News: Underwoods takes further bite into southern market

The Underwood Meat Company, the Rotherham-based supplier of high quality fresh meat products to the catering industry, has completed the purchase of the Kent-based Manor Farm Sausage Company Limited for an undisclosed sum.

The company, which has its head office and a manufacturing facility on Rawmarsh Road, Rotherham and sites in Godalming in Surrey and in Chesterfield, provides a wide variety of raw meat products to a range of blue-chip groups and independent catering customers throughout the UK.

The Manor Farm Sausage Company trades as Norsted Manor Meats and is a specialist butchery business based in Orpington, Kent. The business is expected to complement Underwoods Meat Company's expanding southern operation.

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In 2013, a deal with Country Park Foods saw Underwoods acquire its Bramley Foods subsidiary. The deal resulted in Underwood Meat Company expanding into a new site on Chesterfield's Holmewood Industrial Park. In 2014, it acquired St Albans-based wholesale butcher business, Butlers, for an undisclosed amount.

Matt Ainsworth, corporate partner and real estate partner Tom Hall, both at the Sheffield office of law firm Irwin Mitchell advised Underwood Meat Company on the latest transaction.

Ainsworth said: "Underwood Meat Company is an exciting business which continues to grow both organically and through acquisition. The addition of the Manor Farm Sausage Company represents another excellent purchase for the company which will no doubt enable it to continue building both market share as well as its reputation for high quality products and customer service.

"Irwin Mitchell has built up a strong and close working relationship with Underwood Meat Company and we look forward to supporting the business in the future."

The Underwood Group is also expanding its retail operation with associated company, Underwood's Butchers Shop set to open a new store in Barnsley in August.

Underwood Group website

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News: First Factory 2050 projects announced

Plans are being drawn up for the first projects at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing's revolutionary Factory 2050.

Currently under construction on the old airport runway at Sheffield Business Park, the £43m development is set to keep the Sheffield city region at the cutting edge of advanced manufacturing. Factory 2050 will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

Located on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and a partner in the HVM Catapult (the government's strategic initiative that aims to revitalise the manufacturing industry), the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

In 2014 the institution signed a deal to secure 50 acres of land at Sheffield Business Park, paving the way for the expansion of the AMRC and building on its success on the AMP, where it already operates from 300,000 sq ft of accommodation within seven separate buildings. A masterplan has been submitted which highlights that the development could lead to the creation of 1,494 – 1,881 jobs directly related to the proposal.

Factory 2050 is the first development on the new site and Interserve Construction began work at the end of last year. The roof and cladding is almost complete, mechanical and electrical services are being installed and the entrance roadway is being laid. Building work is on schedule to complete early in November.

Factory 2050 has been designed to help advanced manufacturers respond to increasing demand for high levels of flexibility and will be home to the AMRC's Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG).

The facilities will be at the heart of a £1.6m research project that will develop advanced, flexible manufacturing systems which will be used by construction and engineering group Laing O'Rourke in a new factory manufacturing modular systems for new homes and other buildings.

Factory 2050 will also be home to a project to explore future digital factory technologies for one of the world's largest independent producers of commercial aeroplane structures, Spirit AeroSystems. Securing £6.4m, the ambitious project aims to have a fully functional automated production line demonstrator that reduces assembly cost and increases repeatable quality of major structural aerospace components.

Professor Keith Ridgway CBE, executive dean at the AMRC, said: "We want Factory 2050 to be the most advanced factory in the world and part of our long-term development of high value manufacturing - an area where this region has an international lead.

"The development will ensure that the UK's advanced manufacturing supply chain can tap into the expertise it needs to make the most of increasing requirements to make rapid changes to product design, as a result of ever-changing customer demands."

AMRC website

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News: Beatson Clark bottle captures flavour of Kentucky

Leading Rotherham manufacturer Beatson Clark has captured the flavour of the American south in the new bespoke bottle it has designed for Jim Beam Original Bourbon Sauce.

The Greasborough Road firm, which has been making glass bottles and jars in Rotherham since 1751, specialises in providing glass packaging solutions for niche brands in the food, drink and pharmaceutical markets worldwide.

The embossed bottle has been designed to echo the shape of the replica 1940s stillhouse at the Jim Beam distillery in Kentucky. The sauce is being launched this year by Manchester-based The Flava People.

Danielle Complin from The Flava People, said: "With its angled shoulders the glass bottle has been modelled on the Jim Beam Still House and it also echoes the classic shape of the hip flask.

"It really stands out from the array of round or rectangular bottles that you currently see on the shelf."

Charlotte Taylor, marketing manager at Beatson Clark, added: "Our customer was looking for a unique, signature bottle which would stand out on the shelf and have a weighty, premium look and feel while at the same time communicating the well known Jim Beam brand.

"Our in-house design team worked closely with The Flava People and we're pleased to say they're really happy with the end result, which stands out partly because it looks more like a spirit bottle than a sauce bottle.

"Embossing is a really popular option at the moment, allowing brands to really make a statement with a unique bottle design, and our new design software means that we can sculpt the embossing, making it more defined as well as easier to manufacture."

The historic company has recently put in place a long term, £12m investment programme which included building a new amber furnace, a new six-section bottle forming machine and a new capping machine. A £5.4m white flint furnace became fully operational in 2012. As well as improving the production process, Beatson Clark also invested in new design technology. The company updated its CAD (Computer-Aided Design) system to the latest 3D visualisation software.

A new key account manager has recently been appointed to support the company's steady growth. Aaron Broadley has joined from Encase Packaging in Banbury and will cover the south of England for Beatson Clark, working closely with the business development manager Alison Hughes and handling the company's existing client accounts such as English Provender, Meantime Brewery and Aspall.

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News: New structure for Sheffield City Region

The Sheffield City Region (SCR) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (SCRA) has formalised its structure with five new executive boards but discussions over the possibility of an elected mayor have not been disclosed.

Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are the Government's model to promote economic development. With input from the private sector, they provide the strategic leadership required to set out local economic priorities, and better reflect the natural economic geography of the areas they serve.

In 2013, the nine local authorities that comprise the SCR agreed to create a new legal body, the Combined Authority, that would have responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration. The LEP and the SCR Combined Authority have assumed a joint role in developing and delivering the economic strategy for the SCR and a joint SCR Executive Team has been created.

Refinement of the governance structure has led to the creation of executive boards that will cover: skills, business growth, infrastructure, transport and housing. They are tasked with making key decisions on strategy and budget allocation. The boards are made up of key players in the public and private sector and have delegated authority from the combined authority and LEP.

Strengthening the decision making role, the boards are also expected to have the ability to raise the profile of their vested area of interest and the chair and board members will be able to take on ambassadorial and act as spokespersons for their thematic areas of responsibility on behalf of the authority. The chief executive (when appointed) of Rotherham Council has been prescribed a place on the transport executive board.

Sir Stephen Houghton, chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority and leader of Barnsley Council, said: "The new governance arrangements are vital to efficiently progress the devolution agenda and successfully deliver our promises to Government that form the Growth Deal.

"Political leaders have worked together across local boundaries for several years as it is mutually beneficial, this was formalised with the SCRA in 2014.

"The new arrangements mean we will take collaboration between Local Authorities, and public and private sector to a higher level.

"We have worked closely with our private sector colleagues in the LEP and value their contribution to economic success, and their leadership on key strategic programmes."

James Newman, chairman of the LEP, added: "Since the formation of the LEP in 2010, I have been astounded at the enthusiasm and time the private sector has given for the greater good and economic growth of SCR.

"Their leadership and intellectual contribution to economic strategy means political leaders are willing to share the decision making burden.

"This is a dynamic time for Sheffield City Region, we have achieved much in a short timescale, and we should be proud of what these new arrangements will mean."

In May, the combined authority held "informal discussions" regarding the possibility of an elected "Metro Mayor." It followed comments from the Chancellor, George Osborne, who expressed that he wasn't imposing a mayor on anyone but added that if the regions wanted to be part of the "new revolution in city government" they would need to have one.

Sheffield City Region LEP website

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News: Parseq pledges £1m investment in employee growth

Rotherham-headquartered business process and technology specialist, Parseq has announced that it will invest a further £1m in the development of its 2,500 UK workforce and recruitment across its seven locations.

Based at Hellaby, Parseq specialises in mobile and online banking software and technology-led outsourcing services, handling over 70 million calls, digitising 25 million customer correspondence documents and processing £15 billion of electronic payments every year.

Following a number of acquisitions, the combined turnover of the group now exceeds £65m and its client footprint covers the top ten international banks, a third of the UK's utility sector, the charity sector and a significant presence in the UK insurance sector.

The investment to develop and expand its UK workforce follows the firm's launch of its new identity and plans for market growth. Earlier this year, the firm announced a pilot partnership with the skills provider, the National Sales Academy, which will enable its 1,500 employees in Rotherham and Sunderland to gain access to £3,000 worth of educational funding each.

Spearheading the employee investment programme is Louise Cope, group HR director who on the was recently appointed on the management board of Parseq. She said: "As a business we invest significantly in our technology, new product offerings and the services we offer to our clients so we remain at the cutting edge of the outsourcing sector. But the asset which has, and always will be the most valuable and our biggest priority is our people.

"We pride ourselves on being about to attract, upskill and retain the best talent and this investment is not only testament to this view but it will ensure we can do even more to make our workforce the very best in the sector.

"We plan to grow our business over the next three years and this investment in our people is vital for us achieving this ambitious goal."

The investment will see Parseq extend its employee training academy further and contribute to the introduction of a new HR management system, investment in its office facilities across the UK and the launch of a regional initiatives to give more people access to employment.

David Carman, chairman of Parseq, said: "Both the appointment of Parseq's first group HR director and the financial commitment we've made in our workforce and recruitment demonstrates our desire to achieve commercial growth by investing in people.

"People are, and always will be, at the heart of our business and the reason behind our successes. Because of this we've worked hard to ensure every one of our employees can continually develop and in turn add value to our clients and our business.

"Our aim is clear. Not only do we want to be known as the multi-channel service provider everyone wants working for them, but also the business everyone wants to work for."

Parseq website

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News: Region reacts to rail project "pause"

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce believes that the North cannot afford to be left behind and is urging the Government to put together robust investment plans to improve transport infrastructure.

The comments come after work to electrify the Midland Mainline (MML), which links London and the Sheffield city region, was "paused" by the Government.

The scheme, which was set to deliver more seats, improved performance and more space for freight on one of Britain's oldest railways, was put on hold by Patrick McLoughlin MP, the Secretary of State for Transport. In a speech that highlighted where Network Rail's performance has not been good enough, he said that he was resetting Network Rail's investment programme to get it back on track.

Network Rail's plans included electrifying the Midland Mainline (MML) north of Bedford, working north. It was set to reach Corby at the end of 2017; Nottingham and Derby at the end of 2019 and Sheffield at the end of 2020.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, said: "The decision to delay the upgrade of key railway lines in our region is not a complete surprise, I voiced my personal concerns the day after the election in May as to how the outcome would adversely affect South Yorkshire, and it would seem the real programme is now beginning to unravel.

"There is no escaping that our railway network is in desperate need of major investment. If we are to see the economic growth we aspire to, we need the infrastructure to support it. That means, amongst other things, the North needs to be served by a top class rail system, but what we currently have is nothing of the sort. Sadly, businesses and commuters will have to continue to get by with rail services which cannot be relied upon."

As Network Rail's estimated costs for the work reached £1.5 billion, the Transport Secretary hinted at other improvements to the line when he said that: "better services can be delivered on that line before electrification. With things such as speed improvement works."

Denniff added: "Network Rail and the Government must develop a robust plan to put the investment project back on track in short order. All current talk of a Northern Powerhouse by the Government is simply that - just talk."

Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton CBE, Chair of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, added: "Sheffield city region is extremely disappointed the Government has chosen to pause the long-awaited and much-needed investment in the electrification of the Midland Mainline railway.

"We urge Government to set a new deadline for when work will commence."

BR Chamber website

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News: Penny Hill solar farm plans go on show

As the Government brings forward an end to new public subsidies for onshore wind farms, Banks Renewables has unveiled plans for its proposed 5MW solar photo voltaic (PV) scheme next its current wind farm at Ulley in Rotherham.

The Durham-based developer secured planning permission for the six turbine wind farm at Ulley in 2010. Backed by £21m from the Co-operative Bank, turbines with a maximum height of 132m were built on green belt land to the west of the junction of the M1 and M18.

With an installed capacity of 20.4MW, the Penny Hill wind farm began producing energy in 2013. It produces enough energy to meet the annual electricity consumption requirements of over 12,000 homes – or around ten per cent of all the homes in the Rotherham area.

Now the developer has made its move into the solar energy market and hosted a public exhibition this week to show proposals to create a solar farm on the South East corner of its Penny Hill wind farm site. Environmental investigations have recently been carried out on site to finalise the design of the solar farm.

Approximately six hectares of current agricultural land would be covered by solar panels, up to three metres in height. If approved, the installed capacity of up to 5MW would provide enough electricity for approximately 1,320 homes.

The planning approval would be for a temporary period of 23 years, the same length of time that the wind turbines are set to be in operation, and the developers are offering to add to the £40,000 made available for local community causes.

Banks said that it is designing the project to allow for its existing grid connection on the Penny Hill site to be used for the new scheme, and is also looking at using the existing access tracks to further minimise any impact on the local community.

It added that the part of the site was chosen as it is the furthest away from the village of Ulley, and its layout would mean that the scheme would not be visible from most of that village or from the nearby village of Brampton.

Phil Dyke, development director at Banks Renewables (pictured), said: "The Penny Hill wind farm has been running well for the last two years, and the positive impact that the community funds generated by it is already being felt right across the area.

"The proposals we're now putting forward would enable us to substantially increase the annual amount available for local community improvement projects, and would enable us to make an even greater positive difference to the area by supporting projects that local people want to see actioned.

"The part of the Penny Hill site that we've chosen for the solar PV scheme lends itself well to this sort of development, alongside having minimal visibility from surrounding communities, and we would implement a land management plan over the project's 25 year lifespan that would encourage greater biodiversity and support the creation of enhanced habitats for local flora and fauna.

"We believe this is an excellent location for a scheme which would enable us to increase the amount of clean, green energy we produce at the Penny Hill site."

Banks Renewables website

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News: Government pulls plug on electrification of Midland Mainline

A £1.5 billion electrification project that would bring newer, faster and more reliable trains on the key route between London and the Sheffield city region ten years before HS2, has been "paused" by the Government.

Network Rail, the owners and operators of Britain's rail infrastructure, finalised its five year investment programme to 2019 (known as control period 5, or CP5) last year. It contained finalised plans to electrify the Midland Mainline (MML) north of Bedford, working north. It was set to reach Corby at the end of 2017; Nottingham and Derby at the end of 2019 and Sheffield at the end of 2020.

The scheme, which was set to deliver more seats, improved performance and more space for freight on one of Britain's oldest railways, is on hold. In a speech that highlighted where Network Rail's performance has not been good enough, Patrick McLoughlin MP, the Secretary of State for Transport, said that he was resetting Network Rail's investment programme to get it back on track.

Whilst reaffirming that electrification of the Great Western Line is a top priority, the Transport Secretary said: "On the Midland Mainline better services can be delivered on that line before electrification. With things such as speed improvement works. So work on electrification will be paused.

"I want it to be done and done well. It will be part of our future plans for the route."

The Government had challenged Network Rail to re-prioritise the roll-out of the programme, for example by bringing electrification to Sheffield into CP5. With costs rising rapidly from the initial £500m estimate, Network Rail said that it couldn't bring forward the programme due to "lead-in time for a National Grid connection at Chesterfield and the unacceptable disruption that early completion would bring."

Now work has been paused, as has work electrifying the Transpennine route between Leeds and Manchester.

From Network Rail's own documents it was anticipated that electrification of Sheffield – Doncaster; Swinton to South Kirkby Junction; and Chesterfield – Beighton Junction – Rotherham; would be part of an on going rolling programme of electrification to complete these parts of the "Electric Spine" after 2020.

Earlier this year, Rail North, a group of transport organisation across the North of England presented its latest report to the Transport Secretary outlining future electrification of rail links in the region, putting economic growth and connectivity at the heart of their considerations.

With no clear commitment on how much needed improvements will be made, and when, yesterday's decision has been described as a blow to the Government's own "Northern Powerhouse" concept and attacked by rival politicians for being made after the elections.

Cllr. Julie Dore, leader of Sheffield Council, said yesterday: "Electrification of the Midland Mainline is vital for improving transport connectivity for Sheffield and an integral part of building the economic growth we all want to see in the region. It is essential that the Government honour the promises that they made on electrification and today's announcement is a blow for those of us committed to building a stronger North of England. We call for this decision to be reversed immediately."

Network Rail website

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News: Head hunters to help find new bosses at Rotherham Council

Rotherham Council is to begin its search for top level staff, including a new permanent chief executive, with the help of executive "head hunters."

A new council structure is being finalised as part of the work lead by commissioners appointed by the Government to provide new leadership and take on all executive functions of the authority.

Previous chief executive Martin Kimber announced that he would step down in September 2014, with the announcement coming two weeks after the publication of a damning independent inquiry from Alexis Jay into child sexual exploitation in the borough. Jan Ormondroyd, previously chief executive at Bristol City Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council and deputy chief executive in Hull, took on the role on an interim basis from November 3.

A statutory inspection of Rotherham Council was undertaken at the request of the Government by Louise Casey. It reported in February of a "complete failure of political and officer leadership in Rotherham."

Commissioner Stella Manzie CBE is acting in a managing director role – similar to that of a chief executive. She is the only commissioner employed to work full time at the authority and the role comes with a fee of £160,000 per annum to be paid on a pro rata monthly basis.

Global HR services group, Penna was brought in by the Council to find a permanent chief executive at the end of 2014 but the recruitment process was halted when the commissioners were parachuted in.

Consultation on a revised management structure has been completed and now the Council has begun the tender process for a recruitment firm to help recruit seven senior management posts.

The executive "head hunters" could cost the Council up to £100,000.

Commissioner Manzie said at a recent public meeting that the first advertising of posts is set for the end of July, recruiting from the end of August to the end of year.

Priority has been given to the new strategic director of adult social care and assistant directors, which includes a new role on community safety. A new assistant chief executive role (with responsibility for HR, communications and democratic services) is required and recruitment for a permanent chief executive is likely to continue through to March 2016.

Commissioner Manzie said: "Recruiting senior posts is not a quick process but we will be moving forward as quick as we can."

The new structure involves creating a new directorate called Community Well-being and Housing and creating the senior posts of strategic director finance and corporate services and assistant chief executive. A number of new assistant director posts are also proposed.

As one of the borough's biggest employers the Council has an annual gross income and expenditure of over £700m. A recent update on the three year financial strategy estimates a "budget challenge" of £41m - where further savings will need to be made.

The Council has previously approved salary levels of £160,000 for the chief executive and £113,384 for strategic directors. It has also approved the use of additional market supplements - additional financial incentives to attract suitable applicants to senior managerial positions in Rotherham. The use of a market supplement was approved for the appointment of the interim director of Children's Services, Ian Thomas.

Should it be identified that a market supplement is necessary to recruit to a specific chief officer post, it is proposed that this principle of a maximum of an additional payment of up to 25% of the annual salary and other payments could be applied. Any salary package for any post that is in excess of £100,000 will be considered by full Council.

Rotherham Council website

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News: More enterprising jobseekers in Rotherham

Rotherham is amongst the top areas in the country for the number of people setting up businesses with the help of a government scheme.

The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) has been behind a wide range of new ventures since it was introduced in 2011. It involves jobseekers and other benefit claimants receiving business support including a mentor to help develop business ideas and write a business plan.

Rotherham ranks 36th out of all 380 local authority areas for new startups via the NEA scheme. 880 people have started working with a mentor since April 2011 and 460 have gone on to start a business.

The scheme entitles participants to a weekly allowance worth £1,274 over 26 weeks and, where start-up capital is needed, they may also be able to access a loan up to £1,000 to help with start-up costs.

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Employment Minister Priti Patel said: "Through this scheme, we're helping to unlock the talent and entrepreneurialism of the great cities in the north and central England, with these areas showing the highest number of jobseekers turning a big idea into a business.

"Starting up in business successfully needs so much more than just funding – it needs the right support and advice at the right time, and we're doing just that through the New Enterprise Allowance scheme.

"We will ensure that every part of Britain, including the northern powerhouse, benefits from a growing economy and that everyone who works hard gets the opportunities they need to succeed."

Sheffield ranks third in terms of business starts with 1,080 from April 2011 to March 2015 and Doncaster is at 12 with 650. Barnsley is 45th with 410.

At start of the 2015 calendar year, new starts to NEA are delivered by new providers meaning that there are slight differences in definitions between grant funded starts before 2015 and contracted phase starts via new providers.

Pinnacle People now delivers the scheme in Rotherham after it secured the £1.5m Government contract for South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and North East Yorkshire and the Humber.

Acting as a prime provider, sole delivery of the contract includes hour long initial assessments on the viability of business ideas, business planning seminars, practical classes, links to other support in the area and eight weeks of support through the pre-trading period. The Pinnacle People business club is also available to all NEA participants offering a range of free-to-use services.

In previous contracts, Pinnacle People has used a flexible staffing bank and deployed over 200 freelance advisors to over 2,000 customers per month. The firm also calls on a bank of volunteer mentors.

NEA website
Pinnacle People website

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News: 2015 Chamber awards open for entries

The Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards 2015 are now open for entries, with an added number of companies expected to get a special salute.

Last year's awards were a big hit with the ceremony declared a sell out with three weeks to go. The event was held for the first time in Barnsley and will return to the Barnsley Metrodome to host the glittering event on Friday October 2015 and again organisers at the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce are expecting a high number of entries.

Last year saw over 100 entries in the ten categories with top performers from the night being entered into the Business of the Year category. Entry is now open to all members of the Chamber and all businesses in Barnsley and Rotherham.

Andrew Denniff, chief executive at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber (pictured), said: "This is a once a year opportunity for us to celebrate all that is best in business innovation, enterprise and growth across our region.

"I would encourage as many businesses and individuals as possible to consider putting their names forward and get yourselves recognised for the tremendous results you have achieved over the past few months."

Local companies celebrating significant milestones can mark them in style with a Salute to Business presentation. Businesses who have reached more than ten years in business can receive a Salute to Business award from Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce as part of their annual Business Awards.

Organisations celebrating 50, 75 or 100 years or more should contact the Chamber for the opportunity to receive the prestigious accolade on the night.

Mark Hannigan, operations manager at the chamber, said: "Traditionally we have recognised five businesses at the awards ceremony in October but we have realised there are a number of great businesses celebrating milestones, so we have extended the opportunity to receive an award to throughout the year.

"With our Salute to Business sponsor, Voot, we will be presenting certificates of recognition to businesses celebrating more than ten years of business in 2015. I would like to encourage any company who has reached a milestone this year to come forward and allow us to celebrate your achievement with you."

Details of the award categories can be found on the awards website and the deadline for entries is September 4.

Barnsley and Rotherham Business Awards website

Images: BR Chamber

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News: Plaxton fined for failings at Rotherham depot

National bus and coach builder Alexander Dennis Ltd. has been fined after it ignored multiple warnings about dangers to its workers' health from overuse of hand-held power tools.

Sheffield Crown Court heard this week that nine workers at Plaxton's, an Alexander Dennis after sales, repair and refurbishment depot in North Anston, Rotherham, were diagnosed with a permanent debilitating condition known as hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

For several years, the Edinburgh-based company persistently failed to heed expert advice, specialist reports and complaints from workers of pain, discomfort, numbness and whiteness in their fingers.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there was uncontrolled exposure to hand-arm transmitted vibration in the case of up to 25 staff in the Plaxton motor vehicle repair workshops in Ryton Road. There were no restrictions on the type of hand-held power tools employees used or the length of time they were allowed to operate them.

In addition Alexander Dennis Ltd had no system to replace those tools that were old or worn out – one tool was 28 years' old and a lack of maintenance meant tools were not running at the optimum level to minimise vibration. Workers were not provided with any information or instruction on how to minimise the risk from vibration and there was no health surveillance programme to check for early signs of HAVS among the workforce.

Since HSE's intervention, the company has taken action to assess the risk to their employees, provide better quality tools which are regularly maintained, train employees on how to protect themselves and provide regular health checks to pick up early signs of the disease.

Alexander Dennis Ltd, trading as Plaxton of North Anston, was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £18,643 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The judge described the company's failings as inexplicable and highly culpable in their failure to follow the advice and the warnings given.

HSE inspector Christine Mellor, said: "Alexander Dennis continually ignored their employees’ symptoms which showed they were suffering from the effects of vibration caused by the extensive use of a variety of hand-held power tools – sanders, drills, grinders etc. It failed to heed recommendations from consultants they had engaged to assist in managing the health risks to employees, including the advice from occupational health professionals.

"At the same time, the company was fully aware that successful civil claims had been brought by employees. Despite all this, Alexander Dennis continued to expose employees to an uncontrolled risk."

Plaxton website
HSE website

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News: Vice-chancellor speaks up in defence of Rotherham

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield, has highlighted how the University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is driving forward innovation in manufacturing and how the AMRC Training Centre is creating opportunities for young people and benefiting industry.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC is a world-class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value sectors.

In a comment piece for The Yorkshire Post, the vice-chancellor, a member of the Prime Minister's advisory Council on Science and Technology, discussed the negative image that Rotherham has, stating that: "We must believe in the possibility of change, the potential of young people everywhere and the possibility of healing in a community."

Burnett believes that the AMRC is one thing that gives him hope for the future of Rotherham. He said: "In Rotherham, on the site of the Orgreave miners' conflict, three decades later something extraordinary has happened. The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is a university-owned innovation district with over 100 industrial partners carrying out state of the art research. It is a high-tech "skunk works" for industry large and small to be able to finesse manufacturing ideas, make breakthroughs in production which gain orders and create jobs. A national facility, it draws admirers from around the world.

"It is also home to the UK's most prestigious advanced manufacturing apprentice training centre. Companies need more than high-tech research. They want skills to match. The AMRC now has 600 young people at various stages in an advanced apprenticeship which offers routes to manufacturing engineering degrees and beyond.

"I know these young people. They are the talented, bright-eyed children of Rotherham and South Yorkshire. They are every bit as able as the children of Oxfordshire. But for them to reclaim and shape their own futures they need opportunity, employment, education."

Youth charity The Prince's Trust, aerospace giant Boeing and the AMRC Training Centre have recently joined forces to help develop young people's professional skills in the area of advanced manufacturing. The Prince's Trust "Get Started with Product Design" five day training programme aims to give young people from across the region a flavour of what it takes to be an apprentice and embark on a rewarding career in manufacturing.

This pilot programme, to take place in July, is aimed at young people aged 16 to 25 who are not in education, training or employment and has been made possible as part of Boeing’s extensive programme of community engagement initiatives.

Kerry Featherstone, head of operations at the AMRC Training Centre, said: "Our aim, from the very start, has been to bridge the manufacturing skills gap while promoting social mobility by being as open and inclusive as possible.

"This is another step on the road to ensuring young people are able to make the most of their potential, despite the barriers they currently may face."

AMRC website
AMRC Training Centre website

Images: AMRC / University of Sheffield

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News: Inditherm completes reverse takeover

Innovative Rotherham company, Inditherm, has completed the acquisition of Inspiration Healthcare Limited, a deal which is set to allow the medical business to grow with fewer constraints.

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.

Inspiration was founded in Leicestershire in 2003 as a medical device distribution company focused on innovative products for critical care.

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The £7.2m deal was announced last month after Inditherm completed a review of strategic options with the objective of creating shareholder value. Directors identified the need to make the business part of a larger entity, thereby allowing the medical business to grow with fewer constraints.

AIM-listed Inditherm shifted its focus to the medical market and scored sizeable NHS contracts in 2013 but revenue in 2014 reduced by 10% compared to 2013 to £1.8m and this resulted in an operating loss of £356k.

Uncertainties in the NHS resulted in the performance with Inditherm believing that the apparent slowing of growth is caused in the UK by ever-tightening financial constraints, particularly with regard to capital expenditure in the NHS, rather than a dampening of enthusiasm for its products. A trend that is set to continue.

Inspiration holds a number of distribution agreements and also has a range of own-branded products focused on critical care which are sold in over 40 countries. In the year ended January 31 2015, it recorded revenue of £9.5m, with adjusted earnings of £800k.

The acquisition, considered a reverse takeover, was approved at a general meeting this week. Inditherm has acquired the entire issued share capital of Inspiration with the vendors receiving 83.3% of the share capital with the new, enlarged group readmitted to the stock market. The acquisition values the issued share capital of Inspiration at £7.2m.

Trading in the company's shares on AIM is now under the new name of Inspiration Healthcare Group plc.

Neil Campbell, chief executive officer of Inspiration Healthcare Group plc, said: "The acquisition represents value for both Inditherm and Inspiration Healthcare, creating a company with a diverse product portfolio that will allow us to compete more effectively in a global market. We will continue to invest in developing innovative products and look forward to utilising the resources of an enlarged company to continue our growth."

The company's share price has increased by 70% since the deal was announced.

Inditherm website
Inspiration Healthcare website

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News: Reflex protects Magna Carta at Lincoln Castle

Reflex Systems, the Rotherham-based integrated fire and security systems specialist, has been drafted in to provide the fire safety system that will guard Lincoln Castle and its precious consignment – one of only four surviving, original 1215 Magna Carta.

The Hellaby firm secured the contract as part of a £22m restoration of Lincoln Castle, the Lincolnshire County Council site – which includes the 947 year old castle, perimeter wall and Victorian prison, as well as the new David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault – the only location worldwide where the Magna Carta and its sister document, the Charter of the Forest (1217), can be viewed together.

Described as "the most valuable export of Great Britain to the rest of the world," the Magna Carta was signed 800 years ago and is an example of an absolute monarch surrendering some of his powers, the beginning of a process that led eventually to our current system of government. It has gathered momentum and assumed a greater authority in respect of the central key clauses concerning liberty and justice.

Reflex was commissioned to supply a new, integrated fire safety system but as John Pye, managing director at Reflex Systems, explained: "Due to the complex nature of the buildings in an architecturally sensitive environment, there were a number of restrictions and requirements set out by English Heritage in a challenging brief."

Utilising the very best in equipment that blended with the background, Reflex reduced the amount of cabling required onsite, and minimised the disruption to the fabric of the historical buildings by installing hybrid wireless fire detection products. Combining a wired translator unit with battery operated detectors, the hybrid system helped to overcome some of the architectural challenges of the buildings as the individual components did not need to be wired together.

Pye added: "As well as hiding wiring and our equipment during the installation, we also had to make sure the rest of the system was sensitive to the environment. In this case, that included spray painting the heat and smoke detectors in the Magna Carta Vault and prison so that they would disappear against the walls."

Mary Powell, programme manager at Lincoln Castle Revealed, added: "The restoration marks a huge investment for Lincoln Castle, and ensuring that we had the very best in fire protection was a key consideration to securing its future."

Reflex Systems website

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News: 1,000 more jobs through inward investment

A thousand more jobs were created through foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the Sheffield city region in 2014-15, according to figures collected by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

UKTI is the Government's trade body that works to encourage and support overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. It also works with UK based businesses to ensure their success in international markets through exports.

The annual investment figures from UKTI for the 2014/15 financial year show the UK attracted 1,988 FDI projects - 12% more than 2013/14 – estimated to have brought with them almost 85,000 new jobs and 23,000 safeguarded jobs across the UK.

The UK received the highest number and value of FDI projects in Europe in 2014 and the strong performance has seen the country's inward FDI stock – the value of accumulated FDI in the UK – break the £1 trillion level for the first time. This is the highest in Europe and third in the world after the United States and China.

Figures show that 24 "successes" coming via UKTI were into the Sheffield city region, down from the 28 in the previous year. The projects resulted in an estimated 1,046 new jobs and 280 safeguarded jobs. This compares to 1,755 new, and 131 safeguarded, jobs in 2013/14.

Three further UKTI projects covered a number of areas including the Sheffield city region.

The Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has its own inward investment team, which works with UKTI and local authorities and targets potential investors across the UK and overseas.

Through its Strategic Economic Plan, the LEP has set ambitious targets for private sector growth and includes the ambition to attract 10,000 jobs over the next ten years from organisations based (owned) outside of the city region.

The LEP is set to use half of a £52m growth fund to support significant inward investment and a recent funding call was made to use £3.5m of EU cash to bring forward land and premises for employment sites, specifically targeting inward investment from foreign firms wanting ready built premises.

The initiatives are to address the fact that the Sheffield city region is not attracting its per head population share of UKTI inward investment compared to other Northern economies. The call said that: "Sheffield city region is still lagging behind the national average and neighbouring Local Enterprise Partnership area performance levels, particularly in relation to job creation, despite the increase in 2012/13."

Closer working with UKTI has seen the number of project leads for investments from UKTI increase from just three in 2011.

Comparable LEP regions include Leeds City Region LEP which saw 46 projects via UKTI in 2014/5 (down from 55 the previous year), and the North East LEP which saw 44 projects in 2014/5 (up from 38 in the previous year). Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP recorded 33 UKTI projects in 2014/15, an increase on 27 in the previous year. The Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP had the highest number of "successes" in 2014/15 with 73 which was down from 77 in the previous year.

Of the 28 projects coming into the Sheffield city region, nine came from the Americas, five from the Asia Pacific region and ten from Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Seven were from new investors whilst 17 came from existing investors already in the region.

Investment types included three mergers, acquisitions or joint ventures, 13 new investments and eight expansions. Four related to European HQ projects, seven to manufacturing operations, three to research and development, three to sales operations and nine to services.

Nine of the FDI projects came from the advanced engineering and manufacturing sector, eight from business, professional and financial services, two from energy environment and infrastructure, two from the creative, digital & media and ICT sector and three from advanced engineering / life sciences.

Rotherham FDI projects reported by Rothbiz over the period include South Korean multinational KD Navien, a leading manufacturer of condensing boilers, choosing Rotherham for its UK HQ; Nikken Kosakusho Europe investing £3.6m in a new facility on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP); and JELD-WEN investing almost £4m in its Woodhouse Mill production facilities to meet increased product demand.

Deals included Hempel Wire's acquisition by Canadian firm, Central Wire Industries; Focus NDT being acquired by the US-based MISTRAS Group; Northern Engineering (Sheffield) Ltd (NES), acquisition by American specialist private investment partnership, Industrial Growth Partners (IGP), as part of a deal for parent company, Sanders Industries; and the conclusion of the £1 billion deal struck by Mexico's Grupo Bimbo to take over Canada Bread, the company owned by Maple Leaf Foods. The deal includes the largest bagel production facility in Europe, based at Swinton in Rotherham.

March saw Danish investors, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners acquire 100% of the Brite Partnerhsip's biomass-fired power plant project at Templeborough for £150m.

Sheffield city region inward investment website

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News: Crawshaw to open five more stores

Crawshaw Group PLC, the Rotherham-based fresh meat and food to go retailer, is set to open five more stores before Christmas as its national expansion gathers pace.


The AIM-listed firm currently has 23 retail outlets throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Humberside and recently moved onto Sandbeck Industrial Estate at Hellaby, occupying a 12,000 sq ft unit for the manufacture and distribution of specialist foods.

At this afternoon's AGM, the group will outline that in the eight weeks since the last statement on the April 23, like-for-like sales for the extended group are up 2.3%, building further on the increase of 6.4% achieved over the same period last year. The strong trading performance is spread across the combined store portfolio and Crawshaw has seen positive growth in both customer numbers and average spend.

Reporting its latest financial results for the year ended January 31 2015, Crawshaws saw sales increase by 17% to £24.6m which saw EBITDA (earning before taxes) increase 15% to £1.6m (2014: £1.4m). Excluding infrastructure costs the adjusted EBITDA was 30% higher than last year at £1.8m.

Crawshaw has set itself an ambitious target of 200 shops within eight years. Last year it announced details of the placing of new shares in a bid to raise nearly £9m to support the acceleration of its store opening programme.

It recently acquired 11 more retail butchers units and a distribution centre in the North West from Gabbotts Farm Limited in a £3.9m deal. Crawshaw said that the integration "has been very smooth and we are well underway with developing the customer proposition in all stores" and that "post-integration initiatives have enhanced our sales and profitability, and we will continue with the operational synergies and extension of the supply chain network."

Crawshaw recently opened its first store in Leeds, at the Merrion Centre, and a Bolton store opens in July. A further four stores are planned to open before Christmas taking the portfolio to 39 stores.

Richard Rose, chairman of Crawshaw, said: "Our sales, customer numbers and average spend continue to increase reflecting the excellent quality and value we offer. Under the leadership of our new CEO Noel Collett, the board continue to build and develop the resource, infrastructure and initiatives to grow sales within the existing estate and deliver the roll out strategy in a controlled and disciplined manner. It is a very exciting time for the business and we look to the future with great confidence."

Crawshaw website

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News: AMRC awarded further aerospace research funding

The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing in Rotherham is to work on two new technology projects in the aerospace sector.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), the AMRC is a world-class centre for advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value sectors. The multimillion pound partnership between industry and academia has become a model for collaborative research centres worldwide and now boasts 75 partners, including Boeing and Rolls Royce.

The government has committed to creating the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which provides a single, national focus for technology research and facilities in the sector. £2 billion funding has been provided by government and industry to support the strategy with the creation of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) at its heart.

The latest project will see the AMRC work with Spirit AeroSystems and Aeromet to research advanced automated assembly technologies – a factory of the future - to improve the cost competitiveness of the UK supply chain. Securing £6.4m, the ambitious project aims to have a fully functional automated production line demonstrator that reduces assembly cost and increases repeatable quality of major structural aerospace components.

Dan Caughran, vice president / GM - UK at Spirit AeroSystems, said: "This programme will provide a platform for innovation and an opportunity to completely rethink how industry manages the assembly process.

"Aerostructures Factory of the Future is strategically important in increasing the competitiveness of the UK operations. The programme will help keep our current product portfolio and win new business. Working together with this consortium and the ATI funding will give us the much needed assistance to achieve the important programme initiatives and increase technology capability within the UK."

The AMRC's Rolls-Royce Factory of the Future opened on the AMP in 2008 and includes workshop, laboratory, office and conference space. Its £43m Factory 2050, currently under construction on nearby Sheffield Business Park, will be the UK's first fully reconfigurable assembly and component manufacturing facility for collaborative research, capable of rapidly switching production between different high-value components and one-off parts.

As part of a £4.4m project to support UTC Aerospace Systems, the AMRC will work to set up production lines to manufacture high volume, low cost advanced composite products.

The composites centre on the AMP extends the AMRC's expertise in metals production into the new generation of carbon fibre composite materials. These composite materials are increasingly used in aerospace, marine, automotive and other high-value industries for their combination of light weight and high strength but they are often difficult to manufacture.

Business Minister Anna Soubry said: "Demand for new aircraft is at record levels - around 45,000 new aircraft and 40,000 helicopters are needed between now and 2032, worth over $5 trillion. This will provide billions of pounds of work to the UK economy given our leading capability in wings, engines, helicopters, advanced systems and services.

"Getting this right will deliver economic benefit through our large, mid-sized and small companies across the breadth of the country."

AMRC website

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News: Tata Steel strike suspended

Strike action at Tata Steel scheduled for today has been suspended by unions as they prepare to ballot members over a new pension offer.

The dispute is around Tata Steel's proposed changes to its pension scheme, which include closing the British Steel Pension Scheme (BSPS) to future accrual. The scheme is faced with a projected shortfall of up to £2 billion, which both the company and the unions agree makes change necessary. To pay for a deficit in the pension scheme, the company proposed to introduce a cap on pensionable earnings and end the early retirement provisions whereby members can retire at 60 with a full pension.

The new pension offer had been reached early last week following talks between Tata Steel and the unions facilitated by the conciliation service ACAS. Details of the changes were presented to the union delegates on Friday. Those present decided that the new offer could be put to a ballot of all union members and therefore strike action was suspended. The unions are recommending that the deal is accepted.

Over 2,000 people are employed by the company in South Yorkshire and the Indian-owned steelmaker has a number of operations in Rotherham.

Roy Rickhuss, Chair of the National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee and General Secretary of Community said: "Our members standing up for their pensions has made Tata Steel change its mind. Through meaningful discussions and negotiation with the company we have been able to keep the scheme open and improve on their final offer prior to their decision to close the scheme. This is a massive turnaround and means there is the opportunity for the British Steel Pension Scheme to provide dignity and security in retirement for many more steelworkers in the future.

"As we have always acknowledged there are some significant challenges for the scheme but this new offer addresses some of those issues while enabling our members to continue to accrue final salary pension benefits. Our members will make the final decision but the unions are recommending a vote in favour because we believe we have secured the best available deal from the company."

Harish Patel, national officer for Unite, added: "Union action brought the company back to the table with an improved offer. The BSPS is so important to Tata Steel employees and we have managed to keep the scheme open and secure a deal around early retirement. This is the best deal we could get and now our members get to decide. We will be urging them to vote for the offer on the table."

GMB National Officer, Dave Hulse, said: "We always told Tata Steel that closing the scheme was unacceptable but it took the unity and resolve of trade union members to make them listen. Now we've got a deal that means the scheme is open, the importance of early retirement is recognised and the challenges faced by the scheme are addressed. Of course now it's up to our members but the unions are recommending acceptance."

Officials from the British Steel Pension Scheme will be conducting roadshows around Tata Steel sites this week to explain the new pensions offer. Unions will also to begin to put in place arrangements to ballot members on the proposals.

A Tata Steel spokesman said on Friday: "We are pleased that a meeting of trade union delegates from Tata Steel sites across the UK today agreed to recommend to members a proposal which would enable UK employees to retain a modified final salary pension scheme.

"The decision recognises the substantial shortfall in the pension fund and the need to jointly address it, given the challenging business environment in the UK. The recommended proposal includes fair and balanced modifications to existing scheme arrangements to achieve this. We believe that the proposal continues to provide employees with a high-quality pension.

"The company hopes employees will recognise this recommendation as a positive way forward on pensions provision and one that gives us an opportunity to continue to work together to return the UK business to a profitable and sustainable future."

Tata Steel website

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News: Rolls-Royce ready to build Trent 7000 engine

World-renowned engineers, Rolls-Royce, is ready to build the first of its new generation Trent 7000 engines, with key parts expected to be manufactured at its £110m Rotherham facility.

The most advanced turbine blade casting facility in the world was officially opened on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham earlier this year.

When fully operational in 2017, the 150,000 sq ft facility will employ 150 people and have the capacity to manufacture more than 100,000 single crystal turbine blades a year. These blades will feature in a wide-range of Trent aero engines.

The majority of modern widebody aircraft, either in service or on order, are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines. Combining previous work developing the Trent 700 - the engine of choice for the current A330; the Trent 1000; and the Trent XWB - the world's most efficient large civil engine, the new Trent 7000 will improve specific fuel consumption by ten per cent; have twice the bypass ratio; and will halve perceived noise.

The engines will contain turbine blades manufacturing in Rotherham at Rolls-Royce's Advanced Blade Casting Facility (ABCF). "Grown" in a special process which ensures that they are created from a single metal crystal to maximise their strength, these SX blades generate the power of a Formula 1 racing car.

The temperature within the high pressure turbine is 1,700 degrees centigrade, hotter than the melting point of the turbine blades themselves so they have to be coated with a special ceramic and cooled with air passed through the discs and out of a series of precise holes in the blade.

Eric Schulz, president – Civil Large Engines at Rolls-Royce, said: "I'm proud that we are starting a journey to deliver the latest addition to our Trent engine family. The Trent 7000 offers a step change in performance and economics, and I look forward to the engine's first test bed run later this year."

At the Paris Air Show last week, Rolls-Royce, announced that Ethiopian Airlines has decided to take Trent 1000 engines and long-term TotalCare support worth $500m to power six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. It was also announced that Italian carrier Neos will become a new operator of Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which will power three leased Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

Rolls-Royce powered the very first Boeing 787 test flight in December 2009, the first 787-8 to enter service in October 2011, and the first 787-9 to enter service, in 2014.

Rolls-Royce website

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News: AESSEAL built to order

Rotherham manufacturer, AESSEAL, has launched a completely re-engineered modular component seal range that aims to raise the industry standard and allow configurable component seals to be built to order.

With global headquarters at Templeborough, AESSEAL manufactures seals to stop leakage of harmful liquids and gases into the environment for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals. Seals include cartridge seals - a pre-assembled, self-contained mechanical seal, and component seals - fully configurable mechanical seals made from a range of components.

AESSEAL has 10,000 product lines available from stock and are experts in customisation, manufacturing 44,000 product variations. The new range supports the company purpose statement - "to give our customers such exceptional service that they need never consider alternative sources of supply."

The new range, in development for almost four years, incorporates unique patented features which help to improve pump reliability. These features include; improved seal face cooling through directed barrier fluid flow systems, hydraulically balanced seal face technology and "plug in" designs to improve performance and reliability.

By manufacturing the majority of the parts themselves, and having full control of the supply chain, AESSEAL can offer a portfolio of seals that meet the hygiene standards of customers in the food sector.

Incorporating a build to order philosophy, the new range offers a larger selection of product variants, and standard product lines can be easily adapted to suit the customer's requirements.

The new product range is further supported by a new application that enables an equivalent AESSEAL component seal to easily be selected knowing just the pump type, competitor seal reference, or dimensional information.

Tom Broadbent, project manager at AESSEAL, said: "It has been a huge undertaking that not many companies would take on, but we now have the same modular build to order business model in our component seal range portion of our business as our cartridge seals, allowing us to have complete control of the design, manufacture and supply of component seals so that we can provide our customers the exceptional service they expect from AESSEAL."

AES Engineering Ltd, parent to the AESSEAL Group, reported sales of £142m for the year to December 31 2014 with EBITDA (Earnings before taxes) at £25.2m.

AESSEAL website

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News: LEP "let us down" on HS2

Sheffield Chamber of Commerce believes it was let down by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in not backing a South Yorkshire station location for the proposed HS2 line early enough.


Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin confirmed that high-speed rail was a priority in a recent speech in Leeds. He said that the The full "Y" network of HS2 will be built - From London to Birmingham and Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. Construction is set to start in just two years.

South Yorkshire is included on the route to Leeds with plans including the proposed location of a HS2 station at Meadowhall announced in 2013.

The location was backed by Rotherham Council, Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber and the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority (SYITA) - the precursor to a Sheffield City Region Combined Authority.

In response to the government's consultation, Sheffield City Council said that it is strongly opposed to the proposed route and believes that the current preferred station location chosen by Government is a mistake. Instead, a vision for an HS2 station at Victoria, closer to Sheffield city centre is being put forward.

Whilst vocal in its support for HS2 coming to the city region, the LEP has declined to commit to backing a specific site for a South Yorkshire station and instead has reiterated its stance that the location should be based on achieving the greatest economic benefit.

In an article on its website, Sheffield Chamber said: "The LEP let us down at the beginning of this process by not commissioning an impartial study of where the station should be located and it was left to Sheffield City Council who were never going to be seen as impartial by the rest of the region. So now we have a politically driven debate when all we should be focusing on is what gives the best economic return and the most jobs."

The established Sheffield City Region Combined Authority set up a HS2 Programme Board in 2014, whose first job was to commission new reports from consultants Pell Frischmann on the two station locations. Draft outputs were presented in November and final studies were set to be presented to the HS2 Programme Board on the January 5.

The reports are still being finalised and further studies are taking place. A consortium of BDP, Ekosgen, WSP and JLL are undertaking economic regeneration and planning work. A study is also being commissioned to present the case for early investment and completion of a transport hub combined with focused regeneration ahead of the arrival of HS2. Station designs for both locations are also being drawn up.

Giles Searby, chair of the LEP Professional and Legal services sector group and partner at Keeble Hawson, has come out in support of a station at Victoria, which could cost an additional £680m but has additional economic benefits. He said: "The wider Sheffield City Region needs a strong Sheffield city centre and vice versa. These are not mutually exclusive concepts. Getting Sheffield city centre to punch its weight must be an economic priority in the city region.

"Having the HS2 station located at Meadowhall would result in fewer jobs and less growth for everyone. Most of the job forecasts quoted re HS2 are not actually linked to having faster trains to London, they come from the regeneration potential that will exist around the HS2 stations themselves. Look at the ambitious regeneration plans published by Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham for their HS2 stations. We risk missing out on this massive regeneration boost in Sheffield City Region because the scope for wider regeneration is clearly less at an out of town parkway station. I see no scope for a cluster of leading international businesses next to a biomass plant, a sewerage works and a very constrained M1 viaduct.

"Investing in a city centre station would be an investment in the growth of the whole of the city region and allow us to play our rightful role in the northern powerhouse."

Sir David Higgins, chairman of HS2 Ltd, told parliament's Economic Affairs Committee last year: "Something that I keep coming back to when we have this debate in Sheffield and in other areas is that we are building a spine; we are building a motorway, not an A-road. Therefore, it will defeat the purpose if this railway line has to weave through every city — if it has to go through Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield city centres the whole way up.

"As to the debate on Sheffield, there are four cities that make up the 1.3 million people who are in "Greater Sheffield." Three of them passionately want Meadowhall, and they see that as critical for all the jobs. The high-tech job growth in that area is coming in Rotherham and Barnsley, and a lot of the railway jobs and new academy are in Doncaster. All I have said to them is, "You need to be united. It is no use you fighting amongst yourselves on this issue.""

Last year, Higgins reiterated his view that Sheffield Meadowhall is the right answer for the South Yorkshire hub on the proposed HS2 line but admits the final decision is "finely balanced."

Having recieved more evidence, the Government is set to make its Phase Two announcements this autumn, confirming the location of the South Yorkshire station.

HS2 website

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News: New Rotherham Aldi delayed

The opening of a new Rotherham Aldi store has been delayed.

Britain's fastest growing grocer secured planning permission last year for a 1,000 sq m store on land currently occupied by lighting and conservatory retail units on Bawtry Road at Bramley. The new store is not now expected to open until next year.

Aldi said at the time the plans were submitted that the store could create 40 jobs and that the "proposal will enable the investment that is required to redevelop the site and meet the Council's aspirations to deliver growth and environmental improvements in Bramley centre through a provision of a foodstore which is promoted in the Council's emerging planning policy."

Local borough councillors are urging Aldi to commence on site having been told by the firm that, due to the pressures of their rapidly expanding business, work is not expected to be completed until sometime next year.

John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne, said: "A few months ago I met Aldi's regional bosses at their new distribution centre in Goldthorpe and heard about their plans to expand across Yorkshire and recruit locally.

"I was impressed by their commitment to our area so it is disappointing that the store in Bramley seems to have stalled.

"I'm joining councillors in putting pressure on Aldi to make the site safe and secure without delay.

"We also want them to know how keen residents are for the new store to open. Local people were really pleased to hear about Aldi coming, but now they're worried about safety and the site is becoming an eyesore."

The next Aldi store to open in Rotherham will be at the new retail development on the site of the former car showroom on Great Eastern Way. Plans have been amended for proposed new Aldi stores in Maltby and Fence.

The UK arm of the German retailer now has over 500 stores, having not had any before 1990.

Aldi website

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News: Parseq rebrands as part of growth strategy

Rotherham-headquartered business process and technology specialist, Parseq is simplifying the way outsourced services are bought and managed.

Based at Hellaby, Parseq specialises in mobile and online banking software and technology-led outsourcing services. It processes 25 million documents a year and the Hellaby facility provides BACS electronic fund transfers, remittance processing and voucher processing services.

Following a number of acquisitions, the combined turnover of the group now exceeds £65m and its client footprint covers the top ten international banks, a third of the UK's utility sector, the charity sector and a significant presence in the UK insurance sector.

Parseq has over 2,500 employees working across seven UK sites and has now rebranded, placing staff from across the enlarged group into three distinct activities - acquire, retain and improve.

Acquire covers services designed to increase the market share and sales for clients and includes outbound sales, mail processing and e-enquiry handling. Retain focuses on customer loyalty and increasing satisfaction and includes services such as inbound customer service, mail management and online mobile payments. Improve services are designed to reduce costs and improve focus such as document management, payment processing and data hosting.

Lian Chambers, marketing director at Parseq, said: "It's an incredibly exciting time for Parseq. We have ambitious plans for market growth and a new direction that challenges the outsourcing sector.

"The new brand identity runs much deeper than just how we look. Our new marketing proposition reflects every aspect of how we do business and our strategy for growth.

"We acquire new customers for our clients, we retain their market share and we improve their operation to make them more efficient and profitable. It's a simple proposition and one which will really shake up the business process outsourcing sector.

"We're all aware that outsourcing can be perceived in a negative way, when in fact it achieves great things for many companies. Our brand celebrates this."

Parseq website

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News: £52m fund to attract and grow businesses

A £52m pot secured by the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is set to be split into two funds - one to help grow existing businesses, and one to help secure inward investment.

Secured through the Growth Deals with central government, the funding builds on the £32m "Unlocking Business Investment" programme, which was over-subscribed and on track to create approximately 2,000 sustainable, private sector jobs.

The city region programme used money from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), the government's main source of funding for economic development and regeneration that supports private sector investment and job creation. Since its launch in 2010 it has invested £2.85 billion to help local businesses grow and take on more staff across England.

The £52m is part of the £350m Local Growth Fund (LGF) allocation.

Half of the fund would be used in a similar way to the existing programme, used to "unlock" direct business investment, principally within SMEs, the footprint of which must be sustainable, private sector employment in the Sheffield city region.

Previous business investments include capital projects which involve investment in equipment, machinery and tools, or alterations to land and/or premises to meet the needs of the business. Grants have also been used to support new research and development.

Rotherham firms securing funding for capital projects include KP Snacks, Martek Marine, Pyronix and SVM Europe Ltd.

The other half of the fund is to be used "to support significant inward investment within the Sheffield City" and any local authority "promoters" would be expected to repay an element of any grant provided.

Grants up to £2m are set to be approved by sub "investment panels", with larger grants needing the approval of the full Combined Authority, which, now established, can take over as the Accountable Body.

The outline investment strategy for the programme and the required delegations are set to be approved at the next meeting of the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority.

Access to finance is a key pillar of both the LEP's Strategic Economic Pan and as part of the city region's Growth Hub, a "Centre of Expertise" will become the gateway to a range of finance and investment products, improving coordination and helping businesses find the package of loans and grants they need to be able to grow.

The LEP continues to work to ensure that the right products are in place, working with other LEPs to explore a future JEREMIE initiative and integrating its own funds and structural funds expected to come via the European Union.

Sheffield City Region LEP website

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News: Council finalising AMP disposal

Rotherham Council is close to concluding a multimillion pound deal to dispose of the remaining unit it funded on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Commissioner Julie Kenny has made the "minded to" decision to allow the Council to negotiate and conclude the sale of Unit 4 of the popular R-evolution development. In February, council papers show that an offer had been received for the 22,000 sq ft unit from the University of Sheffield.

The University's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing already employs over 250 people on the AMP in a series of world class facilities focused on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

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In March 2014, landowners and developers, Harworth Estates, signed a £4.3m forward-purchase agreement with Rotherham Council for Plots 3 and 4 of the R-evolution development on the Waverley site.

The deal unlocked a £2.7m loan from the Sheffield City Region Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) Fund, which was set up to support infrastructure and real estate investment opportunities across the region. It was used to pay for infrastructure works and the construction of new manufacturing units at R-evolution.

Rotherham Council was able to borrow money to fund the purchase as it can borrow capital at low levels of interest from the Public Works Loan Board. The deal would see the council purchase the development on practical completion and the authority anticipated that the whole project would be cost neutral or generate an overall surplus on realisation of the asset.

Last year, the Council sold the 30,000 sq ft Unit 3 to X-Cel Superturn (GB) Limited for £2.75m as the global manufacturer of machined components expanded from its 10,000 sq ft facility at the Evolution development on the AMP.

The AMP is the UK's premier advanced manufacturing technology park and is located on the site of the former Orgreave coking works. R-evolution is a 117,000 sq ft speculative industrial development and the site's status for advanced manufacturing, combined with the financial incentives through the Enterprise Zone, the units have been in high demand.

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Plot 1 (40,000 sq ft) was pre-sold to Maher, a supplier of high-performance alloys, and Plot 2 (25,000 sq. ft) to Nikken Kosakusho Europe, a supplier of precision engineering products.

Harworth is expected to bring forward three further industrial units on five acres of the 68 acres that remain to be developed for employment use at Waverley, followed by a further 21 acres for "AMPlify" – a new phase of employment development to meet the strong demand for space.

Advanced Manufacturing Park website

Images: Harworth Estates

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