Government organisation says inheritance tax changes will hit three quarters of farms

Stuart Pearcey
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Government organisation says inheritance tax changes will hit three quarters of farms
According to the Government’s own Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board the proposed changes to inheritance tax will affect more than three quarters of English and Scottish farms bigger than 50 hectares. NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “The fact that the government’s own levy board has now come to the same conclusion as the NFU, that 75% of commercial farm businesses could be affected by this policy – more than 42,000 farms – speaks volumes. “It could not be clearer that the data behind this abhorrent family farm tax is wrong and that the Treasury has drastically underestimated the scale of the impact on British farming and food.”
AHDB has calculated 42,204 out of 54,938 farming businesses (76.8%) in England and Scotland that are 50 hectares (124 acres) or larger will be affected. The study looks at average balance sheet data mainly sourced from Defra, the Farm Business Survey and the Scottish Government. More than half of those affected are involved in cereals or general cropping production as their main enterprise, with the rest predominantly livestock producers or mixed farming operations. The NFU has repeatedly warned of the risk the changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief pose to family farms throughout its Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign, with the majority of farms not earning enough money to pay the potential inheritance bill without selling off some of their land or business.

Sheffield businesses Visit Pittsburgh with city councillors

Stuart Pearcey
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Sheffield businesses Visit Pittsburgh with city councillors
Sheffield-based businesses Tickets for Good, Westfield Health, and Reach Studios are currently in the American city of Pittsburgh to help explore the possibilities for inter-city collaboration.

With Sheffield City Council Leader Tom Hunt and Chief Exec Kate Josephs they are working on building meaningful and fruitful relationships and to open lines of opportunity to work together in the future.

They will meet city officials and a range of organisations and businesses from the biological and advanced manufacturing, health, medical tech and robotics sectors, plus many more.

Tom Hunt said: “Sheffield is global, green and growing. We have world-leading strengths in many sectors, from advanced manufacturing to health technology, cultural industries and low carbon, resilient energy. This week we will share our knowledge and best practice with our friends in Pittsburgh. “As sister cities, Sheffield and Pittsburgh share a similar industrial past, but we have both seen our economies transform in recent decades. We both have big ambitions for our future and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can learn from one another and achieve together”

Work starts on sustainable Harrogate business units as part of scheme that could support 2,000 jobs

Tess Egginton
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Work starts on sustainable Harrogate business units as part of scheme that could support 2,000 jobs
Opus North and Bridges Fund Management have begun construction of the Harrogate 47 sustainable employment development in North Yorkshire. These works will deliver new flexible business units totalling more than 106,000 sq ft of high-specification Grade A space, with a focus on sustainability. The units are expected to complete in Autumn 2025. The partners will speculatively develop two terraces of flexible business units from 5,540-12,188 sq ft, as well as three detached units from 10,200-21,600 sq ft. Access and infrastructure works for this major new mixed-use employment scheme are now complete, allowing delivery of the first units on site. The appointed contractor is Stainforth Construction. The units are situated on a 45-acre site near Harrogate at J47 of the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, which in total comprises more than 600,000 sq ft of employment space for industrial, logistics, hi-tech and office uses, as well as amenity uses, within a landscaped environment. Planning permission was secured from Harrogate Borough Council for the low-carbon scheme, which is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and has the potential to support 2,000 jobs. Ryan Unsworth, Joint MD, Opus North, said: “Seeing construction of the units get underway at Harrogate 47 is a great way to start the year. Our innovative scheme has been designed with energy efficiency in mind to offer sustainable, high-quality property solutions for businesses.” Henry Pepper, Partner, Bridges Fund Management, said: “This well-connected development on the A1(M) corridor will support economic growth and job creation in the local area. “Our plan is to develop sustainable units that will be highly attractive to a range of regional or national occupiers looking for cost-efficient, future-proofed employment space. We are delighted that construction can now begin on the units.” North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “This is a very welcome investment in mixed use business accommodation in North Yorkshire. “It’s in a prime location to boost employment in the county and encourage economic growth across a range of sectors. We look forward to seeing the development take shape and hearing about the businesses that will eventually occupy the site.” Appointed agents for Harrogate 47 are CBRE and Gent Visick.

Contractor appointed in Hull for Drypool Bridge investment

Tess Egginton
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Contractor appointed in Hull for Drypool Bridge investment
Hull City Council’s cabinet has approved the appointment of Esh Construction Limited to deliver a programme of works to futureproof and extend the lifespan of Drypool Bridge. The historic structure has been a part of the city’s transport network and skyline for generations, but a routine inspection in April 2024 discovered that several of the load-bearing columns under the bridge had significantly deteriorated, resulting in a short-term closure to enable emergency repairs to be undertaken and allow the bridge to re-open. Since then, council engineers have been proactively planning a wider scheme of investment to the full structure, which will guarantee the bridge for 25 years and add a further 50 years to its operational life. “We’re committed to Hull’s bridges, as they play a massively important role in people’s day-to-day lives,” said Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways. “We know the council must maintain and invest to fix Drypool Bridge and that’s why we’re taking action. “Now that we’ve approved these next steps, the council will work with our contractor to deliver a scheme that will improve the bridge’s integrity and maintain it as a reliable transport link for decades to come. “We fully understand the frustration that roadworks can have for residents, commuters, businesses and visitors, but the council needs to step in now to fix this bridge. “As part of the scheme, we will look to reduce the likely impact that these essential works will have on the city.” Details of the scheme, including exact timeframes, will be announced in the coming weeks, but it is anticipated work will start on site in the spring and take approximately six months.

Streets gains greater footprint with further merger

Tess Egginton
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Streets gains greater footprint with further merger
Streets Chartered Accountants, a Lincolnshire-based top 40 UK professional service firm, has established Streets Hackett Griffey LLP. It follows the merger of the well-established Haverhill practice of Hackett Griffey Chartered Certified Accountants with Streets Chartered Accountants. This latest merger sees Streets establish a greater footprint in the East of England. When asked about the merger, Jon Griffey, Partner at Streets Hackett Griffey, said: “The firm was founded in 1984 by Philip Hackett but our roots can be traced back to the 1950s, making us by far the longest established firm in Haverhill and the surrounding area. “As such when myself and fellow partners Simon Iron and Nicky Harris were looking at a merger with a larger firm, it was important that we considered and were able to retain a local presence and personal service that our staff enjoy and clients expect. “We chose to merge with Streets as they are a very well respected and established firm and we are delighted to say they share the same client focussed ethos as we do which makes them somewhat unique amongst larger firms. “Streets are not private equity backed and have no interest in being so, which offers long term security for our staff and clients. “The need to look at a merger was driven by the fact that to remain competitive; to service the needs of clients and to look after our staff now and in the future, we need to be part of something bigger. “Being part of Streets offers economies of scale and a wide range of expertise and other services, the benefits of which we can pass onto our clients. They also offer sector specialisms such as agriculture, technology, legal and entertainment which will enable us to attract clients that require a more specialist service. “They also have a strong presence and so were the perfect fit for us. “The merger will offer much greater career prospects for our staff as Streets are keen to promote rising stars and offer opportunities to do more specialised work if they so want.” Looking at what the merger means to Streets, the firm’s Managing Partner, Paul Tutin, said: “We are delighted to have partners Jon Griffey, Simon Iron, Nicky Harris and their colleagues join the practice. It is especially pleasing to see and experience the mutual benefits and synergy to be had through firms like ours coming together. “It certainly is important to us and those firms we come together with to share the same ethos and values and to have a real sense of community in terms of that in which we live, work and for the clients we look after. “Following on from the merger of the Colchester and Essex practice of Whittles, now Streets Whittles, as well as Mitch Consulting, the specialist tech start up and scale up accountancy practice in the East of England, we have been keen to increase our presence locally. “With Hackett Griffey joining the practice we are truly becoming a significant player in the region. With our regional approach forming part of our overall strategy to be a substantial UK practice. “We continue to find that firms we talk to and that merge with us like our approach, which is very different to the private equity led deals, as we seek to build on the success of the existing practice and empower individuals to drive and lead on their future growth and success.” Streets Law, the firm’s dedicated corporate and commercial law offering led by Managing Director and Solicitor, Adam Aisthorpe, undertook the legal work on behalf of Streets for the merger, including drafting the sale and purchase agreement and dealing with the due diligence process in collaboration with internal colleagues in the tax and audit teams at Streets.

Scarborough sites pinpointed for redevelopment

Tess Egginton
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Scarborough sites pinpointed for redevelopment
Developers are due to be urged to come forward with initial plans to transform a series of sites in Scarborough’s North Bay amid proposals to bring a wave of new investment to the seaside town. Locations which are owned by North Yorkshire Council have been identified for potential redevelopment in the area. The sites are seen as providing an ideal opportunity for future development and are aimed at bringing fresh investment to Scarborough while helping to boost the town’s vital visitor economy, which is already worth £561 million each year and employs more than 5,600 full-time staff in the area. Members of executive will consider plans on Tuesday next week (4 February) for a marketing exercise to ask developers how they would transform the locations that have been identified for investment. The executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, whose responsibilities include economic development and the visitor economy, said: “Scarborough is one of our most popular destinations on the coast, and we want to help ensure that there is the investment in the town to benefit both local communities and visitors alike. “We believe these sites in the North Bay offer real potential to help to drive forward the local economy. “We will consider the proposals carefully to ensure that any market testing attracts the right sort of developer to provide the right kind of schemes for the town.” The sites which have been identified include the former Atlantis Waterpark, the former Marvel’s amusement park and the land that was previously the location of the Kinderland children’s activity park. The other sites include land where the town’s former indoor pool was based alongside its off-street parking while there are plans to maximise the potential for footpaths that weave around the North Bay. The Alpamare Waterpark, which North Yorkshire Council took control of in December 2023 when the previous operator went into administration, and its off-street parking have also been identified as one of the sites. The Alpamare site is currently run by Malton-based Flamingo Land, which has signed a 12-month lease after re-opening the attraction in July last year and has expressed an interest in extending the deal for a further year. A report to the executive has stressed that a waterpark should remain as one of the long-term attractions in the North Bay. The proposals would see the market testing launch in the middle of next month (February) and continue for between four and six weeks. It is hoped the exercise would allow the council to engage with private developers and gain an understanding of market interest and the potential for future development for the sites. The responses received from developers would be assessed and used to inform the council’s approach for the sites, with updates presented to elected members later this year. Deputy leader, Cllr Gareth Dadd, whose responsibilities include the authority’s finances, said: “The North Bay area of Scarborough does provide exciting opportunities for the town, and its future development would bring benefits for both residents and visitors. “The sites which have been identified could also have major financial benefits for the council if they are redeveloped and we will consider the options which are available for the approach to the market testing when the executive meets next week.” The report to the executive has outlined plans to bring high quality development to create a clear identity for the North Bay area and provide a contrast to the more traditional “seaside town” nature of the resort’s South Bay. The ambition would be for development to complement existing attractions in the area, including the Scarborough Open Air Theatre, the North Bay Railway and Peasholm Park. Under the plans for the market testing exercise, developers would be asked to provide a 1,000-word brief outlining projects which they have been involved in. They would also be asked to identify the potential for the sites and whether they would be interested in taking on more than one location for redevelopment. The market testing would ask for views on the inclusion of the Alpamare Waterpark site within the package of sites, and whether the council should also look to broaden the redevelopment plans to other locations in the town for longer-term partnerships. The chair of the Scarborough and Whitby area committee, Cllr Liz Colling, who represents the Falsgrave and Stepney division in Scarborough, said: “This is set to be the first step in identifying potential developers for these sites which will hopefully lead to investment to benefit our local communities in the town. “While the visitor economy is a huge part of Scarborough’s economy, we need to make sure that any development in the town is beneficial for residents too. “This is about the future of Scarborough and potentially bringing new job opportunities and careers to the people who live here and in the surrounding area. “This would help to ensure that the younger generations of our residents can remain in the town where they grew up and embark on a career here.”

Keighley firm appointed to fit out new Darley Street Market

Tess Egginton
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0
Keighley firm appointed to fit out new Darley Street Market
Bradford Council has appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to complete the fit out of two of the floors at the new Bradford city centre Darley Street Market. The company, which is based in Keighley, will be working with the traders on the fit out of the fresh food and the non-food floors at the new state of the art venue. They will be producing drawings based on individual trader requirements, prior to starting work on site to deliver the final fitout of these stalls which will be located on the middle and lower floors. R N Wooler and Co Ltd have experience working on markets, having carried out the refurbishment works to Keighley Market several years ago. They have also been involved in the transformation of the former Odeon building into Bradford Live. The new Darley Street Market building is set in a 4,000 square metre prime city centre location and has three trading floors that will welcome independent traders, as well as creating a cultural space for live music, arts and entertainment. The top floor will be a modern food and drinks hall with bar area, stage and large screens for events. This floor also has a terrace balcony overlooking the 1,000m2 open air market square. The middle floor will have a wide range of fresh food stalls including butchers, bakers, fishmongers, greengrocers and delicatessens. The ground floor is where the non-food stalls are, as well as two cafes which open out on to the market square. The square features a big screen and can hold around 500 people for events and concerts. It also has a series of interlocking umbrellas, which can be used to create an undercover area for pop-up market stalls and events. Below the market square is a large underground area for trader deliveries, additional storage and waste handling and recycling. Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce that we’ve appointed local firm R N Wooler and Co Ltd to work with traders on the creation of the stalls on the middle and lower floors based on their requirements. They did an amazing job on Bradford Live and it’s great to have them involved in another of our flagship regeneration projects. “The new market will be a real game changer for the city centre, providing a much-needed connection between the improvement work which has taken place at the top of town on the North Parade area as well as the new public spaces and traffic-free areas at the lower end of town which make it easier and safer for pedestrians. “The new Darley Street Market fits into our plans for City Village, which will create a healthy, sustainable and community-friendly neighbourhood with 1,000 homes, three community parks, retail, and office space.” Gareth Wooler, Director at R N Wooler and Co Ltd, said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed to work on the fit out of the new Darley Street Market. We’re a Bradford district business based in Keighley, so it’s fantastic to be working on such an incredible building and with local traders to produce market stalls that meet their requirements, which will also be serving local people and visitors to the district.”

Harworth predicts good financial results after strong year

Stuart Pearcey
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Harworth predicts good financial results after strong year
The Chief Exec of land and property developer Harworth says the company is confident of its ability to reach a £1 billion EPRA NDV target by the end of 2027. In a trading update on the back of a strong performance in 2024 Lynda Shillaw said: “We have an extensive platform to scale the business, owning and controlling a sizeable land pipeline, capable of delivering 33.6 million sq. ft. of Industrial & Logistics space and 31,264 new homes, and we remain well positioned in structurally undersupplied sectors that are fundamental to the UK’s economic growth. “With low debt and high available liquidity, we are well placed to take advantage of opportunities whilst remaining resilient through the near-term macro-economic uncertainty. “The consistency of Harworth’s performance over time continues to highlight the agility and resilient nature of our business model, and our team’s expertise in identifying and driving significant latent value from the portfolio. “We continue to make solid progress in delivering our strategy and are confident in our ability to continue to drive both strong returns and long-term value from our landbank and development activities.”  

Robotics software platform company secures £4m investment

Tess Egginton
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Robotics software platform company secures £4m investment
University of Sheffield spinout BOW (Bettering Our Worlds), a robotics software platform company, has secured £4 million.

The £4 million Seed round led by Northern Gritstone includes co-investors Finance Yorkshire and NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance.

The robotics market is projected to reach $260 billion by 2030. However, application development has been hampered by the complexity and cost of programming.

BOW offers a software platform that handles the complexities of robotics and allows developers to focus on innovation and creativity instead of technical challenges. Its ‘robot-agnostic’ software development kit (SDK) bridges the gap between diverse robotic systems, enabling integration and operation across multiple platforms, regardless of operating system or manufacturer.

BOW is already on an exciting trajectory with Liz Upton the Raspberry-Pi Co-Founder having joined the company as Chair of the Board. The company is working with OEMs, software development houses and research and development teams to address the core issues of portability between different makes and classes of robots.

Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Northern Gritstone is delighted to support BOW’s team, who once again demonstrate that world-leading technology businesses are being created in the North of England.

“BOW’s groundbreaking robotics platform is a perfect example of innovation in the region born out of the University of Sheffield’s world-class academic research.”

Nick Thompson, CEO of BOW, said: “The robotics market is growing fast, but that growth would be exponentially higher if the tremendous cost and complexity of programming robots were reduced.

“Robotics has an almost unlimited potential to help humanity solve global challenges, but the world simply can’t afford to wait for robotics to standardise around a single operating system and coding language.

“BOW’s universal software platform and SDK elegantly solve this intractable problem by enabling any software developer to program various types of robots using the coding language of their choice, make portable applications and enable easy interoperability between any make and model of robot.

“This £4 million seed investment, led by Northern Gritstone, will be used to build on our strong commercial traction to date, expand our brilliant team and accelerate our product development so we can unleash the full potential of robotics for the betterment of our world.”

Law firm names new associate director

Stuart Pearcey
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Law firm names new associate director

Yorkshire law firm Berwins has appointed estate planning specialist Paul Colman as an Associate Director.

Paul specialises in supporting those with complex estate planning needs and has a track record of delivering effective solutions in an accessible way.

MD Danielle Day said: “As a firm, we know the impact that deep expertise can have on the lives of those we support. Paul has that in abundance, and he combines that with an ability to condense complex legal concepts into accessible solutions.”

Paul will take on leadership on the firm’s estate planning work, working alongside department head, probate specialist, Derek Hellawell, who said: “The creation of two centres of excellence within the Life team, one focused on estate planning and one on estate administration, is designed to enhance the client’s experience” added Derek.

“It means that clients will have direct access to leaders in their respective fields and will help to maintain the high levels of care Berwins is renowned for delivering.”

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