The election of a city region mayor for Sheffield city region (SCR) in May 2017 looks unlikely as the whole process could be delayed by months following a judgement in the High Court over the lawfulness of the consultation.
In August, Derbyshire County Council mounted a legal challenge against the consultation regarding the creation of the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority (CA).
The High Court heard the argument that the consultation "was so fair it was unlawful" as it did not include a specific question regarding Chesterfield, currently a non-constituent member, who, like Bassetlaw, signalled their intention to join the Combined Authority.
As a proposed devolution deal progresses, a Mayoral Combined Authority is set to be created, building on the 2013 agreement which saw the nine local authorities that comprise the city region create a new legal body with responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration.
The deal includes a new gain share deal within an envelope of £30m a year for 30 years – giving the SCR the power to use new funding to boost local growth and invest in local manufacturing and innovation.
In return, the Government will require a directly elected mayor to hold accountability for the new powers. Elections were set to take place as soon as May 2017 and the mayor will chair the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, the members of which (the leaders of the constituent councils) will serve as the mayor's Cabinet.
Derbyshire County Council believe that if Chesterfield became a full member of the CA it would "spend the next 30 years living in South Yorkshire's shadow."
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Lawyers for the county council said that: the consultation made no reference to other potential options for devolution for the region; made no reference that Chesterfield and Bassetlaw would become constituent councils in the new Combined Authority, and could be required to relinquish further powers to it or to its Mayor; that Derbyshire county council did not have significant input into the discussions; and that the consultants carrying out research were not independent.
Mr Justice Housley stated: "I have concluded that there should have been a question asking whether Chesterfield BC should be part of the SCR CA. Without it the consultation did not achieve its statutory purpose under s113. That conclusion is based on the arguments before me.
"I am not minded at present to quash the consultation since the Secretary of State might decide that he can sustain the lawfulness of the consultation by different reasoning based on all the material he considers. He might decide that only a part of the consultation need to be done again; it is not the whole of the consultation which is unlawful. I will hear counsel however on the appropriate terms of order, including whether there should in fact be a quashing order or declaration on that point.
"I have not accepted the other grounds of challenge."
Cllr. Anne Western, leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: "The people of Chesterfield knew this consultation was unfair and misleading and this High Court judgment confirms that.
"When the county council asked the question Sheffield City Region failed to ask - whether Chesterfield should join Sheffield - more than 7,500 people responded to our online poll (opens in a new window) or filled in postcards in libraries and more than 92% opposed the plans.
"Taking action in the High Court was the last thing we wanted to do but unfortunately we were left with no other option to help us defend the right of local people to have their say on something so important.
"This is a victory for fairness and common sense and for the thousands of local people who - despite not being able to answer the question they wanted to in the official consultation - spoke up and made their views known loudly and clearly."
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A spokesperson for Sheffield City Region Combined Authority said: "This judgement confirms that our extensive and wide-ranging consultation will not be quashed. The judgement raised the need to carry out further consultation to address the proposed governance changes in Chesterfield. We will now take some time to consider the judgement and our next steps. We will make further public statements once we have had the opportunity to do this."
The draft order that would enable a new mayor to be elected next year was put before Parliament in July but it hasn't got much further. The Secretary of State hoped it would go before Parliament again in mid-December with final steps concluding by the end of January 2017.
If further consultation is required, the process would be delayed by two months.
Two former Tata steelworkers from Kimberworth are turning the tables on redundancy after setting up their own business, Vinyl Soundbar, in Rotherham's indoor market.
Ian Hawkridge and Jason Sayles have been friends for many years and shared a mutual interest in music and record collecting so when the pair were made redundant in March they tracked down support to help them set up their own vinyl record business.
Both Ian and Jason attended a self-employment "taster session" for steelworkers at a special resource centre which was set up at Aldwarke by the Tata Taskforce. Ian also took part in a "start-up" workshop and met with business start-up advisor, Martyn Benson, from Rotherham Council's regeneration arm RiDO, before their idea for the record business got off the ground.
Bob Langley (RiDO Business Adviser) will be following up on the initial advice by providing further support to Ian and Jason on developing their business.
Ian and Jason secured their unit in the indoor market and as new stallholders, qualified for two months free rent and charges to help them launch the business, as well as ongoing support from Rotherham Council's Retail Investment Team.
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Ian said: "We thought there was a gap in the market for vinyl record sales in Rotherham – people are becoming more and more interested in vinyl again and the last vinyl record shop closed down more than ten years ago. The response from customers so far has been great."
Cllr. Chris Read, Leader of Rotherham Council, who chaired the Tata Taskforce, said: "The issues at Tata have made the past year a very difficult time for workers and their families. The partners involved in the Tata Taskforce have been making every effort to help those affected by helping people find alternative jobs, access training, or simply highlighting new opportunities so this is a real good news story."
Last month, Cllr. Read reported that the taskforce, which was set up in response to 720 potential redundancies at Tata, saw RiDO provide support to 323 people and a further 158 people who were deemed to be at risk, but not selected for redundancy. Of the 323, 131 have new jobs or are self-employed. 106 people made claims to Jobseekers Allowance. Only 16 people were still claiming JSA, which was considered to be a testament to the value of the support provided.
Support for those facing redundancy has also been offered through a series of job fairs, and a Taskforce Resource Centre which was set up.
One-to-one support has been given to help people prepare their CVs, whilst visitors to the centre have been able to access training funding.
The Tata Taskforce chaired by Cllr Read involved John Healey MP, Rotherham and Sheffield Councils, Sheffield City Region LEP, the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority, UK Steel Enterprise, Government agencies, the Skills Funding Agency, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber, trade unions and Tata Steel.
Winning business women who scooped major awards in 2016 inspired all at a festive event staged by Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber's Women in Business working group.
Supported by the chamber, the group meet regularly to come up with ideas and opportunities for creative, inspiring and interactive ways for women to network, learn, signpost and share with each other.
Lisa Pogson, the first female president of the Chamber (pictured, back row, right), told the group's annual Christmas lunch it was a privilege to be with so many outstanding women.
She said: "Really inspirational young leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals, who also happen to be caring women, are all shaping the success of this region and many are with us today. I am so very proud to lead them."
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Over 70 attended the event at Whitley Hall, a record for the annual event. They included Michelle Bailey, of Active Response Security, 2016 BR Awards Business Person of the Year, Sheffield City Region's renowned supporter of young entrepreneurs Jill White, WIB Athena Awards recipient, and Rotherham's Lord Mayor, Cllr Lyndsay Pitchley.
Leaders of the Chamber's charity of the year, New Life Foundation for disabled children, were presented with £317 from the day's raffle. WIB's Christmas charity, Sara's Flowers and Teas, gratefully received donations of gifts, warm clothes and sleeping bags and Food in Crisis Rotherham received food donations which will be handed to homeless local people over the festive season.
Forthcoming WIB events include Women, Work & Motherhood at Grimm & Co in Rotherham town centre, on January 31, 5pm, when former High Sheriff Julie Kenny CBE and other successful women will be accompanied by a son or daughter and enter into an honest dialogue about the reality of being the child of a career mother.
Plans are being progressed for £1.2m of transport improvements to support the proposed £37m leisure development adjacent to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.
A planning application has recently been submitted by Gulliver's, the operators of theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes. Gulliver's Valley will be the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham.
A number of comments on the application discuss the potential impact on the surrounding road network.
A highway scheme is being developed by Rotherham Council and funding is being sought. It includes improvements to four existing junctions on the A618 and A57 network with traffic lights and extra lanes.
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The overall site is approximately 98 hectares in area comprising the northern part of the Rother Valley Country Park known as Pit House West. 215,000 sq ft of buildings are proposed at Gulliver's Valley, including: Main Street featuring an indoor, year round attraction including a splash zone, interactive play areas and NERF zone; five key ride areas providing over 40 rides and attractions; three hotels; themed holiday lodges, themed leisure facilities; and a spa and fitness centre.
Also in the area, developer, Network Space is looking to expand its successful Vector 31 commercial development at Waleswood which already includes two phases and totals 164,260 sq ft of industrial/warehouse units.
Council officers believe that job creation linked to Gulliver's Valley and Vector 31 is estimated at up to 850 new jobs.
Gulliver's could create create around 400 jobs. The Vector 31 Business Park is committed to significant expansion that is expected to result in new jobs (estimated at between 350 and 600).
A £759,000 bid has been submitted to use unspent money via the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA).
Phase 1 works would need to be carried out by the end of March. Any further and later works in the area would have to be the subject of a further bid, or funded by other sources. The Council's cabinet is being asked to approve the use of £384,000 for Phase 2 from the £10m allocation for Highway Improvement Works, approved as part of the Capital Strategy.
As the Council continues talks to acquire Riverside Precinct in Rotherham town centre, the Gallery Town project has stepped in to add vibrancy to the run-down area.
Gallery Town is an open air gallery developed through a partnership between public and private sectors. It aims to attract more people into the town centre by displaying 100 pieces of art on the sides of buildings in 60 different locations around the town. It also aims to promote visual arts that enhance the town centre's cultural offerings, benefitting the local economy.
The project decided to help improve the area and delivered a project called Re-energising People through Regenerating Places which was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by Rotherham Council.
The authority is in negotiations to buy the Forge Island site which is currently home to an empty supermarket and a car park following the relocation of Tesco across town in 2014. It wants to add the freeholds of the Riverside Precinct, and potentially the former Magistrate's Court building, to provide added value for developers interested in getting involved in proposals for a cinema and leisure hub.
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For Riverside Precinct, the project worked with dementia patients through workshops at RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust and asked participants to speak about their memories of Rotherham and key landmarks in the area. Participants worked with artists to create and influence artworks that reflected Rotherham town centre with the professional street artists then created heritage inspired artworks along with their own abstract and specialist designs.
The artists who worked on the project were led by a collective called Smashproof and comprised of South Yorkshire based street artists coLor, Marcus Method, Mr. Kisk, Trick 09 and Mila K. The heritage inspired artworks include the Chapel on the Bridge, a Cannon and the HMS Victory, Rotherham Minster, a Screw Tap and Fire Hydrant and Salmon as seen in the River Don.
Ged Jenkins Omar, project manager at Gallery Town, said: "Gallery Town are really pleased to have been able to deliver this project with some very talented South Yorkshire street artists. Working with dementia patients to explore local landmarks and their memories of Rotherham and then interpreting these into artworks was challenging but exciting. We think the precinct now looks a lot more vibrant and interesting and hope everyone visiting the town centre enjoys seeing them to."
Nikken Kosakusho Europe recently welcomed trade experts based around the world to its £4m development on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham.
With European headquarters on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate, Nikken enjoys a global dominance of the rotary table technology market and supply manufacturers operating in the aerospace, defence, motorsport, automotive and medical sectors.
In 2015 it opened a new demonstration and customer support centre - the Nikken Innovation Centre Europe - packed with advanced equipment to help companies become more competitive by increasing production rates and quality while reducing costs.
Department of International Trade (DIT) postholders from around the globe were taken to the site by the Inward Investment team at the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Formerly known as UKTI, the department is responsible for promoting British trade across the world including providing operational support for exports and facilitating inward and outward investment.
The Sheffield City Region LEP Investment team works in partnership with nine local authority investment teams on inward investment and expansion projects providing support with initial research, property and skills.
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The visitors met Nikken group MD Tony Bowkett and heard the benefits of having a base in the region. The development is Nikken's first research and development facility outside Japan and complements facilities at the neighbouring University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).
Tony Bowkett, group managing director at Nikken Kosakusho Europe, said: "It was a pleasure to discuss the future of UK trade within Europe, and despite the recent uncertainty caused by the Brexit referendum result, how the future of high technology research and development is flourishing here on the Advanced Manufacturing Park."
A total of £4m has been invested in the new development and the company plans to invest a further £3m on a second phase of development by the middle of 2017.
Rotherham Council is set to block plans for a rival market in Rotherham town centre.
Market Franchise Rights are used by the Council to manage the markets that take place within the borough and ensure that the retailing environment created is successful. The legality of who can hold markets stems back 800 years when it is thought that the original royal market charter was granted by King John in the year 1207.
With the Council operating the main 88 stall market around the Centenary Market Hall, it set out its latest policy in 2013 which states that any nearby market requires a Market Rights Licence granted by the Council. The policy states that if a market is established without first obtaining the necessary licence from the Council, the market will be considered to be unlawful and the Council will take whatever legal action is deemed necessary to prevent that market from operating.
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The new owners of the Old Town Hall in Rotherham town centre have approached the Council in respect of operating a permanent market within the rejuvenated building.
Commissioners are being recommended to refuse the licence when they meet early in the new year.
The majority of the converted Old Town Hall was snapped up by an investor earlier this year having first failed to sell at auction. Converted in the 1980's into an attractive shopping arcade, the Grade II listed building is home to the likes of Games Workshop, the Crafty Tea Parlour and John Norris Greengrocers.
New owners, the privately owned investment firm, FCFM Group Ltd, has since invested in redecoration of communal areas, much needed maintenance, unit upgrades, resurfacing and jet washing of the central arcade, new lighting and new signage. Renamed "The Mall," it has also attracted new and relocating retailers with rental offers.
As it looks to improve footfall to the arcade and create a vibrant, ground floor retail space, FCFM's proposal sets out a plan to build 11 permanent market stalls within the Old Town Hall which would be let on a commercial basis.
The Council policy delegates authority to the market service to licence or if necessary prevent through legal action, any rival market within a six and two third mile radius of any market already operated by the service. It also includes a scale of charges based on the market size. The charges for a market in the Old Town Hall would be £31,200 per annum.
The owners are also asking that the licence fees due to the Council are waived.
A report to the commissioners from Dean Thurlow, markets operations manager at Rotherham Council, warns: "The market service is concerned that a second permanent market in the town centre could have an adverse effect on both the retention of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to the Centenary Market Hall.
"The proposal would be likely to benefit the Old Town Hall but with the risk that this would be at the expense of the Centenary Market Hall. The proposal would not generate any income to the market that could be used to help mitigate this risk."
It adds that refusing to licence the new market "will avoid the risk that footfall and spend will be diverted away from the Centenary Market to the Old Town Hall, resulting in a loss of trade for existing market hall tenants."
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The occupancy rate at the indoor Centenary Market Hall fell to 78% over the summer but new businesses have recently opened which raised occupancy back to 87%. The Council is worried that the loss of income to the Council would outweigh the potential income opportunity. The overall income target for the markets service is just over £1m.
An option to grant a licence to operate in the Old Town Hall for six months with no licence fee in order to become successfully established has also been rejected by officers.
The Council said it would continue to work constructively with FCFM around the attraction of new tenants, marketing and the delivery of events to assist in improving footfall in the town centre.
This month saw new operators officially launch the Bazaar in the covered outdoor market. Selling a range of Asian clothing, freshly cooked cuisines, jewellery and accessories, the Bazaar operates on Thursdays.
Specialists from the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing are helping Sheffield based steel fabricator A K Orme & Sons export strengthening rings to China after expanding their testing capabilities.
Based 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 houses an Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC) which provides state-of-the-art means, methods and skills to validate engineering materials, components, assemblies and full products.
The testing centre has expanded as result of collaboration between different AMRC departments and the skills of ASTC apprentice, Edward Allen.
Phil Spiers, head of the ASTC explains: "Our tensile testing services were limited by the need to have test pieces manufactured elsewhere. It was taking a long time to turn them around. Ed was in his final year as an apprentice, so we got him to refurbish an old CNC machine we had been given, which allows us to make test pieces ourselves.
"We have also invested in a bench top CNC machine which can make even smaller test pieces and, while some of us in the Testing Centre have machining experience, none of us has used CNC machines, so Ed is now going to teach us.
"He's done a really good job and it means we can get on with the job of supporting local businesses, giving them a far faster turnaround."
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Refurbishing and recommissioning the old CNC machine was quite a challenge, not least because it had stood idle and full of old oil for years, but that wasn't Edward Allen's only challenge.
A K Orme's Chinese contract involves creating rings by cutting steel rods to length, bending them and welding the ends together. The Arundel Street company's client wanted the weld strength measuring, which meant cutting the welded section out of the ring and machining it so that the tensile strength could be measured perpendicular to the weld surface.
Edward Allen, apprentice at the AMRC (pictured), said: "I had to cut the sample to length and drill the centres in the right place, which meant making accurate jigs.
"Milling metal jigs from steel would have taken weeks and been expensive. Fortunately, I was able to design the jigs on our CAD systems and feed the data into the AMRC Design and Prototyping Centre's Additive Manufacturing machines to rapidly make polymer jigs."
More shared AMRC resources came into play when Allen used the AMRC National Metals Technology Centre's highly accurate cut off machine, before transferring samples from the rings to the recently refurbished CNC machine.
"I had to program the machine the old school way, putting the code in by hand, but the experience was really worthwhile," says Allen.
The ASTC is also using its new capabilities to support projects developing new steels for aircraft landing gear and investigating the quality of recycled metal powder and the apprentice's next challenge involves making test samples the size of a little finger from sections he cut from a finished landing gear component as wide as a human thigh.
Rotherham United have agreed a new extended deal with one of the club's current Platinum Partners, Embark.
With experience across the international experience across the banking, investment, pensions and insurance sectors, the Embark Group invests in a range of financial services businesses in the UK and internationally.
The partnership will see the Embark name remain on the back of the home and away shorts for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
The financial services provider have enjoyed a lengthy relationship with the club. The previous deal saw Hornbuckle, one of the UK's leading independent specialist pension providers and part of the Embark Group, on the Miller's kit.
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Steve Coakley, commercial director at Rotherham United (pictured, left), said: "Our partnership with Embark has proven to be one of our most successful, so we are obviously thrilled to extend our association for the next two seasons.
"Having the Embark logo on the back of our home and away shorts is great exposure for their brand, but the partnership goes much deeper than the name.
"They are passionate about the club, they attend all the home games and are involved in several other areas of the commercial operation.
"I have personally enjoyed a great relationship with Phil Smith and his colleagues, and I look forward to a long and prosperous future for both parties."
Phil Smith, director at Embark Group (pictured, right), added: "We are absolutely delighted to further extend our now long standing sponsorship of the Millers.
"This club represents tenacity, professionalism and community. These are values we are investing in and it is terrific to associate our national business with the club."
British retailing group, Sports Direct is eyeing up a massive retail unit in Rotherham, vacated by B&Q earlier this year, for a number of new stores - if planning permission can be secured.
The 51,000 sq ft mini-warehouse is part of the £6m Northfields Retail Park developed by Henry Boot on brownfield land close to the established Parkgate Shopping retail park.
Having only opened in 2009 after relocating from nearby Thornhill, B&Q closed in June 2016 under plans by the owner, Kingfisher plc to "transform its offer" to customers. The store at Cortonwood in Rotherham remains open.
With agents brought in to extinguish the B&Q leases as quickly and efficiently as possible, a planning application was submitted earlier this year for the change of use of the building from bulky retail to a flexible use within retail, plus a health and fitness club, or a car showroom.
Planning consultants working for Sports Direct have also met with council planners to determine whether the empty building can be redeveloped into units that they would like to see house a Sports Direct store, one for high end fashion subsidiary, Flannels, and two speculative units with mezzanine floors.
The company's own health and fitness club business could also move to the site in a unit created by enclosing the sides of the former covered garden centre.
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The development site has had an interesting planning history. Outline planning permission was granted in October 2006 for a mixed use development of industrial and retail units by the Planning Inspectorate following an appeal against the non-determination of the planning application by the Council. The Planning Inspector imposed a condition so that the units could not be subdivided to create individual units of less than 929 sq m (10,000 sq ft).
Conditions on a 2007 amendment also restricted the type of goods that could be sold at the development. It read: "The retail units shall not be used to sell goods other than (a) DIY and Hardware goods, (b) Furniture and Floor Coverings, (c) Electrical goods" and explicitly said that there could be no sales of retail goods such as food, clothes, footwear, sports equipment and toys.
A response to Sports Direct's plans has now been published online and the Council states that the use of this site for restricted retail sales has been established but more detail would be needed on the type of goods that would be sold from the units.
In line with national planning rules, an assessment would need to be carried out on the impact of the proposed development on other current and planned developments in centres in the area, and on the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre.
As the site is not located within a designated town, district or local centre, a sequential test assessment will also need to be undertaken. Sequential tests ensure that development is located in the most sustainable location first (usually in town centres), before other, less sustainable locations are chosen.
Robert Morrell, senior planner at Rotherham Council, concludes that: "The principle of using the building for uses other than industrial and business has been established under the original permission and the former use of the building, without a Sequential Test and Impact Assessment being submitted it is difficult at this time to indicate whether or not an application could be supported. However, it should be noted that given the type of the retail provision proposed it is likely that it would adversely impact on the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre and other defined town centres within close proximity of the site."
Aiming to be the "Selfridges" of sports retail, Sports Direct operates a diversified portfolio of sports, fitness, fashion and lifestyle fascias and brands. It has 700 sports stores across the UK and continental Europe, including at nearby Parkgate Shopping, and 80 premium lifestyle stores in the UK. Flannels has plans to open soon in Doncaster.
In the 2016 financial year, the group posted revenues of £2.9bn, and underlying EBITDA (earnings before taxes) of £381.4m. In a tough six months, Sports Direct plc recently reported that pre-tax profits fell 25% to £140.2m.
Finance Yorkshire's successful investment fund has been officially extended as the Sheffield city region waits on the £400m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).
The Sheffield city region is set to be part of a large fund involving all Yorkshire and the Humber Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), the North West and Tees Valley. It is hoped to bring together over £400m.
The fund builds on the work of initiatives backed by European money such as Finance Yorkshire - the regional funding body that has invested over £100m into companies in Yorkshire and Humber.
The NPIF is expected to launch substantively in January 2017, slightly later than originally envisaged, and includes £162m of European Structural Funds, agreed prior to the EU referendum.
The delays to the launch of the NPIF has led to an "investment gap" and funding totalling £5m has been allocated to Finance Yorkshire by the Leeds City Region LEP and Sheffield City Region LEP, supported by their respective combined authorities. This follows the full investment of Finance Yorkshire's £113m fund in June this year.
Finance Yorkshire is now looking for new investment opportunities in companies that require gap funding to realise their growth ambitions and employ more people.
Since its inception in 2010, Finance Yorkshire has invested in more than 470 companies, enabling those businesses to increase their turnover by a total of £452m and attract a further £286m from private sector sources. Finance Yorkshire investment has helped those SMEs to create and safeguard more than 13,400 jobs in the region.
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James Newman, chairman of Finance Yorkshire, said: "The full investment of our original fund was a fantastic achievement by everyone involved at Finance Yorkshire. The investments have enabled hundreds of SMEs across a wide range of industry sectors to expand their team, invest in equipment and open up new markets.
"I'm delighted that we have been able to secure additional funding to help even more SME's and further boost the economy of our region."
Rotherham firms securing funding include AME Group Ltd, Xeros, Approved Food, Sterecycle, RediRack, S3-ID, Xiang Trading Ltd, Labfacility and Purex. Whilst Redirack and Sterecycle have since gone into administration, S3-ID was acquired by Singapore listed CSE Global in a £7m deal, Approved Food has expanded into larger premises in Sheffield and Xeros went on to raise millions through floating on the London Stock Exchange.
Alex McWhirter, chief executive at Finance Yorkshire, said: "We know that many companies are in good shape but nonetheless find it difficult to access funding. Our investments play an important role in filling that funding gap.
"The full investment of our original fund was an exceptional achievement but we are mindful of the need to provide continued support for regional SMEs. I'm grateful to our partners in the Leeds and Sheffield City Region LEPs for working with us to secure this extension fund, which will be invested up until March 2017.
"We look forward to talking to regional businesses about their funding requirements and will continue to work closely with business advisors to highlight the investment opportunities available."
Sir Nigel Knowles, chairman of the Sheffield City Region LEP, added: "Setting up a business, increasing your company's assets and growing payroll are all times of stress for an SME. Creating pragmatic and straightforward investment opportunities that enable companies to thrive and grow is vital for the region. Finance Yorkshire will help ambitious businesses in Sheffield City Region to grow and flourish as we all work together to build a truly competitive centre of business excellence."
During the tendering for the NPIF, which also sees the Sheffield-based British Business Bank investing £50m of its own capital, Viking Fund Managers c/o Finance Yorkshire was one of the successful specialist fund managers – who will make the individual investments in smaller businesses.
Rotherham-based manufacturer, AESSEAL and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) have donated £50,000 to the University of Sheffield, aimed at encouraging more women to work in engineering.
With its global headquarters at Templeborough, £150m turnover AESSEAL manufactures mechanical seals for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals. With a focus on quality, the firm has won numerous awards including 12 Queen's Awards to date and was named the overall winning company for IMechE's Manufacturing Excellence Awards in 2011 and is now a partner in the awards.
IMechE is an independent engineering society working to raise the profile of mechanical engineering.
Engineering director at AESSEAL, Stephen Shaw, and president of IMechE, Jon Hilton, formally made the donation at the Houses of Parliament where the University's Faculty of Engineering launched "Engineering Is," a campaign aimed at encouraging more young people to study engineering.
The shortage of UK engineers is a massive problem for the UK economy. Engineering companies will need 182,000 people per year with engineering skills in the decade to 2022 but there is a current annual shortfall of 55,000 skilled workers.
The shortage of women in engineering roles is even more acute - with only 9% of the engineering workforce being female.
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The AESSEAL donation will be administered by IMechE over a two year period and will key activities including inspiring primary-aged children to see engineering as an exciting choice by building on the resources developed by the University's Women in Engineering Student Society.
The money will be used for trialling a four week pre-sessional physics catch-up course and ongoing tutorial support aimed at removing barriers to engineering for female students who have not studied physics at A-level.
It will also be used in recruiting and retaining female engineering talent in Sheffield by helping female academics to progress to professorial roles through tailored support.
It follows a similar donation made to Sheffield Hallam University in March.
Stephen Shaw, engineering director at AESSEAL, said: "AESSEAL is very proud to support women in engineering and the University of Sheffield. It's something that we're excited to get involved in and that we need to do more of. We invest heavily in our infrastructure in terms of machines and, if our people are our greatest asset, then we don't have enough women, so we need to do something about that."
Jon Hilton, president of IMechE, said: "Given the engineering skills shortage, we cannot afford to miss out on the talent and ingenuity found in 51% of the population. We would like to thank AESSEAL for supporting the valuable work of the University of Sheffield to support female engineers."
Dr Rachael Rothman, Faculty Director for Women in Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sheffield, added: "Engineering is a hugely varied and exciting career and through this project we aim to provide role models so many more children want to be engineers when they grow up. In terms of engineering progression, only 8% of engineering professors are female and we aim to increase this to 20% by 2025 in line with the proportion of females lower down the career ladder."
Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the Liberty House Group, is confident that capacity of Tata Steel's Rotherham site can be increased five-fold if the proposed £100m deal for the Speciality Steels business goes through.
At the end of March, Tata Steel concluded that it was exploring all options for portfolio restructuring including the potential sale of Tata Steel UK, in whole or in parts. Following a board meeting in July, the steelmaker decided on a separate process for the potential sale of its Speciality Steels business, which until recently employed over 2,000 people at sites like Aldwarke in Rotherham and Stocksbridge in Sheffield.
Liberty House and Tata Steel announced in November that a letter of intent had been signed and that they expect the acquisition of the speciality steel business in its entirety, including the two businesses in Rotherham (at Aldwarke and Brinsworth Strip Mill), to complete early in the first quarter of 2017.
The acquisition would secure the jobs of around 1,700 steel-workers at major production facilities in Rotherham and Stocksbridge, a mill in Brinsworth and at service centres in Wednesbury and Bolton, plus thousands more in the UK supply chain. The planned deal, in combination with Liberty's existing industrial foot print in the UK, would establish the group as one of Britain's most significant steel and engineering employers.
Liberty House is an international steel and non-ferrous metals group and has already taken on plants in Newport and Scotland. It also acquired parts of Caparo's advanced engineering products and precision strip businesses in the West Midlands.
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Liberty's GREENSTEEL vision promotes widespread melting and upcycling of UK domestic scrap metal, using arc furnaces powered from renewable energy sources.
Sanjeev Gupta, executive chairman of the Liberty House Group, told Reuters: "Rotherham capacity should reach over one million next year and Newport to two million over the next three and a half years. The balance will have to come from new capacity.
"There is a clear opportunity. There is not much recycling in the UK unlike other places in the world so there is a gap which has developed in the market."
Speciality Steels is not considered a downstream business linked to Port Talbot and strip products. It is Tata Steel Europe's only Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) based business and produces steel, predominantly stainless and low alloy grades, that is used in landing gear and aircraft engines including the landing gear of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Rothbiz heard in July how the division was making use of its expertise and the serious investment in South Yorkshire in recent years to target the high value sectors over high volume. This year's target output is 209,000 tonnes, a long way short of Aldwarke's previous 800,000 capacity.
Investment in 2005 saw the Rotherham site at Aldwarke become the focus for steel making, casting and rolling of specialist steels. The steel is manufactured before undergoing further refining at the Stocksbridge plant or the Thrybergh Bar Mill to improve the quality. And it all comes from scrap metal - around 1.5 million tonnes a year.
Gupta explained the GREENSTEEL vision earlier this year. It involves investing in electric arc furnaces alongside blast furnaces to tackle the mountain of scrap steel the UK produces every year (up to 20 million tonnes in the next two decades). It also involves investing in low cost long term renewable power, as close to the steel plants as possible.
The third element is to invest in engineering companies that use this steel and turn it into advanced components for existing and new UK based growth industries.
Gupta added: "We have begun an ambitious process, designed to trigger the revival of UK manufacturing: re-growing UK steel and downstream engineering products, re-invigorating the supply chain, championing the development of new sustainable sources of power, generating tens of thousands of new skilled jobs, and stimulating new sectors in the economy."
Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA), the regional airport for the Sheffield city region, is preparing plans to deliver a quicker, more affordable and sustainable solution for the North to meet future UK aviation capacity demand for passengers and cargo whilst complementing investment in South East airports.
Owners, Peel Holdings, is looking beyond the current masterplan for the site, past 2030, which includes further development on the airport and wider 1,600 acre site.
With the Government recently announcing its support for a new runway at Heathrow, a new vision plan for DSA is set to be launched in the New Year.
The central proposal is a realignment of the East Coast Mainline (ECML) into the airport along with the creation of a new station. The current line is less than a mile away from the airport boundary. The delivery of this initiative will bring the airport within 1.5 hours rail travel time of London Kings Cross station and in many places quicker than travelling from London to Heathrow or Gatwick airports.
DSA is one of few regional airport sites in the UK which offers unconstrained physical and airspace capacity with the existing runway able to accommodate a throughput of 25 million passengers per annum. The proposal would also support boosting international trade, deliver economic growth and improved connectivity to the Northern Powerhouse area.
The airport is seeking recognition of the scheme's potential as part of the ongoing national debate on aviation capacity.
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Steve Gill, chief executive at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: "The proposal is a symbol of this North's ambition and determination to deliver economic growth. In order to unlock this potential we are calling for the support of policy makers and government to make this idea a reality. This particular project will deliver growth not only in the Northern Powerhouse but up and down the country."
The Infrastructure Investment Plan for the Sheffield city region outlines some £1.7 billion of potential investments in infrastructure around the airport. It said that "Better rail connectivity through a future community rail station at Hayfield Lane and connectivity to ECML and HS2 would permit greater access to DSA via the Doncaster - Lincoln Line or East Coast Mainline and would help unlock European labour markets."
Rothbiz reported in 2014 that airport bosses felt that there was "no constraints for expansion." Further land has been acquired and Peel has launched the Aero Centre Yorkshire (ACY) project using the airport to deliver large scale capability for both passengers and cargo acting as catalyst for wider business investment.
Peel bought the site from the Ministry of Defence when it was RAF Finningley in 1999 and has invested around £150m. It was the first airport to open in 50 years when the first commercial flight took off in 2005. With the opening of the new link road and a transformational deal with FlyBe, 2016 has already seen the the airport record its highest number of passengers in a year, with two months still to be recorded.
Rotherham web development and IT company, Impelling Solutions Ltd, has strengthened its team with the appointment of three new members of staff.
The growing enterprise provides end to end support for the digital infrastructure of businesses and schools, encompassing everything from web development or IT support to wireless broadband provision and beyond.
Taking on the role of IT manager, Jamie Wilson is responsible for providing on-site support for schools, including network and server installation and maintenance, as well as sales and advising customers on the best products to meet their requirements.
Jamie previously worked at a Local Education Authority before starting his own IT support company, working within education and small to medium sized businesses.
Daniel and Tracey have joined the company as IT operatives, roles which involve regular IT visits to South Yorkshire schools to solve issues and provide technical support.
Tracey has worked in IT for 18 years, having held positions at local authorities, covering all aspects of ICT support in schools, whilst Daniel has achieved diplomas in Microsoft and CompTIA and has also worked as a history teacher.
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Jamie who lives in Thurcroft (pictured, right), said: "I have always loved working with technology and have been working in IT support for the last 17 years. Impelling is a fantastic company and it’s exciting to join at a time of growth and development.
"I am really enjoying working with Impelling, the team is great and I love the variety of work I see in my role as IT manager, no two days look the same."
Chris Foulstone, managing director of Impelling, added: "We are pleased to welcome Jamie, Daniel and Tracey to Impelling, between them they bring over 40 years of experience to the team.
"It's great to see the growth of our business and our team moving from strength-to-strength, meaning we can continue to provide our customers with an increased level of support. We are looking forward to seeing our new team members grow even further in their skills.
"Encouraging learning with the help of technology, Impelling Education combines our knowledge of the business IT sector with a skilled and friendly team who have years of experience supporting schools across South Yorkshire."
Drawing on his technical expertise and knowledge, Chris pioneered an idea to bring the superfast broadband speeds enjoyed in many areas of South Yorkshire to Treeton and launched Bliss Internet in 2015.
Sir David Higgins, non-executive chair of High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd, has explained the reasons behind his proposed changes to the route of the HS2 line through South Yorkshire to a group of influential MPs.
The Transport Committee held a one-off evidence session about progress with HS2 and next steps after the Government gave a clear indication that the £55.7 billion project will reach the North and that it is minded to accept the recommendations from July as the Government's preferred option.
The new option proposes that HS2 services between London and Sheffield would take a spur off the new north-south high speed line and travel directly to the existing Sheffield Midland station using the existing railway line. Instead of travelling into a new station at Meadowhall, the HS2 line to Leeds would travel east of Rotherham following the M1 and M18 before heading through the Dearne Valley.
Sir David discussed issues faced on the route including station locations for Leeds and the East Midlands, adding: "Sheffield has been without a doubt the hardest of any solution because, the more and more work we did on the proposed Sheffield Meadowhall station, the more difficulties we found. It was a huge civil structure, 4km long, 25m up in the air, and 60m wide in places and so a lot of people came out and started criticising the size of the structure and the impact it would have on the environment and community. Also the more work we did on the traffic calculations, the more complicated the area became.
"Not only the local authority but the Sheffield business community - and Sheffield was the biggest market - consistently said that it didn't support at all, Sheffield Meadowhall, because it wasn't Sheffield city centre.
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"If we look at the major market in South Yorkshire it was Sheffield, and Chesterfield. It wasn't Rotherham, and Doncaster of course has the existing East Coat line. When we looked at it, they were saying that the idea of spending 20 minutes getting to Meadowhall, an inconvenient station, 20m up in the air, we want one in the city centre, that's where business is and that's where we want to go to.
"We listened to Sheffield, the biggest market, we looked at the benefit that Doncaster gets in any case with the new Intercity Express services on the East Coast and then we listened to Wakefield and Barnsley and the area of Rotherham and looked at where we could put a Parkway in and pick up those people best serviced by that."
Local MP, John Healey, whose constituency includes affected areas of Bramley and Ravenfield, raised the matter of a parkway station directly with HS2 after the announcement in July but any study would need to be commissioned by the Government. The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling recently said that he will ask HS2 to study possible sites and report back to him by early next year.
Higgins told MPs this week: "We are looking at a parkway on this new line which would be between Wakefield, Doncaster and Rotherham. That will open up to a lot of people who have no services whatsoever at the moment.
"It is extremely close to the A1/M1, which as time goes on is becoming more and more of a critical corridor for access. Being able to have a parkway there that would be able to take traffic off that motorway I think in time will be seen as very attractive."
On the discussions around getting the HS2 line into Sheffield, Higgins explained: "It took a long time to debate with Sheffield to convince them that we couldn't put a high speed line through Sheffield city centre itself because of flooding. We could never secure the line going through Sheffield Midland or Sheffield Victoria. Victoria just didn't work without massive expenditure to make it flood proof - you'd have to pay a massive bill to box through the area there.
"It caused us to go back and look at the original schemes and one always had a line that was more direct, and certainly cheaper, that went further East between Doncaster and Rotherham and that's what we came down to.
"The M18 route is some £900m cheaper, it has quicker journey times North to Leeds, and it allows for a 9km spur line to come into Sheffield Midland which is where the connections come through from other services East-West.
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"Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Chamber of Commerce have been very supportive of that solution in terms of providing an 85 minute service through to London and the potential for a half hour service to Leeds.
"It's certainly a better deal for tax-payers and it's certainly what the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce really wanted so they were very very strongly opposed to Meadowhall and wouldn't support it at all but were very strongly supportive of a station right in the city centre."
Higgins added that the new route would see "66% less properties demolished, 56% less residential properties, 86% less commercial properties demolished. The Meadowhall route was going through a heavily-industrialised, difficult, congested valley and we were destroying a lot of employment."
Consultation on the route through South Yorkshire continues before a final decision is made next year. Council leader, Chris Read told a council meeting last week that Rotherham Council would put a strong submission to the route consultation as it continues to back previous plans of a station at Meadowhall.
Roota Engineering, the Rotherham-based sub contract precision engineering company, has been given a focus to diversify outside of oil and gas markets by its parent company, AIM-listed Pressure Technologies.
The Sheffield firm posted revenues for the year ended October 1 of £35.8m, down from the £53.8m revenues recorded in the previous year as manufacturing businesses continued to face declining sales volume from the oil and gas market. The adjusted operating profit was a loss of £400,000 compared to the profit of £3.8m in the previous 12 months.
Pressure Technologies plc owns Chesterfield Special Cylinders, a leader in the design, development and manufacture of high pressure seamless steel gas cylinders, and has gone on to bring in the likes of Chesterfield BioGas and Al-Met Limited and Hydratron group of companies. It acquired Roota in March 2014 in a deal worth £13.5m, taking on its Meadowbank Industrial Estate facility that has both CNC and conventional turning and milling capabilities and specialises in the machining of difficult materials and exotic alloys such as inconels and monel along with a wide range of high strength carbon steels.
A restructure of the manufacturing divisions followed with Roota and three other manufacturing subsidiaries making up the Precision Machined Components division. Restructuring completed with the manufacturing divisions shedding 77 jobs over the last 12 months.
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An update to the stock exchange read: "The Group is far more resilient, with manufacturing divisions now aligned to be profitable in the current market and an alternative energy division on the brink of a breakthrough to sustainable revenues and profits."
Alan Wilson, chairman of Pressure technologies, said: "For the first time in the Group's history, less than half, 43%, of our revenues came from the oil and gas sector, with alternative energy and defence making significant contributions of 32% and 18% respectively.
"The underlying qualities of our manufacturing divisions and the swift management action taken at the beginning of the downturn in the oil and gas market are evidenced by the results from these divisions, which overall remained both profitable and cash generative."
The Precision Machined Components Division turned over £10.7m, a drop from the £18.8m posted in 2015 with revenues almost wholly derived from the oil and gas market. Adjusted operating profits for the division were £1.4m (£4.5m in 2015).
The update added that with the reductions in customer spending, Roota's niche capability for machining complex geometrical shapes in unforgiving materials helped to increase market share and developed new customers in the falling market. £300,000 was invested over the year, principally on equipment to improve productivity, with the major spend centred on Roota, which saw an increase in orders for April and May.
Pressure Technologies expects that the oil and gas market "will remain very important to the division, which has market leading capabilities to manufacture highly complex components to exacting tolerances in demanding materials. These capabilities are important to the market irrespective of activity levels.
"However, the division continues to seek out opportunities for diversification away from the oil and gas market. In the longer-term work done to obtain "Fit for Nuclear" accreditation [from the Nuclear AMRC in Rotherham] should translate into incremental revenues and the division continues to seek entry points into the defence, aerospace and automotive markets."
Fast growing packaging suppliers, Kite Packaging continues to invest and will bring new jobs to their UK-wide branch divisions - including Rotherham.
Since its formation as a start-up back in 2001, Kite Packaging has led the way in packaging innovation and has grown to become one of the UK's largest, nationally based suppliers of packaging with a turnover in excess of £50m.
The employee-owned firm is headquarted in Coventry and invested £1.5m in new premises at Aldwarke in 2013. Kite's Northern operation in Sheffield expanded into new premises due to a 50% growth in the number of employees. The 30,000 sq ft building of space was 10,000 more than the previous location.
Following another record year of sales growth Kite Packaging's e-commerce division, based in Coventry and several of their UK wide branches, is embarking on a program of significant investment in both infrastructure and people to drive the business even further in 2017.
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Kite Packaging are leaders in the business to business e-commerce market and are also a major accounts service provider, supplying packaging materials to a broad range of customers across the UK, through their branch network.
Kite have acquiring neighbouring commercial property to its HQ to support their rapid expansion and plans for future growth. The focus of expansion is also happening across the group with Kite's UK-wide branch divisions also looking to expand. The 32 new roles are across a broad range of departments from their warehouse operation, IT, marketing, sales, customer service and credit control.
A spokesperson for Kite packaging, said: "Good businesses need good people in order to be successful and our philosophy of employee-ownership has attracted the best in the business. We have a clearly stated aim for growth, and the creation of 32 new jobs is an important part of our strategy. We are searching for bright, dynamic and hardworking people to join the e-commerce team in Coventry and our UK-wide branch divisions in Rotherham and Swindon to help us achieve that next level of success."
Kite's Rotherham branch is looking to recruit a buyer and in-the-box solutions specialist.
MAGTEC, one of the UK's leading manufacturers of electric drivetrains for single- and double-decker buses, has moved into new premises in Rotherham as it wins new orders to repower bus fleets across the UK and in Europe.
Founded in 1992, MAGTEC designs and manufactures electric drive systems and components for a wide range of applications including trucks, buses and military vehicles.
The UK's largest manufacturer of electric drive systems for commercial vehicles has relocated its Sheffield truck conversion facility to Templeborough in Rotherham, taking over the 16,000 sq ft unit previously home to expanding firm, Bluetree Design & Print.
The new facility at Bessemer Business Park incorporates MAGTEC vehicle workshops, fabrication facilities, a design and engineering function and a sales office. The site offers quick and easy access to the M1 and a high power capacity of 288 KVA.
MAGTEC has also taken on a second manufacturing site in Sheffield of 27,000 sq ft that will feature motor and transmission manufacturing facilities, alongside power electronics manufacturing and state-of-the-art testing facilities.
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Simon Buckley, programme manager at MAGTEC, said: "It's an indicator of the rapidly expanding market in green transportation that we're relocating to bigger and better premises.
"This investment in additional facilities ensures that we'll be well-placed to continue meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations. Whether it's powering new vehicles or repowering existing ones, we're making sure we keep one step ahead of demand in this fast-moving sector."
MAGTEC has won a total of 17 new orders to repower bus fleets across the UK and in Europe. Buses in locations from York to Marrakech will soon be running on EV drivetrains – helping to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.
An EV repower is an ideal solution for buses operating on inner city routes where high emissions and low fuel economy have a negative impact on both operators and users. The conversion from a diesel engine to EV can reduce operating costs by as much as 85% and will instantly enhance the asset value of any fleet. Maintenance costs are also significantly lower; brake wear is reduced and EV buses don’t require exhaust treatment or air filtering systems.
Buckley added: "A typical return on investment for an EV repower is less than four years. MAGTEC's high-efficiency, low-weight systems have greater range, lower un-laden weight and use fewer batteries than competing systems. It's why we're at the heart of the electric bus revolution and why more operators than ever before are turning to us for an EV power or repower."
Thanks to a generous donation from Harworth Group and Sheffield Business Park, four new apprentices have started their training at the AMRC Training Centre at Waverley in Rotherham.
The AMRC Training Centre is a £20.5m centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) where the focus is on students aged from 16 upwards, taken on paid apprenticeships. Part of the The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, apprentices have opportunities to progress on to postgraduate courses, doctorates and MBA levels. Sponsoring companies range from global leaders such as Rolls-Royce and Tata Steel to local high-tech supply-chain companies.
The new apprentices have been employed by small and medium sized enterprises (SME) from the local region that wanted to grow their business, but had never employed an apprentice through the AMRC Training Centre before.
Harworth Group and Sheffield Business Park made this possible by donating prize money from a Lambert Smith Hampton Enterprise Award presented to them last year for demonstrating how the proposed Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District across the region will make the most of the Government's devolution programme.
They generously matched the £15,000 prize money to create a £30,000 fund to enable local young people that are not in education, employment or training, to get apprenticeships with local advanced manufacturers and a place at the AMRC Training Centre
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The fund has now achieved its aim to give a total of eight SMEs who might not have otherwise been able to afford to train an apprentice, financial support by funding half of the apprentices' wages in the first year and covering training costs.
The apprentices were employed to undertake the AMRC Training Centre's "Flexible Apprenticeship Programme", launched in March 2016 and tailored exclusively to meet the needs of small businesses.
Delivering the same high-quality training as the established full-time 25 week model, the apprentices receive intensive masterclasses staggered over a period of 16 weeks. The programme is valuable to SMEs as it allows the apprentice to be with their employer for several weeks at a time in between training; contributing to the performance of the business from the start.
Iain Thomson, group communications & partnerships manager at Harworth Group, said: "This is the core of what the AMRC does so well – delivering the pipeline of skilled workers required to deliver the UK's long-term economic growth. We're delighted that eight young people have the chance to make their mark in one of the UK's leading industries, backed by a world-leading University like Sheffield."
Marc Rhodes from the AMRC Training Centre, added: "The incredible opportunity from Harworth Group and Sheffield Business Park is helping fund a new generation of engineers who may not have considered an apprenticeship, to gain qualifications to help them on their way to an exciting career within advanced manufacturing."
The £30m Sheffield - Rotherham Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme has been officially launched with a ceremony at the newly constructed "Blackburn Meadows Way" link road under J34 of the M1.
The Northern route of the scheme aims to improve the links between Rotherham and Sheffield passing Meadowhall, the Lower Don Valley and Templeborough. With buses running every ten minutes, it aims help to foster economic growth along the corridor by helping people access jobs and opportunities.
The new X1 Steel Link service, operated by First Bus, started using the route in September.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport Andrew Jones MP (pictured, left), said: "This new link between Sheffield and Rotherham will cut congestion, improve journeys, help create thousands of jobs and boost the regional economy.
"Up to two million passengers are expected to use it in its first year alone, this shows how vital good bus services are to our communities."
The main feature of the scheme is a £20m, alternative, all transport route which bypasses the congested M1 junction 34 South by providing a new section of highway beneath the Tinsley Viaduct.
In 2014, the scheme was facing the prospect of a 12 month delay and a near £8m cost increase due to "significant ground condition issues" at Tinsley.
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Initially programmed to start running in September 2015, the bid included a high quality, limited stop bus service is to provide faster, more frequent connections through the Lower Don Valley, reducing the snarl ups which occur at the busy junction of the M1. It is also expected to help unlock the redevelopment potential of the area, which is being restricted by the traffic problems on the present road system.
Stephen Edwards, executive director at SYPTE (pictured, right), said: "BRT North is vital to meet local transport demands and support economic growth. The frequent connections and dedicated bus routes it offers between the centres of Rotherham and Sheffield is providing customers with flexibility, improved capacity and a high-quality, reliable public transport option."
Martin McKervey, partner at Nabarro LLP and lead board member for transport at the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, added: "Sheffield City Region partners are working together to create a thriving, super-connected and successful economy and the opening of this vital new link under the motorway at Tinsley is further evidence of what we can achieve when we work together.
"This investment, which has taken 325,000 person hours in construction, will ease congestion on the M1, and provides infrastructure for a high quality, modern and reliable bus service. This road better connects key economic areas of Rotherham and Sheffield and is welcome news to businesses and residents across our city region. This gives a real boost to economic growth and jobs as part of our shared ambition to build a centre of economic excellence."
Delivered by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Sheffield City Council, funding has come from the Government, councils, the local enterprise partnership's Growing Place Fund and Local Growth Fund, and via the European Union's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), local developers such as British Land, and the South Yorkshire Local Transport Plan.
When bidding for funding, backers stated that it will help to unlock 4,000 jobs in the Lower Don Valley. It should support schemes such as the Olympic Legacy Park, River Don District, the Outokumpu site and areas of Templeborough in Rotherham.
Developers wanting to build houses and out of town retail projects in the Rotherham borough are set to pay a levy from April under a new scheme designed to raise an estimated £12m to support local infrastructure.
The Planning Act 2008 introduced the concept of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) as a new means for authorities to seek developer contributions to help fund infrastructure and Rotherham Council has been consulting on how it could operate in the borough. Councils aren't obliged to introduce a levy but the CIL can, in the most part, replace Section 106 financial contributions and provide a more transparent way of raising money to help pay for the infrastructure required to deliver the Local Plan.
Some housebuilders and landowners have objected to the proposals. An independent examination has been held into the CIL Charging Schedule, which sets out the rates the Council proposes to charge qualifying development. The examiner concluded that the Council's proposals strike an appropriate balance between funding infrastructure via the levy and the potential effects on the economic viability of development in the Borough. Having passed examination, the Council can now progress to adopt and implement the Levy.
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With the borough's local plan identifying that 235 hectares of land will be needed over the period to meet the broad requirements of 12 - 15,000 additional jobs, office and industrial developments are set to be exempt from the new levy.
Section 106 legal agreements are signed between developers and the council when planning permission is granted on a site by site basis. They often include funding that can be used for school places, improving the local road network or public transport provision. Section 106 agreements would still be used, where appropriate, to secure affordable housing and on-site mitigation.
The Charging Schedule will see housing developers pay different amounts in different areas of the borough, ranging from £55 / sq m in areas like Whiston and Wickersley, to £30 / sq m in the Dearne, and £15 / sq m at Bassingthorpe Farm.
Developers proposing a new supermarket would pay £60 / sq m and the development of Retail Warehouse / Retail Parks would incur £30 / sq m. Business park office, industrial, and town centre comparison retail developments are not considered viable under current market conditions and would not attract any levy.
With approval from council members, officers are working to begin charging the levy from April 6 2017.
A report to the recent council meeting stated: "Although significant, CIL revenue will only help to contribute towards total infrastructure costs. In the early years of the CIL charge, revenue will remain relatively modest and is likely to play a more important role in helping to release other funding sources. In the later years of the Local Plan period as larger residential developments are built out, CIL income is projected to average around £1.3m per annum. As the economy improves there may be scope to revise the CIL charging rates."
Studies into the borough's infrastructure concluded that total infrastructure requirements to support the Local Plan are estimated to cost around £99m and with the scarcity of Government funding, only £48.8m funding is anticipated from mainstream or known sources. The estimated income based on the proposed CIL rates was at least £12m.
An initial list of top priority infrastructure schemes that the CIL may be used to fund was produced.
Robert Morrell, senior planner at Rotherham Council, concludes that: "The principle of using the building for uses other than industrial and business has been established under the original permission and the former use of the building, without a Sequential Test and Impact Assessment being submitted it is difficult at this time to indicate whether or not an application could be supported. However, it should be noted that given the type of the retail provision proposed it is likely that it would adversely impact on the vitality and viability of Rotherham town centre and other defined town centres within close proximity of the site."
Gupta explained the GREENSTEEL vision earlier this year. It involves investing in electric arc furnaces alongside blast furnaces to tackle the mountain of scrap steel the UK produces every year (up to 20 million tonnes in the next two decades). It also involves investing in low cost long term renewable power, as close to the steel plants as possible. 
