Civic visit showcases £10m investment in Hull’s rail engineering sector
Ripon retail park sold for £8.3m
Yorkshire sees slower fall in permanent placements in September
Yorkshire entrepreneurs named amongst UK’s most ambitious business leaders
Whitakers strengthens production with new nut line investment
Whitakers Chocolates has expanded its North Yorkshire operations with a facility dedicated to nut processing, a move that strengthens its position in the UK confectionery market.
The development at the company’s Snaygill site brings a new manufacturing capability in-house and secures production at its long-established, BRC AA* accredited factory. It follows investment from parent company Bramble Foods Group, supporting Whitakers’ broader plan to modernise its production base and widen its product mix.
The first item from the new line, milk chocolate Brazil nuts, is now entering circulation ahead of the Christmas trading period. The site has been designed to handle further product innovation, with new releases including dark chocolate Brazils expected in 2026 and a series of traditional confectionery items under review.
The facility marks a strategic step for the business as it responds to supply chain pressures and volatility in cocoa prices. By consolidating production on-site, Whitakers gains greater control over quality, efficiency, and output — positioning the company to compete more effectively in both branded and private-label markets.
Cordance expands higher education tech portfolio with AppsAnywhere acquisition
Cordance has acquired AppsAnywhere, a UK-based education technology company specialising in software delivery and IT management for universities. The move strengthens Cordance’s position in the higher education market by adding a proven platform that allows institutions to provide students and faculty with seamless access to software on any device.
AppsAnywhere serves over 300 universities worldwide, supporting millions of users through a system that removes the need for traditional virtual desktop infrastructure. Its technology is designed to improve access, lower costs, and simplify software delivery for both on-campus and remote learners.
“I’m thrilled to welcome AppsAnywhere to the Cordance organization,” said Caroline Morris, Chief Executive Officer at Cordance. “This acquisition strengthens our commitment to higher education and expands the ways we can support IT leaders as they modernize their institutions. By pairing AppsAnywhere’s delivery platform with LabStats’ analytics, we’re not only helping universities run more efficiently, we’re empowering them to create better digital experiences that drive long-term student success.”
The acquisition aligns AppsAnywhere with LabStats, another Cordance-owned company offering real-time analytics on software and device usage in higher education. Together, the two platforms give IT leaders greater insight into software performance, licence efficiency, and infrastructure planning, supporting both operational savings and improved digital experiences for students.
By integrating AppsAnywhere, Cordance continues to build its portfolio of vertical SaaS solutions tailored to education, reinforcing its focus on scalable, data-driven tools that address institutional efficiency and student engagement across global higher education markets.
Lloyds Living expands portfolio with 610-home acquisition
Lloyds Living has finalised the purchase of Start Living, a 610-home portfolio created through a joint venture between Gatehouse Living Group and TPG Real Estate. The deal increases Lloyds Living’s total holdings to more than 7,300 properties across the UK.
The portfolio comprises 578 single-family houses and 32 low-rise apartments developed by Countryside and Vistry. Properties are located in key regional markets including West Bromwich, Nottingham, Liverpool, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and Coseley.
Over 550 of the homes are already completed and operational, while the remaining units are scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Each property has an EPC rating of B or higher, reflecting a focus on energy efficiency and modern construction standards.
Matthew Burgess, chief investment officer at Lloyds Living, said: “This new deal is another significant step in our growth journey. The secondary market for PRS portfolios is still in its infancy but is vital to the wider success of the sector by allowing a freer flow of capital and continued investment in new developments.”
The new acquisition supports Lloyds Living’s continued growth in the private rental sector and marks another significant investment in purpose-built housing for long-term renters. Property management will remain under Ascend, one of the UK’s largest operators in the sector.
Gatehouse Living Group has now delivered or is developing around 5,000 homes nationwide, representing over £1 billion in deployed capital across the single-family rental market.
BCO pilots new office grading system in Leeds
Drax partners with NGIS to monitor forest carbon stocks
Renewable energy firm Drax has formed a partnership with geospatial technology specialist NGIS to track and model carbon stocks in forests across the US and Canada. These forests supply the biomass used to power Drax’s operations, including the UK’s largest renewable energy site, Drax Power Station.
The initiative supports Drax’s commitment to improving transparency within its biomass supply chain. Under its Sustainability Framework, the company aims to provide verifiable data on forest carbon stocks in all primary sourcing areas by the end of 2026.
NGIS, a Google Premier Partner, will use satellite imagery and machine learning to assess carbon sequestration, tree cover, and forest health. The results will be presented through a digital platform that allows users to view historical and current satellite images showing harvesting and regrowth patterns.
Miguel Veiga-Pestana, Drax Group Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “We are proud to launch this new partnership with NGIS. This agreement will help us deliver on the commitments we set in our Sustainability Framework, including taking action, with our supply chain, to be deforestation, degradation, and conversion free.”
Drax has begun integrating this data into its supply chain management to strengthen sustainability practices, evaluate biodiversity, and measure the effects of environmental events such as fires and floods. The company’s biomass supply largely comes from residual wood materials, including sawdust, bark, and offcuts from the timber industry, which are processed into pellets for renewable power generation.
aql backs digital talent in Leeds with £100k investment
Digital communications firm aql has strengthened its partnership with Leeds City College through the creation of a new innovation lab and a £100,000 investment. The aql Innovation Centre, based at the college’s Printworks Campus, aims to accelerate digital learning and provide hands-on experience in artificial intelligence, data processing and connectivity systems.
The company has worked with the college, part of the Luminate Education Group, for the past two years on hackathons that simulate real-world IT challenges. The new lab formalises that collaboration, giving students access to dedicated servers, sensors, and software tools to develop skills for the region’s growing digital economy.
aql’s latest contribution includes equipment and engineering support to develop a next-generation 5G innovation lab network at the college over the next year. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to connect industry and education, helping to address the shortage of digital and engineering talent in West Yorkshire.
The launch event brought together senior figures from aql and the Luminate Education Group, underlining a shared commitment to long-term investment in digital skills, innovation and workforce readiness for the region’s business community.