Further £2.5m promises to create more skilled workers for vital sectors
A further £2.5m from the second phase of the HigherTechnical Education Skills Injection fund promises to help the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology support learners across Lincolnshire to achieve highly-valued qualifications within priority sectors, such as engineering, construction, manufacturing, health, science, agriculture and environmental technologies.
Partners that are set to benefit from the funding include Boston College, Grantham College & University Centre, Lincoln College, Riseholme College, University Campus North Lincolnshire, and University Centre Grimsby.
£1.5m of capital investment will go towards state-of-the-art equipment, which will ensure that students and employers have access to the latest technologies.
The remaining £1m of resource funding will be invested in ensuring that LIoT partners can meet future employer and student expectations, including upskilling delivery staff in upcoming industry techniques.
Mick Lochran, Director at Lincolnshire Institute of Technology, said: ”This additional funding couldn’t be more valuable to us. If Greater Lincolnshire is to tackle the county’s long-term productivity gap and train the highly skilled professionals modern industry needs, education providers must be able to invest in the latest technologies.
“That being said, our work can only continue to succeed if more employers are investing in their workforce to build the higher level skills of the future. We’d urge all firms within these industries to upskill and develop their employees.
“I’m very excited to see what the next few years hold for all of the partners of Lincolnshire Institute of Technology – it’s fantastic to be a driving force in upskilling our area.”.
Stand by to watch chocolate prices rise, warns Lincolnshire manufacturer
Poor weather and activity by speculators have combined to push up the price of cocoa, and that’s going to have a knock-on effect on the price of our favourite sweet treats, according to a Lincolnshire manufacturer.
Carol Oldbury, director of Skegness-based Hames Chocolates, says cocoa is trading a whopping 150% higher than it was 12 months ago, with prices having been climbing steadily over the last 12 months. “Given that cocoa accounts for up to 70% of your favourite chocolate treats, it’s going to be having a big impact on retail prices over the coming months.”
She says warm and wet weather in cocoa-growing regions except Cameroon pose a significant threat to cocoa trees, which require specific climatic conditions to thrive. “The result is impaired cocoa yields and quality, while excessive rainfall can cause disease outbreaks and damage crops.
“A shortage of cocoa beans will lead to a shortage of grindings, which will likely lead to a deficit of cocoa available for this current season. When global cocoa production falls short of demand, prices are driven upwards by the resulting supply-demand imbalance.”
She goes on to say that since cocoa is a traded commodity, financial markets have a significant role in cocoa price volatility and trading amplifies price fluctuations. “Twelve months ago cocoa was trading at less than $2,500 per tonne; today this has broken through the $6,000 ceiling, meaning that the main ingredient in chocolate will have increased by more than 150% in one year.”
The result, says Oldbury, is that manufacturers worldwide are going to have to pass on the cost to consumers. “We’ve left no stone unturned looking for efficiencies in the business but the large increased cost of cocoa means that we’re going to have to pass the increases on.”
“We remain committed to trading fairly and sustainably and having a positive impact on all the lives of the people we work with.” says Oldbury. Consumers too are likely to gravitate towards brands who prioritise ethical and sustainable practices.
She predicts a challenging time for the global chocolate industry. ”We believe private label product innovation and investment in efficiency and sustainability are the way through. We’ve recently invested in Solar for our factory. Not only is the energy renewable, but it is expected to provide more than 50% of our electricity usage.”
Yorkshire & North East administrations dominated by three core sectors as cases rise
Companies from building & construction, industrial manufacturing and retail sectors dominated Yorkshire & the North East administrations in 2023 as cases rose by 15%, according to figures from Interpath Advisory.
Analysis of notices in The Gazette by Interpath shows that there were 178 administrations in 2023 across the region representing a 15% increase from the 155 cases seen in 2022. The most impacted sectors were building & construction (31 cases), industrial manufacturing (29 cases) and retail (21 cases), covering just under half (46%) of cases.
The figures reflect the overall national trend with administrations rising 25% over 2023 to 1,307, up from 1,049 in 2022 as sluggish growth, persistent high interest rates, and fragile consumer sentiment continued to impact British businesses.
The analysis also shows that the region accounted for nearly 15% of total administrations across the UK in the first month of the year, with 11 cases recorded in January 2024.
James Clark, Managing Director and Head of the Yorkshire team at Interpath Advisory, said: “The number of administrations continues to rise as the financial challenges of recent years take their toll on businesses.
“For many companies in Yorkshire, 2023 was difficult, despite signs towards the latter end of the year that some of the prevailing economic headwinds might be starting to lessen. We’ve seen a steady and incremental uplift of insolvency activity over the course of the past 12 months and the start of 2024 hasn’t provided much cheer for management teams in the region.”
Looking ahead to the outlook for the rest of 2024, James Clark concluded: “With the confirmation that the UK has tipped into recession, the outlook for businesses remains precarious. But it’s not all doom and gloom out there.
“Inflation is proving sticky but didn’t rise as many had expected, we have a resilient domestic labour market and there’s a lot of liquidity in the debt market, which means borrowers continue to have plenty of options. Nevertheless, 2024 will likely remain a period of elevated interest rates by historic standards, and weak consumer confidence will continue to impact those sectors already feeling the pinch.
“To navigate this, Yorkshire businesses should look to recognise warning signs and cash pinch points early and seek appropriate advice. The more time that is available to deal with the issues at hand, the more options and levers are available to pull.”
More low-energy homes proposed for York’s Ordnance Lane development
A new planning application is proposing an extra 16 low-energy, 100% affordable homes at the City of York Council’s Ordnance Lane site, to be set in even more green space.
Following Executive’s decision in November 2023 to build 100% affordable homes off Fulford Road, these zero-carbon in use homes are proposed to increase in number from 85 to 101.
To create these extra 16 homes, the number of larger properties for mixed generation households will be reduced. The space will instead be used to create more in-demand 1 and 2 bedroomed homes, which will all be offered in a variety of affordable tenures.
The 90 new-build homes are all designed to meet Passivhaus standards. This will reduce residents’ heating and cooling requirements by 75% when compared with average new builds. The 11 new homes in the Victorian married quarters building will be refurbished and retrofitted to a high environmental standard.
Renewable energy will be generated on site using, for example, photovoltaic roof panels. Low-energy heating measures in the homes will include air source heat pumps. All help to reduce carbon footprint and residents’ energy bills.
Across the development, wildlife and urban garden plots will help drainage and reduce overheating risks expected from climate change. A minimum 145 new trees – including fruiting varieties – will be planted and 4 existing mature trees will be kept. Residents will also be given planters and growing spaces on balconies and in shared gardens where they can meet and help build a thriving community.
Work to clear the site and prepare the land to build on will start this Spring.
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, said: “These revised plans meet our commitment to give more residents access to high-quality, affordable housing which supports good health and our climate change ambitions across the city.
“The original site proposals, co-designed with local residents, won the National Housing Design Award 2023. We hope you will continue your involvement and help us build a thriving new community by commenting on these plans before the end of March.”
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment, said: “All the homes on this exciting site will be zero-carbon in use. Residents’ low energy needs for heating, hot water and lighting will be met on site by renewable energy generation measures such as solar panels.
“The new plans propose wide and car-free shared routes to connect with the neighbourhood. Increased cycle and cargo bike parking spaces will help promote healthier, cleaner and more affordable travel choices at this well-connected site.
“Increased green space will support on-site drainage and create places to grow food, play outdoors and help build the community.”
Yorkshire linseed paint manufacturer expands
Environmentally sustainable linseed paint manufacturer Brouns and Co has relocated to new premises in Sherburn in Elmet to accommodate the firm’s growth, after reporting a 400% increase in export sales to the US in the last three years.
Brouns & Co, which moved production of its all-natural linseed paint to Yorkshire in 2022, has relocated from Garforth to a site at Bypass Park Industrial Estate in Sherburn in Elmet. The paint’s primary ingredient, flax seed, is harvested at nearby Collingham.
Designed for use on timber and metal as both a coating and a preservative, Brouns & Co linseed paint has seen a leap in sales both in the UK and the US, where it has taken off with owners and custodians of the historic and new timber-built properties that are a feature of the East Coast.
US sales have quadrupled to over £100,000 since 2021 and the business reported a record quarter at the end of 2023.
Brouns & Co CEO, property restoration expert Michiel Brouns, said: “Demand for linseed paint has really taken off, particularly in the US, where the problem of how best to preserve ageing timber buildings is a real headache for owners and conservation societies.
“Linseed paint was used for centuries before the advent of the modern plastics-based paints that we now see are having an environmentally devastating effect, polluting our waterways and oceans with microplastics.
“Linseed paint is vastly superior to plastic-based paints in its abilities to preserve wood, for centuries in many cases. It is absorbed by the timber and allows it to wick moisture out, ensuring it won’t rot, and we are really pleased to be bringing this product back to market.”
Brouns & Co’s relocation to its new Sherburn in Elmet unit will enable the business, which employs a team of seven, to manufacture the paint, and store raw ingredients as well as tins of the finished product, on one site.
“Now we have everything in one location which makes everything work better logistically and will enable us to grow as a business. We hope to be creating new jobs over the coming months,” said Mr Brouns.
Approval sought for Yorkshire affordable homes scheme
The development of dozens of affordable homes in a North Yorkshire town has been submitted for reserved matters approval following outline permission for the site received in January.
The move would see North of England affordable house builder Adderstone Living deliver a mix of 68 one, two, three and four bedroomed properties on a plot of land at East Cowton, near Hambleton in North Yorkshire.
The 3.2ha site is being designed and developed by Adderstone Living for Karbon Homes, who will eventually manage the scheme. Close to existing residential housing, the project will see 40% of the overall site area retained as open space to retain the existing rural character of the area.
Housing will also feature improved site access with a new road layout together with parking space for 139 vehicles, which include 14 visitor parking bays.
A key element is the focus around a scheme designed to minimise the impact of the new homes on current residential amenities and the outlook of nearby housing, through the creation of buffer zones to the north and east of the site.
North Yorkshire Council will review the reserved matters planning and on-site if approved construction work is expected to start in the Summer with the first phase complete the following year.
The project comes as the Government continues to push for the delivery of new homes to meet the chronic housing shortage and arrest the decline in the affordability of home ownership.
Adderstone Living Managing Director Stephen McCoy said: “This would be great news for local people keen to get on the housing ladder. We’re really excited about this project and very much look forward to bringing this much needed scheme, with its mix of property types and sizes to provide options for residents at varying stages of life, to fruition.
“Indeed, the delivery of social housing has never been more important than at present and with the commercial pressures on the sector, to deliver high quality, added value schemes in places where people want to live and build communities.”
Sheffield company makes global leap in nuclear welding technology
Completion of the first full sized Small Modular Reactor (SMR) nuclear vessel demonstrator assembly at Sheffield Forgemasters has signalled a global leap in welding technology.
Sheffield Forgemasters has pioneered the industrialisation of Local Electron-Beam Welding (LEBW), and complete weld-assembly of the vessel marks a pivotal moment in global welding development, taking less than 24 hours to complete four, thick, nuclear-grade welds, typically requiring a year of work to complete.
With a diameter of three meters and a wall thickness of 200mm, construction of the vessel showcases the reliability and capabilities of LEBW, setting a dramatic new standard for weld-joining thick walled components, previously untrialled in a demonstrator model.
Professor Jesus Talamantes-Silva, Research, Design and Technology Director at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We are delighted to have reached a significant milestone in assembling a nuclear vessel demonstrator, using electron beam welding for the first time at this scale, with 100 per cent success and no defects.”
Sheffield Forgemasters deployed specially developed parameters, meticulously fine-tuned during the welding development stage, including innovative sloping-in and sloping-out techniques to start and finish the weld, ensuring a clean and complete weld-join.
It is the only company in the UK with the capability to manufacture the large forgings required for SMRs, and it now has years of developmental lead on global competitors in welding thick-walled assemblies.
Dr Michael Blackmore, Senior Development Engineer and Project lead, said: “The implication of this technology within the nuclear industry is monumental, potentially taking high cost welding processes out of the equation.
“Not only does this reduce the need for weld-inspections, because the weld-join replicates the parent material, but it could also dramatically speed up the roll-out of SMR reactors across the UK and beyond, that’s how disruptive the LEBW breakthrough is.”
The demonstration of LEBW technology’s potential opens new horizons for more efficient, low cost and less time-heavy nuclear assemblies and also has far reaching implications for other projects which require thick walled welded assemblies.
Dr Jacob Pope, Development Engineer and LEBW machine tool installation lead, added: “We thank the Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for enabling the project through its Nuclear Innovation Program.
“We also thank our esteemed partner, Cambridge Vacuum Engineering, for their invaluable support throughout this endeavour. Their remote and on-site assistance played an instrumental role in the success of this milestone, highlighting the collaborative spirit that drives us forward.”
Future company activities include an upcoming joint industrial project supported by key participants from the USA and UK. The objective is to initiate a code case or multiple cases to facilitate the deployment of this technology in accordance with the standards set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Yorkshire leather merchant secures funding for expansion
A Yorkshire leather merchant that is also a supplier of traditional Highland dress and menswear has secured a £265,000 loan for expansion from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
J Wood Leathers is one of the top leather wholesalers in the UK, supplying a wide range of skins and hides to customers including high street retailers and clothing manufacturers.
Following a request to supply kilt straps over 18 years ago, the company has built a thriving trade selling highland wear ranging from sporrans to kilt hose and ghillie brogues. It also runs an online shop supplying skins and craft products to hobbyists.
Based in Keighley, J Wood was established 25 years ago by Julian Wood and his wife Margaret. Their son Jack, who joined as a school leaver 15 years ago, took over as managing director in January this year. The funding will help him pursue his growth plans which include expanding online sales and product ranges.
Jack says: “I’m proud to take over the family business which my parents worked so hard to build. J Wood Leathers is well established in the UK leather industry, however the internet is opening up new opportunities for traditional businesses like ours.
“We are keen to raise the profile of our J Wood Highland brand and develop new product lines. With increased interest in crafts and hobbies, there is also potential for us to offer a one-stop shop to supply this market and build online communities.”
Gary Whitaker of Mercia Debt added: “Jack is bringing fresh ideas to this established and successful family business, and has already succeeded in boosting sales through initiatives such as the launch of the online store. This funding will enable him to open up new markets and increase stock levels to keep up with growing demand.”
Nicola Hudson of Walkers Accountants in Keighley and Taryn Preen of ABL Business provided fundraising advice to the company.
Chancellor urged to use budget to create climate in which businesses can grow
The British Chambers of Commerce is calling for the Chancellor to use next month’s Budget to work in partnership with business to develop a sustainable growth plan.
The organisation is calling for:
- Government to match industry-led funding of £3m for planning qualifications to help plug the lack of local resource
- Ministers should commit to fund business led Local Skills Improvement Plans beyond the current 2025 cut off point to at least 2028
- The VAT registration review should be restarted with a view to removing the existing cliff edge
- Government should reform business rates to make it a tax that incentivises growth
- The Chancellor should introduce a new internationally competitive tax-free shopping scheme
Rasen repairs restore frontage of flagship building
Specialist contractors have carried out repairs to the exterior 9-10 Market Place in Market Rasen town centre, the second major building to benefit from funding from the town’s Historic Building Grant Scheme.
West Lindsey District Council is funding a partnership with a local steering group made up of businesses, councils, and conservationists on the pilot project, which aims to unlock the potential of the town’s heritage assets by supporting the regeneration of significant buildings in the centre of Market Rasen.
The former bank at 9- 10 Market Place, has had a number of repairs made to it including repairing and decoration to the windows, installation of new doors and fan lights and repairs and redecoration of the render. Now completed, the building makes a significant contribution to the historic diversity of the marketplace.
Cllr Stephen Bunney, ward member for Market Rasen, has welcomed the completion of the work. He said: “We have been eagerly watching the work take place on the building and I am delighted to see the scaffolding has now been removed to highlight this historic building, refurbished and back to its former glory.
“These works not only give a visual boost to the area in terms of visual appeal, they also help conserve part of the town’s rich heritage and ensure they are an attractive proposition to be used in our wonderful town centre.”
The grant helps to fund work to improve and conserve historic buildings, using traditional materials and techniques in keeping with the heritage of the area. This includes work such as the repairing timber windows and shopfronts, removing unsightly paintwork, or repairing or renewing damaged render. It also can include new, traditional hand painted signage, which is more in-keeping with the properties.
Local heritage representative Neil Taylor said it was great to see the completion of the second building being developed as part of this scheme.
He said: “Local people will be happy to see this, and other buildings being transformed, vastly improving the visual appearance and improving the heritage of our much-loved town.”
The project will now turn its attention the former bank at 7 Market Place in the spring, followed by 5-6 Market Place.
