Homes England publishes ‘one-stop guidance shop’ about housing resources
Homes England has today announced a new national index of professional housing resources.
The Housing Information Hub, now available on GOV.UK, will support the sector by providing direct access to over 300 sources of guidance, information and tools relating to homebuilding, placemaking and regeneration.
Developed by Homes England’s Local Government Capacity Centre, the Housing Information Hub has is one of a series of new initiatives designed in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to respond the needs, and asks, of the sector.
With the aim to cover the full housing and delivery journey, resources are split into five key areas – financing, leading, building, using land and planning
Mike Palin, Executive Director, Markets, Partners and Places, Homes England, said: “The Housing Information Hub is an excellent route map and “one stop shop” for advice and guidance for local authorities, developers, other professionals and individuals wanting to deliver quality places.
“In my local government career, including roles as CEO, I know that the Housing Information Hub would have transformed my ability to support the delivery of housing and regeneration and I look forward to sharing this resource to support authorities, their partners and other stakeholders.”
Leftfield acquires two warehouses totalling 94,000 sq ft at Thornbury Industrial Park Bradford
Specialist investment firm Leftfield has acquired two brand new, mid-box speculative industrial properties.
The units totaling 94,674 sq ft on Thornbury Industrial Park in Bradford, were bought from property developer Marshall CDP. CBRE acted on behalf of Leftfield and Carter Towler advised Marshall CDP.
Leftfield continues to add to its growing portfolio with the purchase of the final two mid-box units on the industrial park. Unit A comprises a 39,435 sq ft warehouse with 2,667 sq ft ground and first floor office accommodation whilst Unit C, housed on a 3.62 acre area, comprises a 49,357 sq ft warehouse with 3,215 sq ft of office space to the ground and first floors.
Both Grade A speculatively built units, completed in July this year, are vacant and available for immediate occupation.
Thornbury Industrial Park on Gain Lane is Bradford’s newest industrial location with the final phase of development providing three brand new units. Tenants on the estate include Astonish, Marsylka Manufacturing, Optimum Medical, Woodlands and Candy Hero.
Nico Fourie, CEO of Leftfield, said: “Demand for well located, high specification properties remains high in this underserved sector. We are excited to add these two excellent units to Leftfield’s Fund III, which continues to expand in key strategic locations.”
The units are available to let via CBRE, Carter Towler and JLL.
Metsä Tissue chooses Goole for planned landmark UK investment
Metsä Tissue has chosen Goole as the site for its planned new state-of-the-art tissue paper mill in the UK.
This landmark investment of several hundreds of millions of pounds will deliver the largest tissue mill in the UK and significantly reduce the quantity of tissue products that are currently imported into the UK and Ireland each year.
The new mill will create 400+ jobs at the facility, as well as thousands more across the supply chain and the local economy.
“Goole is the perfect location for this proposed investment. The Humber region provides a crucial gateway to the whole of the United Kingdom and the region’s ambitions to bring cutting-edge green technology and jobs to the UK matches our ambitions in clean, sustainable manufacturing,” says Esa Kaikkonen, CEO of Metsä Tissue.
Up to 45% of tissue products are currently imported into the UK and Ireland. Metsä Tissue aims to replace almost half of the imported products with local British production, using fresh fibre pulp as the main raw material from sustainably-managed forests in the Nordics.
Reducing the reliance on imports will have a positive impact on the UK’s productivity, carbon footprint and self-sufficiency for essential tissue products.
The Goole facility will use cutting-edge sustainable production technologies to deliver an efficient and modern facility with world class environmental performance.
Metsä Tissue’s activity is rooted in sustainability, with a target for all products to be manufactured from fully fossil-fuel-free raw materials by 2030 as the company strives to achieve a net zero society. Additionally, the business aims for all its mills, including the new Goole facility, to operate without the use of fossil fuels by 2030.
Subject to planning and environmental permits and a final investment decision, the site will occupy an area of around 200 acres and will have the capacity to produce 240,000 tons of tissue paper, built in several phases over the next decade, serving both the professional and consumer markets.
The planned facility would be the first major investment in the proposed Goole tax site within the Humber Freeport, which aims to accelerate inward investment in the Humber region.
Minister for Investment, Lord Dominic Johnson, said: “This investment is a huge vote of confidence in Goole, Yorkshire and Humberside. With hundreds of millions of pounds being committed, and thousands of jobs being created at both the new site and in the wider supply chain, this will have huge benefits for workers and businesses in Goole and many communities across East Riding, Yorkshire, Humberside and North Lincolnshire.
“We know that Yorkshire is one of the best places in the country to invest, and today’s announcement by Metsä further cements this. Last year alone, we saw 103 new projects in Yorkshire that were a result of inward investment, which collectively will create over 7,000 jobs.”
Firms share in Towns Fund payouts totalling £37,000
Two Keighley and Shipley area firms have benefitted from Towns Fund Business Growth Programme funding, sharing almost £37,000
Print and direct mail business Fretwell Print and Design, of Goulbourne Street, received £19,989 towards replacing their printer with a new model, which has created two new jobs.
Aluminium glazed façade manufacturer and installer Airevalley Architectural (Aluminium) Ltd, of Parkwood Street, was able to create three new jobs after receiving £16,775 of funding towards machine software and installation, as well as upgrading the factory’s facilities.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “Grants ranging from £1,500 to £315,000 are still available for businesses within – or looking to move to – the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund Areas, and other businesses are invited to apply.
“The funding is available for start-ups, small, medium-sized and large businesses and can be used to either expand, increase productivity, create a new business, safeguard existing jobs and create new ones.”
Ian Hayfield, chairman of Keighley Towns Fund, said: “We are delighted to have made such a significant difference to these local businesses in a relatively short space of time. The funding will have an impact for years to come and the successful growth of our business community will help drive social and economic change for the whole area.”
The Business Growth Programme Capital Grant is a £4m fund to directly support businesses within these areas with approximately £2m each allocated to the Keighley and Shipley Towns Fund areas.
Streets Chartered Accountants covers self-employed tax changes, fortitude in family businesses and more in new news roundup
Streets Chartered Accountants covers self-employed tax changes, fortitude in family businesses and more in its latest monthly news roundup.
Webinar: Changes to the way the self-employed and those in business partnerships are taxedHMRC, His Majesty”s Revenue and Customs, has introduced changes to the basis period, the defined timeframe used to calculate the taxable profits for taxing the self-employed and those in business partnerships. The changes relate to this tax year, 2023/24 and beyond. Book Now
Mersea Week celebrations continue into September with the Round Mersea Island Race, sponsored by Streets WhittlesWith time and tide waiting for no man, this year’s popular Round Mersea Island Race took place on Saturday 2nd September, the weekend after its usual scheduling at the end of the celebratory Mersea Week. The reason for the WMYC making a change to the usual format is to work with the tides. With High Water at 14.43 and a height of 5.7m, this was one of the highest of the year and perfect conditions for the race round the island covering over 14 nautical miles. Read More
Podcast: How Streets Banking and Finance is supporting SMEs and owner managed businessesIn this episode of The Streets Sessions, Streets talks to their Head of Banking & Finance, Martyn Shakespear, about the work of his team in supporting businesses and gains an overview of the challenges and trends in business finance and funding. Listen Now
SY Jessica Fund re-appoints CBRE to manage Fund following re-tender
The SY Jessica Fund has reappointed CBRE’s Investment Advisory team, part of its Capital Advisors business, to manage the Fund following a competitive tender.
The CBRE team has managed the Fund since its inception in April 2013, delivering significant regeneration and development to South Yorkshire and the wider City region over the past ten years.
To date, the Fund has invested over £70m and levered in over £300m of construction investment, built over 1.3m sq ft of floorspace accommodating over 6,500 jobs and is increasingly supporting more energy efficient developments.
The Fund was set up to provide effective development debt funding for commercial property and regeneration projects with the core objectives of enabling economic growth through sustainable development, enhancing long-term growth prospects of the region, providing the infrastructure required to generate jobs and facilitating the development of brownfield sites.
Will Church, Executive Director, Investment Advisory, CBRE, said: “We are delighted to have been reappointed by the Fund and are looking forward to seeing what we can deliver on behalf of the Fund over the next ten years.
“We have a number of developments in the pipeline that we are looking to bring forward across the whole of South Yorkshire and will be expanding the parameters of the Fund to consider mixed-use developments in addition to core commercial opportunities.”
Colin Blackburn, Assistant Director at SY Mayoral Combined Authority, added: “The SY Jessica Fund has proven to be a vital source of funding in an otherwise constrained regional market, bringing forward valuable employment space and infrastructure projects that other sources haven’t been able or willing to support.
“We have close to £32m of debt funding available to invest in new real estate projects and are looking forward to embarking on the next stage of the Fund’s journey.”
Shoosmiths is the retained legal advisor to the SY Jessica Fund.
Almost half UK firms will miss sustainability targets, survey reveals
A significant proportion of UK businesses are falling behind on their sustainability journeys, according to new research from technology company Siemens.
The findings show that almost half (45%) expect to miss their 2030 decarbonisation targets, with companies citing low business confidence and high uncertainty in government policy and progress towards the infrastructure transition.
The global study, “Siemens Infrastructure Transition Monitor 2023: The Great Divide on The Path to Net Zero”, covers the views of 1,400 senior executives in businesses operating across 22 countries, and aims to measure the progress of the infrastructure transition towards a decarbonised future.
Respondents from the UK say that the risk of recession (25%), poor access to the right skills (20%), a lack of investment in public infrastructure (20%), a lack of private capital (20%) and limitations in the power grid (19%) are restraining their appetite to invest in reducing their business’s emissions.
The findings follow the launch of the Net Zero Strategy earlier this year, but many business leaders across the economy have called for a more holistic industrial strategy to provide greater clarity on long-term policy.
Carl Ennis, CEO of Siemens UK & Ireland, said: “We must support business and industry to decarbonise if we are to successfully deliver the energy transition we need.
“Progress is being made, but it’s evident from these findings that the UK runs the risk of widening the gap between where we are and where we need to be if we don’t start thinking longer term.
“A clear industrial strategy is a key piece of the puzzle and would give businesses the confidence to invest meaningfully in cutting carbon, while boosting economic growth and productivity.
“Over the next few years, adopting clean energy technology and digitalisation software that can help accelerate the transition to net zero will become instrumental, and we need to give companies the right platform to do so.”
Spencer group rolls out wellbeing app company wide
Hull-based Spencer Group has rolled out the Hapstar wellbeing app to its entire workforce to support their mental and physical health.
The engineering company was the first in the industry to adopt the innovative Hapstar app when it launched a four-month trial among 80 of its 350 employees in April this year.
The app, which staff can use anonymously, enables employees to track their mental and physical wellbeing, as well as accessing support, setting happiness actions and providing anonymous feedback.
The data reflects personal feelings, such as happiness, relationships, activity and lifestyle, alongside career satisfaction, thoughts on their team and overall role. The app creates a regular anonymous report for Spencer Group to assess the feedback across the business and data is collected on teams, rather than demographics, to ensure anonymity.
Group MD Gary Thornton said: “One of the key drivers behind rolling out Hapstar to the entire company is the development of the mobile app. During the trial, it was only available on a work desktop, so the app means it can now be used as a lifestyle tool used anytime and anywhere.
“Lots of people who took part in the trial found the app to be a useful tool. While it benefits us to looks at the analytics to potentially improve areas of the business, employees said it helped them to improve their own lifestyles.
“They fill in their responses on the app and it gives them a good indication of how the changes they’ve made are making a difference to their wellbeing.”
Yvonne Moir, HR Director added: “Hapstar also includes life coaching, so if there are areas where staff are scoring lower, on self-confidence for example, there would be a suggestion to try to help them feel better, or tips offered on how to improve their overall mental health.
“Another example is if any staff are concerned about the rising cost of living or finances, we could arrange for a financial coach to come into the business and share tips on smarter money management or money-saving advice.
“We can split the data any way we wish, including on-site teams compared to off-site teams, or specific teams compared to others across the business.
“We’ll review the report results from those who use the app on a monthly basis and we can pick out urgent priorities to respond to if there are any data spikes in certain areas.”
Pensana gets grant to work on rare earth magnet supply chain
Pensana has been awarded £316,643 in grant funding by Innovate UK under its CLIMATES programme to develop a low carbon sustainable supply chain for rare earth magnets.
The company, based at Saltend, will work in partnership with Polestar, Route2 and the Universities of Leeds and Hull.
The Project is backed by the UK Government and will use Pensana and Polestar’s low carbon and ESG engineering to review and measure impacts, and identify opportunities, to further reduce carbon in the rare earth products vital for the energy transition.
Danny McNeice, Pensana’s Sustainability Manager, said: “We believe Polestar 0 will set the standard for the electric vehicle industry, while Route2 has developed market-leading socio-economic impact measurement software and we are delighted to work with them and our academic partners at Leeds and Hull Universities to establish a UK-centric sustainable rare-earth supply chain from “mine to magnets”.
Pensana has already developed a strong approach to sustainability through the publishing of its Blueprint for Sustainable Rare Earths and has, through market-leading low-carbon design and renewable power agreements at both its UK and Angolan projects, placed itself well on the way to achieving its strategic goal to be a leading low embedded carbon supplier of rare earth products on the market.
Doncaster could agree 100-year lease on airport site
Real headway has been said to be made in negotiations has been made in the negations with the Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s current owners Peel Group, with the Doncaster Chamber saying the council is on the cusp of agreeing on a 100-year lease for the site. Meanwhile, they are also currently looking for a private sector partner who can operate the airport, in the event that it does get back up and running, which could feasibly be within the next two years.
Reacting to this news, Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “The fight to save DSA has been fought valiantly by various partners and it’s heartening to see that things might at long last be looking up. The fact that Peel Group is open to agreeing to lease their site is a huge step forward in these negotiations and is reason enough alone for optimism. For all the political noise associated with this campaign, it is commercial pragmatism that will lead to solutions and it is looking as though there is a real win-win to be had for all parties.
“It’s no secret that this ordeal has taken its toll on the region. When a review into the airport’s viability was first announced back in June 2022, it caused a great deal of consternation as everybody tried to wrestle with the implications of losing such an important strategic asset. At the time, while its fate still hung in the balance, DSA’s worth to the local economy was estimated to be around £110 million per annum. Yet if it were supported in reopening then, within the first three decades of operating, the net economic benefits could potentially be up to £1.5 billion.
“Surrendering the airport altogether therefore felt like an unthinkable prospect and I am glad to see that we are now moving towards a more desirable outcome. One that is mutually beneficial for both Peel Group and for the region at large.
“On that note, I would like to commend Peel for doing the right thing here and for still returning to the negotiating table month after month, even in the face of some, quite frankly, difficult conversations. South Yorkshire has enjoyed a decades long relationship with this company and — while it has evidently not always been the plainest sailing — in the main it has been a fruitful one. Based on today’s announcement, I hope that we will continue to have strong ties with this major industry player, particularly when it comes to fulfilling the enormous opportunities afforded to the region by the GatewayEast site.
“All in all, the news from today’s council meeting is very promising and could signal a much-needed change in Doncaster’s fortunes. The past 12 months have been incredibly challenging but, if this is any indication, I truly believe that we can turn things around and look forward to a brighter, more prosperous future.”
Expanding North Yorkshire family law firm secures funding for further growth
A North Yorkshire family law firm has secured a £165,000 loan to support its growth from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
Harrogate Family Law has almost doubled the size of its team from eight to 15 in the past two years and has recently moved to larger premises across the road from its previous office in Victoria Avenue, close to the town’s family court. The funding will provide additional working capital to enable it to further expand the team and take on additional casework.
Harrogate Family Law covers all areas of family law, specialising in financial settlements on divorce. The practice was founded in 2010 by Andrew Meehan, who had a background working in big law firms, and who continues to lead the business alongside director, Laura Mounsey.
Andrew, the Managing Director, said: “After 13 years in Harrogate, we are now firmly established on the legal landscape and continue to grow on the back of referrals from satisfied clients. A key part of our success lies in our people.
“Family lawyers not only need legal expertise – because they are dealing with people at some of the difficult times of their lives, they also require emotional intelligence and the ability to think on their feet amidst the pressure of family breakdown.
“We will continue to grow and build the team while ensuring we choose the right people so we can deliver the best service to our clients.”
Andy Clough of Mercia said: “Andrew and the team have established a strong track record and are now recognised as one of the leading family law practices in North Yorkshire.
“Having outgrown its previous home, the firm has now moved to new premises with additional capacity and is set to embark on the next phase of its growth. The funding will support it on that journey.”
Pete Davidson of Redsky Finance provided fundraising advice to the company.
Glenbrook Investments seals £4m industrial sale and leaseback deal
Glenbrook Investments has completed the off-market purchase of two industrial properties close to the M1 on Platts Common Industrial Estate in Hoyland, near Barnsley.
The deal was struck with Metalliform, a long-established British manufacturer, in a £4m sale and lease back of its two premises on Chambers Road.
Earlier this year, Glenbrook Investments completed the purchase of the nearby Fall Bank Industrial Estate in a £4.65m transaction.
Metalliform, which has been established in Barnsley for over 75 years, has signed a 20-year lease of each property. The properties provide a total of 125,000 sq ft across two sites of 5.5 acres.
The property is used by Metalliform for the design, manufacture, storage and distribution of educational furniture and arena seating products to government clients and major stadium arenas across the UK and abroad.
As part of the transaction, the parties agreed a programme of improvements to the yard and premises to enhance operational productivity and support Metalliform’s target of doubling turnover over the next five years. Investment will also be made to fast track Metalliform reaching Net Zero status as part of Barnsley Council’s ‘Net Zero Accelerator’ Programme.
Speaking about the deal, Scott Griffiths, investment director at Glenbrook, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed working with the tenant’s management team. From the first contact, it was clear they knew every opportunity and limitation of their business and how to maximise its potential.
“Through detailed understanding of each other’s aspirations, we were able to overcome very testing market conditions to structure a transaction that reflects both investor value, as well as delivering operational and energy efficiency gains for the tenant.”
Brabners and Zameero Real Estate acted for Glenbrook Investments and Neath Raisbeck Golding Law represented the vendor.
Surprise slowdown for inflation
The rate of inflation decelerated in August, coming in lower than expected, in part due to the easing of food and non-alcoholic beverage prices.
Annualised inflation was 6.7%, decreasing from 6.8% in July.
The better than expected inflation data, which had been anticipated to come in at 7%, is creating hope that the Bank of England may leave interest rates as they are tomorrow.
Meanwhile core inflation, which takes out energy, food, alcohol and tobacco to give a clear picture of underlying trends, rose 6.2% in the 12 months to August 2023, down from 6.9% in July.
While the news has been received positively, the recent rise in global oil and domestic fuel prices, and continuing rise in wages, are causing concern over the future of continued inflation falls.
Dean Clough draws in residents for almost 20,000 square feet of office space
Dean Clough, the 22-acre mixed use commercial destination in Halifax, has recently completed a series of deals on nearly 20,000 sq ft of prime office accommodation following significant investment tin its character mill buildings.
The majority of new occupiers are specialist service providers in the digital sector helping to grow the reputation of Dean Clough as a centre for excellence and innovation.
Greenarc, which provides solutions for commercial, residential, and public sector clients in transitioning to clean energy, relocated to Dean Clough after outgrowing three previous offices in the space of a year. It has secured a 6,000 sq ft suite on the first floor of G Mill with a dynamic new working environment for its teams with room for expansion.
SSP, which provides advanced software for the insurance industry worldwide, has also secured a 5,000 sq ft workspace in D Mill. Established for over 35 years SSP has its UK headquarters at Dean Clough with further offices in the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, US and Caribbean.
Online education technology company Frog has taken 3,478 sq ft of prime Grade A workspace in the newly renovated Bowling Mill at Dean Clough. Established in 1999, Frog delivers education solutions to schools, colleges and adult learners with multi award winning technology used by 12 million people across 20+ countries.
AND Digital has secured the entire 3,204 sq ft first floor of Fearnley Mill at Dean Clough. The business which aims to close the digital skills gap through building products and platforms for its clients selected Dean Clough to become one of 20 independent units across the UK and Netherlands that it brands as ‘Clubs’ that are bespoke to each region.
A 1,500 sq ft unit in K Mill has been let to UMA. Working with global brands including Microsoft, Google and Webex, UMA offers hybrid solutions that integrate Office365 and Google Workspace to connect workplace calendars, collaboration software and technology. UMA is currently working with the Dean Clough team to significantly upgrade its workspace technology for occupiers.
Other new occupiers include Crest Employment Services, EZOO, Block Compliance, Kirklees and Calderdale Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Calderdale Talking Newspaper, and movie sounds designer Jameson Leigh.
Dean Clough is already home to around 150 businesses employing over 3,000 people. Major office occupiers include Covea Insurance and Prestige Gifting which both have headquarters on the site.
Last year the family owners of Dean Clough announced exciting investment plans to create more Grade A workspace as well unique new spaces to expand its retail and leisure offering. New facilities include flexi-space, unique outdoor pods with enhanced public realm, and the reopening of an historic courtyard that is already filling up with new shops and food outlets. A vision for residential apartments is also on the horizon to complete the 24/7 attraction.
Jeremy Hall, Chairman and Managing Director at Dean Clough Ltd, said,
“We are delighted to secure such a diverse range of new office occupiers and to reinforce relationships with these recent deals at Dean Clough following our dedicated drive to deliver more prime workspaces here. There is such a vibrant breadth of amenity on site now, with a fabulously diverse range of cafes, bars, restaurants, hairdressers, beauticians, therapists, retailers, galleries, theatre and student facilities. With the enviable combination of landscaped space, engaging public realm, and ample onsite parking, we feel that Dean Clough has become even more popular since the pandemic reset.
“We truly believe that a vibrant and diverse amenity and cultural experience – as we have at Dean Clough – is so vitally important in creating the environment that people want to come to and work within. This is a key ingredient in attracting major business occupiers, alongside the indisputable carbon benefits tha the reuse of historic buildings brings for sustainable practice.”
Bowling Mill provides 54,768 sq ft of Grade A workspace over five floors that can be rented on a whole floor-by-floor basis or a part floor basis. With all the unique features associated with historic buildings, suites are available from 3,336 sq ft up to 54,768 and benefit from lift access, and energy efficient VRF cooling and heating systems delivering modern functionality.
Cushman & Wakefield, Savills and Walker Singleton are appointed agents to the scheme.
Adam Cockroft, Partner at the Leeds office of Cushman & Wakefield said,
“Given the quality and availability of office space at Dean Clough, combined with company requirements to attract and retain the best talent, the site epitomises all that is desirable in a diverse commercial environment.”
Refurbished Leeds Media Centre opens its doors
The leader of Leeds City Council, Cllr James Lewis, and the chair of Unity Enterprise, Sharon Jandu OBE, have jointly unveiled a plaque to celebrate the opening of a fully refurbished Leeds Media Centre as a prime location for aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.
Internal and external works on the building in Chapeltown got underway last autumn to install a new roof and windows, and remodel two floors to create 12 new business units together with a specially designed business hub equipped with hi-tech virtual facilities.
The £1.8 million scheme, delivered by Unity Enterprise – a not-for-profit subsidiary of housing association Unity Homes and Enterprise – in partnership with Leeds City Council, was part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
Leeds Media Centre is owned by the Council and managed by Unity Enterprise on a long-term lease.
Addressing a large gathering of guests at the unveiling ceremony, Cllr Lewis said he was delighted to see the project delivered on time and on budget.
He said: “This is something we are really proud to be part of, to see a building we own as a Council being renovated into a new phase of its life as part of our work in developing an inclusive and stronger economy in Leeds. I firmly believe that only happens when everyone in the city can fully engage.
“We are clear that entrepreneurialism and innovation are not just things that involve a small number of people with high qualifications.
“It’s actually about letting people in the city use their graft and talents to grow businesses and make a good living for themselves.
“I really look forward to hearing about the success and growth of the project in the years ahead.”
Sharon Jandu OBE, Unity enterprise chair, said: “I’ve seen how tirelessly my Unity colleagues have worked to pull this together. The Council has really understood the purpose and values of exactly what Unity Enterprise is all about.
“I lived in Chapeltown for eight years and a lot of my family is still here. This centre is exactly what we need – really creating those business opportunities and helping local communities.
“I am so pleased that Leeds City Council has had that vision. Rather than putting something like this somewhere else, putting it into the heart of Chapeltown so that communities can engage is so important.
“They feel that it belongs to them – those values, that purpose, building that trust with local communities on their doorstep. That is really powerful.”
Welcoming guests to the centre, Cedric Boston, Unity Homes and Enterprise Chief Executive, thanked the Council and Unity staff for completing “one of the most difficult and complicated projects” he had been involved with, adding, “they have done a fantastic job.”
He said: “At Unity, we believe that ingenuity is everywhere.
“What we’re trying to do with this project is to give people in the surrounding community an opportunity to realise their ambition to start their own business.
“So many people in communities spend their whole lives without being able to showcase their talent and what they can offer. This project, in a small way, is trying to offer some people an opportunity to showcase their talent to the world.
“We have got a great group of people behind it and some really fantastic partners. Hopefully we will be here meeting the needs of generations for quite some time to come.”
Small Business Commissioner takes over as patron of Youth Enterprise Bank in Hull
UK Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay has been appointed as the new patron of the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.
She takes over from Tony Robinson, who is to stand down after 10 years in the role designed to help the JCYEB and Hull City Council to support innovative young people in Hull and promote enterprise skills.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and housing, said: “The council is delighted that such a high-profile national figure as Liz has taken up the position of patron of the JCYEB in Hull.
“Tony has been a great champion of our work in Hull in supporting enterprising young people and I thank him for his service. The council is looking forward to working with Liz and our partners at the Youth Enterprise Bank”.
Liz said: “Sometimes, opportunities come along that simply leave you breathless. Being asked to step into the shoes of Tony Robinson as patron of John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank is one of those.
“Tony has been battling for micro businesses for many decades and his passion for the success of young entrepreneurs is legendary. He will be a hard act to follow, but I will be delighted to try.
“The work of Hull City Council with micro businesses and young entrepreneurs is a template for the rest of the UK. I will do all I can to support both.”
Tony added: “It has been a great privilege to have served as patron and work with Hull City Council in supporting micro businesses and young people, in particular meeting the enterprising young people during Global Entrepreneurship Week and meeting those on the Making Changes for Careers Programme at their Open Day events.
“Collaboration is essential to small and micro business sustainability. A supportive community of independent business owners with their customers, suppliers, families and friends ensures that changing needs, trends and economic conditions are met, all of which the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Banks does.
“I am extremely pleased that Liz has agreed to take over as patron. She has a great reputation in supporting small businesses even before taking up the role of Small Business Commissioner and I welcome her to my ‘home city’ of Hull.”
New to self-assessment for tax? You have two weeks to register
HM Revenue and Customs is reminding anyone who is new to Self Assessment for the 2022 to 2023 tax year that they have just two weeks until 5 October to tell HMRC and register.
New Self Assessment customers could be someone who has set up a side hustle to earn money in addition to their PAYE job or disposed of cryptoassets, says HMRC; they may be newly self-employed or a new landlord renting out property. Whatever the circumstances, if a customer has any income that they have not already paid UK tax on, they need to register for Self Assessment.
Customers can use HMRC’s online checking tool on GOV.UK to quickly assess whether they will need to complete a tax return. And they can use the step-by-step guide to check what they need to do to file their first Self Assessment tax return.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “If you are new to Self Assessment and unsure how the process works – HMRC is here to help. We have a wealth of resources and guidance available on GOV.UK to help customers register, sign up to the online services and complete their tax return. We want to help customers get their tax right first time, just search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more.”
Business graduate shortlisted for top award
University of Bradford business graduate Sonya Byrne has been shortlisted for a top award after developing a concept to sell virtual copies of her own fashion creations.
Sonya, from Bradford, who enrolled on the School of Management’s Executive MBA in 2020, designed non-fungible tokens to go alongside bespoke women’s fashion items, which she also created.
The concept formed part of her end-of-year project and garnered a score of over 90% – and now her efforts have also been recognised by Masters in business accreditation body AMBA, which has shortlisted her for its MBA Student of the Year Award 2024.
Judges praised her “exceptional entry” and invited her to attend the final at Park Plaza London Riverbank Hotel, next January.
Sonya spent 15 years working for some of the biggest names in fashion – including Inditex, Miroglio and BESTSELLER – before starting her own business, Avie-studio.com, with husband Liam.
She said: “I’m thrilled to have been shortlisted for the AMBA Student of the Year Awards. It is a prestigious award from an organisation that is globally recognised; and of course, Bradford’s School of Management is AMBA-accredited.
“Completing my MBA at Bradford has been one of the best things I have ever done. I have already worked in industry and overcome many challenges, but what the MBA did was give me the tools, and a formal language to better understand some of those processes and management tools.”
Recruitment specialists boost IT team
Apprentice to boardroom recruitment solutions specialists Nicholas Associates Group has further strengthened its IT team following the appointment of Daniel Ryan as an IT service delivery manager.
Based at the company head offices in Sheffield, Daniel has over 18 years’ experience and previously worked in the Legal Sector managing global 2nd Line IT Teams based in the UK, USA and APAC regions. He is an SDI Certified IT Service Desk Manager and also ITIL Certified.
In this new role, Daniel will cover a large range of responsibilities to ensure the efficient delivery of IT services to all divisions and branches within the group. He will also assist with aligning the strategic goals of Nicholas Associates Group with the IT function.
Commenting on his appointment, Daniel said: “The challenge of the role really interested me, and the values and vision of the company were things that aligned with what I was looking for in the next step of my career. I have also never worked in the recruitment sector, so a fresh challenge was very appealing.”
Planning permission granted for housing development near Louth
New homes are coming to Louth after developer Charterpoint received outline planning permission to build up to 90 new properties on a 12-acre site off Daisy Way.
East Lindsey District Council has approved the outline application for a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom homes, plus a children’s play area, surface water attenuation ponds, wildflower meadows, sustainable drainage and an amenity lawn for communal informal recreation.
The site is an extension of the popular Westfield Park.
Adrian Goose, CEO of Charterpoint, said: “We are very pleased to have received outline planning permission for this site on the edge of Louth. It will provide additional much-needed, attractive housing for individuals and families in an area close to the services and amenities that the town offers.
“Charterpoint has extensive experience of delivering quality schemes and we look forward to drawing up detailed designs for this site and extending the popular community that we have created at Westfield Park.”
The site, which is bounded by the A16 Louth bypass to the north west and by Westfield Park to the south and east, will be accessed off Daisy Way and will include green infrastructure to provide an attractive quality environment for residents and visitors with consideration given to access for pedestrians and cyclists, enhancement of wildlife biodiversity, sustainable drainage solutions and promotion of use of outdoor spaces for improved mental and physical health and well-being.
Charterpoint also plans to incorporate open water, swales and ditches as part of the sustainable drainage strategy to contribute to local biodiversity.
The exact number and mix of new homes on the site, which is currently fallow land, will be defined during detailed design stage.
