British Steel keeps West Midlands moving with 850-tonne rail order
British Steel has supplied more than 21,000 metres of rails made at Scunthorpe to extend the Midland Metro Alliance between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill – the largest such project currently under construction in the UK.
The extension will be delivered in two phases with the first to Dudley town centre expected to open for passenger services in late 2024. The second phase will see the route further extended to Brierley Hill.
Colas Rail, a partner in the Midland Metro Alliance, visited British Steel’s manufacturing facilities in Scunthorpe to review and approve the manufacturing processes and product quality.
Safe storage and handling of more than 850 tonnes of rail is a challenge, but working in partnership, British Steel and Colas Rail identified and agreed suitable locations through joint site visits. All rails were delivered on time and in full during summer 2023.
Darren Cole, British Steel Account Manager, said: “It is very pleasing to secure the order and provide leading solutions to our customer’s supply chain requirements. The supply of UK Steel into UK rail networks is vital to the wider UK economy, providing significant environmental and social benefits alongside our world class products. We look forward to providing future supply into the West Midlands network.”
Andy Street, Metro Mayor for the West Midlands, has signed the UK Steel Charter, committing to using UK-made steel wherever possible in key projects in his region.
He said: “By signing the UK Steel Charter, we’re signalling our commitment to back British steel – supporting well paid and highly skilled manufacturing jobs and training opportunities that will benefit local people right across our region.
“This initiative can help to increase the amount of high quality steel manufactured in Britain and increase the supply of British made steel contributing to key West Midlands projects. I very much hope our decision will encourage others to follow suit – impacting positively on the supply chain, our region and indeed the wider UK economy in the months and years ahead.”
Tramlines brings £3.8m annual boost to Sheffield’s economy
Events bring millions to Sheffield’s economy, generate community pride and support the wellbeing of residents, according to a new report from Sheffield City Council that looks at the impact of events on the city, including Tramlines.
It’s estimated that Tramlines brings a £3.8 million boost to Sheffield’s economy annually. As well as the festival at Hillsborough Park, which was attended by more than 40,000 people, more than 40 city centre venues took part in The Fringe at Tramlines in 2023, with thousands of people enjoying a free family-friendly event on Devonshire Green during the Fringe.
During September, the council’s Economic Development and Skills and Communities, Parks and Leisure Committees, will be discussing Tramlines festival, the benefits it brings to the city, the recovery of Hillsborough Park after this year’s wet weather and plans for future festivals.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee, said: “Tramlines is an incredible celebration of Sheffield’s musical heritage and emerging talent that attracts artists and fans from the city and beyond to enjoy a weekend of music and creativity.
“As well as putting on an incredible show, both in the city centre and Hillsborough Park, both events provide a welcome boost to the local economy. Tramlines fans spend money on hotels, food and drink and transport, whilst the events provide opportunities for local suppliers, create jobs and work placement opportunities, and helps provide an income to support the running of the city’s parks.”
Tramlines is a major event for Sheffield and has grown to be one of the biggest city-based festivals in the UK since it started in 2009. In that time, the festival has supported more than 200 local artists to play the festival, given 68 work placements to local students and raised £200,000 for local charities. Income generated from Tramlines has helped to fund improvements in Hillsborough Park including improvements to pathways.
As well as economic benefits, hosting events in Sheffield parks helps bring social and health benefits to the city as well. Smaller, neighbourhood events bring communities together and encourage more people to visit their local green spaces, with income made from these events going back into supporting Sheffield’s parks, to ensure more neighbourhoods have access to green space.
Fees from event organisers play an important role in helping the council to manage and maintain the more than 800 parks and green spaces in Sheffield. Income from fees contributes to maintaining and improving green spaces in the city. This includes sharing investment across parks which may be too small or unsuitable to host their own events but still bring a huge benefit to the community.
Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, said: “Sheffield is one of the greenest cities in the UK and we are proud to have so many green spaces for residents to enjoy.
“The council’s budget has faced unprecedented cuts and there will be growing pressures in the years to come. Despite this, customer feedback shows an increase in satisfaction with the quality of Sheffield’s parks and academic research shows how important good quality green spaces are for residents’ wellbeing. Bringing events into our parks gives the council an opportunity to be more ambitious with Sheffield’s green spaces, improve parks for residents and unlock opportunities for local businesses.”
In 2023, the weather throughout Tramlines was incredibly wet, with seven inches of rain falling across the weekend – more than double the average for the time of year. Whilst previous Tramlines festivals experienced some rainfall and the ground held up, this summer far more rain fell than was forecast.
Despite preparing the ground before the festival and bringing in measures to protect the park during the event, the park was damaged and has required substantial repairs. Repairs have taken place during the summer and will be paid for by Tramlines. The park has reopened in sections. The café, multi-use games area, pump track and some grassed areas are now open to enjoy, whist Parkrun has also returned to the park.
Councillor Richard Williams, Chair of the Communities, Parks and Leisure Committee, said: “Tramlines will remain at Hillsborough Park because it is the best venue for the festival in the city. The fee the festival pays to the council will continue to support maintenance and improvements to the park for the benefit of all users. Festival organisers are always responsible for the cost of works required to reinstate the park after the festival.
“I’d like to thank the local community for their patience as repairs take place, I know the damage caused by the weather conditions during the festival has had an impact on residents, and particularly families during the school holidays. The council will monitor progress to ensure that high quality and sustainable repairs are made in reasonable timeframes for the weather conditions and the park is opened up for use as soon as sections become ready. We will keep working with Tramlines to ensure this level of damage is avoided if extreme wet weather happens during the festival again.”
North Yorkshire aspires to build more than 12,000 new homes in five years
An ambitious new strategy to deliver thousands of homes that meet the needs of communities across North Yorkshire is being developed.
The draft North Yorkshire Housing Strategy provides a framework for housing policies and projects to be undertaken by the unitary council over the next five years.
It includes proposals to tackle homelessness, meet the needs of the ageing population, increase the supply of affordable and available housing and improve the energy efficiency of housing, which would reduce fuel poverty.
It aims to deliver at least 12,685 new homes – of which 4,000 will be affordable – over the next five years. And a council housing growth plan will be drawn up to include increasing the authority’s existing stock of 8,500 homes.
Executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “This is the first housing strategy of the new North Yorkshire Council and outlines our vision for housing across the county, our priorities and the actions we will take.
“North Yorkshire contains diverse housing markets, with varying housing needs and many challenges, but local government reorganisation has given us a once in a generation opportunity to transform services, drive innovation and improve outcomes for our communities and the people who need the most help.
“We will take a proactive approach to housing delivery, and we will develop a bold plan to deliver more homes, including more affordable properties over the next five years.
“We will use the new combined strength of the unitary authority and the advantage of being a stockholding council to unlock greater resources, access funding opportunities and accelerate housing growth and regeneration, ensuring that we deliver sustainably, and develop inclusive places.
“We are an ambitious council, keen to deliver excellent housing services and be an exemplar social landlord.”
The draft housing strategy follows three key themes – our people, our places and our homes – which look to focus on the following areas:
- Preventing and tackling homelessness.
- Meeting the needs of the ageing population.
- Meeting supported housing needs and the needs of specific groups.
- Growing the supply of affordable and available housing.
- Addressing the rural housing crisis.
- Supporting communities through neighbourhood renewal and regeneration.
- Decarbonising homes.
- Ensuring that new housing supply contributes to the council’s net zero ambitions.
- Addressing stock condition issues.
- Ensuring that council stock remains of a decent standard and continues to improve.
Revival of Sheffield’s historic Leah’s Yard reaches important construction milestone
The ongoing revival of Sheffield’s historic Leah’s Yard on Cambridge Street celebrated an important construction milestone this week, with the building’s new extension reaching its highest point.
Leah’s Yard is seen as the jewel in the crown of Heart of the City – the transformative city centre development programme led by Sheffield City Council and their Strategic Development Partner, Queensberry. The former collection of small industrial workshops is currently being transformed into a new social hub for creative independent businesses.
This Grade II* listed building was recently removed from Historic England’s ‘Building at Risk’ register following preliminary structural and roof work, which has brought the building back into usable condition.
Work on adding a complementary and sympathetic extension to the building, designed to vastly improve public accessibility and create extra commercial space, began earlier this year and the steel structure has now hit its peak.
To celebrate this latest milestone for Leah’s Yard, Sheffield City Council welcomed key representatives from Queensberry, RF Joinery, Turner & Townsend and Lathams, alongside Tom Wolfenden and James O’Hara – the future venue operators – for a tour of the site, along with an official topping-out ceremony.
Councillor Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “We are delighted to see Leah’s Yard reach this milestone. The redevelopment of this cherished heritage ensures that the building will remain a key focal point in our city centre for decades to come. This new hub for independent retailers and creative workshops will deliver a modern, fresh and vibrant destination – one that really reflects what Sheffield is all about.”
Andrew Davison, Project Director at Queensberry, added: “Leah’s Yard is progressing well and on track to open early next year. The plans for this space are completely unique and, alongside the neighbouring Cambridge Street Collective food hall and live entertainment venue in Bethel Chapel, we expect it to become the social and cultural heartbeat of the city centre.”
Once completed in Spring 2024, the venue will be run by Tom Wolfenden, who manages the Cooper Buildings on Arundel Street, and James O’Hara, who runs acclaimed bars such as Public and Picture House Social.
The duo plan to breathe new life into the site by transforming it into an experience-led destination for local independent retailers and businesses, creative workshops and social events. A bustling central public courtyard will be surrounded by small boutique shops, while the first and second floors will host around 20 independent working studios.
Tom Wolfenden said: “It’s been a long journey to get to this point, but we’re delighted to finally see the end in sight and can’t wait to open next summer. On the upper floors we’re already starting tours of the offices and studios to build our tenant community.”
James O’Hara continued: “We’re also speaking to independent retailers and starting to map out the exciting tenant mix within the courtyard. We can’t say much at the moment but get ready for some big news over the coming months.”
Holiday home firm Willerby develops ‘all-electric’ model
Hull-based holiday homes designer and manufacturer Willerby has announced it has developed a pioneering all-electric specification enabling its models to be powered solely by electricity on the majority of UK holiday parks.
The move comes hot on the heels of Willerby becoming the first manufacturer in the sector to publish a Sustainability Report, detailing its mission to combat climate change and cut carbon.
CEO Peter Munk says the move underlines Hull-based Willerby’s commitment to making sustainability a cornerstone of the business and to work with partners to pave the way to a green future for the holiday homes industry. It’s the first time Willerby has formally and publicly reported the progress it is making in tackling climate change and reducing carbon emissions, as well as the investments it is making in its people and local community. Willerby has now committed to publishing the Sustainability Report on an annual basis, so that customers, employees and stakeholders can see the full range of initiatives it is driving forward to reduce the environmental impact of the business. The Willerby all-electric specification is a UK holiday home first. The breakthrough reinforces Willerby’s reputation as the sector leader on sustainability and comes ahead of the Great Holiday Home Show, the UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home, caravan and motorhome show, which opens on Friday, September 8. Developed by Willerby’s in-house technical and product development teams, Willerby All-E will be showcased in a Willerby holiday home at the event, which is being staged for the first time at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate. Willerby CEO Peter Munk said: “We’re very excited to announce this major breakthrough, which will enable the holiday parks industry to take a big leap forward. “Our Willerby All-E specification is the natural next step on our sustainability journey, following the introduction of the Willerby GreEN Standard last year. “We know holiday home owners share our passion for protecting the planet and recognise that holiday parks already offer one of the most sustainable forms of tourism. Now, this ground-breaking innovation will make holidays and short breaks in Willerby models even greener. “Equally, holiday park operators are committed to sustainability and the Willerby All-E specification will enable them to push ahead in moving from gas to electric energy supply and embrace more ways to generate green electricity on their sites. “We’re inviting visitors to the Great Holiday Home Show to come to the Willerby Village to learn more about Willerby All-E and the sustainability benefits it offers to holiday home owners and holiday park operators.”Housebuilder acquires trio of new Yorkshire sites
The Yorkshire division of housebuilder, Crest Nicholson, has continued its northern growth by entering into contracts on three sites in East Ayton, North Yorkshire, Swanland in East Yorkshire and a third in Wilberfoss, nearby to York.
The new developments will deliver over 250 much needed new homes, a mix of private and affordable housing.
The Swanland site is just over 20 acres and located in a prime position on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, with Hull to the east, Beverley to the north and the Humber Bridge and A63 within three miles. It will comprise 150 two to five bedroom homes and bungalows, including 25% affordable housing.
Located in the picturesque East Riding village of Wilberfoss, on the outskirts of York, the six acre site will comprise approximately 60 two to five bedroom homes, including 25% affordable housing. Located on Mill Lane, the development will provide an ideal location for those commuting into the city centre.
The East Ayton site is just under five acres in size and located in the popular historical village, on Racecourse Road, five miles south west of Scarborough. A development of 56 new homes will include 30% affordable housing.
Works are expected to start at Swanland in the coming months, and East Ayton and Wilberfoss in early 2024, with sales starting for all three developments from early next year.
Guy Evans, Managing Director at Crest Nicholson Yorkshire, said: “The sites in Swanland, Wilberfoss and East Ayton, are sought after destinations for homebuyers in the region, with strong commuting links and will allow us to provide increased choice of high quality, more energy efficient, new build homes with plenty of amenities nearby. We look forward to starting construction works later this year.”
MAP Charity completes £1.4m refurbishment of Hope Foundry in Leeds
Alternative education provider, MAP Charity has made a huge step towards revitalising Mabgate’s creative business community in Leeds, completing a £1.4m refurbishment of Hope Foundry.
The Grade-II listed building is currently home to the charity’s Education Programme and a small number of creative practitioners and not-for-profit organisations.
The £1.4m project has been funded by grants from Leeds City Council, the European Regional Development Fund and MAP Charity, reflecting a significant investment of public funding into the Mabgate area.
By offering local creative businesses and practitioners access to affordable workspaces, the refurbished first and second floors provides a home for small, independent organisations and start-ups, reinvigorating Mabgate’s reputation as a hub of creativity.
From screen printers to audio mastering engineers, skilled professionals already operate from Hope Foundry, and up to 30 creative businesses will now be able to make Hope Foundry their home.
Strategic property advisors, Fox Lloyd Jones have been appointed by the charity to lead the letting of Hope Foundry, with spaces ranging from 150 to 2,693 sq ft.
The first floor is separated into ten studio workspaces, which are now fully let. The 2,693 sq ft second floor operates as one large workspace available as a whole or in part and is suited to growing creative organisations.
Tom Smith, co-founder of MAP Charity, said: “We’re hugely proud of this major refurbishment and being able to take derelict spaces and turn them into fantastic workspaces. Our aim is to make the building sustainable financially, whilst also offering affordable spaces to creative businesses who want to work with young people.
“In addition to the benefits to potential occupiers, the expanded possibilities following the refurbishment of Hope Foundry are hugely important to MAP Charity’s Education Programme, which works with young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
“By working closely with a community of creative professionals, students will be able to access opportunities to learn skills directly from creative professionals and apply them to real life situations.”
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, culture and education, added: “It’s fantastic to see plans for this beautiful building taking such an important step forward.
“The redevelopment of Hope Foundry will be an important catalyst in revitalising the Mabgate area, which is such a key part of the city for our creative industries, independents and start-ups. The superb work of MAP helps so many talented young people in Leeds to flourish and we’re very proud to be supporting them to develop that work further.”
Nick Salkeld, director at Fox Lloyd Jones, said: “Hope Foundry is paving the way in placing Mabgate at the forefront of a fast-growing hive of creativity bringing together a wide variety of organisations. We are delighted to be working alongside MAP Charity to build this exciting community and play a role in revitalising the iconic Hope Foundry.”
European firm reveals majority investment in Sheffield digital engineering consultancy
European technology solutions and services firm SCC has revealed a majority investment in Nimble, a Sheffield-headquartered, 150-person digital engineering consultancy.
Founded in 1975 by Sir Peter Rigby and with significant footprints in the UK, France, and Spain, SCC has steadily evolved from its reseller roots to offer services in line with technology innovations and customer demand.
The investment announcement marks another significant step in what the company calls its ‘Digital Solutions and Services Provider’ (DSSP) strategy – a plan that will see the company build a 2,000-person European digital consultancy within the decade.
“For decades, our customers across Europe have trusted us to bring value and support in their technology environments,” said James Rigby, CEO of SCC EMEA. “The investment in Nimble – alongside organic investments we have already made in the areas of cloud, cybersecurity, and digital workplace – will enable SCC to bring that same trust and value as they embark on digital transformation journeys.”
Rigby noted that the company’s search for the right firm to “seed” its digital transformation services business ended when he and his team encountered the Nimble team, led by CEO Chris Roberts. While the firm was still relatively young (Roberts founded Nimble in 2016), it had all the traits SCC sought.
“We looked first for a company that shared our values and our commitment around customer service,” explained Rigby. “The way Nimble engages with its clients, the culture Chris and the team have created, and the pragmatic way they make decisions – it felt comfortable from the first conversation and will fit well with the way we are already operating in our Cloud.”
To Roberts and his Nimble team (known as ‘Nimblers’), the opportunity to engage with SCC’s public and private sector clients was the initial draw, as well as the opportunity to expand Nimble’s reach into Europe, and to extend the company’s services by leveraging SCC’s delivery teams in Romania and Vietnam.
“Partnering with SCC gives us rocket fuel to grow Nimble both in the UK and beyond,” noted Roberts. “This gives Nimblers an even bigger playing field to deliver innovation across our current capabilities and to consider new areas where we can help customers accelerate their transformation, including AI.”
SCC will operate Nimble as a separate company under the guidance of Roberts and the current Nimble management team, with additional strategy support to be provided by senior SCC executives.
“With SCC’s global footprint and our investment in cloud services, we had many of the pieces we needed to help clients with digital transformation,” said Christine Olmsted, SCC’s Corporate Development Director, who will also serve as Nimble’s Chief Strategy Officer.
“What we lacked was the front end – a team of seasoned consultants who could help customers envision and articulate their needs and the development and delivery ‘squads’ to then make that vision a reality. With Nimble now on board, SCC can become the full-scale Digital Solutions and Services Provider our customers are seeking.”
Terms of the investment were not disclosed. Nimble was advised by Squire Patton Boggs and Alantra, while SCC advisors included Eversheds Sutherland and Grant Thornton.
City’s football stadium extension starts to take shape
A new Skills & Education Hub at Lincoln City FC’s LNER Stadium is starting to take shape, with the steel frame of the extension to the existing Stacey West stand now complete.
It follows extensive groundworks, which have included a new mains water supply, increased power supply, and a state-of-the-art pitch irrigation recycling system.
Once complete in August 2024, the new building will provide the Lincoln City Foundation with the facilities and office space to expand its social impact work in the local community. New matchday stadium toilet facilities will also be integrated with the existing Stacey West stand.
As part of the work, a new 70,000 litre tank has been installed at the stadium. This will be filled with rain water from the pitch and the roof, via the new irrigation system. The water will then be reused on the pitch. Recycling rainfall in this way will save the club thousands of pounds on its water bill as it relies less on mains supplies.
Richard Shaw, Lindum Group Director, said: “It is fantastic to see the progress being made at the Stacey West project, with the new frame giving us a good idea of what the finished building is going to look like.
“It is important to us that we can not only provide a dynamic space for the Lincoln City Foundation, but also help the club lower its environmental impact and running costs. We are very much looking forward to the completion of the extension and becoming part of the history of the Stacey West stand and the stadium as a whole.”
Damian Froggatt, Director of Operations at Lincoln City Football Club, said: “After four years of planning and having secured over £2m in funding, we are delighted to see construction work well underway. The new build will provide over 1500 square metres of dedicated new space from which Lincoln City Foundation can expand its vital social impact work, further establishing Lincoln City Football Club as a true community club.”
Work can now begin on the brick work and concrete floor slab. Bricklayers started on site at the end of August, giving the people an idea of what it will look like when it is finished.
Business need urgent action to stimulate growth, says Chamber
The British Chambers of Commerce is calling for urgent action from politicians to stimulate economic growth across the UK. Among the key asks are:
- Better planning for business so that firms are not squeezed out of towns and cities.
- Introduction of flexibility in the apprenticeship levy to support everyone in the workplace.
- Strengthened UK-EU co-operation to increase bi-lateral investment levels.
- Dramatic energy grid upgrades to ensure there is sufficient network capacity to meet modern needs.
