Outfield Digital acquired by Danish firm
Barnsley-based Outfield Digital has been acquired by Umbraco. It sees Umbraco take ownership of Outfield’s eCommerce platform, Vendr, as well as its other commercial package, Konstrukt, a rapid back-office UI builder.
Outfield Digital is owned and managed by Matt and Lucy Brailsford, who will be joining Umbraco HQ. Matt will continue to maintain and develop Vendr as part of the D-Team and Lucy will be joining the Community Happiness Team working with Developer Relations.
Matt said: “I’m so excited to be starting my new role as commerce technical team lead at Umbraco HQ. I’ll get to continue developing the product I’ve been working so hard on for the last 3 years, but now with additional assistance from the composable DXP team, as well as customer support from the support warriors and sales from the suits. Together, I’m confident that we can take commerce in Umbraco to a whole new level.”
Lucy said: “I’m super excited for the future of Vendr in the hands of Umbraco, taking the product we have nurtured and giving it the opportunity to grow and realise its full potential. I’m equally looking forward to my new opportunity to join the Community Happiness Team, learning new skills and having the chance to connect with the wonderful Umbraco Community even more.”
This is the second acquisition Umbraco has completed in the last 12 months.
Kim Sneum Madsen, CEO at Umbraco, said: “We believe that in order for Umbraco to stay relevant we need to look beyond just content. We want to be able to offer a powerful commerce offering that is well-integrated with Umbraco and that can be added to Umbraco projects where needed. And we believe Vendr to be just that.”
Step closer for hotel and office in Westgate
As part of Wakefield Council’s long-term regeneration plan for the city, it has purchased the 19th century Westgate railway station. The station closed ten years ago when the new one opened next door.
The plan is to construct a hotel and office at this location, which aims to attract businesses back to the city centre and reverse the trend of out-of-town locations.
Local business leaders have supported the move and emphasised the need for a hotel in the city centre.
Following the purchase, the council will do soft market testing to determine the commercial interest for a hotel, office block or both at this location, before inviting developers to submit bids.
The construction of the new premises will complete the regeneration of Westgate. CAPA College, a performing arts college, and Burgage Square, a mixed-use development with accommodation, retail and office space, were the most recent projects to redevelop this area.
Mark Lynam, Wakefield Council’s corporate director for regeneration and economic growth, said: “When completed, the Westgate Gateway will be an excellent location for businesses due to its convenient railway links, places to stay, high-quality offices and nearby restaurants.
“It’s part of our vision for Wakefield to be a flexible and adaptable city, easily changing to customer demand. The provision of high-quality offices and a hotel will be the final feature to our Westgate Gateway, well positioned on the East Coast Main Line railway and adjacent to some of the city’s most valuable cultural assets.”
Kevin Trickett, interim chair of Wakefield’s High Street Task Force, said: “Wakefield suffers from not having a quality hotel in the city centre. In my role as Civic Society President, I sometimes organise events where I bring people from across the region or even further afield and it’s really difficult trying to organise logistics when the hotels are outside the city centre.
“Going back further, in a previous job I used to organise conferences and I would’ve loved to have brought that business to Wakefield, but I couldn’t because we just don’t have that sort of hotel, so, it’s an exciting prospect.”
This is one of several projects in the Wakefield masterplan that together aim to transform the city centre into a thriving and culturally vibrant city. Others include Tileyard North, The Orangery and Civic Quarter, Kirkgate Gateway, a flexible multi-use outdoor space at Cathedral Square and a new home for the Wakefield Library and Museum in the heart of the city centre.
The purchase of the Old Westgate Station is one of the city centre projects being funded through a £24.9m grant from the Towns Fund which was allocated in 2021.
Unity Homes and Enterprise appoints new director of housing operations
Unity Homes and Enterprise has appointed Katherine Proctor as director of housing operations.
She joins the Leeds-based BME housing association after nine years at Yorkshire Housing where she held a succession of senior positions including head of repairs and investment, head of homeworks and building service manager.
A graduate of the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, Ms Proctor is a former chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Board.
In her new role, she will provide strategic direction for the delivery of Unity’s housing services including tenancy management, responsive repairs, planned and cyclical maintenance, estates services, customer services and rental income.
Established in 1987 and holding the highest gradings from the Regulator of Social Housing, Unity manages more than 1,350 properties for tenants in some of the most deprived and multicultural neighbourhoods in Leeds.
Alongside its role as a landlord and provider of housing services, the association helps people to set up and run their own businesses and access employment, training education opportunities.
Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, said: “Unity is making great progress in delivering a transformational Corporate Plan rooted in our social purpose which was recently reviewed.
“Being the best performing and a well-regarded landlord is at the top of our priority and Katherine will be at the heart of this work.
“She possesses all of the skills and experiences that are key to the role.
“We are excited to welcome her to the Senior Management Team.”
Katherine Proctor said: “I look forward to leading on the delivery of services that matter most to Unity customers and make a significant difference to people’s lives, particularly customers from the BME community who continue to face inequalities socio-economically and in housing provision.
“Unity has strong values and its social purpose demonstrates that the association cares about making a difference, mirroring my own values and purpose which really matter to me.
“It is clear that Unity has high ambitions for itself and the people whose needs it works so hard to address.
“Working with colleagues at every level of the organisation, I know we can achieve a lot together.”
Ms Proctor will take up post in June.
Manchester courier company expands into Yorkshire
Speed Couriers, the Manchester-based courier company, is expanding into Yorkshire.
The company, which was founded 37 years ago, specialises in urgent same day transport for the medical sector across the UK, providing a secure distribution channel for NHS Trusts, GP surgeries and private pathology services.
In addition to collecting and delivering blood, pathology samples, records, they also deliver a wide range of non-medical supplies, from internal mail and small packages up to large non-haulage items.
Director Carl Truscott explained the significant decision to move permanently into Yorkshire.
“Over the past couple of years, we have been providing more and more courier services across the Pennines. As a result, we are now looking for additional premises in Leeds, ideally in the North East of the city, which will enable us to further develop and have easy access to North and East Yorkshire too.
“This is a very important move for us as we aim to increase our geographical range and become the largest and most successful independent courier company in the north of England. We have built a stellar reputation in the North West and we trust this will stand us in good stead as we strengthen our links with Leeds, Bradford, York, Scarborough, Hull and many other places in between.
“It is fair to say that the past few years has been hard for the courier and distribution sector with the pandemic changing the face of what is normal and since then rising costs that affect us all. We are proud to be able to buck that trend, having worked hard during this time to protect the 37 years past coming out the other side having grown and developed as a business that provides a respected and reliable same-day service which never lets our customers down.
“We are passionate about our very loyal 60 plus fleet of drivers, many of whom have been with us for years, and of course our loyal customers. To maintain our exemplary service, we will be looking to add to our fleet to support our operations in Leeds and these other areas.
“These are exciting times for Speed Couriers. Apart from our move into Yorkshire, we are also strengthening our position in other areas across the UK, where we are making good progress with new medical, corporate and private clients.”
Henry Boot Construction wraps up Sheffield’s new city centre park
Henry Boot Construction has completed the main phase of work on Sheffield City Centre’s brand-new public space, Pound’s Park.
The landmark park was handed over to Sheffield City Council and officially opened on 3 April – just in time for the public to start enjoying the space over the Easter weekend and school holidays.
Named after Sheffield’s first chief fire officer, Superintendent John Charles Pound, the park is located on the former fire station site between Rockingham Street, Wellington Street and Carver Street, and will offer a multitude of experiences, including spaces for play, relaxation and socialising.
The 6,000 sq m space has been developed with families in mind and boasts a significant new children’s playground at its heart.
The playground includes two large pyramid towers – the tallest standing at 11 metres, with stainless steel slides, climbing structures, playhouses, a seesaw, wheelchair-accessible play equipment and more.
Another feature, which involved careful installation from the Henry Boot team, is a unique three-by-eight-metre climbing boulder, reminiscent of a Peak District rockface. The boulder is designed to include multiple natural-looking hand and foot holds and be suitable for would-be climbers of all abilities.
Henry Boot will be back on site later this month to facilitate some final utility work that will enable the water play features, lighting and accessible WCs to open to the public.
Tony Shaw, Managing Director at Henry Boot Construction, said: “We are extremely proud to announce the completion of Pound’s Park and hand it back to Sheffield Council. It’s been a real team effort to get it all ready in time for the public to enjoy this Easter.
“Sheffield is renowned as one of the country’s greenest cities and Pound’s Park is making it even greener and continuing to build on the exciting Outdoor City ethos.
“At Henry Boot, we understand that the need for major public spaces in our urban environment continues to grow. With more people living and working in city centres today, these accessible and attractive spaces are crucial to creating a modern, liveable city centre – one that supports people’s physical and mental wellbeing. It helps reduce vehicle congestion and the resulting carbon emissions.”
Henry Boot’s management of Pound’s Park has been exemplary, with the construction site recently receiving marks of 45/45 following an inspection from the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS).
The Sheffield-based company are also working on two other major developments in Heart of the City – either side of the park.
To the west of the park is Kangaroo Works – a major residential development delivering 364 new apartments. To the east is Elshaw House – the city’s first zero carbon-ready office building, and Cambridge Street Collective – a contemporary hospitality space featuring a food hall and rooftop restaurant.
“Due to the park’s location between our Kangaroo Works and Elshaw House sites, it made perfect sense for our team to also deliver the adjoining public realm,” continued Tony.
“Our team’s extensive knowledge of the project ensured the Pound’s Park project ran extremely efficiently. The continuity of the project team enabled us to better manage workflow, supplies, budget and timelines. These benefits are understandably hugely appealing to local authority clients.
“It also enabled us to support local supply chain and jobs. We partnered with many great businesses from the region, including Timberplay, who designed and installed the play area.”
Sheffield firm completes Magna refurb as part of £20m project
Sheffield-based interactive exhibition specialists Aivaf Ltd has refreshed existing exhibits, installed new ones and added digital information points to update the 22-year-old Air Pavilion at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham.
The make-over is the first of many at the centre as several exhibits, public areas and facilities are due to be upgraded over the next 18 months to improve the visitor experience and the venue’s sustainability.
This programme of work is part of a £20m investment secured by Rotherham Council to help improve the leisure economy and skills in Rotherham. Other attractions also benefiting from the Levelling Up funding include Wentworth Woodhouse, Thrybergh Country Park, Rother Valley Country Park, Maltby Learning Trust and Skills Street at Gulliver’s Valley.
Magna Chief Executive Kevin Tomlinson said: “We are proud to be part of Rotherham Council’s vision for a strong and sustainable visitor economy across the borough, alongside our fellow attractions Wentworth Woodhouse, Thrybergh Country Park and Rother Valley Country Park.
“This support has enabled us to invest in our unique building, protect its heritage and develop our exhibits, which provide energetic and enquiring minds with a place to have fun, explore the wonders of science and develop a love of STEM learning. We are very pleased to be playing our part in making Rotherham a great place to visit now and in the future.”
Rotherham’s cabinet member for jobs and local economy, councillor Denise Lelliott said: “The Council aims to grow Rotherham’s leisure economy by making the most of our unique assets and green spaces and investing in training to support jobs in this sector.
“Magna Science Adventure Centre is a landmark visitor attraction and events venue for Rotherham, and it’s great to see these first improvements going live and being enjoyed by schools, families and groups from across the borough and all over the UK.”
‘Living lab’ scheme will transform Humber into ‘silicon estuary’, say developers
The world’s biggest offshore wind ‘living lab’ is to be created off the Grimsby coast through the development of a 5G Testbed that includes ABP’s Port of Grimsby, Port the Lynn, and Inner Dowsing wind farm.
The £2.8m project will accelerate the development of a new generation of digital technologies essential for the huge expansion of offshore wind generation required to meet climate targets. It is being driven by a consortium led by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and bringing together the expertise of Microsoft, Vilicom, JET Connectivity, XceCo, ABP, Acceleran and Satellite Applications Catapult.
The offshore wind sector is growing rapidly, increasing the need for Operations & Maintenance, which can be both expensive and hazardous. On average, these activities account for 25% of the total lifetime cost of an offshore wind farm, and as the sector expands, there is a strong push to reduce this cost by using robotics and autonomous solutions for inspections, maintenance and repair.
The 5G Testbed will allow technology providers to test and demonstrate their equipment in real world conditions, with access to reliable, high-speed communications. It aims to kickstart a digital revolution in offshore wind O&M in the region and attract users from the global offshore wind sector.
Ben George, head of Smart Operations and Maintenance at ORE Catapult, said: “This 5G Testbed is a hugely exciting development for O&M in offshore renewable energy. The Testbed will demonstrate the benefits of new remote digital solutions that require high bandwidth, low latency wireless communications – aimed at making O&M safer, greener and more effective.
“It will provide a real-world development, demonstration and test zone for robotics and autonomous systems, remote sensors, wearable technology, cyber security, zero emission vessels, smart ports, and aquaculture that will drive the digital future of O&M. This gives UK innovators and technology developers the upper hand as they bring new products and services to market, including for export into an offshore wind sector that is booming around the world.
“We are delighted to be working with our group of expert partners as we seek to transform the Humber into a new ‘silicon estuary’.”
To create the Testbed, two 5G technology development and demonstration zones over the existing fibre network will be built – one at Grimsby Port and the other within the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farm. Fifteen 5G radio transmitters will be placed across five sites including wind turbines and a radio mast, and two 5G solar powered buoys will provide an extended 5G network beyond the range of the wind farm. JET Connectivity is providing the 5G solar powered buoys for the project.
Credited for being the world’s largest operations and maintenance (O&M) offshore hub, the Port of Grimsby is an established centre of excellence for these activities for Round 1 and 2 wind farms in the North Sea. The port offers a number of sites suitable for the development of the operations and maintenance (O&M) industry, as well as other offshore wind-associated activities.
Simon Bird, ABP Humber Regional Director, said: “We are very proud that the Port of Grimsby has been chosen as the primary site for the 5G network and look forward to working with partners on this project to make it a success.
“At ABP, we’re committed to supporting innovation in the renewable energy sector, alongside decarbonising our own operations, as reflected in our net zero sustainability strategy, Ready for Tomorrow, which was launched last month.”
The offshore wind sector is growing rapidly, increasing the need for O&M, which is currently expensive and hazardous. On average, O&M accounts for 25% of the total lifetime cost of an offshore wind farm, and as the sector expands, there is a strong push to reduce this cost by using robotics and autonomous solutions to support necessary inspections, maintenance and repair.
However, many new digital solutions rely on high-fidelity wireless data communications that 5G provides, and while 5G is being installed in new wind farms, these are not available for wider development and testing. This project will create the 5G infrastructure that provides an accessible and operationally integrated Testbed for new technologies that are essential to the roll out of offshore wind globally.
The project will be funded with £1m from the Innovate UK Cyber Physical Infrastructure (CPI) fund, an expected £1m from the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and industry match funding.
Farmers offered share in £34m to improve slurry storage and store water
Farmers are being offered a share in Government funding of £34m to better manage slurry storage and to store and use water more efficiently, as a key part of a new Plan for Water.
With and estimated half of slurry stores in England not being fit for purpose, the grants will provide farmers with between £25,000-£250,000 to build, replace or expand storage and can contribute towards a range of solutions like lagoons, steel and concrete ring tanks and large slurry bags.
More than 1,200 applications were received for the first round of the grant. Defra wants to help as many farms as possible to upgrade their slurry storage, but needs to balance the high demand for grants with the capacity of slurry store suppliers to increase production.
374 projects have been invited to submit a full application for a share of £33.9 million in funding – up from £13.2 million when the grant was first announced last year. This is based on an assessment of what the market could handle following conversations with suppliers and installers and considering the types of store farmers have applied for.
Better management of slurry from farming means less pollution washing off into rivers when it rains, says the Government. More investment into water supply will mean farmers are more prepared for climate change impacts – from reservoirs to better irrigation.
The money comes from the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant – more than two-and-a-half times the original budget. The government will also publish the guidance for the second round of the Water Management Grant, which will open for applications later in April and provide £10m in funding to help farmers manage their water use through better irrigation and more on-farm reservoirs.
The government’s new Plan for Water covers the quality of the water environment – how clean it is – and water resources – how much of it we have. It will transform the whole water system – tackling every source of pollution, including from storm overflows, agriculture, plastics, road run-off, chemicals and pesticides, as well as the pressures on our water supply as a result of hotter, drier summers and population growth.
Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “Communities across the country want to see clean and plentiful water in our rivers and streams, and farmers have a huge role in helping to deliver this.
“We know that farmers want to do the right thing, which is why – as part of today’s Plan for Water – we’re providing even more funding for farmers both to reduce their water pollution from slurry and better manage the water on their farms.”
The second round of the Water Management Grant will see £10m in funding made available for farmers to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water for irrigation, and to secure water supplies for crop irrigation by constructing on-farm reservoirs and adopting best practice irrigation application equipment. Grants will be available for between £35,000 and £500,000, which will ensure that funding supports farms of all sizes while committing to supporting higher value projects which align with the fund’s objectives. The grant will be open later in April with an online checker available to help farmers determine their eligibility and likelihood of success.Company fined £2.3m after workers put at risk of death
A major pipeline transportation company has been fined £2.3 million for safety breaches after its employees were exposed to risk of serious injury and even death while working on a leaking pipeline containing petrol under pressure.
Workers at Exolum Pipeline System Ltd, formerly known as CLH Pipeline System (CLH-PS) Ltd, were excavating a suspected pipeline leak in the woodland adjacent to the B1398 and M180 near Holme, North Lincolnshire, between 7 to 10 March 2018. The employees were working in an area where a previous repair had taken place.
The risks arising from the excavation work and exposure were significant. An unknown defect on the previous repair of the pipeline which contained petroleum under high pressure had the potential to form a flammable cloud extending over several metres from the work area, causing those in the immediate vicinity to potentially be covered in a heavy spray of petrol and engulfed in petrol vapour. If ignition had occurred before the area could be evacuated, then there would have been a very high risk of death or serious injury.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that Exolum Pipeline System Ltd failed to properly identify and control the risks associated with carrying out a pipeline repair.
Exolum Pipeline System Ltd, of King William Street, London, was found guilty of an offence contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and an offence contrary to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 following a trial at Grimsby Crown Court. The company was fined £2.3 million and ordered to pay £157,431 in costs at Grimsby Crown Court on 24 March 2023.
HSE inspector Mark Leadbetter said: “This incident had the potential to cause serious injury or death to multiple casualties and could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Leeds firm signs deal to invest in clean energy in Paraguay and Iceland
Leeds-based Atome Energy has signed an agreement with the Itaipu Binational Technology Park to invest in state-of-the-art green hydrogen and ammonia production facilities in Paraguay.
The agreement aims at large-scale production of green hydrogen and ammonia from clean energy sources. The company intends that production will be ramped up from an initial 50 MW unit by the end of next year, with plans for a gradual increase in production up to 250MW. Atome Energy will simultaneously implement the same project in Iceland, where they will also have access to clean energy sources.
The announcement highlights the virtues of Paraguay as a location for its production centre. Easy access to clean energy from hydroelectric dams, as well as its participation in Mercosur, make it an ideal location for such a large-scale project.
The production centre will be less than a mile from the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, with ample access to the power provided by the dam and easy access to the river for easy transport. With markets interested in these products, both within Paraguay and Mercosur, it is possible to project exports to the rest of the world in the future.
The project is aligned, among others, to Paraguay’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap and decarbonization goals established in its National Development Plan 2030, as well as the objectives in the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions within the framework of the Paris Accord..
Green Hydrogen (and Ammonia) has been described as the “Swiss Army Knife” of energy, as they are important alternatives for companies trying to make the transition to net zero emissions.
Ambassador Ramin Navai commented: “We are very excited about this news. The future production of green hydrogen and ammonia would be a great bilateral achievement, with the UK providing its expertise, and Paraguay providing its clean energy from Itaipu.
“We are going to produce green energy with green energy! That’s the way forward to a commercially competitive future, in an environmentally friendly way.”
