£48m funding injection gets Penistone rail line on right track
The government have announced that Kirklees Council has been successful in a bid to their Levelling Up Fund for £48 million, to support major improvements to the Penistone rail line.
The Penistone rail line runs between Huddersfield, Penistone and Sheffield, via Barnsley, providing an important link between communities and a sustainable alternative to road travel.
However, the line currently experiences issues with trains being too busy, and the current rail infrastructure means that only one train an hour can travel along the northern section between Huddersfield and Barnsley. This, added to speed limits of 50mph or lower along some sections, all mean pretty long journey times – averaging about an hour and 15 minutes end to end.
This funding means Kirklees Council will be able to improve the infrastructure along this rail line, and improve access as well.
Kirklees Council be delivering this work in partnership with Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Network Rail, Northern Rail, Sheffield City Council, the South Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
It will include station improvements creating better access and waiting facilities, increasing the speed of travel along the line and upgrading the rail infrastructure – including doubling sections of track, which will allow for two trains to travel on the northern section of the line every hour, in both directions.
These improvements will mean a lot of benefits for the local economy and for people living in communities along the length of the route. In future, faster and more frequent trains will open up more opportunities to access work and leisure facilities.
Kirklees Council also hopes these changes will encourage more commuters to use the line, reducing road congestion and carbon emissions, thereby improving local air quality.
Councillor Cathy Scott, Leader of Kirklees Council and Cabinet Member for Transport, says: “Here in Kirklees, our connectedness is one of our greatest strengths.
“We not only have great towns and beautiful countryside, we’re also slap bang in the middle of some of the north’s most influential cities – and our rail links help connect us with those cities, with the rest of the north, beyond that, the whole of the UK.
“The benefits of improving these connections, both to individual residents and to our local economy as a whole, are huge.
“It’s also important to remember that this project is part of a much bigger picture in terms of developing Kirklees’ transport system, which will also help make public transport a more viable option across the district, tying in with our green agenda.
“For example, as Huddersfield is a stop on the Transpennine Route – which is currently being upgraded – there is also the opportunity to connect more people to this and other planned infrastructure projects. It’s very exciting to see so much transformation across Kirklees and beyond.”
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, says: “I am delighted that the Levelling Up Fund bid for this project has been successful and will allow us to deliver significant improvements to the Penistone line and provide numerous benefits to businesses and communities along the route.
“Our transport links not only give us the opportunity to broaden the labour market for businesses in our area but provides easier and faster access to employment opportunities and leisure activities or events in the wider region.
“We submitted four Kirklees bids for Levelling Up funds, and all have now been successful. That is testament to the hard work our officers have put into designing and producing high quality bids. I want to thank Tracy Brabin, all the MPs, businesses and local people who supported us to put some brilliant plans together.
“We will keep working to bring investment to all parts of Kirklees and this great selection of ambitious plans will help us deliver the economic growth we all need.”
Funding boost for Huddersfield Open Market project
Kirklees Council’s plans for Huddersfield’s open market hall on Northumberland Street have been given a major boost – having been successful in a bid for Levelling Up Funding to support the £18 million scheme.
The market is a key part of the Huddersfield Blueprint.
This funding will allow Kirklees Council to revamp the market, maintaining and improving its current site on Northumberland Street.
The council will be restoring the Grade II* Listed structure and improving its surroundings. The council will also strengthen the new and improved market’s offering, by creating a better food offering, and by giving people more reasons to visit throughout the day and right into the evening. This will provide a new focal point in the town centre, and will also support surrounding businesses by encouraging extra footfall.
The Grade II* Listed building will be restored to provide a new indoor market, offering street food, shared seating, fresh bread, fruit and vegetables, and other general goods.
The new outdoor market will be located next to Tesco, with around 54 stalls and accompanying storage units.
Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, says: “This is great news for Huddersfield. The successful bid will kick start our plans to transform the open market hall and surrounding area and bring opportunities for the whole community.
“I want to thank all the MPs, businesses and local people who supported us, and the officers who have pulled these brilliant plans and exciting designs together. The awarding of this Levelling Up Funding means we can protect the future of the Grade II* Listed market hall and bring a boost to local businesses in the surrounding area.
“We will keep working to bring investment to all parts of Kirklees and this great selection of ambitious plans will help us deliver the economic growth we all need.”
Low-energy bioplastics developed with the University of Sheffield raise £2m investment
The world’s first low-energy, non-oil-based, high-performance bioplastic, developed with the University of Sheffield, has secured £2 million financing from Northern Gritstone.
Northern Gritstone, the investment business focused on university spinouts and science and technology-enabled businesses in the North of England, has announced a £2 million Series A investment into the bioplastics developer Floreon Technology Limited (Floreon), a spinout technology from the University of Sheffield.
Based in Hull, Floreon was founded by the entrepreneur Shaun Chatterton in 2011. CTO Dr Andrew Gill joined in 2013, having completed his PhD and a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Sheffield.
Floreon has developed a range of bioplastics made from plants, including corn and sugar cane, with performance comparable to Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), the common plastic polymer widely used in automotive, electronics and electrical appliances and toys.
With over 99 per cent of the world’s plastics produced from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, bioplastics offer a sustainable alternative. The global bioplastics and biopolymers market is projected to reach $27.3 billion by 2027.
Unlike other bio-plastic products, Floreon’s materials have uniquely achieved the performance standards required for high-value applications and mass production. Through using plants to take carbon dioxide directly from the air and convert it into sugars that can be used as feedstock for the material, Floreon’s bioplastics production can reduce carbon emissions by up to seven times compared to traditional oil-based plastics.
Northern Gritstone’s investment will allow Floreon to expand its team and bring its products to market.
Shaun Chatterton, founder and chair of Floreon, said: “Everyday oil-based plastics are contributing to the global environmental crisis. Our vision is to offer brands an alternative product and through this transform the global plastics market. We are delighted to partner with Northern Gritstone. Their support, experience and investment will enable us to develop our team and deliver our commercial strategy.”
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, said: “Floreon has developed an innovative and unique technology that offers producers a genuine route to reducing the environmental impact of their plastic products. This truly fits into Northern Gritstone’s ‘Profit with Purpose’ philosophy helping to create the world class businesses of tomorrow from the world class science that exists in the North of England today.”
Sheffield receives more than £19m for Parkwood Springs plans
Sheffield City Council’s plans for Parkwood Springs have been awarded more than £19 million as part of the latest round of investment from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The plans will see Parkwood Springs, which has been under utilised for more than a decade, transformed – further enhancing the Council’s ambition to create a Country Park in the city.
The award from central Government will pave the way for a regional leisure destination and a valued amenity for Sheffield residents – especially those living in communities close to Parkwood Springs.
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee, said: “Sheffield is a city on the up and we’re looking forward to starting work on an exciting £19 million transformative regeneration to create a Country Park at Parkwood Springs
“These plans will open up access to the site, an obstacle that previously prevented developers from bringing forward plans for the redevelopment of the former Ski Village.
“We recognised that Parkwood Springs needed a new lease of life and have continued to push for the funding to support our ambition and to deliver for the city. Sheffield is the Outdoor City and our plans will turn Parkwood springs into a regional leisure destination that we can be proud of.”
Now the funding has been awarded for the project it will mean a number of key areas will be able to be delivered including:
Improved access to Parkwood Springs
Access to the site would be improved for all, with particular focus on increasing active travel and public transport. It will also see improved approaches to the site with ‘Grey to Green’ type investment used elsewhere in the city.
Site Clearance, clean up and enabling work
The area of the former ski slope would be prepared for future development as a regional leisure destination with all derelict remains from the previous ski slope removed.
Investment in trails and wayfinding
The new funding will be used to deliver new and upgraded existing walking paths and mountain bike trails. The council will also be able to extend the area of the site which can be accessed and make the whole site more accessible to people of all ages and abilities. A new visitor centre and bike hub along with information boards, event space and improved boundaries will allow Parkwood Springs to strengthen the appeal as a destination in its own right.
Cllr Ben Miskell added: “This project will be able to breathe new life into the landscape and return it to the people of Sheffield. Once all the work is complete Parkwood Springs will be a fantastic place for residents and visitors of all ages and abilities to enjoy and I’m really looking forward to seeing it start to take shape.
“There is still work to be done before the first spade can be put into the ground, including road and infrastructure planning but once all those vital elements are complete, the people of Sheffield will be able to see the area come to life once again.”
Waterline Summit returns to the Humber
November saw the return of The Waterline summit, the Humber’s largest decarbonisation event, where businesses large and small come together with academics, industry experts and young people to learn, discuss and tackle the climate challenge.
The year’s event closed with an informative panel discussion about shaping a sustainable Humber, featuring panellists from Humber Energy Board and the Humber Freeport. Hosted by Richard Gwilliam, UK BECCS Programme Director for Drax, speakers included our own Jo Barnes, Managing Director of Sewell Estates and board member of Yorkshire Energy Park and Humber Freeport, Katie Hedges of CATCH, Chris Gilbert of Phillips 66, Simon Green of Humber Freeport and Harry Jones, Freeports Programme Director for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Discussion centred around the Humber Freeport, which has three main roles: setting the environment for new investment, accelerating innovation and allocating seed capital to companies aligned with the Freeport.
Harry Jones, the UK’s Freeports Programme Director, was in the area to see the improvements that the Humber Freeport is already inspiring. He said visiting the Humber was an inspiration to his work across the country. “The path to net zero has to go through the Humber,” he said, adding that after working on decarbonisation papers in Whitehall, it was motivating to visit the Humber and see the work happening in practice.
One of the flagship projects highlighted was a Sewell Group investment project, Yorkshire Energy Park, a next generation energy and technology business park under development to the East of Hull. An 86 hectare site and £200m investment, attracting investment from the energy, data, technology and manufacturing sectors, the scheme has the potential to create 4,480 jobs, along with apprenticeship and training opportunities for local people. The project is aiming to be sustainable in its build, as well as the industries involved, with land set aside for wildlife and local community groups.
A lot of the conversation revolved around discussion of the skills shortage for many industries involved with decarbonisation, with all panellists keen to see further incentives for companies to take on apprentices and trainees.
Jo Barnes spoke about how Sewell Group has pledged to triple the company’s intake of graduates, apprentices, trainees and work experience participants through their GATEWay scheme. She said that any decarbonisation work by business and industry needed to reach out to the region’s more deprived communities, ensuring any opportunities for work and upskilling were made available to these sections of society.
Government picks West Yorkshire to be UK’s third Investment Zone
England’s third Investment Zone will be focussed on Huddersfield, Bradford, and Leeds, creating more than 2,500 new jobs across the region over the next five years, and unlocking up to £220 million in investment, the Government has announced.
The Chancellor is also confirming the Investment Zones programme in England will be extended from five to 10 years, with the envelope of government funding and tax reliefs on offer now doubled to £160 million.
Growing the economy and making the long-term decisions to deliver the change the country needs is a priority for the Prime Minister. The announcements today are part of wider plans expected in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement this week where he will reveal reforms to reignite growth by unlocking more private investment and getting people back into work.
West Yorkshire will host one of 12 Investment Zones across the UK. It’s based around the region’s universities in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield and the cluster of life sciences businesses thriving in the area.
This includes the pioneering health tech company, Paxman Scalp Cooling, which supports patients to minimise hair loss during chemotherapy by manufacturing specialist hair caps. It is investing £5 million to bring their innovative health tech products to global markets and alongside it, the digital healthcare company Dedalus is investing £21 million to deliver digital and diagnostic tools for the NHS.
As a result of the Investment Zone, revamped sites specialising in health tech and digital will open up around West Yorkshire, unlocking over 2,500 jobs and over £220 million of investment across the region over the next five years.
This can be used flexibly between spending on interventions such as skills, research and development and local infrastructure, dependent on local need, and tax incentives such as 100% Stamp Duty Land Tax relief, an enhanced structures and buildings allowance at a rate of 10% per annum, an enhanced 100% first-year capital allowance, employer National Insurance Contributions relief, and 100% business rates relief.
Alongside this, the window to claim Freeport tax reliefs in England will be extended from five to ten years until September 2031, providing greater certainty to businesses looking to invest, delivering growth and jobs, and levelling up the economy.
The UK Government will work with the Scottish and Welsh governments with the intention of delivering the same extension to Investment Zones and Freeports in Scotland and Wales and will continue to work with stakeholders on how best to support investment in Northern Ireland.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “We know that devolution is working for West Yorkshire and this new investment zone is further recognition of that from the government.
“Home to NHS England, our region’s digital and health tech businesses are driving forward innovation and transforming the lives of patients world-wide.
“This investment is a massive vote of confidence in our top-tier universities and talented graduates and will help our mission to build a stronger, brighter region that works for all.”
The West Yorkshire Life Sciences Investment Zone will benefit from a range of interventions which include skills training and business support to encourage more business investment. The plan will boost innovation in the area’s thriving healthcare sector and create a talent pipeline at the forefront of technological advances.
Pensana and Yorkshire Energy Park sign letter of intent for magnet metal site
Pensana and The Yorkshire Energy Park have signed a letter of intent for the site of a future permanent magnet metal facility within the park, alongside the Saltend Chemicals Park in the Humber Freeport.
By 2030 the UK is expected to have transitioned from being a major European producer of internal combustion engines to being a world leader in the manufacture of electric drive units, but without a secure magnet metal supply chain, this transition is under threat.
As part of its plans to establish an independent supply chain for magnet metals, Pensana is currently undertaking studies into the conversion of rare earth oxides into magnet metals using electric furnaces powered by offshore wind.
The letter of intent with YEP covers the proposed site as well as the supply of zero carbon electricity and a range of bespoke facilities for the processing of rare earths in magnet metals, R&D and supply chain activities.
The event was also attended by the Vice Chancellor of Lincoln University, which is working with Pensana and YEP to create a regional specialised centre of engineering excellence, training and higher education on YEP for the Humber region.
Paul Atherley, Pensana Chairman, said: ”The partnership between YEP and Pensana is part of a broader study being undertaken to demonstrate how the UK can draw on its chemical engineering heritage and by connecting to offshore wind to create resilient supply chains to support the UK’s automotive sector in its transition from a major producer of internal combustion engines to be a world leader in the manufacture of electric drive units.”
Chris Turner, YEP Chairman, added: “We welcome the opportunity to deepen our collaboration with Pensana and the University of Lincoln on this nationally significant project. It represents another milestone for YEP and the Humber Freeport in delivering a zero carbon/advanced technology industrial cluster on the Humber.”
Keighley and Doncaster to share in levelling up funding of £1bn
Keighley is to get £19.8 million to boost its strong manufacturing heritage iunder a new allocation of levelling up funding.
It will contribute towards a new Advanced Robotics and Engineering Institute to support the expansion of the advanced manufacturing and engineering industry.
The money is part of £1bn awarded to 55 transformational projects in communities across the UK, including breathing new life into treasured heritage and culture buildings in three former mining communities in Doncaster.
As part of this, £150 million will be allocated to develop better transport links across the country with £825 million to kick-start regeneration in town centres. This will create new jobs and opportunities, power economic growth and revitalise communities.
Levelling up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Levelling up means delivering local people’s priorities and bringing transformational change in communities that have, for too long, been overlooked and undervalued.
“This funding sits alongside our wider initiatives to spread growth, through devolving more money and power out of Westminster to towns and cities, putting in place bespoke interventions to places that need it most, and our Long-Term Plan for Towns.”
Funding is spread across all corners of Great Britain, with the North West receiving £128 million, the North East £59 million, Yorkshire and the Humber £169 million and the Midlands £171 million in total. The government has drawn on the impressive pool of bids which narrowly missed out on funding in round two but were assessed as high-quality and able to deliver quickly.New collaboration allows green breakthrough in powering holiday homes
Holiday homes manufacturer Willerby and technology pioneer Sunamp have revealed how they worked together to achieve a green breakthrough for the industry.
The two companies have collaborated to overcome a major barrier which has prevented holiday parks moving power supply from liquid petroleum gas to cleaner, greener electricity.
The partnership has played a vital role in the development of the ground-breaking Willerby All-E specification, which enables Willerby models powered solely by electricity to be sited on most holiday parks across the UK.
Development of the Willerby All-E system stems from teamwork between Willerby and Sunamp, a leader in thermal storage technology which this year received a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise for its excellence in innovation.
Sunamp‘s space-saving thermal battery stores heat from lower carbon energy sources, such as solar panels or a smart grid, before releasing it for mains pressure hot water.
Up to four times smaller than a regular hot water cylinder, Sunamp’s thermal batteries are typically installed in places where a traditional water tank would not fit, such as apartments and smaller homes.
That means they are also ideal to be accommodated in holiday homes where space is at a premium.
The Willerby All-E system has been developed by Willerby’s in-house technical and product development teams, with Sunamp’s technology playing a critical part in resolving a key challenge.
Boost for life sciences sector as West Yorkshire hosts England’s third Investment Zone
The government has today (20 November) launched England’s third Investment Zone in West Yorkshire focussed on Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds, which will help to create more than 2,500 new jobs across the region over the next five years, and could unlock £220 million in investment.
The Chancellor has also confirmed the Investment Zones programme in England will be extended from five to 10 years, with the envelope of government funding and tax reliefs on offer now doubled to £160 million.
West Yorkshire will host one of 12 Investment Zones across the UK. It’s based around the region’s universities in Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield and the cluster of life sciences businesses thriving in the area.
This includes the pioneering health tech company, Paxman Scalp Cooling, which supports patients to minimise hair loss during chemotherapy by manufacturing specialist hair caps. It is investing £5 million to bring their innovative health tech products to global markets and alongside it, the digital healthcare company Dedalus is investing £21 million to deliver digital and diagnostic tools for the NHS.
As a result of the Investment Zone, revamped sites specialising in health tech and digital will open up around West Yorkshire, unlocking over 2,500 jobs and over £220 million of investment across the region over the next five years.
This can be used flexibly between spending on interventions such as skills, research and development and local infrastructure, dependent on local need, and tax incentives such as 100% Stamp Duty Land Tax relief, an enhanced structures and buildings allowance at a rate of 10% per annum, an enhanced 100% first-year capital allowance, employer National Insurance Contributions relief, and 100% business rates relief.
Alongside this, the window to claim Freeport tax reliefs in England will be extended from five to ten years until September 2031, providing greater certainty to businesses looking to invest, delivering growth and jobs, and levelling up the economy.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “We know that devolution is working for West Yorkshire and this new investment zone is further recognition of that from the government.
“Home to NHS England, our region’s digital and health tech businesses are driving forward innovation and transforming the lives of patients world-wide.
“This investment is a massive vote of confidence in our top-tier universities and talented graduates and will help our mission to build a stronger, brighter region that works for all.”
The West Yorkshire Life Sciences Investment Zone will benefit from a range of interventions which include skills training and business support to encourage more business investment. The plan will boost innovation in the area’s thriving healthcare sector and create a talent pipeline at the forefront of technological advances.
