News: Plans passed for new fish & chip restaurant in former fire station

From fighting fires to filling fryers, from fireman's pole to lemon sole. Maltby's former fire station is set be converted into a fish & chip restaurant and takeaway after plans were approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council, despite a number of objections.

Rothbiz reported in April that proposals had been put forward to turn the 3,500 sq ft purpose built fire station on the High Street into a chip shop with the main area, which would have housed the fire engines, used as a restaurant with the roller shutter doors replaced by new windows.

Moving to a new joint operation at Maltby in 2017, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue closed its High Street site and put it up for sale at £250,000 through agents, Fernie Greaves.

The change of use plans, which would create 20 jobs, were discussed at a meeting of the planning board last week. A number of objections had been received, mainly based on the fact that the High Street already has a number of takeaways but also on noise and transport.

Only 51% of premises on the main frontage in Maltby are A1 retail uses, below the 65% target in the Council's policy. The application site is considered an edge of centre location and other potential sites around Maltby have been discounted as being too small.

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The site is allocated for community use but applicant, John Radford, explained to the board: "The application is for a quality restaurant with ancillary takeaway with off street parking - the takeaway is part of the restaurant and would close at 10pm and would not sell alcohol or offer a delivery service.

"The restaurant and takeaway will be both owned and run by a local man with many year's experience in the proposed use."

Radford confirmed that the accepted sealed bid for the property was £295,000, making potential community use unviable. He added that additional costs for demolition and leveling the site means that housing on the site would also be unviable.

Cllr. John Kirk raised Maltby Town Council's concerns at the meeting. He said: "We need new restaurants and new facilities in Maltby but we do object very strongly to another takeaway. The joke is that we've got more takeaways than doctors in Maltby."

A policy which stated that hot food takeaways will not be permitted where they are within 800 metres of a primary school, secondary school or college, was thrown out by the Government's planning inspector last year.

Cllr. John Williams, member of the planning board, lamented the loss of community buildings but supported the plans, stating: "This is a prominent, key building on the local High Street and I think what we've got in this application is a proposal to bring it back into use, based on a business model that we know that works."

Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approve the application.

Images: Google Maps

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News: Region's role in delivering nuclear sector deal

The Nuclear AMRC has welcomed the launch of the nuclear sector deal, part of the Government's industrial strategy.

Sector deals are partnerships between government and industry and are aimed at increasing sector productivity.

The Government said that the deal will spearhead Britain's move towards cleaner economic growth, while promoting new opportunities in the sector including a focus on innovation to develop the technology and skills needed to maintain the UK’s position as one of the world's leading nuclear countries.

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.

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Andrew Storer, chief executive officer of the Nuclear AMRC, said: "We welcome the nuclear sector deal, which represents a landmark agreement between government and industry to reduce costs and increase productivity across the UK nuclear sector.

"This deal will benefit manufacturers in all parts of the nuclear supply chain, and maximise the economic opportunity from clean growth. It will support innovation and technology transfer between sectors, helping companies increase their productivity and competitiveness, and reduce barriers to entry for manufacturers moving into nuclear from other sectors such as oil & gas or marine engineering.

"Here at the Nuclear AMRC, we will have an important role to play in delivering the deal. We will work with our industry and research partners to demonstrate the benefits of advanced techniques and technologies for manufacturers of all sizes. We will also play a leading role in the new national programme to enhance the capabilities of the UK's supply chain, expanding our established Fit For Nuclear programme and building on the success of Civil Nuclear Sharing in Growth.

"As well as supporting the deal's headline cost reductions of 30 per cent in nuclear new build and 20 per cent in decommissioning, our work will be central to the national effort to create or sustain up to 12,500 jobs across the UK, and secure up to £2 billion domestic and international contracts by 2030. We’re already working with international partners such as in the United Arab Emirates and South Korea, and with global reactor vendors, to identify export opportunities for the UK supply chain."

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The new £200m nuclear sector deal is designed to secure the UK's diverse energy mix and drive down the costs of nuclear energy meaning cheaper energy bills for customers.

It includes a £32m boost from government and industry to kick-start a new advanced manufacturing programme, including R&D investment to develop potential world-leading nuclear technologies like advanced modular reactors, plus up to £30m for a new national supply chain programme.

The deal also includes a commitment to increasing gender diversity with a target of 40% women working in the civil nuclear sector by 2030.

The UK SMR Consortium, led by Rolls-Royce, has also welcomed the deal. The consortium has called on experts at Nuclear AMRC to support bringing small modular reactors (SMRs) to market in the UK. SMRs promise to be much more affordable in the UK than the large scale reactors planned for projects like Hinkley Point C.

Nuclear AMRC

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News: Rotherham businesses invited to join other big hitters

Businesses are being invited to enter a team in the Rotherham Town Cricket Club women's soft ball festival on Sunday July 8.

The soft ball festivals are an English Cricket Board (ECB) backed free event aimed at encouraging families to engage with their local cricket clubs.

Rotherham Town, who are members of the Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, are hosting their event at their Clifton Lane ground next month and say it is the perfect introduction to the sport which is rapidly gaining in popularity with women after last summer's World Cup victory by the England women's team.

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Event activator Sian How-Atson said the club were looking forward to welcoming people to the festival: "Soft Ball Cricket is about getting out and playing: maximum fun, minimum fuss. No pads, no hard ball, no heavy bat, no head-scratching rules.

"It's a game for absolutely everybody, no matter your skill level, fitness, or age. Playing time at Festivals is usually about two to four hours. Turn up and we promise you a warm welcome, a free T-shirt, free coaching, music, and food: basically all the good things about a festival.

"The whole family is welcome, and it's no problem if you want to sign up on your own. We'll find a team for you and introduce you to all your new team mates."

The Rotherham Town Cricket Club festival starts at 2pm on Sunday, July 8 and finishes at 5pm.

To register visit http://booking.ecb.co.uk/d/jgqprr

Established in 1846, the club is nicknamed "The Builders."

Rotherham Town Cricket Club website

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News: ASB declines in Rotherham town centre

The number of incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) has declined in Rotherham town centre since the introduction of the borough's first Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

The order was introduced last September in the town centre and Clifton Park after the Council said that it continued to receive complaints about a minority of people who behave in an unacceptable way.

A PSPO introduces a number of prohibitions to address the anti-social behaviour of individuals visiting these areas. By outlining these prohibitions it makes it clear what kind of behaviour is acceptable in the town centre.

Conditions were drafted in direct response to the concerns raised by the public, partners, businesses and councillors. They include: behaving in such a way or using language that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to another person; drinking alcohol other than in a licensed premises or event; spitting and using or carrying illegal drugs.

Any individual in breach of the PSPO is subject to a £100 penalty. Those that failed to pay this would be liable for prosecution.

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An update to the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner on policing in the Rotherham district reports that the PSPO and the introduction of officers to address town centre issues has had an impact.

2016 saw 824 recorded incidences of ASB in the town centre area. 631 were recorded in the PSPO area in 2017. Since the introduction of the order, all months have seen a reduction when compared to the same months in the previous year. February 2018 saw the lowest monthly figure for over a year, at 35.

Chief Superintendent Rob Odell, Rotherham District Commander, said in the report: "Rotherham town centre has been blighted by anti-social street drinking, aggressive begging and street crime. Our Central team are working hand-in-glove with the local authority to resolve.

"On the 20th of September 2017 the town's first Public Space Protection Order was introduced. Since this time, it has been policed by both agencies, resulting in an escalation process from first warning, Fixed Penalty Notices (revenue of which to community chest) and arrests.

"Drug and alcohol treatment services and third sector support groups are working with us to respond to the town's begging and vagrancy issues.

"Since the introduction of officers dedicated to the town centre's problems and the PSPO, anti-social behaviour has declined; positive commentary from the shopkeepers and public has improved."

Rotherham Council's continued crackdown on litter also appears to be having an affect. With a private sector enforcement contract in place, more than 6,500 fixed penalty notices for litter and dog fouling were issued in the 2017/18 financial year.

The Council said that the enforcement "appears to have had an impact on the street scheme of the town centre and has raised the profile of the issue significantly."

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News: Council calling time on more bars in Rotherham suburb?

Rotherham Council could knock back plans for a new bar after planning officers set out a position that it is not convinced that more drinking establishments are needed on the main street in a popular Rotherham suburb.

Rothbiz has previously reported on proposals that would enable current operators to expand in Wickersley.

A planning application was submitted earlier this year from the owners and operators of the Olive Lounge bar and restaurant that would enable a new real ale (craft beer) style bar to open in the former Village Butcher premises on Bawtry Road.

This was followed by an application from the owners of The Courtyard who want to expand the popular bar into an adjacent retail unit.

Applicants argue that retail units in Wickersley are not attractive to the market, and that occupation by other uses, such as A4 drinking establishments, would reduce vacancy levels, and improve the townscape and vitality and viability of the centre.

Local ward councillors have objected to plans stating that they had received "increasing numbers of complaints from local residents with concerns about late night noise nuisance, parking issues and anti-social behaviour relating to the night time economy."

Wickersley ward councillors said in February: "As we have seen the decline of Rotherham Town Centre Wickersley appears to have become the destination of choice for evening entertainment for a wide area of Rotherham, however, if Wickersley is to keep its successful residential and community feeling it needs to keep a mixed retail offer and not just become the drinking hub for the whole of Rotherham. After all Wickersley is just a village that cannot and should not have to put up with all these problems."

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Neither application has been determined yet but a position statement has been issued from the Council's Planning Policy team. It sets out that the continued growth of Wickersley is likely to create ongoing demand in the future to support this district centre and that the evidence presented with the applications has not convinced them of the retail units being unattractive.

Adopted only this week, new planning policies in the borough's local plan only support specified alternative uses like new bars where proposals would not reduce the percentage of A1 (retail) uses below 65%, or further reduce them where they are already below this figure. It states that "in particular new drinking establishments and hot food takeaways are more appropriately located within other parts of town or district centres."

Retail currently comprises 67% of the uses within the primary shopping frontage in Wickersley.

Ryan Shepherd, senior planning officer at Rotherham Council, said in a memo: "Considering the potential cumulative impact of the two proposals, together the developments would result in the loss of two A1 units and reduce the overall number of units within the primary shopping frontage by 1. It would reduce lawful A1 uses to 64%, contrary to Draft Policy SP23.

"Even if a degree of flexibility regarding appropriate uses is employed the proposals, cumulatively, would reduce the percentage of A1 uses below the threshold set out in Draft Policy SP23 and therefore would not be supported.

"Furthermore I consider that there is flexibility within the Local Plan to consider the development of A4 uses in a number of locations outside of Primary Shopping Frontages. Finally I do not consider that the evidence presented regarding the vitality and viability of the centre outweighs my concerns regarding the compliance of the proposed developments with Local Plan policies.

"I remain of the view that the applications should be refused as contrary to Draft Policies SP22 Development Within Town, District and Local Centres and SP23 Primary Shopping Frontages (as proposed to be amended)."

The Courtyard Facebook page
Olive Lounge website

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News: New Dinnington development provides perfect fit for ULMA

ULMA Packaging Limited, the world leader in design and production of packaging machinery, has agreed a 15-year lease on a manufacturing and office facility in Rotherham.

Part of the Spanish ULMA Group, the packaging subsidiary has developed technologies and automated systems that are used by producers to seal fresh produce, meat, ready meals and many other food products.

Landlord, Rotherham-based Technical Cranes Limited, has undertaken a speculative development consisting of three high-quality, industrial units on land at the former Dinnington Colliery. A pre-let lease agreement was secured by Commercial Property Partners LLP (CPP) and involves ULMA moving from its Worksop base to the 15,200 sq ft Unit Two on Church Lane.

A market leader in new and used overhead cranes and gantry cranes, Technical Cranes operates from the Dinnington site and had plans approved to make use of the remaining space. Unit 1 on the site is occupied by a steel fabricating company.

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Ed Norris, Partner at CPP's Yorkshire office, said: "Pre-let projects are few and far between for units of this size, so we are delighted to have secured this 15 year lease agreement on behalf of Technical Cranes, positioning them as a serious developer with a rapidly increasing portfolio."

Jordan Simpson of Technical Cranes, said: "Even before the foundations were laid, CPP were able to secure ULMA Packaging as the first tenant at Church Lane. As a development project with ULMA in mind from the onset we have therefore been able to tailor the warehouse and office space plans to their needs.

"We now look forward to securing occupiers on the last remaining unit as we head towards completion of unit 3, a 9,500 sq ft manufacturing and distribution facility."

James Couldwell, financial director at ULMA Packaging, said: "We are excited to move into new premises which have been fitted out entirely based on our needs, affording us the space needed to meet the requirements of our customers from across the UK and further afield."

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Along with the move, the firm has taken on new staff including Louise Pearson as sales and marketing co-ordinator.

Chris Pickles, UK managing director at ULMA, said: "We have grown significantly in such a short period of time – meaning that strategic appointments of the right calibre of personnel are absolutely vital to the future growth of the business. We are very pleased to have attracted someone of Louise's skill-set and experience to our team. Add those skills to a dynamic "Can Do" attitude, and I'm sure that both Louise and ULMA will undoubtedly benefit from this appointment."

ULMA Packaging website
Technical Cranes website
CPP website

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News: More budget challenges for Rotherham Council

Bosses at Rotherham Council are looking at ways to cut a further £30m from its budget over the next two years as government austerity and overspending in children's services and adult's social care continue.

The authority has already made savings of £162m between 2011/12 to 2017/18 in response to the Government's austerity measures which has seen substantial cuts to local authority funding.

For 2018/19, the Council has a budget of over £200m and was required to find savings of £15.2m, with further savings of £30m required over the period 2019/20 and 2020/21.

The focus has been on identifying "efficiency savings" and also on maximising income generation opportunities in order to minimise the impact on front line services to the public.

Due to pressures on children's services and adult's social care, the Council is already forecasting year-end overspend of £5.8m for 2018/19, even after taking account of a £10m budget contingency.

A paper to an upcoming cabinet meeting states: "In response to meeting the challenge of funding reductions and rising cost pressures as a result of increased demand for services, the Council will continue to examine service change and improvement work across the Council."

It means that the authority will need to do things differently, do less of some things and stop doing others. Following the reductions in central grants, changes to government funding for adult's services and to how business rates are retained are not expected to happen until 2020.

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Sharon Kemp, chief executive at Rotherham Council, said: "After setting the budget in February we immediately went straight in, in March, looking at how we make the further savings that are required in the following two years. We are currently in the middle of working through that in terms of what the opportunities and challenges are and that will come back to members in September, and for public consultation.

"It is a challenging year, probably more so than others. We are obviously looking at what some of the feedback is that comes from government that will come out later in the year. The national situation around children and adults demands and challenges continue and we know that certainly they are areas of challenges for us.

"The key message is that we are working really hard as a senior leadership team to look at, within designed criteria, proposals that we can bring forward to find just over £30m worth of savings over the next two years."

Judith Badger, strategic director for finance & customer services at Rotherham Council, added: "By no means are we in a crisis position, I wouldn't want people thinking we are going to collapse at anytime very soon, but it is a serious situation that we have to get our costs down significantly and a lot of that will have to come out of social care unless the Government chooses to give us more funding.

"And there is no option about that. The money we spend on social care is such a significant proportion of the entire council, that you could not obliterate the rest of the Council and still balance the budget in future years.

"We do have some reserves, a small amount of "give" to cover off crisis but it is not a planned approach that we would want and it would not be sustainable in the future. So we have to have a significant reduction in our spend. The work that we are doing now is entirely aimed at addressing that, but doing it in a safe and appropriate way."

As previously reported by Rothbiz, the Rotherham Youth Enterprise service was cut with budget proposals to reduce the team down to two staff.

The regeneration and environment directorate has taken the lead in the council becoming more commercial and offered a number of income generating proposals. Investing £4.7m to create 50,000 sq ft of new business space for inward investors and growing companies at Beighton Link is expected to be completed in 2019.

Plans have also been approved to enable the authority to create a new £4.7m camping and caravan park at Rother Valley Country Park.

On further commercial opportunities, Kemp added: "We are looking at where are some of those ideas that come up through the organisation through some of our experiences. But also using our colleagues in the LGA [Local Government Association] to look at where other people may have looked at for income generation. We want to maximise that but we've got to be realistic that, given the size of our budget challenge, income generation, whilst it'll be an important contribution, is not going to be significant in the overall scale of what we need to achieve in the time period we need to achieve it."

In a recent meeting, Cllr. Brian Steele, chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board said that the authority was just "going round the magic roundabout" in working to set budgets that were then not met due to overspends in social care.

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, responded: "We are all acutely aware of the problem and the challenge to make budget decisions earlier in the year. We've eked out a few weeks but are not in the place I think you and I would like us to get to. Cabinet are already meeting regularly to look at early budget options and we'll be able to start bringing those through relatively soon."

RMBC website

Images: RMBC / Google Maps

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News: Grimm & Co a White Rose finalist

Grimm & Co, the innovative literacy charity that brings a truly unique retail offering to Rotherham's High Street, has been named as a finalist at the prestigious White Rose Awards 2018, the largest celebration of tourism in the UK.

Opening in a former pub in 2016, the Apothecary to the Magical sells wild schemes, evil plots, charms, curses and kitchenware. It was recently voted "No. 159 best shop for all things wicked" by Witch? magazine.

Above the shop, the Yorkshire charity runs innovative storytelling and writing workshops for children in the local area, to unleash their imaginations and build confidence, self-respect and communication skills.

Run by tourism member organisation, Welcome to Yorkshire, the awards recognise the very best of this county's thriving tourism industry including pubs and restaurants, food and drink, hotels and caravan sites, visitor attractions, cultural events and customer service.

Grimm & Co will go up against the county's best in the Small Attraction of the Year category.

A spokesperson for Grimm & Co said: "The elves haven't stopped doing their happy dance yet!"

Just being a finalist means that the charity will be profiled by Welcome to Yorkshire and could receive a mystery shopper visit and feedback reports.

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Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the White Rose Award Judges, said: "Winning a White Rose Award is a real accolade for Yorkshire's tourism businesses and the task of shortlisting has been harder than ever. The standard of entries has been exceptional which is evidenced by the strength of the shortlists. It is testimony to the remarkable range and quality of the region's tourism offer. With such tough competition, and a record 170 entries, selecting the winners this year is going to be extremely difficult."

Sir Gary Verity DL, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, added: "The White Rose Awards are the largest and most prestigious in the UK's hospitality and tourism industry and we have some really exciting finalists this year from both new and established businesses. The awards are a brilliant opportunity to shine the spotlight on the fantastic experiences to be had in Yorkshire. As well as the coveted gongs expect a night of first class entertainment - an event not to be missed!"

The year's event - "Yorkshire's Big Night Out" will see more than a thousand people celebrate at the Harrogate Convention Centre on November 12 2018. A recent study found that tourism in Yorkshire is worth £8 billion annually.

Grimm & Co website
Welcome to Yorkshire website

Images: Grimm & Co

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News: Crawshaw staking future growth on factory stores

The Rotherham-based Crawshaw Group Plc, the UK's leading value butcher, has continued to be hit by challenging high street trading conditions.

The AIM-listed Hellaby firm reported a trading update ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which looked at the 20 weeks to June 17 2018. Group sales were at -1.6% with like-for-like sales down 12.9% for the same period.

Crawshaws said that the trading performance of high street shops remains challenging and "reflects the widely reported lower footfall and softer consumer sentiment." However, it added that the factory shop format continues to perform well in this environment.

The results follow on from disappointing financial results for the year to January 28 where group revenue rose 1% to £44.6m but there was an underlying operating loss of £2.0m, an increase from the £1.1m loss reported in 2017.

The group also reported a statutory loss before tax of £13.5m, compared with a loss of £1.4m the previous year, due to a one off non cash impairment charge of £10.6m and £0.8m exceptional costs.

A transformational 2017 deal with the 2 Sisters Food Group enabled Crawshaw to restart its accelerated new store opening programme, with an initial focus on factory shop locations.

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The pre-AGM statement added: "There are numerous key sales-driving and cost-saving initiatives currently being undertaken to improve performance in our high street estate including the strategic development of our central production to enable us to re-align the store labour model and improve instore efficiencies while promoting our high standards of customer service. With these initiatives well underway, we believe the majority of our high street stores are capable of generating an improved return.

"We continue to work through this period of transition as we rebalance the portfolio away from its historical dependence on high streets and towards the unique and successful factory shop format, which underpins the long-term profitability of the business. We have opened a further two factory shops in the year taking our total to 12 within the estate and these shops are trading in line with the Board's expectations. We plan to open a further three new shops of this type during the remainder of current financial year."

Jim Viggars, Chief Executive Officer at Crawshaw plc, said: "Whilst the trading performance in our high street estate remains challenging, our team of great colleagues will strive to capture available growth. Our factory shops continue to perform well, and I am confident that repositioning the Group towards the successful factory shop model will strengthen Crawshaws' position as the country's best value butcher and improve the long-term profitability of the business."

Crawshaw Group plc website

Images: Crawshaw

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News: Business loan supports spa makeover

An award-winning massage therapist from Rotherham launched her dream spa after securing a lifeline Start Up loan from Finance For Enterprise.

After leaving university, Lindsey Jones from Ravenfield in Rotherham, carved out a successful career for herself in the retail industry but decided to turn her back on her regional management role. Opting to explore her passion for spa therapy, she secured a role with a leading skincare specialist where she could expand her existing beauty knowledge.

Equipped with a wealth of spa and wellness knowledge at her fingertips, Lindsey started offering treatments in her spare time; working from home and steadily developing a loyal client base.

Outgrowing the home, Lindsey found her perfect premises in the form of a Grade II listed property on the historic high street in Tickhill, Doncaster – yet appearances can sometimes be deceptive. Despite loving the look of the property from the outside, she realised that the inside needed its own major makeover.

Having been turned down for finance from the banks, the entrepreneur contacted the Doncaster-based alternative lending provider, Finance For Enterprise, which helps SME businesses to access funds required to launch, grow and expand.

Within just a few weeks her Start Up Loan application had been granted, enabling Lindsey to purchase the lease on the property, order equipment and obtain additional stock.

Sooner than anticipated, Lindsey found herself up against another barrier. Realising the renovations were more substantial than she originally anticipated, Lindsey turned to Finance for Enterprise for further support and was able to secure a top-up on her loan. The additional funding allowed her to successfully overhaul the new premises and complete a re-brand of the business within just two weeks.

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Since launching The Apothecary Urban Spa just two years ago, Lindsey has successfully created three new roles within the business, recruiting one full time Therapist and two Apprentice Therapists who are both under 19 years old, whilst developing over 20 bespoke treatments including full body massages, facials and manicures and pedicures.

Lindsey Jones, founder of The Apothecary Salon (pictured, right), said: "When I left my career in retail I wanted to achieve better job satisfaction, whilst also pursuing my interests in the spa and wellness industry. The power of spa and beauty therapies and how they can help people to relax and unwind is something that has always interested me and I was keen to explore this further with my business.

"As the business began to grow, I felt that I was trapped: reminders of my work would be the first thing I would see in the morning and the last thing I would see at night. I no longer enjoyed being self-employed and knew that something had to change.

"After I spoke to Gillian, my investment manager at Finance For Enterprise, she helped me to believe in myself and revived my business confidence. Without the loan and guidance from Finance For Enterprise, my business wouldn't be where it is now. I think myself lucky every day for being able to be my own boss and to have the support from Gillian whenever I need it."

Gillian Pickard, investment manager at Finance For Enterprise (pictured, left), added: "For many new businesses, accessing finance can be a major barrier; one which can inhibit growth and even force the business to close. As an investment manager my role is to encourage entrepreneurs to overcome the obstacles they face, helping them to access the right support at the right time.

"Working alongside Lindsey, I was able to secure her a small loan with the Government initiative Start Up Loans, as well as a top up of the loan further into her business journey. The funding she has received has enabled her to re-brand her business, operate from premises, renovate her salon, recruit her first members of staff and introduce a number of tailored treatments."

Lindsey was awarded the title of Start-Up Business of the Year at Doncaster Chamber Awards last year and is setting her sights on developing the business and expanding the property, with plans to open a beauty training school to help aspiring therapists learn the tricks of the trade.

The Apothecary Urban Spa website
Finance for Enterprise website

Images: The Apothecary Urban Spa / Finance for Enterprise

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News: Rotherham gym enters administration

The i-Motion Gym in Rotherham has gone into administration.

Gareth Evans, a former professional rugby player chose Rotherham to launch the first gym as an exciting new entrant in the premium, low cost gym sector. £1.2m was invested in the refurbishment of the former 15,500 sq ft Energie gym on Stoddard Way in Parkgate in 2013.

A 21,000 sq ft gym opened at the Guildhall Shopping Centre in Stafford opened in 2016.

The gyms continue to trade whilst a buyer is sought.

Earlier this month, Sarah Bell and Steven Muncaster of Duff & Phelps have been appointed joint administrators of i-Motion Gym Ltd.

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Sarah Bell, joint administrator, said: "The leisure industry is currently facing difficult trading conditions as rents and business rates continue to rise. Alongside this, increasingly competitive pricing strategies in the fitness area have made it challenging for providers to remain both competitive and profitable. These factors have contributed towards the company entering administration and sadly, one redundancy has been made.

"We are continuing to trade the business whilst a buyer is sought and we encourage all interested parties to get in touch."

The rateable value of the Rotherham unit is £94,000 meaning that business rates are around £46,000 a year.

i Motion's Rotherham gym is split into four workout zones – functional, free weights, cardiovascular and group exercise. it has more than 160 pieces of state of the art Matrix fitness equipment, a spinning studio and a dedicated group exercise studio.

i-Motion Gym website

Images: i-Motion

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News: United Caps to build £19m Rotherham factory

United Caps, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, has announced that it will invest some €20m in a new production facility in Rotherham.

Based in Luxembourg and formerly known as Procap, the company is a European leader in the development, production and sale of plastic caps and closures. A preferred partner to the world's leading companies, United Caps produces custom designed specialty closures for the likes of Arla, Danone, Unilever, L'Oréal and Pfizer.

In an update on growth initiatives for 2018 and beyond, company bosses confirmed that it plans to extend its operations in the UK with a new United Caps plant in Dinnington, Rotherham.

The company said: "As part of UNITED CAPS' "Close to You" strategy, the company is also planning a new facility in Dinnington close to Sheffield in the UK.

"The initial facility will be 5,000 square meters [54,000 sq ft], with an option to expand to 20,000 square meters [215,000 sq ft] as business growth demands.

"Production is expected to begin at the end of 2019 and will initially focus on beverage and dairy closures, with options to add additional segments as needed.

"This project represents an estimated €20 million investment including the first phase of machinery and is expected to increase group turnover by 15% in phase one."

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United Caps currently has seven production plants across Europe, in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg (pictured) and Spain. It employs around 529 staff.

The investment in Rotherham is being backed by a £1.5m direct grant from the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority. Documents show that funding from the Sheffield City Region Business Investment Fund has been approved which will be used for the construction and fit out of a production plant that will create 40 new jobs.

Based around the reclaimed Dinnington colliery, the area in the south of the borough is a proven business location, home to the likes of Macalloy, Johnston Press and Quartzelec. Local spec developer EV Waddington is active in the area and 31 East is being brought forward by experts at St Paul's Developments. With Enterprise Zone status, the 43 acre site on Todwick Road is adjacent to the existing 45 acre Dinnington Business Park.

United Caps, which had net sales of €137m in 2017, has made a number of acquisitions in recent years and is opening a new manufacturing plant in Malaysia at the end of 2018. The firm also invests in R&D such as developing greener enclosures using plant-based plastics rather than petroleum-based plastic.

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In addition to investing in production, the company has extended its R&D centre located in Messia, France to develop both standard and bespoke products more quickly. About 50% of United Caps' products are created through customer collaboration with the design labs to develop bespoke closures tuned to their specific requirements. In one recent example, Nestlé was seeking a closure for its Nescafé Gold coffee that would support the high-quality image of Nescafé and stand out on the shelf.

Nestlé was aiming for a classy brushed metal look for its new packaging. This required a 100% metallic material to be wrapped around the skirt of a closure, something that had never been done before. United Caps was able to overcome several challenges that were deemed to be impossible, reaching full production in just two years.

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News: AMP expansion plans approved

A further 430,500 sq ft of commercial space can be created on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham after plans were approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council.

Landowner and developer, Harworth Group, applied for outline permission that would provide consent for around 35 acres of land to be used for flexible high quality business, manufacturing and office floorspace. An upper floor limit of 430,500 sq ft is proposed with 5% of which being proposed for B1a office use.

Previously the site of the Orgreave coking works and opencast mining, the application site has recently been restored and engineered to provide development platforms to accommodate future employment units. It includes a strip of land between the existing units and the Parkway.

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Nigel Hancock, assistant planning manager at Rotherham Council, said: "The area has proved to be extremely successful and popular, with the likes of Boeing and McLaren taking units, and of course the university's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

"In 2012, members of the planning board at the time approved an application to create development plateaus in an area to the south west of the existing AMP. And again in 2016, for a further strip of land for further development.

"That was just the regrading works to create the development plateaus, it didn't authorise anything. Since then we've had a number of applications, notably McLaren, which is now more or less completed.

"We've had detailed applications as occupiers have come forward, knowing exactly what they want but we are now at a stage where the landowner wants a bit more degree of certainty over the remaining areas and be in a stronger position to be able to advertise and sell the development space."

Matters of access, layout, scale, appearance and plot landscaping are reserved for future consideration as potential occupiers come forward but plans have already been updated to open up the landscaping along the Parkway that will help show the AMP buildings and demonstrate its importance.

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Hancock added: "We don't have any objections in principle to this development. The main considerations really are what the impact of this level of development would have on the local highway network, the layout of the roads, the landscaping and how it all fits together."

Highways England initially raised concerns regarding the impact on junction 33 of the M1. Updating the travel plan, including informing end users of public transport and other methods of reducing single occupancy car trips, has allayed the agency's fears.

With a condition attached to the planning approval, it is expected that with robust measures in place within the travel plan, the impact on the Parkway and M1 will be at an acceptable level.

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

Plans for earthworks and new access roads to support further residential development on the Waverley site were also approved.

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News: Fit-out to start at University Centre Rotherham

All construction work is complete at the new £10.5m university campus in Rotherham town centre and the next stage is moving in furniture and further interior alterations.

The University Centre Rotherham (UCR) includes specialist teaching facilities, seminar and lecture rooms, library, café and independent and group study spaces. The RNN Group is due to open the campus on Doncaster Gate in autumn 2018.

An event was recently held on site to mark the building as watertight. Current students from Rotherham College and North Notts College who have previously visited the site in earlier stages, were invited to see UCR at almost completion.

Alan Neal, construction manager for Willmott Dixon and manages the UCR project. He said: "As the manager of this project I'm extremely proud to see the progress of the university centre, and a close relationship with RNN Group has only made it a smoother process.

"It's been a fantastic experience, with over 400 students from all three Colleges visiting the site and being able to work on a project that gives back to the community is something that I'm very passionate about."

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UCR is a brand new campus dedicated to offering degrees and professional training qualifications, providing a state-of-the-art teaching facility in the heart of Rotherham. There are a wide variety of degree courses accredited by top universities and awarding bodies, including Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Hull, with plans for over 50 courses to be running at UCR by 2020.

Jana Checkley, director of Higher Education and Skills for RNN Group, said: "The progress has been rapid and exciting and the communication with Willmott Dixon has been incredible.

"We've seen a lot of interest from potential students at recruitment fairs and open events, and we look forward to welcoming them to the first dedicated degree-focused centre in Rotherham, when the doors open in September."

An open event is being held at the College's Wharncliffe restaurant tomorrow where local employers are being invited to find out what the facility has to offer for businesses.

UCR website

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News: BT planning free Wi-Fi for Rotherham town centre

Telecoms giant, BT, looks set to steal a march on Rotherham Council's plans for free Wi-Fi in Rotherham town centre by bringing its phoneboxes into the 21st century.

The InLinkUK from BT service is delivered through a collaborative approach that sees traditional BT phone boxes replaced by new "InLinks" - fully-accessible community structures that can provide free ultrafast Wi-Fi, free UK landline and mobile calls and free mobile device charging.

At no cost to the taxpayer, the structures are paid for by advertising. BT is working with leading UK outdoor advertising company Primesight and urban innovation company Intersection. So far, around 150 InLinks are active in the UK, having been launched in London last year.

Now a series of planning applications have been submitted that would enable BT to replace phoneboxes on Howard Street, College Street and Upper Millgate in the town centre.

Powered by 100% renewable energy, InLinks have two 55" HD digital displays for advertising and are also used for real-time information, such as travel updates and weather forecasts. Each council is also provided with 5% of screen time​ on each InLink to promote and educate. This allocation is equivalent to 438 hours of screen time on each InLink every year.

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Users need to provide an email address to access the free Wi-Fi and so far over 100,000+ users have registered to access speeds that are up to 1 Gb per second within 100 metres. 587,000+ free phone calls have also been made.

Neil Scoresby, general manager for Payphones and InLink at BT, said: "We're really excited by InLinkUK from BT and the popularity of its services, such as free ultrafast Wi-Fi and free calls, show that it's proving a hit with customers as well. We're in discussion with many local councils about installing more InLinks and we're looking forward to rolling out InLinks to more London boroughs and major cities across the UK."

Matt Bird, general manager for InLinkUK, added: "We are making great progress in our journey of creating smart communities, and with the InLinks offering free ultrafast wi-fi and a host of other free digital services, we are well on our way to achieving this in key UK cities."

Rothbiz reported in May that Rotherham Council is developing a free Wi-Fi scheme using a concession contract that would see a private company install superfast and ultrafast broadband equipment in exchange for providing the bidder with exclusive use of council-owned street lights and street furniture for wireless communications.

As well as covering the main town centre shopping district, the proposal would also cover public open spaces such as Clifton Park.

InLink UK website

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News: World Cup hat trick for Macalloy

Few English teams have the consistent levels of success in World Cups like the team at Macalloy in Rotherham who are once again on the world stage for Russia 2018.

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.

Macalloy products are used throughout the construction industry and have been featured in many prestigious global projects. Rotherham-made products can be found inside four of the venues used at the 2018 World Cup, currently taking place across Russia.

Macalloy has provided specialist products for one of the tournament's most striking venues, the Mordovia Arena in Saransk, which is hosting four games.

Macalloy has provided galvanised M48 tension bars, turnbuckles and connection discs to help support the roof.

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On the bank of the Insar river, the stadium will have a capacity of 41,685 for the tournament and following this, some of the stadium's temporary structures will be demolished, bringing the capacity down to 25,000. This will make the arena more effective in the future, with the space vacated being used for indoor volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, as well as fitness centres. The stadium will be home to FC Mordovia.

The design uses a blend of orange, red and white, a colour scheme that reflects the traditional folk art of the native Mordvin peoples. FIFA's stadium guide explains: "The walls and the roof form a solid shell of perforated steel panels, painted in bright colours. This shell is elevated above the basement, creating the impression of lightness, a hovering effect. At a distance, the building resembles an air balloon, ready to take off. The architects had meant the shape and coloration of the shell of Mordovia Arena to evoke warmth, the sun, hospitality, and a warm welcome."

At the Kaliningrad Stadium, with its orthogonal facades, Macalloy has provided galvanised M30 Tension Rods with fork pin lockcovers and turnbuckles. The five-level stadium building has three tiers of outdoor stalls and is shaped as a rectangle with rounded edges.

Built specifically for Russia 2018 on Oktyabrsky Island, right in the heart of Kaliningrad, the 33,973 capacity multi-purpose venue is hosting four games at the tournament including England's final group game against Belgium.

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Macalloy, which moved into purpose built facilities on the site of the former Dinnington Colliery in 2006, 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.

The growing firm is already planning ahead to 2022 and Qatar.

Macalloy website

Images: FIFA

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News: Magtec re-powers bin lorry in UK first

Magtec, the UK's largest supplier of electric vehicle drive systems, has successfully re-powered a refuse collection vehicle at the end of its normal working life with an electric motor.

Founded in 1992, MAGTEC designs and manufactures electric drive systems and components for a wide range of applications including trucks, buses and military vehicles.

In 2016 the firm relocated its Sheffield truck conversion facility to Templeborough in Rotherham, taking over a 16,000 sq ft unit at the same time as taking on a second manufacturing site in Sheffield of 27,000 sq ft.

In partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and DG Cities, the project secured funding from Innovate UK to test the viability of the technology and make the economic case for repowering heavy commercial vehicles.

The prototype will be tested alongside the existing refuse fleet, managed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

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The UK needs to meet EU legislative targets for air quality and regional and local authorities are seeking new ways to lower emissions that are within their sphere of influence. Magtec's repowering of a 26-ton Royal Borough of Greenwich vehicle will offer significant CO2 reductions over diesel fleets as well as significant noise reduction benefits.

Compared to a diesel Refuse Collection Vehicle that is double shifted and does a 50 mile/day route, the pure electric vehicle gives a savings of 35-tons of CO2e per year. With annual sales of new refuse vehicles in the UK around 1,250 a year, the potential for UK wide emissions savings is significant.

The truck is powered by a standard three-phase 32 amp, so no special charge station is needed. It is estimated that the modification will double the vehicle's operational life, extending it to 14 years, and generate a lifetime cost saving of up to £300,000 compared to a Euro 5 or older diesel powered model.

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Cllr. Danny Thorpe, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "We are delighted to be part of the consortium to develop and trial the first 26-tonne repowered electric refuse vehicle in the world.

"Greenwich is at the forefront of developments in areas such as smart city innovation and smart mobility. I am particularly pleased that we are pioneering technology that will help address poor air quality. This further underlines our commitment to improving the environment, as reflected in our ambitious Greener Greenwich strategy.

"I am sure residents and pedestrians will also appreciate the quiet operation of the vehicles. With this ground-breaking eRCV in operation, the loudest noise on the street on bin day in the future maybe the refuse collectors whistling."

Simon Buckley, programme director at Magtec, added: "This is a UK first, and demonstrates Magtec's commitment to innovation.

"Re-powering a heavy goods vehicle with our electronic drivetrain not only extends its life, it also removes both noise and urban pollution.

"The refuse vehicle is a perfect example of a vehicle that should be electrified as it has a known duty cycle and runs in residential areas where people are most at risk from air quality and noise pollution issues. The vehicles will also offer significant fuel and monetary savings to the operator."

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News: AMRC Training Centre supports International Women in Engineering Day

The University of Sheffield's AMRC Training Centre in Rotherham is shining a light on some of its talented female engineers ahead of this year's International Women in Engineering Day.

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.

​​International Women in Engineering Day is an international awareness campaign to raise the profile of women in engineering. It takes place on June 23 with the theme of #RaisingTheBar having grown from the UK's National Women in Engineering Day.

Apprentices and engineers at the AMRC Training Centre - which provides the practical and academic skills engineering and manufacturing companies need to compete globally – is throwing its support behind the awareness day.

Women make up less than 11% of the engineering sector in the UK and with a large skills gap looming, along with the need for a more diverse workforce, it has never been more important to inspire and encourage more people, especially women, to choose a career in engineering.

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AMRC Training Centre apprentice, Emma Sisman, works at Niftylift Ltd in Hoyland, Barnsley. The 19-year-old is training to become a quality engineer. Her role involves inspecting welded and fabricated parts to check that they are at the correct standard for the business.

Emma, whose granddad was a welder, believes that events like International Women in Engineering Day help reaffirm the positive message given to young girls and women that they can make a valuable contribution to the world of engineering.

"It shows the need for women in this area and the skills and roles they can bring to the career and industry, and shows them that it is OK and you can be comfortable doing the job you want to do," she said.

"I believe it is extremely important to encourage young girls and women to become engineers because it shows them that the industry isn't just for men but also for women as well because the majority of the time this is the issue with it being a male dominated career. But by encouraging other females to be a part of the industry that will help them to feel more comfortable."

Kathryn Jackson is the Programme Lead for the Degree Apprenticeship in Manufacturing Technology at the AMRC Training Centre. She also the chair of Nuclear AMRC's Athena SWAN team, a scheme that recognises a commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering and related fields at universities and research institutions.

Kathryn spearheaded Nuclear AMRC's successful application for the Athena SWAN bronze award in 2016 which acknowledges an institution has a solid foundation for eliminating gender bias and developing an inclusive culture that values all staff.

She said: "Through working for the Athena SWAN bronze award I have become increasingly aware of the barriers facing young women wanting to pursue a career in engineering.

"The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is leading the way for regeneration of manufacturing and we recognise that advancement in technology comes hand in hand with advancement in workplace diversity - a successful workforce employs the best talent from all demographic groups.

"Solutions to the world's biggest problems, such as tackling climate change, will come from engineers. My advice to all young women is to question their own perceptions of their career aspirations and, if they haven't done so already, consider how they could make a difference to the world through a valued career in engineering."

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Alana Brewster is an Advanced Apprentice at SNC Lavalin's Atkins group based in Sheffield. Her role sees her involved with a variety of projects, helping her to gain a range of experience in many areas of the business. She said STEM subjects have always been an interest of hers as she enjoys practical problem solving and understanding of how things work.

The 18-year-old was drawn to engineering as she liked the idea that no two days would be the same and there are always new challenges ahead. She chose the route of apprentice as it allows her to gain the skills and knowledge – both practical and academic – to be successful in industry. She said hands-on training means apprentices can put skills into practice, giving them more confidence in the workplace.

Alana, of Doncaster, is keen to see more women enter the industry. She said: "Getting more women to pursue a career in engineering would not only address the clear gender gap but a diverse workforce is also important for providing creativity, new ideas and solutions.

"More women in engineering would inspire confidence in other females, demonstrating that although engineering is currently dominated by men, integrating both males and females would bring a greater advantage to the engineering industry, especially since engineering skills are in such high demand."

AMRC Training Centre

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News: AESSEAL increases pipeline of apprentices

Innovative Rotherham manufacturer AESSEAL has announced that it is increasing its apprentice intake for 2018 to 40 places.

With its global headquarters at Templeborough, the award-winning company manufactures mechanical seals for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals.

Having had an active apprenticeship programme for many years, a high bias has been on recruiting apprenticeships for machining. For the 2018 intake, the company has decided to recruit 12 apprentices for its machine shop, but a further 28 people in other support roles.

The company's ethos is based around providing such exceptional service to customers that they need never consider alternative sources of supply.

Apprenticeships will be offered in Computer Aided Manufacturing, reliability, marketing, design, HR, business assurance, sales, the stores function, IT, the Test House, the purchasing function, the systems division, the commercial department and other internal functions at its Rotherham facilities.

At the end of the apprenticeship the successful applicants, depending on the area they hold their apprenticeship in, will be expected to achieve Engineering Technician level, or an NVQ in, for example, Marketing or Sales. Other qualifications might include BTech in Business Administration, Certificate in Warehousing and Storage, or Infrastructure Technician (IT).

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Group turnover rose to £170.6m in the year to December 31 2017 as the group benefits from the weakness of the pound. Organic sales growth was 6.75% on the previous year when adjusted for acquisitions and currency fluctuations.

Group net assets rose to £103.5m, a rise of 14.2% from 2016, and the group held a positive cash balance of £17.4m at year end, after increasing capital expenditure – which included investment of £6.8m in additional 9 and 11 axis machining capacity.

The company has continued to grow with May 2018 proving to be a record month with sales of over £16.25m.

Julia Bloomer, head of learning development at AESSEAL, said: "It is our intention to have a very significant apprentice intake, for all areas of the business, including our traditional manufacturing apprenticeships.

"We fully intend to ensure that all of our apprentice intake is given the opportunity to study appropriate qualifications. Mentors have been interviewed and selected for all areas of the business for which apprenticeships have been approved. The business is therefore confident that the apprenticeships will work both for the successful candidates and for the need of a growing organisation to hire even more great people."

AESSEAL apprentice Amber Nicholson has recently been named Apprentice of the Year in the Derby College Peak Awards. Amber is a Level 3 mechanical engineering apprentice at the AESSEAL International Seal Repair Centre in Derby and was named Apprentice of the Year in the East Midlands Enterprising Women Awards in March.

AESSEAL website

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News: Planet X on track with a focus on profits

Profits are up at Planet X following two years of restructuring at the Rotherham-based specialist in providing bikes at no-nonsense prices.

Originally founded by keen triathlete Dave Loughran in the 1990's, Planet X now sells over 10,000 bicycle products worldwide and employs 60 staff. It designs and sells under its own Planet X, On One and Titus brands. It has also acquired the respected Holdsworth and Viner brands, relaunching them by manufacturing the bikes in the UK and Italy.

For the year ending March 2018, turnover was £15m, down from the highs of £20m in previous years due to the company's strategy of focusing on the most profitable areas of the business and improving operational efficiencies. A number of redundancies were reported in 2016.

Now profit before tax for the year has risen from £1.1m to £1.8m, a 64% increase on the previous year.

With a showroom at Templeborough, Planet X previously invested in new 47,000 sq ft warehouse facilities across Rotherham, at Aldwarke.

Loughran has recently been working with Trevor Parker, chairman of strategy execution experts, NorthCo Management, to drive forward the business and support its growth ambitions. The focus is on reaching a wider consumer base online and on designing and developing its core product range.

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Dave Loughran, chief executive at Planet X, said: "Our strategy to focus upon great quality at sensible prices really resonates with an ever-savvy customer base. We are very excited with the growth opportunities of the business as we resurrect some iconic cycling brands."

Trevor Parker, chairman of NorthCo Management, added: "Planet X's profit margins are a real indicator of how the business has responded to our operational restructuring programme.

"Our focus has been on simplifying Plant X's business model in order to create a robust direct to consumer distribution platform, placing Planet X in prime position to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise. The adage of turnover is vanity, profit is sanity and cash is king is very fitting. Turnover has been sacrificed for an impressive rise in profit.

"In addition, the impact of our continued work at Planet X on the balance sheet over the year has seen us pay down debt of £2.8m so that we are now debt free and despite significant dividends being paid, cash reserves have improved by over £400k to £1.7m."

One highlight for Planet X was bringing Holdsworth, a prominent professional bike racing team of the 1970's, back to professional racing. The team secured a coveted place on the recent Tour de Yorkshire.

Planet X website

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News: Millers land Meditemp deal

Away fans will be watching Rotherham United in the Championship next season from the newly named Meditemp Stand after the club secured a new partnership deal.

Back in the second tier of English football, the Millers will welcome thousands of fans from teams up and down the country, including former European Cup and Premier league champions.

Meditemp, a provider of clinicians to various health centres throughout the UK, have signed a two-year deal with the Millers which will see their logo take a prominent position on the internal and external areas of the South Stand.

Steve Coakley, commercial director at Rotherham United, said: "We are very excited to be working alongside the team at Meditemp, and it is another new and forward thinking business to add to our portfolio of Club partners.

"This is a significant deal for both parties which will see the Meditemp name appear on our South Stand for the minimum of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

"We are thrilled to join forces with Meditemp, who are a partner which have shown a great desire to join forces and become part of what we are trying to achieve here at the Club.

"We look forward to a long and successful relationship and we can’t wait to get started."

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Rebecca Andrews, business manager at Meditemp, added: "We are delighted to be announcing our new and exciting partnership with Rotherham United, a team and a business that share the same ambitions and core values that we endorse here at Meditemp.

"There has never been a better time to join forces as our business continues to expand, whilst the Club are again enjoying a golden period in their history.

"The initial two-year deal is a real statement of commitment from both parties, and we are very excited about working alongside the Club and seeing our name appear at the fantastic AESSEAL New York Stadium."

The Sky Bet Championship season begins in August with the first home game in Rotherham on August 11 against Ipswich Town.

RUFC website
Meditemp website

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News: Rotherham Council considers support to stop Trump's steel tariffs

Councillors in Rotherham are condemning the 25% tariffs imposed on steel imports to the US, a move that could affect South Yorkshire expansion plans by Liberty Steel.

US President Donald Trump made the tariff announcement in February and from the beginning of June, America imposed a 25% tax on steel and a 10% tax on aluminium from the EU, Mexico and Canada.

The EU is the UK steel sector's biggest market but nationally 250,000 tonnes of steel was exported to the US in 2017 which amounts to £360m of exports.

In March, John Healey, Wentworth and Dearne MP, whose constituency includes Liberty Speciality Steel's Aldwarke plant, wrote to Dr Liam Fox MP, Secretary of State for International Trade, setting out his concerns that a 25% tariff could halt Liberty Steel's expansion plans.

A motion is set to be put before the Council next week that notes with alarm the imposition of 25% tariffs which it believes will be harmful both to the US and global economies.

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The motion, put forward by Cllr. Stuart Sansome, a retired steelworker and union branch secretary, asks for members to support a position where "the Council resolves that the protectionist policies of the current US administration be condemned, that the government be urged to make the strongest possible representations on behalf of the UK steel industry, and that the Community Union's "Stop Trump Tariffs" campaign be supported."

Exports to the US account for almost 12% of revenue for Liberty Speciality Steel in Rotherham and the introduction of a 25% tariff could mean the business would have to re-consider plans to increase exports to the US.

Liberty formally completed a £100m deal to acquire the Speciality Steels division of Tata Steel UK last year. It is undertaking a multi-million-pound investment by the Liberty House Group – a member of the GFG Alliance - that is creating 300 new jobs at Rotherham and its sister plant in Stocksbridge.

Roy Rickhuss, General Secretary of Community, the steelworkers' union, said: "Trade unions across the world must stand together in opposition to these measures. The problems of steel dumping will not be solved by unfair tariffs, and steelworkers in the UK and USA must not fall into the trap of believing rhetoric from the likes of Donald Trump."

Images: Liberty Speciality Steel

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