Careers set to take off at annual LBA recruitment fair
2022 is off to a flying start at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) as it hosts its annual recruitment fair on Saturday 8th January at the Aviation Academy, located near the Multiflight Café in Yeadon, Leeds.
Representatives from a range of LBA’s divisions will be on hand from 10am to 2pm to talk to prospective candidates from across the region with over 100 career opportunities available at Yorkshire’s airport.
From roles across security, terminal operations, human resources, fire operations and cleaning, there are many positions at LBA to explore.
Representatives from Leeds Bradford Airport’s business partners will also be in attendance at the event to discuss job opportunities. These partners include: Jet2 and Jet2holidays, Swissport, Up & Away Aviation Services, SSP Group and Greggs.
Carol Burrows, Human Resources Director at Leeds Bradford Airport, said: “Our annual recruitment fair is a great opportunity for people to find out what a career in aviation can do for them. We’re excited to meet the next generation of LBA employees over the weekend and encourage all of those interested to attend.”
Although there is no need to pre-register attendance, due to COVID-19 protocols, LBA asks all visitors to the event to provide proof of a negative lateral flow test upon arrival. Masks will also be required to be worn throughout the event.
The recruitment fair will be paperless, so visitors are asked to have an electronic version of their CV available on their smart phones to upload.
Free parking will be available on the day next to the Multiflight Café (LS19 7UG), located at the south of the airport.
Successful applicants will undergo a criminal record check (CRB), a five-year employment and background check and they must have been a UK resident for a minimum of three years to obtain Government clearance.
Grade A offices snapped up by investor for £4.3m
Alongside joint agent G Herbert Banks, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) have completed the £4.3 million acquisition of Woodland Park, Cleckheaton on behalf of Midlands investor, Parker & Parker Investments Ltd.
Set in attractive landscaped grounds, the acquisition comprises 31,772 sq ft of modern office accommodation across four two-storey buildings, well located adjacent to Junction 26 of the M62 motorway. It is 10 miles outside Leeds City Centre, with close access to Birstall Retail Park, Euroway Industrial Estate and having mainline rail access within 1 mile.
The Grade A offices at Woodland Park are fully let to fit out, technology and construction solutions company ISG Central Services Ltd.
G Herbert Banks LLP provided acquisition advice alongside occupational advice from LSH. Cushman & Wakefield acted on behalf of the vendor, a private investor.
Ross Firth, director – Office Advisory at LSH, said: “This is a great purchase for Parker & Parker Investments to further bolster their commercial portfolio, which they continue to add to with quality assets, such as Woodland Park. The acquisition offers a few angles from an asset management perspective and we are delighted to work closely with Parker & Parker going forward.”
Nick Jethwa, G Herbert Banks, added: “The acquisition of Woodland Park is a strategic purchase for Parker and Parker Investments. With an enviable position the accommodation lies adjacent to both open countryside and the M62/M606 junction.
“These grade A offices are ideally located for the out of town Leeds and Bradford markets, offering regional accessibility through both the motorways and a mainline rail connection only 1 mile distant. Through asset management Parker and Parker Investments will be optimising the accommodation for tenants and also their own returns.”
Chris Parker, Parker & Parker Investments Ltd., added: “We are very pleased to have made this acquisition in what is a premier office site with great rural views within the extensive motorway network just outside Leeds. Parker and Parker continue to grow their portfolio with continued investment in prime sites both in industrial and office. We intend to invest a further £10,000,000 within the next two years in sites that offer further asset value improvement. Thank you to all parties who helped in the process.”
Connor Rogers, Cushman & Wakefield, said: “I’m very pleased to have acted on the disposal of this asset on behalf of a private investor. This office park is strategically located adjacent to Junction 26, an area that is due to see a significant level of development activity in the coming months and years, which will further establish this location as a key commercial hub for the region. Whilst this sale represents a great result for my client, I am confident that the asset will also perform well for its new owners.”
Sheffield battery technology company acquired by Indian firm
Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (Reliance), has signed definitive agreements to acquire 100% shareholding in Faradion Limited for an enterprise value of £100 million.
In addition, RNESL will also invest £25 million as growth capital to accelerate commercial roll out.
Based out of Sheffield, Faradion is a battery technology company. It has an IP portfolio covering several aspects of sodium-ion technology.
Reliance will use Faradion’s state-of-the-art technology at its proposed fully integrated energy storage giga-factory as part of the Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex project at Jamnagar in western India.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, said: “We welcome Faradion and its experienced team to Reliance family. This will further strengthen and build upon our ambition to create one of the most advanced and integrated New Energy ecosystem and put India at the forefront of leading battery technologies.
“The sodium-ion technology developed by Faradion provides a globally leading energy storage and battery solution which is safe, sustainable, provides high energy density and is significantly cost competitive. In addition, it has wide use applications from mobility to grid scale storage and back-up power.
“Most importantly, it utilizes sodium, which will secure India’s energy storage requirements for its large renewable energy and fast-growing EV charging market. We will work with Faradion management and accelerate its plans to commercialise the technology through building integrated and end-to-end giga scale manufacturing in India.
“We believe this will be one of our many steps that will also enable, accelerate, and secure large scale energy storage requirements for our Indian partners developing and transforming India’s EV mobility and transport sector.”
James Quinn, CEO of Faradion, said: “Faradion has been one of the first to champion sodium-ion battery technology. Reliance is the perfect partner for supporting Faradion’s growth in the rapidly expanding Indian market and to jointly speed up the transformation of the global energy market. Becoming part of the Reliance group validates the incredible work our team has done in advancing sodium-ion technology.”
Dr Chris Wright, chairman and co-founder of Faradion, said: “Dr Jerry Barker, Ashwin Kumaraswamy and I founded Faradion in 2010 to develop sodium-ion technology and bring it to market, with funds from Mercia Asset Management. This deal with Reliance firmly establishes Faradion’s sodium-ion batteries as an integral part of the global value chain for cheaper, cleaner, more sustainable energy for decades to come.”
New HQ for Leeds property company
Leeds-based property company, Adair Paxton, has relocated its Horsforth headquarters into a modern office building just off Town Street, as part of the company’s continued expansion programme.
The company’s new 3,000 sq ft premises, at Jason House on Kerry Hill, offer an open plan office space complete with a suite of meeting rooms, kitchen and breakout areas.
It was previously headquartered on Horsforth’s Station Road, opposite its residential sales and lettings office.
The new office will complement the existing Horsforth office, as well as its Leeds city centre office, which it expanded into 18 months ago, in a prime location on Wellington Street.
Simon Dalingwater, a director at Adair Paxton, said: “Expanding into Jason House gives us a modern working environment that will accommodate our ongoing growth, so it’s an exciting time for Adair Paxton.
“We’ve recently appointed a new director of operations and finance, an office manager, an assistant property manager in our block management division, and we’re now recruiting for a residential property manager to join our lettings team and an accounts administrator.
“As a longstanding Horsforth based business, we are delighted to have secured this prestigious building, in the heart of the town centre. Ultimately it will enable our commercial, residential and block management teams to collaborate even more effectively, which will further enhance the high standard of service that our clients enjoy.”
Work poised to start on phase four of Lincolnshire housing development
Work is poised to get under way on phase four of Charterpoint’s housing development in Louth, Lincolnshire.
It will bring a further 40 plots into build at Westfield Park on the edge of the town.
Planning permission was granted for 240 homes on the site in 2018. This latest phase is the penultimate phase and will bring the total number of homes built at Westfield Park by Snape Properties to 200.
Charterpoint CEO Adrian Goose said: “Westfield Park has proved to be a very popular housing development and the new homes can’t be built quick enough to keep up with demand.
“It’s an excellent location which has already become a thriving community for families in Louth and we are delighted to be releasing a further 40 plots to Snape Properties so that they can continue building and move onto the penultimate phase of the development.”
The housing development features a mix of three and four-bedroom semi-detached houses and four and five-bedroom detached houses.
A two-storey, 66-bed care home has also been built on the site, which is off Grimsby Road.
Specialists appointed to take forward Yorkshire Cruise Terminal project
Hull City Council has published a decision record that confirms that Royal HaskoningDHV has been appointed to provide planning consultancy support for the delivery of the Cruise Hull Yorkshire terminal project.
The appointment of the specialist international firm comes following an open tender process in which bids were assessed on a ‘best value’ basis combining both price and quality.
As a result of this process, the council will now be able to progress the project in completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA), and subsequently submit a planning application in 2022 for the Sammy’s Point site.
Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “Hull needs a dedicated cruise facility in the heart of the Old Town so that we can greet cruise passengers with a five-star welcome and an immediate experience of Hull, in addition to the region’s world class visitor attractions.
“This could also be a carbon reduction measure, reducing the need for journey to south coast ports. A new cruise facility would be a huge boost to our plans to increase tourism and create new jobs, therefore this appointment is welcomed.”
The proposed design includes Shore-Side Electricity as a carbon reduction measure which allows cruise ship operators to turn off ship engines while in port and rely on more efficient power systems to reduce overall emissions.
Work will begin immediately to progress the scheme at a total cost of £182,185, running until 2025.
Wakefield city centre redevelopment moves forward
Plans to revitalise Wakefield’s Kirkgate area are moving forward this month (January) – as part of a wider, multi-million-pound plan to improve the city centre.
The redevelopment of the area from Chantry roundabout to the ABC cinema site has begun with preliminary works to prepare for demolition, with a temporary public open space to be created for local residents after this is completed.
Over the next few years, the Council plans to bring over 150 good quality new homes and create new green areas to the Kirkgate area of the city.
This is subject to the Government approving the release of funds that it has allocated to Wakefield via the Towns Fund. The next stage of the application process will see the Council finalising business cases for each project throughout January, with submissions to the government to be made in March 2022.
Already Chantry House has been cleared and a planning application for 50 new homes is expected in Spring 2022 with work expected to start in 2023.
This next phase of the Council’s wider city transformation plan will see the creation of a further 100 new homes via the Kirkgate Innovative Neighbourhood Gateway (KING) project.
Preliminary works for the demolition of the derelict ABC cinema began yesterday (4 January) which will be completed by May, followed by temporary public open space being created for local residents, by the summer.
Discussions are underway to re-locate existing retail business in the block and to demolish the units over the next 18 months, but keeping the historic Harewood Arms pub.
Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: “We are pleased we are at the stage where we can move forward with the next stage to progress plans to improve the Kirkgate area, which is a key gateway to the city. If the government approve our application to the Towns Funds and release funds, we’ll be able to develop these ambitious plans.”
Cllr Darren Byford, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Property, said: “The demolition of the ABC building supports our plans to regenerate the area and bring additional investment to Wakefield and it is great to be looking forward to the benefits this will bring for our city and district.
“We are supporting investment and change for our city centre as well as boosting the wider district’s economy. It is a very positive stage to be at, as we continue to work with our partners and plan regeneration.”
The Council’s wider city transformation plan for Wakefield includes the repurposing of the former BHS store to bring more of the Council’s services into the heart of the city centre, including a new museum and gallery, and the second phase of the redevelopment of the Rutland Mills site at Wakefield waterfront, with support totalling £20m from the Levelling Up fund.
Other emerging plans for the city centre include the opening of Tileyard North next summer and the redevelopment of the former Market Hall into a performance and exhibition space, and plans to transform the historic Civic Quarter on Wood Street into a thriving neighbourhood, with new homes and a stunning new public facility.
Clarion marks Family Mediation Week 2022 with series of events
Clarion marks Family Mediation Week 2022 with series of events
Leeds law firm Clarion is holding a programme of events for professional advisers working with separating families as part of Family Mediation Week (17-21 January 2022).
Organised by the Family Mediation Council (FMC), the week aims to raise awareness of the benefits of family mediation and encourage separating couples to think about it as a way of helping them take control, make decisions together and build a positive future for them and their family.
With an 8-strong team of specialist family lawyers, Clarion plays an active role in promoting the use of mediation. Senior Associate solicitor and mediator at Clarion, Sarah Manning, is currently chair of the FMC Family Mediation Week committee organising a series event which can be found on the FMC’s website. This is the first year that the FMC have organised a series of free seminars targeting to promote Family Mediation Week to professionals working with separated families and the public.
Clarion are hosting a number of events throughout the week:
- Tuesday 18th January 2022 – 11am to 11.45am (for professionals working with separating families) Emma Heptonstall, a divorce coach from The Divorce Alchemist and Sarah Manning, Solicitor and Mediator from Clarion will be discussing the use of a divorce coach throughout the mediation process to assist parties to be ‘mediation ready’.
- Wednesday 19th January 2022 – 10am to 11am (for those working with separated families or going through their own separation) Sue Atkins, ITV ‘This Morning’, BBC Radio and Disney Jnr UK’s Parenting Expert is guest speaker with Sarah Manning of Clarion; they will discuss the effect of conflicting parents on children and how mediation can assist families going through separation.
- Friday 21st January 2022 – 1.30pm to 2.15pm (for lawyers and mediators) Tamsin Caine, a chartered financial planner from Smart Divorce, Sarah Manning, Solicitor and Mediator and Justine Osmotherley, Head of Family and Solicitor from Clarion will be discussing the use of a financial neutral within the mediation process to assist parties to reach a financial settlement.
- Friday 21st January 2022 – 4pm to 6pm Drinks reception To encourage collaboration with professionals in the local area. (Held at Clarion’s offices at Elizabeth House, 13-19 Queen Street, Leeds LS1 2TW.) Please note this event is by invitation only.
To register for any of the events, please visit contact Laura Courbet on 0113 336 3348 or at laura.courbet@clarionsolicitors.com .
Family Mediation Week focuses on working collectively to help raise awareness of family mediation among members of the public, solicitors and other professionals working with separated families. The week allows the FMC to create and promote family mediation-specific information.
400,000 small firms threatened by late payment as costs surge, new study finds
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is warning that a worsening of the UK’s late payment crisis, high inflation and mounting admin for firms that trade internationally will cause the business community to further shrink in size if left unaddressed, as it releases fresh findings from its quarterly Small Business Index (SBI).
The new study of more than 1,200 business owners finds that close to one in three (30%) has seen late payment of invoices increase over the last three months, with a further 8% experiencing other forms of poor payment practice. Only 6% say that a change in payment terms has been agreed over that period.
As a result, approaching one in ten (8%) say late payment is now threatening the viability of their business. Latest government statistics show that there are an estimated 5.5 million small business in the UK – a figure which fell by 400,000 over last year’s lockdowns. The new FSB study suggests that a similar number of firms (440,000) could be forced to close again this year due to late payment alone.
The headline UK SBI measure of confidence has dropped to -8.5 in Q4, during another uncertain festive season. The figure has fallen every quarter over 2021, having stood at +27.3 in Q1. More small firms now expect their performance to worsen over the coming three months than expect an improvement. Pessimism is especially pronounced in the retail (-40.3) and accommodation and food (-33.0) industries.
The vast majority of small businesses (78%) say costs are rising. The figure is at a seven-year high.
Inputs are most commonly cited as a primary cause of that increase, with half (49%) of those surveyed flagging it as a main driver of higher outgoings. Fuel (46%) and utilities (45%) were the second and third most highlighted primary causes of rising costs respectively. All figures are at their highest levels since Q4 2014.
Elsewhere, with full import checks and rules of origin requirements now in place for firms which do business in the EU, the bulk (74%) of small exporting firms report that international sales were flat or falling over the past quarter. Close to one in four (38%) of these firms report a decrease in exports. Previous FSB research shows that only one in four small importers are fully prepared for new import checks.
FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry said: “The small business community diminished in size over the past year and, unless action is taken now to tackle the challenges it faces, history is set to repeat itself.
“After another frustrating festive season, small firms are facing flashpoint after flashpoint. Today, it’s a fresh wave of admin for importers and exporters – in three months’ time it will be a hike to the jobs tax that is national insurance contributions, a rise in dividend taxation, business rates bills and an increase in the national living wage. On top of that, operating costs are surging – many will soon be trying to strike energy deals without the clout of big corporates or the protections afforded to consumers.
“Small business confidence dropped in every quarter of 2021. As we head into the New Year, the government needs to act now if we’re to reverse that trend and secure an economic bounce back.
“Late Payment was destroying thousands of small businesses even before the pandemic hit – the pandemic has made matters worse. In the past, the Government has rightly identified greater Board accountability as key to spurring change in this area, but delivery has been slow. We responded to its consultation on extending the Small Business Commissioner’s powers more than a year ago, but have yet to see a response.
“The pandemic is absorbing bandwidth, and rightly so, but policymakers need to understand that late payment is the issue that keeps thousands of entrepreneurs up at night, and one that has worsened in lockstep with lockdowns. We need to see words turned to action.
“Every big UK corporation should have a non-executive director on its board with direct responsibility for payment culture. And every big business and government organisation should be abiding by the prompt payment code: 30-day payment terms are not a nice to have, they’re the norm for those who are committed to environmental, social and governance best practice.
“If this government is serious about levelling-up, it needs to get serious about helping community businesses struggling to make ends meet as costs surge. Increasing the small businesses rates relief ceiling to £25,000 would take 200,000 more firms out of this regressive tax altogether, primarily in levelling-up target areas, meaning more investment, recruitment and retention within local economies up and down the country.
“Equally, with the omicron variant hammering consumer confidence, April’s tax hikes are looking increasingly misjudged. The Chancellor should look again at how to protect small firms from this fresh blow. An increase in the Employment Allowance would provide some breathing space.
“Small firms that do business internationally are usually among our most profitable and innovative. That’s why it’s so hard to watch so many becoming increasingly weighed down by bureaucracy. The Government should learn lessons from the botched roll-out of the SME Brexit Support Fund and launch a new fund with similar aims but more sensible eligibility criteria, reasonable application deadlines and a genuinely international focus.”
Welcome to Yorkshire announce ‘Yorkshire Menu’ as their key campaign for 2022
Celebrating Yorkshire’s fabulous food and delicious drink is the order of the day … and year … as Welcome to Yorkshire launches Yorkshire Menu on New Year’s Day 2022. The aim is to showcase Yorkshire as the food and drink capital of the UK in the biggest ever year-long promotion of the county’s delicious delights … regionally, nationally and internationally, scrumptiously showcasing the very best of Yorkshire’s culinary creations across the globe.
From street food to Michelin-starred restaurants, farm shops to tea rooms, vineyards to distilleries, local produce to international cuisine, market stalls to delicatessens … and so much more, check-in and check out the Yorkshire Menu. Sourced and enjoyed across the county … Yorkshire’s breathtaking coastline, stunning countryside, vibrant cities and bustling towns serve up the finest food and drink.
There’ll be Yorkshire on Tour, Eat Around the World (whilst staying in the county), mouthwatering recipes, food and drink trails, and a calendar of competitions and creative campaigns.
Yorkshire Menu will feature celebrated chefs, food and drink experts, a whole host of celebrities and the magnificent team of people who create the delectable delights the county is famous for. From fantastic fishing crews to fabulous farmers, restaurant owners to world-renowned cooks and drinks producers, it’s going to be a top year for tucker, tipples and brilliant beverages.
There’s much to shout about. Here’s a taster … Yorkshire has 16 commercial vineyards, 7 Michelin-starred restaurants (1 with a green Michelin star), Bridlington is England’s biggest shellfish port and for 6 consecutive years Bradford was crowned Curry Capital of Britain. The county also counts an impressive and inspiring list of protected status foods: Wensleydale cheese, Swaledale cheese (from both ewes and cows) and Yorkshire forced rhubarb. That’s just for starters!
Food and drink is a much-loved constant whatever is happening in the world and is to be promoted and enjoyed. Spending time eating and drinking with friends and family must be at the top of most people’s favourite pursuits AND even during a pandemic and challenging times for businesses, the way many have adapted with home deliveries and hampers has been truly inspirational.
Everyone will be invited to participate in the #YorkshireMenu by sharing their own favourite places to eat and drink. Popping to the pub, dining out in style or picking up pieces from a favourite Yorkshire store, it’s the perfect opportunity to promote the county’s finest food and drink offerings for all budgets by using the hashtag #YorkshireMenu, as well as sharing on Welcome to Yorkshire’s social media channels. The destination marketing organisation believe this will be a great PR opportunity for the county and its visitor economy, as Welcome to Yorkshire’s annual social reach is almost 20 million and has a global brand reach of over 23 million.
Celebrating city, coast and countryside food and drink, the campaign will also allow the opportunity for businesses and organisations to sponsor events and promotional activities throughout the year.
Welcome to Yorkshire Chair Peter Box CBE said: “2021 has been another tricky year for all and certainly a time to reflect on what is positive and what we should be proud of, which is certainly the case when it comes to Yorkshire’s fantastic food and drink offering. What better way to start the new year and continue through 2022, than promoting all this wonderful produce, award-winning places to dine and drink, as well as supporting local businesses, which is needed now more than ever.
Yorkshire Menu will have a worldwide appeal and will welcome visitors to the most diverse of counties through the most inclusive of campaigns. Food and drink is enjoyed by everyone and we really hope visitors in and out of county will embrace and enjoy the Yorkshire Menu as much as we do. It will also incorporate Yorkshire’s art and culture, sport, history and heritage locations and the region’s amazing attractions with food and drink connected to all.”
Multi-award-winning Consultant Chef Stephanie Moon added: “I am really excited that Welcome to Yorkshire’s Yorkshire Menu will be celebrating all of the county’s fantastic food and drink. It’s something I’m incredibly passionate about and proud to be a part of. I’ve travelled extensively and can honestly say that Yorkshire’s fabulous fresh produce combined with its lovely locations to dine and drink are simply world-class and that’s why I choose Yorkshire as my home and place to work.”
Prashad’s Minal Patel said: “We’re incredibly lucky in Yorkshire to have a vast choice of excellent local produce to create world-class international cuisine. Seeing the pleasure our customers, from far and wide, get from lovingly created cooked dishes and for them to return time and time again, is the greatest compliment as a restaurant owner.
Welcome to Yorkshire’s the Yorkshire Menu is a great initiative to amplify the county’s fantastic food and drink businesses.”
