“Energy-intensive industries are vital to our economy. The announcement today will ensure that the UK remains an attractive investment destination and support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country.
“Putting energy-intensive industries on an equal footing with the world’s other major economies is crucial to helping these businesses remain internationally competitive.” It will also enhance the UK’s appeal as a target for international investment as well as remove barriers on the road to greener technology and a sustainable net zero future.Energy-intensive industries expected to see cost reductions
Almost 400 businesses employing 400,000 skilled UK workers will benefit from lower costs from today thanks to the British Industry Supercharger today.
The Supercharger includes a series of targeted measures to bring energy costs for key industries in line with other major economies, levelling the playing field for UK businesses.
The support will be made available to sectors particularly exposed to the high cost of electricity including steel, metals, chemicals, cement, glass and paper, and is expected to be worth up to £410 million in savings to UK businesses next year.
The Supercharger’s measures will fully exempt eligible firms from certain costs linked to renewable energy policies, including the small-scale Feed in Tariff, Contracts for Difference and the Renewables Obligation.
There will also be a 60 percent reduction in network charges – the costs industrial users pay for their electricity supply.
Taken together, this support is expected to be worth up to an average £30 per Megawatt Hour with the most electricity-intensive industries such as steel benefiting the most.
This is the average estimated saving and will mean a British energy-intensive business ends up paying about the same in electricity costs as its competitors in countries in the EU.
Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “With this unprecedented energy support we’re levelling the playing field for hundreds of businesses in steel, chemicals and other key sectors.
Small firms’ VAT rules change from today
From today the VAT registration threshold goes up from £85,000 to £90,000, and £4.3 billion of business rates relief comes into force.
Raising the threshold will take 28,000 businesses out of paying VAT altogether.
The small business multiplier for business rates will also be frozen from today for a fourth consecutive year, protecting over a million ratepayers from a 6.6% increase in their bills. The measure is part of the £4.3 billion business rates support package announced at Autumn Statement that includes the 12-month extension of the 75% relief for 230,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties, also coming into force today.
Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Gareth Davies, said: “We’re rewarding work and backing Britain’s small businesses– the lifeblood of the economy and beating heart of communities – with support on VAT and business rates.
Transformation of former brewery site in Sheffield moves step forward
The transformation Sheffield’s former Cannon Brewery site in Neepsend into a new neighbourhood has moved a step forward.
Social impact developers Capital&Centric have completed the purchase of the site, paving the way for a new chapter after more than a quarter of a century of dereliction. Initial remediation and site investigations will now begin on site this spring.
With an outline planning application submitted, work has also now started on detailed designs for the district – set to feature over 500 rental homes, new workplaces and spaces for independent shops, delis and café-bars.
Capital&Centric are working with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Sheffield City Council to make the blueprint a reality. The Combined Authority awarded a £11.67 million grant to kick-start Cannon Brewery, with further Homes England funding also announced for other development sites in Neepsend.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “Cannon Brewery, which takes its design cues from Neepsend’s historic identity, is an exciting opportunity to bring an under-developed brownfield site back to life.
“Through collaboration with Capital&Centric, we want to ensure that the plans being developed set a new high bar for regeneration across South Yorkshire.
“The ambition is not just for more and better homes, but for the whole development to attract investment, create spaces for new businesses to establish and further cement our well-deserved reputation as being a brilliant place to live. And I’m pleased to say we’re actively looking at other places across South Yorkshire where we can unlock more opportunities.”
The plan is to retain some of the most interesting buildings from the former brewery, with an urban park surrounding the existing water tower, as well as a new public square surrounded by shops and cafes, with spaces for pop-up events.
Richard Spackman, development director at Capital&Centric, said: “Cannon Brewery has stacks of potential and, by collaborating with the council and combined authority, we’re unlocking regeneration at a massive scale but in a considered way. There’s a real buzz about the future of Neepsend as the city’s next growth district, but everyone wants to see the neighbourhood designed in a way that Sheffield can be proud of.
“Sheffield is having a real moment and is successfully attracting more start-ups, investment and people that want to live here. We committed to securing about £200 million of investment into regeneration sites in the city a few years ago and we’re making good on that vision, with a brownfield-first approach to growing the city and a pipeline of projects in the works.
“With the Cannon Brewery site now fully acquired, we’ll be getting going with surveys and investigations that will underpin the detailed plans we aim to submit to Sheffield City Council later this year.”
Once home to Stones Brewery, the site – made up of two triangular plots bordered by Neepsend Lane and Boyland St – was the birthplace of the UK’s best-selling bitter at the time, before the doors closed for good in 1999.
Capital&Centric’s outline application aims to set the initial parameters for the district, including the footprint of the new buildings, buildings to be retained, heights and access points. Whilst previous plans had proposed for all buildings at the site to be demolished, Capital&Centric is aiming to keep those that it’s feasible to retain and repurpose.
Yorkshire company snaps up Harrogate fire and security business
IXP was established in 1970 and has been run by Marcus Wayman for the last 30 years from a base on Otley Road. The firm provides security services including safe installations, fire safety, intruder alarms, and emergency locksmiths to commercial and domestic customers within Harrogate and the surrounding areas.
Following the acquisition, Steve Graves, senior engineer at Gough & Kelly, will be permanently based at IXP to support Marcus and established engineer, Zbigniew Halinsky, as they expand the company’s product and service range.
Steve has spent 20 years in the security industry and brings both technical and managerial skills to the business. He says that IXP will remain a familiar sight on the high street, with investment to support and build on the company’s success in Harrogate. This includes a refurbishment of the existing Otley Road premises to create a new showroom and updated shop front.
Marcus says it will be “business as usual, with additional benefits” for IXP customers: “Joining Gough & Kelly means we can offer new products and services, including state-of-the-art electronic security technology, as well as providing round-the-clock 24/7 monitoring through the centralised G&K control room in Leeds.
“Like IXP, Gough & Kelly has family-run roots, and the team has nurtured a similar client base to ours for 35 years. They have the resources, skills, depth of knowledge, and passion to continue keeping our valued customers safe and secure. It’s exciting to develop my father’s vision of 53 years ago into a new chapter, which will continue to grow long past both his and my retirement.”
Gough & Kelly Managing Director James Stork says the move brings added value for existing Gough & Kelly customers, too: “IXP’s track record in providing locks and safes will be a great addition for our domestic customers and will strengthen our overall security offering.
“We are a fast-growing business: we added 700 new customers, installed over 1,000 new security systems and brought more than 500 new people into the team in 2023, as well as investing significantly to accelerate our technical advancements in electronic security.
“These growth plans continue into 2024, and welcoming IXP to the group is the first step. We’re looking forward to meeting and supporting IXP customers over the coming months and years.”
Insurtech firm to take space at Bruntwood SciTech’s West Village
Bruntwood SciTech – a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund – will welcome one of the world’s largest insurance and insurtech firms, QBE, to its new city centre workspace in Leeds, West Village.
Australia-headquartered QBE, with global operations across 27 countries, are set to move into three floors of the transformed workspace, totalling 37,000 sq ft – one of the largest deals in the city this year.
The move will see QBE relocate and expand its 300-strong employee base from its current workspace into the heart of the city centre, along with cementing the new home for its robotics centre and technology development hub where it uses robotic process automation (RPA) to free up employees’ time to focus on delivering greater value for customers – reducing manual tasks, speeding up processes, and boosting customer satisfaction in the process.
Deploying such innovation into the insurance market has so far saved QBE 50,000 work hours.
The firm is now set to carry out fitting out its new workspace at West Village, which is being delivered by contracting specialist Denton.
Bruntwood SciTech is currently undergoing a £20m redevelopment at West Village.
Andrew Cooke, Regional Director – Leeds, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “QBE is one of the world’s leading insurers, so the business’s decision to choose West Village as its hub for technological development is a key deal for the region.
“It also reaffirms West Village as a hub for innovative and evolving businesses and it’s exciting to see that we are continuing to succeed in our mission to grow a cluster of high-growth and forward-thinking organisations that will benefit from collaboration and knowledge-sharing with other like-minded firms.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming QBE to the West Village community and to continue growing our network of innovative, sector leading businesses ahead of its opening later this year.”
Nathan Fuller, Chief Operations Officer, QBE Europe, said: “QBE has had a presence in Leeds for over 20 years and our expansion in recent times has been about leveraging the strong local talent base to support us in our technological development, including the establishment of our robotics centre of excellence almost three years ago.
“Moving to West Village is the next chapter in our story with the city, and we are excited to be moving our people to such a prestigious location that is in tune with our commitment to sustainability, modernisation ambitions and focus on employee wellbeing.”
CBRE’s Occupier Services team in Leeds acted for QBE on the deal. Charles Parkinson, Associate Director, CBRE’s Occupier Services team said: “It has been great working on this move with QBE over the past 12 months and sees another occupier relocate to a best-in-class building in the city centre, highlighting the business’s goals of finding more sustainable, amenity-rich buildings. The central location and good transport links, combined with its green credentials, were a real draw for QBE.”
130 year old food wholesaler acquired
Kitwave Group plc, the delivered wholesale business, has acquired Total Foodservice Solutions Limited, an independent food wholesaler in the North of England.
Established over 130 years ago, Total Foodservice delivers wholesale catering supplies of around 4,000 product lines including chilled, frozen and ambient food, non-food and cleaning products.
Total Foodservice’s depots are located in Clitheroe, Lancashire and Huddersfield, Yorkshire with customers including licensed trade and restaurants, coffee shops and sandwich bars, schools and universities and the care industry across the North of England.
Total Foodservice Solutions Limited will be incorporated into Kitwave’s existing Foodservice division which currently comprises the trading operations of David Miller Frozen Foods Limited, M. J. Baker Foodservice Limited, Westcountry Food Holdings Limited and H.B. Clark & Co. (Successors) Limited.
Ben Maxted, Chief Executive Officer of Kitwave, said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Total Foodservice, which is a one-stop shop for wholesale commercial catering supplies and enables us to further expand our product range offering across the North of England and in particular Yorkshire and the North West, complementing our existing foodservice offering.
“Total Foodservice is a well-established business in the catering industry and we look forward to welcoming its team to Kitwave and integrating the business into our Foodservice division.”
Hull and East Yorkshire devolution proposal to be submitted to Secretary of State
Hull and East Riding Unitary Leaders Board has approved the submission of Hull and East Yorkshire’s Devolution Proposal to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Over 5,800 people shared their views and feedback on the proposals during an eight-week consultation, giving broad support for devolution to Hull and East Yorkshire.
The proposal, along with a summary of the consultation results, will now be submitted for consideration by the Secretary of State.
If the Secretary of State is satisfied that the tests for the creation of the new Combined Authority have been met, the new authority could be established in autumn 2024.
Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Councils will now be working closely together to help to establish a combined authority for the area, including delivery of over £26 million capital projects over the next year.
These projects will see investment in transport, flooding, coastal protection, brownfield land, and green skills.
Cllr Jackie Dad, deputy leader of Hull City Council, said: “I am delighted that the proposal submission has today been approved and that we can take the next steps in our journey towards devolution.
“I’d once again like to thank all those who took part in the consultation and would like them to know that their contribution has played a vital role in shaping the region’s future.”
Cllr Anne Handley, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I would again like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who took part in the consultation.
“I am delighted that we are now able to submit these exciting proposals to the Secretary of State and we look forward to his response.
“In the meantime, we will begin preparatory works with Hull City Council on the first steps towards the new combined authority, aimed at achieving funding for major investment in significant projects to benefit our local residents.”
Trio buys Wakefield pharmacy
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Carlton Lane Pharmacy in Lofthouse, Wakefield.
Carlton Lane Pharmacy is a well-established standard hours community pharmacy that dispenses an average of 9,778 items per month. It is located on Carlton Lane in the village of Lofthouse, between Wakefield to the south and Leeds to the north.
The pharmacy has been owned by Susan Bargh for the last 17 years and was brought to market as part of her staged retirement.
Following a confidential sales process with Jon Booth and Tom Young at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through David Ward at Christie Finance, it has been purchased by Raif Pharma Ltd which plans to expand the pharmacy’s services offering.
Susan Bargh, the previous owner of Carlton Lane Pharmacy, said: “Carlton Lane Pharmacy has been a pleasure to own over the years. Located in the village of Carlton near Wakefield, it has always been well-placed to serve this semi-rural community and I am so pleased that the pharmacy has passed onto the Directors of Raif Pharma who inherit an excellent business and team that form a great platform for the growth into services. I wish them all the very best.”
One of the new Directors of Carlton Lane Pharmacy said: “I am so pleased to have completed this acquisition. With us all having a medical background, it is exciting for us to move into the provision of pharmacy services, a challenge we are relishing but is made much easier by inheriting such a well-run and long-established business from Sue.”
Jon Booth, Director – Pharmacy at Christie & Co, said: “When we launched this pharmacy to market in 2023, as expected, we had a lot of interest. Single sites of this quality and turnover where the current owner is looking to retire are very much the market ‘sweet spot’ even more so when you consider this lies almost equidistant between Leeds and Wakefield where there are plenty of buyers for pharmacy businesses. I am keen to see how this business develops under the new owners, and we wish them the greatest of success.”
David Ward, Senior Director at Christie Finance, said: “With the lending market being a little tougher at the moment due to higher interest rates and a reduction in appetite from some lenders, I am pleased to have worked with the clients to secure the right funding for this purchase. I am sure that they will make a great success of Carlton Lane Pharmacy.”
Carlton Lane Pharmacy was sold for an undisclosed price.
Derbyshire firm selects Sheffield agency to enhance its digital marketing
Alfreton-based fashion brand David Nieper has selected Sheffield-based The SEO Works to manage its SEO and PPC as the 60-year-old firm seeks to increase its digital presence and move away from more traditional marketing methods.
The company is seeking to promote its commitment to sustainable manufacturing in the UK, using traditional skills such as sewing and knitting. The proposed strategy will bring plenty of change, including incorporating lead generation-focused adverts to help drive new business, further in-depth keyword research to help locate target audiences, and expert support in the early stages of their new website launch.
Nieper CEO Christopher Nieper said: “It’s a pleasure to find an agency that will go the extra mile to satisfy their clients. I’m optimistic about good results with The SEO Works!”
Having already utilised both their internal resources and external consultancy to progress both SEO and PPC, the addition of the award-winning agency would look to lean on their proven expertise to take things to the next level.
Alex Hill, Sales Director of The SEO Works, said: “Working with a prestigious company like David Nieper is a great opportunity for us! The distinct ability of our SEO and PPC teams to work in unison has allowed us to generate some spectacular results for our clients, and I know that this campaign will be no different. Our proven track record of successful clients within the fashion sector also makes me believe that we are best placed to help deliver results that David Nieper is worthy of!”
Yorkshire advisers help with partial sale of crew transfer vessel business
A team of Yorkshire advisers has assisted the shareholders of crew transfer vessel specialist Mainprize Offshore on its partial sale to private equity fund Alcuin Capital Partners, together with the re-financing of its fleet with Siemens Financial Services.
Alcuin has partnered with Scarborough-based Mainprize Offshore to help drive its growth plans, expand its fleet and take full advantage of the market opportunity. The current directors and founders of the business, Bob and Sharon Mainprize, will continue to operate and grow the business alongside Alcuin and the senior management team. Bob Mainprize said: “We are very grateful to Philip, Stephen and their respective teams at Andrew Jackson and Azets for all the support and hard work they have put in over the last few months and years to facilitate this significant investment in the growth and development of our business.” Philip Ashworth, corporate partner at Andrew Jackson, said: “It has been a pleasure to act for Bob, Sharon and their team and we are confident that they will go from strength to strength. “The complexity of a private equity and debt funding deal was added to by the multi-flag vessel fleet operated by Mainprize.” Stephen Garbett, corporate finance partner at Azets, added: “This transaction not only underscores its leading position in the crew transfer vessel market within the burgeoning offshore renewables sector, but also recognises the family’s considerable contributions to date. “This partnership marks a significant milestone for Mainprize Offshore, setting the stage for accelerated growth and innovation in the renewable energy sector with ambitious plans for new vessel builds.” Nick Seaman, partner at Alcuin Capital, said: “Mainprize Offshore is a leader in the European CTV market and we are delighted to have partnered with Bob, Sharon and the wider team. The business enjoys strong relationships with several of the largest global wind farm developers and operators, and will play a key role in supporting the rollout of European offshore wind and the transition to net zero. Azets has offices in Leeds, Bradford and York. Andrew Jackson has offices in York, Hull, Grimsby and Scarborough. The shareholders of Mainprize Offshore were advised by a team from Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP comprising Philip Ashworth, Matthew Smith and Nicole Waldron (corporate); Fiona Phillips (tax); Robert Hill (property); Dominic Ward and Rebecca Forder (shipping); and Nick Wilson (employment). Members of the Yorkshire-based corporate finance team from Azets were Stephen Garbett and Martin Miller (corporate finance), Steve Holmes (corporate tax), and Richard Whitelock (employment taxes). Alcuin were advised by a team from Stephenson Harwood led by Sam Gray and Gerald Seeto.