Fenwood secures planning consent for Doncaster residential scheme
Fenwood Estates Limited, the Doncaster-based land and property development company, has secured reserved matters planning consent for 27 homes on 1.44 acres of land in South East Doncaster as it continues to expand and develop new sites across Yorkshire and the North Midlands.
The site, which has been vacant for well over a decade, holds a prominent position on the crossroads of First Avenue and Hayfield Lane within the wider Gateway East development, one of South Yorkshire’s key economic growth zones.
Fenwood will build a mixture of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom properties with associated landscaping and parking, with work on-site scheduled to begin in late 2022. Both Turley and MHA Architects advised Fenwood.
This decision further strengthens the company’s development land pipeline. This includes their Knights Gate development in Sutton-cum-Lound in Nottinghamshire, where the company is over halfway through building 33 three and four bedroom homes.
The company is also continuing to invest in new 1 to 5 acre brownfield and greenfield sites across South Yorkshire, using its £7m funding facility from the St Bride’s White Rose Residential Partnership to develop land close to major population centres or as part of urban edge extensions – including those with difficult ground conditions.
Melissa Kroger, Managing Director of Fenwood Estates, said: “We’re delighted that Doncaster Council has put its faith in us to build out this important site.
“It supports the team to continue our proud track record over the past four decades of delivering thoughtfully designed, sustainable new homes that will last while remaining affordable to local people.
“Initial infrastructure works will begin this autumn to prepare the site for development, with the first homes built by Summer 2023. We also look forward to announcing other new schemes across the region over the next twelve months.”
Shipping and logistics company lets 600,000 sq ft in Doncaster
GLP, the global investment manager and business builder in logistics, digital infrastructure, renewable energy and related technologies, has signed a 15-year lease for its G-Park Doncaster Mammoth 602 development with Maersk, the Danish shipping and logistics company.
The unit totals 601,761 sq ft and is said to be the largest and most sustainable logistics building in the North of England.
Mammoth 602 is GLP’s third building to be net zero carbon for construction, in line with the UKGBC framework, and is part of the Planet Mark accreditation scheme which helps to further reduce the carbon footprint for the occupier.
In addition to an array of GLP standard sustainability features, including rainwater harvesting and a building analytics system, the development is home to unique initiatives such as the ‘Tiny Forest’. This is a collaboration with Earth Watch and Rame Consulting to establish a small, densely planted group of trees, encouraging biodiversity and carbon sequestration, whilst also acting as a wellness feature for tenants and the local community.
The development benefits from two 50m service yards, 20m clear internal height, 60 dock levellers, 16 large dock levellers, 24 level access and 4 van level access doors with visibility from the M18. There is also 28,762 sq ft of office space within the building, 217 HGV parking spaces, and 372 car park spaces.
Adrienne Howells, senior development director at GLP Europe, said: “The signing of this lease is a great milestone for our G-Park Doncaster development. Mammoth 602 offers a unique opportunity to lease a large-scale site in a prime logistics location in the North and exemplifies GLP’s innovative and comprehensive commitment to sustainability. Doncaster is already home to a variety of top-tier companies, including Next, Amazon, IKEA, B&Q and Asos, and we look forward to welcoming Maersk as a new customer.”
Doncaster Airport: Peel Group given offer of ‘ambitious package of financial support’
Local authorities in South Yorkshire have presented Peel Group with an ambitious package of financial support to ensure Doncaster Sheffield Airport can remain operational into 2023, enabling to give the group time and space for meaningful negotiations with credible potential investors.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “We’re doing everything we possibly can to save our region’s airport. We’ve taken the initiative, gone out to the market and brought potential investors to the table, demonstrating that there is a viable future for DSA. But it has become clear that any deal to find a new owner or operator for DSA cannot be done in weeks.
“That’s why over the past few days we have made an offer to step in with financial support for DSA. This is not just about giving potential investors a sensible amount of time to put their proposals together, but also about protecting more than 800 jobs and providing certainty to customers, operators and our community at Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
“Doncaster Sheffield Airport is an asset to Doncaster, South Yorkshire and beyond. This is not a position any of us wanted to be in, but if Peel genuinely want to safeguard the future of DSA they will accept our offer and allow more time for prospective offers to develop.”
Engineering company hit with fine after man installing bird deterrent spikes fell from roof
An engineering company has been fined after one of its employees fell through a roof while installing bird deterrent spikes.
On 13 May 2020, a man working for Craven and Nicholas (Engineering) Ltd on St John’s Road in Boston, stepped onto a fragile roof surface and fell six metres through it – suffering serious injuries to his head and left arm.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that this task was not part of the normal work for employees of the company and they had not properly risk assessed and planned the work at height.
The lack of planning meant that reasonably practicable and recognised control measures that could have prevented the man falling from height, such as the use of purpose designed access equipment and over-boarding of fragile roof surfaces, had not been implemented.
At Lincoln Magistrates Court on Wednesday 21 September, Craven and Nicholas (Engineering) Ltd of St Johns Road in Boston pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. They were fined £14,000 and also ordered to pay £6,541.80 in costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “Where work at height cannot be avoided, it should be properly planned, adequately supervised and carried out in a safe manner using appropriate equipment.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.
“There is a significant amount of guidance available to help companies protect employees when working at height on the HSE website.”
Government to make 33,000 more loans available to new businesses
An £884m loan scheme for new businesses is to be greatly expanded, delivering much needed finance to the UK’s array of innovative start-ups, the Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg announced over the weekend.
With 33,000 new loans available, the programme’s eligibility will be expanded to support businesses trading for up to three years, up from two years. Businesses can apply immediately under the new criteria. This builds on the Start Up Loans programme that has provided more than 95,000 loans to start-ups across the UK since June 2012, offering an average of just over £9,000 in support.
Start Up Loans provide a fixed interest rate of 6%, as well as mentoring, support and funding to aspiring business owners across the UK, providing support to those who might find it difficult to secure loans from traditional lenders.
Alongside this, a new second loan will be available to businesses operating for up to five years, providing eligible businesses between 3 and 5 years old a much-needed Government-backed finance to support their expansion at a crucial juncture.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “Encouraging entrepreneurship and new businesses to thrive is critical to growing the economy and raising living standards.
“From a hair salon in Wales, to a furniture business in Northern Ireland and a cake seller in the Lake District, expanding the Start Up Loans Scheme will support these small businesses through this challenging period and position them to grow – creating jobs and opportunities across the UK.”
The scheme has backed businesses across the United Kingdom, with more than £54m provided to businesses in Scotland, £42m in Wales and over £12m in Northern Ireland.
Expansion of the Start Up Loans scheme follows the 2021/22 Spending Review, at which the government made the commitment to provide 33,000 loans to the programme over the next three years.
The extension provides further government support for businesses grappling with cost pressures and adds to measures announced by the Chancellor earlier this week, including the introduction of the Energy Bills Relief Scheme to help support them with the costs of energy, reforming off payroll working rules and simplification of the alcohol duty system.
It also builds on key measures the Government has announced for small businesses in particular, including extending the £4.5 billion Recovery Loan Scheme and delivering the Help to Grow schemes, which provide mentoring and free software to thousands of businesses across the UK.
Michelle Ovens, founder of Small Business Britain said: “The expansion of funding opportunities for start-ups and growing businesses will certainly be welcomed by small firms as a positive move to unleash their potential. Access to finance is vital for entrepreneurs to grow, and with rising costs and challenges across the board they need all the help they can get right now to realise their ambitions.”
Greater Lincolnshire firms start to realise commercial potential of growing the defence sector
A new business network has met for the first time aiming to accelerate the commercial potential of the growing defence sector in Greater Lincolnshire.
The Greater Lincolnshire Defence & Security Network has been set up by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and more than 50 invited guests met for the launch event at the International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln.
The Greater Lincolnshire Defence and Security Network aims to bring together national and international users, manufacturers and experts to overcome challenges in the sector and identify business opportunities.
Its objectives include:
- forging links with those working in advanced engineering and data science in other sectors locally
- connecting to the heart of the UK’s low-carbon energy production along the Humber
- inviting key individuals from the MOD and the sector to set out challenges for the network
- providing updates and information on opportunities for collaboration
- highlighting available funding and other opportunities to members, increasing the level of Government research, development and innovation funding invested in our region
- How the network will enable defence to access innovation and develop it through to capability.
- How businesses can contribute to that and benefit from it.
- What areas of innovation, and what challenges, are on the horizon.
- Where the network can make useful connections to meet these needs and distribute innovations.
- Major General Julian Free, CBE, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln and Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP Defence and Security Board
- Dave Pheasant, Team Leader for the Stratcom and Air Portfolio at the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Future Capabilities Group
- Jim Pennycook, Head of Operations at the Centre for Defence Enterprise
- Steve Reeves, Head of Strategy – Advanced Products and Systems at BAE Systems
- Alison Ballard, Head of Audit at BAE Systems, Greater Lincolnshire LEP Board Director and Deputy Chair of the LEP Defence and Security Board
Clean energy company CEO to step down after almost 14 years
After thirteen and a half years as CEO of Sheffield-based clean energy company ITM Power, Dr Graham Cooley is to step away from the role in favour of a new strategic role.
As the company looks to expand its international presence, a new CEO is being sought with the skillset and experience required to take ITM Power through its next evolutionary stage.
Dr Cooley said: “I have decided to step aside as CEO of ITM Power. Once a new CEO is welcomed into the company, I will adopt a new strategic role in ITM Power, reporting to the Chairman and the new CEO.
“I recognise that the skills now required to take the company forward are those of a world-class manufacturing professional who has expanded a manufacturing organisation internationally.
“I very much look forward to finding that individual, introducing them to ITM Power, and working closely with them as we go forward, while remaining a significant and supportive shareholder.”
Dr Cooley joined the company in 2009 following a career in the power and technology sectors where he developed a number of novel technologies and oversaw multi-million-pound fundraising rounds.
As CEO he has broken the company into new markets – including Japan and North America – forged ground-breaking industrial partnerships, and overseen equity fundraisers of almost £500 million. The company has rapidly evolved and, in 2021, opened the world’s largest electrolyser manufacturing facility.
On his replacement, he said: “We’ll find a very significant individual that has already been through the journey that ITM Power will be going through to internationalise its manufacturing business. An important process for us, and one that I will be fully engaged with and supportive of.
“We are working with a very well-known and major recruitment firm to find the right individual. We elected to make the announcement as early as possible and make the process visible to the market, in order to help the process of finding the calibre of candidate that we are seeking.”
Northern Lincolnshire listed as ‘investment zone’ by central Government
Northern Lincolnshire’s two councils have been invited by Government to be part of early discussions on the creation of an ‘investment zone’ designed to drive business growth, create jobs and increase wages.
North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Councils are amongst areas listed by the Government following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s budget statement delivered in the Commons this morning.
According to Government, these new investments zones will apply to specific land areas and will have more liberal planning rules to release land and accelerate development.
The proposals could see a cut in taxes for businesses on these sites for the first ten years, with the Chancellor announcing a variety of benefits such as:
- accelerated tax reliefs for structures and buildings
- 100 per cent relief on qualifying investments in plant and machinery used on the sites
- no stamp duty on purchases of land and buildings for commercial or new residential developments
- no business rates on newly occupied business premises
- for every new employee the business will pay no national insurance on the first £50,000 they earn.
Specialist training company secures funding to reboot region’s tech sector workforce
A specialist training company is helping businesses in the digital sector to overcome the abundance of software engineering vacancies in the region after securing a £75,000 loan from NPIF – BEF &FFE Microfinance, which is managed by BEF and Finance For Enterprise and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).
The Developer Academy has successfully helped over 300 individuals build careers in software programming and app development through its intensive coding bootcamps. With funding in place, company founder Ben Atha is planning to expand the number of courses offered by the academy, which are designed to help individuals learn how to code and prepare for future careers in software development and data science.
Ben was inspired to launch The Developer Academy in 2019 when he realised that many businesses across the region were struggling to find suitable candidates to fill computer programming vacancies. He spent time talking to employers and developed a series of courses that aimed to equip candidates not only with technical knowledge but with the vital problem-solving skills needed to succeed in the industry.
Designed to support students with no prior experience of coding, Ben’s formula proved to be an instant success and not only supports privately funded students but delivers a range of courses on behalf of the Department for Education, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield College.
Each course is run part-time and lasts between 12 and 24 weeks. Sessions are held remotely and supervised by an experienced tutor. Despite enjoying some success, Ben realised that to grow the business further, additional funding would be required. After discussing his ideas with his accountant, he approached alternative lending provider Finance For Enterprise for help.
Working with business lending manager Jeremy Meadowcroft, Ben was able to secure a loan of £75,000. Since securing funding, The Developer Company has now doubled workforce to 11 employees, and is currently working on rolling out additional courses to support other businesses in the tech sector to overcome skills shortages within their workforce.
Ben Atha, founder, The Developer Academy, said: “There is a common misconception that to be a good coder, you must have had an interest in computing for many years, or a have a degree in quantum physics. In reality, coding is built around solving problems. There are many opportunities to build successful careers in the digital sector, and I wanted to help break down the barriers to give people with an interest in computing a chance to pursue careers in the sector.
“Our courses are all run through live sessions with an experienced instructor on hand to guide our students. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we switched our learning from a classroom to online sessions, and since then we haven’t looked back. I felt we’d hit on a successful formula, but I recognised that to grow the business, additional funds would be needed to recruit the necessary personnel.
“It felt like a chicken and egg situation: to generate more income, we needed to run more courses. To run more courses, we needed more staff, and to recruit more staff we needed to maintain a healthy cashflow. I spoke to my accountant, and we discussed the pros and cons of waiting and growing organically or securing funding to allow the business to grow more quickly. I decided to explore the funding avenue, and since securing the funds from Finance For Enterprise, we’ve doubled the size of our workforce as well as expanding the range of courses we offer.”
Harry Bushell, corporate finance executive, Hentons Accountants, said: “The Developer Academy has enjoyed a sustained period of growth, against the backdrop of a challenging economic period. With a number of regular contracts secured, Ben took the decision to seek funding to support the next phase of growth allowing him to scale more quickly.
“As a relatively new company, Ben was unsure whether he would be able to secure the financial support he needed to grow the company. To support the funding, we worked with Ben to prepare a fully integrated set of forecasts and introduced him to Finance For Enterprise as a suitable funding partner as well as assisting him throughout the process. This led to his funding requirements being secured, the business hasn’t looked back since.”
Jeremy Meadowcroft, business lending manager, Finance For Enterprise, said: “Ben and his team have developed a fairly unique business model, which not only helps to give individuals across the region the chance to build careers in a rapidly growing industry sector, but also helps businesses to overcome the skills shortages they are facing. The investment means that more people will be able to benefit from The Developer Academy’s work, and that can only be a win-win for the region.
“When we consider a lending application at Finance For Enterprise, we take time to look at the social impact of a loan, and supporting The Developer Academy not only means that new jobs will be created within the business, but their successful work is also helping other businesses in the region to recruit the staff they need to grow and innovate.”
£120m refinancing deal for housebuilder
Allison Group has has secured £120 million of funding to achieve its goal of delivering 2,000 homes a year by 2025.
A £20 million, 5 year term loan from HSBC and a 5 year £100 million Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) has been put in place with HSBC and NatWest, placing the group in a strong position for future growth plans.
The RCF will be used for investment in new land and development and will enable Allison Group to achieve its goal of delivering 2,000 homes a year by 2025. The business recognises that this target cannot be reached without the support of its supply chain and in recognition of this the group is pleased to be able to announce that from 1st August 2022 it has improved supplier payment terms from 45 to 30 days.
Chief Operating Officer and former Chief Finance Officer Alastair Gordon-Stewart talks of how pleased he is to announce the news of the refinancing: “I am very satisfied with the financial firepower the refinancing gives to the Allison Group. This builds on our long standing relationship with HSBC and I am delighted to form a new relationship with NatWest and look forward to working with both Lenders into the future.”
John Anderson, CEO of Allison Group said: “Refinancing will undoubtedly bring exciting possibilities for Allison Group. We are making significant progress and have excellent ideas in store for our future that will now be viable with the £120 million we’ve secured from HSBC and NatWest. We are continuing to seek new talent, improving payment terms for suppliers, and making great headway towards our goal of building 2,000 homes a year. Our growth strategy is being brought to life and we are excited about what the future holds for us.”
