Government extends funding for Yorkshire Dales farmers

April Lara
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Government extends funding for Yorkshire Dales farmers

The UK government has extended the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) grants programme until March 2026, providing additional support for farmers in areas such as the Yorkshire Dales. Administered locally by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the programme funds projects that enhance climate resilience, biodiversity, community engagement, and landscape preservation.

Eligible farmers must demonstrate value for money and clear environmental or social benefits. Recent recipients include Kevin and Lizzie Batty of Dryevers Farm in the Westmorland Dales, who used the grant to expand a nature reserve, create small ponds for bird habitats, and develop visitor accommodation.

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is encouraging more farmers to apply, noting limited funding.

Ashok Leyland considers closing UK electric bus plant to cut losses

April Lara
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Ashok Leyland considers closing UK electric bus plant to cut losses

Ashok Leyland’s electric bus subsidiary, Switch Mobility, is reviewing the future of its Sherburn, North Yorkshire plant as part of a consultation process that could lead to its closure. The move aims to turn Switch UK’s operations profitable amid ongoing challenges in the UK bus manufacturing sector.

The Sherburn facility contributed just 0.6% of Ashok Leyland’s total sales for the fiscal year ending March 2023. The company has stated it will not invest additional funds into Switch UK, which lost £20–21 million this year. If the plant closes, around 240 employees may remain with the company.

Despite the potential closure, Switch Mobility will continue UK operations through its Rotherham, North Yorkshire, and Thurrock, Essex plants, fulfilling existing orders and providing aftermarket services. The company is shifting focus to India’s growing electric bus market, which expects to break even on an EBITDA basis by March 2025 and achieve net profitability the following year.

Aldi signs £320m wagyu deal with Yorkshire supplier

April Lara
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Aldi signs £320m wagyu deal with Yorkshire supplier

Yorkshire-based Warrendale Wagyu has secured a £320 million, five-year contract with Aldi, making the supermarket the UK’s largest retailer of British wagyu steaks. Once the nationwide rollout is complete later this year, Aldi will sell 2.5 million wagyu steaks annually.

Warrendale Wagyu, a family-owned business, has been supplying Aldi since 2020. The partnership provides long-term financial stability for the company and its network of 800 British farmers. The business uses Fullblood Wagyu genetics crossed with dairy breeds in a grass-based system, offering a sustainable solution for surplus dairy calves.

Aldi now has the UK’s most extensive range of British wagyu products, including award-winning steaks and burgers. Warrendale Wagyu was recognised in 2024 with a King’s Award for Innovation for supporting British dairy and beef farmers.

Bespoke Stairlifts secures HSBC UK funding for global expansion

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Bespoke Stairlifts secures HSBC UK funding for global expansion

Huddersfield-based Bespoke Stairlifts has secured a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK to support international expansion. The funding, including invoice and trade finance, will help the company scale manufacturing in West Yorkshire.

The business invests in new machinery and technology to boost production capacity, responding to growing global demand. Bespoke Stairlifts exports to over 70 countries, including North America, India, and Europe, and plans to expand its workforce by 25% next year.

With production space tripling to 36,000 sq ft across sites in Huddersfield, Bradford, and Bingley, the company aims to increase turnover by 30% to £17 million in 2025. HSBC UK facilitated the deal through its senior relationship and business development managers.

Avian flu detected in Yorkshire sheep prompts biosecurity warning

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Avian flu detected in Yorkshire sheep prompts biosecurity warning

Farmers are being urged to strengthen biosecurity measures after a case of avian influenza (H5N1) was confirmed in a sheep in Yorkshire—the first reported instance of the virus in the species.

UK Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss has stated that while the risk to livestock remains low, all farm owners should implement strict cleanliness protocols and report any suspected cases to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Similar cases of avian-origin influenza have previously been identified in dairy cows in the US.

Nigel Bennet, livestock area manager for Northern Europe at Roam Technology, stressed the importance of preventive measures, including restricting visitor access, disinfecting equipment, and closely monitoring animal health. He advised farmers to quarantine new or returning livestock for at least 21 days, secure feed storage, and conduct daily health checks to prevent disease spread.

Avian influenza is a notifiable disease in poultry, captive birds, and certain mammals. Farmers suspecting infections must report cases to APHA in England (03000 200 301), Wales (0300 303 8268), or their local Field Services Office in Scotland.

Anglian Water expands emergency water supply capacity in East of England

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Anglian Water expands emergency water supply capacity in East of England

Anglian Water has signed a new three-year agreement with emergency water supplier Water Direct to enhance rapid-response water deliveries across the East of England. The deal ensures up to 20,000 emergency water deliveries per year for households on Anglian Water’s Priority Services Register (PSR), which supports vulnerable customers during supply disruptions.

The partnership, which dates back to 2008, increases Anglian Water’s reserves in Water Direct’s Nationwide Bottled Water Bank (NWBW) for faster emergency response. Water Direct has committed to delivering water to at least 2,000 households within 24 hours when required.

The agreement aligns with regulatory changes expected to expand the number of customers eligible for PSR support by up to 40%. By outsourcing emergency deliveries, Anglian Water can reallocate internal resources to focus on resolving supply issues, improving operational efficiency.

Water Direct is also developing a technology platform to enhance real-time tracking, customer data verification, and delivery management, ensuring more efficient and transparent emergency water distribution.

Skegness hotel sold

Tess Egginton
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Skegness hotel sold
The Queens Hotel in Skegness has been sold to Sodhi Managements Ltd.
The family-run hotel has been owned and operated by Ran and Yuan since 2020, who said: “We are happy to pass the hotel to Sodhi Managements Ltd. “Skegness is England’s fourth most popular holiday destination, with over 1.4 million visitors each year, attracted to its sandy beach and seafront attractions including Nature land Seal Sanctuary, museum, aquarium and more. “There’s also the town’s annual carnival, arts festival and other activities, attracting people from all over the country. We wish Sodhi Managements Ltd every success in the future.” Matt Hill, Senior Business Agent at Christie & Co, who managed the sale process, said: “The Queens Hotel has been a very popular hotel opportunity, and demonstrates the strong demand we are currently seeing in the market for well-positioned and well-maintained businesses in tourist locations.” The hotel was sold off an asking price of £450,000.

Yorkshire Dales local plan enters final consultation

April Lara
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Yorkshire Dales local plan enters final consultation

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has opened a final consultation on its local plan, which will guide development in the national park until 2040. The consultation focuses on whether the plan is “sound” and allows for public feedback on potential changes.

The plan outlines policies for housing, business development, and rural enterprise, with a target of 50 new homes per year. A key policy introduces a principal occupancy condition to prevent new homes from becoming second homes or holiday lets. The plan also includes measures for nature recovery and climate resilience.

Following the consultation, an independent inspector will review the plan. If approved, it is expected to be adopted in early 2026.

Revenue and profit rise at Wakefield games developer

Tess Egginton
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Revenue and profit rise at Wakefield games developer

Games developer everplay, recently rebranded from Team17, has shown a rise in revenue and profits in unaudited final results for the year ended 31 December 2024.

Revenue at the Wakefield-based firm grew to £166.6m, up from £159.1m in 2023. Meanwhile, the business posted a pre-tax profit of £25.3m, recovering from a loss of £1.1m in the prior year.

Steve Bell, Group Chief Executive Officer of everplay, said: “I am extremely pleased with the Group’s performance during 2024, a clear return to the quality business for which we have been known.

“As we begin our first year under the new name of everplay, I am excited about the incredible slate of games we have lined up for 2025, and some important innovations in our business model. Allied with stringent cost controls, we are confident that these will deliver results our shareholders expect.”

The business has hailed a good start to 2025, supported by momentum from festive season promotions, with everplay “confident” that it can deliver an improved trading performance in 2025, marginally ahead of current market expectations.

£93m refinancing package enables management buy-out at evo

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£93m refinancing package enables management buy-out at evo
Andrew Gale, CEO of the business supplies distributor evo, has lead a management buy-out, enabled by a refinancing package through the business’s existing lending syndicate of Leumi ABL (Leumi) and Close Invoice Finance Limited (Close Brothers). The deal facilitates a successful exit for funds managed by Endless LLP, evo’s long-standing PE shareholder. Headquartered in Normanton, the evo group has grown significantly under Endless’s ownership and is now made up of six different brands, generating in excess of £500m of sales and employing 2,000 people. It provides sourcing, storage, specialist and value-added fulfilment services to resellers, consumers, large public sector bodies and corporate organisations and offers the full range of business-critical supplies from everyday essentials, facility supplies, paper, furniture and technology. Andrew will continue as Chief Executive supported by Jon Maxted, evo CFO, and the evo Trading Board and team. With evo continuing its journey with both Leumi and Close Brothers, the refinancing marks evo’s third deal with Leumi and second with Close Brothers. The facilities provided are an £80m invoice finance facility and £13m in term loans. Commenting on the MBO and refinancing, Andrew Gale, evo CEO, said: “From Day 1 as Chief Executive the goal was to materially transform the trading results of evo and to enable an exit for Endless. Over the last two years as CEO, EBITDA has doubled with record EBTIDA results delivered in both FY24 and FY25, which has now enabled an exit for Endless to be delivered. “Endless have been a fantastic investor in evo over the past 16 years and together we have navigated this period with the support of some high-quality individuals. One constant has been the steady and resolute support of Garry Wilson, Endless Group Managing Partner. We thank Garry for his counsel over the years and the skill and expertise of the Endless team. “Peter Yendell, Andy Ross, Mathew Deering, James Woolley all deserve a mention. In the last couple of years, the results have improved under the watch of David Isaacs, Endless Director, who deserves great credit for both challenging and supporting me. With a 16-year Endless training course behind me, I’m now much better equipped to lead evo – so thank you. “The evo business has made major strides over the last couple of years and we are excited about the opportunities in front of us. This refinancing and transaction unlock the opportunity for evo to take on fresh investment to support our ambitions in terms of product and geographical expansion, all within a balanced multi-sales channel model.” David Isaacs, Endless Director, said: “It has been a pleasure working with evo in recent years and to see the business go from strength to strength. There have been improvements in all areas of the business with record EBITDA being delivered, the product offering constantly evolving and an extension of its route to markets. “In addition, we have supported evo with several successful acquisitions over the years, which in culmination have embedded evo as a recognised market leader and positioned the business well for its next phase of growth. “Under Andrew’s excellent stewardship, we strongly believe that the business will continue on its positive trajectory and create wider opportunities for growth and investment. We wish the whole management team all the best for the future.” John Walsh, Regional Sales Director (Leeds and North-East), Leumi, said: “We are very pleased to be continuing to work with Andrew and the evo team. “We have a shared ‘no nonsense’ approach to business and we are pleased to be able to Lead the Club funding to enable the MBO to take place and we are looking forward to working with the evo business and Close Brothers in the years to come. Our ability to provide a flexible range of ABL facilities was key to enabling this transaction to be completed.” Andrew Metcalfe, Head of Corporate Sales, Close Brothers, said: “We are delighted to support Andrew and the evo team with the transaction. “The new facilities provided will support the MBO and provide the liquidity for the continued growth trajectory of the business. We look forward to a long-term partnership with the management team and our lending partner Leumi ABL.” Endless were advised by Walker Morris LLP. Leumi and Close were advised by DLA. Andrew Gale was advised by Peter Considine, Finance Eagle Limited and BDO.
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