News: No plans to recall Parliament

A Number 10 spokesman said there are no plans to recall Parliament following the shock announcement from Tata Steel that has led to an even more uncertain future at its UK sites.


A week after a visit to meet steelworkers in Rotherham, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Labour leader, has written to the Prime Minister to demand the recall of Parliament to debate the industry after Tata Steel announced that it is exploring all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential sale of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts.

Corbyn said: "The news that Tata is preparing to pull out of steelmaking in Britain puts thousands of jobs across the country and a strategic UK-wide industry at risk. MPs must have the chance now to debate the future of steel and hold ministers to account for their failure to intervene.

"Steelworkers and their families will be desperately worried about the uncertainty. The Government is in disarray over what action to take. Ministers must act now to protect the steel industry, which is at the heart of manufacturing in Britain and vital to its future."

There have been calls for Government intervention to maintain steel production in Port Talbot and even nationalisation, after the board of the Indian-owned steelmaker said that it would not be able to support a plan to continue operating in South Wales.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "Ministers will continue to hold briefings to update representatives of other parties on the situation but we have no plans to recall Parliament. Our focus is on finding a long-term sustainable future for steel making at Port Talbot and across the UK."

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Carwyn Jones, First Minister of Wales, said that he would be making a statement to the Welsh Assembley on the future of the steel industry in Wales on Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day the UK and Welsh Governments issued a joint statement saying: "This is a difficult time for workers in Port Talbot and across the UK. During the review process, we remain committed to working with Tata and the unions on a long term sustainable future for British steel making.

"Both the Welsh and UK governments are working tirelessly to look at all viable options to keep a strong British steel industry at the heart of our manufacturing base."

Terry Scuoler, chief executive of EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said that governments must match words with action and take all necessary steps to ensure there is a future for the steel industry in the UK by any means possible.

He said: "As well as short term emergency measures, in the longer term we need to see all major procurement projects, from HS2 to Hinckley Point, all using British Steel. Ministers can also do more by reforming business rates to exclude some of the penalties steel companies and others face if they invest in plant and machinery. Alongside this, the UK has one of the highest electricity costs for the energy intensive industries in Europe because of hindering domestic policy. We need to see a level playing field with our European competitors to ensure a positive future for the steel sector.

"Finally and, perhaps most importantly, it is vital the UK Government supports aggressive measures at EU level to prevent Chinese dumping."

Before the UK Government went on Easter recess, Prime Minister David Cameron backed plans for Port Talbot when questioned by Aberavon MP, Stephen Kinnock.

The PM said: "It is an extremely difficult market situation, with massive global overcapacity and the huge fall in steel prices, but there are areas where we have taken action already and we will continue to look at what more we can do: state aid compensation so that we can secure the energy costs; greater flexibility over EU emissions regulations. We have done a huge amount in terms of public procurement, which I think can make a big difference to our steel industries. We are doing all those things and more, and we are making sure that Tata and others understand how valuable we believe this industry is to the UK and that the Government, within the limits we have, want to be very supportive and very helpful."

Jeremy Corbyn MP attended a meeting with steelworkers and their families in Rotherham last week which was called by Wentworth and Dearne MP, John Healey.

Mr Healey, whose constituency includes Tata's Aldwarke plant, said: "He wanted to know what personal problems people were dealing with as they face the uncertainty over whether they have got a job or not; whether they have got a steel plant or not.

"They have had the stuffing knocked out of them over the last few years. It's been one blow after another and this shock overnight coming from the board in India is just one more."

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News: Tata talks of selling off UK operations

A review of the European operations of Tata Steel has led to further uncertainty for steelworkers in Rotherham after the Indian-owned steelmaker concluded that it is exploring all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential sale of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts.

Prompted by uncertainty over the future of the Port Talbot site, a proposed restructuring and transformation plan for Strip Products UK was discussed at a Tata Steel board in Mumbai yesterday. The board said that it would not be able to support the plan believing that it is "unaffordable, requires material funding support in the next two years in addition to significant capital commitments over the long term, the assumptions behind it are inherently very risky, and its likelihood of delivery is highly uncertain."

Whilst the announcement focused on Strip Products UK, based in South Wales, it sent shockwaves through other Tata Steel locations in the country, including in South Yorkshire where the Speciality Steels business is located at Stocksbridge and Rotherham (Aldwarke) sites, and at Templeborough where narrow strip is produced at the Brinsworth works. In 2015, around, 2,000 people were employed by the company in South Yorkshire.

Having discussed the deteriorating financial performance of the UK subsidiary, trading conditions in the UK and Europe, the global oversupply of steel, cheap imports from China, high manufacturing costs, continued weakness in domestic market demand in steel and a volatile currency, the shock came from the conclusion of the release to the stock exchange.

Tata bosses stated: "Following the strategic view taken by the Tata Steel Board regarding the UK business, it has advised the Board of its European holding company i.e. Tata Steel Europe, to explore all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential divestment of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts. Given the severity of the funding requirement in the foreseeable future, the Tata Steel Europe Board will be advised to evaluate and implement the most feasible option in a time bound manner."

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John Healey MP met with Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn in Dalton last week to discuss the impact of job losses at the Aldwarke plant. The Wentworth and Dearne MP has called for more clarity from Tata on the future of the UK operations. He said: "This is a huge shock overnight. We thought the board in India were looking at the future of Port Talbot but this seems to suggest they have thrown in the towel on UK steelmaking and the number one thing we need now is a clear statement from the company about their plans and a firm commitment that they are going to continue operations in the UK until they get the sales sorted out.

"They gave a really technical statement overnight, which was heavily loaded. It's not very clear. They said they are going to "explore all options for restructuring, including the potential divestment of Tata steel UK, in whole or in parts," and we need to know what it really means for South Yorkshire, what it means for Rotherham, what it means for Stocksbridge.

"It looks like they are trying to get rid of the UK operation, but we need to know the detail. Does it mean everything and what are they going to do in the meantime? We need them to continue operations in the meantime so we can avoid a situation like Teeside.

"We have in South Yorkshire with speciality steels some of the best steelmaking, the best quality and the highest performing, anywhere in the world. So there has got to be a future for steelmaking in South Yorkshire and we cannot sit by and allow this to be the end of steelmaking in the UK. You cannot have an advanced economy without a steelmaking base to support your manufacturing base.

"We need a clear statement from the company about what they mean and what they are going to do.

"From the Government we need to know that they are considering all options, including being ready to back a buyout if management and workers want to do that, including taking temporary ownership if that is required to see these plants safeguarded until they can be sold on to buyers who are prepared to invest and stick with British steelmaking for the long-term."

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Tata Steel has for a long time been warning that continuing cheap imports risk undermining Europe's steel industry and that uncompetitive energy costs and the strength of sterling are hurting its UK operations. In July 2015 it announced that another 720 jobs were at risk - including 500 in Rotherham - as it works through proposals to restructure its speciality and bar business.

In response, politicians, business leaders and unions have been working on a joint action plan in a bid to secure a £9m package to help individual workers facing redundancy and supply chain businesses likely to be hit hard in Rotherham and the whole city region, as well as supporting other local companies to create jobs.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, warned of the potential for further redundancies at a recent council meeting. He told commissioners and councillors: "Clearly this is a very difficult time and we are reaching the real crux of the difficult time with further redundancies expected to be announced within the next few weeks.

"I want to credit our RiDO staff on site, leading the resource centre, who have been praised by all sides - trade unions, employers and people who come into contact with them. They have held two jobs fairs so far with 150 referrals made to Rotherham College for staff seeking further training, and of course we expect those numbers to grow."

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News: Rotherham MP "angry and frustrated" at Tata announcement

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion is furious with the Government for not doing more with information on the prospects for the UK steel industry as Tata Steel announces that its European subsidiary is to "explore all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential divestment of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts."

Having taken part in a top-level summit hosted in Rotherham last year to discuss the challenges currently facing the global steel industry, the Rotherham MP went on to speak to a Commons a debate on the Government's support for the steel industry, where she explained that the impact of losing Rotherham steel would be "incalculable."

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Yesterday, the Indian-owned steelmaker, which up to 2015 employed around 2,000 people in South Yorkshire, announced plans which could lead to UK operations being sold.

Sarah Champion MP responded: "I am angry and frustrated by Tata's announcement that it plans to sell its UK plants and restructure its operations. It is another blow to one of our most important industries and to the workers and communities who rely on it.

"In Rotherham, hundreds of steel workers were handed redundancy notices from Tata earlier this year. This announcement raises fears about more job losses. These skilled workers and the high specification steel they produce need a level playing field to succeed that this Government has so far been unable to deliver on.

"We need a clear and detailed statement from Tata on its plans for operations across the UK, so that all involved can begin to plan effectively for the future of the steel industry. We then need the Government to stop shirking from its responsibility and act before it's too late.

"For me, the blame lays squarely at the feet of the Government. For two years, industry, MPs and the unions have been telling Ministers what must be done to secure the long term future of steel in the UK. I am furious that the Government has done nothing with this information."

A statement from the Government said that it "is working tirelessly to look at all viable options to keep a strong British steel industry at the heart of our manufacturing base."

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News: Unions respond to Tata's decision to sell

Unions have given their reaction to an announcement from Tata Steel that the Indian steelmaker is looking at restructuring its European operations including the potential sale of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts.

A delegation headed by the Community, the steelworkers' union that is backing the "Save Our Steel" campaign, has been in Mumbai and held extensive talks with Tata for the past two days.

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of Community, said: "We travelled to Mumbai to secure a future for steelmaking in South Wales and we are disappointed that the future remains uncertain, not just for Welsh steelworkers but for thousands more workers in Tata's businesses elsewhere in the UK.

"We will of course wait to see the detail of Tata's divestment plans but, as we said before, it is vitally important that Tata is a responsible seller of its businesses and provides sufficient time to find new ownership. There is also a crucial role for both the Welsh and UK governments to do all they can to ensure a future for Tata's remaining UK steel businesses and to provide every assistance to secure a buyer that will continue steel making. We don't want just want more warm words, we want a detailed plan of action to find buyers and build confidence in potential investors in UK steel.

"The UK is now on the verge of a national crisis. Tata Steel withdrawing completely from the UK risks destroying our entire steel industry. That would be a disaster both for those communities reliant on steel jobs and our entire industrial base.

"For any advanced, manufacturing economy, steelmaking capacity is not optional. Losing the ability to make steel would fundamentally change our economy forever."

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Len McCluskey Unite general secretary, added: "This news will leave workers and families not just in Port Talbot but in Rotherham and Stocksbridge reeling. Steel is in the veins of these communities. These workers make some of the best steel in the world and have worked hard to deliver for Tata, through thick and thin times.

"They will feel a grim sense of betrayal by this decision, because they know that given half a chance they can make Port Talbot and sites across the UK profitable and successful.

"This workforce, the steel community and the British people who have supported their businesses over the years deserve the best treatment in return."

Unions and politicians have called on the Government to do more to support the steel industry. In October 2015, Rotherham hosted a top-level summit to discuss the challenges currently facing the global steel industry attended by steel companies, MPs, unions and trade bodies.

A number of "asks" of the Government were laid out by steel unions which include: action on business rates; a compensation scheme for high-energy users; a commitment to favouring British steel in procurement; and work with the EU on anti-dumping measures to protect British steel from cheap subsidised imports.

Dave Hulse, GMB national officer, said: "GMB have been involved in steel meetings over many months with Government ministers and all we have seen is crisis after crisis, which demonstrates that these have been nothing more than talking shops.

"The Government needs to act now and support the steel industry; we are fed up with the false promises. Help is needed now otherwise these communities will never recover from this. Shame on Tata Steel."

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News: Motor Auction Group revved up for Rotherham move

Bawtry Motor Auctions, one of the country's oldest motor auctions, is rebranding and relocating to a large auction house facility in Rotherham.

Currently operating from its site at Corner Garage, Bawtry, Doncaster where it employs 54 people, Bawtry Motor Auctions hosts sales three times a week from vendors including The Car People and motor finance firms. The first "Grand Show & Motor Auction" was held in 1947.

On April 4, Bawtry Motor Auction will become Motor Auction Group and host its first auction from the new site.

Close to Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, the 12 acre site has previously been home to Transco, Fulcrum, British Gas and East Midlands Gas Board. Converting the premises, UK Auctions PLC operated the site from 2014, hosting regular vehicle auctions until the company, previously known as Vehicle Locators PLC, entered administration in 2015.

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Plans submitted for Bawtry Motor Auctions last year stated that "Whilst the proposal will involve a number of staff relocating to the new site, a substantial amount will also need to be sourced from the local area. The relocation forms part of a significant expansion, with job numbers anticipated to grow to 60 within a year."

A spokesperson for the Motor Auction Group, said: "We are excited that we can now officially confirm that as of April 2016 we will have relocated to our new facilities on Greasbrough Road in Rotherham. After 70 wonderful years we are moving to bigger and better premises to improve the service we provide.

"We are wanting to reassure customers that it's the same great service, and same friendly staff just a new name and new premises. It's exciting times for us here."

Across the borough, car dealer, JCT600 has started on a £485,000 redevelopment of Volkswagen Rotherham on Bawtry Road. Set to complete in May, the 300 sq m Wickersley showroom will undergo a complete interior refurbishment to incorporate Volkswagen's very latest retail concept designed to enhance the customer experience.

Motor Auction Group website
JCT600 website

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News: Attractive Parkgate Shopping ranks high

Retail analysts have placed Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham in the top ten of British retail parks ranked by the total retail spend attracted to each centre.

Retail property advisors at Harper Dennis Hobbs have calculated the "Retail Spend Potential" of retail parks across the UK - which takes into account the total floorspace of retail available, the quality of brands on the parks and the level of competition, and matches it against the level of spend available from every resident and worker nearby.

Rotherham's Parkgate Shopping came in at number eight on the list with a retail spend potential of £396,228,947.

Attracting over nine million visitors a year, the 575,000 sq ft retail destination is one of the largest retail parks in the UK. Home to over 40 shops, the park is anchored by the likes of M&S, Outfit, Next, Boots and H&M.

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Jonathan de Mello, head of retail consultancy at Harper Dennis Hobbs, said: "The best retail parks typically trade well because they are near to a weak town centre in terms of retail offer. Rotherham Retail World for instance draws a lot of people from Rotherham who will go there or to Sheffield and Meadowhall or Leeds rather than Rotherham town centre.

"Equally they have benefited from being able to offer the modern large space retail units they require when this cannot be offered in the town centre. Retailers have been forced to decamp into retail parks to find the space they want, and the landlords of these parks have been only too keen to encourage them to do so."

The latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed that footfall on retail parks continues to increase. Last month the sector saw a 2.5% rise which followed a 5.2% year on year increase in January, retail parks' best performance for two years.

In a transaction worth around £175m, BMO Real Estate Partners (BMO) acquired Parkgate Shopping in September 2015 from the Hercules Unit Trust (HUT), which is advised by British Land and managed by Schroders.

In 1987, Parkgate Retail World opened as part of the regeneration of large areas of reclaimed land formerly occupied by the Park Gate Iron and Steel Co. Stadium Developments invested in the scheme which benefited from enterprise zone status.

The latest store opening at Parkgate is Smyths Toys with the 30,000 sq ft Mothercare unit being subdivided into two 15,000 sq ft units, with new signage plans for Smyths Toys alongside Mothercare. The Irish toy retailer is set to open on June 11.

Plans have recently been submitted for new signage at the M&S unit and the closed Blue Inc. store is already under offer. Question marks remain on the future of the Brantano and BHS outlets.

Parkgate Shopping website
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News: SerVision hails Rotherham taxi CCTV contract

SerVision UK has secured a contract via Rotherham Borough Council for the installation of CCTV systems in the borough's licenced taxis.

After a report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham described how vulnerable children have been repeatedly failed by the council, a statutory inspection of the authorty was undertaken at the request of the government by Louise Casey. Investigations revealed weak and ineffective arrangements for taxi licensing which leave the public at risk.

Government-appointed commissioners led an overhaul of the taxi licensing system and the implementation of a new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy. The aim of the policy, which was first consulted in 2014, is to significantly raise the standards of the taxi trade currently operating across Rotherham.

The policy included the requirement for the installation of taxi cameras in licensed vehicles and was agreed on July 6 2015. The requirement became effective on January 6 2016, with licence holders being required to install a suitable camera in their vehicle by March 1 2016.

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There are around 1,200 drivers registered in Rotherham, 80 operators and 800 vehicles. During consultation on the new policy, members of the trade had raised concerns over the cost of the systems, which will be met by licence holders.

Servision manufactures professional video recording and transmission systems that are deployed on thousands of public and private buses around the world to help keep passengers and drivers safe. It is listed on the stock exchange and was founded in Israel in 2000.

In an update on its UK operations, the company discussed details of a number of recently secured and potentially significant new clients for its vehicle-based end-to-end live video systems.

SerVision UK has been appointed an official approved supplier by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to supply and install its MVG200 and MVG400 systems into the borough's licenced taxis.

The company said: "The borough has 1,200 taxis / private hire cars and the current scheme states that for a driver to maintain their taxi licence a video system must be fitted in the vehicle. The Company has received initial orders, but at this stage is unsure how many vehicles in total it will be required to fit out."

Gidon Tahan, chairman and CEO of SerVision, said: "Since the UK office was opened in 2015, we have started to change the whole ethos and business model of SerVision. We have entered into long-term recurring revenue contracts with a number of major UK companies, many of whom we would hope to expand our relationship with over the next few years."

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News: SVM goes global

A leader in the gift card industry, SVM Global is living up to its new name having secured deals with a number of retailers across the world.

SVM is the largest reseller and distributor of corporate gift cards, E-vouchers and gift vouchers in the B2B and the corporate gifting market with products used as incentives for sales staff and as part of cementing relationships with clients. The group, which has a turnover of £60m, dispatches over 15 million gift cards every year.

Founded in the US in 1997, the European operations launched in 2008 and has offices in London and at Parkgate, Rotherham, where it employs over 60 staff.

Last year the growing firm has secured an additional 12,000 sq ft of office space with support from Rotherham Council as it adds further leading brands to its portfolio that already includes Toys R Us, Virgin Gift Card and Debenhams, Ticketmaster and Interflora.

With an offer of financial support from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) via the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a former textile factory at Parkgate has been transformed to meet the demand.

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Changing its name from SVM Europe to SVM Global, the expansion into the worldwide marketplace has continued as Myer - Australia's largest retail site, Pathe - based in the Netherlands, and Norwegian clothing retailer, Norway Shop all now provide gift cards through SVM Global.

The firm has also launched unique gift cards and e-codes that can be redeemed in specific countries, including Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

Elizabeth Epsy, international partnerships executive at SVM Global, said: "With these new additions to our portfolio, it's an exciting time for us in international retail. Our aim has always been to offer a diverse range of products across the globe, and with this product launch we can offer even greater choice and flexibility for our clients. Our work is never finished however; watch this space as we expand further."

One of the most high profile partnerships for SVM is the deal with supermarket giant, Tesco to launch a gift card that can be redeemed at over 3,000 UK stores as well as online. At the end of 2015, Tesco became the first supermarket in the UK to offer a B2B digital gift card solution.

Dan Nugent, sales director at SVM, said: "Digital rewards are an excellent way to quickly recognise and reward behaviours - offering instant gratification and the choice that Tesco provides they are a fantastic motivational tool for every audience."

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News: Audit to map out advanced manufacturing strengths

The Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) idea has been expanded to become an Advanced Manufacturing Corridor into Lancashire for the purposes of a Government audit of science and innovation.

As part of its devolution deal, the Government offered the Sheffield city region expert advice and support to ensure they are able to put forward a proposal to undertake a Science and Innovation audit.

Designed to map out local research, innovation and infrastructure strengths across the UK, the audits will help identify and build on the potential of every region across the country by making sure investment is properly targeted and uncovering opportunities for businesses to tap into.

Based around the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and surrounding Enterprise Zone, the aim is to develop Europe's largest research-led advanced manufacturing cluster - the AMID.

The devolution deal documents state that the audit will: "enable an evidence based approach to deepen the understanding of the city region's science and innovation strengths and provide a new and powerful way to understand how to maximise the economic impact from the UK's research and innovation investment nationally. They will, for example, provide government with part of the evidence base on which to make decisions on catapults [A Government-funded network of world-leading centres designed to transform the UK's capability for innovation] and could be used to explore how to further the Sheffield city region's advantage in advanced manufacturing."

Now Business Secretary Sajid Javid and Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson has selected the Sheffield city region and Lancashire as one of the UK's first five audits.

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The Advanced Manufacturing Corridor (AM Corridor) was proposed by a consortium which represents key innovation partners in the Sheffield city region and Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and is led by the University of Sheffield and Lancaster University.

The focus will be on the globally relevant science and technology areas that underpin advanced manufacturing now within the AM Corridor and as it evolves in the future.

The audit will investigate how much science and innovation is being produced, how good it is, and most importantly, how its outputs can build on existing investments and successes to drive the UK's productivity from the North. It will also look into the skills needed for companies to make the most of the opportunities afforded by the current revolution in manufacturing, which brings with it the need to upskill quickly.

In addition, it will investigate how new forms of higher education can be rolled out to support the adoption of new technologies in both original equipment manufacturers and supply chain companies including new apprentice based approaches to higher education.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid said: "From Sheffield [city region]'s Advanced Manufacturing Park to the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, the UK has hot-spots of expertise that are propelling us forward in global innovation. Auditing the strengths in our regions will help us to build a long term strategy for global competitiveness and help ensure that hotspots generate more than the sum of their parts.

"Science and innovation are crucial to increasing regional productivity and growth which is why we've protected the science budget in real terms until 2020, and why we are developing a National Innovation Plan."

Professor Richard Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Sheffield, added: "I'm delighted that we'll have an early opportunity to highlight the science and innovation strengths of the Sheffield city region.

"Working with our partners in Lancashire, we'll be able to demonstrate the value of our technological assets in our universities, in research centres such as the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), and in outstanding companies such as BAE Systems.

"These add up to a set of resources that, when brought together, can help drive a revolution in manufacturing, driving productivity and growth in the North and throughout the whole country."

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News: Johnston Press is a big deal for Dinnington

The deal to print Express Newspapers' north of England titles in Dinnington, Rotherham is worth some £12.8m to Johnston Press, one of the largest local newspaper publishers in the UK.

Headquartered in Edinburgh, Johnston Press operates a £60m printing facility on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery in Rotherham. The company, which is behind local titles such as The Yorkshire Post and The Star, secured a deal last year to print a number of national titles.

Reporting its latest financial results for the year ended January 2 2016, the indebted group revealed that its "printing division continues to flourish winning £12.8m worth of new contracts to print the Daily Express, Daily Star, Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express at Dinnington."

It was described as a "a significant long-term contract" with the Express Group joining other major customers including News UK, Guardian Media Group, Local World and Tindle Newspapers, as well as many niche publications.

Johnston Press is also poised to take ownership of its first national newspaper, the i, and has been in talks with the current printers to possibly move to printing to its own facilities.

The group's printing business operates out of three sites in Portsmouth, Dinnington and Carn.

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In 2013 News International paid Johnston Press £10m to terminate a lucrative print contract. Now trading as News UK, News International is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and is home to some of the biggest and most popular British newspapers including The Times and The Sun. The termination followed a similar £30m negotiation in 2012, following the closure of the News of the World.

A 15 year deal between News International and Johnston Press was announced in 2004, extending previous contractual agreements, and was integral to an additional investment of around £20m in the Dinnington facilities that opened in 2007.

The state-of-the-art facility includes one of the most modern and fastest presses in the world. It has the capacity to print 192 pages in full colour, 120,000 newspapers an hour in full colour and 75 titles per week.

For the 52 weeks to January 2, printing revenue rose, but were offset by reduction in newsprint supply revenue. In challenging trading conditions, adjusted profit before tax was £31.5m which was a 22.6% increase on the £25.7m reported in the previous year. Turnover was £242.3m, down from £260m in 2014. The group continues to restrucutre and is investing in digital. Net debt continued to be reduced but still stood at £179.4m.

Ashley Highfield, chief executive of Johnston Press, said: "The acquisition of the i newspaper is incredibly exciting for us. It gives us scale, with a combined Johnston Press plus i daily print circulation of over 600,000 papers making us the UK's 4th largest news publisher, and thus numerous revenue and cost synergy opportunities. Further, not only will the i contribute positively to earnings but it will allow us to accelerate growth in digital, and help stabilise our circulation revenues. In conjunction with the planned asset disposals this will enable us to continue to reduce debt levels and cut financing costs further."

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News: Xeros delivering on strategy

Innovative Rotherham company, Xeros, is delivering on its strategy to exploit a number of commercial applications for its patented polymer bead technology.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that has developed a patented system using a unique method of special polymer beads rather than the usual large amounts of fresh water to clean clothes.


Admitted to AIM in 2014, Xeros is commercialising the system which uses at least 70% less water, up to 50% less energy and approximately 50% less detergent.

In its financial results for the five months to December 31 2015, the group outlined the progress made in commercial laundry, leather processing and other potential applications.

In November, Xeros secured a further £40m from a share placing to maintain momentum and accelerate the roll out strategy of its commercial laundry business in the Americas and Europe.

The operational review stated that Xeros machines were being installed at an approximate rate of one per working day, with sales and service margins in line with expectations. 56 commercial washing machines were installed during the period and the total installed passed the 200 mark in February.

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Targeting the billion dollar US laundry market, Xeros utilises an increasing number of partners to sell the systems. The Xeros business model is more about the deployment and servicing of the patented polymer beads than the machines themselves. The company and resellers benefit from a monthly recurring revenue stream from services and sales of "Sbeadycare," the all-inclusive laundry management programme, to hotels, commercial and industrial laundries, dry cleaners, fitness clubs and spas.

Continuing to invest £1.9m in R&D, the group reported a loss after tax of £5.6m, widening from the £3.8m in 2014. Earned income increased to £744,000 in the five months ended December 31 2015 (prior period 2014: £95,000).

With initial machines manufactured in China, a second source manufacturer is now producing and shipping units. A smaller machine to meet a gap in the market is also being trialled.

A system for the home is also a target for the company which is trialling models to assess the best route to the domestic market. Discussions continue with major machine manufacturers, who have shown an encouraging level of interest in working with Xeros. A washing machine for the US market is being developed to conduct consumer field trials in due course.

Xeros is also targeting the $50 billion leather processing market and is working on a joint development programme with LANXESS to develop a system using the polymer beads. Traditional leather processing machines can consume approximately 90 tonnes of water to produce one tonne of leather.

The update states that results of tannery trials have so far been encouraging and that an optimised system could be developed on the AMP toward the end of the year.

The group continues to invest in its R&D programme and a new engineering centre for commercial laundry in the US is freeing up capacity to enable researchers on the AMP to undertake applications engineering in leather processing and beyond.

In the search for additional revenue opportunities, studies to identify future potential applications are close to completion and the company is about to commence detailed reviews of areas identified as being potentially high in opportunity. Other applications range from garment-finishing to the potential use of the technology in the metal sector.

Mark Nichols, chief executive of Xeros, said: "Our business development activities have continued in line with the plans laid out during our £40m fundraising in November last year.

"The roll out of Commercial Laundry continues at a good pace. We are now installing machines at an approximate rate of one per working day and expect this rate to progressively increase.

"In Leather Processing, our full scale trials are on track and are scheduled to be completed around the middle of the year. We anticipate that these trials will show that our polymer beads, which were specifically designed for this application, deliver economic, operational and sustainability improvements.

"Studies to identify new potential applications are also progressing on schedule and are providing further evidence that we possess a platform technology."

Xeros website

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News: Side by Side at Grimm & Co.

Sheffield branding agency, Side by Side, has donated over over 1,000 hours to help bring Rotherham's magical Grimm & Co to life. The talented pair of designers took on not only branding but interior design, signwriting, packaging, a huge story mural, window dressing and art directing a large team of volunteers.

Founders Oliver Booth and Dave Greasley established Side by Side in 2013. The design studio specialises in branding, developing everything from websites to stationery, creating identities for a range of clients.

Launching last month, Grimm & Co is a Yorkshire charity and an Apothecary to the Magical which includes a retail store front in Rotherham town centre with a writing and mentoring space above that aims to help young people to acquire skills, unlock potential and develop imaginations.

With over £100,000 worth of time donated, one-half of Side by Side Oliver Booth said the decision to get involved wasn't easy, but one they could not turn down.

Booth (pictured top, left) said: "We were recommended by Alistair Hall, the designer behind our London counterpart, Hoxton Monster Supplies. With the guarantee of a blank canvas, free reign and a really worthwhile charity, it was too exciting to say no to. What started out as potential for a great portfolio piece soon became an addictive project, which allowed our studio to develop a lot of skills. As a small studio, time management was crucial. However, we stopped tracking time after 1,000 hours, we found it better to not know!"

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Side by Side said the core strategy behind the project was authenticity. They started by working with League of Gentlemen writer Jeremy Dyson, to develop the character of "Graham Grimm", the imaginary founder. 

Co-founder Dave Greasley said: "The backstory we created included lines like "Sandpaper, Spit & Sausages for Tea" which we thought gave a great insight to how Grimm would have ran his business.

"We constantly had to ask ourselves "Would Graham have done it like that? We'd portrayed him as an ill-tempered, hard-grafting, thrifty chap, so those traits had to flow through everything, from the hand-torn packaging, to the up-cycled interior. To ensure a totally immersive experience we pushed ourselves to become sign-writers, sound-scapers and prop-makers, to accompany our day-to-day skills.

"Being creative has afforded us a career, so it seemed only fair to give back to a charity that actively stimulates creativity in the next generation."

Side by Side brought in local makers and artists to create unique items to sell in the shop, from hand-whittled wands to blocks of "Human Phlegm."

Booth added: "To follow on from the overarching story we created, the products celebrate imperfection. Some are misaligned and the "Extract of Genius" is spelt wrong on a few labels. It was surprisingly hard to design things incorrectly!"

Deborah Bullivant, funder of Grimm & Co., said: "We told Side by Side our aspirations, a work of fiction which they turned into fact. Our brief was complicated – two sets of customers (magical and real), a background story set in 1148, a fictional character presiding over all and a mission to create a brand which would raise much needed funds for our children's charity. 

"Side by Side worked with us and whittled our vision into an authentic personality, which is unique yet classic, no-fuss yet stunning. Their expertise is unsurpassable in holding us to our story – helping us to build our identity into a world-class image beyond anything we had imagined for ourselves... and then they went a step further and created it!  

"They brought a maturity of experience juxtaposed with fresh, urban appeal to the interior design and attention to the finest, and even hidden detail. Side by Side's ideas are unique, cliché-free and their professionalism is exemplary, doing whatever it takes for their client with a touch of awe and wonder."

Converting the former Town Gate pub on Doncaster Gate at the foot of the High Street, the centre above the shop is expecting that over 1,300 young people will be able to take part in writing classes in the first year of Grimm & Co through story making workshops, school writing programmes, after school clubs and holiday camps for 7-18 year olds.

Grimm & Co website
Side by Side website

Images: Helena Fletcher / Side by Side

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News: Norton Finance closing debt solutions business

Rotherham-based Norton Finance, one of the UK's leading specialists in the loans and regulated mortgage markets, is stopping all debt management work by subsidiaries Ashley Park Solutions and Express Debt Solutions, according to reports in the trade media.

Based on Mansfield Road in the town centre, the family owned business operates as a group of companies including a lending arm and divisions specialising in loans and mortgages and debt management. It employs over 200 people and celebrated its 40th birthday in 2013.

Mortgage Strategy reported on the plans to stop the debt management work and added that consultation is underway with 31 staff.

Paul Stringer, loans and mortgages director at Norton Finance Group told Mortgage Strategy: "This decision has been made for commercial reasons. The remaining Norton Finance Group companies are unaffected by this proposal and will continue as normal."

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In 2012, parts of the group - Norton Finance (UK) and Norton Insurance Services Limited - entered administration. They provided a loan and brokerage service and also advised and sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Midlands doorstep lender and motor finance company, S&U plc acquired the home credit business. A pre-pack deal saw another group company, Norton Finance and Mortgage Limited buy assets from the companies in administration for £10,000.

A year later, the group secured finance from Royal Bank of Scotland Corporate & Institutional Banking (RBS CIB) to use to refinance its existing debt and support its continued expansion plans.

Norton Financial Services changed to Norton Home Loans and the credit facility enabled Norton to increase its existing first and second charge lending and increase loan sizes, reduce rates and use a standard lender fee.

In December 2014, the financing facility limit was increased again to enable the group to originate new lending.

In its financial accounts for the year to April 2015, Norton Finance Group Limited posted a profit before tax of £979k (up from £417k in the previous year) from a turnover of £13.2m.

It reported then that the broking channel of the group saw an increase in volume in business whilst debt management channels continued to suffer low new business volumes.

Norton Finance website

Images: Norton Finance

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News: Traveller site plan for Rother Valley

A planning application has been submitted for a traveller site adjacent to Pit House West at Rother Valley in Rotherham - the site of a proposed £37m Gulliver's resort.

Rotherham Council has made the "minded to" decision to enable them to negotiate the completion of the sale of 333 acres of greenbelt land located to the north of Rother Valley Country Park.

Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes has developed a masterplan for the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham.

Now plans have been submitted by a Mr Smith for a 12-pitch traveller site and screening mound with planting on a reclaimed site of vacant grassland at Swallownest between the A57 and railway line, to the north of Pit House West.

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Amended plans were approved back in 2012 for the importation of materials and the formation of a fishing pond and parking area at the former sewage treatment plant land. Planners concluded that the engineering works would have "no materially adverse impact on the openness of the Green Belt and would by way of improved habitats enhance the biodiversity and ecology on site."

With a need identified for more pitches, the borough's local plan included a proposal to use land at a former council depot at Dog Kennels Lane, Kiveton Park for a gypsy and traveller site. It is big enough to hold six to eight pitches.

Working with planning consultants at Smith Jenkins, the Gulliver's Valley masterplan shows that the main entrance would be from the A57 adjacent to the Beighton Link Business Park and Elmwood Farm pub.

The proposals for a year round destination aimed at 2 - 13 year olds include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, camping, up to 300 lodges, a hotel and holiday village.

Close to the main entrance, the theme park would occupy the north-western corner of the site. The masterplan shows attractions and rides including Gulliver's Castle, a log flume, rapids, pirate ship, mine train, JCB zone and adventure play areas.

Other areas, including hotels, lodges, and a spa are expected to follow, being built in four or five phases over 12 years.

At peak time the development could attract between 21,000 and 25,000 visitors every week.

The heads of terms for the sale, which is subject to securing planning permission, are close to being agreed with Rotherham Council. A decision on the formal approval of sale is scheduled to be made by councillors and commissioners in June.

Images: Google Maps

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News: New owners for popular Rotherham venue

JR's @ The Courtyard in Wickersley has been purchased by leading regional businessmen Martin Green and Brett Simpson-Lyon, for an undisclosed sum.

Martin Green, who lives in Rotherham is managing director of leading entertainment provider Redtooth which is based in Barlborough as well as vice chairman at Sheffield United Football Club. Brett Simpson-Lyons is partner at SLA design, an architectural design company based in Sheffield which specialises in healthcare, residential, student accommodation and commercial projects.

The bar is set to undergo a complete refurbishment following the new ownership, during which time the bar will be given a new name and identity.

Martin Green said: "We are delighted to have acquired JR's @ The Courtyard and are very much looking forward to giving the venue a new look.

"We will be introducing a quiz night, a new food menu, theme nights and bank holiday events and that is just for starters. As part of my day job at Redtooth I work with the stars of ITV's The Chase and Eggheads and organise UK wide quiz events so a quiz night with The Beast from The Chase is already on the schedule.

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"The bar has a very well established clientele both in the day time and on an evening and we are sure that they will all be impressed with the new look venue when the refurbishment has taken place.

"Wickersley is a fantastic part of Rotherham and the vibrant village centre has really blossomed in recent years. The café culture and nightlife is thriving and it really is becoming a go-to destination for fashion boutiques, homeware, interior and gift stores as well as restaurants and bars.

"Both Brett and myself are experienced within the leisure sector and will drawing on our years working within the industry to ensure that this new venture is successful.

"We really do have big plans for the bar and are looking forward to a VIP star-studded grand re-opening."

JR's @ The Courtyard website

Images: jrs-winebar.co.uk

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News: Apprentice route for unemployed young people

The AMRC Training Centre in Rotherham is helping unemployed young people get into the manufacturing thanks to the Prince's Trust charity and aerospace giant, Boeing.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the £20.5m centre focuses on students aged from 16 upwards, taken on paid apprenticeships. It forms part of the The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, where the focus is on training in the practical and academic skills that engineering and manufacturing companies need to compete globally, from apprenticeship through to doctorate and MBA level.

The Prince's Trust is a youth charity that supports 13 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion.

The Trust's "Get Started with Product Design" programme will return twice in 2016 following its hugely successful pilot last year. The five-day programme is a personal and social development training programme, focussed on manufacturing, targeted to 16-25 year olds who are not in education, training or employment.

Made possible by Boeing's corporate citizenship programme, it combines the best of the AMRC Training Centre's existing, advanced manufacturing training and facilities, with the mentoring and life-skills support offered by The Prince's Trust; to give young people a helping hand to embark on a rewarding career in manufacturing.

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Eamon Myers, a 22 year old from Sheffield was one of the first participants to benefit from the programme, leading to him securing a new job as an AMRC Training Centre apprentice; sponsored by Riverside ECS in Sheffield.

Eamon said: "The programme gave me the confidence to succeed in interviews and helped me secure a three year-long apprenticeship run by Riverside ECS, in partnership with AMRC Training Centre.

"I am extremely proud of what I have achieved and would definitely encourage any young person who is unemployed to get in touch with The Prince's Trust. I feel immensely positive about the future now."

Following the success of last year's programme, Get Started with Product Design will run twice and support a total of 24 young people to help them develop professional skills in the area of advanced manufacturing.

Richard Chadwick, director of programmes and development at The Prince's Trust said: "We are delighted to be collaborating with Boeing and the AMRC Training Centre to inspire young people to consider career paths in manufacturing, engineering and technology.

"Get Started with Product Design gives young people who have previously faced barriers to education or work a rare chance to take on an engineering challenge with industry experts, and build their aspirations for the future."

Kerry Featherstone, operations manager at the AMRC Training Centre, added: "We are happy to be supporting The Prince's Trust Get Started with Product Design programme again this year. We feel the programme helps open up valuable opportunities for young people who may not have considered an apprenticeship as a route into an exciting career in engineering, and we are looking forward to welcoming this year's participants to the AMRC Training Centre."

Two "taster" days for anyone interested in participating in the programme from 1-4pm on Tuesday April 19 and Tuesday July 12.

AMRC Training Centre website
Prince's Trust website

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News: Tram train delayed again

The innovative Sheffield-Rotherham tram train service that was scheduled to reach the borough in 2017 has been delayed again, and again the blame is being placed with Network Rail.

The delayed pilot project, first mentioned in 2009, will see vehicles running on both rail and tram networks, using the freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at Meadowhall South.

With funding from the Government, the £60m pilot scheme is set to run for two years with a view to permanent operation. It is the first of its kind in the UK and if it is successful, it opens the way for tram trains to be introduced in other parts of the country.

Operated by Stagecoach, three trams an hour will run all day from Sheffield city centre through the Rotherham Central to Parkgate retail park. The running time from Parkgate to Sheffield Cathedral will be about 25 minutes.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is the client in this project, with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) responsible for the delivery of all of the light rail modifications, rail replacement and procurement of the seven vehicles. Network Rail is separately responsible to DfT to deliver the heavy rail modifications required for the project.

Network Rail, the owners and operators of Britain's rail infrastructure, is responsible for construction plans for 170 metres of track at Tinsley to connect the Supertram and railway networks. It has also been getting to grips with some of heavy rail modifications, including power, track modifications, approvals and testing and commissioning. It meant that projected costs have increased and transport bosses have been frustrated by the delays in updates from Network Rail and revised spend profiles.

The first vehicle was recently delivered to the Stagecoach depot in Sheffield. The SYPTE warned last year that there is a danger that the new vehicles could be sat at the Nunnery depot with the warranty running out whilst Network Rail completes work to its lines.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council updated members and commissioners on the lack of progress this week. He said: "Some of you will have seen that there are further delays to the tram train project caused by Network Rail. I'm writing formally to Network Rail to demand action from their senior management on that. It isn't acceptable that it slips year after year."

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In November, the Committee of Public Accounts highlighted severe planning and budgeting failures in Network Rail's current five-year investment programme.

Having gained formal approval from the Secretary of State for a Transport & Works Act order, lead contractor Carillion has started work on the heavy rail section including the installation of cabling for signalling and piling works for the foundations to support the Overhead Line Equipment along the route.

An update to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: "The Network Rail delivery programme still contains several key risks which are closely being monitored by Network Rail and the Project Board. Heavy Rail approvals, safety verification, product acceptance and general compliance to standards on the Heavy Rail side remains challenging, with the effect on construction and certainty on completion still unknown."

The Network Rail-led work on the tram train project is also causing delays to the £34.3m Sheffield to Rotherham Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme, which is already a year behind schedule and more than £8m over budget.

The Northern route of the scheme aims to improve the links between Rotherham and Sheffield passing Meadowhall, the Lower Don Valley and Templeborough. It aims help to foster economic growth along the corridor by helping people access jobs and opportunities.

The main feature is a £20m, alternative, all transport route which bypasses the congested M1 junction 34 South by providing a new section of highway beneath the Tinsley Viaduct and is currently under construction.

Materials needed to build the Tinsley Link road have to be transported across the Tinsley to Rotherham Freight line before being lifted up onto the bridge deck area. Network Rail refused access across the railway line and access was very limited between October and December 2015. The same report to the transport committee said: "This was due to the Tram Train Project taking possession of the line (i.e. temporary ownership of the section of track) and thus preventing Network Rail permitting BRT's contractors on this section. These issues have now been resolved and work is progressing."

SYPTE website

Images: DfT

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News: Funding boost for Team Katalyst

The team behind a unique performance centre in Rotherham has secured £5,520 from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) to help kick-start its Katalyst Kreations project.

Team Katalyst offers a variety of coaching, educational and recreational products from their spacious new base, The Team Katalyst Performance Centre on Barbot Hall Industrial Estate. Converting an industrial unit, the team provides over 60 classes a week in martial arts, dance, cheerleading, gymnastics and parkour with over 1,000 young people.

UK Steel Enterprise, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, was launched in 1975 to support the economic development of steel industry areas, to this day it has helped over 6,000 businesses with investments upwards of £88m, and has created over 75,000 jobs.

Last year UK Steel Enterprise invited schools and organisations working with young people aged 18 and under to apply for a cut of £40,000 funding available through the 40:40 Challenge. Across the year a total of 14 projects were awarded funds ranging from £150 to £6,000.

Team Katalyst is to use the funding to create an on-site business hub with the facilities to deliver four six-week intensive enterprise workshops in addition to on-going social media and online communication training, for young people in the area.

The workshops will be run by a team of professional photographers, film makers, app and game designers; who will work alongside the Team Katalyst management team in order to provide 14 to 16 year-olds with knowledge of business and entrepreneurship to assist them with creating their own business.

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Richard Codd, project manager for Team Katalyst, said: "The funding from UK Steel Enterprise will allows us to fulfil our plans for expansion and provide us with the necessary facilities to fully utilise the business hub.

"We want to share our own experiences of business and entrepreneurship with the next generation and offer valuable skills and training outside of the traditional educational setting and to create a hub of creativity, advice and networking."

Allan Wood, regional executive for UK Steel Enterprise, added: "We were delighted to be able to provide the funding that Team Katalyst need in order to realise their ambition for growth and expansion – supporting an increasing number of young people in the region to learn valuable business skills that they will be in a position to draw upon of throughout their adult life."

Richard Codd's Team Katalyst was named as the "Business Most Determined to Succeed" at the Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2015. Rotherham Youth Enterprise (RYE), which runs the awards and backs young entrepreneurs in the borough, has been with Richard every step of his business journey.

Team Katalyst website
UK Steel Enterprise website

Images: UKSE

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News: Students benefit from legal link to Sheffield solicitors

Expert solicitors at law firm Irwin Mitchell laid down a legal gauntlet for students at Thomas Rotherham College (TRC) in the form of a law competition, which saw the successful candidate, win a work experience placement.

Growing from a small legal practice in Sheffield, Irwin Mitchell is the 20th largest law firm in the UK. It has run the competition successfully with the Rotherham sixth form college for the past two years and this time students were asked to produce a newspaper report on the law relating to murder and voluntary manslaughter, an evaluation of the law relating to non-fatal offences, or the "right to die" debate.

After several outstanding presentations Kavina Lowry was named the winner after demonstrating exceptional research skills and attention to detail.

She has now been invited to complete a week-long work placement at Irwin Mitchell where she will get experience in the firm’s business and personal legal services.

Runner up, Luke Gray, also impressed the judges by and received £50 in vouchers.

The 18-year-old winner, said: "The task for the competition was daunting because it isn't something that we've covered in our course so far. I'm not used to writing about legal matters in a news style and it was a real challenge to keep such an extensive and complicated topic concise and within the word limit.

"Having to work outside our comfort zones was challenging but I learned a lot from the process and it confirmed even more that a career in law is what I want in life."

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Former student Ellie Taylor was also on hand to speak to students after winning the competition last year. Since completing her week of work experience Ellie went on to successfully secure a paralegal role, at Irwin Mitchell's Sheffield offices, in the Motor department.

Mark Allen, associate director at Irwin Mitchell was one of the judges. He said: "This is the third year we've run the competition and the standard was higher than ever. All of the entries were well-prepared and very professional.

"We picked Kavina's entry as the winner because not only did their passion for the law really shine through but they were able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the legal matters involved. She will now come to our offices and experience a week in the life of a lawyer which will hopefully help her as she continues her studies.

"At Irwin Mitchell we are passionate about the law and honoured to be in a position where we can offer competitions like these to help the next generation of legal talent during the formative stages of their legal careers."

Marie Clare, tutor at Thomas Rotherham College, added: "This competition has been popular with students since we first launched it three years ago. It offers our law students the chance to do something slightly different from their normal course work and gives them a chance to gain invaluable experience of working for a law firm.

"We were delighted when last year's winner, Ellie Taylor, was subsequently offered a permanent post by Irwin Mitchell."

TRC website
Irwin Mitchell website

Images: Irwin Mitchell

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News: The Budget 2016

Rothbiz editor Tom Austen looks at The Budget 2016 and what it might mean for Rotherham and its businesses.

The headlines will be taken by this year's Chancellor's curve ball - the sugar tax, and the fact that George Osborne has missed his own targets on the deficit as growth forecasts have been down graded - in contrast to the favourable estimates from the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) in November.

Setting out the Government's spending plans for the years ahead, the Chancellor focused on different aspects that will be interesting to businessess - not least attempts to address the playing field regarding tax. To bring in more income to the Treasury, further efforts are being made to ensure large multinationals paying their fair share of tax, whilst some tax rates are being cut to drive growth and support small businesses.

For example corporation tax is set to be lowered to 17% in April 2020 whilst at the same time the Government clamps down on VAT avoidance by overseas firms and online retailers.

Support was there for the self-employed with Class 2 NICs abolished from April 2018 and two new £1,000 allowances for property and trading income from 2017. The tax-free personal allowance is also being increased to £11,500. This builds on investment previously announced to update HMRC through digital technology.

Entrepreneurs' relief will also be extended to long term investors in unlisted companies.

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A big issue for all businesses has been business rates and the Budget revealed that a long running Government review has been concluded. The Budget states that the Government is now "cutting business rates for all properties and ensuring that the smallest businesses pay no rates at all, while modernising the tax to make it fit for the 21st century."

Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) is being made permanent and is set to double from 50% to 100%, with increased thresholds. April 2017, businesses with a property with a rateable value of £12,000 and below will receive 100% relief. Businesses with a property with a rateable value between £12,000 and £15,000 will receive tapered relief.

Looking at the list of business rates payers published by Rotherham Council, some 5,700 premises in Rotherham (70% of the total) have a rateable value less than £12k and could get 100% rate relief. A further 350 could get tapered relief.

This will leave local authority accountants to do the maths as councils are set to retain 100% of business rates collected in future years to top up their budgets. The documents added that local government will be compensated for the loss of income as a result of the business rates measures.

Also on business property, stamp duty on commercial property is being reformed. Similar to the duty paid on residential property, new rates will be 0% for the portion of the transaction value between £0 and £150,000; 2% between £150,001 and £250,000; and 5% above £250,000.

For specific sectors, nuclear energy got a mention with a commitment to developing the UK's own small modular reactors (SMRs). The Nuclear AMRC in Rotherham is pioneering how these can be manufactured and the Government said it will "allocate at least £30m for an SMR-enabling advanced manufacturing R&D programme to develop nuclear skills capacity."

On steel, the budget announced business energy tax reforms that could help energy intensive industries but campaigners have called on the Government to do more. For example, the investment in plant and machinery is still included in business rate calculations.

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On devolution, the Budget confirms that deals struck with regions such as the Sheffield city region (SCR) will lead to the areas receiving part of £2.86 billion as un-ringfenced single pots.

The SCR devolution deal with the Government is set to bring with it some £900m of additional cash over the next thirty years to deliver major regeneration, infrastructure and business growth schemes. Further resources are due to be put at the SCR's disposal as part of the "single pot" agreed under the devolution deal. Estimates for this additional share of national funding streams to be included within the single SCR pot have been in excess of a further £1 billion but this is still being quantified through discussions with Government departments.

The Budget adds that up to £1.8 billion will be allocated through a further round of Growth Deals with Local Enterprise Partnerships later this year.

The SCR will not get 100% business rates retention yet, as this is to be piloted in Manchester and Liverpool city regions. A science and innovation audit is planned though. Set to be focused on Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District idea it should map the research and innovation strengths and help identify areas of potential global competitive advantage.

The city region's Enterprise Zone will be extended, bringing further incentives and tax breaks to promote inward investment in more areas.

On transport, the chancellor backed calls from this week's National Infrastructure Commission report on improving connectivity in the North. Rotherham even got a mention in the Budget documentation - funding is set to be made available to accelerate an M1 smart motorway scheme from Rotherham to Wakefield (J35a-39). Work on J28-35 is set to be complete by "Winter 2016/17" and the overall aim is to take it all the way to Leeds.

Images: HM Treasury

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News: Chamber's 2016 Business Awards announced

Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce has announced the details of one of the premier events in the local business calendar - the Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards.

Last year's awards again revealed another sell out, with over 500 guests attending the ceremony, held for the second time in Barnsley. Palmer Construction, the civil engineering and building contractors based in Barnsley, took the top prize last year.

The Chamber has now announced that this year's awards we will return to Rotherham and the event will again be held at the Magna Science Adventure Centre on Friday, October 14 2016.

Last year saw over 120 entries in the ten categories and companies can this year enter the awards from June 6 2016. This year along with the ten awards from the previous year, a new category has been introduced for Tourism, Leisure or Hospitality, which will be awarded to a business that goes to extraordinary effort to provide more than is expected to their visitors.

Entry is open to all members of the Chamber and for the first time ever all businesses with an "S" postcode will be able to enter the awards.

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Andrew Denniff, chief executive at Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: "This is our once a year opportunity to celebrate all that is best in Business Innovation, Enterprise and Growth across our region. I would encourage as many businesses and individuals as possible to consider putting their names forward and get yourselves recognised for your tremendous achievements over the past few months."

Once again the Chamber will award a member charity the status of Charity of the Year and will recognise five longstanding businesses during a Salute to Business at the start of the evening.

This year's categories are:

- Most Promising New Business
- Business Growth
- Business Community Impact
- Excellence in Manufacturing
- Design & Innovation in Business
- Business Person of the Year
- Skills Development
- Excellence in International Trade
- Digital & Creativity in Business
- Apprentice of the Year
- Tourism, Leisure or Hospitality

A dedicated website for the awards will be launched to provide all the information for entrants, attendees and sponsors.

This year's awards is in association with the RNN Group (Rotherham and North Notts Group), which includes the following organisations: Rotherham College, North Notts College, RNN Training, NFPC, Charnwood Training and Create Skills.

John Connolly, chief executive of RNN Group, said: "The RNN Group are proud to sponsor the Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards as we feel it's important to recognise and celebrate local businesses and their achievements."

Sponsorship opportunities for the Business Awards are available from £1,500 (plus VAT).

BR Chamber website

Images: BR Chamber

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News: Harworth enters Leeds EZ JV

Rotherham-based developer Harworth Group plc has entered into a joint venture with the Leeds-based Evans Property Group following the purchase of 50% of Aire Valley Land LLP from Keyland Developments Ltd.

A specialist in brownfield regeneration, Harworth Estates, which is based at Waverley, is one of the largest property and regeneration companies working in the North of England and the Midlands. It is wholly owned by Harworth Group plc which was created through the complex restructure of what was UK Coal.

Keyland Developments is the sister company to Yorkshire Water and a subsidiary of the Kelda Group which has been regenerating Yorkshire Water's redundant sites for over 20 years.

Aire Valley Land was established as a joint venture between Evans Property Group and Keyland Developments Ltd.

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The 165 acre Temple Green site, situated at J45 of the M1, was outlined for a £96m regeneration scheme and is set to attract occupiers with large requirements who will benefit from being within the Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone (EZ).

The site sits next to Harworth's 162 acre Skelton Grange site and benefits from a number of extant planning permissions and covers 2.64m sq. ft. of commercial space including for Logistics and Distribution.

Harworth acquired the site of the former Skelton Grange power station from RWE Generation in 2014. It was Harworth's first major non-coalfield acquisition. The site offers the potential for development for distribution, open storage and energy generation uses.

A £7.5m infrastructure and groundwork programme got underway at the newly acquired adjacent site last year.

Owen Michaelson, chief executive of Harworth Group, said: "This is a landmark deal for Harworth, firmly establishing our foothold in the Leeds Property market and reaffirming our commitment to the Northern Powerhouse. It is also further evidence of the Group delivering on its strategy of continuing to replenish the portfolio.

"With our extensive experience in bringing forward large commercial sites, we look forward to working in partnership with Evans Property Group to deliver a commercial scheme of national significance and further building on our success at Logistics North in Bolton and the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham. With the site adjacent to our existing Skelton Grange holding, we also see potential complementary development opportunities."

Harworth Estates website

Images: Evans Property Group

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