Renowned Leeds snooker club sold
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold one of the UK’s most prestigious and well-known snooker venues, the Northern Snooker Centre (NSC) in Leeds.
Brought to the market for the first time in 48 years last September following the decision by the major shareholder of the business to retire, the disposal generated considerable interest from within the professional ranks of the snooker and cue sports industry, from national and regional experiential leisure operators, as well as from individual investors.
The Williamson family, which has owned “The Northern” since 1974, was keen to see the heritage of the business preserved and invested in and, following receipt of a number of offers for the business considerably in excess of the £750,000 guide price, the successful bidder and new owner of the business is Yorkshire-based business, Concept Taverns.
Chris and June Williamson said: “We are delighted to be leaving The Northern in good hands after so many years. Chris’ brother Ian and sister Vanessa will be continuing their coaching and front of house roles with the business and assisting with continuity.”
Managing Director of Concept Taverns, Ben Warren, added: “Whilst Concept Taverns operates a portfolio of independent pubs in the West Yorkshire area, the management team has significant experience in the cue sports sector. When the Northern Snooker Centre became available, we saw this as a one-off opportunity to acquire a great asset on our doorstep and one that would fit exceptionally well with our knowledge base.”
Jon Patrick, head of leisure & development at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, concluded: “The sale of the Northern Snooker Centre is further evidence that the depth of interest in high-quality licensed leisure businesses has remained strong throughout the pandemic. With over 375 hospitality and leisure sale transactions completed by Christie & Co during 2021 alone, and with investor demand remaining high, 2022 has already got off to a good start with the sale of The Northern in excess of the guide price.”
Blacks Solicitors LLP represented the Northern Snooker Centre and ALT Legal acted on behalf of Concept Taverns.
Yorkshire nursery group sold to Kids Planet
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Yorkshire-based Twinkles Nursery Group.
Founded in 2003, the group comprises six high-quality purpose-built and purpose-designed facilities located in North and West Yorkshire; around Leeds city centre, and in the neighbouring towns of Knaresborough, Wetherby, and Boston Spa. All of the settings are Ofsted rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’.
The group provides a total effective operating capacity for 482 children aged 6 weeks to 5 years, and 56 out of school places.
Following Christie & Co’s long-standing relationship with the founder, Jill Graham, Twinkles Nursery Group was brought to market via a confidential marketing process.
The portfolio has been sold to Kids Planet. Having recently acquired The Kinderhaven Group, Rainbow Nursery School in Yorkshire and now Twinkles Nursery Group, Kids Planet has a very strong foothold and platform from which to further grow and deliver the highest quality early years childcare and education to even more families across Yorkshire.
Managing Director of Twinkles Nursery Group, Jill Smith, says: “I have been operating nurseries for almost 21 years and have organically developed Twinkles gradually over that time, starting the first nursery in 2001 when my daughter was a baby.
“It has been an honour to serve all our wonderful families and to work alongside such a dedicated and super talented team over the years, and I feel now is a good time to step back and take some time to decide what comes next.
“I know that Twinkles will continue to strive in the very capable hands of Kids Planet, and I look forward to seeing further growth. I will miss my team and wish them all the very best of luck for the future and thank them for the amazing memories we have built together.”
CEO of Kids Planet, Clare Roberts, says: “With Leeds being a city close to my heart, we are thrilled to have acquired a group such as Twinkles, which provides exceptionally high-quality childcare, mirroring that of Kids Planet.
“We are excited to be growing our position in Yorkshire, given our recent acquisitions of Kinder Haven Group and Rainbows Day Nursery, allowing us to offer families the best childcare available in their hometowns.
“With Twinkles being a family run business just like ours, we believe they will transition into Kids Planet perfectly, upholding the same values and ideals we pride ourselves on. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the process and to welcome an exceptionally professional and dedicated Twinkles team to the Kids Planet Family.”
The sale was handled by Courteney Donaldson and Nick Brown at Christie & Co.
Courteney Donaldson, Managing Director, says: “This is an exceptional business, and we were delighted to be invited by Jill to lead a formal, albeit highly confidential sale. Once in receipt of multiple offers, we were able to help Jill choose the right people to further build on her renowned group.
“Jill has continually looked to expand and grow her business and, even during the short sales process, just 56 working days from Heads of Agreement being signed, Jill secured a new organic development opportunity. It has been a pleasure working with Jill to make sure that, after having decided to sell and move on from the sector, her business is in the best hands possible.”
Twinkles Nursery Group was sold for an undisclosed price.
Hundreds of Barnsley businesses to benefit from additional COVID-19 financial support
Under a new scheme, businesses across Barnsley who could not access previous rounds of COVID-19 financial support are set to benefit from automatic business rates relief.
The COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund will target businesses established before the start of the pandemic that have not been able to benefit from previous rate relief schemes. To qualify, your business property will need to have a rateable value of less than £51,000.
Eligible businesses will see up to a 66% discount automatically applied to their 2021/22 business rates – there is no need to apply.
Working with the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce to deliver this support, the scheme will help approximately 800 businesses in the borough.
Eligible types of businesses that will benefit from the support include business units, factories, offices, warehouses and workshops.
Councillor Alan Gardiner, Cabinet Spokesperson for Core Services, said: “We know that businesses across Barnsley have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look to the year ahead, we want to make sure organisations across our borough can access the support they need to recover and thrive.
“We are delighted to be working with the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce to deliver this scheme for businesses who could not previously access rates relief, and hope it helps give them added security and opportunities to grow.”
Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are really pleased to have worked with Barnsley Council to get this much-needed support out to as many businesses as possible. Whilst there are still challenges ahead, this discount on business rates for around 800 local businesses will be more than welcome.”
The funding for this scheme was made available as part of additional government support pledged in December to help businesses that have been affected by the pandemic.
Major refurbishment work to Hull’s Maritime Museum gets underway
Work to transform Hull’s Maritime Museum has got underway.
Thanks to investment from Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, a multi-million-pound refurbishment of Maritime Museum got underway at the beginning of January 2022 by Yorkshire based company, Simpson.
The transformation will see major changes to the building and exhibitions, offering residents and visitors a much-improved experience and secure the museum’s future well into the 21st century. More of the Victorian architecture revealed for the first time, the second floor will open to the public as well as access to one of the building’s domes, offering views across the city skyline.
A new three-storey foyer will draw people into the heart of the building, providing a visually stunning and thematic introduction to the galleries beyond. This will be created by re-opening up the original light well that helped to illuminate the Victorian dock offices.
New galleries and control systems will allow the museum to host the very best national and international exhibitions. Physical accessibility to the building will undergo major improvements whilst remaining sensitive to the original architecture, including a new entrance ramp and stairs, lift and changing place.
Expected to re-open in early 2025, 50 per cent more objects will be on display, along with new exhibitions and stories, an extended gift shop and a brand-new café area will also be created.
Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “The refurbishment of the Hull Maritime Museum is a significant milestone for the Hull Maritime project. It will be great to see the transformation as it progresses, creating a museum that will attract new and more diverse visitors.
“This major investment will ensure the stories of Hull’s maritime past will continue to be told, and importantly in new and engaging ways to showcase our significant collections to the world.
“Whilst we will all miss visiting the museum and its collection, this work is vital to its future and the result will be well worth the wait.”
The specialist works will be undertaken by award-winning heritage contractor Simpson based in York, who have a proven track record in delivering prestigious restoration and refurbishments projects like the Hull Maritime Museum. These include the Grade I listed World Heritage Site Durham Cathedral, Grade I listed Ledston Hall, York Art Gallery, Bowes Museum, Cliffords Tower and Castle Howard.
David Renwick, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “It is fantastic news that, thanks to the National Lottery players, the Hull Maritime Museum is now entered its renovation phase, a significant milestone for the Hull Maritime City project which we are proud to support.
“As work also progresses at the former Dock Office Chambers and on the two iconic historic ships, the Arctic Corsair and the Spurn Lightship, we are looking forward to witnessing the transformation that Hull Maritime is bringing to Hull. We know that heritage in the North can play a huge role in bringing people together and creating a sense of pride in people’s hometowns and cities, and in turn boosting the local economy, and this project is a fantastic example of that.”
Managing Director, Andrew Gatenby at Simpson, said: “We are proud to be the main contractor on the works to the historic Hull Maritime Museum. We are looking forward to working with Hull City Council in creating a wonderful attraction for all to enjoy.”
The £12m refurbishment of the Maritime Museum is part of the Hull Maritime project, funded by Hull City Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Other significant improvements involve the restoration of the Spurn Lightship and the Arctic Corsair and regenerating the North End Shipyard.
Plans approved for new ‘aquagreen’ to reduce flooding in east Hull
An Environment Agency project to create a large “aquagreen” that will reduce flood risk to more than 870 properties and key infrastructure in east Hull has been given the go-ahead.
Planning permission for the project at Castlehill has now been approved by Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and work is expected to start in late spring.
A public consultation was launched in September 2020 on proposals for the aquagreen – a versatile green space, south of the old Bransholme Dairy Farm, which will store excess water during a flood and slowly release it back into the drainage system after the peak of the flood has passed.
Homes in North Carr and Sutton are currently at risk of flooding from water in the Holderness and Sutton Cross drains after heavy rain. The Holderness Drain is a man-made river channel. When it becomes full, water flows into Sutton Cross Drain, overwhelming the local drainage system and increasing the risk of flooding for homes in the area. This area narrowly avoided disaster in November 2019 when other parts of Hull were affected by flooding.
The aquagreen is the second phase of the £28.5million Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme, and follows construction of the new East Hull Pumping Station.
Preliminary work to remove vegetation and shrubs in order to deliver the aquagreen project is set to begin on site imminently.
Andrew Barron, the Environment Agency’s flood risk adviser for Hull, said: “This is a really important step in the delivery of the Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme, which will reduce flood risk to hundreds of homes and businesses in the North Carr and Sutton areas.
“The scheme, which also includes a new pumping station, will contribute to making the Humber region more resilient to the effects of climate change.”
This partnership scheme, led by the Environment Agency and supported by Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, National Highways and the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (HEY LEP) Local Growth Fund programme, will better protect around 1,000 properties and help to provide a long-term, more sustainable solution to the problem of flooding in this area.
The HEY LEP secured £2.14million towards the project through the Local Growth Fund as part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.
Additional benefits resulting from the scheme include the creation of green space for people to enjoy and improving access to the Castle Hill monument.
Councillor Dean Kirk, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for flood risk, said: “We are delighted that this important phase of the Flood Alleviation Scheme on Holderness Drain has received planning consent. The works at Castlehill will deliver many more benefits alongside the reduction in flood risk to homes and businesses.
“These include job creation for local people through the materials and workforce supply chain in the construction phases, habitat creation, improved water quality, connecting communities with the heritage and nature of the site and amenity value.
A more detailed description of the changes to the plans can be found in the full report, which can be downloaded here: Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme.
Residents with questions should email the Environment Agency project team at: HoldernessdrainFAS@environment-agency.gov.uk
To find out about flood risk in your area and to sign up to the Environment Agency’s free flood warning service, visit www.gov.uk/flood or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.
Interest in apprenticeships sky high as thousands flock to recruitment fair
Young people, parents, carers, and teachers turned out in their thousands to attend Leeds Apprenticeship Recruitment Fair, which took place on day one of National Apprenticeship Week 2022.
The event organised by Leeds City Council’s employment and skills service returned in person this year, selling out the Leeds First Direct Arena, with 6,200 free tickets being booked ahead of the event.
With 88 employers and training providers exhibiting at the fair, a wide range of sectors were represented including construction, agriculture, health, and care, creative and design, digital, legal, finance and accounting.
The annual event provides a vital opportunity for young people from across Leeds to connect with employers and find out about real live apprenticeship opportunities, as well as giving them access to good quality careers information, advice, and guidance.
To coincide with the event and to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Leeds City Council’s employment and skills service launched a brand-new website, providing information and opportunities from over 100 organisations across Leeds.
Speaking about the event, Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for economy, culture and education, said: “It is great to see the interest and enthusiasm for apprenticeships across Leeds, shown in the number of young people, parents and carers as well as employers attending Leeds Apprenticeship Fair.
“The event celebrated apprenticeships as the fantastic opportunity they are, for anyone over the age of 16 to further develop their education and training while gaining valuable work experience and earning a salary. The fair provided a true sense of opportunity and highlighted the impact an apprenticeship can have on young people’s careers.
“I would encourage everyone who attended to follow up on the conversations they have had with employers and training providers and utilise the fantastic resources that the employment and skills service has created including the newly launched website. “
West Yorkshire law firm raises over £8,000 for local homelessness charity
West-Yorkshire homelessness charity, Simon on the Streets has received more than £8,000 from local law firm Schofield Sweeney during its time as charity of the year.
Schofield Sweeney which has offices in Bradford, Leeds, and Huddersfield, has supported the charity since 2017 and made Simon on the Streets its annual charity partner throughout 2021, raising £8700 over the past 12 months.
The 170-strong workforce has fundraised via lockdown-friendly activities including participating in sleep-ins, plus bake sales, bike rides, payroll giving and business events including networking and sponsoring the charity’s annual golf day.
Simon on the Streets is an independent charity which offers support to homeless and vulnerable people across Bradford, Leeds, and Kirklees.
It costs the charity £13.08 to fund an outreach worker’s support for an hour meaning the funds raised by Schofield Sweeney have paid for 16 weeks’ worth of support to those on our streets.
Schofield Sweeney’s marketing manager Ann-Marie Keighley commented: “We’re really proud to have been able to provide this much support to Simon on the Streets during a turbulent year. Despite the difficulties everyone has faced, and the fact homelessness hasn’t been as visible to much of our workforce who have been homeworking, Simon on the Streets has remained a cause close to our hearts and the people they support have not gone forgotten.”
Simon on the Streets’ CEO, Natalie Moran said: “We’re so grateful to Schofield Sweeney for once again supporting us so generously. The amount raised has funded our hardworking outreach team for an incredible four months which has allowed us to reach vulnerable people and support them to access the support they need.”
Simon on the Streets is encouraging local businesses to continue to support them throughout 2022 and is offering the chance to pay for as little as an hour of an outreach workers time at just £13.08.
Natalie continued: “We know people want to see exactly how their funds are spent. Whatever people can raise helps, for example, just £15 could give someone a phone with credit to help us stay in contact with them and remind them of their appointments.”
To find out more about ways to support Simon on the Streets visit https://simononthestreets.co.uk/ways-to-give.
Lassic Group acquires 175,000 sq ft distribution centre
A supplier of flat packed furniture and home furnishings has acquired substantial new distribution premises in Cleckheaton, which will create up to 50 new local jobs.
Located on Bradford Road in Cleckheaton, the facility was previously home to Westex Flooring. The company has now relocated to Dewsbury.
Lassic Group was represented by property consultancy Gent Visick (GV), as well as Schofield Sweeney, which provided legal advice. The premises were marketed by Michael Steel & Co.
Lassic Group is a family-owned business with existing UK distribution facilities in both Bradford and Brighouse, as well as staff and manufacturing bases in the Far East and South America. The company sources, imports and distributes a vast range of household products and furniture to both national and independent retailers throughout the UK and Europe.
Suresh and Raj Handa of Lassic Group said: “We are absolutely thrilled with our new freehold purchase. The highly sought-after site boasts 175,000 sq ft of warehouse capacity and now gives Lassic Group access to three warehouses with over 400,000 sq ft of total warehouse space. This will allow us to add more products to our portfolio, which allows our business to expand and grow to the next level to become one of leading furniture suppliers in both the UK and EU.
“The transaction will create up to 50 new jobs for the area taking our total head count to around 150 members of staff. GV were instrumental in advising on this transaction, whilst Schofield Sweeney provided fantastic legal advice and guidance throughout. Also, thanks to the teams at HSBC, Dhillon Accountants and all the Lassic Group staff for all their help and support.”
Paul Mack, director at GV, said: “The Westex Building provided a very rare opportunity to acquire the freehold interest in a large-scale distribution facility just off the M62 motorway. We are therefore delighted to have advised Lassic Group on this transaction, whilst working alongside Schofield Sweeney.”
Pardeep Khela, associate at Schofield Sweeney, said: “I am thrilled to get this deal over the line and achieve a great result for the Lassic Group. The site itself is quite complex and involved calling upon our property, banking and environmental expertise to ensure a swift completion. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Lassic Group, GV and HSBC UK Bank plc on this job and wish the Lassic team all the best with their purchase.”
£3m refurbishment of Leeds’ Electric Press offices approved
A £3 million refurbishment of the iconic Grade 2-listed Electric Press building in Leeds has been approved by Leeds City Council.
The transformation of the building, located in the heart of the city’s Civic Quarter, will provide 17,200 sq ft of prime Grade A office space.
Work will start on site in the summer, after the present offices are stripped out, and will complete by June 2023.
Eamon Fox, partner and head of office agency at Knight Frank in Leeds, who is marketing the offices on behalf of landlord DTZ Investors, said: “The granting of planning permission is tremendous news. The new office space at the Electric Press, which has been named Switch, will now be worthy of the rest of this magnificent historic building.
“The offices were previously occupied by Leeds Metropolitan University. Time has inevitably taken its toll, while there was no external amenity space for staff who worked there. So the offices are absolutely ready for a grand makeover.
“The 17,200 sq ft Grade A office space will be spread over three floors, with floorplates starting at 4,600 sq ft. We expect serious interest from potential occupiers, once marketing begins.
“The magnificent new offices will respect the heritage of the Electric Press, whilst bringing this part of the building into the 21st century. There will be a statement front door, providing a distinctive arrival experience, and the spacious offices will be flooded with light. A brand-new terrace will provide the external space which is currently lacking and a new clubroom will provide internal leisure space.
“It also goes without saying, in a world transformed by Covid, that this will be an incredibly safe place to work. There will be a hot-desking area and social space for all tenants, while a glass lobby will provide a visual separation between the existing building and the clubroom,” said Mr Fox.
He added: “The new offices have been designed by the talented RKA Architectural Design Studio – and, quite frankly, I am blown away by what they are proposing. These are going to be some of the finest offices not just in Leeds, but in the whole of Yorkshire and the North East.”
Richard Keating, founder and director of RKA, explained: “Our three-part vision is, first, to transform the arrival experience and building presence within Millennium Square. A new artist’s mural that fronts the square is a major part of this.
“Secondly, we will work with and respect the Electric Press’s heritage by maximising the hidden assets to enable users to experience the building’s volume, space and light. Taking inspiration from its arched windows and brick façade, we have designed contemporary reception and lift lobbies that fit seamlessly into the language of the existing industrial building.
“Thirdly, we will create enhanced amenity spaces for all tenants. These will include new rooftop club room and terrace create spaces for Yoga, parties, hot desking and wellness classes, plus the basement facilities with showers and changing rooms. These are all designed in keeping with the transformation upstairs.”
Located in Great George Street, next to Millennium Square, in the heart of Leeds Civic Quarter, the three-storey Electric Press contains the 350-seat Carriageworks Theatre and conference facility. It also has bars and restaurants, including All Bar One and Casa Mia.
Built in 1840, the Electric Press is one of only a handful of buildings in Leeds city centre still fronted by Victorian arches. This building with its trademark square chimney is Grade II listed, built for the firm of Printers Chorley and Pickersgill. It has 4.3m high ceilings with exposed cast iron and timber structure, designed originally to support the heavy printing presses.
Local SMEs to benefit from additional £5m of Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund funding
Businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber, and Tees Valley are set to benefit from an additional £5m of funding from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, which is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).
Responsible finance providers Finance For Enterprise (FFE) & Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) were appointed in 2017 to manage NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance and have already invested more than £9.5m into 210 businesses within the region.
This new allocation will increase the fund size from £10m to £15m and enable the two lenders to continue their support to start-ups, early-stage and more established businesses that are looking to grow.
Microfinance loans range between £25,000 and £100,000 and are designed to provide businesses with funding that can be used for a wide range of purposes. This includes filling gaps in working capital, funding expansion projects, investing in new equipment, leasing commercial premises, hiring new staff and more.
Commercial lighting design specialist RKB Electrical is an example of a business that recently secured investment. Based in Skipton, it was awarded a £25,000 loan from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, backed by RLS, and was also provided an additional £80,000 directly from BEF to expand its product offering.
Chris Rickerby, operations manager at RKB Electrical, said: “Businesses all over the UK are looking to make their offices healthier to welcome their employees back to a central hub where possible. We have been inundated with queries about how lighting can help make offices brighter, healthier and more sustainable as part of commercial refits. We’re using the funding to deliver a wider range of bespoke lighting products that can deliver on this and looking at developing our own products.
“The process with Mark Iley at BEF was very straightforward and the funding, delivered in partnership with the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, means we are able to respond to demand, enabling businesses all over the UK to re-open with confidence, while growing our own operation.”
Steve Waud, CEO of BEF, said: “Adapting is a major part of recovery and growth and RKB – and their customers – exemplify this. We were delighted to support them as they grow and look forward to funding many other small companies across Yorkshire and the Humber, and Tees Valley.”
Andrew Austwick, Managing Director of FFE, said: “This additional investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund will help more businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber, and Tees Valley to access the vital funds needed to realise their potential. When businesses prosper, the whole of society benefits. NPIF plays a critical role in helping to create and retain skilled jobs within the regional economy, as well as assisting businesses to secure the funds needed to invest, innovate and adapt to a challenging economic climate.”
