Hebden Bridge-headquartered fuel supplier Craggs Energy Ltd and its sister company in Devon, Moorland Fuels Ltd, have transferred ownership of the businesses to their 55-strong workforce in a deal advised by the corporate finance teams at Leeds law firm Clarion and chartered accountants BHP. The directors have transferred 100 per cent of shares in the businesses to their teams by establishing an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), funded by future profits. The companies, both of which have been in operation for over ten years, have grown into significant players in the UK fuel industry, providing fuel delivery services and wider solutions to homes, farms and businesses. With bases in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, and Padiham in Lancashire, Craggs Energy, predominantly serves the North of England, while Moorland Fuels serves the South West from its Okehampton head office. Group chairman Chris Bingham, said: “I’ve been considering the option of employee ownership for quite some time and when we looked into the benefits and alternatives available to us, an EOT was the obvious choice as it allows the existing shareholders to plan their exit over a longer term while transferring the benefits to the employees. “As successful and ever-growing businesses, we could have sold to a third party, however, I place great value on my team and wanted to be able to reward the people who have grown the businesses to where they are today. “As far as I am aware, we are the first fuel distribution companies in the UK to transfer 100% of our ownership to an EOT. The response from our shareholders and our staff has been extremely positive and there has been an increase in productivity and motivation which I’m sure will help to drive future growth. There’s no doubt in my mind, that creating an employee-led business is a good thing, and it would be great to see more companies consider the EOT route rather than a traditional trade sale.” The Clarion team, led by Kaira Clarehugh and Jonathan Simms, provided legal advice, while Amanda Waterhouse and Lewis Richardson of BHP established the EOT and advised on structure and taxation issues. Kaira Clarehugh added: “In recent years, we’ve seen EOTs becoming more and more popular and it’s certainly a great way of rewarding the staff as well as motivating greater productivity and a bright future for the business and the community. We have worked with Craggs over a number of years and are delighted to have assisted the business on its move to an employee-owned model which is a fantastic fit for the culture of Craggs.” In 2021, Craggs Energy achieved turnover of £33.1m and is forecast to see over 54 per cent growth this year, rising to £51.2m. The company currently has 37 employees and the volume forecast for 2022 shows at least a 15.7 per cent growth to 58.1m litres. For Moorland Fuels, turnover in 2021 was £13.7m and this is expected to at least double this year, reaching a £27.5m turnover. Employing 18 people, the volume forecast for 2022 shows at least a 47.3 per cent growth to 32.7m litres. Richard ‘Bert’ Ingram, who’s been with Craggs for 10 years as a HGV Tanker Driver said: “I’ve been with Craggs for such a long time because it’s a great company to work for and it’s been good to see the company grow over the years. The announcement of the EOT reiterates why Craggs is such a fantastic employer, they reward their staff for hard work and eventually we will all reap the rewards.”

Welcome to Yorkshire, the tourism agency, has entered administration following well-publicised legacy issues, the impact of COVID and difficulties securing sufficient funding from the public and private sectors. Rob Adamson, Michael Kienlen and Daryl Warwick of Armstrong Watson LLP have been appointed as joint administrators of the company. They intend to trade Welcome to Yorkshire for a period of time whilst they finalise a strategy to secure the best possible result for the creditors of the company. In a statement, Peter Box CBE, chair of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “It was with deep regret that last night the Board of Welcome to Yorkshire (WtY) took the decision to place the organisation into administration. “The past three years have been incredibly difficult for Board members and staff as we have endeavoured to deal with well-publicised legacy issues. “These matters, coupled with the impact of Covid and the task of securing sufficient funding from the public and private sectors to place WtY on a sound financial footing, have made the situation increasingly challenging. “The de Bois review of Destination Management Organisations could have created the opportunity for WtY to be given the structure and long-term funding required to move on, grow and develop into the organisation we believe it should be on behalf of Yorkshire and its people. “Sadly, the decision of the Yorkshire Leaders not to commit to a multi-year funding package, whilst understandable, removed that pathway and means that WtY cannot continue in its present form. “Most importantly, I want to pay tribute to the team of talented and dedicated professional staff who have continued to do remarkable work in the toughest of circumstances to promote Yorkshire’s many attractions to the world. I offer my heartfelt thanks and wish them well in their future careers. “I must also place on record my gratitude to those Board members who have remained with WtY, working selflessly in a collective effort to save the organisation from closure. “It is my sincere hope that the public sector will recognise the value of a new regional Destination Management Organisation to build on the many achievements of WtY. “This can offer our tourism industry the chance to move forward with a focused approach, deliver on regional priorities, and secure the best outcomes for everyone who visits, lives, works and studies in Yorkshire.”

Yorkshire Building Society and Citizens Advice have announced the significant expansion of an innovative partnership that initially piloted across six of the Society’s branches in Yorkshire last year and has already benefitted more than 530 people. Following the success of the pilot, the expansion will treble the number of branches offering the scheme to 18 across Yorkshire and the North West region. The programme commits Yorkshire Building Society to fund Citizens Advice advisers to hold free, confidential appointments at least one day a week across the 18 locations until March 2023. The appointments are open to everyone in the community not only Yorkshire Building Society customers. The Citizens Advice advisers offer independent advice in private meeting rooms to assist people with a wide range of issues, including financial well-being. Stephen White, Interim Chief Executive of Yorkshire Building Society, said: “The current economic climate with rising inflation, energy price increases and general cost of living pressures has brought into stark relief the issues that many people are facing around financial wellbeing. “That is why I’m proud to announce the expansion of our partnership with Citizens Advice. It is a timely undertaking by both organisations to be able to increase the offering of support to those in need in our communities. “Last year we committed to enhance existing initiatives and establish new schemes to help people of all ages and stages of life with financial resilience, and this programme that has already benefitted significant numbers of people to date, forms part of a £1.84million investment that we have put into those purposeful activities in 2021 and 2022.” Each appointment is up to 60 minutes long and can be booked directly by contacting a participating branch. Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “With the cost of living crisis hitting people hard, it’s crucial that people can access the advice they need to help weather this storm. The expansion of our partnership with Yorkshire Building Society will help even more people get the advice they need.” Of the 532 people assisted in 2021 through the pilot scheme, nearly 3 in 5 people needed help with benefits, tax credits and universal credit. Adam Waterfall, branch manager at Yorkshire Building Society in Leeds, said: “As one of the initial branches that ran the programme it’s great that we will be continuing to offer this support to both customers and members of the public within our communities. In fact, nearly six out of ten appointments so far have been with non-customers. “Since the beginning of our partnership with Citizens Advice, I have been genuinely shocked about some of the stories I have heard. The issues that some local people are facing daily are at times beyond belief and the scariest aspect for me is that often they have no support network or don’t know where to turn to for help. I’ve witnessed first-hand how this partnership can provide an absolute lifeline for people to be able to have access to that vital support when they really need it.” The 18 Yorkshire Building Society branches running the scheme are Ashton-Under-Lyne, Barnsley, Bolton, Brighouse, Castleford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Rothwell, Sheffield, Stockport, Wakefield and York.

Sheffield has recently been awarded a certificate of compliance for managing its street trees sustainably by the world’s largest Forest Certification Scheme, PEFC UK (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). Over the last eighteen months, the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership, of which the council and its highways contractor, Amey are part, has been working with PEFC UK, to develop a standard of certification for Trees Outside Forests (TOF) or in this instance, urban trees. Sheffield is participating in a pilot scheme designed to test a demanding certification standard. As a result, Sheffield has become the first local authority to have its urban tree management assessed against the new criteria and judged to be compliant. This innovative and trail blazing milestone has enabled the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership to achieve a key objective outlined in the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership Strategy, following months of dedication and collaborative working, which included representatives from Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Tree Action Groups being involved in a working group of national street tree specialists to develop the standard of certification. Liz Ballard, Chair of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership said: “We are really excited about what is essentially a world first for Sheffield and our street trees. As part of the Street Tree Strategy, the partnership were keen to find a way to independently check how well our street trees are being managed. Fortunately, PEFC, a Sheffield based company who work globally, offered their expertise to provide just the scheme we needed. Their new audit of our street trees is the first of its kind in Europe and it’s been great to work alongside them. Knowing that the management of our street trees meets this demanding international standard is a real step forward and shows just how far we’ve come.” Until recently only forests and woodlands could be certified by these standards as proof of being managed sustainably. However, a recent change in the PEFC standards has allowed PEFC UK to develop an appendix to their UK endorsed forest certification scheme, UKWAS (UK Woodland Assurance Standard) to allow for Trees Outside Forests to also be certified. Last November the certification body Soil Association Certification undertook an audit based on the draft standard of certification. Prior to the audit, Soil Association Certification also conducted a stakeholder consultation to gather information from all interested parties. The audit found that Streets Ahead is in compliance with the new draft standard, which is a fantastic achievement for all who have contributed to improving the management of street trees in Sheffield. Rob Shaw, Technical Manager and the Auditor on the TOF audit from Soil Association Certification said: “Soil Association is delighted to be working with PEFC UK and the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership on this ground breaking initiative. The audit was both unusual and interesting but the commitment and dedication from all the people involved at Sheffield City Council, Amey and the Partnership really shone through. We look forward to continuing the journey and look forwards to full endorsement of the Trees Outside Forests extension to the PEFC UK Scheme.” Applauding this first for Sheffield, Alun Watkins who heads up PEFC in the UK, commented:  “We are delighted that Sheffield has become the first city in Europe to be audited against our new TOF criteria. Their participation will help us fine tune the standard, before it is submitted to PEFC International later this year for endorsement. “We expect the Trees Outside Forests standard to be fully endorsed by Spring 2023 and look forward to Sheffield being awarded the first ever certificate for sustainably managing its street trees”. The audit, which has been undertaken by industry professionals, means Sheffield’s management of street trees has been found to be at an exemplary standard, and Sheffield residents can benefit from a pioneering tree management process. With a particular focus on the standard of works being carried out by tree surgeons and reviews of the routine safety and survey processes that take place all across the city’s tree stock every day, the audit looks at how these factors feed into the wider management of maintaining a safe and healthy tree stock in public areas. In recent years, Sheffield City Council has committed to promoting and enhancing a network of street trees that the city can be proud of; with the publication of a Sheffield Street Tree Partnership Strategy in 2021 and the creation of a dedicated partnership group who continue to positively, actively and sustainably steer the sustainable management of Sheffield’s urban forest. The partnership includes representatives from Sheffield City Council, Amey, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust and Sheffield Tree Action Groups. Sheffield’s trees and woodlands are one of the city’s greatest natural assets and contribute to its reputation as one of the greenest cities in the UK. They provide benefits for the people of Sheffield, as well as making urban areas and local neighbourhoods attractive and healthy places to live and work. Executive member for Housing, Road and Waste Management at Sheffield City Council, Councillor Paul Wood said: “This certification signifies a real achievement for Sheffield and is testament of the hard work and tenacity of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership. By working together with our partners, we have successfully developed and enhanced the way we manage our street trees, becoming the first authority in Europe to be assessed against this innovative criteria. “What’s more, through the delivery of our new Street Tree Strategy and in line with our recently published Street Tree Guidelines, we are continuing to make positive and significant progress with our approach to managing highway trees across the city; ensuring their longevity for many years to come.” PEFC UK is the National Governing Body of PEFC International, the world’s largest Forest Certification Scheme. It has 1.5 million hectares of certified forest in the UK and 330 million hectares in total worldwide. A copy of the certification can be found on the council’s webpages.

City of York Council is working with HSBC Bank to host a pop-up local business week from Monday, 14 March to Friday, 18 March 2022 to showcase and support local businesses in the city.

City of York Council is starting to make the first of the latest phase of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) payments to eligible businesses affected by the rise of the Omicron variant.

The Sustainability Business Grant – designed to help local businesses invest in low energy technology – is being reopened following a £75,000 top-up. The grant was so successful it was oversubscribed, so North Lincolnshire Council is putting more Government cash into the scheme. This will help protect the environment and safeguard local jobs. Up to £10,000 will be available to local businesses looking cut their carbon footprint and embrace a more sustainable future. The Sustainability Business Grant can be used to invest in energy production infrastructure such as solar PV panels or biomass boilers and building improvements including insulation and heat pumps. It can also be used to buy energy efficient products including LED lighting and low energy equipment such as fridges and dishwashers. Cllr Rob Waltham, leader, North Lincolnshire Council, said: “We all want a greener, cleaner future for the planet, and we can achieve that by putting North Lincolnshire at the cutting edge of sustainable technology. “This grant is not just aimed at our larger industries – small businesses can make a big difference just by replacing their light bulbs or buying A+ rated appliances.” “The Council is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and this Government money will help our businesses go a long way towards achieving that.” The announcement comes after a £100,000 top-up to the Digitalisation Grant was announced in last week’s budget and was once again over-subscribed. It follows more than £200m of Government cash into the area since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. More information on the grant, eligibility criteria and how to apply is on the Invest in North Lincolnshire website.

Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council will be putting a joint expression of interest to host the Great British Railways Headquarters.