News: Extra £2.9m for Rotherham Council as part of Tesco deal

Every Little Helps. Especially when your central grant from the Government is cut by £19m.

Rotherham Council has received an additional £2.934m as part of the sale of the site of the former civic buildings on Drummond Street - now home to a new £40m town centre Tesco Extra store.

The council agreed the £7.3m sale of its former town centre civic site with developers, TCN UK in 2013 which enabled the £41m required for a new Tesco development to be secured.

Following the land deal, real estate investment specialists, Osprey Equity Partners finalised its Osprey Income and Growth 2 LP fund, having raised £16.9m of equity from private investors and £23.75m of debt from HSBC Bank. It forward funded the food superstore which was pre-let to Tesco on a 30 year unbroken lease.

The new Tesco includes 66,000 sq ft of retail space with planning permission granted for an additional 36,000 sq ft of floorspace from the old store on Forge Island. The plans showed 14,000 sq ft of convenience and 22,000 sq ft of comparison goods with the additional floorspace allowing for a greater range of products such as clothing, books, CDs and household electrical goods to be sold from the new store.

The new supermarket opened in November triggering an overage payment of £2.9m due to the council. An overage is an additional payment made after the original deal and is often used when certain conditions are met - securing planning permission, practical completion of the development, sale or lease of the development. They are often used by the public sector to ensure that they secure "best value" when selling land and take into account the increase in value of the land when commercial development subsequently occurs.

The figure was revealed at a recent council meeting and comes as central Government announces the Local Government Finance Settlement, which will see local councils receive 8.8% less funding from Government to run local services in April 2015. Rotherham's Settlement Funding Assessment (SFA) - the amount allocated to each council - is £19.5m (15.2%) less than in 2014/15 compared with a national decrease of 12.4%. Councils are being expected to rely on non-guaranteed income from elsewhere, such as increases in business rates and the New Homes Bonus.

Rotherham Council secured over £15m by selling off assets in the last two years. Rotherham Council's latest budget included a £23m savings package put together in response to further massive reductions in Government funding. £70m has been cut from its budget since 2010 with £20m plus savings needed next year too.

A recent scrutiny review by borough councillors into how the council can support the local economy outlines its first recommendation as ensuring that the emerging Growth Plan is focused around two key objectives – income generation and employment creation.

In addition to creating jobs for local people and the regeneration of deprived communities the plan should look at generating income via an increase for the Council in business rates and council tax.

Images: Tesco

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News: Champion's equal pay bill passed

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has helped women everywhere take a big step forward in the fight for equal pay.

A Ten-Minute Rule Bill from Sarah, which fights against pay inequality for women, was overwhelmingly supported by MPs in a House of Commons vote which passed with 258 voting in support of the bill.

The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970 but Champion stated in the House that women in Britain still earn on average only 81p for every pound earned by men, and in the constituency of Rotherham that drops to an average of 77p.

The proposed Bill demands that companies with more than 250 employees publish figures on their pay gap between men and women. Sarah told Parliament that the voluntary agreement currently in place was clearly failing, as it has seen only five companies taking part.

In her speech, Sarah also pointed out that it is not just women who are poorer because of the pay gap; it is their families too. She told MPs that no father, husband or son wants the woman they care about to work in a world where they are valued less for being a woman.

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Earlier in the day, Sarah was joined at a rally by some of the original women of T&G Ford Dagenham, who left their machines 48 years ago to strike for equal pay, along with actors from the musical "Made in Dagenham" including Bond girl Gemma Arterton and representatives from Grazia Magazine.

Speaking after the Bill was passed, Sarah Champion MP, said: "It's 48 years since the historic strike by the women at T&G Ford Dagenham and 44 years since the Equal Pay Act 1970 was passed, however it is still no more than a promise. Hopefully what we have done today can help make that promise into a reality.

"Pay transparency will push companies to focus on the reasons why the pay gap still exists."

A second reading will now take place on February 27 2015.

Images: Sarah Champion MP

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News: Good year at Magna dampened by fire

A fire at the former Sterecycle plant at the weekend, which led to Magna being evacuated and two Christmas party nights for a total of 1,400 people being cancelled, was a dampener on what had been a positive 12 months for the Rotherham corporate venue and visitor attraction.

About 2,000 tonnes of plastic was involved in the incident which saw six fire engines called to the blaze at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

John Silker, chief executive at Magna, said: "We really felt for all the people who had their Christmas parties cancelled at such short notice, but we had no choice because of the smoke in the building. We have been working hard to sort out refunds for everyone as quickly as we can.

"We took advice from South Yorkshire Fire Service who worked so professionally in difficult circumstances and sadly had to cancel the parties and close the centre on Sunday, but Magna is just about back to normal now."

Magna is the UK's first science adventure centre and is set in the former Templeborough steelworks. It is a family attraction with more than 100 hands-on exhibits. It also hosts regular school trips and has event space that can cater for anything from 30 people up to 3,000.

Six other party nights in December had gone ahead as planned, with more than 4,000 party-goers attending in total. Bookings secured within this financial year have put Magna well on target to achieve over a £1m turnover by the end of 2014-2015.

Events in 2014 have included conferences for blue chip companies such as Mercedes Benz, Honda, HSBC and the Royal Mail; an exhibition by an industrial tool distributor; a pool tournament; a jobs fair; Weston Park Hospital's annual charity dinner, and a tattoo convention. Magna’s first Winter Wonderland weekend earlier this month also attracted more than 4,500 visitors.

In May Magna played host to the prestigious Yorkshire International Business Convention for the first time, with speakers including John Prescott, Michael Portillo and Robert Peston. Organisers were so impressed they have booked to bring the convention back to Magna in 2015.

Silker added: "We are thrilled to have massively increased the value of corporate bookings at Magna and to have had such a busy 2014. Word is spreading about what a great venue this is and we look forward to attracting further growth in 2015. This year we have attracted substantially more large national events and next year we hope to increase this further to secure international business."

Sterecycle, once valued at £56m, operated the Sheffield Road site since August 2008. The world's first commercial scale autoclave plant grew in terms of capacity and job numbers. It had impressed royals, government ministers and investors. Last month, Sterecycle (Rotherham) Limited was found guilty of corporate manslaughter following the fatality at the Rotherham facility in 2011. The firm called in administrators in 2012 following delays in raising finance on the Canadian stock exchange and "a significant downturn in trading results following a substantial fall in global recyclate prices."

Magna website

Images: Magna

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News: Care UK to end GP service at Rotherham walk in centre

The future of the £9.9m Rotherham Community Health Centre looks uncertain after bosses revealed that Care UK will end its provision of GP services next year.

The centre on Greasborough Road was developed by St Paul's Developments and built by Morgan Sindall. It opened in 2009 and provides GP and walk-in services and also provides modern and accessible facilities for most of the primary care services that were based at Doncaster Gate Hospital.

Proposals have recently been approved for a £12.2m Urgent Care Centre to be built at Rotherham Hospital, which involves the closure of the Town Centre Walk in Centre and transfer of the GP out of hours service to the hospital site. The NHS has now written to patients registered for GP services at Chantry Bridge Medical Centre, based in the same town centre building, to inform them that Care UK's service is due to end on September 30 2015.

A private company owned by private equity group, Bridgeport Capital, Care UK is a leading provider of health and social care services, working with local authorities and the NHS. It provides a range of NHS GP services including clinics, walk in centres and out of hours support.

Operated by Care UK, the Rotherham Community Health Centre sees around 4,000 patients a month and it was previously thought that a town centre GP surgery would remain on the site. An estimated 50% of current activity will transfer to the new emergency centre at Rotherham Hospital with Care UK set to continue as provider. All of the other NHS and community services are expected to remain on site, including family planning/sexual health services and clinics. Some other non‐acute provision could be relocated to the town centre.

Construction on the new facilities is set to begin in the spring of 2015 and it could start treating patients in April 2017. The current contract with Care UK for the Walk in Centre and GP Out of Hours provision expires in May 2016.

Options for the future of the GP practice at the Rotherham Community Health Centre have been explored. Currently, there are two options that are deemed viable - closing the GP service with patients registering at another practice, or procuring another provider of GP registered patient services from a site close to Chantry Bridge, until the Urgent Care Centre opens in Spring 2017. A branch surgery could be established at Chantry Bridge when the Walk in Centre closes.

The Rotherham Community Health Centre was acquired in a £14.1m deal in 2012 by a wholly owned subsidiary of Primary Health Properties, an AIM-listed company that specialises in the ownership of freehold or long leasehold interests in modern purpose-built healthcare facilities.

The 4,636 sq m property is wholly let to Rotherham Primary Care Trust (now called the The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust) and had 16 years remaining on the lease when the deal was secured. The building, on the former Bestobell Valves site next to Bailey House, was designed by JM Architects to follow the same curve shape as the adjacent Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation and a slanted wall has been shaped to look like the bow of a ship.

Care UK

Images: St Paul's Developments

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News: Maltby plans refused

Members of the planning board at Rotherham Council have gone against the recommendations of its own planners and voted to refuse revised plans to import tonnes of material to the mothballed Maltby pit site in Rotherham.

The 500 acre colliery at Maltby was mined for over 100 years until geological conditions could not be overcome and underground operations ceased in 2013.

A planning application was submitted in September to Rotherham Council by Maltby Colliery Ltd (Hargreaves) to allow for 450,000 tonnes of mine runoff fines, known as MRF, to be transported each year from nearby Hatfield Colliery and deposited in the current lagoon at Maltby. MRF is a fine slurry-like material which is formed during the washing and reclamation of coal fines (tiny coal particles). It made up much of the 1.4m tonne landslip at Hatfield in February 2013 and without anywhere to deposit the MRF, the mine would eventually close.

The temporary period began in April 2013 and the lagoon was due to be filled anyway as part of the colliery's restoration plan. The permission would have equated to a total potential import of 2.25 million tonnes of material but after a recent public meeting, further discussions held with Rotherham Council and approval granted for an additional spoil tip Hatfield, the Maltby plans were amended.

The new proposal relates to the importation of material up until October 2015, with a maximum import level of 275,000 for the remaining year of operations. Up until the end of October 2014, a total of approximately 400,000 tonnes of MRF had already been deposited at Maltby. This would result in a total of up to 675,000 tonnes, considerably less than originally proposed.

The site is actually within the Green Belt and planners were satisfied that very special circumstances were demonstrated in order for planning permission to be granted. However, minutes from the recent planning board meeting declare that it is not in favour of application as "the importation of material to the site represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt as it does not relate to the material produced from the Maltby Colliery itself and as the engineering operations would not preserve the openness of the Green Belt. No very special circumstances have been demonstrated by the applicant to justify the harm and there is no indication that the operation would assist with the long term restoration of the site."

In addition, "the Council considers that the HGV vehicle movements resulting from the development are detrimental to the amenity of residents living along the route from the M18 motorway to the site and on the town centre of Maltby itself, by virtue of noise nuisance, general disturbance, and the deposition of material in the highway. This traffic generation is not related to the essential mining operation on the site or on an approved site restoration programme for Maltby Colliery which might otherwise justify such traffic generation."

Enforcement action has now been authorised, and the operators have been ordered to stop importing MRF to the site.

Buildings have been demolished and the mine shafts have been filled and capped. The immediate future of the site is as Maltby Energy Park, with operator Alkane Energy generating energy from the coal mine methane assets for an estimated period of up to 15 years.

In the final draft of the council's Local Plan the majority of the Maltby site is being put forward as remaining in the green belt with a pocket of development, which includes the pit yard, associated buildings and access, not considered suitable for a business park with offices or industrial units but instead used for "for waste and energy activities."

Egdon Resources, a leading player in shale gas exploration, recently acquired the interest in the current licence to explore for the controversial energy source at Maltby.

Images: Hargreaves

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News: Costa & KFC to join Toby Carvery in Rotherham

New outlets for Costa, KFC and Hey Potato! are planning to join the Toby Carvery at a new retail development in Rotherham.

A prominent brownfield site at Eastwood is set to be transformed by a regeneration scheme centred around new food retail units. The vacant one hectare site at Mushroom Roundabout was previously home to a D.C. Cook car dealership but has been empty since 2008 following demolition.

In September, Northern Retail Ltd secured planning permission for a two-storey Toby Carvery pub and family restaurant, a two-storey KFC restaurant and two smaller restaurant / take away units, together with over 100 car parking spaces and vehicular access via Aldwarke Lane and Sycamore Road.

Wilton Developments and fast food specialists, QFM are also involved in the plans, which state that the development would create 73 jobs.

Now a new planning application has been submitted for signage at the scheme which shows that the remaining units are set to operate as franchises of Costa coffee and Hey Potato!

Sheffield-based QFM, specialise in fast food retail developments. It operates a number of franchises in the area and brought forward similar developments at Manvers and Canklow.

A licence application has recently been submitted by Mitchells and Butlers for its planned Toby Carvery pub restaurant on the site.

Images: Costa

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News: Profits up at United Carpets

Rotherham-based United Carpets, the second largest chain of specialist retail carpet and floor covering stores in the UK, has reported an increase in profit before tax of 18.1% against the comparable six month period last year.

In August 2012, the Bramley-based, AIM-listed company had its shares temporarily suspended after admitting it would not be able to publish its full-year results on time. In October 2012, a pre-pack administration deal saw United Carpets Group acquire the business and assets of its trading subsidiary United Carpets (Northern) Limited.

The restructuring, which saw a number of under-performing stores and franchises close, helped to improve profit margins and reduce distribution costs and administrative expenses including rent, rates and staff costs.

Like-for-like sales increased by 0.3% in the six months to the end of September but network sales fell to £25.6m from £28m and revenue dropped to £9.1m from £10.3m a year ago. This meant that pre-tax profit rose 18.1% to £534,000.

Today, the network of stores totals 60, down from more than 80 stores just over two years ago, of which 48 are franchised and 12 are run as corporate stores. The group said that the changes to the portfolio of stores resulted in a stronger core network which is reflected in the current trading performance. Leases have been re-negotiated for nearly all of the stores and the cost base has been reduced.

The group added that there may be a small number of store closures in the future but six concept stores have also opened in smaller units on the traditional High Street, working well with the store network.

Paul Eyre, chief executive of United Carpets, said: "I am pleased to be able to report a good performance by the Group. We have been helped, to some extent, by an improving housing market with slightly higher average transaction values which we believe reflects an improvement in consumer confidence. More recent like for like sales figures have been more positive and I believe we are well placed to deliver a good result for the year.

"We continue to benefit from our restructuring programme as we operate from a lower cost base giving the opportunity to invest in developing the business and providing the basis for the Board's confidence in the future."

United Carpets website

Images: United Carpets

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News: Xeros use investors day to showcase domestic system

Rotherham based Xeros has presented a prototype of the Xeros Domestic Laundry system, the first real innovation in the laundry industry in more than 60 years.

The Leeds University spin-out, based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), 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. Instead a small amount of water is added to loosen clothing stains and activate the beads.

The focus so far has been on commercial laundry systems which use at least 70% less water, up to 50% less energy and approximately 50% less detergent. With contracts with major hotel chains, commercial laundries and gyms, Xeros is targeting the US where the combined total of installed and committed machines will exceed 80 by the end of the calendar year.

Earlier this month, AIM-listed Xeros welcomed analysts, media and investors to a Xeros showcase event in the City of London to reveal the prototype domestic system developed by the Rotherham-based R&D department.

Researchers, led by Dr Steve Jenkins, had to find a way for the beads to be extracted from the drum at the end of a wash cycle. At the event, the twin domestic machines (washing machine and tumble dryer) showed how they successfully extract beads from the wash and how simple and intuitive they are to use, with just the press of a single button.

Work is ongoing on more machine prototypes for accelerated testing and the aim for Xeros is to partner with a major machine manufacturer who will produce and distribute Xeros bead-consuming washing machines.

Research in the US saw the bead cleaning concept compared to a leading brand conventional washing machine, with the results declared "outstanding". Xeros intends to select its launch partners and move to in-home machine testing in 2015.

Bill Westwater, CEO at Xeros, discussed the business case behind the domestic prototype development, explaining that they have been developed for the US Domestic Laundry market as consumers there accept larger washing machines and almost always use a tumble dryer, which forms the final part of the bead extraction process. In the US about 12 million domestic washing machines a year are sold, and Bill explained that capturing just a small slice of this market will be very lucrative.

The Xeros business plan is more focused on selling large quantities of high margin polymer beads across multiple industries. Xeros beads, which are recycled, will be bought and consumed by end customers in a variety of bead-consuming machines that will be deployed by the company directly (in commercial laundry) or by corporate partners already well-established in those industries.

Company staff also used the event to discuss further developments which includes research into polymer science that will make bead cleaning even more effective, and future applications including leather processing. Approximately 90 tonnes of water is used to process just one tonne of leather, meaning that the water saving potential of the Xeros beads is huge in this industry.

Xeros website

Images: Xeros

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News: McDonald's has beef with Rotherham planning policy

Leading global food chain, McDonald's has registered its opposition to a proposed new planning policy that would not permit new hot food takeaways opening close to schools in Rotherham.


Rotherham Council has recently concluded consultation on the Sites and Policies document within its Local Plan which sets out the detailed sites and development management policies to deliver growth over the next 15 years.

Policy SP 25 would only allow hot food takeaways in town, district and local centres if it didn't result in more than 10% of the ground floor units becoming takeaways; result in a high concentration of these A5 classed units on the same street; or negatively impact upon the amenity of surrounding businesses or residents.

A further part of the policy states that hot food takeaways will not be permitted where they are within 800 metres of a primary school, secondary school or college, except where they are within a defined town, district or local centre and satisfy the requirements above.

Rotherham's policy states that it is guided by national planning policy which encourages local planning authorities to support local strategies to improve health and wellbeing and help create a healthier built environment. It adds: "Policy SP25 therefore seeks to ensure that new hot food takeaways do not increase the exposure of school children and young adults to these uses. Hot food takeaways will only be permitted within town, district and local centres. The Council is aware that proposals may be submitted as a departure to the plan and that other material considerations may be taken into account in determining planning applications.

"To ensure that access to hot food takeaways are controlled the policy also makes clear that such uses will only be permitted within 800 metres of a primary or secondary school or college where they are within a town, district or local centre and meet the requirements of the policy. For the purposes of this policy 800m will be measured in a direct line from the school/college gate used by pupils."

McDonald's has responded to the consultation describing the policy as ambiguous, unjustified and unsound and adds that no justification for 800m exclusion zones is provided. It adds that the policy could impede sustainable growth and states that when McDonald's looks at the economic viability of a new site, it does not factor in predicted sales from school children or proximity to schools.

The response also states that there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that purchases in fast food outlets are any more or less healthy than purchases in other premises and highlights the major steps that McDonald's has made in recent years to expand the range of healthy offerings.

The document submitted by Planware Ltd on behalf of McDonald's Restaurant Ltd states: "As a responsible business, McDonald's recognises it has a role to play to support its staff, customers, and the communities in which it operates to live healthier lifestyles. For this reason, McDonald's has invested significantly to evolve its menu over the last ten years – both to extend the range of choice, and to reformulate our products.

"The policy does not restrict the location of new A1, A3 or A4 [shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs] uses within the 800m zones and therefore the sale of food and drink will still occur. The proposed approach is therefore not effective and is unjustified. The policy will place a moratorium against one use class of development, but will not meet the ambition of the policy."

The new policy follows on from a case in 2012 when planning permission was secured for a KFC drive thru restaurant on a site close to Canklow Woods Primary School. Rotherham Council refused permission for the 300 sq m KFC on the site of the former Canklow Hotel pub off Centenary Way due to the adverse impact on nearby residents.

The plans attracted objections from local councillors, residents and the School. Objections focused on a potential for anti social behaviour and an impact on the healthy eating ethos at the school.

However, the plans were approved on appeal when the inspector concluded: "I do not accept that the presence of a KFC restaurant/drive through would jeopardise the local healthy-eating initiatives."

McDonald's opened its latest Rotherham outlet this week, a 24-hour restaurant and drive thru on the edge of Parkgate Shopping, offering employment to 114 local people.

McDonald's operates around 1,200 restaurants in the UK and has plans to open 400 more new drive thrus over the next ten years. Over 60% of restaurants are operated as local businesses by franchisees. Due to the growing success of the company, the intention is to increase the pace of acquisitions with a target of 40 new restaurant openings per year from 2014, which will create up to 2,400 new job opportunities annually.

McDonald's website

Images: McDonald's

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News: Malcolm C Foy and the season of good wills

A will drafted by a solicitor is the best Christmas gift for your loved ones, according to local law firm Malcolm C Foy & Co.

With offices in Doncaster and Rotherham, Malcolm C Foy & Co is using the festive season to call on the estimated 30 million adults in the UK who do not have a will to put legally drafting their final wishes at the top of the to-do list this Christmas.


Malcolm C Foy & Co is a member of the Law Society's Wills & Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS), which  provides a best practice quality mark for wills and estate administration advice that consumers can trust.

The firm is also reminding co-habiting couples who are not married or in a civil partnership, that they have the most to lose if they die without a will. Government statistics point to more than one million unmarried couples with dependent children living in the UK and recent changes to the rules around who inherits what have strengthened the position of married spouses and civil partners, but left the position of cohabiting couples unchanged. Only partners who are married or in a civil partnership can inherit under these intestacy rules.

Sarah Hartley, director at Malcolm C Foy & Co, said: "For many people, the festive season is all about spending time with loved ones so we urge people to reflect on that this Christmas and think how they would feel if you died and they received nothing.

"No one likes to think too carefully about their own demise, but ensuring your final wishes are made clear and legally recognised is the best gift for your family this Christmas.

"You can return those awful socks and loud jumper to the shop and get a refund, but there's no going back if you die without a will."

Malcolm C Foy & Co website

Images: Malcolm C Foy & Co

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News: Martek flying high with new airline contracts

The sky's the limit for Rotherham-based Martek Medical, which has secured a deal to supply lifesaving equipment to easyJet, the UK's largest airline.

Manvers-based Martek Marine is one of the world leaders in the supply of safety and environmental monitoring systems for the shipping industry. Martek Medical specialises in lifesaving products including semi automatic external defibrillators that guide the user through the stressful experience of treating someone suffering from a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

easyJet operates on over 600 routes across more than 30 countries with a fleet of over 200 Airbus aircraft. It has equipped its fleet of aircraft and offices with the Defibtech Lifeline VIEW Defibrillator, which is the latest technology available for treatment of SCA.

SCA is the biggest killer in the world accounting for around 140,000 deaths in the UK alone each year. Speed of treatment is vital, as the chances of successful defibrillation decline at a rate of around 10% with each minute that passes.

All airlines are legally required to train their cabin crew in first aid and to carry first aid kits on its aircraft, however, there is no legal requirement for them to carry defibrillators. easyJet identified that it is best practice to have a defibrillator onboard all their aircraft, one that is simple to use in pressure situations, rugged, compact and lightweight for stowage in overhead lockers.

Martek secured the tender and will supply the Lifeline VIEW defibrillator which includes integrated video and step by step visual feedback for performing CPR, rescue breathing and external defibrillation, the first AED to do so. The user not only hears the audible instructions but also sees the video and the written text prompts on the screen, effectively providing three modes of instruction.


Steve Coulson, director at Martek Medical, said: "We are delighted to work with easyJet to supply lifesaving equipment. We know that easyJet has seen the benefits of utilising the state of the art Lifeline VIEW which has unique features specially developed for transport applications such as this."

The contract win follows on from a similar deal for Martek with Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, that will see the Abu Dhabi based carrier use Lifeline VIEW AEDs onboard its fleet of aircraft.

Martek Medical is the official UK distributor for Defibtech products. Delta, Air France and Thai Airways International are among the airlines which use Defibtech AEDs onboard or in their ground facilities.

Martek Medical website

Images: easyJet / Martek Medical

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News: Crawshaw appoints Lidl man as CEO

Crawshaws, the Rotherham-based meat focused retailer has appointed Noel Collett as the chief executive officer as it heads towards its ambitious target of 200 shops within eight years.

Crawshaw has recently moved onto Sandbeck Industrial Estate at Hellaby, occupying a 12,000 sq ft unit for the manufacture and distribution of specialist foods, utilising the existing facilities that were previously occupied by Buxton Foods.

The new factory and distribution centre in Rotherham will consolidate the two existing sites in Grimsby and Rotherham into the new facility. Crawshaw believe that the space at the new site will give it additional capacity and is better located, leading to a more productive and efficient operation. The new site will provide Crawshaw with capacity to cater for 60 retail locations and also includes a factory shop.

Collett joins Crawshaw from Lidl, having spent 16 years with the German discounter supermarket. He has held a number of senior leadership roles in the UK and Germany, and for the last 12 years has served as Lidl's Chief Operating Officer for the UK business. Noel has been widely credited as an instrumental figure in transforming Lidl from a low-cost brand to a high-quality value retailer during a decade of rapid sales growth. He has also been responsible for overseeing the Lidl portfolio growth from 200 stores to over 600 stores generating annual sales of over £4bn, whilst leading an expanding workforce of 14,000 employees. Additionally, Noel was responsible for the roll-out of the improved in-store "fresh concept", which included the fresh meat and poultry range, across all their UK stores.

Richard Rose, chairman of Crawshaws, said: "We are pleased to announce today the appointment of Noel Collett as our chief executive officer from 1st March 2015. Noel brings a wealth of value retailing experience along with expertise in business strategy, brand development and business transformation during periods of rapid portfolio and sales growth.

"We are excited by Noel's appointment and look to the future with great confidence as the business embarks on a period of accelerated store expansion throughout the UK."

Noel Collett, who will also be appointed as a director of Crawshaw, added: "The Crawshaw business model is unique with a fantastic proposition and the company has very ambitious growth plans for the future. I am really looking forward to joining a great team and I am very excited about getting started."

Crawshaw website

Images: Craw

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News: Further deals at Waverley

Harworth Estates has completed its seventh phased residential land sale at its flagship Waverley development in Rotherham, where the council is close to completing a second deal for its speculative commercial development.

Approved in 2010, the largest, most complex, planning application ever considered by Rotherham Council gave outline approval for South Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield development, creating a new 3,890 home community across 741 acres. The £100m development is also set to have a hotel and wide range of shops, cafés, health, leisure and educational facilities.

Developer and land owner, Harworth Estates, the company created to realise the property assets of what was UK Coal, has sold the latest part of the site to Harron Homes, who already has plans approved to create 81 further family homes on 2.64 hectares.

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Housebuilding began in 2012 on the first of four planned phases in character areas called Highfield Spring and Highfield Place, across from the expanding Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). The masterplan has been updated, centring around the next character area, know as Waverley Central, where approximately 600 dwellings will be built.

Harron, alongside, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt have all had success at Waverley, with more than 250 houses built and occupied over the past two years.

Duncan Armstrong-Payne, development manager of Waverley for Harworth Estates, said: "I am thrilled to extend our relationship with Harron at Waverley. The huge amount of work we and our partners, such as Harron, have completed in 2014 has brought our vision for the scheme to life, and we look forward to welcoming more residents here in 2015 and beyond."

Kevin Chapman, land manager of Harron Homes, added: "We already enjoy an excellent working relationship with Harworth Estates and we have been impressed with how Waverley has developed as a community over the past two years. Purchasing another phase of development therefore makes total sense for the company."

571 residential plots have now been acquired at Waverley with the further development supported by a £10.95m local infrastructure loan from the Homes & Communities Agency.

On the AMP, Harworth Estates signed a £4.3m forward-purchase agreement with Rotherham Council in March for Plots 3 and 4 of the R-evolution development. X-Cel Superturn, a global manufacturer of machined components, has bought a 30,000 sq ft unit from the Council for £2.75m in order to triple the size of its operation and yesterday the council's cabinet met to approve the sale of the remaining plot.

Waverley website

Images: Harron Homes

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News: FireChill in liquidation

FireChill, an innovative green cooling and heating company that could have created hundreds of manufacturing jobs in Rotherham, has gone into liquidation.

FireChill began in 2009 when Regional Development Agency, Yorkshire Forward sought a UK-based marketing and distribution capability to set up a "go to market" vehicle for an innovative product developed by Cooltec in the US.


The proven, patented, heat-activated cooling technology reduces operating costs by up to 20% in traditional air conditioning applications and by up to 80% when integrated into a combined heat and power (CHP) system. The unit's low cost, low carbon technology provides a competitive advantage, particularly in areas which are hot, crowded, have plenty of gas and/or where the electricity supply is unreliable or expensive.

Phase 37, a private venturing and business support services company launched by Simon Clothier in Leeds, secured the global rights to Cooltec's existing and future intellectual property (IP), together with global manufacturing licences, and established FireChill.

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After £1m was secured from a group of private investors in 2010, a joint venture called FireChill Manufacturing was created with Rotherham-based specialist engineering firm Newburgh Engineering and was responsible for the production of units. With the units set to be manufacturing at Templeborough, the investment was set to create 100 new jobs directly and many more in the supply chain.

Large contracts were secured but Clothier said in 2012 that it was "immensely challenging to secure the appropriate funding" in the UK.

Clough Corporate Solutions LLP were called in as joint liquidators in October 2014 and it was agreed that the company be wound up voluntarily.

FireChill website

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News: Final curtain for Forge Island cinema plan?

Rotherham Council has switched its focus away from a cinema and theatre development on the vacant Forge Island site in Rotherham town centre.

In 2012, the council's cabinet confirmed the prominent site as the preferred location for a new town centre cinema and theatre and developers and operators were sought. In the short term, the council is operating the former home of the Rotherham Forge & Rolling Mills as a car park now that Tesco has moved across the town.

The new £40m, 110,000 sq ft Tesco Extra opened in November and also includes 540 parking spaces and a petrol filling station, on a five-acre site on Drummond Street that was previously home to a number of council buildings.

As part of the move, the council has an option to buy the Forge Island site for £1.5m. Arrangements have been progressed for the strategic acquisition of the vacated site, which could include a purchase and sale to a third party.

The future of the site was highlighted in the recently published final draft of the borough's Local Plan that stated that "the future of the site is uncertain, as are any constraints (such as land contamination). As such it is not identified as a leisure or office development site."

Now, council bosses have confirmed that the Forge Island site is being earmarked for an ambitious plan to create a public sector hub, which could result in thousands of additional jobs in the town centre.

Cllr. Dominic Beck, cabinet member for Business Growth and Regeneration, gave an update at a full council meeting last week on the progress on the site. He said: "We are looking at other options for Forge Island, which will be coming out in the next month or so, in terms of potentially delivering a public sector hub.

"Working with the Government to move the civil service increasingly out of London because it is expensive, we are working with the Cabinet office to potentially deliver a public sector hub on Forge Island.

"We are one of the leaders in the country in doing this. Riverside House was one of the first "hubs" of local government and public sector hub working and they are coming to us to have a conversation about how they can do that in Rotherham.

"It would be a huge coup but we don't know at the end of the day. We have got plans, and we are working with others to come up with plans."

Rothbiz featured the idea in August after it was mentioned by the planning inspector signing off the core strategy of the borough's local plan. Richard Hollox, planning inspector, said in his report: "One of the objectives of the Economic Plan for Rotherham 2008 – 2020 is to secure a vibrant town centre with a high quality office market. This is a worthy ambition and should result in a greater range of employment opportunities and less commuting to, for example, Sheffield.

"Of note is the Council's interest in the possibility of a Public Sector Hub whereby public sector departments would share accommodation on an office campus. This, the Council considers, could result in an additional 5,000 jobs in the town."

In 2012, Riverside House became Rotherham's new Civic Building on the edge of the town centre on the Guest & Chrimes site. Bringing together staff from a number of locations, the £60m investment houses 2,400 employees at only 1,308 desks.

The Waverley development in Rotherham was all set to create a government office campus on land next to the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). Helical Bar plc, Governetz Ltd and Haworth Estates worked together with the intention to provide high specification offices for government departments in response to a desire to move activities out of central London and into the regions.

Outline plans for a 645,000 sq ft development, enough space for 2,000 staff, were approved but changes in government and large scale cuts meant that the plans were shelved.

With plans coming forward for cinema developments in the nearby town centres of Barnsley and Doncaster, will Rotherham get is first cinema 30 years after The Scala closed on Corporation Street?

Cllr Beck added: "The development of the town centre does not just include Forge Island but it includes other elements of the town such as the Guest & Chrimes building - and the football club have got their own proposals around that - there's all the way down Westgate and the Royal Mail depot, to deliver projects."

The local plan picks out a number of sites where mixed use development such as a cinema (known as "assembly and leisure" uses) are considered appropriate. These include land at New York, which includes Riverside House, New York Stadium, the former Guest & Chrimes foundry, a former nightclub and vacant land used for parking.

The current car park on Drummond Street and the site out of the outdoor market have been identified as potential development sites for new retail alongside the site of burnt-out buildings on Corporation Street but they all also have the potential for redevelopment as other town centre uses, including offices, assembly and leisure uses or hotels.

The prominent Westgate site of the sorting office and car parking is being put forward for housing, office and hotel uses.

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News: US advisor to visit Rotherham

Bruce Katz, an expert on the role of cities in growing the economy, is visiting Sheffield and Rotherham next month to see Europe's leading research led manufacturing cluster, centred around the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing and the wider Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) at Waverley.

It is the first visit as part of a newly established International Economic Commission that is designed to help enable decision-makers in the region to share expertise and ideas on a global level and boost confidence in the city's economic plans.

Bruce Katz is vice president of the Brookings Institute and former advisor to President Obama, who regularly advises federal, state, regional and municipal leaders on policy reforms that advance the competitiveness of metropolitan areas. The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Programme, which advocates the importance of cities in stimulating economic growth, is internationally renowned for his work on policy reforms and strategic investments that can drive cities forward. Katz is also a commissioner at the City Growth Commission which recently published its findings of a 12 month enquiry into how cities can be empowered to shape and drive their economies.

Mr Katz's visit is the first of a series of "city charrettes," which will showcase the Sheffield city region to the world and enable city leaders to make global investment connections. He said: "I've heard great things about the Sheffield city region and particularly its research-led advanced manufacturing capability, so I'm keen to come and see it for myself."

Also in the delegation from the United States are Julie Wagner, senior fellow at the Brooking Institute and Kelly Kline, economic development director of the City of Fremont, California.

The group will be sharing their work on driving growth through innovation districts and focusing on the unique innovation based manufacturing capability.

During the three-day charrette from January 14 to 16 next year, organised by Sheffield City Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the Sheffield's two universities, Mr Katz will meet influential business leaders in the region, visit the AMRC and deliver a public lecture in partnership with the University of Sheffield at Sheffield's recently-restored historic Cathedral.

Professor Keith Ridgway, director of AMRC with Boeing, said: "We are pleased to welcome Mr Katz to the AMRC and look forward to working with everyone to position the City Region as a global force in manufacturing."

Cllr. Dominic Beck, cabinet member for Business Growth and Regeneration at Rotherham Council, added: "I am looking forward welcoming to Bruce Katz and his team and sharing his insight into how we can work together across Sheffield City Region to maximise the benefits in terms of jobs, growth and prosperity from the world-leading manufacturing expertise clustered around Rotherham."

AMRC website

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News: Online training with Infinity Digital

An award-winning Rotherham-based digital marketing expert is being called upon to introduce the power of digital media to small businesses.

Rebecca Coupe, is the owner of Infinity Digital, a digital marketing company that works with SMEs across the region to help them with strategies, copyrighting and social media marketing.

Rebecca has teamed up with Sheffield elearning specialists, Training Post, who are launching of a new library of online training developed in partnership with local business experts from across the city region.

Training Post, which hosts a range of online training courses for SMEs, recently embarked on a mission to find the best business professionals in the region and get them in front of the camera to share their expert advice. In the past, businesses may not have been able to access professional training due to both time and financial constraints.

Topics covered will range from search engine optimisation to public speaking, with the first course, "An Introduction to Social Media for Small Business" - developed alongside Rebecca at Infinity Digital - launching this week. The hour long course is designed to equip small business owners with all the skills needed to utilise social media, whether the goal is to increase sales, drive traffic to a website or increase brand awareness.

To celebrate the launch, Training Post is offering the course free of charge for this week only (until December 21). From 22nd December, the course will be available to enrol upon for a small cost.

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Infinity Digital was named Most Innovative Business in the Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, which was presented at the Local Employment and Advisory Forum held at Magna in November. Judges praised Rebecca for her commitment to innovation, creative vision and determination to drive the business forward.

Rebecca Coupe, owner of Infinity Digital, said: "Since starting Infinity Digital in January of this year, the business has gone from strength to strength. We're now working with close to 20 small and medium sized local companies to help them make the most of digital and social media to promote and grow their businesses."

Infinity Digital works with a wide variety of businesses, from Chartered Surveyors and Independent Financial Advisors to Event Planners and Film Distributors.

Training Post website
Infinity Digital website

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail

More details have emerged of the "devolution deal" agreed between the Government and the leaders of the Sheffield city region (SCR), and there's no mention of an elected mayor.

Signed late last week, the deal shifts power from Whitehall to the city region's Combined Authority, giving local leaders greater influence over skills, transport, housing and business support. The combined authority is the legal body brings together the nine local authorities that comprise the SCR (Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield). The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a collaboration between businesses and the local authorities, provides the focus for economic development in the city region.

Whilst not coming up with any new money, the devolution deal builds on the city deal signed in 2012 and growth deal secured earlier this year. Details of what the latest deal includes are featured on Rothbiz today: Skills and Employment; Business Support; Transport; Housing.

James Newman, chairman of Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (pictured, second left), said: "The Devolution Deal transfers a number of powers and policy levers from Government to our City Region. These powers will enable the Sheffield City Region to make a greater contribution to the UK economy and act as a core part of the Northern Powerhouse.

"The deal we've negotiated puts our City Region firmly in the driving seat when it comes to influencing key decisions about our City Region that improve skills, create housing and transform transport in the Region and grow local businesses. This builds on our "Growth Deal," which secured £320m of funding from Government earlier this year.

"Devolving powers from Government is a long process and one in which Sheffield City Region is at the forefront, alongside Leeds and Manchester. Government clearly recognises the importance of the Sheffield City Region as part of the North's future as a global economic powerhouse. This deal also marks an important step toward achieving the City Region’s ten year plan to create 70,000 new private sector jobs and 6,000 new businesses.

"This deal has been made possible because of the close and successful  working relationship between our private sector-led Local Enterprise Partnership and our Combined Authority, which has brought together local political Leaders and business leaders to make better local decisions about our local economy. This is only the first stage in the "devolution journey" and as we have already proved, as a City Region, that we can create growth and new jobs when given the opportunity by Government in previous deals we have done with them, we are confident that this deal will lead to even more and wider powers and funding decisions being transferred to the City Region."

Further powers and funding that could be devolved to Sheffield City Region over time include greater control over the levers of local growth and public services, as well as fiscal powers, such as a payment by results mechanism.

Sheffield City Region LEP website

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail - Skills and Employment

The Local Enterprise Partnership's (LEP's) vision for a demand-led, employer-focused skills system can be created thanks to the "devolution deal" agreed with the Government.

Whilst not coming up with any new money, the devolution deal builds on the the city deal signed in 2012 and growth deal secured earlier this year. The city deal included £23.8m over three years for the "Skills Made Easy" programme, and the growth deal included £21.7m over six years to support a £100m "Skills Bank" beginning in 2015/2016. The LEP committed over £30m and with local businesses investing over £50m, the Skills Bank could provide 42,000 qualifications over six years.

The LEP and combined authority are joining with the the Government's Skills Funding Agency to become responsible for re-commissioning provision for the adult skills budget. This includes flexible and responsive provision to learners and employers in the workplace and through classroom learning but not apprenticeships and traineeships. The partnership will start work in January 2015 and run throughout the 2015 Spending Review so that it can start to deliver a revised offer from 2017.

The region's Skills Bank, which gives employers greater purchasing power and control in how government funded training is accessed, is set to be enhanced, integrating it with existing national resources to drive up apprenticeships in the local area. Building on the Skills Made Easy programme and Skills Bank, the city region will have responsibilities over apprenticeship brokerage activities targeted at SMEs.

The SCR is also asking to take control of its share of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE), the £1,500 available to employers taking on apprentices, so that it can decide to vary the level of financial support available to different types of learner, sizes of business and subject.

The Department for Work and Pensions will also consult with Sheffield city region about the possibility of joint commissioning for the next phase of the Work Programme beginning in 2017. The programme provides support, work experience and training for up to two years to help people find and stay in work. The move is all about giving the Sheffield City Region more tools to help people into employment and a pilot project could also begin next year focusing on improving the outcomes for claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (incapacity benefit).

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail - Business Support

Businesses in the Sheffield city region are set to access support from one place - a Growth Hub - operating across every part of the city region and ending the postcode lottery of support.

As part of the recent deals signed with the Government, a Growth Hub is set to be created, providing a clear model for coordinating and simplifying business support so that it joins up national, local, public and private business provisions. £4m of existing Local Growth Fund allocation will be used to set up the hub which is then expected to be backed by £83.5m of European funding.

"The most ambitious, business-led Growth Hub in the country" is seen as central to the business-facing elements of the Local Enteprise Partnership's Strategic Economic Plan which set an ambitious target of creating 70,000 new jobs in the Sheffield City Region by 2023.

The Growth Hub has been designed by business leaders for business leaders with just one website and one phone number to link businesses to the support they need to grow.

As an example, Growth Accelerator, the Manufacturing Advisory Service and other national services will be aligned with local business support through the growth hub, so that businesses get a joined up service which meets their needs. This will include colocation, referrals, marketing, diagnostics, evaluation, customer acquisition and the simplification of local and national business support.

The Government will work with SCR to develop a devolved approach to the delivery of business support from 2017 onwards. What is ultimately devolved will reflect the decisions taken in the next spending review on the shape of – and level of spending on – business support schemes.

Export services from UKTI, the government body that works with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, are to be integrated with SCR's "Export Centre of Expertise" bringing together support from local Chambers of Commerce, universities, and other partners, so that businesses receive a joined up and objective service that tailors support to their needs.

Some UKTI national specialist resources and events for engineering and manufacturing businesses could be located in the city region which will also have "early adopter" status for targeting high growth potential businesses.

Overall, the growth hub has targets to generate 33,000 new jobs and at least £780m of private sector investment, alongside 2,150 new exporters and 6,000 new businesses, by 2024.

Images: Sheffield City Region LEP

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail - Transport

"Oyster-style" cards and a commitment to getting the Sheffield to Rotherham Tram-Train trial up and running were included in the "devolution deal" agreed between the Government and the leaders of the Sheffield city region (SCR).

"Government will work with Network Rail to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure works are undertaken to support introduction of the Tram Train service utilising Sheffield's new vehicles on delivery." That means that the delayed pilot project, first mentioned in 2009, is now set to begin in 2017, running vehicles on both rail and tram networks, using the freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at Meadowhall South.

Operated by Stagecoach, three trams an hour would run all day from Sheffield city centre through the redeveloped Rotherham Central station to Parkgate retail park.

Rothbiz was first with the news that more delays had been encountered in the Summer, when transport leaders in the SCR were forced to write to the Transport Secretary to express some concerns about the delays to the project and to seek a way to resolve them.

Phil Verster, route managing director at Network Rail, said: "Tram-train will bring lasting benefits to passengers in the Sheffield and Rotherham areas, and detailed design of the infrastructure to support this exciting project is well underway. We assessed our delivery programme and the work needed to adapt the network is expected to be complete to allow Tram Train passenger services to start in January 2017.

"We must make sure we are maximising efficiencies by aligning the project with our other investment programmes. The revised project timescale is also allowing us to improve the alignment of the route at Meadowhall, better utilising the existing tramway stop and creating an improved experience for the passenger."

The first of seven tram-trains will arrive in September 2015 for testing on what is the first project of its kind in the country.

Also in the deal is the commitment to give the city region more control over local transport schemes including the preparation for HS2 and tackling troubled transport routes like the M1 Tinsley viaduct.

Existing bus partnership agreements are set to be enhanced with optimised networks and a smart ticketing scheme, and the city region is set to have a louder voice on long term priorities for the rail and strategic highways networks.

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News: SCR devolution deal in detail - Housing

The Sheffield city region (SCR) will work with Government to increase house building and maximise the economic returns from public sector land assets.

As part of the "devolution deal" agreed between the Government and the leaders of the SCR, decisions about which assets to sell, and how to regenerate some sites, will be taken together between local and national government to get the best deal for taxpayers and the local economy.

A Joint Assets Board is set to be established with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the body that owns public land and invests in new affordable housing, to achieve a more integrated approach to how the public sector uses its assets. This approach will initially be piloted at specific locations in the SCR.

Previously, sites such as Waverley in Rotherham has secured a slice of the government's Local Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the housing development and the Sheffield city region and central government have agreed to co-invest in infrastructure projects that link to housing sites.

In addition, work will continue to identify housing investment priorities and timeframes across the city region to provide a framework for increased public and private investor confidence and for maximising value from national and local public sector land assets. As part of this, SCR will publish a pipeline of potential priority schemes and seek public and private investment partners.

Medium-sized developments, that may not currently qualify for national funding schemes, are also in focus, with the government and local partners set to look at how they can be supported.

The pipeline of "investable and deliverable" housing schemes are initially focussed on the delivery of 7,000 to 10,000 new homes over a five year period.

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News: Inditherm hoping for another NICE boost

AIM-listed Rotherham company, Inditherm, will be hoping for a boost in interest for its innovative medical products after receiving further backing from the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence (NICE).

Manvers-based Inditherm has developed products using low voltage carbon polymer technology to provide heat. Its systems are used for patients undergoing operations which carry risk of inadvertent hypothermia and in neonatal wards.

NICE is recognised as being a world leader in setting standards for high quality healthcare and are the most prolific producer of clinical guidelines in the world. It has previously published guidance advising that the Inditherm patient warming mattress should be considered for use in patients at risk of inadvertent hypothermia.

The support from NICE, and the cost savings from replacing forced-air systems with Inditherm products, has attracted attention from the NHS and around the world.

Now NICE has updated its evidence-based advice on the care of women and their babies during labour and immediately after the birth which backs the use of another innovative system, the "LifeStart" system. Launched by Inditherm at the 2013 Arab Health exhibition, LifeStart facilitates the delaying of the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord following childbirth by providing resuscitation at a newborn baby's bedside.

A significant amount of clinical research has highlighted the benefits of delayed cord clamping (DCC) for a newborn baby but traditional resuscitation units are not suitable for use at the delivery bedside, thus requiring the umbilical cord to be cut to allow the baby to be treated.

Designed with guidance from a team of obstetricians and paediatricians, Inditherm's system has a compact design enabling it to deliver all the required functions close enough to the mother to permit the umbilical cord to be left intact for the critical first few minutes.

NICE's latest guideline indicates not to "clamp the cord earlier than one minute from the birth of the baby unless there is concern about the integrity of the cord or the baby has a heartbeat below 60 beats/minute that is not getting faster." The World Health Organisation sets a minimum one minute delay but a target of at least three minutes.

Inditherm points to a significant and growing body of evidence that immediate clamping of the cord is associated with complications for the new-born baby including anaemia, hypovolaemia, cardio-respiratory complications and late onset sepsis amongst others. There is also some evidence of longer term effects including an increase in cognitive and behavioural problems such as autism and ADHD.

A large multi-centre UK trial is underway to further strengthen the evidence base surrounding the clinical findings to date.

Nick Bettles, chief executive at Inditherm (pictured, right showing The Duke of Gloucester the system in production), said: "Delayed cord clamping is widely held to be of significant benefit to the new baby, even more so if the baby is premature. However there has been a perceived dilemma between letting nature sustain the baby during the transition period and administering advanced resuscitation techniques which require removal of the baby from the mother to the medical equipment used.

"Inditherm's LifeStart system supports the implementation of these new NICE Guidelines as it allows the baby to receive urgent care with the cord still intact and within the first few minutes of life. We are completely convinced of the clinical benefits shown by the existing research and hope that the new NICE guidance will drive wider uptake of the practice in the NHS.

"Inditherm was delighted to have been chosen as the commercial partner by the UK clinical teams who developed the concept of bedside resuscitation. We are proud to be innovating yet again and having a product designed and manufactured in Britain leading the way."

Inditherm website

Images: Inditherm

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News: Demolition at Tradeworld site

Demolition is nearly complete at the former Ruscon engineering works in Rotherham as the industrial buildings make way for a multimillion pound trade counter retail development.

Planning permission was granted conditionally in July for the Parkgate development where the plan is to create "Tradeworld," consisting of ten units totaling 45,000 sq. ft. The plans, drawn up by Sheffield architects, Bond Bryan, show the ten units, ranging in size from 2,200 sq ft to 5,200 sq ft, complete with 111 standard car parking spaces and access from a new entrance from Rotherham Road.

Litton Properties purchased the Ruscon engineering works in 2003 but plans for a DIY retail store and garden centre were refused in 2005. Outline planning permission was granted in 2006 for a warehouse development with 20% of the floorspace approved for retail use. Detailed plans for seven units were approved in 2008 but have not been developed out.

Rotherham-based DSR Demolition are on site taking down 70,000 sq. ft. of former steel and engineering shop plus ancillary offices and are due to be complete by Christmas.

Litton Property Group, the Derbyshire based property development and investment group, has already agreed terms with three tenants, comprising national brands in the automotive, protective equipment and ceramic tile sectors. Work on the new development is due to start in the early part of 2015 with units 1-5 set for completion later in the year.

Litton Property Group said that "the trade counter operators are trading very well throughout the UK and this is a very prominent site offering an excellent cluster opportunity. The end value of Trade World is approximately £5m and the project is likely to be retained within the Group's expanding portfolio."

Agents for Litton are Fernie Greaves, Fairhurst Estates and CSP.

Litton Properties website

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News: Fund to invest in engineering skills

Employer Ownership funding from the Government to develop training to boost engineering is being made available to small and medium sized engineering firms to help their businesses grow.

Engineering companies with fewer than 250 employees will be able to apply for a share of the first £2.5m of a £10m match funding pot to develop innovative company-specific training. The first £20m of the fund is for employers looking to develop projects aimed at improving engineering careers and increasing the number of women in the sector.

Employers in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector in the Sheffield city region are already working together to take ownership of addressing skills issues. KOSTAL, the German firm which develops and manufactures technologically advanced electronic, electromechanical and mechatronic products and has its UK base in Goldthorpe, which is in Barnsley, secured part of a £5m government fund that gives funding direct to businesses, enabling them to raise skills, create jobs, and drive enterprise and economic growth.

Under the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP), employers combine their own money with government funding, to invest in the training they need. Brinsworth Training in Rotherham is also running the Academy of Manufacturing and Engineering Excellence (AMEE), which is part-funded by the government's Employer Ownership Fund and is targeting training up to 800 young people and placing 300 jobless into apprenticeships.

The initiatives follow on from the recommendations of the Perkins Review of Engineering Skills published in November 2013, and sees the Government establishing partnerships with employers from across industry with multi-million pound collaborative investments in initiatives such as The National College of Advanced Manufacturing which will be joint-headquartered in Rotherham.

Skills minister Nick Boles said: "A company's greatest asset is its people and making sure they have the right skills is vital in supporting the long-term economic plan. This funding gives employers the power to unlock the full potential of their workforce by designing and developing training catered to their specific needs. I encourage all small and medium sized engineering firms to consider how they could use this funding to take their business to the next level."

The latest funding will be more accessible to smaller firms and will see the minimum funding threshold being lowered from £40,000 down to £10,000. Companies will also be able to include staff wage costs as part of their project costs.

Tim Thomas, head of skills and employment policy at The Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF), the UK trade organisation dedicated to the future of manufacturing, said: "We are delighted that this scheme has now been opened to SME employers and that the minimum grant, which a company would need to match with their own money, has been dropped to £10,000. This makes the scheme far more accessible and reflects more realistically the amount many smaller companies may be able to invest in skills and training. It recognises the fact that many SMEs want to do more and provides solid support to help them achieve this."

Employer Ownership website

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News: Sheffield city region agrees devolution deal

The Sheffield city region (SCR) has agreed on a devolution deal with Government which will give local authority and business leaders greater say over how they grow the local economy.

Last year, the nine local authorities that comprise the SCR (Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield) agreed to create a new legal body that would have responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration.

The SCR Combined Authority brings together an integrated transport authority (ITA) and an economic prosperity board (EPB) in order to align political decision making around strategic economic development and transport. It does not take any powers from local authorities, and is intended to complement local authority decision making on these issues.

With stronger governance, the SCR Authority has a remit covering city region economic strategies, investment funds, the enterprise zone and inward investment activity. With this approach the public, businesses and agencies only have to deal with one decision making body rather than many.

Today's deal will shift power from Whitehall to the Combined Authority, giving local leaders greater influence over transport, skills, housing and business support.

It follows on from the city deals agreed in 2012 with the largest and most economically important English cities outside of London. Each city is able to specify the particular powers they need and want to boost local growth.

In the Sheffield city region the deal meant that central government will transfer money into a £72m total investment fund in skills and will also put money into a transport fund that could be worth £500m.

The city region's Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), a collaboration between businesses and the local authorities that are placed at the heart of growth in the regions, submitted its final Strategic Economic Plan in April which set an ambitious target of creating 70,000 new jobs in the Sheffield city region by 2023. In July the partnership secured £325m from the first wave of "Growth Deal" funding – an amount which will create over 28,000 jobs and training for 40,000 people.

Today's deal includes control over the local skills and employment system – allowing the region to ensure that young people and the unemployed are given the skills and training to get the jobs that the economy needs. It also gives the region influence over transport projects, providing more locally appropriate forms of business support, giving more control over buses (including working towards Oyster-style smart ticketing), and beginning discussions about having more say over initiatives to get people back to work, including the Work Programme.

Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield MP (pictured, right), said: "I'm pleased to be bringing more power to the people of Sheffield today, after I've pushed for greater devolution to the North through my Northern Futures programme for so long.

"Today's deal will give council leaders clout to push forward local plans that strengthen the economy and the running of the city themselves, without waiting for Whitehall.

​"Putting the people of Sheffield in control of our cities destiny will ensure local plans are in line with what local people want. From transforming travel across the city, to improving access to skills training, the deal will mean changes in the city are shaped by those who live there.

"Gone are the days of central government controlling all local decisions, and I'm proud to be at the forefront of these forward-thinking changes that see cities like Sheffield able to grow as they see fit."

Images: Sheffield city region LEP

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News: From R&D to residential at Tata's Rotherham site

Tata Steel has put forward the site of its Swinden Technology Centre (STC) in Rotherham for a potential residential development, and housing could start to be built within the next five years.

The STC mainly focuses on product research and applications research for the transport, building and construction sectors but Tata considers that it is no longer a suitable home for the R&D arm and announced that it is relocating research to Warwick University earlier this year.

United Steels acquired the site in 1946 and in addition to research laboratories, it also includes Swinden House, the former home of Rotherham solicitor Thomas Badger, plus playing fields, tennis courts and orchards. The site extends to 6.9 hectares.

With the final vacation of the site expected in the next two to three years, the Indian-owned steelmaker has responded to Rotherham Council's final draft of its sites and policies document which sets out the detailed sites and development management policies to deliver growth over the next 15 years.

Property consultants, Harris Lamb, on behalf of Tata Steel, has objected to a 0.55 hectare site being put forward to continue as business use and instead supports residential development at the Moorgate site.

The representations outline reasons for the R&D relocation and the unlikely event of the 1960's built Swinden laboratories finding another business use. Sam Silcocks, senior planner at Harris Lamb, said in the documents: "STC is no longer a suitable home to the research and development arm of Britain's second largest steel manufacturer and Tata Steel (UK) Limited has therefore carefully considered its position on the site.

"To be successful Tata Steel need to secure more modern, efficient and effective research and development facilities to continue its research into the "next generation of steel" for the car, aviation, mining, energy and construction industries. Rotherham does not have the marketplace or profile to deliver this high end research and development function. The decision has therefore been made that Tata Steel (UK) Ltd will be relocating its research and development function to a location where this sector thrives."

Jeremy Wilson, a chartered surveyor at the Sheffield office of Knight Frank has given his expert opinion on the possible future for the site. He said in a letter to the property consultants: "Market evidence would suggest that there is neither significant pent up demand, nor active on-going demand for R&D facilities within the Rotherham area.

"The only identifiable demand is coming from The University of Sheffield. This demand is focused around J33 of the M1 at The AMP [Advanced Manufacturing Park] and the neighbouring Sheffield Business Park. The market evidence does not suggest that the subject site is needed to support demand for R&D accommodation in the area."

Plans were put in place in 2001 for Tata Steel (then known as Corus) to move its R&D facilities across the borough to the AMP but it never materialised. In 2005, the National Metals Technology Centre (NAMTEC) located onto the Swinden site and used the house as a conference venue. NAMTEC vacated in 2012, joining the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and moving across Rotherham to the AMP.

Wilson adds that the facilities at STC are dated, especially in comparison to those on the AMP, and that to attract office or light industrial uses would require wholesale redevelopment. He concludes: "When Tata Steel vacate this property, then reuse of the existing buildings is virtually inconceivable. It will remain unoccupied and unless demolished will become subject to vandalism and decay."

With the relocation decision made and the prospect of reuse for employment unlikely, planners have revisited the idea of housing on the site. Outline planning permission was secured in 2004 for residential development and the conversion of Swinden House with plans showing around 100 houses on land off Beaconsfield Road and around the Grade II listed Victorian building - around a half of the site. Earlier plans included demolishing the lab buildings and building 190 dwellings and converting Swinden House and the stable building into flats.

Sam Silcocks concludes: "The site adjoins a well-established residential area which is in the centre of the southern part of the town and benefits from a range of local services within walking distance. The site does include a Grade II listed building but the residential development of the site would create the opportunity to enhance its setting.

"Following the confirmation of this site as a housing allocation, the intention would be to secure planning consent for the redevelopment of the site by the time the site is vacated. It is possible, therefore, that development would commence and dwellings being delivered on the ground within five years."

Tata Steel website

Images: NAMTEC / Tata Steel

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