Two public leisure centres in Lincoln have shut down following the collapse of Active Nation, the charity responsible for their management. The centres affected are Yarborough and Birchwood, which were owned by the City of Lincoln Council. The charity attributed the closures to the ongoing utility crisis and the financial pressures it has created.

Active Nation confirmed the centres would remain closed indefinitely, with no alternative operators secured. The City of Lincoln Council, which owns the buildings, expressed disappointment and stated it was evaluating potential solutions. However, members with prepaid memberships have raised concerns, fearing they may lose their money due to the lack of receipts or assurances regarding refunds.

The City of Lincoln Council advised those affected to contact their bank or card provider for potential refunds. Meanwhile, the Lincoln 10K event, scheduled to take place on Sunday, will still proceed as planned from the Yarborough Leisure Centre despite its closure.

Active Nation, which also operated leisure facilities in Southampton and Aldershot, acknowledged the disappointment caused by the closures but noted the inability to find a new operator as a key factor in the decision.

Helmsley Group has secured 42,000 sq ft of prime office lettings in York, marking a significant boost in the city’s office market. The property investment and development specialist said that demand for office space in York has seen a resurgence as businesses return to in person and hybrid working models. Recent lettings include co-working space business Patch opening its first York site in the Grade II-listed Bonding Warehouse, flexible workspace provider Wizu leasing 24,500 sq ft of East Coast House and NHS service provider Nimbuscare Ltd moving into Holgate Business Park’s Gateway 1. These successes follow York-based Helmsley Group’s recent planning approval for the transformation of the city’s Coney Street. The regeneration of this area will see the creation of Coney Street Riverside, bringing extensive public realm and 250,000 sq ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial and residential space to the heart of York. Head of Asset Management at Helmsley Group, Alexia Swift-Cookson, said: “It’s been fantastic to see increased demand for office space in York and we’re proud to be providing national brands and organisations with offices in York. “In reaction to changing workplace models impacted by the pandemic, we look forward to continuing this momentum, bringing workers back into the city and reaping the benefits this will bring to local businesses and the city’s economy.” Head of Commercial Agency at Colenso Property, James Ratcliffe, added: “In today’s landscape, businesses are looking for a sense of community and reasons why employees will want to be in the office. “With developments like Coney Street Riverside on the horizon, we’re seeing more and more businesses looking to get back into the hub of the city and to be in and amongst York’s vibrant community.” Chair of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Property and Economic Forum, Steve Secker said: “These deals demonstrate that York is a fantastic place for an office, feedback which is echoed by many of our members. “We commend Helmsley Group on securing these strong lettings and for its positive work across the city, including on its forthcoming Coney Street Riverside development. “There is a strong demand for high-quality office space in the city and this is backed up with progress on the York Central regeneration project, which will create more new office and commercial space.” Work is expected to begin on the first zone of Coney Street Riverside this summer, regenerating an underused area of the city to create a public realm of national and international standing.

Leading Hull-based commercial developer Wykeland Group has acquired a landmark site in Grimsby and announced new investment is on its way. Wykeland has purchased the former Ramsdens Superstore site from the Grimsby-based retail and cash and carry business Ramsden Group and, as the new owner, will take the lead in rejuvenating it. That has already begun with Wykeland announcing that, in a linked transaction, a deal has been agreed to sell part of the site to family-owned retailer Farmfoods, for the development of a new 15,000 sq ft store with car parking. The sale of just over an acre of land to Farmfoods is subject to full planning permission for the new frozen food and groceries store. A planning application has been submitted and, if approved, the store is expected to create up to 15-20 new jobs. Wykeland will retain the remaining 1.8 acres and explore opportunities to attract further investment and regeneration, while investing around £100,000 to improve the site, including structural repairs to a property fronting Cleethorpe Road. Wykeland has also renamed the development as Ramsden Park, in tribute to the site’s history as the place where the Ramsden Group business was founded, with the opening of the Ramsdens store in 1946. Ramsden Group and Wykeland have previously secured investment by coffee house chain Starbucks in a drive-thru and eat-in café on the corner of the site facing Cleethorpe Road and Park Street. The Starbucks facility has traded successfully for more than three years. Now, with Farmfoods also coming on board, Wykeland is exploring further opportunities to revitalise the site. Wykeland Development Director Jonathan Stubbs said: “We’re pleased to announce we have acquired the site from Ramsden Group and have also concluded a deal, subject to planning consent, to bring in new investment from one of the UK’s most popular food retailers. As well as supporting Farmfoods through the planning process, we’ll be investing in improvements on site and exploring further development opportunities. We’re committed to the regeneration of this important location on the main route between Grimsby and Cleethorpes and keen to hear from investors who would like to work with us to realise its potential.”

Aspire Furniture, the bespoke wholesaler specialising in beds, mattresses, and bedroom furniture, has signed a three-year lease on a 56,400 sq ft warehouse facility in Leeds. Owned and managed by commercial and industrial property specialist Towngate PLC, the new facility will significantly expand Aspire’s storage capacity and streamline its growing operations. The news comes just one year after the business secured a £500,000 trade loan from NatWest to extend its UK footprint overseas. Aspire has seen near-constant growth over the past decade, evolving from a small operation in a spare bedroom to a multi-channel business with a thriving e-commerce platform, an annual turnover of approximately £22 million, and more than 100 employees. Partnering with major retailers including Argos, NEXT, Very, Dunlem, Furniture Village, and Mattress Online, the company combines a large-scale design, manufacturing, and whitelabelling service with a curated off-the-shelf range via Aspire Store, catering to both industry giants and direct customers. The new, Towngate PLC-owned facility will play a central role in supporting Aspire’s sales, providing the infrastructure and resources needed to meet rising demand. Due to its proximity to Aspire’s manufacturing facility in Leeds, the site will also drive greater efficiencies throughout Aspire’s logistics and operations. Ben Dobson, operations director at Aspire Furniture Ltd, said: “We are thrilled to be moving to Copperworks 2. This milestone is a significant step forward for Aspire, enabling us to expand our operations and enhance our warehousing capacity to support the next stage of our growth – particularly in the e-commerce market, where we’re constantly innovating and investing to offer an even better experience in the online furniture market.” Tom Lamb, property director at Towngate PLC, added: “As one of the region’s most recognised industrial locations, our Copperworks site is proudly positioned within our specialist property portfolio. “The unit is located in the heart of Yorkshire’s motorway network, just minutes from Leeds City Centre and nearby railway links, and offers excellent connectivity to surrounding cities such as Bradford, Doncaster, Sheffield, Manchester, and Liverpool, making it an ideal base for thriving businesses like Aspire. “With ample storage, loading, and distribution facilities, the site is perfectly suited to support the company’s expanding stock levels and both direct-to-consumer and wholesale operations. We look forward to seeing Aspire’s continued success and supporting the UK team from this prime location.”