It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water.

Setting global pandemic issues aside, I think I can confidently predict that the continuing scarcity of well-located residential and industrial development land means that we are going to continue to see increasing prices for both.

In fact, I think this could well be my prediction for every year going forward until the country faces up to and addresses land supply issues, which would involve having a grown-up conversation about development in the greenbelt and beyond.

With a development pipeline of over 8,000+ houses and 3.5m sq ft of industrial land all within God’s Own County, Keyland is clearly in a good position to benefit from increasing land values, but looking at the country as a whole, it is simply an exercise in futility to carry on trying to meet the needs of a growing population without properly planning where that population will live and work.

Leeds City Council has welcomed recommendations which could take it a significant step closer to finalising a major development plan that will help deliver high-quality homes and opportunities for local people. A planning inspector has provisionally backed the council’s proposal for 36 pieces of land to be retained within the city’s protected green belt under changes to Leeds’s Site Allocations Plan (SAP). The inspector has also provisionally backed a related proposal that would see an additional site at Barrowby Lane in Manston earmarked for employment use with the aim of further driving economic growth and job creation in east Leeds. The SAP, a key planning policy document which allocates land for future housing, employment, office, industrial and retail use, was adopted by the council in 2019 after a rigorous process of preparation and public consultation lasting six years. Under the original terms of the SAP, a total of 36 sites were removed from the green belt for possible housing use while a 37th – at Barrowby Lane – was removed from the green belt for a mix of potential housing and employment uses. The council then revisited the document following a legal challenge brought by Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum, with the High Court ruling last year that all 37 sites should be temporarily removed from the SAP and returned to the green belt pending further examination by the national Planning Inspectorate. The remainder of the SAP – which covers hundreds of sites across the city – was unaffected by the court ruling. Work conducted by the council with developers and landowners subsequently found that, due to the changing nature of local land supply, Leeds would in fact be able to more than meet its housing requirements for the period up to 2028 without the need for further green belt site releases. Using those findings, the council drew up a series of proposed modifications to the SAP that were submitted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate in March this year. The Planning Inspectorate has now agreed that, subject to public consultation, the council can retain the 36 housing allocation sites in the green belt and switch Barrowby Lane’s status from housing and employment to solely employment. The council’s executive board yesterday approved a six-week public consultation on the proposed changes. Once the consultation has taken place, the Planning Inspectorate will consider any responses received and prepare a report. This in turn, it is hoped, will allow the council to confirm the modifications, giving it a fully adopted and up-to-date SAP. Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “The Site Allocations Plan has been a massive undertaking for the council and one that will play a central role in shaping the future of our city. “We are committed to doing everything we can to deliver the kind of homes and jobs that people in Leeds need and deserve, and this document will help us achieve that through the weight it carries in the determination of planning applications. “It’s really encouraging, therefore, to see us getting closer to a position where it can be fully adopted by the council and bring more certainty to residents and investors alike.” The council’s original work on its SAP involved carefully assessing sites throughout the city and deciding which were the most appropriate and sustainable to allocate for development, in accordance with local and national policy. The plan was the subject of independent examination by government-appointed planning inspectors, who found it sound and legally compliant. The council’s proposed modifications are set against a background of considerable housing delivery in Leeds on brownfield sites, with 4,200 new homes currently under construction in and around the city centre. This is the highest number of new homes under development in and around Leeds city centre since the global financial crisis of 2008. In its legal challenge, Aireborough Neighbourhood Forum claimed the council had acted wrongly in its approach to releasing four green belt sites in Guiseley and Yeadon, and by later adopting the SAP on the basis of that specific approach. Four grounds raised in the claim were rejected or not allowed to proceed by the judge in the case. The claim was allowed on a further three grounds. Local authorities are required by the National Planning Policy Framework to maintain a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites.

It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.  It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years. Here we speak to Kenton Robbins, Managing Director at PFF Group. We all worked tirelessly through 2021, focussing on the belief that 2022 would hail a return to the good times we remember. COVID-19 would be a thing of the past and the New Year would be an opportunity for us all to get back to normal. Yet, as I write we are heading into a ‘soft lockdown’ with a return to working from home being advised by the Government and mask wearing once again as fundamental as coffee and tea! 2022 is going to be the hardest year yet of this pandemic for business. We are staring down the barrel of inflation and supply chain shortages, the like of which we haven’t seen for many years. Energy prices will continue to be the lead item on boardroom agendas through 2022 as we face the greatest increase in wholesale marketing pricing in a generation. Those that have not hedged or have an ability to do so will face profitability challenges based on energy increases alone. Businesses based on a sourcing model of importing cheap goods from across the globe will see their margins eroded like the cliff sides of the East Coast unless they drive significant price increases to their customer base to offset their increased costs. The availability of everyday items we have all taken for granted throughout our lifetimes will soon be something of a fond memory. You only need to walk the aisles of a B&Q store looking for Far East sourced electrical sockets to see an issue that historically would have had the buying dept in a tailspin (incidentally, if any readers have a three-way switched Georgian brass effect socket going spare, I’ll pay good money, no questions asked)! We have spent months focussed on the Northern levelling up debate only to miss the much more significant global levelling up issues right under our noses. As much as I am an advocate for balance between the North and South, it should not distract us from the bigger picture which could be the driver for a year of positive change for UK plc. This coming year will see a huge opportunity for British business to fill the gaps which historically have been filled through so called ‘value’ global sourcing policies, aka ‘cheap’ products. We have to educate the British consumer as to the benefits of buying British and to look beyond buying solely on price – quality and price equals value. British manufacturers are world-leading innovators and produce quality products here in the UK, supporting domestic jobs, as well as the environment. I predict that 2022 will be the year that sees capitalisation of the UK manufacturing sector which will step up to the mark and establish itself in the mind of the domestic consumer as the value driver of the UK economy. 2022 should be the year we all make a choice to invest in ourselves, our country, our products and our planet’s future sustainability by buying the things we make well on our own doorsteps. After all charity starts at home and if there was ever a year that we should look to support ourselves, it is 2022.

Ahlmark Shipping (UK) LTD has signed a new 10 year deal with Associated British Ports (ABP). The new 10 year deal demonstrates that the timber market remains resilient. Ahlmark Shipping has a dedicated terminal at the Port of Hull where they offer stevedoring, warehousing, ships agency and Customs Clearance services. Ahlmark Lines was one of the first shipping lines to move Swedish timber through Hull and has been regularly calling at the port for almost 40 years, helping to make Hull one of the largest UK ports for sawn timber imports. Ahlmark’s fleet sees the company ship 30% of Swedish timber to the UK. Simon Bird, Director at ABP Humber, said: “This new deal with Ahlmark highlights that ABP remains a valuable and trusted partner for timber imports and exports in the Humber. The Humber Ports afford many businesses an opportunity for growth, and ABP is committed to investing in its services and infrastructure to aid that.” Tim Hollands, Managing Director at Ahlmark Shipping (UK) Ltd, said: “This agreement highlights the continued commitment to the timber industry and to the Port of Hull by Ahlmark Lines A.-B., a long-term relationship that now includes regular liner services to the ABP East Coast Ports of Immingham, Grimsby and Kings Lynn. With the support of ABP, Ahlmark Shipping (UK) Ltd is in a strong position to develop business through the Hull terminal, directly handling volumes on weekly sailings from Kristinehamn, fortnightly sailings from East Coast ports of Skelleftehamn and Iggesund; and monthly services from Domsjo, Gruvon and Ala. Ahlmark have also taken on an additional land to support their services in Hull as the business goes from strength to strength.

Smart tech specialist Sauce has teamed up with former boxing champion Tommy Coyle to develop a unique app to improve health, wellbeing and workplace performance. Sauce was tasked by Tommy to roll out the next phase of his project with renewable energy giant Siemens Gamesa to create a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. The former Commonwealth lightweight champion is working with Siemens Gamesa to help transform the lifestyles of more than 750 staff at its wind turbine blade factory in Hull. His Coyle Health and Wellbeing programme is built on the pillars of “move well”, “eat well”, “think well” and “sleep well”. Through the programme, Tommy and his Coyle Health and Wellbeing team introduced pre-shift warm-ups to avoid injuries, regular health checks for staff, wellbeing planner boards around the site and healthier options in the canteen. However, the introduction of Covid restrictions, including on visitors to the factory, meant Tommy and his team were unable to physically attend the site. During lockdown, sessions continued to take place online, but the opportunity to provide a dedicated platform to continue and expand on the good work already carried out became clear. Even as restrictions have lifted, the uncertainty created by Covid-19 has increased demand for a digital solution. Now, award-winning Sauce has developed the Coyle Health and Wellbeing App. Unlike other health apps on the market, which focus on specific elements such as fitness, diet, or sleep patterns, the Coyle Health and Wellbeing App brings all four pillars of his programme together on one platform. Through the app, Siemens Gamesa staff can follow warm-up and workout plans, track their steps and other fitness goals, monitor their calorie intake, access positive mental health support and receive tips to improve their sleep. It includes a health assessment feature, so users can check on their overall wellbeing based on the information they’ve inputted, or pulled in from other health apps. Users then receive guidance about what they need to do to feel better and be healthier, such as improve nutrition, exercise or change sleep patterns. The app also allows the staff to set and share targets and performance data to encourage healthy competition across the factory. It is now being rolled out across the site to help improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of staff in all departments, ultimately leading to a more efficient and effective operation. Jim Wardlaw, Chief of Product and Design at Sauce, said: “There’s no doubt the world has become more digital because of the pandemic. Companies and industries have had to adapt to new ways of working to survive and grow and, along with the challenges, there are positives that have come from this. “Through having to deliver his sessions with Siemens Gamesa remotely, Tommy realised there wasn’t an app that brought together all aspects of health and wellbeing in the same place. That’s what we’ve now created. “The Coyle Health and Wellbeing App is effectively a one stop shop for everything related to physical and mental health and wellbeing. Users can access advice and guidance, follow specific training plans, carry out their own health analysis, and interact and engage with their colleagues. “It’s designed primarily to improve the health and the wellbeing of the individual but, by using it in a corporate setting, it can help improve performance because a healthy workforce is a productive workforce.” The app has been developed specifically for Siemens Gamesa’s Hull factory, but can also be scaled up and adapted for other operations across the country, and the world, in the future. Tommy said: “The pandemic highlighted that we were unable to deliver our programme with Siemens Gamesa as effectively as we would like as we weren’t able to be on site. “We saw that as a challenge but also an opportunity, and through their technical expertise, Sauce have allowed us to adapt and innovate and now we don’t have to be in the factory every day to get the same results. “Siemens Gamesa want a winning team to make the best wind turbine blades in the safest and most efficient way possible. We’re helping them do that by improving the health, wellbeing and, ultimately, the productivity of their staff. “The app now allows us to take that support to the next level and deliver even greater results.” A spokesperson for Siemens Gamesa said: “Siemens Gamesa are proud partners of Coyle Health and Wellbeing and are excited to take part in the launch of the new app. “Our continued relationship with Tommy Coyle is a prime example of our progress to being an industry leader of health and wellbeing at work.” Sauce is based at Hull’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) tech hub and has established an outstanding reputation for enabling businesses and other organisations to achieve their objectives through technology solutions. It adopts a flexible, “agile” method of working, acting as co-collaborators with its clients, which include Nestlé, RB, Rix and Ideal Heating, among others.

Drax is planning capital investments of around £40 million at its North Yorkshire power station during 2022 on the first phase of its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project and ensuring it remains on track to begin delivering vital negative emissions technology in 2027. As part of this investment, Drax has selected Worley to begin the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) work at the start of 2022 and may also work with the company on the subsequent design and build phases of the BECCS project, subject to contract. Drax will also commence site preparation works for BECCS across its North Yorkshire power station including relocation and decommissioning work to make space for the project. Worley, a global provider of professional project and asset services, delivers engineering, procurement and construction, as well as consulting services for the energy, chemicals and resources sectors around the world. BECCS is seen as an essential technology to tackle climate change with the project at Drax set to capture and permanently lock away at least eight million tonnes of CO₂ a year, exceeding the government’s ambition to deliver 5Mt of negative emissions from engineered removals each year by 2030 as outlined in the recently published Net Zero Strategy Drax is already the largest decarbonisation project in Europe, having converted its power station to use sustainable biomass instead of coal, reducing its emissions by more than 90%. By deploying BECCS technology, Drax will create and protect tens of thousands of jobs across the North, kickstart new green industries, and make the UK a global leader in negative emissions technologies. Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: “Our investment in BECCS and the signing of this contract with Worley demonstrates Drax’s commitment to deliver a vital technology which is urgently needed to address the climate crisis. It’s no longer enough to reduce emissions – the world has got to start removing carbon from the atmosphere if we are to avert this climate crisis. “The Government’s ambition for BECCS and its backing for the East Coast Cluster further demonstrates the vital role this negative emissions technology at Drax can play in helping the UK reach its net zero targets, as well as creating and protecting thousands of jobs and kickstarting a new green economy.” Chris Ashton, Worley CEO, said: “As a global professional services company headquartered in Australia, we are pleased that Drax has engaged Worley in this important carbon capture project. Our partnership with Drax is one of the ways we’re helping our customers adapt existing assets and decarbonize industrial clusters, whilst also supporting Worley’s strategic focus on sustainability and delivering a more sustainable world.” The announcement follows Drax’s decision in the Summer to partner with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group as its technology partner. As well as this the company outlined its ambition to source 80% of the construction materials and services from UK supply chain, meaning businesses could benefit from contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds, creating and protecting jobs across the North and levelling up the country. With an effective negative emissions policy and investment framework from the government, BECCS could be deployed at Drax as soon as 2027 – delivering the UK’s largest carbon capture project and permanently removing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year. Drax has already kickstarted the planning process to deploy BECCS at its power station in North Yorkshire – if successful, work could get underway to build BECCS at Drax as soon as 2024, with the creation of thousands of jobs.