JUNE 2022 £3.50 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE’S LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINE www.blmgroup.co.uk VOLUME 37 ISSUE 6 Reaping the benefitContinuously developing Investing in mental health 01.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:40 Page 1#FindOutInFifteen Book a meeting at https://calendly.com/ simon-bulteel/ discovery-ylbl GET YOUR CASH FROM HMRC Call COODEN TAX CONSULTING NOW! Our #FindOutInFifteen promotion will allow you to have a no obligation discussion with our director, Simon Bulteel to determine whether your company has a project that is worthy of a claim for Research and Development Tax Credits, go to https://calendly.com/simon-bulteel/discovery-ylbl Call us on: 01424 225 345 | email us on: info@coodentaxconsulting.co.uk @CoodenConsults | www.coodentaxconsulting.co.uk Printing|Copying|Graphic Design LOGOS | BRANDING | BUSINESS STATIONERY FLYERS & POSTERS | BROCHURES | NEWSLETTERS A0 COPYING & SCANNING | OS MAPPING CAD & PLAN PRINTING | PRINT FINISHING High Quality Print & Design in Lincolnshire N 01522 546118 E sales@lincolncopycentre.co.uk www.lincolncopycentre.co.uk 02.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:40 Page 1The magazine that cares We care because we want to leave our world a better place than we found it Business Link believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key to maintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staff will be proud to be part of. Community - From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We also extend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causes and charities. Environment - Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources, minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise. From the Editor Devolution could not have come at a better time given the absolute show of incompetence and rule breaking taking place in Westminster. As Boris Johnson continues to make a mockery of the office and the lockdown, and as he now seems poised to pledge to bring back imperial measurements despite their inaccuracy, businesses in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire have been pretty much left on their own. This is a trend that doesn’t look like it will be changing anytime soon, as once Boris does get a grip on reality, he’ll be busy dealing with the issues in Northern Ireland. Promises have been made to address the cost of living, but then promises have been made and broken so often by this Government that they don’t really matter anymore. The truth is that business leaders will have to rely on themselves and their own ability to do business to survive and thrive in the upcoming months, and even years ahead. As the world becomes ever more uncertain, and as political leaders across the globe become increasingly erratic, the ups and downs of the economic market may become something we just have to get used to. It’s been a while since we could honestly look at the economy and call it strong and stable anyway, so this new, erratic market may become the norm. The focus, therefore, is on making companies resilient as well as efficient. Gone are the days when it was enough to squeeze every drop of profit out of a product or service with no regard for the future. More than profit, more than return on investment, the question of how resilient a service or company is to a massive change will become steadily more relevant. If there is another pandemic in the future, can the company adapt? If another war breaks out, will its supply chain remain steady? If a recession hits, can you keep trading? If the employment market does not improve, how low can job turnover be kept? Redundancies, backups, plan B’s and the ability to weather the storm of these unknown and unpredictable variables is going to become the name of the game in the coming years – and the worst part is that it need not be this way. It need not be, but it’s looking increasingly like it will be. Michael Fisher Editor 03.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:41 Page 1JUNE 2022 6 News The latest business news and success stories from around our region. 10 Commercial property Closed stores, lesser footfall and a lack of respect – city and town centres have taken a beating since COVID, but now local councils are stepping up to tackle the issue. 14 Agri-business spotlight The agri and agri-tech industries are constantly on the look for more ways to make crops and livestock resilient and sustainable. With a reduction in red tape and new agri-tech agreements on the way, our region might be looking to finally reap the benefits of that. 18 Construction The demand for residential and commercial construction has never been higher, but with a war in Ukraine and a worker shortage closer to home, the supply of needed goods is under threat. 22 Insurance Insurance has become more complicated since COVID-19 and understanding the various factors and pitfalls behind it can make a world of difference. 26 Ports and logistics Though the strength of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s ports and logistics industry are well known, the counties are showing no signs of complacency, with investment rife and new developments underway. 32 Health and safety As work-related mental health issues rise, costing employers £56bn in 2020-21, it is vital that businesses have an effective mental wellbeing strategy in place to support staff. 36 Meet the experts Finding the right specialist for your business needs can be a daunting task, especially when a quick search online might reveal thousands. Settling for the first you see will always be the wrong choice, however. It’s best to do a little deeper research to find the right expert for your needs. 38 Corporate hospitality For some, it may have been a while since they’ve had to speak at a public event – at least one that wasn’t hosted virtually – and a little reminder of the key points might make all the difference. 42 AutoLink When choosing your next new car it can be all too easy to get caught up in the moment. The excitement of those new models glistening under the showroom lights can, occasionally, cause buyers to later regret their decision, especially if we later discover there was a new improved model tucked away that the dealership didn’t want you to know about. 46 Events We take a look at business events happening around Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. 50 And finally… Yorkshire-Lincolnshire- Business-Link @blmforum blmforum.net CONNECT WITH US 10 14 42 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:41 Page 1Group Editor Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Eleonora Gallina (e.gallina@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial contact newsdesk@blmgroup.co.uk Tel: (01472) 310305 Fax: (01472) 310317 Sales Director Angela Cooper (a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311 Tel: (01472) 310304 Fax: (01472) 310314 Haychart Ltd, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE. reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. COVER PHOTOS: STOCK.ADOBE.COM - JON LE-BON • SEVENTYFOUR • ONEPHOTO • SLETO • HARLEQUIN9 26 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 14:41 Page 2£25m investment for Doncaster to help increase economic growth As part of the Doncaster Town Deal, in partnership with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, nearly £25m is being prepared to invest in an extension to the recently upgraded Railway Square (£4.149m) and the delivery of a new office/mixed-use building (£20.09m). Both projects will offer significant enterprise and growth opportunities for the city. Both projects will also have a “green” focus, including the promotion of green urban space, active travel and connectivity and follow the confirmation from Central Government that a £24.8m Towns Deal fund had been approved for Doncaster in November 2021. The projects will see the new square outside the railway station extended to allow for additional public space and for a better first impression of Doncaster for visitors, while the proposed office space will also be based close to Doncaster Rail Station. A further project will allow for the commission of feasibility studies of identified heritage sites to potentially find a new future for these sites in the city. Portfolio holder at Doncaster Council for Housing and Business, Cllr Glyn Jones, said: “The overarching aim of the Doncaster Towns Deal is to help increase economic growth, with a clear focus on regeneration, improved transport, better broadband connectivity, skills and culture. “The projects outlined will allow our newly-named city to deliver a new urban greenspace in the town centre which will improve current opportunities related to wellbeing and leisure for residents, as well as offering space for further potential employment opportunities, strengthening our mission to represent people, place and planet as a council. “The mentioned projects have been subject to intense dialogue with businesses and stakeholders over the past months, who have all helped us identify the needs of the town and I want to thank everyone for their contributions so far.” 6 Business Link www.blmforum.net NEWS Boris stuns employers by urging them to use Jobcentres help to find staff Boris Johnson is urging employers of all sizes to use the free recruitment support from their local Jobcentre to help fill the record number of vacancies in the jobs market and support the continued economic recovery by getting people into work. Since January, DWP Jobcentres across the UK have been ramping up operations with weekly jobs fairs – bringing employers in for face-to-face appointments and offering jobs on the spot to thousands of people, and finding work for 347,000 people against the government target of 500,000 by the end of June. Jobseekers walking away with roles have also secured an income, with those getting full time work set to be thousands of pounds better off than if they were on benefits. Helping households improve their finances and manage current cost of living pressures is a key priority for the government, with a £15 billion package announced to support almost all of the eight million most vulnerable households across the UK. Employment law specialist joins Sills & Betteridge LLP The firm has welcomed Aleksandra Flack as an associate solicitor to its employment law team in a move which will benefit employers, public sector organisations, charities, HR professionals and employees across the region. She provides assistance and advice on all aspects of employment law and has considerable experience and a very successful track record of representing clients in Employment Tribunal proceedings where she has negotiated many favourable and significant settlements, for both employees and employers. Additionally, Aleks delivers bespoke training to HR professionals and managers, and is a popular event speaker. Stephen Britton, head of employment law, is delighted with the appointment: “Aleks is a perfect addition to the team. She has a high level of expertise and her energy, enthusiasm and genuine passion for putting the client first really shines through.” For Aleks the position represents an exciting new opportunity: “I am really excited to start my role at Sills & Betteridge Solicitors and look forward to supporting businesses and individuals with the employment- related matters and challenges they face. Sills & Betteridge is a well-established firm that puts clients first and I am delighted to be part of its ambitious plans for the future.” The firm has grown significantly over the last 5 years through organic and acquired growth, and now has 15 offices and over 330 partners and staff. 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 15:10 Page 1www.blmforum.net Business Link 7 NEWS West Yorkshire firms pledge more than 600 new jobs More than 600 skilled, well-paid jobs have been pledged by companies across the region after a campaign led by the West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin. The Mayor, who was elected as the region’s first Mayor a year ago, is now over halfway to meeting her target of 1,000 new green jobs by 2024. She marked the milestone achievement with a visit to Halifax-based Eclipse Energy which specialises in helping provide affordable solutions to help cut household energy bills through measures such as insulation and solar panels. Eclipse Energy has so far pledged to create 100 of the jobs, and is working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on its Better Homes Yorkshire programme which will see hundreds of households benefit from improved insulation and other energy saving measures. The Mayor said: “One of my ten pledges to the people of our region was to create 1,000 new, skilled, well-paid jobs for young people in the green sector. As we work towards our ambition of creating a net zero carbon region by 2038, it is vital that West Yorkshire has the businesses that will enable that – and, vitally, people with the right skills, on the right career paths to drive forward the change.” More than 300 firms go to Drax contract event More than 328 businesses attended an event run by renewable energy company Drax and its engineering, procurement and construction partner Worley, to learn how they can win contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds to deliver Drax’s vital carbon removal technology, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). The event, run in partnership with NOF, the UK’s leading UK energy sector business development organisation, and the West & North Yorkshire and Hull & Humber Chambers of Commerce, was held in Hull. Graham Backhouse, Drax’s commercial director for the BECCS project, said: “We want to put British businesses at the heart of our plans to deliver BECCS. It was fantastic to see such a broad range of companies, large and small, from across the region come together to learn how they can benefit from hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new contracts. “Negative emissions technologies like BECCS will play a vital role in enabling the UK to reach its net zero goals, as well as creating exciting opportunities for Britain to lead the world in this vital technology, creating a new sector of the economy, as well as export opportunities.” David Hooper, external affairs and membership director at Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: “The event was a fantastic opportunity for businesses from across the region to learn about the huge opportunities available for them to be involved in Drax’s BECCS project. Projects like this will provide a vital opportunity for the UK supply chain to access millions of pounds worth of contracts, supporting jobs and growth in the Hull and Humber region.” Yorkshire business confidence falls in May but firms eye growth Business confidence in Yorkshire fell seven points during May to 34%, according to the latest Business Barometer from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Companies in the region reported lower confidence in their own business prospects month-on- month, down eight points at 44%. When taken alongside their optimism in the economy, down five points to 24%, this gives a headline confidence reading of 34%. Yorkshire businesses identified a range of growth opportunities for the next six months, including evolving their offering (53%), entering new markets (31%) and investing in their teams (28%). Steve Harris, regional director for Yorkshire at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The region’s firms aren’t immune to the ongoing challenges many businesses are facing, including rising costs and skills shortages. Despite this, it’s encouraging to see business confidence remain in positive territory, with many setting their sights on growth. To ensure they can jump on opportunities as they arise, firms now need to be prioritising their cash flow management, reviewing supplier and customer payment times and optimising inventory levels to ensure that vital funds are ready to invest, as and when they’re needed.” 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 15:10 Page 2TOWER FIELD SERVICES Cat Tech Tower Field Services offers bespoke mechanical services to oil refinery and petrochemical plants all around the world. Our team has vast experience in overseeing and undertaking the installation of all types of Tower internals. Our Tower tray, packing and other internals installation services has deep roots, with several of the senior team at Cat Tech being involved in the founding of the Cana-Tex organisation. Since 1971, Cana-Tex had been the premier global Tower speciality contractor; performing Tower maintenance and plant turnaround projects around the world. These origins, with the addition of new team members, make Cat Tech Tower Field services a global operation which is both cost effective and technically experienced. We strive to create new ways to make your Tower work safer, faster and more productive and that can make very good things happen for your business. We thrive on exceeding our clients expectations and understand the need for upfront communication in relation to timescales and costs. No-one likes surprises in this industry and we ensure that everything is done, from pre-job planning, on site activities to post job reporting in a manner which allows our customers to concentrate on their core business. Let us show you what we can do. We work hard to maintain an industry reputation for safety, speed and dependability. Ours crews have been trained by us, this allows us to staff a project with the proven skills necessary to produce customer satisfaction. It is our intention to demonstrate the benefit of utilising Cat Tech for all of your Tower work. The benefits of engaging Cat Tech are: l Experienced Tower specialists. l Proven track record. l Ability to supply spares and replacements. l Spade to Spade service. l Revamps or modifications to Towers / Internals. l Inspection of Tower internals. l Supervision of external/client labour force. l Detailed inspection reports. l Cleaning of tower internals. l Reactor tray field services. l Turnkey reactor tray field services. At Cat Tech, we continue to create new ways to make Tower work safer, faster and more productive. And that can make very good things happen for your business. Contact us for further information. Our well established sales team have a wealth of experience. We take pride on ensuring all enquires are dealt with quickly and efficiently. China: Cat Tech Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Room 1230 No.1, 58 Nong Huachi Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 20061 CN Phone: +(86) 2152 9175 08 Fax: +(86) 2152 9175 05 Singapore: Cat Tech Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., 17 Fan Yoong Road, Singapore 629794 Phone: +(65) 6264 6261 Fax: +(65) 6264 6401 South America: Please contact the UK office on +44 1724 871 747 Thailand: Cat Tech Services (Thailand) Ltd., 2/1 Soi Banbon Nuenpayom Road, Maptaphut Sub District, Muang Rayong District, Rayong Province 21150 TH Phone: +(66) 894 064 100 Fax: +(66) 638 692 382 MAKING YOUR PLANT WORK… SMARTER www.cat-tech.com PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/KAWINNINGS 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 15:10 Page 3www.blmforum.net Business Link 9 NEWS Apprenticeship programme promised to be simpler from August A number of improvements and simplifications to apprenticeships will come into force from August this year to simplify the apprenticeships programme for employers, training providers and apprentices themselves. Minister for Skills Alex Burghart said: “We have transformed apprenticeships so they offer a high-quality route into professions as diverse as engineering, healthcare, and digital for young people starting their careers, or adults hoping to retrain and upskill. “We now want to focus on making the system as simple and user- friendly as possible, reducing bureaucratic burdens on employers and providers and giving apprentices the best possible experience.” Prime central Leeds site with planning permission for 345 apartments launches to the market A prime site in Leeds city centre has been brought to the market with full planning permission for 345 apartments and commercial space. The 2.17-acre site, which is situated off the key Leeds gateway of East Street (A61) is being sold by the Savills Yorkshire-based development team. It includes two cleared parcels of development land on either side of Bow Street with the larger plot extending to 1.84 acres and the smaller plot being 0.33 acres. Matthew Jones, development director at Savills Leeds, who is marketing the site, comments: “The sale of this site presents a rare opportunity for a developer to create a significant landmark city centre development.” Leeds City Council’s vision is to double the size of the city centre, creating in the region of 35,000 new jobs and 4,000 new homes and substantial resources have already been committed to bring the South Bank vision to life. The site benefits from immediate proximity to the wide range of services on offer through the River Aire corridor, including the nearby Leeds Dock, Royal Armouries and Brewery Wharf mixed-use redevelopment areas, coupled with convenient access to Leeds’ popular retail, leisure and cultural core. “The site is situated on East Street one of the main arterial roads which has seen significant development in the past and the development of Bow Street will further add to the appeal of the area enhancing the River Aire corridor to the east and south of the city centre”, adds Matthew. “Given the proximity to the city centre and the active residential and BtR market, we are expecting a substantial amount of interest from developers both locally and nationally.” 07710 792907 • 07711 206611 enquiries@dustandgocleethorpes.co.uk www.dustandgocleethorpes.co.uk Contract Cleaners Commercial /residential cleaning, deep cleaning, weekly cleans, daily antibacterial wiping of touch points/surfaces and much more. We also have disinfection machines which are used as standard on all deep cleans and contract cleans. We currently have contracts for: • Schools • Pubs • Offices • Workshops • Houses All our staff are DBS checked and fully up to date with relevant training needed. 06-09.qxp_Layout 1 06/06/2022 15:10 Page 4Next >