< Previous10Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWSWordsandSpacesLtdtel:01724 352156 mob:07736 952885 fax: 0871 989 5784 email: stuart@wordsman.co.uk twitter:@stuartpearcey Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, DN31 2QEI’ll write blogs, websites, ads, articles, leaflets, news releases and newspapers; I’ll design print and buy it. I’m Stuart Pearcey. How can Imake your life better today?www.wordsman.co.ukWhere goodcopywritingmeans businessAvacta collaborates withmajor US cancer centreAvacta, the Wetherby-based developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and research reagents, has entered into aresearch collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to evaluate the use of Avacta’sAffimer technology in novel CAR-T cell-based immunotherapy.CAR-T immunotherapy is a form ofcancer treatment in which the patient’sown immune system T cells are modifiedto give them greater potency with whichto attack cancer cells. The simple structure and biophysicalproperties of Affimers potentially providesignificant advantages over antibodyfragment technology currently used inCAR-T cell modification and thecollaboration announced today isintended to demonstrate a new class ofCAR-T cell therapy that incorporateAffimer molecules.The collaboration will be led by RenierJ. Brentjens, MD, PhD, Director of CellularOncology at Memorial Sloan KetteringCancer Center in New York.As part of the collaboration Avacta willdevelop Affimer molecules that binddifferent regions of CD19, a surfaceprotein specific to B-cells involved inlymphomas. 06-10_Layout 1 30/11/2016 08:51 Page 5www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 11AUTUMN STATEMENTThe Chancellor, Philip Hammond, gavewhat was his first and last AutumnStatement. This time next year theAutumn Statement will become theAutumn Budget, with our first SpringStatement in 2018. You might be forgivenfor thinking this is just a seasonal shift inthe announcements, however this is notthe case. The Autumn Budget will be thekey address for announcements aroundchanges to taxation and fiscal policy. Incontrast, the new Spring Statement willbe just that, a statement on economicand fiscal performance in line withrequirements of the Office for BudgetResponsibility (OBR).Given the content of the last AutumnStatement, many might think that thiswas the headline grabbing news as theannouncements overall seemed a littlebland. This might reflect the fact thatsince Brexit we haven’t seen theeconomic meltdown some predicatedand that overall the economy is not in abad place, therefore there is no need fora knee jerk reaction.The focus seemed to be on maintainingour position as the, or one of the, fastestgrowing major economies, ensuring wecontinue to improve our overallproductivity and that we are an attractiveproposition for investment and trade. Thekey driver for this must be theannouncements around increasedexpenditure in infrastructure especiallyroad, rail, housing and digital connectivityusing 5G. The Chancellor also outlined financialsupport for improving productivity withthe introduction of the NationalProductivity Investment Fund. To addressthe economic imbalance betweenLondon and the South East with otherparts of the country he pledged financialsupport for the Northern Powerhouseand the Midlands Engine, along withfurther support for the development oflinks between Oxford and Cambridge tocapitalise on the scientific andtechnological advances between the twokey University cities.More rural businesses no doubt willwelcome the provision of 100% ratesrelief for businesses and theannouncement that the fuel duty levyhas once again been cancelled. Thoseon the National Living Wage will benefitfrom the proposed increase from £7.20to £7.50 in April next year. However andnot least for those businesses who havea meaningful workforce on the NationalLiving Wage, including those in the care,hospitality, food and agricultural sectors,the increase could come at a time whenthey are facing increased input costsgenerally.As ever the devil will be in the detailand no doubt over the coming daysmuch time and consideration will begiven to the statements made, the presscoverage and looking at the small print.Overall the last Autumn Statementcertainly wasn’t a swan song. Thoughtreally does turn to next March, with thetiming of the Budget likely to coincidewith the possible triggering of Article 50and the UK’s formal declaration to leavethe EU.For further information on the AutumnStatement 2016 and how it may affectyou please see our guide. James Pinchbeck is MarketingPartner at Streets CharteredAccountants, a top 40 UKaccountancy firm. Telephone 0845 8800320, email info@streetsweb.co.uk or visit www.streetsweb.co.uk.James Pinchbeck,Marketing PartnerStreets CharteredAccountantsThe Chancellor’s first and lastAutumn Statement – was it all abouttreading water?11_Layout 1 30/11/2016 09:15 Page 1readers’12Business Link www.blmforum.netA word to the wiseDear Sirs,We hear much about identity thefts taking place and, likemany of your readers, I considered myself far too savvy tobe affected personally by it.Until one day last month, when I intercepted a letterwhich the postman had delivered to my post box at the endof my drive. (I should point out the drive is over 100 metreslong so the postbox was up to this point considered anecessity) .The letter was from a high street bank confirming anapplication for a loan (that I had not made) had beenaccepted. Naturally I notified the bank and managed to stopit in its tracks but then on checking with one of the creditreference agencies I spotted another reference check hadbeen made by another bank, so contacted them only todiscover multiple loan applications had been made. I then spent half a day contacting other credit referenceagencies to ensure no further applications had been made. It was suggested by one source that these criminals get ourpersonal data from companies house so perhaps one thing wecan all do is only provide a registered office address, ratherthan a director’s personal address. Another easy protection toadd an extra layer of security (and something that I wasblissfully unaware of) is to contact the credit referenceagencies and ask them to insert a password that must besought by potential lenders before approving a loan. Thisisn’t something that’s widely known but gives me a little morepeace of mind and might save your readers the hassle ofspending hours trawling reference agencies and contactingfraud teams/banks and so on to sort it out later on. Name withheld by requestEmailA true conundrumDear Sir,So, the government of India has invalidated thecountry’s largest banknotes the 500 and 1,000 rupeein an attempt to stop tax evasion? The country cameto a standstill overnight and if you consider themeltdown in Greece where people couldn’t accesstheir banked funds, it makes you wonder where yourmoney is safe these days.D EdgarLeedsA Brexit convertDear Sir,I read with interest P Hurst letter entitled ‘Lucky to beleaving’ in your October issue and have much in commonas I too voted to stay but have since swayed, realising thatmuch of the advice given pre referendum was very stiltedand hyped up. I wonder how many of the other 48% , whovoted in favour of staying in, now feel differently. Perhaps this would be an interesting question to poseand report on in one of your ‘Hot Topics’ , especially inlight of the recent resignations in our region by MP’s andthe senior tory MP’s dismissed by Ms May. Most of the latter it seems were not behind the PM orthe electorate and the decision to dismiss them, to be veryhonest, seems perfectly justified although they fail to seethis and are talking of rebelling. Clearly, they haveforgotten they were voted in by their constituents andshould have knuckled down to the job in hand to provethey were worthy of keeping their posts. D PalingHullSomething to say? Write to:Business Link Magazine,Armstrong House,Armstrong Street,Grimsby,North East LincolnshireDN31 2QE or email:letters@blmgroup.co.ukPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JAG_CZ12_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:24 Page 1www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYBusiness Link 13Occupier interest in the keyYorkshire cities continued to increaseduring 2015 which saw above averagetake-up figures in the likes of Leeds,Sheffield and York. Jonathan Shires,CBRE’S Senior Director of OfficeAgency in Leeds, provides a snapshotof each of the region’s key marketsand an insight as to what may layahead for the industry in the comingyear.The EU referendum has had animpact across the region, as we’veexplored in our commercial propertypages in the wake of the Brexit. Yetdespite the downturn in confidence,the lack of take-up can probably beaccounted for by the lack of leaseevents in 2016/17 due to subduedmarket activity in 2010, 2011 and 2012.The lack of new occupier entrants intothe cities also needs to change toincrease activity and provide a wideraudience for new speculative and pre-let schemes to target. At present, the regional cities offergreat value accommodation whencompared to other centres around theUK, which combined with the lifestyleoffering, needs to be maximised by allconcerned to attract occupiers to thecounty. 15 ÁLeedsLeeds City Centre saw take-up of680,000 square foot, whichexceeded the 10 year averagefor the third year running andsaw a record breakingfourth quarter of 267,000square foot. Like mostabove average years,2015 take-up includedseveral large pre-lets toSky Academy (100,000square foot) at LeedsDock, Addleshaw Goddard(51,531 square foot) atSovereign Square, PwC(49,650 square foot) at CentralSquare and Equifax (19,784square foot) at Wellington Place. H1 2016 has seen more subduedtake-up with only 195,000 square footof transactions completed so far.Highlights included: 13,880 squarefoot pre-let to Dentsu Aegis Network at6EP; 25,000 square foot pre-let to RSMBaker Tilly at Central Square, and39,600 square foot let to SKY Bet at 6Wellington Place.Total immediately available Grade Aspace in the city centre sits at around500,000 square foot following thecompletion of four speculative / partpre-let buildings at Wellington Place,Central Square, Sovereign Square and6 Queen Street The Leeds out-of-town market alsoPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VLADITTOLooking aheadExploring the rise in occupier interest last year, and taking the referendum result into account,helps paint a picture of the year to come in the commercial property market. 13-15_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:26 Page 1ArmstronghouseOffering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House onArmstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports ofGrimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre,off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors,meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming officesare located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind.At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contractmean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a rangeof office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. Ifyou require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 permonth. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements,give Scotts Property a call today on 01472 267000 and askabout Armstrong House.Last remaining office suitesPrime location in GrimsbySuperb Location -- Close to the ports of Grimsby &Immingham- Great motorwaylinks- Close to the town centreSecure off street parkingHigh speed internet availabilityEasy in/out termsA range of affordable office sizes33333Armstrong House, Armstrong Street,Grimsby DN31 2QETel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.ukwww.shutterstock.com/terekhov igorwww.shutterstock.com/Yentafern13-15_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:26 Page 2www.shutterstock.com/YentafernBusiness Link 15exceeded the 10 year average seeingsome 268,041 square foot leased, andthis market resurgence has continuedin 2016 with take up in H1 standing atalmost 300,000 square foot following aseries of major transactions at WhiteRose Office Park with the sale of the73,800 square foot MC2 and the lettingof the 39,442 square foot OPTIM, bothto The Gorse Academy. The sectoralso saw its first pre-lets since HSBC in2014 at Kirkstall Forge, Zenith Provectacommitted to 45,000 square foot andCEG to 10,000 square foot. On the back of positive growth,there has been the first speculative /part pre-let development out of townfor almost a decade with Scarboroughon-site developing some 32,000square foot at Thorpe Park and mostnotably CEG on site with 109,000square foot at Kirkstall Forge. Going forward, Leeds is well placedto accommodate occupiers alreadywithin the city and those looking toinvest and nearshore due to theforthcoming availability of further newand significantly refurbished space. YorkThe York office market hashistorically been driven by rail relatedservice occupiers who typically seekspace no more than a 10 minute walkof the Station. More recently,however, Government and NGO’shave dominatedtake-upaccounting for 37 per cent oftake-up since 2008.Like Leeds, York sawabove average take-upin 2015 reaching125,000 square foot.This included thesignificant deal tobring HiscoxInsurance’s newCustomer ExperienceCentre to the city, whonow occupies some53,000 square foot atStonebow in the CityCentre. Availability in the city centreis highly limited due in part tothe lack of speculative developmentor refurbishment projects but more sofrom the increased demand fromresidential developers for conversionto apartments. There are plans for amajor office and residential scheme atYork Central, a site which sits to therear of the station. This could be gamechanging for the city if it can attractfurther blue chip occupiers such asHiscox to anchor the scheme.Availability in the out-of-town marketis greater than the city centre onschemes typically around the ring roadand A64 corridors. Sheffield Following a period of subduedoccupier activity, demand forSheffield-wide office space leapt in2015 hitting 487,433 square foot,some 200,000 square footabove the 10 year average.Several of the largertransactions in 2015were University-led withboth Sheffield andSheffield Hallam onthe acquisition trailtaking out officebuildings foreducational use. 2016 has beenboosted by the recentannouncement thatHSBC has committed totake 140,000 square foot atthe new Sheffield RetailQuarter so expect to see aboveaverage take-up once again in thewww.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYcity this year. The proposed retailquarter works will further cement thelocation as the prime commercial corein the city and public realm is alreadyin place linking this area to the trainstation.The supply of suitable buildings isnow becoming limited with theavailability of Grade A supply at itslowest level since 2007 with only 12-18months’ supply remaining. This hasled to the first speculative buildingssince the recession going underconstruction at 3 St Paul’s Place andDigital Campus. Looking aheadTimes are undoubtedly challengingand could be for some time, followingthe referendum vote earlier in theyear, however the Yorkshire propertymarket and its professionals areresilient and resourceful and willcontinue to promote the wider LeedsCity Region’s benefits. The forthcoming opening of JohnLewis in Leeds and thecommencement of the Retail Quarterdevelopment in Sheffield will helpfurther boost the region’s profilefollowing on from the sportingsuccesses of the Tour de FranceGrande Depart, The Tour de Yorkshireand the Rio Olympics. As ever, it iskey that we remain positive andpromote the wider regional benefits toall occupier, investor and landlordclients. 13-15_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:26 Page 316Business Link www.blmforum.netPORTS AND LOGISTICSThe Lincolnshire and Yorkshire region remainsone of the most important in the country as alogistics hub, be it by road or sea. With the M1,M18 and M62 among the UK’s most importantroutes, along with a large number of commercialports serving Western Europe, it’s not surprisingthat logistics and distribution companies areconstantly expanding into Yorkshire andLincolnshire. A good location and high levels of road-accessis no excuse for poor quality however, as manycompanies in the area are finding out.Competition has never been stronger than it isnow, particularly with several large internationalmanufacturers showing interest in the area. Eachof these businesses from overseas likely alreadyhas an existing supply chain and logistics chainset-up, so local companies now find themselvescompeting with overseas logistics firms as well. The goal is to convince these internationalcompanies of the knowledge and experience alocal firm has, both in regards to the industry andthe local area, and how it will benefit the parentcompany as opposed to a potentially cheaperservice from abroad. The region however, also has a part to play inincreasing the number of foreign investorscoming to our shores, both in terms of makingour region more attractive to investors. But also inmaking the region itself accessible. The amount of high-quality warehouse spacehas been declining year-on-year, not just withinour two counties but also nationally. This is duemore to a lack of speculative developments takingplace during the credit crunch, than any weaknessin the industry. Now with the economyrecovering, companies are expanding to newpremises and purchasing warehouse space,without their being enough new builds to sustainit. Now however, a new wave of speculativedevelopments are taking place across Lincolnshireand Yorkshire, with many of these also securingtenants in the speculative stage. A large amount ofthis is centred around the Leeds and Wakefieldarea, particularly with Wakefield being adistribution hub close to the M1. New warehousing developed will help manageincreased demand in our region, but this will onlycontinue if our supply chains become moreefficient. With irregular schedules to follow and awide variety of products to shift, the manualelement of the workforce remains as necessary asever. While factories are moving towards almostfull levels of automation, within the warehouses itis still individual staff shifting goods about. Be itthrough forklifts, trolleys, conveyor belts or othermaterials handling equipment – the focus is onspeed, efficiency and ultimately, safety. Every Operations Manager knows that efficiencyand safety are vital when it comes to handlingmaterials, whether they are hazardous or benign,the former of which is often the case.When it comes to worker safety, there is a lot toconsider. It is no secret that handling materials in acut-and-thrust environment can cause seriousinjury, or worse. Safety is paramount in anybusiness setting, and injury cases can beincredibly costly. Adhering to best practice is amust for conscientious companies who want toThe future of thelogistics industryThe face of the logistics industry is ever changing, especially in the Yorkshire andLincolnshire region, the gateway between north and south.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JAROSLAV PACHY SR18 Á16-19_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:28 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 17Doncaster’siPort gainsspeculative565,000 sqftVerdion is to speculatively develop afurther 565,000 square foot of logisticsspace, following the successful year ofletting activity at its £500 million iPortdevelopment in Doncaster.Due to significant demand in themarket and a shortage of Grade Awarehouse space, Verdion, with itsfunding partner the Healthcare ofOntario Pension Plan (HOOPP), haspushed the button on the developmentof up to 565,000 square foot ofwarehouse space. The first new unit, part of Phase Oneof the 6 million square foot intermodalscheme, will comprise 190,000 squarefoot and will be available from Q3 2017.iPort is a Strategic Rail FreightInterchange which will deliver over 6million square foot of Grade A logisticswarehousing, linked with a highspecification rail freight intermodalcontainer facility providing rail freightservices with continental gaugeclearance to all major UK ports and theChannel Tunnel. The scheme also offersdesign and build warehouse/logisticsunits.Verdion is developing the scheme on a337 acre (136 hectare) site in Rossington,Doncaster. The site is linked withJunction 3 of the M18 via the GreatYorkshire Way.PHOTO: VERDION/ IPORT16-19_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:28 Page 218Business Link www.blmforum.netPORTS AND LOGISTICSkeep their costs to a minimum. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) isunequivocal when it comes to materialshandling in the workplace: comply with theregulations or suffer the consequences.Companies are encouraged to adopt a three-point strategy to tackle safety issues aroundhandling. According to HSE guidelines, theymust “avoid the need for hazardous manualhandling, so far as is reasonably practicable”;“assess the risk of injury from any hazardousmanual handling that can’t be avoided”; and“reduce the risk of injury from hazardousmanual handling, so far as is reasonablypracticable.”Where handling materials is concerned,companies in our region are realising the cost-benefits of a well thought-out health and safetystrategy. And it is not just the latest technologiesthat are helping them to eliminate risk – carefulstrategizing and good communication areplaying a major role too. Without doubt, one ofthe best things companies can do to avoidfinancial and reputational damage is to simplyuse their common sense.Outside of the warehouse, however, there isstill the issue of logistics to be considered itself,mostly commonly in our region that of road.Consumer demand means the supply chainmust now move faster and more efficiently thanever before to enable products to arrive on theshop shelves as quickly as possible – and usingfewer resources. The latter is of particularconcern nowadays due to ever-increasing fuelprices and also the threat of congestion chargesand other renewable initiatives.Bowker acquires five Potter Logisticswarehousing andtransport sitesW H Bowker has acquired the warehousing and transport operations at PotterLogistics sites in Ripon, Selby, York, Droitwich and Knowsley.WH Bowker has logistics sites in Preston and Hull. In 2015, the Group had aturnover of £181.8 million. The acquisition expands its operations in specialistchemicals logistics, healthcare and food warehousing and distribution.As a result, it will operate a road transport fleet of more than 200 trucks, inexcess of 450 trailers, and over a million square feet of warehousing, employingmore than 750 people within its Group.Potter Group (Holdings) Plc will become a property investment company focusing on the development of its extensive land assets. PotterGroup was founded in 1965 as Topcliffe Transport.Bill Bowker, pictured left, Director of W H Bowker, said: “Derrick Potter, his management team and staff have built industry-wide respectfor their logistics expertise and the company provides an excellent fit with our expansion strategy.”Potter chairman Derrick Potter, seen right, added: “A key priority in recent years has been to look to the future of our excellent staff, aswell as that of our customers, not simply at the legacy that we have built.”PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ESB PROFESSIONAL16-19_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:28 Page 3www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 19It is no secret that the logisticsindustry is a major contributor togreenhouse gasses, though this is notdue to poor use or malicious intent.Emissions are a by-product of ourvehicles and sadly technology has notquite reached the stage of removingthat. One body who have been lookinginto ways to reduce the impact of thelogistical chain is the IndependentTransport Commission (ITC), whosereport last year suggested thatsustainability policies are currentlyadding up to 20% to logistics costs.In many cases there is little that canbe done to improve upon the efficiencyof these industries, barring some newtechnology that can solve the wastematerials problem entirely. One solution, and something that isbeing utilised in the US, is that ofexchanging a company’s transport fleetfor CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)-powered vehicles, such as the VolvoVNM 200 model. This has not seenquite the same exposure in the UK, andsome believe it is due to a lack offunding to help companies in makingthe switch, as the US has numerousfinancial incentives for companieslooking to move from traditionalpetrol/diesel fleets to CNG. One concern, especially in the UK, isthe lack of facilities at which to refuelsuch a vehicle. Fuelling stations tend tomake their money by catering to bothcommercial and public vehicles, andinvesting in new pumps specifically forNGV’s is something they likely won’t do –unless NGV’s start to outnumber RGV’s.While this is no solution at themoment, it does show that technologyis beginning to take note of thedirection the industry needs to go andthe problems it faces. Hopefully asconsumer interest improves we can seethese vehicles being readily available inLincolnshire and Yorkshire.The Logistics industry does havechallenges ahead, but as one can see, itis only because the area is drawinginterest from investors both within andoutside the UK. Should our region becapable of rising to these challenges itcould usher in a new era and helppromote the Northern Powerhouseacross all of Europe. Yorks exportspecialist agreescontract withEssex ChamberA key contract to provide specialist export supportto Essex Chamber of Commerce has been won byYorkshire-based overseas trade specialist, ChamberInternational.Under the contract, Essex Chamber of Commercebecomes an official subagent of Chamber Internationalfor the issue of ATA Carnets to its members.ATA Carnets are used for the temporary export ofitems, which are not being sold and are issued underan International Convention signed by more than 80countries. They facilitate duty free import and fastclearance of professional equipment, commercialsamples and goods for trade fairs and are also used bytouring rock bands, theatre groups and broadcasters.The specialist nature of ATA Carnets means thatnot all Chambers of Commerce are able to issue themand must become subagents of an accreditedorganisation, such as Chamber International, whosename is on the documents, and which also has similaragreements with chambers in Manchester, Norfolk, StHelens, and Lincolnshire. Chamber International, which also supports LeedsCity Region Local Enterprise Partnership’s We areInternational campaign, helps hundreds of new andexperienced exporters with a wide range of specialistservices to make exporting easier.16-19_Layout 1 29/11/2016 11:29 Page 4Next >