University to offer five day course helping resolve common problems when handling biomass materials

Tess Egginton
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University to offer five day course helping resolve common problems when handling biomass materials
Engineers, maintenance personnel, managers and procurement executives with responsibility for obtaining and operating equipment for handling of biomass are set to benefit from a new course in February. From 21 – 25 February 2022 the University of Greenwich will help delegates identify and resolve common problems when handling the various biomass materials. Run over 5 sessions from 14.00 until 17:00 each day, the Biomass Operations and Handling Technology course will cover the basics of:
  • Biomass macro-economics, subsidies and potential;
  • Material types, flow properties and handling equipment requirements;
  • Self-heating, fire, explosion and safety;
  • Dust and degradation, pneumatic conveying and wear;
as well as give an insight into
  • Explosion protection and ATEX regulations;
  • Engineering of equipment for storage and discharge;
  • Ship unloading;
  • Dust control and management;
  • Possible future trends in biomass
This course has an emphasis on practical aspects of technology to give a comprehensive introduction to materials handling before moving on to the more detailed aspects. The course will be delivered online via MS Teams and is led by Mike Bradley, Professor of Bulk and Particulate Technologies and Director of The Wolfson Centre. He has worked internationally on design and troubleshooting of bulk solids handling as a commercial consultant and research expert for over twenty years. Also contributing will be Richard Farnish, Consultant Engineer, with over twenty years’ experience in commercial design work related to materials handling, and Dr Baldeep Kaur, a Researcher expert in the transportation of materials in the bulk solids handling industry. The course is £775 per delegate, though discounts are available for group bookings and returning delegates. Registration and payment is available via the on-line shop. This course can also be delivered as an In-Company course over one or two days. For more information click here.

Tour operator swoops for grade A office space in York

Tess Egginton
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Tour operator swoops for grade A office space in York
Palace Capital, the property investment company, has leased a further 11,300 sq ft of grade A office space at its Hudson Quarter development in the City of York. The new letting brings office occupancy at Hudson Quarter, which completed in April of this year, to 41% with a further 3,600 sq ft currently under offer. Great Rail Journeys, the tour operator headquartered in York, has leased the fourth and fifth floors, including the top floor terrace, of the HQ building on a 10 year lease. The tenant has also taken 10 car parking spaces. Hudson Quarter has a total of 39,200 sq ft of office space which is EPC ‘A’, BREEAM Excellent and WiredScore Platinum rated. Neil Sinclair, Chief Executive, said: “The latest letting we have secured at Hudson Quarter, York reflects the renewed demand we are seeing among occupiers for high quality, well connected office space, as well as the higher levels of office returns in the regions. “When we launched HQ, it was the first grade A office space to be available in the York market for over 15 years and with constrained supply and an additional 3,600 sq ft under offer, we are pleased with the progress we are making against this market backdrop.” JLL acted for Palace Capital and Sanderson Weatherall acted for the tenant.

Property developer delivers Christmas cheer to trio of foodbanks

Tess Egginton
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Property developer delivers Christmas cheer to trio of foodbanks
York-based development company S Harrison is helping those facing hardship over the festive season by supporting three foodbanks with trolley loads of donations, ranging from toiletries and coffee through to Christmas treats including biscuits, cake and chocolate. S Harrison invited York Foodbank, Leeds South and East Foodbank and Edinburgh Food Project to provide shopping lists detailing their requirements and products that will benefit their local communities at this time of year. The developer has an active presence in all three cities where the foodbanks operate. The goods were purchased at Tesco and the supermarket giant’s York Clifton Moor store generously supplemented the three orders with further donations of food, treats and household essentials. The three charities are all affiliated with The Trussell Trust, which supports a nationwide network of foodbanks to provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, as well as campaigning for change in order to end the need for foodbanks in the UK. More than 5,100 emergency food parcels were provided for people every day from April until September this year on average, by foodbanks in the Trussell Trust network. Ann Scott, Managing Director from S Harrison, said: “We like to work closely with local well-run charities that make a genuine difference to people in the areas where we operate. Members of our team have personally delivered the consignments to the food banks now, in order to meet the Christmas demand. “We’re currently progressing developments in York, Leeds and Edinburgh, as well as completing a range of schemes in all three cities in recent years, so we were keen to renew our charitable support in these areas again this year. It’s no secret that lots of people are facing hardship right now for all types of reasons and if these donations can help to make life easier over the festive season, then they will be well worth it, and we hope it could also inspire others to support local foodbanks.” Adam Raffell, from York Foodbank, said: “Foodbanks operate under difficult circumstances and rely heavily on help and donations from local people and businesses, as well as our army of volunteers, who are all firmly committed to tackling hunger in York. This is especially true during the festive season, when we always experience an increase in demand for our services. “This year is likely to be very tough for far more people than normal due to the ongoing pandemic and soaring energy costs, which means some people are being forced to choose whether to turn the heating on or buy food. As a result, we’re extremely grateful to have S Harrison’s support and there’s no doubt it will make a big difference to those who rely on our help.”

2022 Business Predictions: Graham Edward, Managing Director of Edward Architecture

Tess Egginton
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2022 Business Predictions: Graham Edward, Managing Director of Edward Architecture
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 Graham Edward, Managing Director of Edward Architecture. Our experience of the property sector looking forward to 2022 remains buoyant and will hopefully remain so whilst bank rates remain low. A recent RIBA study has found that UK based Architecture workload remains steady in key sectors like infrastructure, residential and logistics. At Edward Architecture we have a solid and exciting order book for the next 18 months. The industry is, however, having to work through supply issues in construction, materials, consultancy, legals and the planning system, which will hopefully ease as we cope with some industry inertia brought about by Brexit and Covid. To be resilient to this continued workload and retain capacity, consultancies like ourselves are working hard to both retain staff and train new blood. I think the lockdown has let down a generation of graduates, by a reluctance to employ and too much remote working. We have invested in staff training and have taken on more graduates and try to give them good office exposure. Consultancies like ourselves have also introduced flexi time and hybrid office / home working to give an optimum work life balance and a good learning environment. Another evolution as we go into the new year is digitalisation. Clients and consumers have a heightened expectation for the digital experience, much more design is BIM based and led by ‘golden thread’ central information software products such as Operance, which collates all design and build information right through to a built package stage.

Streets cover the tax rules of staff gifts and Christmas celebrations and more in latest business support update

Tess Egginton
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Streets cover the tax rules of staff gifts and Christmas celebrations and more in latest business support update
In its latest Business Support Update, Streets Chartered Accountants dives into the tax rules of staff gifts and Christmas celebrations and the Self-Assessment deadline. Staff Gifts and Christmas Celebrations – What are the Tax rules? As we approach the festive season, many businesses will be considering how they thank their staff and what are the tax consequences of doing so. There are a whole host of tax rules employers need to be aware of when providing employees with the use of assets, making gifts and settling payments on their behalf. The relevant tax rules determine if there is tax payable, by whom, on what value and at what rate. Podcast: What will you be giving your staff this Christmas and will it be tax free? In this session, Tax Partner Jennie Brown focuses on the tax implications of Christmas gifts for employees. In conversation, she considers what gifts are allowable and provides guidance on avoiding the pitfalls from an employer’s perspective. Help is at hand when it comes to paying your tax With the Self-Assessment deadline of the 31st January getting closer, thoughts will no doubt turn to the tax payment due. The last 18 months have been extraordinary, even unprecedented, with many seeing changes to their income and potentially making it challenging to provide for their pending tax bill. Payroll support over the festive season Streets Chartered Accountants’ offices will close for Christmas and the New Year at 12 noon on Friday 24th December and will re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 4th January 2021. However, the Payroll team will be available on Wednesday 29th December, Thursday 30th December and Friday 31st December between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm. The team can be contacted on 01522 551230 or 0345 099 7299. Alternatively, you can email payroll@streetsweb.co.uk

BHP announces new partner

Michael Fisher
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BHP announces new partner
Yorkshire and North Derbyshire’s leading accountancy firm BHP has announced the promotion of Dermot Lucid to partner. Having been at the firm for more than 20 years and based in its Cleckheaton office, Dermot delivers digital finance services to a portfolio of fast growth and owner managed businesses. On joining the 34-strong team of partners at BHP, Dermot said: “This is another steppingstone in my development and that of the firm. “I’ve been at BHP for more than two decades now, and this is a testament to the business. I’m so happy here and have made many longstanding friends – some who have known me since my teens! “Looking to the future, I look forward to continuing to develop our digital finance offering and growing our talented team.” BHP recently welcomed 34 new trainees at the start of their careers with the aim of creating ‘partners of the future’. The firm has been ranked the second-best accountancy firm to work for in the UK, and the 35th best company to work for across Yorkshire and the Humber in the Best Companies survey 2021. The independent accountancy firm is made up of over 400 professionals working across a wide range of specialities including audit and assurance, consulting, corporate finance and taxation.

City centres could lose £3 billion due to permanent changes caused by Covid-19, new study reveals

Eleonora Gallina
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City centres could lose £3 billion due to permanent changes caused by Covid-19, new study reveals
A new study from the University of Sheffield has calculated the long term economic impact of Covid-19 on city centres, and found that as the shift towards working from home moves businesses to suburban areas, centres stand to lose £3 billion in 2022.
  • In 2022 the average UK worker will be working from home 20 per cent more (one day a week) than they were prior to the pandemic, having huge consequences for retail and hospitality industries
  • City centres stand to lose £3 billion in revenue due to these changes
  • The study reflects the economic impact of the pandemic, with workers around the world taking advantage of the new found flexibility in working location from their employers
  • Approximately 77,000 hospitality and retail workers could be forced to relocate or lose their jobs completely
  • New work from home restrictions announced by government will exacerbate the negative impacts for the hospitality and retail industries
A new study from the University of Sheffield has calculated the long term economic impact of Covid-19 on city centres, and found that as the shift towards working from home moves businesses to suburban areas, city centres stand to lose £3 billion in 2022. Dr Jesse Matheson, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Economics, worked with researchers from the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham to compare how often people will be working from home in the next year compared to before the pandemic, and what effect that will have on the revenue generated by city centres. He discovered that on average, people will be working roughly one day a week more at home than they were before the pandemic, which could have huge long term consequences for the hospitality and retail industries, which have already faced a tumultuous 18 months. It is expected that the extra day of working from home will be a permanent shift as a result of the pandemic, which has seen everyone’s lives change dramatically since the first lockdown in March 2021. As people spend more time in suburban areas as a result of working from home, they will not be providing the economic benefits to city centres that office workers previously would, such as going to coffee shops, buying lunch, or going shopping after work. These shifts could see roughly 77,000 people who work in the hospitality and retail industries be forced to either relocate to jobs in suburbs or lose their jobs completely. Not only could these changes lead to tens of thousands of low income workers losing their jobs, but it could make inequalities between rich and poor areas even worse – the study found that, as people who are more affluent are more likely to be able to work from home, the money being lost by city centre shops is more likely to be recuperated in higher income suburbs. Dr Jesse Matheson, lead author of the paper from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Economics, said: “We estimate that about £3 billion in annual spending will leave city centres as a result of working from home. This decrease will be concentrated in a few very dense centres; for example, the City of London will experience a spending decrease of 31.6 per cent, and central Birmingham will experience a decrease of 8 per cent. Some of this spending will be realised in the residential areas where these workers live, but some may be lost altogether. As suburban neighbourhoods lack the density of city centres, many retail and hospitality businesses will find it is not profitable to relocate. “Workers in retail and hospitality may also find that demand has shifted to locations to which commuting is too difficult, which means that supply may not be able to keep up with demand.” Co-Author, Paul Mizen, Professor of Monetary Economics at the University of Nottingham, said: “Using a new Working From Home survey developed at the University of Nottingham in collaboration with Chicago and Stanford Universities, our team from Nottingham, Birmingham and Sheffield universities has tracked changes in commuting patterns and working from home trends during Covid lockdown periods to show that about £3 billion in annual spending could leave city centres as a result of working from home. This illustrates how sensitive retail and hospitality sectors are to changes in work location, affecting larger cities with commuting and tourist trade in particular.” As a result of this shift to working from home – or the effect of ‘zoomshock’ as Dr Matheson coined the phenomena – the report argues that city centres may have to transform themselves in order to stay relevant, by becoming more residential instead of retail focused. The research follows a previous study by Dr Matheson which found that how quickly households or businesses recover from the economic impact of Covid-19 depends on where you live and what you do, as wealthier areas will be quicker to recover. Dr Matheson says there is work to do in finding out if all of the lost £3 billion will be spent elsewhere or lost altogether. He said: “This money may be recuperated in the higher income suburbs, but in a lot of places working from home means people are more spread out, which isn’t good business for retail business like coffee shops, who require high density areas for business. So there is a risk this revenue could be lost from the hospitality and retail sectors forever. “Additionally, with the further restrictions recently announced by the government to work from home where possible as a result of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant, this will now further compound the negative impacts on our retail and hospitality sectors and the figures we have estimated could end up even higher as a result of these temporary measures, threatening even more livelihoods and business centre incomes.”

Property developer expands with new Leeds office

Tess Egginton
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Property developer expands with new Leeds office
Land and property specialist Hargreaves Land has opened its first Leeds office in a bid to boost its development activity across Yorkshire, the North West and the Midlands. The property development division of Hargreaves Services plc has signed a 5-year lease on a 1st floor suite at 14 King Street in the heart of Leeds’ commercial district with landlord, Bruntwood. The move follows the firm’s creation of its central region earlier this year as part of its continued growth strategy to expand the reach of its UK regional network, which includes existing teams based in Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. David Anderson, group property director at Hargreaves Land, said: “14 King Street is a quality base for our central region and provides the ideal platform for us to expand our pipeline of regional projects. We have secured a highly accessible address, within a short walk of City Square and the mainline rail station. Having such a presence in central Leeds will enable us to raise our profile in the area and strengthen relationships with our existing contact base as well as new development partners. “Expanding our land and property development business and replenishing our development pipeline is a key element of our strategic vision. We already benefit from a significant land bank, but we are constantly seeking to enhance our offering through an active acquisition strategy, whether that involves strategic land, joint venture partnerships or other development opportunities.” This year the firm has made a number of new appointments to its central region including David Travis as development director and Zoe Shearman as development surveyor. Both will be based at King Street, alongside the firm’s head of asset management Andrew Johnson. The firm expects to strengthen its team with further appointments in the next 12 months. Within its central region, Hargreaves Land is currently on site at the 250-hectare (618-acre) Unity regeneration scheme in Doncaster, where it is delivering over 2 million sq ft of prime employment space and over 3,100 new homes, in partnership with Waystone Developments. In Bridlington, the firm is nearing practical completion of a £9.5m retail warehouse scheme, by way of a development partnership with Fintry Estates. The scheme will deliver 44,000 sq ft of new edge-of-centre retail floorspace under a development agreement with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and has already secured pre-lets with Lidl & B&M Retail.

Full Council sitting as planning committee to discuss plans for Lincoln Urban Extension next month

Eleonora Gallina
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Full Council sitting as planning committee to discuss plans for Lincoln Urban Extension next month
Plans for a new urban extension for Lincoln will be deliberated by City of Lincoln Council next month. The plans for Western Growth Corridor which extends to 240 hectares, and is located to the north of Skellingthorpe Road, have been jointly submitted by landowners Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd and the city council. Proposals, which will be decided upon by Full Council sitting as Planning Committee on 12 January, include: up to 3200 dwellings, with a local centre comprising of retail and commercial units and a new primary school, a commercial employment area of up to 20Ha, a regional sport and leisure complex, including a new stadium, health and leisure facilities, and a hotel and ancillary food and drink elements. This site has long been promoted for the creation of an urban extension. Plans for the site were previously submitted in 2006 by Taylor Wimpey for development of 4,500 dwellings plus employment, leisure and retail uses, open space and a park and ride site. A revised application for 5,100 dwellings was submitted in March 2008, and subsequently withdrawn in February 2016. The current application was submitted in March 2019 and is a joint planning application made by City of Lincoln Council and Lindum Western Growth Community Ltd. Western Growth Corridor is allocated as one of Lincoln’s four Sustainable Urban Extensions (SUE’s) to allow the Central Lincolnshire area to provide for both housing and employment growth through the Plan period ending in 2036. Councillors will be making a decision on outline blueprints for the entire scheme and more detailed proposals for road works, which will help facilitate the first phase of construction if approved. Kate Ellis, Director for Major Developments at City of Lincoln Council said: “The Central Lincolnshire Local Plan was adopted on 24 April 2017 and provides planning policies and allocations for the growth and regeneration of Central Lincolnshire for the period to 2036. “For the Central Lincolnshire authorities of City of Lincoln, North Kesteven and West Lindsey, a total of 36,960 new homes need to be delivered, alongside new employment, commercial and leisure developments, as well as supporting infrastructure such as schools, sports pitches and public open space. “As the biggest settlement within Central Lincolnshire, the city of Lincoln and its immediate surrounding area is required to deliver approximately two thirds of this development. “To ensure this development is brought forward in a planned and sustainable manner, the majority of Lincoln’s development is to be delivered through a combination of urban regeneration and the creation of four sustainable urban extensions (SUEs). “The Western Growth Corridor is one of these four SUEs, and its development is key to meeting the objectives of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan and ensuring the continued growth and success of the City of Lincoln.” Lindum Planning Director Mark Foster said: “Prior to and throughout the planning process, we have continued to work closely with the Local Planning Authority and other key stakeholders, while also attempting to address the concerns of local residents where we can. “The recommendation for approval of the Western Growth Corridor scheme is the culmination of this process and represents a really important milestone for the project. “While we are extremely pleased to have reached this point, we recognise that the application now requires consideration by Councillors and we look forward to hearing their decision in January.”
Full details of the plans can be found here, members of Full Council sitting as Planning Committee will discuss the plans in detail on 12 January 2022.

The Vulcan Experience will play a key role in inspiring young people into STEM subjects

Eleonora Gallina
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The Vulcan Experience will play a key role in inspiring young people into STEM subjects
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) is currently fundraising to build a new home for Avro Vulcan XH558 that will inspire younger generations for years to come. The Vulcan Experience, based at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, will provide a space in its Green Technology Hub (GTH) for schools and young people to explore the opportunities STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects bring to creating a brighter future. The VTST already supports schools and colleges to broaden and transform education with a range of innovative and inclusive education projects. Michael Trotter, development director at VTST said: “We are currently fundraising for the new hangar in South Yorkshire to provide a permanent home for this iconic aircraft. “The hangar will be a place where people can look to the past and enjoy the heritage embodied in this significant national asset but importantly it will provide a space for young people to learn about, experience and explore, exciting and innovative approaches to addressing the climate challenge, the impact they can make by following STEM subjects in their education and inspire change. “Through the hangar we aim to build a learning community with the capacity to become a self-sustaining education force, raising regional aspiration through school-based education projects, educational experiences, training and development and community enrichment. “We would urge any business that wants to invest in the future generations to get in touch and see how we can work together. It is only with your support that we’ll be able to build what will be a fantastic visitor and education attraction here in the region.” The VTST is currently working in partnership with The Work-wise Foundation in and CBE+ on the Operation Vulcan challenge for South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire schools. “One of our guiding principles is to inspire the future generations and we are proud to be working with The Work-wise Foundation and CBE+ on this project to engage with secondary school students. “The Vulcan Experience will be a fantastic education experience inspiring generations to come and it is really exciting to be working with young people from the early stages to get them involved and excited about STEM subjects,” added Michael. VTST have also been working closely with students at Doncaster UTC and were cited in the judges’ comments when the UTC was recently awarded New Educational Institution of the Year – UK at the Prestige Awards. The citation said: ““Our judges were impressed with the initiatives to inspire young people- in particular the Vulcan XH558 project. We appreciate how important things like this are to help the engineers of tomorrow visualise where their education could take them” Michael added: “We have been working with Doncaster UTC for a while and we are thrilled that they have been recognised by this award. We know the hard work and dedication that goes into making this happen – the UTC is already making a difference to youngsters lives and through this their futures in the region.” People can support the campaign by adding a name to the aircraft and contributing to the Trust’s work to build the new hangar creating a brighter future for heritage aircraft preservation, restoration and operation. Names will be added permanently to the underside of Vulcan XH558’s bomb bay doors and undercarriage doors for a donation of £50, and on other designated areas for a donation of £30. Each dedication comes with a personalised certificate that acts as a commemorative receipt for the requested donation. Each donation will also be treated as a contribution to Operation Safeguard and, as such, donors will also see their names feature under the wing of XH558 in perpetuity and on exhibits in the new hangar as well as membership of the Vulcan Guardians scheme. Businesses can support via the Vulcan 558 Executive Alliance’ – a membership group open to businesses from across the UK. Any company that joins the Executive Alliance will, in return for sponsorship, receive a package of benefits including having their name displayed on a dedicated members’ wall in the new hangar. https://vulcantothesky.org/executive-alliance/ For further information visit www.vulcantothesky.org
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