One submission is for an Investment Zone which supports the UK Food Valley, covering Clay Lake, Spalding, and Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone.
The second submission is for an Investment Zone covering Spitalgate, Grantham, which builds on the location and scale of the area.
It is likely that the process will be highly competitive and that only a relatively small number of Investment Zones will be granted, with hundreds of applications expected.
Cllr Colin Davie, executive councillor for economy and place at the county council, said: “Investment zones are a great opportunity to benefit landowners, developers and businesses, with faster, more simple planning processes, a focus on infrastructure requirements, and tax and other local incentives.
“As always, we are ambitious for our area and have prepared bids where we can make improvements straight away and deliver real growth. The tight deadline the government set suggest they will choose submissions where councils are able to deliver outcomes very quickly.”
Councillor Nick Worth, South Holland District Council deputy leader and portfolio holder for people, places, economy, said: “I am really pleased that we have the opportunity to put forward this expression of interest for a new Investment Zone within South Holland, which would support development and growth in the district and help us to attract and create more new and innovative businesses.
“There are already so many examples of forward-thinking and ambitious work being carried out in the local area, with the Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone just one example of the progressive steps we are taking.
“Being chosen as one of the first Investment Zones for the country would provide another great and welcome boost on this journey.”
Jon Hinde, head of economic development at South Kesteven District Council, said: “A successful bid would provide the opportunity for Spitalgate Level to deliver significant housing growth, inward investment opportunities and job creation for the local and wider area.
“This would support South Kesteven District Council’s key ambition to deliver ongoing and sustainable growth of the economy, something fundamental to the success of the district, its businesses and residents.
“The Spitalgate Level Investment Zone would be a key initiative for bringing that growth forward and establishing Grantham, with its existing manufacturing and logistics sectors, as a high value centre connected by the A51, the A1 and benefiting from its new relief road and rail links.”
Investment zone bids put forward for Lincolnshire
Two expressions of interest have been put forward for sites in Lincolnshire to become new government Investment Zones.
A guide to weatherproof padlocks
With Winter around the corner, it may well be time to think about the perils that come with that fact for security. The weather can scupper even the most prudent of security plans, so to have some sort of plan in place is ideal.
Weatherproof locks, for all their expense, are worth every penny. If you are protecting an asset with padlocks anyway, having weatherproof ones in place can make all the difference to your security setup. Most locks will resist frost, rain and inclement weather for so long, but having weatherproof versions will provide that little bit more protection. Spending just that little bit more can make all the difference.
By their definition, weatherproof locks are jacketed and will protect a lock mechanism from any ingress of water, temperature damage or worse in general. Often the body of the padlock is protected by a cover, but is sometimes simply made of weather resistant material which will protect against rust and any element of failure.
Weather conditions to consider protecting your locks for could include rainwater, extreme heat and cold and even high winds if the movement would be enough to damage or break a lock over time. If you are leaving something exposed to all seasons, eventually there will be consequences. Best to be prepared with something that can handle such eventualities.
Here are our picks of the best weatherproof locks around – remember to buy for the solution that suits you best:
Abus 70IB/50 Weatherproof Padlock
This lock provides an outstanding level of protection in all areas, particularly when securing vehicles and boats. This means you can be confident of leaving this at both freshwater and saltwater marinas and docks.
Featuring non-corrosive internal materials, this ensures that the inside of the padlock maintains its integrity and reliable structure.
To offer more protection against any rough treatment and shock absorption, the lock’s solid brass body is covered by a special protective coating. This means the cylinder is even more protected from damage. This is an all-rounder with excellent performance and is one that comes highly recommended.
Abus 83WP/53 Weatherproof Padlock
For heavy duty weatherproof protection, this is the padlock for you. A combination of hardened steel shackle and weatherproof lock body, complete with a cover ensures this padlock can withstand even the most extreme weather conditions.
This is one to pick if you need long-lasting protection. For additional security and to add to it’s charm, this particular model has a ball bearing security mechanism that keeps the Abus locked even if the shackle is cut. Perfect for doors or gates that need extra reinforcement, this is one lock that puts off would-be intruders by adding in that extra step to break it.
Squire 555 Marine Grade Padlock
As recognisable as it is widely used, the Squire 550 Old English marine grade padlock is one of the most reliable and proven weatherproofs on the market. The stainless steel body is rust free so is suitable for extremely harsh conditions. At home on an outdoor shed as it would be on a high security gate, this is the workhorse of padlocks and can be leaned on to protect you.
CP50S Squire Combination Padlock (50mm)
If you’re looking for sheer quality and performance, then this might be the weatherproof padlock for you.
This particular model is 100% rust proof as it comes with a fully stainless steel shackle.
For those concerned about tamper and security, it features a four-wheel combination lock that can be easily changed at any time.
Extreme weather conditions such as heat and cold are no problem, but it is also unmatched when it comes to extreme rainfall too. For extra piece of mind, all Squire padlocks also come with a 10 year guarantee. This is the lock of choice for those wanting reliability and a sense of control.
Want to know more about weatherproof padlocks? Check out Locks Direct.
‘Our Huddersfield, Our Future’ mini-conference to take place this Thursday
Huddersfield Unlimited, the business-led organisation that stands for the town of Huddersfield, will be running its first mini-conference, ‘Our Huddersfield, Our Future’, on Thursday 20 October, at John Smith’s Stadium from 3.00pm until 6.00pm.
The aim of the event is to bring together like-minded people to share Huddersfield Unlimited’s ambition for the town, with a focus on what can be achieved over the next five to ten years and beyond.
The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, will be amongst those in attendance and will deliver a closing statement in response to the afternoon’s proceedings.
Huddersfield Unlimited will be posing the question – How should Huddersfield make the most of its enviable location at the centre of the North’s East-West routes alongside a surge in public sector investment?
There will be speakers from:
- Kirklees Council – Edward Highfield, Service Director, Skills and Regeneration
- TransPennine Express – George Thomas, Business Development Director
- The University of Huddersfield – Professor Tim Thornton, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
- Kirklees Council’s Cultural Heart and Station 2 Stadium Enterprise Corridor projects
- The TransPennine Rail Upgrade
- The University of Huddersfield’s multi-million £ investment in a world-class National Health Innovation Campus
International freight forwarding business secures office at Humber Enterprise Park
Humber Enterprise Park (HEP) has sealed a deal to let a 2,000 sq ft office suite to Quality Freight Services Ltd.
The new deal follows significant investment by Westcore Europe, which acquired the Park in 2020 with a view to relaunching the significant site and its mixed-use proposition.
Working with asset management partner, Citivale, Westcore has extensively refurbished five major office buildings at Humber Enterprise Park that is best known for its heritage as the BAE Systems base. Bluebird, Firebrand, Hawk, Buccaneer and Mercury are all significant buildings offering modern, Grade A office suites of a combined 40,000 sq ft.
Quality Freight Services Ltd has secured a ten year lease for a 2,000 sq ft office suite on the ground floor of Firebrand. Westcore has divided the 5,000 sq ft floorplate to quickly accommodate QFS which is relocating from premises in North Ferriby.
Quality Freight Services Ltd is an international freight forwarding business established more than 27 years ago. It has 17 offices across the UK and employs a team of 158 people delivering freight solutions for wide ranging sectors including steel, modular building, and chemicals.
Following expansion, the company has outgrown existing premises and the benefit of prime, ready made space with secure parking was a key driver in moving to Humber Enterprise Park.
Sam Heppell, branch manager at Quality Freight Services Ltd, said: “Since opening our satellite office in Hull just over two years ago, we have experienced major growth, not least in serving the Humber Ports. Humber Enterprise Park was the perfect choice for our next move, offering unique and stunning offices in a location that is ideal for serving our client base and for staff commuting with the train station just a few minutes’ walk away. It also allows us capacity for growth on very flexible terms.”
Victorian Morgan, director of asset management at Westcore Europe, said: “We are delighted to welcome Quality Freight Services Ltd to our business community at Humber Enterprise Park. We have invested over half a million pounds in recent years to refurbish three main office buildings with enhancements to the public realm as part of our ongoing plans to transform the Park into a destination. Further plans are progressing as we consult with our marketing and placemaking expert team.”
PPH Commercial acted for Westcore Europe and is marketing agent for the scheme.
£5.3m Clifton Library development gets green light in York
Planning permission for a new Explore Library Learning Centre at Clifton has been granted to bring extended and improved library services closer to the heart of the community.
A major construction project will transform the new site, originally the Clifton Without Junior School, into a new Explore Library Learning Centre.
As well as a modern, contemporary library and reading café for the community, the new Explore Centre will also see a number of community partners based in the building including The Snappy Trust, Accessible Arts and Media and York Learning.
These co-location partners were selected based on their ability to add value to the local community, and to work in partnership with Explore to enhance the provision of services locally. For example, much-loved local children’s charity Snappy will offer play, recreation and vocational activities to children and young people aged 5-25 with wide ranging disabilities.
The £5.3 million council-funded development will retain some key architectural elements of the old school building, whilst breathing new life into the site. The project will also include sustainable elements within the design, such as heat recovery systems and solar panels, securing a more environmentally friendly future for the building.
The council, in partnership with Explore York Libraries and Archives, submitted the planning application to the Planning Authority earlier this year.
Some of the planned improvements include:
- access to over 15,000 books
- a fully accessible library with comfortable seating, space for quiet study, and separate spaces for children and young people
- a reading café
- free wifi throughout the building including wifi printing
- free use of PCs
- a number of high-quality meeting rooms, fitted out with the latest technology for use by community groups
- flexible shelving and furniture in the main library area with the ability to transform into a performance space, with a capacity of no less than 150 people
- access for cycle users and car parking, including designated accessible parking spaces and spaces to park disabled buggies and pushchairs
- a range of environmentally friendly features, including outdoor spaces to sit or play, solar panels and electric charging bays within the car park
York Minster Refectory works begin
Following extensive restoration works by Chapter of York, the former Minster School site has now been handed over to GEM construction who will convert the Grade II listed building into a refectory-style restaurant with extensive public realm.
The works will include the creation of a new public park – Minster Gardens.
The joint project between GEM Construction, The Star Group of Restaurants and interior designer Rachel McLane will involve sensitively converting the former song school into a destination restaurant.
Due to be complete in Q2 2023, the York Minster Refectory will be managed by Bex Toppin and Will Pearce, who both have years of experience working in Michelin star restaurants across the country. Bringing a further 25 years of culinary expertise to the project is joint partner Andrew Pern, proprietor of the recently reopened Star Inn at Harome in North Yorkshire.
The team’s ambition is to create an accessible, welcoming restaurant, providing locally sourced dishes made with the highest-quality ingredients. The Refectory will offer a daytime takeaway element and daytime and evening dining, with plans to also introduce a mix of smaller function and private dining rooms.
The commencement of works closely follows the installation of solar tiles on the Refectory’s roof, marking the first time that solar tiles have been placed on a listed building in the city.
The Refectory project forms part of York Minster’s Neighbourhood Plan, an ambitious masterplan to secure a sustainable future for York Minster, which was recently ratified by City of York Council. Delivery of the Neighbourhood Plan will herald the largest planned programme of works at the Minster and its surrounding Precinct since the 1850s.
Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct at York Minster, said: “We’re really excited that works are underway to enhance the Minster’s visitor offer by sensitively repurposing the former Minster school and creating a new park in the centre of York for everyone to enjoy.
“The Refectory will provide a new dimension to the Precinct and offer our community, local residents and the many visitors to our city an imposing view of the magnificent Minster in a historic setting. Importantly, the Refectory will contribute towards generating income to help us care for York Minster and its Precinct well into the 21st century and support projects like the £11m South Quire Aisle restoration project.”
Mike Green, Chairman of GEM Construction, and joint partner in the venture, added: “We have been proudly delivering quality developments across York for over 20 years and are delighted to be working with our partners to deliver this scheme, which, through its communal, refectory-style dining concept, will pay homage to the building’s former life as a school.
“Each member of the refectory team – Bex, Will, Andrew, Mike and Rachel – have strong connections, not just to York, but to the Minster and the former school itself, so are deeply passionate about this exciting project to further cement York Minster’s reputation as one of the UK’s leading religious and cultural visitor attractions.”
FSB calls for stability after period of turmoil for small firms
In the wake of the Chancellor’s emergency statement SME champion the Federation of Small Businesses is calling for a period of stability after turmoil that has made it impossible for businesses to plan and make investment decisions.
The organisation’s National Chair Martin McTague says: “A key tenet of bringing stability is to deliver swiftly and without fail on the commitments which have been kept today on the small business energy support package and the reversal of the hike in National Insurance. These are vital measures to ease the acute cost of doing business crisis.
“Legislation must pass swiftly in both chambers of Parliament, today, so that cash can reach small businesses next month – this will be a lifeline for many facing a tough winter. The review to come on business and consumer energy support after six months must avoid a cliff-edge for small firms that remain impacted and vulnerable.
“The decision to de-couple those paid through dividends from the reduction in National Insurance will be a blow to many small business owners trying to keep their heads above water. Dividend taxation doesn’t just hit investors – it hits hard-working entrepreneurs with bills to pay.
“In time, as public finances allow, we would like to see the Government revisit this, along with issues such as IR35 rules, and the level at which the hiked rate of Corporation Tax kicks in.
“Small businesses want to be growing and investing, but will need economic conditions to improve and sky-high operating costs brought down in order for them to be front and centre of future economic recovery.
“There are significant recessionary pressures causing severe problems for small firms and the people who work for them – while the Chancellor has focused on reassuring markets today, the Government must combine this with pro-growth measures that support the real economy.”
Sheffield got £8.3m boost from hosting games in Women’s Euros 2022
A study of the impact of the Women’s Euros football tournament on host cities has shown that Sheffield’s economy received an economic boost worth £8.3m
The study, by the FA, UEFA and UK Sport calculated that the tournament generated £81m economic impact across cities nationally.
On the weekend of Sheffield’s opening fixture between Netherlands and Sweden, city centre footfall increased by more than 10,000 (22%) and all of the city’s hotel rooms were fully booked.
In line with the aims of the tournament UEFA Women’s EURO delivered on every level in Sheffield, bringing in thousands of fans from across Europe, inspiring hundreds more women and girls locally to get in to football, uniting communities, setting new records, broadcasting the city across the world and bringing millions into the local economy.
Sheffield hosted three group C fixtures, between Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden plus the semi-final between England and Sweden which gave spectators one of the most memorable moments of the tournament ‘that back heel’.
The city was awash with colour as thousands of visiting fans took over bars and pubs and gathered for the pre-match fan parties at Devonshire Green, before taking their spectacular fan walks to the stadium.
Testament to the city’s stacked up credentials as the home of football, three new tournament attendance records were made at WEURO2022 fixtures in Sheffield – highest attendance for a non-host nation fixture – twice – and highest ever semi-final attendance.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “With the cost-of-living crisis and over-stretched budgets we’re often asked about the future of events in the city. But we’re ambitious for Sheffield and we understand how culture, sport and leisure go hand in hand to strengthen our economy and improve the health and wellbeing of our population. Being able to back that up with the findings of this study supports our approach and inspires us to keep striving to attract the highest calibre of events to Sheffield.”
Council and waste contractor ac hive zero landfill goal in September
North East Lincolnshire and its waste management contractor Newlincs sent no waste to landfill in September – the first month the milestone as reached.
All the waste was either recycled or recovered to generate energy at the Energy from Waste Plant near Stallingborough.
All recycling collected in North East Lincolnshire stays in the UK to be processed. Recycling more saves energy and gives existing materials a new life by transforming them into something new.
Cllr Stewart Swinburn, the Council’s portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said “It’s fantastic to see more and more people in North East Lincolnshire are recycling. Recycling is an easy way to help the environment and prolong the lives of materials such as aluminium, plastics and paper.
“By sorting recycling at home, households are creating a much better-quality product for reprocessing. People tell us that recycling is very important to them and I’m grateful to everyone who makes the effort to sort their recycling at home.”
Dozens sign up for work at North Lincolnshire Jobs Expo
Dozens of jobseekers signed up for work at the North Lincolnshire Jobs Expo – the most successful Jobs Expo so far.
People came from across the region to meet with dozens of employers, including British Steel, Cooplands, Ongo, 2 Sisters, Tayto and Wren Kitchens.
As well as stalls from 40 local employers there was information for jobseekers on benefits, childcare, travel and training.
Cllr Rob Waltham, leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “The Jobs Expo showcases both our committed workforce and the number and breadth of local businesses keen to invest in them.
“By bringing them together like this we will continue to grow our the local economy, resulting in even more skilled jobs for local people.”
Of the more than 700 people who attended the event, the majority surveyed said it had been worthwhile them attending, with 64 per cent saying they would definitely be applying for vacancies and another 14 per cent said they were considering doing so.
A spokesperson for Barton-based Wren Kitchens said: “We found the Expo extremely useful in terms of networking and recruitment.
“I spoke to around 40 candidates with five of them being booked for interviews the next day.
“I was also approached by several companies and organisations presenting some exciting opportunities that I will be looking into.”
A spokesperson from 24/7 recruitment said: “It was an absolutely fantastic day at Scunthorpe Jobs Expo. Over 30 new candidates signed up ready to start work over the next couple of weeks at various sites.
“Not only did we build a new candidate pool but we were able to network with local businesses and potential new clients.
“Fantastic news for both the jobseekers and our clients!”
The next Jobs Expo is taking place on Wednesday 8 February 2023. Contact events@northlincs.gov.ukif you wish to be involved.
