Sheffield’s Mason Thomas Law secures Law Society’s conveyancing quality mark
Sheffield’s property law specialist firm, Mason Thomas Law has secured membership to the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme – the mark of excellence for the home buying process.
Mason Thomas Law underwent rigorous assessment by the Law Society in order to secure CQS status, which marks the firm out as meeting high standards in the residential conveyancing process.
Having the industry-recognised CQS standard assures home buyers that they will receive a reliable, efficient service from Mason Thomas Law.
Law Society President Andrew Caplen said that the CQS accreditation is the hallmark of high standards and establishes a level of credibility for regulators, lenders, insurers and consumers.
“CQS is the quality mark of the home-buying sector and enables consumers to identify practices that provide a quality residential conveyancing service. With so many different conveyancing service providers out there CQS helps home-buyers and sellers seek out those that can provide a safe and efficient level of service.”
Delighted to secure CQS status, Cathy Thomas, Director and Solicitor at Mason Thomas Law, said: “Having the industry-recognised CQS accreditation proves our commitment to quality, something I and the team have been focused on since the practice was established in 2019.”
The CQS scheme requires practices to undergo a strict assessment, compulsory training, self-reporting, random audits and annual reviews in order to maintain CQS status. It is open only to members of the Law Society who meet the demanding standards set by the scheme and has the support of the Council of Mortgage Lenders, the Building Societies Association, Legal Ombudsman and the Association of British Insurers.
Cathy added: “Achieving CQS status is yet another step in positioning Mason Thomas Law as the go-to firm for all residential and commercial property legal needs. We focus solely on property law and because of this we ensure that the process of buying or selling any property is as straightforward and stress-free as possible.”
Mason Thomas Law was established by Cathy Thomas and brings together a hand-picked team of legal professionals, who specialise in residential and commercial law as well as Secured Lending. All members of the team are committed to open lines of communication, teamwork and a shared ethos of getting the job done and doing things differently.
“From the outset I wanted to create a property law firm that was different from everyone I’d worked for in the past. I take immense pride in the fact we’re different from traditional law firms. We’re a team with agility, thoroughness, and communication at our core. Every member of the team is hands-on and knows what is going on with every deal,” explained Cathy.
Sustainability certification and a key appointment boosts Bailie Group’s net zero pledge
Leeds-headquartered Bailie Group, a family-owned communication specialist and United Nations’ named climate leader, has bolstered its bold net zero ambitions with a duo of announcements — the appointment of sustainability lead Katie McShera, and the accomplishment of the internationally renowned Planet Mark sustainability accreditation.
Acknowledging continuous progress, encouraging action, and building an empowered community of like-minded individuals, the prestigious certification provides a framework via which the Group — including each of its five companies — can remain accountable, as it takes positive and purposeful strides towards achieving its environmental and social goals.
The development follows a pledge by the Bailie Group to reach net zero by 2050, and to halve emissions by 2030. Philip Walter, chief operating officer, comments: “As a business we’re passionate about making a positive difference. In becoming Planet Mark certified, we’ve put our heads above the parapet, making some firm environmental and social commitments and ensuring that we’re accountable for seeing those through — an element that was particularly important to us.”
The process, which has taken around six months, wasn’t without its challenges, with baselining — the method through which an organisation determines its current performance so that improvements can be monitored and measured — proving particularly intricate. Philip continues: “What you can’t measure, you can’t manage so we knew that determining our starting point was a crucial part of the process. With this aspect now complete — despite some stumbling blocks along the way — the hard work can begin.”
Meanwhile, Katie’s role — the first of its kind within the organisation — will further complement the Group’s latest accolade, while underpinning the business’ long-term commitment to improving its sustainability and social value credentials.
Having always been passionate about pursuing roles in which she could make a meaningful difference, the former operations manager joins Bailie Group following a 20-year career with debt management charity, StepChange.
Initially employed on a temporary basis to help oversee the Group’s efforts to benchmark their emissions, it soon became clear that Katie’s transferable skills could bring long-term value to the team, resulting in a permanent contract.
On her new role, Katie comments: “The team at Bailie Group has given me a very warm welcome, and my most striking observation so far is how there doesn’t appear to be a hierarchy. No matter who you talk to, you’re treated as an equal and encouraged to share your ideas. This feeds into the positive premise behind the organisation and it’s so lovely to have found that real sense of purpose.
“Initially, my role involves supporting each of the companies to co-ordinate their sustainability efforts, providing support and advice as we drive our carbon reduction efforts during 2022. I’ll be making sure that our progress — whether that’s in terms of emissions or the delivery of social value — is tracked, so that we continuously improve.
“The scope to make improvements is really exciting, and the fact that we’re working on such a valuable cause — and aiming to make a really tangible difference both to people and the planet — makes every day rewarding.”
Environmentally conscious initiatives introduced by the Group over the past 12 months include installing LED lights with PIR sensors throughout the whole of the organisation’s recently refurbished Riverside House HQ at Canal Wharf Leeds; replacing gas boilers with air source heating and providing all staff with reusable water bottles and coffee mugs to negate the use of disposables. In addition to a cycle to work scheme, staff are provided with season ticket loans for public transport, plus all diesel vehicles are being progressively removed from Bailie Group’s fleet and electric vehicle charging points installed.
The business’ bold ambitions recently saw Bailie Group’s CEO, Fergus Bailie and COO, Philip Walter visit Downing Street to meet Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and Business and Energy Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, as part of a select group of small and micro companies from across the UK.
Manufacturing upturn continues at end of 2021
The manufacturing sector saw further growth of production, new orders and employment at the end of 2021. Although a slight easing in supply chain delays helped lift output volumes and take some of the heat out of input price increases, logistic disruptions and staff shortages were nonetheless still stymieing the overall pace of expansion.
The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) rose to 57.9 in December, littlechanged from November’s three-month high of 58.1. The PMI has remained above the neutral 50.0 mark for 19 months.
Output rose across the consumer, intermediate and investment goods sectors during December, with the overall pace of expansion improving to a four-month high. Increased
output was underpinned by rising intakes of new business, as domestic market conditions continued to strengthen.
The trend in new export business remained negative, however, as inflows of new work from overseas dropped for the fourth month in a row. This mainly reflected a steep decrease at consumer goods producers. In contrast, export demand for UK capital goods rose at the quickest pace since August. Manufacturers indicated that logistic issues, Brexit difficulties and the possibility of further COVID restrictions (at home and overseas) had all hit export demand at the end of the year.
Manufacturing employment increased for the twelfth successive month in December, with the rate of jobs growth staying close to November’s three-month high. Companies linked this to meeting improved demand, rising backlogs of work and efforts to address staff shortages. Capacity remained under strain, however. This was highlighted by a further increase in outstanding business, although the pace of expansion in work-in-hand volumes eased sharply to its lowest since February.
Companies maintained a positive outlook at the end of 2021. The majority of firms (63%) forecast that production would increase over the coming 12 months, compared to only 6%
anticipating a contraction. Optimism reflected expectations of renewed global economic growth, planned investment and hopes for less disruption caused by COVID-19, Brexit and
supply chain issues.
Inflationary pressures remained elevated in December. The rate of increase in factory gate selling prices accelerated to a fresh series-record high, as companies passed on (at least in
part) rising costs to their customers.
December saw a further substantial increase in average input prices, with the rate of inflation staying among the steepest seen in the survey history. There were reports of higher costs for chemicals, electronics, energy, food products, metals, timber and wood. Freight, shipping and air transportation costs were also higher, while ongoing supply disruptions, raw material shortages and issues relating to Brexit and COVID-19 also led to higher prices paid.
Commenting on the latest survey results, Rob Dobson, director at IHS Markit, said: “UK manufacturing production rose at the quickest pace in four months in December, supported by increased intakes of new work, efforts to reduce backlogs of work and higher employment.
“While the uptick in growth is a positive step, the upturn remains subdued compared to the middle of the year, as supply chain constraints and weak export performance constrained attempts to raise production further. Manufacturers indicated that logistic issues, Brexit difficulties and the possibility of further COVID restrictions (at home and overseas) had all hit export demand at the end of the year.
“Although supply chains remain severely stretched, there are at least signs that the situation is stabilising, with vendor delivery times lengthening to the weakest extent for a year in December. This helped take some of the heat out of input price increases, but cost inflation remained sufficiently steep to necessitate the sharpest rise in factory gate selling prices on record. With restrictions and Omicron cases both rising, the growth and inflation backdrops could change again in the early part of 2022.”
Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “On the surface there wasn’t much of a change in the sector compared to last month but there was plenty to put manufacturers on edge about their prospects for the coming year.
“Purchasing by supply chain managers was at a four month high as businesses tried to beat another near-record inflation rate for raw materials and ordered ahead of time in the hope of defeating future setbacks. Delay fears remained as supplier deliveries remained under pressure albeit to the least severe extent since December 2020. On the plus side, optimism remained positive as manufacturers were buoyed up by the strongest pipelines of new work driven by UK customers and employment levels rose for the twelfth consecutive month to meet demand.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact that the UK economy took a significant hit and new variants and potential lockdowns threaten to impede much needed progress but at least the sector ended the last quarter of 2021 on a surer footing.”
Redbrik promote Jessica Risorto to Director
Award-winning South Yorkshire and North East Derbyshire Estate Agents, Redbrik has promoted Jessica Risorto to Director as it looks to develop a greater diversity of skills amongst the senior management team.
Since joining the property firm in 2015, Jessica has continually delivered and grown in every position within the sales department. Most recently, she held the position of Area Manager in Chesterfield, which she will continue to lead on.
Jessica will join Managing Director Mark Ross and Directors David Cooper and Peter Lee as a member of Redbrik’s board of directors.
Mark Ross said: “Jessica has been with us for six years, and in that time, has gained a wealth of knowledge which we believe she will apply to her new role. David, Peter and I are thrilled that she will be supporting us with the delivery of strategic plans in 2022 and beyond.”
Jessica Risorto added: “I would like to say thank you to Mark, David and Peter for giving me this fantastic opportunity to help shape the future of the business. Coming from a hospitality background, prior to joining Redbrik, I understand the importance of exceptional customer service. I’m excited to bring this and many new ideas across the entire organisation.”
Redbrik has also announced that Laura Molloy has been promoted to Area Manager for the Crystal Peaks branch, after previously working as Sales Manager and then most recently Assistant Manager in Chesterfield.
A newly created position of Head of Residential Sales will be held by David Cooper. As well as his role in managing the South West Sheffield branch and Director duties, David will oversee the residential property sales operations of the business. This will involve facilitating an enhanced property sales service for home movers.
Huddersfield-based Scriba PR awarded media brief from breakthrough broadband provider
Scriba PR has been appointed as the communications partner for disruptive broadband provider, Be Fibre, to deliver an ambitious, strategic media brief.
Following the news that the full-fibre internet service provider gained access to £100m of private investment funding, the high-profile firm has partnered with the technical B2B PR agency to help support its mission to deliver hypersonic broadband access to 1,000,000 premises, over the next six years.
Hired on a retained basis for the next 12 months, Scriba’s work will include profile raising for the brand and key spokespeople, via thought-leadership editorials and speaking opportunities, as well as consumer-facing communications from a national to a hyperlocal level.
Scriba will also act as the press office for this fast-paced business and will protect the messaging house as the company’s tone of voice takes shape.
“Here at Scriba, we have almost a decade of experience within the technology and telecommunications sectors. We’re excited to leverage this to help Be Fibre bring the UK up to speed, quite literally, in terms of full-fibre connectivity,” explained Scriba’s managing director, Katie Mallinson.
“We’ll be working closely with the company to help achieve its ambitious growth targets – with a bold public relations and marketing strategy supporting Be Fibre’s aim to provide residential and business connectivity to 80 towns and cities by 2027.”
Be Fibre hopes to create up to 500 jobs by the end of 2022 alone.
Speaking of Scriba’s appointment, Be Fibre’s Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Rob Andrews said: “Broadband is an extremely competitive market where messages can sometimes be highly confusing. We will be relying on Scriba PR to help us cut through the noise and jargon of a crowded marketplace, so that consumers are empowered to make better broadband choices.
“There’s a B2B element to our brief too, as we raise the authoritative voice of our sister brand – alternative network provider Digital Infrastructure. We look forward to working with Scriba PR in both respects, and already see them as a highly capable and personable extension to our existing marketing communications function.”
Senior partner steps down after four decades at law firm
Following a 43 year career at Sills & Betteridge, distinguished solicitor Stephen Wilson retired as the firm’s senior partner on 31 December 2021. His position was taken over by Karen Bower-Brown, the first woman to become senior partner in the 260 year history of the firm.
Lincoln born Stephen joined Sills & Betteridge as an articled clerk in February 1979. He qualified as solicitor in 1981 and became partner in 1985. Stephen spent the first 10 years of his career handling a mixed case load of work before dedicating all of his time to litigation, ultimately specialising in complex personal injury and clinical negligence matters, until he retired.
Notable achievements in Stephen’s career include his appointments as Deputy District Judge and President of Lincolnshire Law Society and being admitted as a Fellow of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
Stephen said: “I have been lucky to have such an interesting and varied legal career, all of which I spent at Sills & Betteridge. My greatest satisfaction has been recovering compensation for my clients, some of whom had suffered catastrophic injuries or the devastating loss of loved ones. It also gives me huge pride to know that I have helped drive the growth of the firm, from a small local practice when I joined, to the large, thriving regional firm it is today.”
Having spent 30 years dominated by court deadlines, Stephen looks forward, initially, to a long rest. He will then spend time walking in his beloved Yorkshire Dales and exploring other beautiful areas of the British Isles, improving his golf handicap and spending time in the garden. He will also be found working behind the bar of his local village social club!
Stephen’s successor Karen Bower-Brown, current head of the firm’s commercial department, joined the firm in 1999 following a position at a London firm located near Green Park where part of her remit was to advise staff in the Royal household. Karen now specialises in litigation work including commercial, contract and property disputes, as well as contentious trust and probate work for which she is a recognised specialist.
Karen says: “I feel very proud to have been asked by the partners to take on the role of senior partner following Stephen Wilson’s retirement. The firm has gone from strength to strength since I joined as an assistant solicitor in 1999 when there was one office in Lincoln.
“Now we have 15 offices in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottingham and Northampton. Although Covid has proved to be a challenge for the firm, we have weathered the storm extremely well and I have no doubt that the firm as a whole has a bright future. I take the opportunity to thank Stephen Wilson for his contribution to the firm over the last 43 years including as senior partner. I wish him all the very best for the future.”
Yorkshire-based food group seals sweet deal with desserts manufacturer
Regal Food Products Group Plc, the Yorkshire-based food group behind brands Regal Bakery, Regal Foods and Yorkshire Baking Company, have acquired premium desserts manufacturer Just Desserts for an undisclosed sum – backed by the commercial team at Virgin Money UK.
Established in 1985 in Shipley, West Yorkshire, Just Desserts specialise in baking a range of over 130 hand-crafted desserts and cakes, that are distributed throughout the food service industry. The range of hand-crafted desserts include tarts, cheesecakes and gateaux which already are well established within restaurants, cafes, and retail outlets.
The acquisition of Just Desserts will add to the growing success of Regal Foods Group, whilst complementing and broadening the offer available within the food service and retail industry.
Younis Chaudhry, CEO of Regal Food Products Group Plc, adds: “We immediately recognised a business that presented itself with opportunity, not just for us as a food group but also for our customers.
“New product development and innovation has always been at the forefront of our work and bringing Just Desserts and it’s team of craft bakers into the fold, enables us to offer flexibility and the scope to develop the growing range of quality products that are on offer within the retail and wholesale sector. Further developments will also see the high-quality desserts available through ecommerce platforms.
“We are extremely proud to be scaling our portfolio beyond the circle of Regal founded brands and branching out to becoming new owners of Just Desserts – a bakery that harnesses true craftsmanship within the confectionery industry.”
James O’Dwyer, former Managing Director, adds: “We are delighted and excited to be joining the Regal Foods family and know that the Just Desserts brand and all the team behind its success are in the best possible hands to ensure its future growth and prosperity. It really is exciting times ahead.”
Younis Chaudhry confirmed the acquisition will mean business as usual for Just Desserts, which will continue to run as an independent business whilst benefiting from the recourses and ongoing investment the group has to offer.
The acquisition was advised by Mazars, Clarion Solicitors and BHP Corporate Finance.
Tech that will vastly improve your business for little money
If you are running a business in the post-pandemic world, you will be looking for any way to keep up with all the new health regulations and restrictions going on across the country. The new measures are keeping everyone safe but are hard to keep up with.
There is now a lot of affordable tech available to make running a business a lot easier. Read on for our choices of the best ones.
Cleaning tech
We’ve all become a lot more germ aware, even if we aren’t entirely sticking to keeping 2 metres apart. New tech on the market has made a lot of aspects of everyday life safer, with smart tech taking over cities in the form of contactless payment machines, for example.
No longer do we need to handle germ-infested notes and coins and instead we simply tap our smart card or even phone to buy something. With affordable new models that cost as little as £30, what was once an expense only the chain stores could afford is now the norm for every modern business.
Elsewhere, mobile cleaning tech is taking most of the work out of deep cleaning premises. VIOA is a mobile cleaning device that uses UVC light to kill 99.99% of all viruses and bacteria by merely existing. Place it in a restaurant, shopfront, dentist or doctors’ room, gym or anywhere else you can think of to reduce bacteria, viruses, germs, and pathogens in the air and on surfaces.
When traditional cleaning methods are proven to only be 50% effective, can you really afford not to?
Security tech
Smart home security systems have taken off, but we don’t see as many people using them for their businesses. That is a shame, because they come with a lot of advantages over traditional security systems.
Most systems come with a camera that will capture anyone approaching your premises and a direct line to the local police, but the smart security system also alerts you via your smartphone if someone is approaching and even allows you to have a two-way conversation with whoever is on your front door.
You can control it remotely, allowing you to open or close it if a delivery needs to come in, all from your smartphone.
Management tech
If you consider software technology, you have a wealth of options available online to make running a business a lot easier. There seems to be a software application for every little problem.
For one thing, you can download a decent phone system for your business. With more and more people working remotely, either to work from home or to travel while working, you will need this superior way to keep in touch with them.
Your basic online phone system will make phone and video calls all over the internet, eliminating the need for a landline, so that’s already saving you money. But the better packages offer texting and customer service features.
You will see your team’s productivity go through the roof, gaining you better profits.
Plans for affordable and sustainable homes on track for Leeds as application submitted
Plans have been submitted to build 58 one-, two- and three-bedroom sustainable apartments for social rent, close to Leeds city centre, on Railway Street at Saxton Gardens.
Leeds City Council selected Leeds & Yorkshire Housing Association (LYHA), following a competitive process, to develop the central Leeds site, which has been designed by Brewster Bye Architects.
If plans are approved, a new five-storey, energy efficient scheme will be built on the site of the former ‘Yorkshire Rider Social Club’, close to Quarry House and within easy access of the city centre. The area is set to undergo further significant regeneration over the coming years.
The homes will be energy efficient and will feature heat pumps instead of traditional gas central heating, as well as benefitting from low-carbon energy source EV charging points and cycle storage to facilitate green, active travel.
The scheme will include 28 one-bedroom, 25 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom apartments. The ground floor apartments will each have their own garden and additional communal outside space is included, which will be landscaped with trees to enhance biodiversity. All the homes have a flexible layout and will include workspace areas, with the larger apartments each having an office, reflecting the increase in home working.
Subject to planning approval, Leeds City Council will sell the site to LYHA, and support its development with commuted sums contributions. These financial contributions have been secured from other new residential developments, where it has not been possible to provide sufficient affordable housing on-site. The Council manages these pooled funds to invest in other sites, ensuring that more, new affordable housing is being built across the city.
Joanna Chambers, Director of Assets and Growth at LYHA, said: “We are delighted that our bid for the site was successful and are excited to begin turning our plans into reality. There is a significant need for more affordable housing in Leeds, particularly in the Burmantofts area and in neighbourhoods near the city centre.
“Brewster Bye has designed an enticing and highly functional vision for the new homes. Subject to planning, we could start on site in Spring 2022 and estimate that the build will take 18 months to complete. All nominations for initial tenancies will be made through Leeds City Council.”
Cllr Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for Infrastructure and Climate, said: “We are pleased to be able to work with LYHA on this development, which will provide much-needed affordable housing in this part of the city, and at the same time bring unused and undeveloped land back into use.
“By delivering a mix of different homes, this development reflects our efforts to address housing need in the local area and to ensure we have mixed communities, where diverse housing needs can be met.
“As well as delivering an ambitious Council Housing Growth programme, we are working with the affordable housing sector to increase affordable housing delivery across the city. Working closely with partners, a number of critical schemes are now progressing, which will help address Leeds’ affordable housing need.”
Mark Henderson, from Brewster Bye Architects, said: “Our plans have been developed in close consultation with Leeds City Council’s planning officers. It’s a very interesting site and we have worked with LYHA to create a landmark development that will form an important part of this evolving area.
“The scheme will take its place amongst some of the most high-profile and forthcoming developments in the city. In slight contrast to the sleek modernist architecture of the surrounding proposals, our scheme has a lively, undulating form set within rich landscaping, which both softens and gives a human scale to the development.
“Visually interesting and attractive, the apartments will have an open plan living kitchen area, separate utility and storage space, homeworking space, bedrooms, bathrooms and floor to ceiling windows that flood them with natural light. Crucially, all the homes will also be highly accessible and adaptable for residents with limited mobility.”
Outside the development, there are a number of green spaces surrounding the site, that are a legacy of mid-20th Century development of the area. These will be linked together and enhanced, with LYHA replacing low-grade amenity grassland with enhanced planting and shrubbery, establishing habitat areas throughout the development.
Harrogate financial adviser snaps up Skipton business
Prosperis Ltd, the Harrogate-based Independent Financial Adviser, has acquired AJ Hird Ltd, the Skipton-based financial services business, for an undisclosed fee.
AJ Hird was established 20 years ago and is a leading IFA business in the North Yorkshire market town.
Paul Meehan, chairman of Prosperis, said: “We believe this is a great deal for the clients of A J Hird. We will preserve and enhance the personal service being currently provided and look forward to welcoming all their clients to the group in due course.”
Chris Cundell, Managing Director of AJ Hird, will continue to lead the business and said: “This increased scale creates a positive platform for the future for all our clients, large and small. I am personally looking forward to working with Prosperis as they will deliver additional services to the benefit the business.”
Niall Gunn, Managing Director of Prosperis, said: “This is the third of four deals in our acquisition pipeline, and we welcome our new colleagues at AJ Hird to the Prosperis family. Ashley McCartney will be seconded from Harrogate to support Chris in developing the Skipton business further.”
Prosperis Ltd was formed in 2002. The deal brings a further £40m of assets under their control with the business now managing assets in the excess of £300m.
