Plans revealed for affordable homes and extra care scheme in Bridlington

Tess Egginton
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Plans revealed for affordable homes and extra care scheme in Bridlington
New plans have been unveiled for 54 affordable homes and a 68-apartment extra care scheme just two miles from Bridlington Town Centre. The planning application has been submitted by Esh Construction in a £25 million land led development brought forward in partnership with Housing 21 and a regional registered housing provider. The proposed design features a three-storey extra care building containing one and two-bedroom apartments and communal facilities including a restaurant, hair salon and a resident lounge. A mix of two and three-bedroom houses, two-bedroom bungalows and one-bedroom ‘walk up’ apartments will be constructed for affordable tenures, including affordable rent, shared ownership and rent to buy. Earmarked for land off Pinfold Lane in the north of Bridlington which is allocated for residential development in the East Riding Local Plan, the development meets an identified need for affordable housing in the area and homes for older persons aged over 55. Laura Devaney, Land and Partnerships Director at Esh Construction, said: “We have worked closely with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to ensure local need was fully considered within plans for the development, including both design and housing tenures. “It is widely documented that our ageing society is causing a shortage of later life living options which means building new extra care housing is a high priority. Add to this, the Government’s target to build 180,000 new homes through the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme, and schemes which foster inter-generational living can make a significant difference to the shortage of these types of living options within communities.” Housing 21 will take ownership of the extra care facility which will allow people to live independently in their own home, while accessing on-site care and support should they need it. All apartments will be made available for social rent. Deborah Hope, Head of Development at Housing 21, said: “We are pleased that planning permission for Housing 21’s Extra Care scheme in Bridlington has been submitted. We look forward to being able to build homes for local older people where they can live independently for longer, in the community that they know and love.” The two-storey houses, bungalows and ‘walk-up’ apartments will be constructed for a regional registered housing provider. Modern methods of construction (MMC) will be used throughout the scheme and 26 homes will be built with a timber frame. Jonathan Millea, Land & Planning Director at Millea Group, said: “I am extremely pleased with how this project is panning out so far. From the beginning our client, Esh Construction, has approached this with professionalism by carrying out all the necessary due diligence prior to submitting their planning application. Communication is paramount to ensuring all interested parties remain updated and as a wider team this is something we’ve all worked on very well. “Millea Group is looking forward to seeing the planning application progress and the development bring forward the much needed accommodation.” Devaney added: “An extensive amount of work has gone into this scheme to date, and I would like to thank all parties for their involvement, including Acanthus WSM Architects, Devcom Ltd, Millea Group Ltd, Engineering Services Consultancy Ltd and ID Planning.” In the event of a successful planning decision, Esh Construction will continue to work with BWA (Europe) Ltd, AA Projects and Eastwood Consulting Engineers throughout the development.

Irwin Mitchell Asset Management acquires business of Leeds-based wealth manager

Tess Egginton
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Irwin Mitchell Asset Management acquires business of Leeds-based wealth manager
Irwin Mitchell Asset Management Limited (IMAML) has invested further in its business, strengthened its financial planning expertise and grown its client-base by completing a deal to acquire the business and assets of Leeds-based Andrews Gwynne LLP. The deal will add specialist investment management capacity and capability to the growing IM Asset Management team as well as providing Sheffield-based Irwin Mitchell the opportunity to offer its full suite of legal services to Andrews Gwynne clients. The acquisition is expected to increase assets under management to £1.2 billion. Current partner at Andrews Gwynne, Mark Smith, is joining as head of the team and will report directly to IM Asset Management CEO, Richard Potts. This deal follows Irwin Mitchell Asset Management Limited’s acquisition of Alderley Edge-based financial planners TWP Wealth last year. Richard Potts, CEO of IMAML, said: “The addition of the Andrews Gwynne team gives us the opportunity to attract more clients from outside of Irwin Mitchell who come direct for our wealth management and investment planning services – as well as adding capacity and capability for existing Irwin Mitchell clients. We’re pleased to have the team on board and welcome them to IM Asset Management.” Mark Smith, partner at Andrews Gwynne, said: “We’re delighted to be joining the Irwin Mitchell group and the IM Asset Management team. Our values and vision for the future are shared and our joint capabilities mean we’ll be able to provide all our clients with an increased depth and breadth of wealth and legal services.”

Adler and Allan acquire wastewater monitoring and management specialist Detectronic

Tess Egginton
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Adler and Allan acquire wastewater monitoring and management specialist Detectronic
Harrogate environmental services business, Adler and Allan, has acquired sewer and wastewater network monitoring and management specialist Detectronic, to further enhance its wastewater telemetry and monitoring capability. Detectronic is an environmental and engineering company with a proven track record of helping customers prevent flooding and reduce pollution. Detectronic design and manufacture a range of flow and level monitors for wastewater monitoring including LIDoTT, a market-leading range of sewer level monitoring devices. LIDoTT is specifically designed for widespread deployment across entire networks and provides utility companies with an early warning system for pollution events. Neil Butler, Managing Director, Detectronic, said: “We are delighted to be joining the Adler and Allan Group. The services Adler and Allan offer, combined with its established position in the utilities market, allows us to extend our expert monitoring and management solutions to more companies.” Henrik Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, Adler and Allan, said: “This is our fourth acquisition in the utilities sector, and sixth overall in the last 18 months. “It is a further step in the group’s ambitious growth plans to support customers with a broader set of environmental challenges including trade effluent, wastewater management and the hugely divisive and the high-profile topic of CSOs. “With this latest acquisition, we are cementing our position as a strategic partner to the water industry to manage and monitor their assets through the full lifecycle.” This acquisition follows the announcement that consultative asset management, engineering, and commercial services company Aqua Consultants joined the Adler and Allan Group in February 2023.

Hippo Digital expands data and engineering capabilities with fellow Leeds firm

Tess Egginton
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Hippo Digital expands data and engineering capabilities with fellow Leeds firm
Digital services partner, Hippo Digital, has acquired Leeds-based data consultancy, The Data Shed. Hippo Digital has been on a mission to transform the delivery of digital services across the NHS and central government since being founded in 2016. Both Hippo Digital and The Data Shed have experienced exceptional double-digit growth in the last year, and demand for their services continues to increase. The coming together of these two businesses creates a nearly 400-strong team and a new alternative to the traditional, legacy systems integrators and digital transformation organisations that have historically dominated this space. Adam Lewis, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hippo Digital, said: “The Data Shed has an impressive track record of delivering for clients and has established itself as a real leader in the data field. “This acquisition significantly strengthens our data and engineering capabilities, helps us solve wider problems for clients, and The Data Shed’s private sector experience extends our reach. We’re delighted to welcome the team to the Hippo family.” Ed Thewlis, co-founder and chief commercial officer of The Data Shed, said: “Hippo and The Data Shed are united in the belief of doing what is right for our clients and adding value every step of the way. Value and good design are at the heart of every project we complete. “By bringing the two businesses together, we believe that we have the talent and the experience to disrupt the current market offering, driving meaningful transformation to more clients and ultimately driving better outcomes for citizens and customers everywhere.” This acquisition takes Hippo Digital’s headcount close to 400 and revenues in excess of £40m. The transaction was supported by Grant Thornton (finance and tax due diligence), Squire Patton Boggs (legal and legal due diligence), Armstrong (customer due diligence), Vista (insurance due diligence) and The Data Shed advisors KPMG and DWF. NatWest provided funding for the transaction, and legal support was provided to NatWest by Addleshaw Goddard.

Water companies share in £1.6bn to improve water quality

Stuart Pearcey
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Water companies share in £1.6bn to improve water quality
Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water, and Severn Trent Water are amongst five companies to share more than £1.6bn of new investment for vital infrastructure to improve the water quality of rivers, lakes and coastal waters and secure future water supplies, the government and Ofwat has announced. As part of the new package of investment, announced in draft form by Ofwat, companies will commit £1.1 billion to help eliminate harm caused by storm overflows. A further £400 million will be spent on water resilience schemes and £160m to help reduce nutrient pollution. It includes major new projects such as:
  • Yorkshire Water improving wastewater treatment infrastructure in Ilkley to improve the bathing water quality of the River Wharfe (£67 million)
  • Anglian Water accelerating its regional storm overflow reduction plan in the east of England (£27 million)
  • Severn Trent rolling out smart meters and modifying its Draycote Water reservoir in Warwickshire to increase water capacity (£70 million)
  • Essex and Suffolk Water increasing water resilience in their area to better meet the needs of local customers including businesses (£18 million)
  • United Utilities reducing around 8,400 spills per year, including reducing discharges into Lake Windermere (£800 million)
Schemes will also focus on new infrastructure to reduce nutrient pollution. Improvements at 14 wastewater treatment works, with an investment of £160 million, will significantly reduce phosphorus pollution in protected site catchments. This includes proposals from Anglian Water to both reduce pollution and support sustainable housing development. All work will start in the next two years, from 2023 to 2025. Water Minister Rebecca Pow said: “These schemes will help accelerate the delivery of the urgent improvements we need to protect our environment. It includes £1.1 billion of new investment to stop sewage discharges at sites across the country and will deliver a reduction of 10,000 discharges per year in places like Lake Windermere, the River Wharfe, Falmouth and Sidmouth.”

ITM Power signs 15-year lease on Bessemer Park extension plan premises

Stuart Pearcey
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ITM Power signs 15-year lease on Bessemer Park extension plan premises
ITM Power has signed a 15-year lease on factory and office space at Sheffield’s Bessewmer Park. The expansion will allow creation of a dedicated R&D and product validation centre which will include science laboratories and testing facilities for future technology developments, enabling use of the existing fabrication space at Bessemer Park more effectively for higher volume output. ITM personnel operate from a number of different locations in Sheffield, and it is our intention to consolidate them all at Bessemer Park, at both its new and existing units. The initial lease period is for 15 years, covering more than 83,000 sqft. Fitting out of the laboratories and validation areas will start towards the end of this year, and the firm will move in early in 2024.
Dennis Schulz said: “We are well on track on delivering against our 12-month plan laid out in January. One of our priorities was the need for ITM to strengthen product validation and to debottleneck factory space and product testing. Today’s announcement is not only a critically important step on our journey to scale up manufacturing, but it will also enable the focussed development of future technologies.”
 

Loans to IT recycler create expansion and new jobs in Wetherby

Stuart Pearcey
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Loans to IT recycler create expansion and new jobs in Wetherby

Loans of £150,000 have allowed Wetherby-based IT recycling firm Zixtel Ltd to expand its recycling facilities, hire five new people and safeguard existing  jobs.

The company, founded over 26 years ago, received the loans from Business Enterprise Fund and NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance, which is managed by the Business Enterprise Fund and FFE Microfinance, and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. Specialists in IT recycling for businesses with redundant equipment, Zixtel expanded its services to include a recycling plant during the pandemic. With a mission to never send anything to landfill, Zixtel was dismantling all products by hand prior to the investment.

Toni Cox, HR and compliance manager at the firm, said: “The loan has helped future proof Zixtel, given us the ability to hire five new people in our warehouse and recycling teams as well as safeguarding two jobs. Plus, the investment into new machinery will enable us to help other businesses with their environmental goals long-term.

“The new machines have helped us to improve efficiencies, allowing us to recycle more equipment faster. We can now easily separate materials such as precious metals and these then go on to be recycled further and re-introduced to the market lessening the need for mining of raw materials.”

According to research from Uswitch, the UK produces the second highest amount of e-waste per capita in the world, with IT and telecoms e-waste almost doubling in the UK between 2008 and 2022.

Mark Iley, investment manager at the Business Enterprise Fund, said: “It’s more imperative than ever that businesses do what they can to support the future of our planet – with Zixtel’s improved separating and recycling facilities, they’re offering companies peace of mind that their IT equipment can be recycled ethically and without sending anything to landfill.

“At BEF we’re committed to supporting businesses who are conscious about their own social impact, so providing the loan to Zixtel to enhance their recycling services and support their recruitment initiatives made perfect sense.”

Sean Hutchinson at the British Business Bank said: “Supporting innovative and sustainable businesses like Zixtel is at the heart of what the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is for.  It’s businesses like this that are the driving force of the Northern business community – contributing to the nation’s net zero goals through its expertise in recycling, whilst supporting the local economy by creating jobs and expanding its facilities.”

The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project (NPIF) is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

UK Export Finance given an extra £10bn to support increased overseas sales

Stuart Pearcey
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UK Export Finance given an extra £10bn to support increased overseas sales
UK Export Finance has been granted an extra £10 billion of capacity to drive more UK exports, raising its maximum exposure limit from £50 billion to £60 billion. The additional capacity will ensure the export credit agency’s continued ability to support UK exporters and to deliver on its mission: to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. UKEF CEO Tim Reid said: “This is fantastic news for the UK companies that we are here to support. It means we can help more British businesses export and will enable us to support more jobs and help to fuel growth.” In 2021-22, UKEF provided £7.4 billion in financing to exporters of all sizes, which supported up to 72,000 UK jobs. The increased capacity will help UKEF continue to deliver on the government’s priorities, supporting economic growth and jobs in communities across the UK. UK Export Finance is committed to increasing its support in clean growth and climate adaptation. This new capacity will help build on the £7 billion of support UKEF has provided for sustainable projects since 2019, as it focuses on long-term, sustainable economic growth.

Drax invited to sit down with Government to discuss carbon capture project

Stuart Pearcey
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Drax invited to sit down with Government to discuss carbon capture project

Drax has been invited to talk to the Government immediately to move forward carbon capture project that the firm believes is the only one that canensure the Government is able to fulfil its restated commitment to achieving 5Mtpa of engineered Greenhouse Gas Removals by 2030.

Separately, the Government has stated that it will work closely with electricity generators currently using biomass to facilitate a transition to Power BECCS.

The Government has also confirmed that its response to the Power BECCS business model consultation, which took place in 2022, will be published imminently, providing further clarity on the delivery of BECCS as soon as possible.

Drax Group CEO Will Gardiner said: “Delivery of BECCS at Drax Power Station will help the UK achieve its net zero targets, create thousands of jobs across the north and help ensure the UK’s long-term energy security.

“We note confirmation that our project has met the Government’s deliverability criteria and Government remains committed to achieve 5Mtpa of engineered Greenhouse Gas Removals by 2030 – a goal that cannot be achieved without BECCS at Drax Power Station. We will immediately enter into formal discussions with Government to take our project forward.

“With the right engagement from Government and swift decision making, Drax stands ready to progress our £2bn investment programme and deliver this critical project for the UK by 2030.”

The Government recognises the important role which BECCS will play in delivering net zero and aims to deploy 5Mt of engineered CO2 removals per annum from BECCS and other engineered GGR technologies by 2030, rising to 23Mt in 2035 and up to 81Mt in 2050 to keep the UK on a pathway to meet its legislated climate targets, The Sixth Carbon Budget and net zero.

Drax Power Station is the UK’s largest single source of renewable electricity and BECCS is the only technology that can produce reliable renewable power, provide system support services and permanently remove CO2 at scale. 

BCC calls for better support for firms struggling with energy bills

Stuart Pearcey
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BCC calls for better support for firms struggling with energy bills
As businesses face an 85% decrease in total energy support the British Chambers of Commerce has highlighted the need for an energy support contingency plan, and is calling for increased, targeted help for firms who desperately need it. The BCC is also calling on Government to increase Ofgem’s power to strengthen protection for businesses in the energy market. Alex Veitch, Director of Policy & Public Affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “We have been signalling for months that many businesses will struggle to afford their energy bills when the financial envelope of support reduces by 85%, with many receiving a fraction of their original support. Almost half of firms say paying bills will be difficult. “But of the seven energy policies we advocated for the Government to include in this month’s Spring Budget, not one was acted upon. “Flexibility to increase support for those who desperately need it – ignored. Easing the burden of claiming VAT on energy – ignored. Funding for improved business energy efficiency – ignored. And so the list goes on. “Government also failed to heed our calls to increase regulation of the business energy sector. The energy crisis faced by firms and households are two sides of the same coin. Yet, non-domestic customers do not enjoy the same protection as households. “To ensure competition in the business energy sector, and solve market failures, Government must ensure Ofgem has the necessary powers to properly regulate the industry. We are also asking Ofgem and Government to introduce a ‘duty to supply’ mechanism to the non-domestic energy market, to ensure businesses can access fixed rates, providing them with certainty and stability. “Along with the reduction in energy support, businesses are facing several other changes in the business environment from tomorrow. Corporation tax is increasing, as is the national living wage, while a number of firms will see their business rates change due to revaluations. “These changes will have a significant impact, but Government is yet to offer any meaningful support to offset the challenges currently facing so many UK businesses.”
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