Hat-trick of new appointments at Brewster Bye Architects

Tess Egginton
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Hat-trick of new appointments at Brewster Bye Architects

Leeds-based architecture practice, Brewster Bye, has made three new appointments. Jordon Wilkinson joins the company as a part 2 architectural assistant, Sarah Bradshaw has been recruited as a part 1 architectural assistant and Hassan Jawid has been appointed as a junior technologist.

Jordon completed Sheffield Hallam University’s architecture degree before graduating this summer from Manchester School of Architecture with a Master of Architecture with merit. He has also worked at a York architecture firm, where he helped design residential developments, ranging from 30 to 200 units.

After graduating from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Hassan has spent the last 12 months at a Bradford architecture practice, where he worked on both commercial and residential projects. This involved submitting planning applications, producing building regulations packages, and creating drawings using Auto CAD and Revit.

Sarah becomes Brewster Bye’s fifth recruit in the last five years, to join from the University of Huddersfield. She graduated with a BA (Hons) Architecture RIBA part 1 degree and was president of the University’s Architecture Society, as well as winning several awards in recent years. These include being named as one of ‘Yorkshire’s Women In Property’ and an academic award from the West Yorkshire Society of Architects.

Mark Henderson, director at Brewster Bye, said: “We’ve been extremely busy this year with clients throughout Yorkshire and beyond. In recent months we’ve won several high-profile contracts that include city centre residential towers, extra care schemes and numerous affordable housing developments.

“Welcoming Sarah, Hassan and Jordan to the team will give us additional capacity and enhance the service levels that we are renowned for. The trio are all ambitious, with impressive backgrounds and achievements, and are already thriving in their new roles.”

Brewster Bye currently employs a team of 21 based in Headingley and plans to recruit further this year.

Charity proposes children’s activity centre on 8-acre site

Tess Egginton
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Charity proposes children’s activity centre on 8-acre site
A planning application has been submitted by York charity, The Island, to build a children’s activity centre on an 8-acre site off New Lane in Huntington. The charity is proposing a dedicated hub which would allow it to help even more children and young people to take positive steps forward in life. The Island is currently based temporarily at a facility on Shipton Road, but says the relocation to a fit-for-purpose centre will help it to meet the increasing challenges that York children and young people face. The site will also allow it to offer a facility for the wider community to use and enjoy, as well as sharing the space with other charities. The submitted plans have been designed with the involvement of young people as well as the wider community during public consultation. The main building would include flexible spaces for a diverse range of activities including the arts, sports, music and a recording studio, as well as a café, therapy, tutoring and health advisory room. An extensive outdoor landscaped recreational area includes an explorative woodland, a wildflower meadow, a pond and wetland, parkland and sporting facilities, and a working garden for growing and planting. Each of these areas is designed to facilitate new opportunities for play, discovery, restoration and personal development; all within nature-based settings for children and young people to enjoy. The project team includes Vincent & Brown, O’Neill Associates, Aspect4, Re-form landscape architects and Royal Pilgrim Communications.

US exports surge by 120% for Yorkshire-based natural paint manufacturer

Michael Fisher
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US exports surge by 120% for Yorkshire-based natural paint manufacturer
Leeds-based Brouns & Co, a business that manufactures traditional paints based on linseed oil made from Yorkshire-grown flax, has seen orders from the US for its natural and sustainable products increase by more than 120% in the last 12 months, with the support of the Department for International Trade (DIT) in Yorkshire and the US. CEO Michiel Brouns is about to embark on his third visit this year to the east coast of the US as demand for the firm’s products grows, and a series of landmark restoration projects have recently been completed using Brouns & Co linseed paint in New England, Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia. “Thanks to US architectural heritage, there are huge numbers of timber-build properties in the States and we’ve been focusing our efforts over there, particularly on the east coast, where the maintenance and preservation of historic wooden buildings is a major conservation priority,” said Brouns. “In Europe we assume the US does not have old buildings, but the majority of the historic properties there, as in Britain, date from Georgian and Victorian times. The great thing is that these American historic buildings are young enough that with the right care and maintenance they can easily exist for hundreds more years. “Linseed paint is a centuries-old, natural way to protect timber from exposure to the elements, which is both sustainable and durable. Unlike plastic-based coatings which seal in moisture, linseed paint works with the timber and allows wood to breathe, which ensures that it won’t rot. Linseed paint doesn’t flake or peel.” One of only a handful of linseed paint manufacturers in Europe, Brouns & Co had already seen US orders, fulfilled from the firm’s Leeds warehouse, top over £100,000 for the first time in March this year, and orders are now coming in every day from US clients, compared to weekly just two years ago. As part of a drive to educate architects and preservation specialists on the benefits of linseed oil paint, earlier this year Brouns delivered a programme of continuing professional development events with the American chapter of the Royal Institute of British Architects. On this month’s US trip Brouns will visit restoration projects recently completed using Brouns & Co linseed paint including a landmark Maine bakery, and the Printmaker’s Inn, a luxury hotel in Savannah, Georgia. He will also provide lunch-and-learn sessions as well as RIBA approved CPD presentations. The Yorkshire firm’s linseed oil paint will also be used on the Wilton House Museum, a 1750s building converted to a museum in Richmond, Virginia. Brouns has also recently advised on the restoration of the Ailey Young House, a historically important African American building in North Carolina. Michiel Brouns said: “I very much see our product as preserving the past as well as future-proofing buildings, given that our paint is natural, sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Not only does it contain only natural ingredients, across Europe, original coats of linseed paint have survived perfectly well on houses that are well over 500 years old.” Conservation expert Brouns, originally from the Netherlands, relocated to Yorkshire in 2006, launching his Garforth-based business with Histoglass, a specialised thin double-glazing product ideal for historic properties, before recognising the demand for high quality natural paints.

Leeds firm wins Yorkshire Advanced Manufacturing Park engineering contract

Michael Fisher
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Leeds firm wins Yorkshire Advanced Manufacturing Park engineering contract
Leeds engineers RWO has won an undisclosed six figure contract to support the latest phase of development at a state-of-the-art manufacturing centre in South Yorkshire. R-Evolution phase 4 is part of the 150-acre Advanced Manufacturing Park, which is being developed on Government Enterprise Zone status land off  M1 Junction 33 near Rotherham, by land and property regeneration specialist Harworth Group. Eventually, more than two million sq. ft. of industrial space will be created there, generating an estimated 4,000 new manufacturing jobs on a site that is already home for Rolls Royce, Boeing, McLaren Automotive and the UK Atomic Energy Authority. Park Place-based RWO will supply civil and structural engineering services to support the build of three buildings that will provide 93,000 sq. ft. of office and industrial workspace. A key feature of the plans will see design and construction to the highest BREAM environmental and sustainability standards, including EV charging points, rainwater harvesting and an energy efficient heating and cooling system. This work comes as RWO, currently employing 30 people across its two offices and targeting revenues in excess of £3m in the next 12 months, is seeing strong demand for its engineering services from across the region’s commercial property development sector. Head of RWO’s Leeds office Andrew Fairburn, who is working closely with Wakefield-based architects The Harris Partnership on the scheme, said: “This is another major project for us, reflecting our ability to maintain a strategic view of investment projects from an engineering perspective  while delivering high calibre infrastructure and detailed design work for clients. “We are continuing to develop our commercial offering and this latest success with Harworth comes at a time when we will see further growth over the next 18 months as we continue to develop and secure new regional and national work.” R-Evolution is a key development at one of the most important new manufacturing centres in the North of England, said Robert Cole, project manager at Harworth Group. He added: “RWO, who continue to impress with their technical experience, are an important partner. Their expertise and insight will ensure this phase of our plans are delivered on time and to the highest standards as progress of the overall site continues apace.”  

University of Hull awarded £245,000 to unlock potential of biorefinery waste streams

Tess Egginton
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University of Hull awarded £245,000 to unlock potential of biorefinery waste streams
The University of Hull has been awarded £245,000 to investigate the possibility of producing hydrogen from the waste streams produced by biorefineries. The funding was awarded by the UK Government’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) through phase one of their Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme, which has been funded by the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP). Climate change has brought an urgent need for society to replace fossil fuels like oil and coal with renewable and low-carbon sources of energy. Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (often referred to as BECCS) is of special interest as it is a negative carbon emission technology. Bioenergy is produced from renewable feedstocks such as crops which absorb carbon as they grow; this carbon is then permanently captured during the energy production stage. Supported by the BEIS funding, Project Bluegen will be led by Dr Martin Taylor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Hull. Dr Taylor said: “Industrial production of biofuels using plant-based feedstocks is growing and as a result, these biorefineries are producing more waste. These sludge-based materials are an untapped supply of hydrogen, a future net-zero fuel. “Project Bluegen will produce hydrogen through gasification of these sludges. Working with our project partners, we will focus on cost effective pre-treatments of biorefinery waste so it can be successfully used as a gasifier feedstock. “We are aiming to design an integrated system of hydrogen production that can be coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS), thus eliminating carbon dioxide emissions and preventing the release of waste to landfill.” Project Bluegen is led by the University of Hull in partnership with Aston University, Biorenewables Development Centre in York, Teesside University and Jesmond Engineering. This builds on THYME Project research into biofuel pre-treatment processes undertaken by the University of Hull with the Biorenewables Development Centre in York, Teesside University, and Jesmond Engineering. The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy seeks to lead economy-wide transformation by backing enterprise and long-term growth, generating cheaper, cleaner, homegrown energy and unleashing the UK as a science superpower through innovation. This funding has been made available from the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which aims to accelerate the commercialisation of innovative clean energy technologies and processes through the 2020s and 2030s. The Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme aims to provide funding to support innovation in hydrogen BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) technologies.

Fast growing security business expands with biggest acquisition in its history

Tess Egginton
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Fast growing security business expands with biggest acquisition in its history

Professional Security, which operates nationwide across hospitality, leisure, retail and the public sectors, has further strengthened its position in the hospitality security sector after acquiring Phoenix Security. This now gives them a combined workforce of over 10,000 frontline personnel.

Established in 2005 with its head office in Leeds, Professional Security work with a wide breadth of hospitality customers including many of the most influential independent, regional, and national operators in the UK.

The acquisition will see Professional Security integrate the full Phoenix Operations team into its four regional operational teams that cover the length and breadth of the UK. Steve Howe, Managing Director of Phoenix, will remain in the business as business director of Professional Security.

Professional Security CEO Dave Fullerton added: “We are absolutely delighted with the acquisition of Phoenix. Phoenix has been an exceptionally well-run business and its operational footprint perfectly complements ours.

“They have built up an incredible client portfolio and have an exceptional operations and frontline team, all of which we look forward to working with over the coming weeks, months and years. Steve’s appointment as business director will add further strength and industry insight to our Senior Leadership Team.”

Phoenix was established in May 2000 by Managing Director Steve Howe and has door supervisors working across the UK, from Aberdeen to Southampton. Phoenix has built up an incredible client portfolio including McDonalds, KFC, Stonegate Group, Revolution Bar Group, Turtle Bay, Lane 7, Roxy Leisure and Mojos to name just a few.

Steve Howe, former Managing Director of Phoenix, now business director of Professional Security, said: “I’m excited to be moving on to the next chapter with Professional Security. As a combined entity we will have an unmatched nationwide staff base and the biggest operational infrastructure in the sector.

“We are very much aligned on strategy for the business and the direction of the industry. We’re looking forward to combining best practise from both businesses to further strengthen the service we offer our valued client base.”

Law firm trusts in new partnership to help grow UK tree cover

Tess Egginton
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Law firm trusts in new partnership to help grow UK tree cover

Yorkshire law firm, LCF Law, is helping to address the climate and biodiversity crises, whilst supporting the creation of new woodlands for everyone to enjoy, through a new partnership with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.

The firm’s significant donation to the charity will support the planting of 1,000 trees over the next two years. By supporting the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, LCF Law will be making a significant difference to the people, landscapes, and wildlife of the Yorkshire Dales.

Simon Stell, managing partner at LCF Law, said: “We are hugely committed to working sustainably and offsetting our carbon footprint and we also want to leave a long-term legacy. According to the Climate Change Committee, in order to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, tree cover must rise to 19% of the UK – it’s currently at 13%.

“The Woodland Trust says we would need about 1.5bn more trees, which is a staggering number! Sometimes these figures and the issue of climate change can seem insurmountable, but if everyone does a small amount to help, positive change really is possible.

“In addition to the tree planting, we are keen for our team of 125, who are based in Bradford, Leeds, Harrogate and Ilkley to have the chance to get to know more about the vital work of the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. This partnership will enable us to not only to plant a large number of trees, but also volunteer at the Trust too.”

Development officer at the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, Richard Hore, said: “We are really lucky to have the backing of a business like LCF Law and enjoyed welcoming their team to their first volunteering day as part of our summer maintenance work. There is a real groundswell to help nature recover, and engaging local people and businesses is vital as we move forward in this climate crisis.”

In 2021 Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust planted 31,851 trees and more than 5,500 people benefitted from its projects, with £160k given to local organisations and partnerships that make a real difference to their communities. The Trust also continues to make significant inroads into reversing the decline of the most precious hay meadows and has restored 40 hectares of meadow in the Forest of Bowland. Across the Dales it has also helped groups create 23 wildlife patches, gardens and ponds.

Record first half revenues for Team17

Tess Egginton
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Record first half revenues for Team17
Team17 group, the Yorkshire-based video games label, has reported another solid performance in unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2022 (H1 2022). During the period, revenues grew 33% to a record £53.2m, up from £40.1m in the same period of 2021. Profit before tax meanwhile decreased to £11.2m from £14m. The business completed a number of “high quality acquisitions,” focused on broadening the group’s geographical footprint and operational reach, alongside adding high quality first party IP.

Debbie Bestwick, Chief Executive Officer of Team17 group plc, said: “We are pleased with the group’s first half performance, trading in line with our expectations. Our new acquisitions, led by our talented and committed management teams, have worked incredibly well together across all parts of the group, and we are all looking forward to a busy and productive second half.

“The group now has more evergreen first party IP’s than ever before, alongside a phenomenal back catalogue portfolio, and in StoryToys, a growing subscription revenue model. New releases include additions to many established franchises and licensed global brands as well as exciting new original IP’s that are tracking well. 

“Complementing our first half performance, we have made an encouraging start to the second half of FY 2022 and we remain confident about the group’s prospects going forwards.”

Energy price news is good for business – but firms need details, and fast, says FSB

Stuart Pearcey
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Energy price news is good for business – but firms need details, and fast, says FSB
Small firms need details about energy arrangements in order to plan for winter says FSB National Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses Martin McTague.
He said: “The statement leaves a lot of questions unanswered. It was a very high-level and sparse on detail so we will be working with the new Government to clarify what happens next. Small businesses’ instant reaction is that this is not enough information, yet, for them to plan.” He said the unanswered questions included:
  • What will be the fixed unit prices (and standing charges) from October 1?
  • What practically will now change – will energy retailers suspend high quotes and contract offers and recalculate from October 1?
  • Will those who have accepted hugely increased bills in recent weeks be able to renegotiate to bring their bills down to reasonable levels?
  • As a small business normally gets quoted for at least 12 months, does that new quote include 6 months at a low rate and 6 months at a high uncapped rate?  How does the energy retailer know who to quote extra support to, for the secondsix-month period?
He added: “This must not result in a cliff-edge after six months, with the withdrawal of support to all but ‘vulnerable’ targeted industries, sectors or types of business. The definition of who falls in and out of that support will need to be looked at carefully at the three-month review. “Our work on vulnerability of small businesses to energy costs has revealed huge bills causing damage in virtually any sector that uses energy in any meaningful way, just like most households. Any future definition of ‘vulnerable industries’ will need to be broad, realistic and fair. “The Government should also make good on its commitment for comprehensive help for all small businesses affected. If any have energy circumstances such that, in practice, they turn out not be covered by the measures announced today, the Government must keep an open mind and ensure policy decisions do not create another group of disenfranchised or excluded small businesses without support, just like it did on income support during COVID.”

Revenue and profit growth continues at Gateley

Tess Egginton
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Revenue and profit growth continues at Gateley
Gateley, the legal and professional services group, has posted strong audited preliminary results for the year ended 30 April 2022 (FY22), which continue the firm’s pre and post IPO unbroken record of year-on-year revenue and profit growth, and out-performed market expectations set at the start of the year. The company noted it has achieved significant organic growth and strengthened the business further through diversification and investment into new complementary service lines, while maintaining control on costs in the face of market specific and macro-economic headwinds. It added that the balance sheet remains strong and the group has significant headroom in its banking facilities to invest in further organic and acquisitive growth opportunities. During the year Gateley posted group revenue of £137.2m, up from £121.4m in the year prior. Profit before tax meanwhile hit £18m, up from £16.3m. Three earnings-enhancing acquisitions were completed in the period. Rod Waldie, CEO of Gateley, said: “I am delighted with the group’s performance in FY22. We have delivered another set of strong revenue and profit growth figures whilst continuing to strengthen our balance sheet. Legal services generated solid organic revenue growth, comparing favourably with reported UK legal industry performance. Our consultancy service lines delivered impressive organic growth of 26.7% resulting in overall consolidated group organic revenue growth of 10.9%. “I am particularly pleased that we completed three exciting consultancy acquisitions in the Period and achieved annualised consultancy revenue of over c.£32m as we continue to grow our complementary services, diversifying our offering and deepening our connections with our clients. “I thank our ever-expanding client base for their trust and support throughout FY22 and for giving us the opportunity to work with them on high quality mandates. We remain committed to our purpose of delivering results that delight our clients, inspire our people and support our communities. We have a good pipeline of work and maintain our expectations for growth in FY23, despite the well-reported inflationary pressures. We look forward to continuing to grow the group, both organically and via acquisition.”
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