locally tailored.
- Most importantly, that the 1000 people employed in our Executive teams are respected and their talent is not wasted.
