British Steel waits for North Lincolnshire to follow Teesside’s lead with electric arc furnace permission
With Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council having just granted permission for British Steel to build an Electric Arc Furnace at its Teesside plant the company is now eagerly awaiting a similar approval for the Scunthorpe site from North Lincolnshire Council.
The manufacturer’s £1.25 proposed transformation – its biggest in more than a century of steelmaking – is subject to appropriate support from the UK Government.
British Steel President and CEO Xijun Cao said: “We’re delighted to have received planning permission to build an Electric Arc Furnace at our Teesside site, and thank everyone who has supported our proposals to bring steelmaking back to the region.
“The proposed installation of EAFs in Scunthorpe and Teesside is central to our journey to a green future as they would help us reduce emissions of CO2 by more than 75 per cent. However, it is crucial we now secure the backing of the UK Government.
“Our owner, Jingye, is committed to the unprecedented investment decarbonisation requires and our desire to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint, coupled with challenging market conditions, means it is imperative swift and decisive action is taken to ensure a sustainable future for British Steel.
“We started talks with the UK Government in 2022 about the timely support we require on our journey to net zero, including the need for the British government to adopt the correct policies and frameworks now to back our drive to become a clean, green, and successful company. We are committed to working with the UK Government and need to reach an agreement quickly so we can achieve our ambitious goals, secure thousands of jobs and keep making the steel Britain needs for generations to come.”
Significant preparation works, including environmental and technical studies, and equipment selection, are underway to ensure the company’s ambitious proposals can be delivered at the earliest opportunity while discussions with the UK Government continue.
Both proposed EAFs would replace the aging iron and steelmaking operations at British Steel’s Scunthorpe site which are responsible for the vast majority of its CO2 emissions. The company proposes maintaining current operations until a transition to electric arc steelmaking.
British Steel has started preliminary talks with trade unions about electrification, and has promised to support employees affected by its decarbonisation plans.
Xijun said: “We are confident our proposals will help secure the low-embedded carbon steelmaking the UK requires now and for decades to come.”
Brothers to share Chairman’s role at Lindum Group
Construction company Lindum Group says it’s ‘business as usual’ after this week’s appointment of brothers Freddie and Edward Chambers as Co-Chairmen to lead the Board.
They have taken over from their father David, who had been at the helm since 1991 and will remain as non-executive director of Lindum, which has offices in Lincoln, York and Peterborough.
Freddie and Edward will be supported by an experienced Executive Board as well as a strong team of divisional directors and employees.
Both brothers were keen to stress they would continue to lead with the same principles which have been at Lindum’s core for decades. This includes valuing practical work, common sense and teamwork while fostering a culture of tackling problems together and sharing successes with all employees.
Freddie said: “While this marks the next step in the Lindum future, it really will be, we hope, a case of ‘business as usual’ for our people, partners, and clients, whilst we focus on continuing to try to improve what we do and keeping competitive for clients, with a geography east of the M1 in the main.
“We run a family business, but the Lindum Family is a broad cross section of energetic people who have been with us, some for a short time and others longer, often with several generations of the same families, and we have always encouraged full involvement by every employee, as it makes such a difference to our service, the teamwork and the manner in which we deliver our work.
“What’s more, 500 of our 600 employees own shares in Lindum, which means that everyone has a direct share and interest in the future of the business. The difference really is our people! In a sometimes-difficult industry, we try and look after our employees well, who then look after our clients.”
The brothers will share the duties of the Chairman role, as Co-Chairs, which include presiding over board meetings, representing Lindum in the community and leading the company’s strategy, as well as being jointly responsible for more operational CEO-type duties, such as business plans, troubleshooting and communications.
Edward added: “This announcement is part of the company’s ongoing succession planning process and will help, we believe, secure the future of Lindum as a good quality and local employer for another generation.
“Freddie and I are very lucky to have the support of a fantastic team of 600 people who want to do a good job for our customers and want Lindum to do well as a business. I’ve no doubt there will be plenty of advice coming our way!
Hotel overlooking North Yorkshire coast sold
On behalf of Coast & Country Hotels, specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold The Royal Hotel Whitby in North Yorkshire.
Located in the seaside town of Whitby, the 115-room hotel boasts ocean views and is just a 5-minute walk from the town’s harbour and Whitby Abbey, which is famously mentioned in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
The hotel is an ideal destination stay for tourists looking to explore the area, and enjoy the charm of the historic building which features a grand reception hall, a large ballroom for functions and events, a substantial restaurant and dining rooms.
Mark Worley, Director at Christie & Co who handled the sale, says: “We are delighted to have completed the sale of The Royal hotel in Whitby, which will continue as a hotel for ongoing hospitality use under its new ownership.
“The hotel is one of the 33-assets put to market as part of the Coast & Country Portfolio. The hotels have received very strong interest to date, and a very limited number of these assets remain available, so we invite any interested parties to get in touch.”
Private equity-backed housebuilder secures £12.2m for Yorkshire schemes
OakNorth, the neobank for entrepreneurs, has provided a further £12.2m loan to SME housebuilder, honey, to part fund the acquisition and development of two of its latest major residential schemes.
Founded in October 2022 by former Avant Homes CEO, Mark Mitchell, the business is also backed by private equity provider, Alchemy Partners.
The new housing schemes located in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and Maltby, South Yorkshire, will provide a combined total of 252 new homes for the region.
The Maltby site, consisting of 185 detached and semi-detached homes, will also include 46 affordable units and is situated close to Maltby’s town centre.
honey’s new Huddersfield site will consist of 67 detached and semi-detached homes, including 13 affordable units and is situated in Fenay Bridge.
Mark Mitchell, founder & CEO of honey, said: “With the launch of honey just under 18 months ago, I’m delighted my vision of building new homes that deliver a combination of style, substance and sustainability continues to be realised.
“We’ve seen a constant high demand on all our sites to date and given the high quality of the units and the close proximity to major commercial towns and cities, we expect demand for our new schemes in Maltby and Huddersfield to be no different.
“Having now worked closely with OakNorth on six separate occasions, they’ve really cemented themselves as a funder of choice that continues to provide all the solutions to the pain points we normally face when working with the larger lenders.”
Damien Hughes, Senior Director of Property Finance at OakNorth, added: “Despite only launching in October 2022, Honey has quickly built-up an impressive reputation for offering a unique way to build homes that successfully combines style, substance and sustainability for the benefit of all its customers.
“We continue to believe in the vital role that SME housebuilders play in benefitting local communities and economies, and are thrilled that we were able to provide honey with six individual bespoke debt facilities.
“We look forward to strengthening our relationship with Mark and his team moving forward and also look forward to supporting honey on more residential projects in the future.”
Pepperells sets up criminal defence law department
Pepperells Solicitors has set up a department specialising in criminal defence law at its West Parade office in Lincoln. This department will cater to the increasing demand for expert legal representation in criminal matters.
Led by criminal defence solicitor Sonia Bhalla, the department brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. With a proven track record of successfully defending clients across a spectrum of criminal cases, Sonia Bhalla is dedicated to upholding the rights of individuals and ensuring fair legal proceedings.
Joining her is Jan Povada, an esteemed police station representative renowned for his comprehensive understanding of police procedures and protocols. With his profound knowledge of the criminal justice system, Jan Povada offers invaluable support to clients during police interviews and investigations, ensuring their rights are protected at every step of the process.
Nigel Sloane, Head of Department at Pepperells, said: “Our expansion into criminal defence law in Lincoln reflects our firm’s unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive legal services to our clients. With Sonia Bhalla and Jan Povada at the helm in Lincoln, we are poised to deliver unparalleled representation to individuals facing criminal charges in Lincolnshire, ensuring that their rights are safeguarded and their voices are heard. Sonia and Jan join a well-established team of professionals supporting clients with their criminal proceedings across East Yorkshire, Humberside and Lincolnshire.
Firms to be offered free funding support advice at Hull event
Businesses can discover a range of funding support whilst sampling the latest offer from Hull Adventure Centre at The Hull Business Expo next week.
Hull City Council’s business support team will be available to discuss the assistance they can provide, such as through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Advisors can facilitate access to grants for business growth, creating new jobs and implementing energy saving measures.
Hull Adventure Centre will also be in attendance showcasing its two-seater karts with a track in the car park on Princes Quay, plus the opportunity to try your hand at tag archery.
Alex Codd, assistant director for economic development and regeneration at the council, said: “The Hull Business Expo is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to engage, connect and support each other. Our business support team will be on hand to provide expert advice on the day.
“To complement this, my wider service includes Hull Adventure Centre, which is an exciting new facility in east Hull and visitors to the Business Expo can race around the car park in karts, which is a brilliant addition to the day.”
This year’s event is free to attend and will be held on Wednesday 10 April at Princes Quay from 10am to 4pm.
New scheme could mean thousands of jobs at former Hedon Aerodrome
Hull City Council has today given the green light for a multi-million-pound innovative scheme at the former Hedon Aerodrome with is expected to create thousands of new jobs.
The land, now known as Yorkshire Energy Park, is allocated as part of the Humber Freeport to the east of Hull.
Cabinet’s decision means that implementation of the £200m scheme can go ahead which will act as a catalyst for the Humber ‘Energy Estuary’ provision and green energy storage.
The council previously established an agreement for the land to support its future development, with up to a million square feet of business space, green technology education and sports facilities proposed.
The revised scheme will help to deliver renewable energy, battery storage and state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, as well as space to facilitate research and development in sustainable energy.
This is expected to create around 4,500 jobs, both on and off site as part of the construction phase, for which a target of 80 per cent would be recruited through local employment, bringing a wider impact on the economy.
The commercial arrangements will increase the level of financial benefits to the council in terms of capital receipts and long-term revenue income share.
It will also support the progression of a successful £22m bid to the Green Heat Network Fund for the city’s second district heating scheme which will make use of waste heat from Saltend Chemicals Park.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “This decision will provide significant opportunities at the Yorkshire Energy Park. It will help cement Hull’s status as a leader in renewable energy, whilst also creating large-scale local job opportunities in the area.”
Although the site falls outside of Hull’s administrative boundary, public engagement with residents of Hedon was conducted, as well as with sports clubs and statutory service providers and bodies.
The project also involves the relocation and enhancement of the sports facilities in the area, with hundreds currently using the pitches during football and rugby seasons.
More than 2,000 jobs could be created at Saltend Hydrogen plant
Plans for a hydrogen and carbon capture plant which could create more than 2,000 jobs have been approved for a site at Salt End.
Norwegian energy company Equinor is behind the plans for “H2H Saltend”, with the objective of cutting emissions at the Saltend Chemicals Park by up to a third.
The plant is being described as “one of the UK’s key decarbonisation projects”. It is understood that work could begin between 2026-30 and, once operational, around 2,200 jobs could be created.
Project Director Derek Ho said: “This key project could help to kick-start multiple decarbonisation initiatives in the Humber. It is an important first step in creating a low-carbon hydrogen economy and achieving net zero in the Humber, safeguarding local industries and creating greater opportunities including new jobs and skills, whilst helping the UK to tackle climate change.”
Equinor says the site will be one of the UK’s first on this scale, to be approved in the UK. Plans envisage building a 600-megawatt, low-carbon hydrogen plant at Saltend Chemicals Park, with the hydrogen being used in chemical processes by companies based nearby. It would also directly replace natural gas in a number of industrial facilities, reducing the carbon intensity of their products.
The site would also include a carbon capture and storage facility. Almost 900,000 tonnes of CO2 would also be captured and sent for storage below the North Sea, equivalent to taking around half a million cars off the road.
The Humber region produces about 12.4m tonnes of CO2 every year. Saltend Chemicals Park produces roughly the same amount of emissions as the whole of Merseyside, and Equinor estimates that the H2H project would help cut emissions here by up to a third.
H2H Saltend could also form part of an “East Coast Cluster” carbon capture transport and storage network. Operators such as Equinor will soon be able to bid to be a part of this cluster.
Pipelines would run from Easington in the East Riding and across northern Lincolnshire, including to a carbon capture power station at Keadby, which was approved in 2022. Pipelines would also run to Drax power station, near Selby, and transfer CO2 out for sub-sea storage. Equinor says these proposals could make the Humber, the UK’s most carbon-intensive industrial region, net-zero by 2040.
Forrester Boyd reveals swathe of promotions
Forrester Boyd has promoted two employees as managers at its Louth and Scunthorpe offices.
Laura Bingham has Louth; James Sykes has Scunthorpe.
The company has also promoted nine accountancy team members to Assistant Manager Positions: Georgina Capes, James Dierking, Rebekah Abel Smith, Zoe Willson, Gill Garbutt, Chloe Lynaugh, Lydia Marsh, Harriet Cutts and David Tomblin.
In the marketing department Jamie Parker has been promoted to Assistant Manager and Phoebe Hall has also stepped into a new position as Head of Outsourcing.
Partner Carrie Jensen said: “We are immensely proud to recognise these talented professionals with their well-deserved promotions. Their dedication, expertise, and leadership are pivotal to our firm’s success and our mission to provide excellent services to our clients. We are excited to see Laura and James take on their new role as Managers, and we are confident that all our newly promoted team members will excel in their new positions.”
Businesses still failing to meet national minimum wage rules
As the national minimum wage reaches its 25th anniversary, there continues to be a high level of non-compliance among employers, warns accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
Since the introduction of the national minimum wage in 1999, HMRC has carried out 87,000 investigations, issued £86m in fines and enforced £117m of arrears.
In February this year, HMRC named over 500 companies found to be in breach of the rules and ordered them to pay back £16m in arrears.
Since the national minimum wage naming scheme was first introduced in January 2011, over 3,200 employers in total have been identified as being non-compliant.
When it was first introduced on 1 April 1999, the national minimum wage was set at a rate of £3.60 per hour. This will have risen to £11.44 from 1 April 2024.
Based on a 35-hour working week, someone on the national minimum wage in England and Wales would have earned £5,925 in 1999/2000 after tax and NIC, whereas a worker can expect to take home £18,512 in 2024/25. This represents a 70% increase above inflation.
Paul Falvey, a tax partner at BDO, said: “While there was some opposition to the national minimum wage prior to its introduction 25 years ago, businesses quickly adapted and it’s now widely accepted.
“That said, it hasn’t always proved to be easy for businesses to comply. Just last month, over 500 businesses were named and shamed for not complying with the rules.
“While some of these breaches may have been deliberate, some employers may have inadvertently made mistakes when calculating workers’ pay. This can sometimes happen when employers fail to fully take account of actual hours worked, the cost of uniforms, salary sacrifice schemes or other voluntary deductions.
“While some businesses – and particularly those in the retail and hospitality sectors – may balk at the 9.8% rise in the national minimum wage rate coming into force…the increase will provide a welcome boost to low earners who are among those who’ve been most affected by the recent cost of living crisis.
“However, next year’s rise in the national minimum wage is unlikely to be at the same level. The Low Pay Commission is projecting that the national living wage will be between £11.61 and £12.18 in April 2025, with a central estimate of £11.89.”
