North Yorkshire Council is considering plans for the lane rental scheme like the ones already successfully operating in London and Kent, in a bid to reduce traffic disruption.
Under the scheme, companies would incur daily fees of up to £2,500 for undertaking maintenance work at peak times. It is designed to reduce the length of works and encourage companies to work together to minimise inconvenience.
When piloted in the South of England, the initiative recorded a significant reduction in congestion, as companies worked outside peak times to avoid accumulating charges.
Executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan said: “Roadworks are a major source of frustration, that’s why we’re adopting the toughest possible approach in North Yorkshire.
“Charging utility companies for the time they occupy the highway means we can incentivise them to complete works more efficiently and outside of peak hours. By moving this scheme forwards, we’re doing everything within our legal power to ensure disruption for residents, visitors and businesses is minimised.”
Key stakeholders will now be consulted on the scheme before an application goes to the Department for Transport for Secretary of State approval. If successful, the scheme could be in operation before the summer of next year.
North Yorkshire, England’s largest county, has a network of roads stretching a total of nearly 5,800 miles.
Fees raised would be used to cover costs of running the scheme, with any surplus invested into measures that reduce disruption on the roads.
Manraj lands Director role with Quantuma
Business advisory firm Quantuma has promoted restructuring expert Manraj Mand to the role of Director in its Yorkshire practice. Manraj is based in Quantuma’s premises in Leeds and also spends time in the firm’s Bradford office.
Manraj joined Quantuma in 2021 as a Senior Manager from a regional restructuring practice, where he had worked for the previous nine years. He began working in corporate insolvency in 2012 and qualified as an Insolvency Practitioner in 2018.
Manraj provides advice to owner-manager SMEs and has significant experience in the care industry, retail, and property sectors. He also advises clients who are in personal financial difficulty.
He said: “I really appreciate the recognition from my colleagues and continuous support from the business community. As a firm, Quantuma continues to have tremendous ambition and I look forward to giving my continued support to the brand and to promoting our service lines in Yorkshire and further afield.”
Quantuma MD Rehan Ahmed added: “We are very pleased to recognise Manraj’s achievements since joining Quantuma in 2021. Manraj has a wealth of experience, and he is committed to helping to achieve best outcomes for clients at all times, so it has been a pleasure to support him in progressing his career over the past three years.”
Google returns to York to talk AI with city’s businesses
For the second year running, York has hosted a meeting of medieval architecture and cutting edge technology as local businesses boosted their digital skills with Google.
Over 80 businesses from York and North Yorkshire gathered on Tuesday 16 July for a day of free digital skills training delivered by Google Digital Garage in partnership with City of York Council.
Held in the city’s fourteenth-century Hospitium, Tuesday’s session concluded a series of three events – two online webinars and one live training day.
Over two years of the council’s partnership with Google Digital Garage, over 400 businesses have been able to learn new digital skills thanks to these events.
Debbie Weinstein, MD of Google UK & Ireland, said: “Digital technologies are truly transformative and can help businesses and individuals across the UK to increase their earnings, boost their productivity and unlock their full potential.
“As a former business owner myself, I understand how tough it is to know where to turn to for advice. That’s why we’re providing hands-on support as part of our nationwide digital skills drive to help equip more people with invaluable skills that help to create jobs and economic opportunities.”
Among the topics covered were crafting effective AI prompts, how to save time using AI-powered tools and techniques and the fundamentals of data analysis. Businesses also learned how to problem solve like a consultant, by defining a ‘problem statement’, implementing proven problem-solving techniques and finally, evaluating solutions.
Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture, said: “York is well known for its fabulous history, but it is also at the cutting edge of science and innovation. This Google digital garage taking place in our medieval Hospitium shows how York’s future economy sits easily with our proud heritage.
“Our Council Plan, ‘One City for All’ aims to build a thriving economy that is driven by innovation and good business. These events are just one example of the work our business growth managers are doing to help local businesses to upskill, innovate and grow.
“We’ve seen rapid growth in the AI tools now available to businesses of all shapes and sizes, and it’s vital that our local businesses are able to use these to their advantage, to boost their profits and remain globally competitive.
“It’s been a really enjoyable, engaging day and I hope that our city’s businesses have been inspired to seize the opportunities offered by AI.”
Pukka Pies signs up for another year with Sheffield FC
Sheffield FC and Pukka Pies will continue their sponsorship agreement into next season.
SFC Partnerships Manager Dylan Ralph said: “We are delighted to have continued the partnership with Oukka and be using them as The Club’s official supplier in our ground. There is so much synergy between both brands, with over 200 years of history between us.”
Pukka’s Sport & Stadia Sector Manager, Nik Jones said: “Pukka are delighted to continue our partnership with The World’s First Football Club, and be available in their rightful place at The Home of Football.”
The news comes hot on the heels of agreement with Propensio Finance to continue as Dugout and Community Partner for the season.
Propensio Finance CEO Dave Hindle said: “Renewing our dugout sponsorship and community partnership with Sheffield F.C. was never in doubt. This partnership reflects our shared values, love for football, and engaging the community. We’re excited to be one of the many supporters of this institution as they begin the journey towards their new stadium. Up The Club!”
The dugout is a focal point during matches, symbolising strategy, teamwork, and the spirit of the game. Propensio Finance and The Club are forward-looking and committed to innovation and future growth.
Chairman Richard Tims, said: “It’s great to have Propensio as a partner at The World’s First Football Club.
“There is a real synergy between both brands and the branding on the dugouts looks fantastic. We’re really grateful for their support and we’re looking forward to growing our partnership even more this season.”
West Yorkshire still features amongst local authority areas doing most commercial property deals
Challenging conditions in the commercial real estate market have contributed to a collapse in the number of local authorities in England and Wales attracting annual commercial real estate sales of more than £1bn, according to new analysis from property data provider Search Acumen – but West Yorkshire is amongst them.
It’s one of just nine areas of England and Wales seeing more than £1bn of commercial real estate sales during 2023, according to analysis of official data from HM Land Registry.
This is the first time the number of £1bn+ local commercial real estate markets has dropped into single figures since comparable records began in 2017.
Andrew Lloyd, MD of Search Acumen, said: “Our analysis points to a persistently flat picture for commercial property growth since 2021. Debt, interest rates, and investment returns and opportunities continue to bite commercial markets, leaving some investors hesitant to commit until they are confident in a healthier forecast ahead.
“Whilst these figures are disappointing for the economy, the real estate industry is adept at navigating periods of uncertainty, often using these times to strategise and capitalise on emerging opportunities. We know there are some pockets of investment thriving, focusing on the fundamental strengths of prime assets and emerging opportunities in sectors such as technology and life sciences. This selective approach to investment underscores the importance of detailed, reliable property data in informing strategic decisions. For those of us in the property data and search sector, this reinforces the need to continue innovating to provide fast and effective tools that enable transactions to happen swiftly and confidently in a sensitive market.
“For transaction volumes in particular, it is also important to view this development in the context of wider industry delays. Over the past two years, we’ve witnessed a dramatic reduction in the number of conveyancing companies, creating a bottleneck among those that remain. This consolidation may now be stabilising, allowing the surviving firms to adapt and potentially expand their capacities to meet the growing demand, something which may be more reflective in HMLR figures later in the year.
“Looking ahead, whilst the election’s outcome will undoubtedly have a substantial impact on broader economic policies that could either stimulate or stifle property market activity, the wheel of fortune also lies in the hands of the Bank of England as the industry waits with bated breath for interest rates to reduce. If this happens, by the end of 2024 we may well see an injection of energy into the sector and more billion-pound districts emerge.
“Until then, it will be vital for a new Government to bolster the amount of money flowing into the UK commercial property sector if it is to successfully oversee a continuation in economic growth. Policy and industry must work together to enable the sector to bounce back from its cycle low.”
Plans to transform Goole’s Market Hall into food hall and events venue take leap forwards
Plans to transform Goole’s Market Hall into a vibrant food hall and events venue have taken a major leap forwards with the announcement that a third party operator has been appointed to run the venue.
In response to a formal tendering process conducted earlier this year, Brew York, a brewery based in York that also operates tap rooms and bars at venues in York, Leeds, Otley, Pocklington, Guiseley and Knaresborough, submitted a successful bid to bring its hugely popular combination of craft beer and street food to Goole.
In addition to the food and drink offering from Brew York, the refurbished Market Hall will also offer flexible space for local creative and craft businesses and host events of both a commercial and community nature to generate an income. A boxing event held there earlier this year was just one example of the many different types of activities that the venue could host in the future.
Councillor Anne Handley, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Brew York has been appointed to operate the Market Hall and will be bringing its incredibly popular combination of craft beer and street food to the heart of Goole. This is a massive boost for the town centre, which will undoubtedly bring more visitors and increased spending to Goole.
“It was very important to the Goole Town Deal Board that, in addition to a food and drink offering that would boost the evening economy, the Market Hall should also still be able to host pop-up events and performances so we’re absolutely delighted with this outcome and can’t wait to welcome Brew York to Goole.”
Brew York’s Managing Director, Wayne Smith, said: “We are really excited to be part of this amazing scheme. We have been working closely with the Goole Town Deal team since the back end of 2023 to ensure that we transform the Market Hall into a hub for the town to draw more people out and create a vibrant destination for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to bring our experience in events and entertaining to the town, and bring along our friends to serve up some of the best brews and local street food in the country.”
The Goole Town Deal Board is investing £4 million of Government funding into the Market Hall and see it as an important ‘anchor’ destination that will significantly increase footfall and spending in the town centre, benefiting other town centre businesses and boosting the local economy. It’s hoped that the venue can become a central part of what’s considered to be Goole’s ‘cultural quarter’ by collaborating closely with Junction Goole and Goole Museum, which are both nearby.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government gave the Goole Town Deal Board an early funding allocation and this came just at the right time for the Market Hall. A sum of £190,000 was used to carry out urgent repairs to the leaking roof, as well as a series of improvements inside, including the removal of the fixed stalls and levelling of the floor to create more space. This timely intervention halted the Market Hall’s long-running decline and made it possible for it to become a hub of activity once again.
Planning permission for the refurbishment project was granted in May of this year and work is due to start on site later this year in preparation for it re-opening as a food hall and events venue in the spring of 2025.
Back in 2019, the Victorian Market Hall’s future was looking increasingly bleak. It was costing Goole Town Council more than £1,000 per month to operate the market and the fabric of the building was in an increasingly poor state of repair. As a result, the market closed and the building was handed back to East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Thankfully, a golden opportunity arrived later that same year when Goole was invited to apply for a share of the Government’s Town Deal funding and the Market Hall became central to the Goole Town Deal Board’s plans to reinvigorate the town centre.
Bradford Live hits major milestone
Construction work at the new Bradford Live venue has reached ‘practical completion’.
This means all the major building work at the former Odeon cinema in the city centre has been finished and it is ready for the final fit-out.
After being empty for around 20 years, the art deco building, which originally opened in 1930 and in the 1950s and ‘60s hosted legends including Buddy Holly and The Beatles – on the first date of their first ever UK tour, has been beautifully restored and transformed into a world-class, 3,800-capacity music and entertainment venue.
Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “This is an exciting day for Bradford and a milestone in our ambitious efforts to regenerate the city centre.
“It has been a joy to watch this much-loved building coming back to life.
“Not only has an iconic building been saved but it has been given an incredibly exciting new future as one of the region’s best live entertainment venues.
“Bradford Live will play a crucial role in the regeneration of our city centre, improving Bradford as an entertainment destination, attracting new visitors and offering employment and economic opportunity for our district.”
Lee Craven, founding director of Bradford Live, said: “Reaching practical completion is a vital milestone in bringing this beloved building back to its former glory.
“We’ve battled tough challenges for over three years, but the restored venue justifies all the hardship.
“We’ve worked closely with Bradford Council throughout the works and would like to thank them for their unwavering support and commitment. This investment will serve the city and people of Bradford for decades to come.”
Work on the landmark building on Godwin Street, next to the Alhambra Theatre and opposite City Park, has been led by local construction firm RN Wooler, from Keighley.
Gareth Wooler, director at R N Wooler, said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to restore this local heritage building.
“Construction on Bradford Live commenced in 2020; it’s been quite a journey but one which all our colleagues and fellow associates on the design team have relished. There have been many challenges but nothing we collectively haven’t been able to overcome.
“We would like to thank our incredible team and the wider project personnel for their endeavours in extending the legacy of this Bradford icon.”
The cost of the scheme is £50.5m, of which £43.75m is from the council and the remainder from West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The legal processes relating to handover to the NEC Group will now be progressed.
Hawley Group bolsters Brighouse base with third expansion
Hawley Group, the building and energy efficiency expert based in Brighouse, has bolstered its footprint with the opening of a new workshop, as the firm pushes for £30m turnover in 2024.
Now occupying Unit 1 at Woodvale Workshops, located next to the former 1800s silk mill Woodvale Office Park, the lease represents the third expansion for the company in the area, in under two years — all of which are managed by Towngate Plc, the commercial and industrial property specialists.
Spanning 1,846 sq ft, the new unit benefits from a reception/lobby area and ancillary office accommodation, kitchen, and WCs. With a loading door providing direct access to the workshop, as well as a loading/yard area and parking, Hawley Group is well equipped to expand its mechanical and electrical engineering capabilities on-site.
“We’re delighted to be further expanding our offices with Towngate,” said Andrew Hawley, managing director of Hawley Group. “A deep-rooted passion for sustainability and proven industry expertise has driven the business over the last 13 years, landing us a position as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Leeds Enterprise Partnership (LEP) region in 2019. The additional office and warehouse space cements this position even further, allowing us to enhance our customer experience at the same time.
“With plans to open up our meeting rooms for other local businesses too, we’re excited to show off our amazing space and let others enjoy it — hopefully as much as we do.”
Having initially taken a single suite on the second storey of Parkview House, situated within Woodvale Office Park, Hawley Group further expanded into the entirety of the same floor in mid-2022. One year later, the team occupied the ground floor too, with this latest addition taking the combined size of the office spaces to approximately 8,346 sq ft.
Julia Ford, marketing manager at Towngate Plc, added: “It has been a pleasure to be able to provide additional accommodation to Hawley Group to assist with their expansion plans. Woodvale has made an excellent base for a number of businesses, due to its proximity to the motorway network and arterial routes, along with the added advantage of generous parking and the abundance of local amenities.”
The property, which forms part of the Woodvale Workshops, is already home to ACC Flooring Limited and Brighouse Flooring Co Limited.
Kexgill refinances through Aldermore Bank with help of Andrew Jackson
Privately-owned Kexgill Group, providers of student accommodation in the UK under its trade name of University Quarter, has refinanced through Aldermore Bank.
The substantial transaction involved the refinancing of seven residential properties recently acquired by Kexgill as part of a strategic growth plan around the campus of the University of Hull.
Kexgill’s legal advice was provided by a multi-disciplinary legal team at Andrew Jackson Solicitors, led by partners Kirsty Barsby and Matthew Smith, who were supported by Nick Scott, Ailish Ward, and Benn Shiletto.
Hull-headquartered Kexgill is an award-winning student accommodation provider with a track record of successfully re-investing in its expanding portfolio. MD Richard Stott said: “This was a complex transaction involving redrafting existing covenants to accommodate further ownership surrounding the University campus. The purchase allows for development and branding of this unique area where more than 95% of properties are owned by us.
“Andrew Jackson Solicitors remains a trusted legal partner where the team’s expertise in complex matters helps us to realise our commercial objectives.”
Helen Mellors, partner at Andrew Jackson Solicitors, added: “Andrew Jackson has acted for Richard and his team for almost 10 years and assisted on the property purchases earlier this year, so we are particularly delighted to have advised on this latest transaction, as Kexgill underlines its commitment to the affordable student accommodation sector.”
Council could charge utility companies for digging up the roads
The first scheme of its kind in the North of England could be introduced to charge utility companies and other organisations for carrying out roadworks on key roads during the busiest times of the day.
Employee buys one of Ilkley’s oldest retailers
A longstanding Ilkley retailer that is renowned for its huge product range, which includes tens of thousands of hardware, home, ironmongery, kitchen and gardening products, has been bought by a loyal staff member, who has worked there for 44 years, and his wife.
David and Sharron Jowett are the new owners of Mortens, which opened in 1937. Mortens currently employs a team of nine, and David joined the business when he was just 16.
A familiar face at Mortens, he will remain in the shop leading the team, advising and serving customers, as well as dealing with orders from commercial clients which include local tradespeople, schools, nursing homes, hotels and all other types of business. Sharron, who brings more than 25 years’ worth of retail experience to her new position, will deal with the accounts and administration.
The pair have bought the business from previous owners, Stephen and Anna Senior, following Stephen’s retirement, and they were advised on the acquisition by the corporate team at LCF Law.
Mortens was originally founded by Ralph Morten, and his wife Barbara ran the business during the war after he went to serve his country. In the 1970s the couple sold the shop to Brian Senior and Keith Hart, who were both long-term employees, before Brian’s son Stephen took over in 1995.
David said: “When I joined Mortens as a Saturday boy in 1980, I never imagined that one day I’d own it, but when this opportunity arose, it was a natural decision to make. We’re fortunate to have many local customers who have remained very loyal to Mortens over the years, including lots of local tradespeople. The store continues to evolve with the times, having recently started building our social media following and selling plants alongside our garden supplies.
“Mortens’ reputation has always been ‘if Mortens doesn’t sell it, you can’t get it.’ Even if we don’t stock something, we will always endeavour to source items for our customers and it’s this level of personal service that always sets up apart from our competitors.”
Sharron added: “Mortens is a great business that’s been part of the fabric of Ilkley’s high street for generations. Crucially, we have a very knowledgeable and experienced team to advise customers and guide them towards products that match their exact requirements, which means our customer service is second to none. Ultimately, this is the foundation of Mortens’ success because it’s something that no online business can replicate.”
Patricia Obawole, from LCF Law’s corporate team, added: “It’s been a genuine privilege to guide David and Sharron through this acquisition. As well as making good business sense and being good for Mortens’ team, the shop’s customers and Ilkley as a whole, they both already have a huge amount of passion for the business, which made it a particularly rewarding deal to work on.
“There’s no doubt they’ll continue to develop the superb reputation that Mortens has worked so hard to build for so long and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for them.”
