News: Metalysis open Materials Discovery Centre in Rotherham

Innovative firm, Metalysis has officially launched its new premises on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) as it confirms some £10m of investment in its Rotherham facilities.

The Manvers company holds the worldwide exploitation rights to the FCC Cambridge process which sees specialist powder metals created in a simple, cost effective process with significant environmental benefits. It is in the process of commercialising the technology to produce titanium, tantalum, and related high value alloys. These are used increasingly by major worldwide industries such as aerospace, marine, medical, chemical, automotive and electronics.

Backed by investors and grants, the Cambridge University spin out secured £20m of investment last year and at its new Materials Discovery Centre, Metalysis will carry out bespoke, commercial R&D projects to produce exotic metal powders for high performance alloys in the aerospace and automotive industries.

More than 200 company executives, researchers, scientists, politicians and financiers visited the Materials Discovery Centre to learn more.

Metalysis held an exhibition within the factory and mapped out its ambitious plans for further growth.

Metalysis has committed approximately £10m to creating the Materials Discovery Centre on the AMP and at its Materials Manufacture Centre in Manvers, where the company is completing its "Generation 4" technological expansion, taking production capability to new levels. Following later this year is "Generation 5" - manufacturing options for thousands of tonnes per annum of high value metal alloy powders.

Post expansion, Metalysis will employ at least 100 people across its South Yorkshire sites and recruitment is underway. The workforce will receive its first boost in May when four traineeships begin, and talks are ongoing to create local apprenticeships, adding to its operations, R&D, analytical services and administration business functions. Metalysis will also continue its tradition of creating work placement opportunities and supporting school career activities for science, technology, engineering and maths students from local secondary schools, having last year created four positions.

Douglas Caster, chairman of Metalysis, said: "We are very proud to be part of the UK's fourth industrial revolution and we do so with responsibility and optimism. We have a truly unique, patented technology that can produce highly desired metals and novel alloys which have historically been considered too difficult, or too exotic and costly. The UK stands to benefit from our world-leading, transformational process and I am very excited to seeing what the coming decade will bring for Metalysis."

Last week, a new R&D partnership was announced with Mkango Resources Ltd, a Canadian listed mineral exploration and development company, to develop 3D printed rare earth magnets for electric vehicles. Metalysis is also working on major development projects with aerospace experts, GKN and German car maker, VW.

Dion Vaughan, CEO of Metalysis, said: "Here at our new Materials Discovery Centre, Metalysis will carry out bespoke, commercial R&D projects to produce exotic metal powders for high performance alloys used by customers such as the aerospace and automotive industries. Titanium compositions for light-weighting vehicles, High Entropy Alloys for aero-engines and Rare Earth elements for permanent magnets for electric vehicles are a few examples of the projects we are working on.

"Using the deep talent base around Sheffield University and AMRC, fantastic and capable colleagues in this historically industrious Rotherham area, supported by patient capital, Metalysis will define the next chapter in an arc of innovation stretching back to Huntsman, Bessemer and Brearley."

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Rotherham Council signed a deal in 2014 with landowners and developers, Harworth Estates (now Harworth Group), to forward fund 40,000 sq ft of commercial space on the AMP. Later that year, the Council sold the 30,000 sq ft Unit 3 to X-Cel Superturn (GB) Limited for £2.75m. Metalysis has taken the remaining 10,000 sq ft unit 4.

Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "The Council has worked with Metalysis since 2004 and watched the company progress from theoretical research to game-changing technology that is set to transform the metals industry.

"The fact that global technology rich brands like Metalysis are choosing to locate in Rotherham's Advanced Manufacturing Park sends out an important message about the attractiveness of our region.

"Building on Rotherham's reputation for high skilled, high-quality manufacturing, this new development from Metalysis ensures that we remain at the cutting-edge of innovation and research, bringing the next generation of engineering and manufacturing jobs."

Lord Prior of Brampton, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), added: "Through our Industrial Strategy we will support sectors across the UK by commercialising and building on our scientific and research strengths to deliver real-life solutions that have a global impact.

"The investment in the new Materials Discovery Centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Park will lead the UK's effort to develop innovative materials for the manufacturing industry, and uphold our reputation for scientific excellence across the world."

Metalysis website

Images: Metalysis / Iluka

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News: Paddy Power's planning appeal pays off

Attempts by Rotherham Council to curb the number of bookmakers in the town centre have fallen flat at the final hurdle after a planning inspector overturned a decision by planners to refuse plans by Paddy Power to take on an empty unit.

Rothbiz reported last year that Paddy Power was planning to take the former Greggs unit in The Old Town Hall - empty now for over two years - but the local authority refused permission for the operation, stating that another betting shop would harm the character and function of the town centre.

The Irish group, which merged with Betfair in 2016, subsequently appealed the decision and both sides put forward their cases to the Government's Planning Inspectorate earlier this year.

The judgement has now been published, showing that the planning inspector has sided with the bookmaker, and the appeal is allowed, granting planning permission for the new Rotherham operation.

The plans, put together by consultants at Planning Potential, involve the subdivision of the 1,450 sq ft ground floor Effingham Street unit into two separate units - the bookmaker taking the prominent corner unit and the second brought back on the market.

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Betting and payday loan shops were moved into the "sui generis" category of use classes, meaning that a planning application is necessary before a building can be converted into those uses.

The application made the case that Paddy Power betting shops operate in the same way as A1 retail shops, often attracting more footfall, and add that visitors to their shops will use other shops and facilities in town.

The bookmakers, which would employ six people in Rotherham at the site which is also a Grade II listed building, pointed to recent successful appeals in Basingstoke and Leytonstone where the inspector concluded that betting shops in those cases would not affect the viability and vitality of the relevant town centres.

Consultants for Paddy Power also added that bringing an long-vacant unit back into use should outweigh the loss of a retail unit and that the current number of betting shops in the town centre has not reached over supply or saturation.

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The Council's arguments focused on the appropriateness of betting shops on Primary Shopping Streets, its desire to create a family-friendly town centre, the marketing of the empty unit, the potential impact of another betting shop on footfall, and the clustering of betting shops in the town centre.

Prime shopping streets in Rotherham town centre currently feature five bookmakers, the wider town centre has a further three betting shops, two gambling establishments and a bingo hall.

The authority concluded that "a further betting shop provision within Rotherham town centre, particularly in this prominent location on prime shopping streets, will contribute towards a clustering effect which will adversely affect the viability and vitality of the town centre."

However, the case officer at the Planning Inspectorate disagreed. Helen Cassini said: "From my site visit I observed that both the Primary Shopping Street and Town Centre have a relatively wide range of uses including banking, charity shops, and hair and beauty units.

"It is important to note that the clustering of any retail, business or service use may limit the retail appeal and affect the vitality and viability of shopping areas in which such clusters are found. However, as a result of the diversity of uses within the Town Centre, even when walking on Frederick Street [where three betting shops are located], I did not experience a sense of over dominance or clustering effect of betting shops.

"I do not consider that an additional betting shop within the Primary Shopping Street would result in a significant alteration to the existing balance, or result in a clustering effect that would be significantly detrimental to the retail attraction of the immediate area or wider Town Centre."

Paddy Power website

Images: LSH

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News: Gulliver's Valley Resort set to open in 2020

Work will commence on the Pithouse West site now that planning permission has been confirmed for the £37m Gulliver's Valley leisure resort in Rotherham.

The planning applications for the family theme park next to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham have not been called in by the Government for further scrutiny, meaning that planning permission is granted subject to a number of conditions and the famil-owned business can purchase around 250 acres of the restored former colliery and opencast site from the Council.

The scheme is expected to be built over 12 - 15 years in a number of phases. Phase one includes the main Gulliver's theme park with three themed areas, the entrance hub and castle, and is set to open in 2020. A £1.2m transport improvement scheme is already underway in the area.

Julie Dalton, managing director of Gulliver's, said: "After a good two years of hard work, it's absolutely wonderful to know that our vision for Gulliver's fourth UK theme park is going to become a reality. We're all absolutely delighted.

"Throughout the planning process, I and my senior staff have taken part in several consultation events around the local area, giving local residents the chance to comment on our plans. We worked closely with Rotherham Council and Highways England to ensure our planning application did not negatively impact on local access routes and amended plans to reduce the visual impact of our larger attractions. It's incredibly satisfying that local councillors voted unanimously in favour of our proposals. This is an exciting time in Gulliver's history."

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Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, added: "This decision is the culmination of more than two years-worth of planning by Gulliver's, including the Council agreeing to sell the land for the development to Gulliver’s in 2015. We now look forward to seeing Gulliver’s plans being brought to fruition. As well as being a fantastic facility for local families, the Valley Resort will result in a massive boost to the area and our local economy. It will bring in visitors, provide jobs for local people, and complement the existing activities at nearby Rother Valley Country Park.

"This is a family-run business with a proven track record for building and operating family entertainment developments and we are very proud and excited that Gulliver's has chosen the borough in which to develop their resort."

The applications set out the economic benefits of the development which outweigh the harm to the Green Belt. The regeneration benefits are an estimated £36.66m overall economic impact from construction and total annual operating net economic impact on the local economy of £11.6m.

The resort will create up to 125 full time jobs and a total of around 325 part time jobs.

Gulliver's said it would look to use a local supply chain and will also build Gulliver's Service Academy, offering hospitality and visitor economy skills training, maximising potential employment opportunities for local people.

Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Gulliver's

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News: Partnership launch long-term strategy for Rotherham

High profile economic development and regeneration projects are helping to create a new perspective for Rotherham.

Developed as Rotherham Together Partnership's long-term strategy for the borough, the Rotherham Plan 2025 has been officially launched this week. It provides a framework for partners' joint efforts to create a borough that "is better for everyone who wants to live, work, invest or visit here."

The plan is based around five "game changers": building stronger communities, skills and employment, integrated health and social care, a place to be proud of and the town centre.

The new Rotherham Together Partnership was launched in September 2015. It brings together a wide range of organisations, including major public bodies. Its Business Growth Board is responsible for the delivery of the ten-year Rotherham Economic Growth Plan which feeds into this new plan and includes indicators on business starts, employment, skill levels and vacant units in the town centre.

The skills and employment section describes how partners across Rotherham and the wider city region will develop a work and health programme that provides comprehensive support to help people secure, sustain and thrive in employment.

Key to improving skill levels will be the development of a £12m university campus in the town centre. Rotherham College, part of RNN Group, is moving fast having secured funding and will open the centre to students in Autumn 2018, offering a new programme of degrees and degree apprenticeships.

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The section on creating a place to be proud of references the approach to "place shaping", overseen by the new, business-led place board, that will help to create a new identity for Rotherham. The Rotherham Story was launched last month as the first step in marketing and repositioning the borough with ambassadors or "pioneers" selling Rotherham as a place to live and do business.

The town centre has been given high status in the plan, mainly due to the strength of feeling from a range of residents during the consultation where "people were positive about parts of the town centre, particularly the Minster Gardens and High Street, but these were outweighed by the negatives."

The regeneration programme based on the new town centre masterplan, is set to be key in delivering a town centre that more people want to visit.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council was at the launch event where he discussed the £160m of additional investment coming to Rotherham over the next few years - projects like Forge Island, the HE Campus, the Interchange, tram-train, Gulliver's Valley and Wentworth Woodhouse - and inward investment from the likes of McLaren and Liberty House.

The UK's first Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID), set to be created in the Sheffield-Rotherham economic corridor, is used as a case study in the plan. AMID will be a nucleus of innovation and research in advanced manufacturing, with strengthened connections across new and existing firms and knowledge institutions that will benefit from close proximity to world-class technology facilities.

Cllr. Read said: "Rotherham people are resilient people. Year after year, decade after decade, we've faced down challenges and we've dealt with difficulty.

"In fact, if we've had a flaw, it’s that we've kept our heads down too much. We haven't understood why the rest of the world can't see all the brilliant things about our borough, when they stare us in the face. If folks down south wanted to think of us as smoggy and grey, that was their loss.

"We called the Plan we're launching today "A New Perspective" because it requires us to take a different point of view, to get the outside world to take a new look at us."

Rotherham Together Partnership website

Images: Rotherham Together Partnership / Bond Bryan

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News: No call in for Gulliver's plans

The planning applications for the £37m leisure resort next to Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham have not been called in by the Government for further scrutiny, paving the way for building work to begin.

Last month, the planning board at Rotherham Council unanimously approved the plans from Gulliver's, the the operators of family theme parks in Warrington, Matlock Bath and Milton Keynes, for the first of their sites in the UK to encompass all their major family entertainment elements in one location with new attractions exclusive to Rotherham.

The proposals, which will create around 400 jobs, will see Gulliver's buy approximately 250 acres of the Pit House West site from the Council. The restored former colliery and opencast site will be transformed into Gulliver's Valley - a year round destination aimed at 2 - 13 year olds and is set to include a theme park hub, woodland adventure centre, ecology and education centre, lodges, hotels and a holiday village.

Due to its prominence and the site being in the Green Belt, The National Planning Casework Unit was given the opportunity to "call in" the application on behalf of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The applications were returned to Rotherham Council for determination, and the plans have now been granted with a number of conditions. These relate to things like operating hours, drainage measures and an insistence that the hotel and other accommodation aspects do not come forward without the theme park elements. A £1.2m transport improvement scheme is already underway in the area.

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The scheme includes some 215,000 sq ft of buildings. Further details of the attractions set for Gulliver's Valley, including Liliput Castle, a log flume, Antelope, Pirate Coaster, Tower Ride, farm park and pet resort, can be found here.

Following planning approval, the scheme is expected to be built over 12 - 15 years in a number of phases. Phase one includes the main Gulliver's theme park with three themed areas, the entrance hub and castle, and is set to open in 2020.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council said he was pleased that the Government had decided not to hold a public inquiry on the plans. He added: "It will be a £37m investment, creating hundreds of jobs, and a leisure facility that puts us on the map.

"When you think of how long that site has been undeveloped, and the proposals that never came to fruition, our thanks should go to Julie Dalton [managing director of the Gulliver's group] and her team and everyone that has made it possible."

Rotherham Council has long had ambitions for the greenbelt site to be transformed into a landmark leisure / tourism development on a regional, national and international scale. The reclamation of Brookhouse Colliery and incorporation into the Rother Valley Country Park to enhance its attraction as a regional facility was first mooted when the colliery operations closed in 1985. After purchasing the site from the Coal Authority, the Council began the search for a developer in March 2002.

This is the third time the Council has sought interest from developers, and the furthest plans have ever got. Outline planning approval was granted for the £350m YES! Project in 2007 and updated plans were approved in September 2010.

Developers, Oak Holdings were dropped for a lack of progress. The £110m Visions of China project was the preferred choice of the authority in 2011 but was also dropped for a lack of progress. Having previously come forward for discussions with the Council in 2014, Gulliver's entered into an agreement to purchase the land from the Council in 2015.

Gulliver's Valley website

Images: Gulliver's

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News: Medical AMRC test the boundaries of new 3D printer

Engineers from the University of Sheffield Medical Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (ARMC) have used a new 3D printer to create a model of the delicate structure deep inside the ear called the labyrinth.

Based in the centre's Design, Prototyping & Testing Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the Medical AMRC sits alongside the current AMRC, a world class centre for advanced machining and materials research, and has access to all the current resources but with a dedicated team which specifically focuses on the medical technologies sector.

Glen Watson, an ENT Surgeon at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield needed a more accurate model to help him demonstrate benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) to patients and educate them about possible treatments.

After a chance meeting with an AMRC engineer, it was decided that a new piece of 3D printing equipment acquired by the AMRC could be used to design and build a model for Glen that would fulfil his requirements.

BPPV is caused by displaced calcium carbonate crystals from one part of the balance organ into another part (the semi-circular canals) that stabilise vision on head movement. As a result of crystal debris floating around in the canals, confusing signals are sent to the brain causing brief but intense spinning sensations on looking up, down and often turning over in bed.

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A simple but effective treatment is to recognise the condition and perform a liberating or repositioning manoeuvre, to move the crystals into a part of the balance organ where they cause no further problem; akin to completing a ball-in-a-maze puzzle.

Glen Watson said: "Most of the models of the labyrinth concentrated on the cochlea with limited, or no models demonstrating the disease process of BPPV in the semi-circular canals. This made it difficult to explain BPPV to patients and explain how it is treated.

"When I talked about "crystals" that were loose in their head I often received odd looks! The model that Medical ARMC has produced on their 3D printer will enable patients to visualise what is happening and understand the disease in a simple fashion."

The Medical AMRC decided to test the limits of their new FormLabs Form2 3D resin printer and offer to design and print a model of the labyrinth, demonstrating the semi-circular canals, free of charge as a test piece for their new capabilities. The model would be complete with movable crystals that could be seen from the outside.

Valdis Krumins, project engineer at the AMRC, said: "The project for Glen helped us commission and test our new Form2 3D printer. It was a useful learning process stretching the capabilities, and using the whole working envelope of the machine.

"Laser printing in resin allows us to print in translucent material and in high-definition with small intricate details compared to standard fused deposition modelling processes."

Medical AMRC website

Images: Medical AMRC

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News: £12.5m loan for Rotherham bus station refurb

The Sheffield City Region Combined Authority (CA) is preparing to borrow £12.5m so that the long-awaited refurbishment of Rotherham Interchange in the town centre can be carried out.

Partners decided last year to focus on refurbishing the car park and bus station rather than a large scale redevelopment. Opened in 1971, the multi storey car park has since developed widespread defects. It is underutilised and "nearing the point of being beyond economic repair." The bus station, which has associated public safety issues, suffered a fire in 2016 which caused significant damage.

Plans were approved in 2014 for the detailed design of the renovation and re-cladding of the four-storey car park. However, the start date of the refurbishment was delayed following a decision to further investigate alternative development options on the site.

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Talks have been ongoing between the operators, the SYPTE, Rotherham Council and owners Norseman Holdings on which option to take. A cinema and new interchange scheme proposal was developed but the funding to deliver the scheme could not be sourced.

The work on the car park will now be combined with the refurbishment of the bus station underneath and is set to be funded by the CA borrowing up to £12.5m over the next three years.

The CA is the legal body created by the nine local authorities that comprise the Sheffield city region that has responsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration.

A report to the CA states: "Serious degradation on the physical infrastructure of the interchange has led to parts of it being closed on health and safety grounds. SYPTE has a contractual obligation to the current tenant to make good repairs to the facility, and it has been judged that this level of investment is an efficient means of discharging that obligation whilst also securing an effective strategic asset into the future.

"The costs of this investment are put at £12.5m. SYPTE's Executive Board believe that this investment is the most suitable means of discharging their contractual responsibilities whilst also providing the town and the region with the bus network infrastructure it requires.

"Although the cost of this investment is high it is noted that other options are limited."

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The paper adds that the costs of borrowing £12.5m are likely to be significant, and the search continues for other funding options, including opportunities to "re-role" other Government funding for stalled schemes to the Interchange project.

£3m from the reserves of South Yorkshire's transport budget has previously been put aside for the works and a bid for funding was presented to the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority in December.

Revenue costs associated with the borrowing will be paid for over fifty years and could amount to a total of £22m. These costs will need to be met by the levies paid by all the South Yorkshire councils.

The refurbishment project involves resolving a number of issues including the repairs following the bus fire on stand A6 in May 2016, structural repairs to the multi storey car park and recladding the upper part of the structure and a refurbishment of the bus station to improve its appeal.

Jefferson Sheard has been appointed by the SYPTE as the architect and is in pre-application discussions with Rotherham Council.

Images: Google Maps / SYPTE

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News: Pricecheck breaks £50m turnover barrier

Award-winning firm, Pricecheck Toiletries has passed the £50m turnover barrier as it continues to grow from its premises at Beighton Link Business Park in Rotherham.

Pricecheck is a leading supplier of international branded consumer goods, working predominately in the health and beauty sector, dealing with discounted clearance stock. It won the Queen's Award for International Trade 2015 for continuous and cumulative overseas export earnings growth of 283% over six years.

The second generation family owned business, established in 1978 by the parents of Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison who now run the company as joint managing directors, officially opened the new premises in 2016. With ambitious future growth plans, the 115,000 sq ft warehouse is able to accommodate 40% more than previously achievable and offices have tripled in size.

Recognising the contribution that private companies make in Yorkshire & North East, multinational professional services network, PwC is highlighting some of the success stories this week and Pricecheck is used to show how a private, Yorkshire business goes from local to global.

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Mark Lythe and Debbie Harrison, joint managing directors at Pricecheck, explained how being a private company enables them to be adaptable, focus on long-term growth and maintain control over decisions and activities.

The pair said: "Being private means more flexibility and adaptability to change, which is invaluable when it comes to often volatile foreign markets. The speed at which one can react to change is a huge advantage for any international business, meaning growth need not be stunted by sudden industry fluctuations, such as currency instability or recent uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

"There is also flexibility in choosing product categories, having recently expanded into food, drink and pet care, the business can "test the waters" for what works well. Another benefit is the ability to focus on certain market sectors, or target specific countries for export.

"Looking forward, now that Pricecheck has broken the £50m barrier, the next target is to double turnover to £100m within the next five years, meaning continued growth in all areas of the business, via recruitment, export and the addition of new product categories. It's an exciting time to be a private company and indeed a Yorkshire business with global ambitions."

Pricecheck website
PwC website

Images: PwC

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News: Gallery floors made fit for prestigious Picasso prints

Dinnington-based wall, floor and tiling experts, A Cumberlidge, has recently completed a flooring refurbishment at the prestigious Cooper Art Gallery in Barnsley.

Specialising in wall and floor coverings, the sub-contractor was founded in 1947 and moved to Bentley Business Park in Dinnington in 2007.

Home to the Cooper Trustees' collection of 17th to 20th century paintings, watercolours and drawings by artists including JMW Turner, Wadsworth and Atkinson Grimshaw, the gallery's permanent collection contains over 400 works from a wide range of artists and is visited by many thousands of people from all over the world each year.

The gallery has recently been extended and refurbished thanks to a grant of £638,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of its opening to the public.

Tim Vaughan from A Cumberlidge, said: "The existing oak floors to the ground and first floor galleries were looking tired after 30 years of footfall. The Gallery team was very much aware of this and the imminent arrival of a particularly prestigious exhibition gave an added incentive to give the floor some tender loving care.

"We needed to breathe new life into the timber floors, restoring them to their former glory, so we stripped back layers of varnish, sanded and cleaned them before applying several coats of Satin Seal."

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Lynn Dunning, Arts, Museums & Archives Manager for Barnsley Council, added: "We are delighted with the results of the floor restoration. We were concerned that the floor might have to be replaced altogether as it had been neglected for years, and so we were delighted that A Cumberlidge came up with a method to restore it with minimal disruption to the gallery.

"Being able to retain the historic features of the gallery is incredibly important to us – the end result achieves a balance between retaining the original feel of the space and managing the expectations of the modern gallery visitor. We were particularly pleased with the flexibility of the team to get the work done within our tight timetable before the arrival of a major new exhibition."

The exhibition the gallery was preparing for was a major coup for the town – 17 important original linocut prints by Pablo Picasso, on loan from the British Museum and on tour outside of London for the first time. Pieces include the iconic "Still life under the Lamp" and "Jacqueline Reading", which depicts the artist's wife and muse, Jacqueline Roque.

A Cumberlidge website

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News: Rotherham-based Macalloy back at the FIFA World Cup

Rotherham manufacturer, Macalloy is heading back to the FIFA World Cup, working on stadium projects for tournament hosts, Russia and Qatar.

Dinnington-based Macalloy are world leaders in design, manufacture and supply of threaded bar and cable systems to engineering and construction projects across the globe. Approximately 80% of the company's turnover is from export.

Barclays has provided both term debt and working capital to Macalloy, which employs over 90 staff, in a bid to further boost exports. Turnover for the current year is expected to exceed £11m.

Peter Hoy, chief executive officer of Macalloy, said: "We've been trading successfully overseas for some time now but we're always looking for new projects and the funding from Barclays has enabled us to finalise an exciting deal working on Russia stadia in time for the World Cup 2018.

"We are delighted to be involved with five of the Stadia and we are now planning ahead to 2022 and Qatar. We have already completed the refurbishment of the Al Khalifa stadium where we were first involved with the renovation in 2006 and the Asian games.

"We are now seeing enquiries for the remaining stadia both refurbishments and new builds and are hoping that our experience working on the 2018 stadia will be an excellent reference for future work."

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Macalloy has a history with the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world having supplied its threaded bar and cable systems to the Soccer City Stadium, the centrepiece to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and the venue for the final. The Olympia Stadion in Berlin, the venue for the 2006 World Cup final, used approximately 100t of galvanised Macalloy 460 tie rods to act as bracing within the steel work supporting the main membrane roof structure.

Often selected by architects for there aesthetic appeal, innovative products from Macalloy are used to provide strength in bridges, airports and buildings including the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai and the Marina Bay Sands development in Singapore.

Other stadia strengthened by Macalloy include the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, the redeveloped Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida and the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

Neil Bradburne, Barclays relationship director, said: "With the recent exchange rate movement, UK manufacturers now have a worldwide appeal and it's good to see a local company taking advantage of market conditions and expanding for the future.

"This deal is pivotal for the business and I hope we see more South Yorkshire businesses taking advantage of overseas trading, expanding for the future which in turn will benefit the economy and create more jobs locally."

Macalloy moved to the former Rotherham colliery site at Dinnington from Sheffield in November 2006 as part of their continued expansion.

Macalloy website
Barclays website

Images: Crocus Group

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News: City Taxis make Rotherham acquisition

Expanding Sheffield cab firm, City Taxis, has acquired Rotherham-based Skyline Taxis under its Northern Taxis brand, which has also opened new premises in the borough.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, comes as the Barclays-backed, £10m turnover company launches in the Rotherham area. City bought Chesterfield's Club Taxis in September 2016 and acquired Ace Taxis of Barnsley in July last year, preserving work for local drivers and call centre staff jobs.

Skyline, based in Wath, has been operating for nine years and currently runs 35 cars. All call centre staff and drivers will become part of rapidly growing Northern Taxis, which handles around six million journeys a year.

175 of City Taxis' current 1,750 drivers already live in Rotherham.

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Arnie Singh, managing director of Northern Taxis Ltd (pictured, left), said: "Continuing the trend of last year, we are pleased to announce another acquisition furthering our services around South Yorkshire by expanding into the Rotherham area from our new headquarters in Greasborough.

"We look forward to offering our services to the people and businesses of Rotherham.

"Customers booking journeys will be able to do so through our user-friendly app, and Rotherham businesses will now be able to open corporate accounts, giving customers access to a modern, efficient, friendly and safe taxi service which makes a huge contribution to the economy and community of South Yorkshire.

"All of our Rotherham drivers will be subject to enhanced DBS checks and will have CCTV in their cabs – reassuring drivers and customers alike, and rebuilding confidence in the private hire sector in the town.

"Rotherham Council have welcomed our arrival, recognising that this thriving area of call centres is currently under-served by a taxi service. Skyline have been going for nine years and this move allows us to expand our customer base from their current 35 cars. All jobs will be protected."

Mehmood Hussein of Skyline (pictured, right), added: "We are pleased to have struck a deal with City Taxis and hope that moving forward our drivers and staff will see a real benefit from working within a much larger organisation."

Launching in 1996, City has seen a 300% growth in staff since 2010: over 102 call centre operators now support over 1,750 drivers, making it the third largest independent taxi firm in the UK.

City Taxis website

Images: City Taxis

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News: Wentworth deal "a triumph against all the odds"

The acquisition of Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham for £7m by a charitable trust represents a "third way" in the chequered ownership history of the Grade I listed mansion.

Despite the best efforts of two public sector owners and two private owners, of the UK's most interesting and important country houses has ultimately proved too expensive for either the public or the private sector to maintain. In 2012, working with entrepreneurs Kit Martin and Roger Tempest, SAVE Britain's Heritage (SAVE), the campaign group for historic buildings, therefore devised a third way, which involves a variety of compatible uses generating income to keep the listed buildings in repair, with the mansion placed in a charitable trust to maximise fundraising potential.

It culminated in the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) finally completing the deal for the house, follies and 83 acres from the Newbold family after five years of complex work and lawyers advising that the deal was so complicated it could never normally be done.

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Marcus Binney, executive president of SAVE, said: "This is a triumph against all the odds. It is a deal which the lawyers advised was so complicated it could never normally be done. It has taken five years of sustained hard work to secure support, but we have learnt over 40 years that however hopeless or impossible the battle for a great historic building may seem we should never give up.

"Huge thanks are due to Julie Kenny, chair of Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust, and her trustees who against precipitous deadlines have secured all the complex agreements needed to complete purchase.

"We also thank the Newbold family for their help, cooperation and patience while the rescue plan has been drawn up and the necessary funding secured. Clifford Newbold was the first to open this great house to visitors giving huge pleasure and excitement to everyone who came."

Earlier the house was acquired in 1989 by Mr Wensley Haydon-Baillie who provided a £10m endowment and carried out repairs.

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After World War II Wentworth Woodhouse was offered by the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam to the National Trust but was too large and expensive for the Trust to take on. Surrounded by open-cast coal mining the house was saved from demolition as a PT teacher training college sponsored by a member of the Fitzwilliam family Lady Mabel.

Now the National Trust is supporting the Trust's plans for the house and has promised £750,000 over the first three years of opening. The aim is preserve the house and grounds on a long term sustainable basis and raise funds for repairs and other essential works. The total cost of repairs could be over £50m.

Parts of Wentworth Woodhouse will continue to be open to public while phased repairs continue. The WWPT's plans include using the North wing to host a huge range of weddings and events and the stables (pictured, below) as units for dynamic small businesses. Within the 18th century house and outbuildings more than a dozen apartments and cottages will be restored as lets for holiday makers.

Previous owners, the Newbold family said in a statement: "Wentworth Woodhouse has been an important part of our lives for nearly two decades and although there is some sadness in having to say goodbye, our greatest wish,which was always to see that its future was secure, has at last been fulfilled.

"We would like to publicly express our thanks to all the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard and with such dedication to help us save the house over the years. Additionally, we are extremely grateful to the public for their overwhelming support in our efforts to secure the future of this national treasure. We wish the trust, the staff and everyone involved in the forthcoming restoration every success in the preservation of this fabulous house with which we fell in love with so many years ago.

"As a family, we very much look forward to seeing the house continue to recover after suffering so much abuse in the 20th century. There has always been tremendous local support for the house and it is heartening to know that the project on which we have all been working for so long is finally safe and secure."

Wentworth Woodhouse website
WWPT website
SAVE website

Images: Savills

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News: Wentworth Woodhouse deal done

The Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT) has concluded the acquisition of Wentworth Woodhouse in Rotherham for £7m.

The deal includes one of the UK's most interesting and important Grade 1 listed country houses, its outstanding collection of classical statuary and the surrounding grounds of 83 acres.

The Newbold family, who had been in a long-running legal battle with the Coal Authority, confirmed that they had decided to sell the historic house at the end of 2014. With an asking price of in excess of £8m, a deal was confirmed in February 2016 with the WWPT who have raised funds and developed a long term strategy for the future of the site.

The largest privately-owned house in Europe was added to the 2016 World Monuments Watch which calls international attention to cultural heritage under threat around the globe.

The efforts to secure the house were given national prominence when the Chancellor of the Exchequer pulled a rabbit out of the hat in his 2016 Autumn Statement by announcing a £7.6m Government grant towards urgent repairs.

A grant of £3.5m from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) has been confirmed, providing the Trust with the final piece of the financial jigsaw needed to purchase the property.

A previous deal to sell the property to an investor, fell through.

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The Government grant is subject to the approval of a sustainable business case for a secure future of "the big house." As well as welcoming visitors to the richly decorated rooms in the house, WWPT's longer-term plan is to: restore the gardens with the help of volunteers; attract local businesses to work in offices to be created in the stables; and work with local people to explore and describe its exceptionally rich history, telling some of the many colourful stories associated with the house.

Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch said: "The UK's heritage is world renowned for its unique variety and Wentworth Woodhouse is a fantastic example of our historic architecture that deserves to be protected for the future. This Government funding will not only help preserve the building for visitors to enjoy, but it will also be a vital link in the community, creating a business hub and jobs that will benefit the local area."

Julie Kenny, Chair of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust (WWPT), added: "This is the culmination of five years very hard work and has been made possible by the support of many different charities, government bodies and individuals, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is great news for the people of Rotherham and for everyone who cares about historic buildings.

"We are grateful to the Newbold family for their part in ensuring the survival of the house, and to the funding bodies who have made the transfer possible."

These include the National Heritage Memorial Fund, The Monument Trust, Sir Siegmund Warburg's Voluntary Settlement, the J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust, Art Fund, together with donations from the Fitzwilliam Amenity Trust and Lady Juliet Tadgell. The Trust has been given significant support by Historic England, the Architectural Heritage Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Trust will also receive invaluable support and guidance from the National Trust for a period of three years.



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Kenny added: "All these contributors share our determination to give Wentworth Woodhouse a secure future, so it can play a part in the economic and cultural regeneration of Rotherham and the wider South Yorkshire region.

"We would like to send our appreciation to John Healey MP who helped open doors for discussions with Ministers and civil servants. We also appreciate the important cross party support from John Healey and Robert Jenrick MP who helped us put the Trust's case personally to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Above all we are grateful to the Chancellor who shares our enthusiasm for the house, and who announced a special allocation of £7.6m for repairs in his Autumn Statement in 2016. This will enable work to start this year."

Under the ownership of the WWPT, the restoration and development will provide jobs, stimulate local employment and open the property to the public on a regular basis. The North wing is set to host a huge range of weddings and events and the stables will become home to dynamic small businesses. Within the 18th century house and outbuildings more than a dozen apartments and cottages will be restored as lets for holiday makers.

The aim is preserve the house and grounds on a long term sustainable basis and raise funds for repairs and other essential works. The total cost of repairs could be over £50m. Parts of Wentworth Woodhouse will continue to be open to public while phased repairs continue.


Ros Kerslake, chief executive of National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: "Wentworth Woodhouse is an incredibly important piece of our national heritage, which is why the trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund agreed £3.5m funding that has now helped secure its future for the nation. As well as ensuring the house and grounds are open to the public, the Trust's ambitious plans will create jobs, apprenticeships, training and volunteering opportunities for many years to come."

Wentworth Woodhouse website
WWPT website

Images: WWPT / Savills

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News: Plans for new 75,000 sq ft unit on the AMP

A planning application has been submitted for a new 75,000 sq ft factory on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham with all the signs pointing towards it being for supercar manufacturer, McLaren.

Rothbiz reported last month that a space is being readied on the UK's premier advanced manufacturing park for a multimillion pound Composites Technology Centre responsible for the development and manufacturing of advanced carbon fibre chassis for McLaren Automotive's supercars.

Drawn up for developer, Harworth Group plc by Barton Willmore and The Harris Partnership, the plans show images of a purpose-built facility for McLaren on a 1.98 hectare site off Whittle Way where Harworth is preparing for the next commercial development - AMPlify, a further 460,000 sq ft of prime space on the AMP.

The site has recently been engineered to form a number of flat plateaus and the proposed development includes the creation of a single 75,000 sq ft building for B1, B2 and B8 uses (including ancillary B1a Offices) along with associated access, parking, and servicing, landscaping and other infrastructure.

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Matching other buildings on the site in terms of design, the new facility "will provide a contemporary addition" to the AMP - already dubbed "the elite "Mayfair" address for advanced manufacturing."

The Composites Technology Centre will be responsible for the research and development of future Monocell and Monocage carbon fibre chassis for McLaren Automotive, as well as the manufacturing of the chassis itself. These carbon fibre "tubs" are now in their second generation and have recently been unveiled as the key feature of McLaren's new 720S.

The centre is set to create more than 200 jobs and will comprise approximately 150 production staff and 50 manufacturing support staff. Recruitment is already underway.

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Construction on the facility is due to start this year with the first pre-production chassis, built using trial manufacturing processes in the nearby Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, expected to be delivered to the McLaren Technology Centre in the second half of 2017. Full production at the facility will begin by 2020.

The site is within the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone which means that businesses benefit from fast-track planning alongside business rate relief and enhanced capital allowances.

The plans state: "The proposals offer an exciting opportunity to the area that will further enhance the AMP and continue to assist in the economic development and regeneration of this area including the wider AMID."

The Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) has the aim of developing Europe's largest research-led advanced manufacturing cluster where leading names like McLaren, Roll-Royce and Boeing, work alongside local innovators and research institutions.

The idea builds on the ethos of the AMP where the park and adjoining commercial developments at Waverley will create over 3,500 new jobs and add an estimated £300m in Gross Value Added to the local economy once fully developed.

McLaren website

Images: McLaren / Harris Partnership

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News: Nuclear AMRC announces new partnership with Cammell Laird

The Nuclear AMRC has announced a new partnership with one of the famous names in British shipbuilding, Cammell Laird, and is to open a new facility on Merseyside.

With state of the art facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the £25m Nuclear AMRC is a joint initiative with industry, The University of Sheffield and The University of Manchester's Dalton Nuclear Institute, and is designed to help build and enhance the UK's civil nuclear new build industry.

Cammell Laird is the largest and most successful ship repair and conversion specialist in the UK and is on a campaign to position itself as a world-leading nuclear industry hub.

The new facility within Cammell Laird's Birkenhead site, will provide a base for the Nuclear AMRC in the North West, and be used to develop and industrialise technology and knowhow to service the nuclear industry.

Jonathan Brown, managing director of Cammell Laird's energy division, said: "We are hugely excited to announce this new venture with the Nuclear AMRC, which will also see Cammell Laird become a Tier One member of the Nuclear AMRC. The development centre will thrust Cammell Laird forward as the leading UK industrial manufacturer developing expertise in off-site module build in partnership with the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

"We are looking to research a wide range of areas supporting the assembly, commissioning and transportation of modules of up to 5000 tonnes, where Cammell Laird benefits from its coastal location.

"Working with the Nuclear AMRC, we will invest in our facilities and our skilled workforce and supply chain to meet the demands of modular new build. Looking forward, we will also target the export market through a strategy built on working with partners and countries around the world, focused on the exploitation of the benefits of modular construction."

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Andrew Storer, managing director of the Nuclear AMRC, said: "We're delighted to welcome Cammell Laird to the Nuclear AMRC network. Our new facility in Birkenhead will focus on developing modular manufacturing methods for new reactors of all sizes, drawing on Cammell Laird's expertise in modular shipbuilding and a host of innovative technologies to significantly reduce costs and lead times for nuclear new build. It also gives us a base in the North West, the core region for the UK's nuclear industry, allowing us to work more closely with the regional supply chain and the development sites in Cumbria and North Wales.

"The Nuclear AMRC is dedicated to helping UK manufacturers win work in the nuclear sector, and expanding our research capabilities to tackle the challenges of advanced modular build will deliver real benefits to the UK supply chain. We look forward to working with Cammell Laird and other module manufacturers to develop new technical capabilities and help them compete globally on cost, quality and delivery."

The Nuclear AMRC helps UK companies win work in the civil nuclear sector – in new build, operations and decommissioning. It supports supply chains and manufacturing innovation and is already working with the principal technology vendors in support of their drive for a UK small modular reactor.

Camell Laird is working on a new partnership with the American nuclear power plant manufacturer (and Nuclear AMRC Tier 1 member) Westinghouse and the Nuclear AMRC, examining small modular reactors.

Brown, who previously led the nuclear new build and projects group at another Nuclear AMRC Tier 1 member, Rolls-Royce, added: "Cammell Laird offers reliable, cost effective and flexible solutions to multi billion pound industries crying out for experienced support. Cammell Laird has shown, in the maritime industry, it can be that anchor of system engineering, managing quality and providing schedule certainty. It takes responsibility for complex build projects such as the £150m Sir David Attenborough polar ship delivering the engineering, manufacture, skills development and quality records.

"Working with the Nuclear AMRC we further develop our modular expertise, drawing on its formidable nuclear and wider academic expertise through its links with the University of Sheffield and the University of Manchester to make Cammell Laird's offering even more compelling."

Nuclear AMRC website
Cammell Laird website

Images: Cammell Laird / Westinghouse

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News: Green Group facing refusal in Green Belt

Expansion plans from a Rotherham logistics firm that could create hundreds of jobs on a former brickworks are recommended for refusal due to the site being in the Green Belt.

Rothbiz reported last year that the Green Group was putting the wheels in motion for a large-scale expansion at its Maltby depot - a move that could increase local job numbers to over 200.

Formed in 2008, The Green Group started its fleet with just five MAN trucks in 2010 while based at Hellaby Hall Industrial Estate. Moving to a nearby 14-acre site at Maltby in 2012 allowed the firm to build a small transit shed and expand the transport offices. Within two years, the business increased to 90 trucks and 137 trailers, and staff grew by 100 to include new drivers, administrators, engineers, and customer service and warehouse staff.

A planning application was submitted to replace the buildings on the current Maltby site - part of the Ibstock brickworks - with a new build, 100,000 sq ft bonded warehouse with offices. It is set to go before councillors on the Rotherham planning board next week, and they are being recommended by planning officers to refuse the plans.

Permission was previously approved for clay extraction but the Green Belt site is due to be reclaimed and the land re-graded by 2025. The site is set to keep its Green Belt status in the borough's Local Plan. An existing warehouse building is unauthorised.

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The officers report states: "The immediate locality is one that can be described as being free from permanent development and is an important gap between the settlements of Hellaby and Maltby. The landscaping of the site and its immediate environs contributes to the open character of the locality which represents undulating topography.

"Although the building has been designed to be as unobtrusive as possible (coloured in an appropriate finish and set down from adjacent land where possible) its presence, in terms of its significant size and mass taking up much of the application site, is considered to be of significance and any limited landscaping around the periphery of the site could only give minimal screening."

It goes on to conclude that very special circumstances have not been demonstrated by the applicants and that there are other suitable sites in the borough.

The planners conclude: "The proposed building represents an increase in floorspace of approximately 766% over and above that authorised at the site, which would have a significant impact on the openness of the Green Belt in this location and would, therefore, represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt.

"It is not considered that any of the submitted information put forward represent a very special circumstance to justify the inappropriate development proposed. No other very special circumstances have been put forward to overcome the inappropriate nature of the development and the harm by way of its impact on the openness of the Green Belt in this location.

"It is considered that the proposed employment use would be better located on land allocated for employment within the Borough and not on this Green Belt site."

Local MP, Sir Kevin Barron, is backing the plans due to the proposed additional jobs, potentially over 150, that would be created in the local area.

The Green Group website

Images: The Green Group

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News: Rural Rotherham business named "British Champion"

Lawns Farm Shop and Morthen Milk in Rotherham has been named as a "British Champion," picking up a prestigious rural business award from the Countryside Alliance.

The 2016 Countryside Alliance Awards are run by the membership organisation that aims to protect rural life and were handed out by the Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom MP at a Parliamentary reception this week. Businesses from across England and Wales, who had already won their regional title, came to Westminster to find out if they had taken the national title.

Now run by four brothers of the Ross family in the small Rotherham village of Morthern, Lawns sells home grown food and locally sourced produce as well as milk from its own on site dairy.

Having won the regional title, the business went on to win the national title in the local food / drink category.

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Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "This third-generation farm really impressed the judges, not least by its location, close to two huge motorways, which can be seen from the farm.

"The 2014 crisis in milk prices necessitated many changes for what was then predominantly a dairy farm, but realising that if the cows were to continue to be at the farm, change was needed. Action was taken, first by opening a farm shop to sell locally produced food and setting up a dairy to produce, bottle and deliver their own milk locally."

The ethos of the business is to provide high quality produce, direct from the producer with authenticity, traceability and sustainability. Education is also central to the Lawns Farm Shop mission, and a number of open days are held each year honouring the fine traditions of piglet racing, welly wanging and afternoon tea.

Lawns Farm Shop website

Images: Lawns Farm Shop / Facebook

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News: Monty's charity drive benefits Rotherham Hospice

Rotherham Hospice's care in the community teams are streets ahead thanks to a big-hearted motor dealer.

Monty's of Sheffield Suzuki have donated the use of a brand new car worth £12,500 which will enable the Hospice's community care teams to have free motoring for a year.

The only adult hospice in Rotherham for the people of Rotherham, Rotherham Hospice is an independent charity and must raise significant sums of money each year in order to pay for the quality care provided free of charge to patients, their families and carers. The charity needs £5m a year with half of that needed to be raised each year through voluntary support.

The donated vehicle will be used on thousands of visits to patients across the borough by the Hospice at Home team, a rapid response service which supports patients and their families in their home or care home.

The service runs 24 hour a day, seven days a week and also provides a supportive follow up service for patients who are discharged from the Hospice Inpatient Unit or Hospital Palliative Care Team.

In 2015, the Community Team's Hospice At Home staff attended 667 patients last year made 8,897 visits to patients who wanted to remain at home - and the numbers of patients are expected to expand for this year.

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Christopher Duff, chief executive of Rotherham Hospice, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Monty's of Sheffield. It makes a huge difference to the Hospice.

"Our Hospice At Home team provide an extremely valuable service and is on the road constantly. Our current car had been damaged and finding the funds to replace it would have meant more pressure on our fundraising team."

The Monty's Motors dealership, based at 288 Penistone Road, Sheffield, have emblazoned the five-door Suzuki Ignis with the Hospice logo as well as its own, so other drivers will be able to spot that a hospice worker is on their way to someone in need.

Carl Winter, dealer principal at Monty's Sheffield, said: "We are so delighted to be able to assist the Hospice in helping to care for the hundreds of people who want to stay at home as long as possible when they are ill.

"This is a new charity venture for us but we hope that this starts a long relationship between us and Rotherham Hospice.

"It's all down to our MD Chris Hunsley. He knew a member of staff at Rotherham Hospice, who explained to him how much money has to be raised every year to provide care for Rotherham people near the end of their lives. Chris immediately wanted to help."

Rotherham Hospice website
Monty's of Sheffield website

Images: Rotherham Hospice

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News: Europe’s biggest aerospace castings facility on stream in Rotherham

A castings facility is now operational at the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham as part of a major £15m investment that will enable the UK to compete on a global scale, producing some of the biggest titanium aerospace castings in the world.

Construction of the furnace for the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) Castings Group was completed last year and in the past few weeks the first tests or "hot commissioning" as it is known, have been completed successfully.

The furnace is capable of melting the 1,000kg of Titanium required to make a 500kg casting and has three interchangeable bodies. It can produce components with a finished weight ranging upwards from 60kg. It is part of a £7m, 13,000 sq ft extension of existing facilities.

Castings Technology International (Cti) was acquired by the AMRC in 2014. Since then, it has been split into two organisations; AMRC Castings, which focuses on research and development, and Cti Ltd, which carries out commercial work.

AMRC Castings develops new castings technologies and provides design and manufacturing consultancy services for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors.

The new facility is one of only a handful of furnaces that exist globally that are capable of casting near net shape aerospace components this big. Several leading UK businesses have already expressed their interests in utilising the titanium castings capability, including: Rolls-Royce, Airbus and GKN Aerospace.

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AMRC Castings is conducting initial paper and pilot studies to explicitly identify the risks and value streams associated with casting large-scale near-net shape components in titanium.

This research, aims to refine and enhance the casting process, reassuring engineers that casting can create lower "buy-to-fly" ratios for large-scale aerospace components; whilst maintaining the performance expectations when compared to their forged counterparts.

The outcomes of the project, backed by the UK's Aerospace Technology Institute; innovation agency, Innovate UK; and High Value Manufacturing Catapult, not only provide a benefit to the aerospace industry, but the spillover of the technology also has significant value for other industries. This has already been demonstrated in the nuclear sector, delivering substantial cost reductions, which could be worth up £150m for Sellafield.

Mark D'Souza-Mathew, Research and Development Manager at AMRC Castings, said: "AMRC Castings has over 15 years of experience in casting titanium and we are now aiming to assist companies considering a transfer of manufacturing from forged to cast for the production of large-scale near-net shape components.

"The cost savings with near-net shape castings are huge, with efficiencies in wastage and time-savings on the machining and finishing processes. Buy-to-fly ratios are improved from 5:1 with typical forged components down to 1.5:1 via the cast route."

AMRC website

Images: AMRC

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News: Historic Rotherham building up for auction

A prominent corner building at the foot of Rotherham town centre's regenerated High Street is set to go under the hammer next week.

38-40 College Street comprises a three storey, self contained building with a Portland Stone façade and went up for sale with Sheffield advisors, Commercial Property Partners last year.

Given a guide price of £150,000 - £200,000, the property is now set to be sold at auction with leading firm, Acuitus.

Totaling nearly 11,000 sq ft, the building is currently home to Eastwood Domestics in the 2,500 sq ft High Street unit and the 4,000 sq ft unit is home to That's Entertainment selling CDs, DVDs, video games and mobile phones. The second floor has its own entrance and was the home of Central Snooker Club, a club with an 80 year history.

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Described as a "prominent town centre retail investment" the freehold is being sold on behalf of receivers - Moorfields.

Not a listed building, the property is on Rotherham Civic Society's local list which compiles properties of architectural or historic interest. The society states that: "No.2 High Street had been purchased by Montague Burton Ltd in 1926 with a view to expanding its presence in Rotherham. Following discussions with the Rotherham Corporation it became apparent that, due to the highway authority's plans to ease the College Street / High Street corner, Nos. 4 & 6 would need to be acquired in order to provide a site of sufficient size for Burton's new premises.

"In December 1929 the company's proposals for the new store were approved and the old property was demolished. The new building, designed by Harry Wilson, Architect, of Roundhay in Leeds was completed in 1931."

A number of uses have been recorded since then including Hart's wallpaper shop, Peter Lord's shoe shop and a ballroom / dance hall above.

Rotherham High Street has seen the restoration of 13 key properties thanks to a total of a £4.7m investment from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Rotherham Council and the property owners.

Acuitus website

Images: Acuitus

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News: Mentoring service to support new entrepreneurs

Experienced business owners are invited to lend a helping hand to budding entrepreneurs and individuals who are thinking of running their own business.

Launched recently, the scheme aims to give the region's most experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders the opportunity to mentor the next generation of Start Ups.

In association with the Launchpad, part of the Sheffield City Region Growth Hub's support for new businesses, the Mentoring programme has been developed to offer new business owners support and guidance during the first two years of their business journey.

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Irshad Akbar, business mentoring manager at Launchpad, said: "Launching a business can be a daunting time for new entrepreneurs, who often find themselves feeling isolated and unsure where to get the right advice to develop their business ideas. Launchpad’s mentoring programme provides the opportunity to collaborate, share best practice and perhaps most importantly of all, learn from individuals who once stood in their shoes.

"Working as a mentor can be an extremely rewarding experience for all concerned and we hope this event will encourage existing business owners to support those taking the first steps on their own business journey."

Designed to equip new and would-be entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in business, Launchpad is the Growth Hub's key business support programme for new businesses. A £4m initiative across the city region being led by the award winning team at Enterprising Barnsley, in partnership with the Princes Trust, RiDO and several other key partners across the whole of the region.

Launchpad offers specialist support, and includes networking events, workshops, coaching and one to one mentoring.

It is funded through the European Union Regional Development Fund and delivered throughout the Sheffield City Region by local authorities and The Princes Trust. Pre-start businesses and SMEs which have been trading for 2 years or less in the Sheffield City Region are eligible for free support and mentoring.

SCR Mentoring Facebook page
SCR Growth Hub website

Images: SCR Growth Hub

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