Thursday, August 27, 2020

News: Historic Bramley buildings bulldozed

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A historic 300-year-old cottage building in Rotherham has been demolished to make way for development.

Rotherham Council only approved the method of demolition last week but the buildings at Bramley, known as Old Hall Cottages, have been taken down and the site is expected to be redeveloped for housing.

Having earlier been refused on grounds of over-development, an application for housing on the site was approved by Rotherham Council in 2016. It would have seen the refurbishment and extension of the existing cottage to create four family dwellings and the construction of two new houses.

However, applicant Dennis Hobson, recently applied to the council to approve the method of demolition.

The reasons for the need for the demolition to take place was stated as: "The structural survey of the building has shown that it is not suitable for conversion."

The application adds: "The site is to be reused for residential subject to a planning application."

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Applicants said that local councillors who live nearby had raised concerns about youths on the site and fly tipping, so they had been told to submit the application or be faced with enforcement action.

Reports show that there is little of the original historic fabric that is capable of reuse except the main walls, and they would need to be underpinned to make them suitable for modern residential use.

Despite dating from the 18th Century, not being listed has hindered hopes of saving the buildings. Bramley Parish Council was amongst 14 objectors to the latest plans. Local MP, Alexander Stafford had hoped that the Council would take into account other national and local policies when considering the demolition methods.

A report submitted with the plans states that the nearby building known as The Warren was formerly a Methodist chapel built in 1785 (a listed building) and "the cottages are shown on the 1888 ordnance survey plan but their date of construction is unknown."

Images: Tom Austen / collinshallgreen Ltd

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News: Rotherham garden centre announces closure

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A popular family-run garden centre in Rotherham has announced that it will close later this year.

The Foster family have been in business in Thrybergh for over a hundred years, growing to include a garden centre, antiques centre, machinery department, coffee shop and a cycle retail outlet.

Situated in a Grade II listed building, it offers a treasure-trove of exciting and practical ideas for both gardeners and home lovers alike. Its Christmas shop was a firm festive favourite for Rotherham families.

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Having reopened in May, Sally Foster, director at Fosters, took to social media recently to announce the sad news. She said: "It is with heavy heart that I officially announce that sadly Fosters Garden Centre will be closing at the end of October.

"As some of you may be aware - the Foster family have been in business in Thrybergh for over a hundred years and this decision has not been taken lightly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our lovely loyal customers and team of dedicated staff for all their support over the years. We will miss you all greatly and if you get chance - please pop in to say goodbye."

The garden centre is based around the cartshed, granary and stable of Chestnut Tree Farm which date from 1816.

Fosters website

Images: Fosters

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News: Work starts on site to expand Magna Business Park

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A new speculative development of industrial units designed for small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) is starting at Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham.

Plans for the Templeborough were initially approved back in 2018 and a stand-alone 35,000 sq ft warehouse will be delivered alongside a further 40,000 sq ft, which will comprise 13 smaller units ranging from 2,000 to 4,500 sq ft. The latter is thought to be the only small multi-let industrial scheme underway in the area.

Once complete, the development has the ability to accommodate a workforce of 150 – 200 people.

NSM manages the popular development on behalf of InfraRed Capital Partners and will oversee the nine month build programme, as well as providing agency services to market the site to prospective tenants.

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Helen Gordon, associate director at NSM, said: "There is a well-known shortage of industrial space, particularly with the recent surge in online retail. Most new and refurbished developments are focused on the larger distribution requirements and Magna 34 will be one of the only developments which delivers new, high quality space for smaller and growing businesses.

"We are already receiving enquiries and I expect this well-located site, next to the M1, will prove incredibly popular."

Magna 34 is an established business park with a high profile location close to Sheffield and Rotherham, with easy access to the M1. NSM already manages the existing 47,000 sq ft of space at this site which comprises two industrial units. The popular business park is already home to occupiers including Parcelforce, UK Mail and Element Materials Technology Sheffield Ltd.

NSM website

Images: NSM

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Tuesday, August 25, 2020

News: Made in Rotherham - the key to McLaren's electric future

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McLaren Automotive has confirmed the introduction of the brand's all-new, flexible, lightweight vehicle architecture which will underpin its next generation of electrified supercars. And they will be made in Rotherham.

In 2019, Rothbiz reported that the first prototype carbon fibre "MonoCell," the tub that forms the main structure of McLaren's cars, had been shipped from the company's £50m innovation and production centre in Rotherham to the McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey.

The McLaren Composites Technology Centre (MCTC) was opened on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham in 2018 and Rotherham staff have been busy on new components, seen for the first time on the latest in a line of "Longtail" McLarens.

The firm has now confirmed that the new architecture, designed specifically to accommodate new hybrid powertrains, has been entirely engineered, developed and produced in-house in the UK at the 75,000 sq ft site.

The new flexible vehicle architecture utilises innovative, world-first processes and techniques to strip out excess mass, reduce overall vehicle weight, while also further improving safety attributes.

It will underpin the next generation of McLaren hybrid models as the supercar company enters its second decade of series vehicle production.

The first new McLaren hybrid supercar to be based on the all-new architecture will launch in 2021.

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Mike Flewitt, chief executive officer at McLaren Automotive, said: "The new ground-breaking vehicle architecture is every bit as revolutionary as the MonoCell chassis we introduced with the company’s first car, the 12C, when we first embarked on making production vehicles a decade ago.

"This new, ultra-lightweight carbon fibre chassis boasts greater structural integrity and higher levels of quality than ever before with our new MCTC facility quickly becoming recognised as a global centre of excellence in composite materials science and manufacturing.

"Our advanced expertise in light weight composites processes and manufacturing combined with our experience in cutting-edge battery technology and high-performance hybrid propulsion systems means we are ideally placed to deliver to customers levels of electrified high-performance motoring that until now have simply been unattainable."

In 2018, the fastest growing luxury automotive brand in the UK revealed an updated and expanded £1.2bn business plan and upped its production targets to reach 6,000 mid-engined sportscars and supercars a year by 2025. The company set out a move towards 100% hybrid sportscars and supercars by 2024.

Flewitt added: "For us, light-weighting and electrification go hand-in-hand to achieve better performance as well as more efficient vehicles."

Visitors are unlikely to ever be allowed inside the Rotherham facility to see production but the process starts with the creation of hundreds of pieces of carbon fibre "cloth" - cut to specific sizes and laser-guided into place into "preforms." Infused with resin, the material is then moulded under immense force (the equivalent to 100 double decker buses) before being machined with extreme accuracy so that it can accept the mounting of the rest of the car parts during assembly in Woking.

Following a ramping up of recruitment at the MCTC in 2019, the firm announced redundancies in May as the business was impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

McLaren Automotive website

Images: McLaren Automotive

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News: Updated plans in for former Rotherham Homebase

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An expanding car retailer is accelerating plans to open a massive new car supermarket in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in March that The Trade Centre Group, had secured the necessary planning approval in order to take on the retail warehouse at Northfields that was previously occupied by Homebase,

The proposals would create 180 jobs.

The Trade Centre Group was established in 1999 and is now the fastest growing used car retailer in the UK with a turnover of £255m in 2019. Headquartered in Neath, the company originally had three showrooms throughout the South Wales region, before expanding into the West Midlands. A former Homebase unit in Rochdale was converted last year as the expansion continued North with plans to open eight or more new outlets over the next five years.

The Trade Centre Group acquired the 52,000 sq ft Rotherham warehouse in 2019, in a deal worth £6.75m, shortly after Homebase confirmed that the store would close.

Now the Welsh company has submitted further details to Rotherham Council planners relating to the area of land which fell outside of the former Homebase site and which does not currently have planning permission for change of use to car sales.

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Plans, drawn up by AP Architecture & Planning, show that the applicant now has until November 14 2020 to formally occupy the building / site to implement the approved planning permission.

The existing building will be used as a 174 bay indoor showroom together with ancillary spaces which include, a dry valet area, small workshop, offices, staff toilets, customer toilets, baby changing, storage, sign up area and waiting areas.

New access off Forge Way and customer car parking is proposed in the latest set of plans. Trade Centre Group sites, typically average 100 customers each day midweek, 300 on Saturday and 200 on a Sunday, with typical footfall spread evenly across the day.

The plan is to utilise the existing car park and vacant land that was earmarked for further development to create 812 external car sales bays plus staff and customer parking.

The site was formerly occupied by B&Q with the retail warehouse having been purposely built for them. It was vacant since June 2016 when B&Q cut back its UK store numbers. Australian retail giant, Wesfarmers, opened and closed a Bunnings Warehouse in the unit in the space of five months before it re-branded as a Homebase in 2018.

Trade Centre Group website


Images: Google Maps / Trade Centre Group

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News: Co-op to close Rotherham bank

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The Co-operative Bank has today announced proposals to close its Rotherham branch, one of 18 branches set to close nationwide.

The proposals include a reduction of around 350 roles and, aside from the specific branches affected, the reduction is expected to focus on middle management positions and head office roles.

The branch on Bridgegate in Rotherham town centre is set to close during 2020.

The bank said that it has spoken to affected colleagues and is currently consulting with colleagues and its recognised trades union on the proposals. Where possible, the Bank will look to redeploy colleagues into alternative posts.

The company said that the planned branch closures, which are expected to be completed by December 1 2020, had been selected following careful analysis of individual branch footfall over a 12-month period [January-December 2019] prior to the start of lockdown.

Affected customers will need to seek alternative options, including Post Office counter services, telephone, online and mobile banking.

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Andrew Bester, chief executive of Co-operative Bank, said: "Our people have shown great dedication and commitment to our customers over the past few months, so we are very sorry to announce this news today. Unfortunately, we’re not immune to the impact of recent events, with the historically low base rate affecting the income of all banks and a period of prolonged economic uncertainty ahead, which means it’s important we reduce costs and have the right-sized operating model in place for the future.

"At the same time, we are responding to the continuing shift of more and more customers choosing to bank online, with lower levels of transactions in branches, a trend which has been increasing for some time, across the banking sector and more broadly.

"The Bank is in a resilient position given the significant progress we’ve made in recent years, and our focus is on maintaining this as we continue to support our customers through the crisis. We will do all we can to support colleagues through the process with fairness and respect."

Co-op Bank almost collapsed in 2013 and is no longer part of the mutual, Co-Operative Group. In 2017, a holding company was formed, backed by other banks and hedge funds.

Co-op Bank website


Images: Google maps

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Monday, August 24, 2020

News: Plans passed for former Rotherham bank

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Plans to support the reuse of a historic former bank building in Rotherham town centre have been approved.

Rothbiz reported last year that an application had been submitted for a change of use for the former RBS branch at the foot of the historic High Street.

The plans allow for part of ground floor to change from financial and professional services (A2) so that it can be used as a café or restaurant (A3). Consent has also been granted for internal alterations, as have plans to demolish redundant outbuildings in the rear yard.

The Grade II listed building has been a bank since 1892. The freehold went up for sale with agents, Avison Young, at the start of 2019 with offers initially being invited in the region of £425,000. It eventually sold at auction for £306,000.

The planning documents, from applicant, Zayan Developments, showed that only a small amount of internal works are proposed, such as new stud walls and the removal of the goods lifts and there are to be no external alterations.

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Council planners concluded: "It is considered that the key heritage significance of the building is derived from its external appearance, banking hall ceiling, a fire place in a room off the banking hall, the main staircase and how it interacts with the surrounding area. Given that no external works are proposed and internal historic features are to be retained as part of the proposal, it is considered that the scheme would have no adverse impact on the heritage asset.

"It is therefore considered in this instance that there would be no identifiable harm to the setting and significance of the asset, and the proposal would comply with national and local planning policies.

"With regard to the impact of the proposed use on neighbouring residential properties, which can be found at first floor on High Street, it is noted that the proposed use would be open until midnight, however there are several late-night uses in this area. Furthermore, given the nature of the proposed use any noise is likely to be limited to comings and goings, which is not uncommon within town centres."

The branch was one of 162 branch closures announced by the taxpayer-backed RBS Group in 2018 after it decided that NatWest should become its primary customer facing brand in England and Wales, and Royal Bank of Scotland its core brand in Scotland.

1 - 9 High Street has its history in the Sheffield & Rotherham Joint Stock Banking Co Ltd which was a past constituent of RBS. The bank was established in 1792 by famous Rotherham steelmakers, the Walker brothers; along with Vincent Eyre, agent of the Duke of Norfolk (the principal landowner in the area); and William Stanley, a local businessman described as a "gentleman well-known and much respected at Rotherham."

The Grade II listed building was built in 1892 possibly on the site of the "OLD BANK / FOUNDED 1792" as the sign above the doorway reads. The impressive building is notable for its polished granite columns.

Images: Zayan Developments

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News: Kickstart your business with an apprentice

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RNN Training has launched an Employer Promise campaign and are asking employers across South Yorkshire and North Nottinghamshire to pledge their support to ensure that young people are given every opportunity to secure employment in their chosen sector.

There are over 700,000 young people due to leave school or college this year. They are faced with an economy that has shrunk by an incredible 25% in the last four months, and incredible uncertainty when it comes to their prospects of entering the labour market – the Association of Colleges estimate that over half will struggle to find meaningful employment.

The group, which works with with Rotherham College, North Notts College, Dearne Valley College and University Centre Rotherham (UCR), is asking local businesses to support this at-risk generation in whatever way they can.

The recent Government announcement of the "Kickstart Scheme" and its role in creating new jobs for young people, is a potentially fantastic way to breathe new life into the economy and your business.

Businesses can get advice on getting the most out of a funded work placement, a traineeship or an apprenticeship; and get help business to identify potential new roles that a young person could fill, talk through options when it comes to drawing Government funding, and help to access the recently announced grants of up to £2,000 per apprentice.

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James Godsell, director of employer partnerships at RNN Group, said: "We welcome the Chancellor's announcement of the Kickstart Scheme. We see, through our existing network of 700 employers, the impact that young people have on business.

WLatest figures suggest that 91% of apprentices are retained in employment, or further training and the beauty of today's apprenticeships is that they have been designed and approved by industry. So, as well as getting a fresh burst of enthusiasm to your business, an apprentice can within a short time-period be a trained professional with exactly the skills you require.

"We know that not every business is going to be in a position to take on an apprentice – or offer a funded work placement to a college leaver – and take advantage of the bonuses and grants available for doing so. But we believe every business can play a part in providing opportunities to ensure that talented young people aren't left behind, and retain their interest in entering their industry.

"We are asking businesses to pledge whatever they can, whether it be voluntary work experience, a toolbox talk to a group of students, engaging in our Employer Academies, or any other activity that will keep these talented young people engaged whilst the economy recovers from the shockwaves of COVID-19."

RNN Training website

Images: RNN Training

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News: Xeros technology rated best microfibre filter for laundry

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XFiltra, the innovative washing machine filtration technology from Xeros - designed to prevent the release of microplastics from laundry - has been independently verified by scientists at the University of Plymouth as the leading device for reducing the number of microfibres released from washing machines.

Xeros is a Rotherham-based developer and provider of water saving and filtration technologies with multiple commercial applications.

Washing textiles containing synthetic fibres, such as nylon or polyester, is a major source of microplastic pollution. Globally, it accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the oceans every year. As many as 700,000 microplastic fibres can be released in the wastewater from a single load of domestic laundry.

Xeros' patented filtration system, XFiltra removes these microplastic fibres from laundry effluent. The device lasts for the lifetime of the washing machine and does not use disposable filter cartridges.

XFiltra, was tested by Dr Imogen Napper at the University's International Marine Litter Research Unit, alongside products from other companies to measure their relative effectiveness at capturing microfibres, released from clothes during wash cycles, and preventing their subsequent release in wastewater.

The results show that XFiltra performed significantly better than all other products evaluated. The tests, which were designed to capture microfibres in a mixed wash of synthetic and synthetic/cotton blend garments, show that XFiltra captured 78% of microfibres released during each wash cycle.

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Similar independent tests conducted by Xeros on purely synthetic garments, show that XFiltra captures over 90% of the microplastic fibres released from them.

The University of Plymouth test data has been peer reviewed and is published today in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

Mark Nichols, CEO of Xeros, said: "The pollution of our rivers and oceans with discarded plastic waste is happening at an alarming rate. It's harming wildlife and our precious and finely balanced ecosystems, with microplastics from washing our clothes being a significant source of contamination.

"XFiltra was developed with the objective of eliminating this form of pollution and with the belief that every household and commercial washing machine needs to be fitted with low cost, easy to use filtration.

"We're delighted that the efficiency of our filtration technology has now been confirmed by independent researchers as a world leading solution which provides every washing machine manufacturer with the ability to make a major contribution to the sustainability of garment lifecycles and our planet."

Xeros website

Images: Xeros

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Friday, August 21, 2020

News: Football club's plan for stadium car park

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Rotherham United is looking to raise revenue by introducing paid for parking on part of its AESSEAL New York Stadium car park during non-match days.

A planning application has been submitted on behalf of the Championship club to vary the conditions of the original 2010 application for the £20m stadium on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

If approved, the plans would enable over 300 spaces in the northern car park, which sits between the stadium, the council offices and the remains of the Guest & Chrimes building, to be used on non-match days on a charged basis for visitors to the town.

The southern car park would be used by stadium staff, visitors and tenants, such as Mears, Enhanced Marketing, TTC and Hughie Construction.

Both car parks would continue to be used on match days for those with parking permits.

The 12,000 capacity New York Stadium opened in 2012.

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Simon Chadwick of SC5 Planning, consultants for the club, said that a variation of the original plans would be a "logical reflexion of the success of the stadium and the ability to widen the use of what is currently an under-used but accessible car park that will help support activities both at the stadium and also Rotherham town centre - including the Council offices."

He added: "The stadium continues to play a significant role in the profile of the town and the community. The club's recent promotion to the Championship is likely to lead to bigger crowds coming to the stadium on match days where demand for parking will commensurately increase and bring economic activity to the town. The change in conditions as requested will continue the success story of New York Stadium and its contribution to Rotherham."

The application has been accompanied by an updated management plan and a detailed transport assessment that concludes that "the additional parking demand arising from the proposals, as a result of varying the condition, will not have a significant detrimental impact on the capacity of the local highway network and the impacts of the increases in traffic will not be severe."

Images: RUFC

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News: Determined entrepreneur sees business grow during lockdown

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A Rotherham business has increased sales 1,000% in the midst of the lockdown, resulting in the creation of two full time jobs.

Specialising in personalised home décor items, Shabby2Chic Boutique started life on the popular online marketplace, Etsy, in 2017. Having moved to a 2,500 sq ft unit in March 2019, they have found themselves looking to move into a much larger unit, allowing the business to create more job opportunities as it grows to keep up with customer demand.

Celebrities such as Mrs Hinch, Jacqueline Jossa, Stacey Solomon, Rochelle Humes and many more have been posting on Instagram with products from the company, who have now grown to have around 170,000 followers on the platform.

Lockdown saw the launch of the new website, increasing traffic and sales by 1,000% in the first month alone. This resulted in creating two new full-time positions to help grow the business and maintain their 5* rated service.

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Kathryn Hall, owner of Shabby2Chic Boutique said: "The level of support we have received has been amazing. Launching a new website can be daunting, but it has proven to be fruitful and allows us greater control over how people can experience our shop. It has allowed us to create jobs at a time where other businesses are having to cut them."

Kathryn was inspired after a diagnosis of endometriosis meant there was a need to fill her time whilst being off work. It started with painting dressers and tables and chairs, but these were too heavy for Kathryn to work with. Scaling down to Kilner jars, these soon became in such high demand that Kathryn quit her day job to start the business.

Shabby2Chic Boutique website

Images: Shabby2Chic Boutique

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News: AMRC keeping the space industry at the cutting edge

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Composite engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) were singled out for praise by Airbus Defence and Space bosses for the speed, efficiency and accuracy of their work on critical satellite components which helped "keep UK industry moving" during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Kevin Clynes, who heads up Research and Process Technology Engineering for the Airbus division, said the complex machining operation on the base cone for its new satellite was done "during a very difficult time with speed, efficiency and accuracy" by engineers from the Composite Centre at the AMRC in Rotherham.

The AMRC Composite Centre is a state-of-the-art facility for advanced composite manufacturing research and development, based in a dedicated extension to the AMRC Factory of the Future, which is on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.

"Despite the restrictions and challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown, it was crucial to Airbus Defence and Space to continue with operations,” says Kevin. "This was not only about keeping our business going but also about keeping our customers, partners and suppliers operating as well.

"When we contacted the AMRC, it was clear they wanted to assist us with this project to keep our business plan on schedule. This was very much appreciated and successfully demonstrated how we could work together, communicating remotely, to achieve this. The AMRC showed great effort and commitment to keep UK industry going during this challenging time."

This work forms the latter stages of two years of research collaborations between Airbus Defence and Space and the AMRC that initiated the establishment of a method to machine aluminium honeycomb with composite skins with zero defects.

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Dr Kevin Kerrigan, who heads up composite machining research at the AMRC, said: "It was an honour for the AMRC to be able to support the team at Airbus Defence and Space during these challenging times and to witness translational research deliver value back to UK manufacturing."

The cone is a key component of the Eurostar Neo, a new high performance communication satellite developed by Airbus Defence and Space that combines increased payload capacity, more efficient power and thermal control systems with faster production time and reduced cost.

Due for launch in 2021, the cone forms the central structure and base of the service module of the satellite, which houses the propulsion tank. It is made from aluminium honeycomb, which is sandwiched between an inner and outer skin made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The AMRC team took on the challenge to machine 288 holes and three larger access panels, whilst achieving tolerances smaller than the diameter of a human hair into the already high-value-add component. Further machining work included machining flats on upper and lower rings that had been bonded to the cone.

John Halfpenny, technical lead at the AMRC Composite Centre, worked with AMRC machine tool operator Lewis Nicholson to carry out the complex job; operating under strict lockdown conditions and stringent health and safety guidelines, and all while maintaining the necessary social distancing measures.

"This project was a little bit special because we had to come in under lockdown," explains John. "We knew it was important because Airbus had been given permission from the government to do the work during lockdown as it is industry specific and critical to their work packages.

"The cone itself is quite large, 1.3m high, but a very lightweight structure; to give a sense of size, four people could stand inside it.  It is a typical sandwich structure with three layers - carbon fibre on the outer and inner surfaces, with aluminium honeycomb layer in the middle - and quite difficult to machine without damaging the super lightweight, high-value structure."

John explained that while carbon fibre is a strong and light composite material, it is very easy to damage the component when machining features. "The carbon fibre has a tendency to splinter and break away if machined incorrectly," he said. "Airbus had a zero defect feature requirement, which meant no splintering on entry and exit of all features. This is critical to the component, so the AMRC developed techniques to eliminate all delamination.

"Also, another requirement was the honeycomb structure had to have a clean burr-free cut. If machined with conventional tools and drills, it would be very easy to damage the thin sandwich structure so specialist tools were sourced, that were capable of producing a really fine, neat edge on the honeycomb."

After every ten holes, a visual inspection was carried out for delamination and measurement of diameter. This was to ensure tool wear had no effect on the quality of holes.

John explained: "OSG, a tier one research partner, was the tool supplier on this project and they have worked with us to develop the process. We carried out some machining trials with their tools and found they were really good; they are solid carbide diamond coated tools which are very hard-wearing and the geometry of the tools is unique as well."

The machining work was performed using the Starrag STC 1250, 5-axis machine tool which Kevin Clynes says was perfectly suited to the task.

"The holes have a very tight tolerance requirement on diameter size of ±0.015mm, as well as positional accuracy requirement of ±0.05mm.The AMRC’s Starrag machine gave us the required volume and accuracy to carry out these machining operations."

Once complete, the cone was delivered to Airbus' Stevenage site, where metal inserts were accurately bonded into the carbon holes machined by the AMRC to give precision fixing points for brackets and panel attachments.

The cone project is the culmination of two years of "small steps" of incremental research and development carried out by the AMRC for Airbus Defence and Space in which various-scaled cones were machined using a newly established machining process developed for Airbus Defence and Space as part of its manufacturing development programme.

John said: "We got the order for the cone before Covid; it was a critical project for us to complete and to help the industry keep moving during lockdown. We knew that if this wasn't machined on time it could have delayed the final assembly process. The satellite is due to launch in 2021 - slots for launches like this are booked years in advance, so we knew there were deadlines to meet. That's why, as an organisation, we were determined to deliver and make sure we could complete the machining to keep Airbus on schedule."

The Eurostar Neo product line has been developed in the frame of ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme, in cooperation with space agencies from ESA Member States, particularly CNES and the UK Space Agency.

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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Wednesday, August 19, 2020

News: Ticket sales at Gulliver's Valley have exceeded expectations

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The brand-new Gulliver's Valley Theme Park in Rotherham has already welcomed thousands of visitors through its doors as it enjoys its fourth full week of business.

Ticket sales for the multi-million pound resort, which opened to the public on Saturday July 11, have also exceeded expectations with many days already sold out and limited tickets available over the summer. Short-stay accommodation is also booming.

An following recent changes to government advice, the resort has been able to open some attractions in its indoor Dragon's Lair area which includes ten climbing walls on Dragon's Peak, caving in Crimson Cave and a giant inflatable bounce course.

The new "Gyrosaur" ride is also now on site.

Julie Dalton, managing director of the family-run Gulliver's Theme Park Resorts, said: "We've enjoyed a wonderful few weeks and, after what has been a really challenging period due to our delayed opening, it’s just been fantastic to see people come to the park and enjoy a great day out. The recent opening of some of the Dragon's Lair indoor area has been a really welcome addition to our offering too as it provides a whole other element for our young guests to enjoy when visiting us.

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"We're continuing to operate at around 25% of anticipated capacity but hope to increase numbers as the Government guidance changes.

"So far, it's a really positive picture with future tickets sales flying out the door. Annual passports also proving to be really popular as well as enquiries about birthday parties and other events which we will be offering as soon as we are able to do so. 35% of visitors are choosing to secure their lunchtime meal by making use of the pre-booking option and accommodation sales are booming, with occupancy at 85% and some future dates fully booked already.

"We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all their support. We are a family business who has put absolutely everything into this new resort so to have the backing of our customers, who really are at the heart of everything we do, has been so important to us. This is just the beginning for Gulliver’s Valley and there are lots more exciting things to come."

Built on former coalfield land adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park, Gulliver' Valley is aimed at children between the ages of two and 13-years-old and houses more than 30 rides and attractions, including an Apache Falls ride, full-size diggers, the Ghostly Galleon pirate ship and a Lost Jurassic World area. Accommodation options are also available, including Unicorn and Princess Suites alongside Western Cabins and Lost World Lodges, with sleepover adventures on offer.

Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Gulliver's

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News: Rotherham restaurant proposes extra helping

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As the borough Eats Out to Help Out, one Rotherham restaurant is offering to help those that already have a lot on their plate.

E’Lupo’s, on the edge of Rotherham town centre, has seen a great reaction from local diners to the Government scheme that offers a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner.

David Lister, owner of the popular Italian, has now pledged to extend the offer to those families who are feeling the impact of Covid-19.

On Monday August 24, E’Lupo’s will be hosting a free night for families of up to four, from 6pm until 8pm.

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In a post on social media, the restaurant said: “If you’ve lost your job, or are from a household with no earned income, are reliant upon state benefits, if your business hasn’t survived COVID-19 or if you have ever had to use a food bank, then we want to take care of your food bill for one night, just as our community has taken care of us.

“Our staff have all volunteered to work for free and you won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Booking is essential and details can be found here.

A JustGiving page has also been set up.

Lister added: “Throughout the pandemic, and as we’ve emerged from lockdown, we’ve been humbled by, and are grateful for, the support our small business has received.

“We wanted to give something back.”

E'Lupo's website

Images: E'Lupo's / Facebook

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News: Early interest in former Rotherham VW showroom

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Commercial property agents are encouraged by the early interest in a former car showroom in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported last month that the former Volkswagen Rotherham site in Wickersley had gone up for sale having been closed by operators, JCT600.

The building and site occupies a prominent position fronting Bawtry Road and comprises approximately 17,757 sq ft of showroom, workshop and ancillary offices.

Externally, there are used car display areas to the front of the showroom with a substantial customer, staff and Service Parking area to the rear with the total site area covering approximately 1.28 acres.

Peter Whiteley, head of Knight Frank in Sheffield, which is marketing the building with Eaton Commercial, said: "This extremely well located and presented property is immediately available and could be of interest to a wide variety of potential occupiers, investors and developers.

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"The site benefits from a prominent position located on the A631 Bawtry Road and is close to a number of retail outlets including Aldi, Morrisons Supermarket, McDonalds and the local high quality facilities within Wickersley.

"It also benefits from fantastic motorway links being located close to Junction 1 of the M18 and links to the M1 and M62.

Robert Eaton added: "The site has existing consent as a motor vehicle showroom and other potential uses may require appropriate consents with the local planning office.

"We are encouraged by the early interest expressed in the property for both existing use and potential redevelopment."

The asking price for the freehold is £1.55m and a leasehold may also be considered.

Knight Frank website
Eaton Commercial website

Images: Knight Frank

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Monday, August 17, 2020

News: Celsa receives approval for Rotherham processing plant

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Celsa has received the approval of the planning board at Rotherham Council for a new operation in the borough to support its steelmaking facilities in South Wales.

A number of local firms are unhappy with the proposals.

The Spanish group operates Celsa Steel UK in Cardiff, one of the largest manufacturers of long steel products in the UK. It currently has a steel mill and two rolling mills dedicated to the manufacturing of corrugated steel, light profiles and commercial bars.

Plans were submitted earlier this year to create a shear processing plant on a scrap yard off Sheffield Road, Ickles.

Plans are for the proposed construction and operation of Rotherham Metal Recovery Centre, which would process, store and distribute up to 75,000 tonnes per year of ferrous scrap metal. It would create six new jobs.

The plans were approved after planners concluded that: "The site is allocated for industrial and business purposes in the adopted local plan and whilst it acknowledged that the proposed development does not fall within the permitted use classes, the industrial nature of the process would not conflict with existing operations on adjacent sites. Accordingly, the proposals are considered to be acceptable in principle."

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The plans went before the planning board last week due to the number of representations received.

Emma Ottewell, development manager, explained: "We received six letters of objection and those mainly relate to the impact of the operation on similar businesses in the area but they do also mention contamination and drainage."

Jason Booth, director of Rotherham-based CF Booth Ltd, said that local metal recyclers were worried for their businesses. In a letter to the Council, he said: "We employ over 250 employees who's [sic] jobs would all be in jeopardy if this plant was to go ahead. We have been established in Rotherham for over 80 years and managed to battle competition throughout, however, this would completely crush us and many other metal recyclers, large and small, in South Yorkshire.

"Rotherham does not need another Sheer Processing Plant. Rotherham town centre has already died to larger retail companies opening nearby and the same thing will happen to metal recycling companies large and small if this goes ahead. What will be left of Rotherham's oldest metal recycler?"

But the objection holds little weight in planning terms. Council planners said: "In addressing this matter, the loss of trade to a competitor or competition is not a material planning consideration and therefore cannot be taken into consideration in this instance."

Gareth Price, scrap purchasing manager at Celsa UK, said: "Our Rotherham operation is an important feeder yard for our mill and one that we are seeking to develop further.

"The case officer rightly points out that commercial matters are not material to this decision on whether planning permission should be granted and therefore this is not something that should inform the decision."

Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approved the plans.

Celsa UK website

Images: Celsa UK / Facebook

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News: Consultations under way on extension to Public Space Protection Orders

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A public consultation has now started on two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO), one in the Town Centre, including Clifton Park, and a borough wide order specifically dealing with dog fouling.

Rothbiz reported in July that the order was introduced in September 2017 after the Council said that it continued to receive complaints about a minority of people who behave in an unacceptable way. It still continues to receive complaints relating to the town centre from business, Councillors and visitors alike.

The orders are due to expire, however a new order can be made following public consultation. The consultation on both PSPOs will focus on the existing conditions and the behaviours that have been identified within the proposed order.

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Cllr. Emma Hoddinott, cabinet member for waste, roads and community safety at Rotherham Council, said: "These orders are put in place to ensure that people feel safe in the town centre and our neighbourhoods are kept free of dog fouling. Without this Public Space Protection Order, it makes it harder for the police and council officers to take action.

"We want to hear people's views about the problems we are trying to address with this order and whether the extra powers will help tackle them. While incidents of anti-social behaviour in the town centre and complaints of dog fouling across the borough have been declining since 2016, they are still some of the most common causes for complaint and we know that these remain relevant issues for people."

The consultations are taking place through an online survey until August 30 2020 and will also include consultation with a broad range of individuals and organisations including parish councils, South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, community organisations, local businesses, ward councillors, and council officers.

In the past three years, 168 fines for breaches of the Town Centre Public Spaces Protection Order have been issued and a further 39 fines have been issued to individuals who have allowed their dogs to foul on land open to the public.

Images: Google Maps

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Friday, August 14, 2020

News: Rotherham construction contract confirmed for Willmott Dixon

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National contractor Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Rotherham Council to deliver 171 homes with the award of a £31.5m contract.

The scheme is made up of three developments under the Council's Rother Living brand - one on the site of the former Henley's garage in Wellgate, another on Sheffield Road, and the final site on Westgate on the Millfold House site.

Work is already underway and the developments will feature a mix of houses and apartments for council housing, shared ownership, and affordable sale.

Rothbiz reported back last year that Willmott Dixon was the contractor partner as the authority progressed ambitious proposals for new town centre housing. Since January 2019, the Council has worked with the contractor to develop these schemes to construction stage, and previous contracts are now subsumed by this larger construction contract.

The Council signed off on the contract at the end of last month having been scrutinised its legal and finance departments and by external consultants.

Stuart Kerr, operations director at Willmott Dixon, said: "These three Rother Living schemes are hugely important projects for the town and Rotherham Council. The developments will make a difference to the local community by providing high-quality council housing and opportunities for residents to get on the housing ladder.

"We're excited to be working in partnership with Rotherham Council and their Rother Living brand. As an employer within the region and, having recently completed Rotherham's University Centre as part of the Rotherham Plan 2025, we are delighted to be playing a part in the council's continued investment in housing and the town centre. With 75% of the development reserved for affordable housing, these schemes will go a long way to support the council’s housing growth plans."

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The £13m site Westgate Riverside development in Sheffield Road consists of two apartment blocks containing 44 homes and 28 two and three-storey semi-detached and terraced houses. The Millfold House development (pictured, top), which is valued at £10m, will feature one apartment block consisting of 31 apartments and 14 back-to-back houses. The third development, on the site of the former Henley's garage on Wellgate, consists of two apartment blocks containing 34 homes and 20 two and three-storey terraced houses, with a value of £8.5m.

Willmott Dixon is already working across these sites. In Sheffield Road, full site set-up is already complete and work is on-going to transform the land, which includes the addition of flooding defenses. Work has also started at the Millfold House development with ground preparation work having commenced in mid-June.

The construction firm said that it would be actively supporting local social enterprises and SMEs, delivering initiatives to improve wellbeing and mental health in the community, supporting local projects, community groups and running initiatives aimed at reducing crime.

Councillor Dominic Beck, cabinet member for housing at Rotherham Council, said: "These are exciting developments that will deliver 171 new properties for local people, including 129 council homes and shared ownership dwellings. It will transform three disused former industrial sites and comes at a time when the Forge Island part of our Town Centre Masterplan starts to take shape.

"The developments include a variety of property types to suit people of different ages - including first-time buyers, key workers, families, and older downsizers. A lot of hard work has gone into putting these plans together and it's fantastic to see the Willmott Dixon team making a start on development, which will greatly contribute towards our ambitions for housing growth and town centre regeneration.

"Ultimately, these three developments are a significant step forward in our vision to improve Rotherham town centre, giving it a new sense of purpose with a stronger identity and thriving community, which local people can take pride in."

The developments, which have been designed by Bond Bryan Architects, are due for completion in 2022.

Rother Living website
Willmott Dixon website

Images: Bond Bryan / Willmott Dixon

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News: Wizz Air doubles down at DSA

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Wizz Air has chosen Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) as the location for a second base for Wizz Air UK, the group's UK-registered and based airline, alongside London Luton.

The move will create new routes and increase the annual capacity of the regional airport for the Sheffield city region (SCR), by 300,000 seats.

Currently London Luton's biggest airline, the Hungarian low-cost carrier is allocating one Airbus A320 aircraft to DSA, and will launch seven new routes to add to its existing network of ten routes.

Last year, Flybe, announced that the withdrawal of jet operations from Doncaster Sheffield.

Owain Jones, managing director of Wizz Air UK, said: "Throughout the recent challenges, we have seen a real resilience in the UK and at Doncaster Sheffield Airport in particular. This breakthrough plays an important role in our business planning and aspiration to make air travel affordable for everyone.

"We've been continuously driving down our costs to become the most efficient airline in Europe. Our fleet of latest-generation Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft make us the greenest airline in Europe and one Airbus A320 will take up residence at DSA from November. We currently see an underserved gap and DSA will play a key role in our plans for future growth."

Wizz Air has been working in partnership with Doncaster Sheffield Airport for over a decade becoming the airport's largest carrier with over 900,000 passengers ever year predominantly served with a selection of central Eastern European routes.

Seats are ow on sale to additional locations such as Alicante, Malaga, Larnaca, Faro, Lublin, Kosice, and Suceava.

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Chris Harcombe, director of aviation development at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: "We are delighted to bring more ultra-low fares to DSA, to these popular destinations loved by our customers and served by an airline who pride themselves on providing affordable travel, with an excellent reputation. It is a shared intention to bring further aircraft as part of this agreement within a matter of months.

"There is no doubt that the aviation sector faces its greatest challenge in modern day history at this time. It is essential that the UK Government acknowledges and supports airlines and airports that bring much needed investment into the UK economy. Doncaster Sheffield Airport contributes over £60 million to the Sheffield City Region and offers job security for thousands of people."

Robert Hough, chairman of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, added: "Our partnership with Wizz Air is incredibly special to our business. Both Wizz Air and Doncaster Sheffield Airport began their journeys' in the early 2000s as challenger brands with a shared desire to provide opportunity for the people of our respective markets through obtainable travel.

"Fast forward 15 years and Wizz Air is one of Europe’s most successful and well-established airlines and Doncaster Sheffield Airport as one of the UKs fastest growing airports – it's a true partnership that has gone from strength to strength."

"There is no doubt that the aviation sector faces its greatest challenge in modern day history at this time. It is essential that the UK Government acknowledges and supports airlines and airports that bring much needed investment into the UK economy. Doncaster Sheffield Airport contributes over £60 million to the Sheffield City Region and offers job security for thousands of people."

DSA website
Wizz Air website

Images: Wizz Air

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Wednesday, August 12, 2020

News: Broadband boost for borough

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Two infrastructure firms have confirmed plans to improve fibre broadband in Rotherham, investing millions in the borough.

CityFibre is well underway to build a full fibre network that will reach almost every home and business in the town.

Meanwhile, Openreach has also outlined plans to make ultra-reliable and gigabit-capable full fibre broadband available to homes and businesses in further parts of the borough.

Rothbiz reported in 2019 that Rotherham was included in the second phase of rollouts extending CityFibre's Gigabit City programme.

The leading designer, builder, owner, and operator of fibre optic infrastructure in UK towns and cities provides an alternative to BT Openreach.

CityFibre has now confirmed a contractor for the £29m investment with Heneghan's starting work in the Kimberworth area.

The full fibre network is not yet live, but once activated, services will be available from an increasing range of broadband providers. Across the UK, CityFibre is already working with launch partner, Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services, and TalkTalk is expected to join the network soon.

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Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "The CityFibre investment in Rotherham is a huge boost that supports our ambitions to develop a competitive and sustainable economy that builds on our strengths in advance manufacturing and innovation.

"Rotherham has so much going for it as a business location and having the full fibre network makes it the ideal place for any company to grow or locate. Having a full fibre gigabit capable infrastructure will meet the ever increasing digital demands of those living and working in Rotherham now and in the future."

Natalie Ward, city manager for Rotherham at CityFibre, added: "This is such an exciting time for people across Rotherham as work is now underway to build the Full Fibre broadband network which will digitally transform the town. Not only will this bring lightning fast speeds to both households and businesses, it will open up much deeper benefits such as enabling smart home technologies and giving people the freedom to work from home with ease.

"Our £29m investment also supports the innovative business community that helps drive the Rotherham economy. Through the adoption of next generation Full Fibre connectivity, more innovation and productivity will be driven, ultimately giving businesses the platform they need to realise their growth ambitions. Creating a level playing field for local businesses is vital as they seek to compete and sell internationally."

Targeting 3.2 million premises in the UK's hardest to reach "final third," Openreach has confirmed that market towns and villages are in for a full fibre boost - with exchanges in Wickersley and Thurcroft set to be upgraded.

Robert Thorburn, partnership director in the North of England at Openreach, said: "I'd encourage everyone to check if they can switch to the new technology, and if you can, get in touch with your broadband provider to find out more about the many benefits. "Full fibre" is more reliable and more resilient meaning fewer faults and more predictable, consistent speeds. It is also "future-proof" to easily meet the growing data demands of future technologies."

Last year, Superfast South Yorkshire (SFSY) completed a £27m contract to deliver faster broadband to residents and businesses across South Yorkshire.

City Fibre website
Openreach website

Images:

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News: Last week for COVID-19 support scheme

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Over 4,000 Rotherham businesses and charities have received more than £46m in financial support from Rotherham Council since the start of Covid-19 lockdown measures. But with the deadline to make a claim is now looming.

The money has been allocated through several Government-backed schemes which have been administered by the Council.

One of those schemes, the Discretionary Grant Fund, ended on the July 5 and now the Council has to bring the remaining schemes to a close by midnight on August 16 2020 as the Government funding comes to an end.

Schemes that will close this week are the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grants Fund.

Although around 90% of eligible businesses have now been paid the grants they are entitled to, a small number are yet to claim and are being urged to check their eligibility on the Council website to ensure they don't miss out.

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Subject to checks and eligibility, businesses in Rotherham have typically been receiving their grant payments within five days of making an application.

Cllr. Saghir Alam, cabinet member for corporate services & finance, said: "To validate and process payments worth over £46m to more than 4,000 businesses in just over four months – and in such difficult circumstances – has a been a huge logistical challenge for the Council, but I'm proud we've achieved it.

“These grants are vital to the wellbeing of our economy, protecting the jobs, businesses and livelihoods of thousands of local people. We want to squeeze every last pound out of the funds available to help Rotherham recover so we are urging those eligible businesses to apply before it's too late.

See the Council website for more information.

Images: Google Maps

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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

News: Gala Tent breaks records as it adapts to the "new normal"

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Entrepreneurial management and the ability of the business to adapt quickly, has seen Rotherham-based Gala Tent rebuild and go on to process over £1m of orders in the month of July.

Founded in 1999, Gala Tent is one of the UK's leading producers of marquees, tents and gazebos.

Its marquees, that are usually the lifeblood of the hospitality and events industry, are now resurrected as pop-up coronavirus testing stations, social distancing queue shelters, entry and exit checkpoint tents, as well as providing garden shelter for homeowners and home workers. Pubs and hotels are snapping up commercial grade structures to increase capacities during the social distancing era.

The Manvers company is almost back to full strength, following the Prime Minister's recent easing of lockdown restrictions and a massive boom in marquee and gazebo sales.

Jason Mace, CEO at Gala Tent (pictured, left), said: "There were plenty of other firms and individuals in the same boat as us. Too successful for some financial concessions, not successful enough for others, and of course insurance covered very little so we had to remain open. We’ve always battled whatever came at us, though, and we've always won."

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The first month of lockdown was particularly brutal for Gala Tent. Jason, alongside co-owner and brother-in-law Mark Thompson, were forced to furlough a majority of our colleagues, retaining a small skeleton team and our bosses themselves were working shifts in the distribution centre for zero wage to ensure the business stayed alive.

Behind the scenes, the team working from home spent their time pivoting our strategies to reflect the current climate, and quietly set about improving the business operation to prepare for when life might return to normal.

Thompson said: "You do what you have to do to survive. We spent the early years of the company doing just that, working all hours for no wages, to build it up to what we are today. Nobody at Gala Tent is scared of a little hard work."

Using a restructured finance facility with HSBC UK, the company has been able to pivot the business.

In June, Gala received the biggest ever monthly web traffic to the site, but that was nothing compared to July. Only four months after Prime Minister Boris Johnson locked down the country in an effort to stem the flow of the coronavirus outbreak, Gala Tent staff processed £1.1m of orders. In the process, the firm posted a massive 34% growth versus last July, and had a further 25% increase in traffic to the website.

Another businesses under the Gala umbrella, Gala Graphics, has also seen a recent influx of demand for its printed services which includes the launch of a series of exclusive Social Distancing Floor Markers, Banners and Signs.

Meanwhile, Gala Technology, which specialises in customer not present payment solutions, has seen a major update in providing payments solutions for home workers along with some major partner deals.

Mace added: "It's amazing. It's a credit to my team that we were all able to pull together when things were at their most uncertain, and keep the ship steady. It’s important to have that confidence that if a crisis occurs and you find all roads closed off, you know you can head off road and find success on your own terms."

Gala Tent website

Images: Gala Tent

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News: Flexibility is key for manufacturers to support Covid-19 recovery

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Creating flexible manufacturing facilities will support industry's recovery from Covid-19 according to the head of a Rotherham-based engineering pioneer.

Steve Dunn, managing director of Rolls-Royce and Unipart joint venture business MetLase, believes the firm's pioneering work in the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium highlights how technology proven in the aerospace sector has been used in other sectors to help build the country's manufacturing resilience and support reshoring activities that are slowly picking up pace.

Rothbiz reported in April that the expertise of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP)-based company was being used in the rapid development and manufacture of ventilators to meet increased hospital requirements, caused by COVID-19.

The experienced engineer says the rapid deployment of adaptive manufacturing processes enables companies to reconfigure their factories to keep their workforces safe, accelerate and standardise training and processes and support diversification into new sectors to mitigate unprecedented drops in volumes.

The rallying call comes after his firm played a pivotal role in the nationwide effort to produce more ventilators for the NHS, providing critical design and manufacturability support for consortium partners and production of 72 bespoke manufacturing workstations for Rolls-Royce's Bristol facility.

These were produced in just ten days, which was significantly faster than it was going to take to purchase and install standard benches.

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"Industry hasn't really seen anything like the sudden changes the pandemic has thrust upon it and there is now a massive need for manufacturing to be more flexible and rapidly adapt to a changing economic picture," explained Steve.

"Horizontal innovation, where we take core technology and processes developed in one sector and transfer them to deliver a solution in another, is very much in demand.

"This is supported by an outstanding engineering team that we can mobilise quickly, with more than 500 years' knowledge and experience between them - a very powerful source of competitive edge and one we are now putting to good use with exciting new projects in automotive and medical."

MetLase specialises in the manufacture of world-class tooling, intelligent fixturing and components, bringing lead times of months down to hours or days.

The company currently employs 30 people at its facility on the AMP Technology Centre in Rotherham and works across automotive, aerospace and, increasingly, in scientific equipment and pharmaceuticals, with over £1m of new contracts secured in the UK, Australia, the EU and the US.

It is also seeing significant growth in the need for tailored digital solutions and in-fixture automation, giving manufacturers essential data at all stages of the process, enabling continuous improvement, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

"Faster, more intelligent manufacturing that delivers data is what industry is demanding and we are at the forefront of how we can turn a traditional fixture or tool into an intelligent component," added Steve.

MetLase website

Images: MetLase

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Thursday, August 6, 2020

News: Campaigners buy historic Rotherham building

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A local group has concluded a deal to acquire the former Wath Town Hall in Rotherham so that it can be used as a community hub.

Rothbiz reported in 2018 that Rotherham Council had been presented with a option that would enable the building to be used for the benefit of the local community by a community interest group.

The proposal was unanimously approved and Wath Hall Preservation Society Ltd, a single purpose vehicle, and Wath Hall Ltd, current custodians, have been working hard to put together a business plan and funding bids alongside efforts to raise the required cash.

The core building is a Georgian mansion, which can be traced back to its construction in the 1770s. The Town Hall has been a Council owned property for over 100 years, firstly as the Town Hall for Wath Urban District Council and latterly as a branch office. It closed in 2011 and in 2015, the Council declared that the hall was surplus to requirements and its future became uncertain.

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Now the preservation society has successfully completed the purchase of the Georgian mansion and its grounds from Rotherham Council.

Raising £90,000 through a community share offer provided the match funding to secure an extra £90,000 as the purchase and a basic programme of repairs to start to bring the hall back into use will cost at least £180,000.

Alan Sherriff MBE, chairman of Wath Hall Preservation Society Limited, said: "Together with the charity Wath Hall Limited, our six-year campaign to secure it for the people of Wath has succeeded in the Hall's 250th anniversary year, a remarkable achievement! I am profoundly grateful for your patient support and encouragement throughout the negotiations to buy Wath Hall.

"Our exciting and vital venture is unique to Rotherham and South Yorkshire. There is nothing like it in nature, scale or ambition. It was local folk like you who raised the cash to buy the freehold, investing your money in Wath Hall Preservation Society community shares. You have bought Wath Hall and its beautiful surroundings to safeguard the future for Wath through the formation of a creative community enterprise. Community and economic regeneration are at the very heart of our project."

The building still needs roof repairs, electrical re-wiring and a new heating system installed before it can operate as an arts and heritage centre, holding public events, facilitating community groups and housing local small businesses.

Wath Hall website

Images: Wath Hall Ltd

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News: Former nurse links up with Launchpad

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A former nurse who put her life-saving skills to good use after her husband experienced a heart-attack,is now helping new parents and families to master essential life-saving skills after calling on help from Launchpad.

The Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme helps individuals who are thinking of starting their own business as well as providing ongoing support and guidance during their first three years of trading.

Claire Knight's life changed overnight when her husband Thomas suffered a heart attack. With a young family to care for while her husband recuperated, Claire began re-assessing her work-life balance and decided to leave the security of the NHS and make plans to launch her own business.

With a clear idea to help parents learn essential first aid skills,built around her teaching knowledge and nursing experience, Claire began researching the assistance available to help her transform her ideas into a reality. She contacted the Sheffield City Region Launchpad programme and, with some trepidation, attended her first workshop. After several months planning, developing and refining her ideas, the Whiston-based entrepreneur launched Rotherham-based Links Care in June 2019.

Claire realised she needed to build a customer base for her business. Selling her company’s services and charging individuals for the skills and expertise was something which did not come naturally. Working with an experienced Launchpad business adviser, Claire was able to access a range of workshops, training events and one-to-one support, helping to build her business confidence and identify new ways of securing customers for her fledgling business.

As the new entrepreneur began attending networking events, Claire spotted a unique niche in the marketplace. She realised that many new parents turned to A&E simply because they were unsure how to spot the signs of common childhood ailments. She realised by helping parents to master basic first-aid skills, it could not only help to reduce worry, but also avoid unnecessary trips to A&E.

Like many businesses this year, Links Care was affected by COVID19. Claire began re-assessing her business model and moved her training workshops online – something she felt initially would not be practical. She was particularly concerned about teaching skills like Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however her fears proved to be unfounded. Since launching her live online training sessions, Claire has been able to teach a minimum of two sessions a week and expand the geographical reach of her business.

With COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown measures beginning to ease, Claire is hoping to grow and develop her business further by providing parents with the flexibility to attend online workshops as well as returning to delivering face-to-face sessions.

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Claire Knight, managing director of Links Care, said: "I had enjoyed my career working with the NHS, but I always liked the idea of working for myself. When a colleague mentioned she was thinking of setting up her own business, I decided to join her at a Launchpad training event to find out more about self-employment.

"I was excited about the prospect, but I knew starting a business would be a huge time commitment. When my husband survived his heart attack, I began to re-evaluate my working life and spending time with my family and being able to work flexibly around the children was the most important thing to me.

"One of the greatest lessons I've learned since working with the Launchpad team has been the flexibility and opportunities which are open to you as an entrepreneur. When Covid-19 forced me to stop delivering my face-to-face sessions, I knew it would have a significant impact upon my business. I been considering moving some elements of my training online, but I felt my business was not quite ready, for example, I was unsure whether resuscitation could be taught remotely. All that changed overnight and since launching our online live training sessions, demand for my services have risen significantly.

"The support I've received from Julia and the Launchpad team has been invaluable to my business. The workshops have helped me to develop a stronger grasp of the reality of running a business and the advice and support has helped me to unlock the potential in my business and as a result I’m now hoping to recruit additional nurses to help me delivery of my training services and grow the business further."

Julia Millea, business adviser at Launchpad, added: "Claire saw an opportunity to build a business around the skills she had developing during her nursing career. Like many people, she was initially apprehensive about leaving the security of employment, but when her circumstances at home changed, she began to realise running her own business could help her to achieve a better work-life balance.

"Through her work with Launchpad, she has successfully laid solid foundations for her business, as well as being quick to spot and respond to changes in the marketplace.  COVID-19 was potentially a huge stumbling block for many businesses, including Links Care. However, Claire successfully changed adversity into opportunity and by moving her training sessions online, she was able to open up new markets to her business. As a result, her business hasn't just survived, but it's been an incredible success story."

Links Care website
Launchpad website

Images: Launchpad

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