News: Plans approved for town centre unit

A prominent unit in Rotherham town centre looks set to be brought back into use after it was left empty when the tourist information centre moved out last year.

Rothbiz reported in 2018 that Rotherham Council was planning to close the dedicated visitor centre on Bridgegate, relocating services to the Makers Emporium on the nearby High Street.

Now proposals to take on the vacant unit from Crossroads Care, a prominent charity in the town, have been given the green light by Rotherham Council.

Crossroads Care is Britain's leading provider of support for carers and the people they care for. We work with over 35,000 individuals and their families, helping carers to make a life of their own outside caring. The Rotherham branch has its offices at Templeborough.

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The provider wants to use the 2,250 sq ft property facing All Saints' Square as new charity premises which would also include a shop and cafe on the ground floor with office space above.

Set to be called "The Corner," the advice centre would be complimented by a small coffee facility area and a minor sales area.

In approving the plans, Council planners said that the proposed uses will bring a vacant unit back into use in a key location within the centre and contribute towards the strategy and principles for the town centre, such as managing where the primary retail uses are located and encouraging the re-use of vacant floorspace.

Despite its prominent position, the property falls within the Secondary Shopping Frontage in planning terms. The planners add: "The retail and above ground floor elements of the proposals raise no concerns, and are in line with relevant policy."

The site makes up part of the historic White Hart Buildings. Whilst 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: "The former White Hart was closed as a result of the Ministry of Health's Order of August 1926 sanctioning the compulsory acquisition of the property for street improvements. The new public house, with entrances to Upper Millgate and Bridgegate was commissioned by Messrs Mappins Brewery and was designed by James E. Knight, Architect. The building incorporating lock up shops and a suite of offices was described as being late Georgian in design.

"The public house opened on the 12th December 1929 and closed in March 1969 following its acquisition by Barclay's Bank Ltd."

Crossroads Care website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Rotherham's Clifton Park a hit with TripAdvisor reviewers

Clifton Park on the edge of Rotherham town centre has received hundreds of rave reviews on TripAdvisor, so many in fact that it has been named in the Top 10 Amusement Parks in the United Kingdom, even beating the likes of Alton Towers and Sundown Adventureland.

The park is one of Rotherham's top attractions, with many families travelling from across the borough and beyond, to enjoy a day out within its delightful heritage landscape and the popular Clifton Park Museum.

Visitors of all ages can enjoy the open spaces, gardens, tennis courts, tree-lined avenues, water splash, amusement park, crazy golf and even a land train to take visitors to the Museum and back.

Clifton Park has been ranked fourth of all the amusement parks in the UK by TripAdvisor as part of its Travellers' Choice awards for 2019.

The awards recognise the locations that are the most popular among TripAdvisor reviewers based on millions of reviews and opinions. Award winners were determined using an algorithm based on reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and experiences in destinations worldwide over a 12-month period. The methodology takes into account quality and volume of reviews to surface destinations that consistently deliver the best overall experience for travellers.

The full list:

1 Paultons Park, Romsey
2 The Milky Way Adventure Park, Clovelly
3 Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool
4 Clifton Park, Rotherham
5 Sundown Adventureland, Retford
6 Adventure Island, Southend-on-Sea
7 Crealy Family Theme Park, Exeter
8 Brighton Palace Pier, Brighton
9 Harbour Park, Littlehampton
10 Alton Towers, Alton

On TripAdvisor Clifton Park has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 with 67% of reviewers rating it as excellent. Reviews highlight that it is "excellent for children of all ages" with "loads to do" making it a "wonderful family day out."

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One recent visitor from Northumberland took the time to review the park saying that: "The fantastic thing about the park is that every direction you go in there is a different and eclectic mix of things to do for all ages and tastes.

"The whole place is a credit to the town."

Between 1783 and 1784, Joshua Walker, of the Walker Iron & Steel Works of Masborough, and local architect John Carr, built Clifton House which included stables, outbuildings, dovecotes, fishponds, an icehouse, and wells. Clifton Park was originally laid out as the private grounds of the house, which is now Clifton Park Museum.

When the estate was put up for sale for building plots, Rotherham Council recognised the need for green space in the expanding town and bought 54 acres (22.5ha) for £25,000 in 1891.

£5,000 was spent on improvements and the park was opened to the public by the Prince and Princess of Wales on the June 25 1891. Investment in recent years includes £7.5m in 2009 to bring the walled garden back into use and to update the paddling pool with an innovative splash park.

Next month, the park plays to host to the 40th anniversary of Rotherham Show on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8.

Clifton Park website

Images: Price & Myers

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News: Education secretary "hugely impressed" by AMRC apprentices

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has highlighted the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) as a "brilliant example" of how a leading university can collaborate with industry to boost skills and jobs.

During a recent visit to the AMRC, Mr Williamson saw how it is using cutting-edge technology to drive innovations in manufacturing, while offering high-quality technical training to help boost skills and jobs in key sectors like science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Growing on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC focuses on advanced machining and materials research for aerospace and other high-value manufacturing sectors. It is a partnership between industry and academia, which has become a model for research centres worldwide.

The MP took a tour of the AMRC's Factory 2050 - a state-of-the-art facility on Sheffield Business Park that sees global powerhouses such as Boeing and McLaren Automotive, as well as smaller local employers, use advanced technologies like robotics and virtual reality to develop innovative manufacturing techniques.

The centre also provides high-quality apprenticeship training and higher education in engineering and manufacturing through the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre on the AMP in Rotherham, delivering the skills and pipeline of talent that top firms like Boeing need to compete globally.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, said: "It is absolutely vital that we continue to grow the nations' skills particularly in key areas like science, technology, engineering and maths so we have a workforce that is fit for the future. I am focused on making sure this is a priority area for this government.

"I've been hugely impressed by what I have seen here today at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. What they are doing here is a brilliant example of how one of our top universities is collaborating with global firms like Boeing as well as smaller employers to boost skills and jobs across the region.

"I would like to see more collaborations like this across the country."

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The AMRC Training Centre provides training in the practical and academic skills that manufacturing companies need to compete globally, from apprenticeship through to doctorate and MBA level.

On the visit, Mr Williamson met with AMRC Training Centre apprentices from local companies and from Boeing's European production facility in Sheffield, seeing first-hand how their training is giving them the skills they need to forge great careers in the region.

He also tried out some of the impressive technologies on show at the AMRC, including virtual reality simulations used to train workers and augmented reality for capturing data.

Chris Greaves, Head of the Integrated Manufacturing Group at the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: "We are very grateful for the Secretary of State's support on apprenticeships. Our success is down to our people and apprentices are very much key to that for us. We've been delighted with the apprentices that have come to us through the AMRC Training Centre.

"To invest more heavily in apprenticeships - to get the right skill sets into manufacturing - is not only important to us and the region but it's very important to the UK economy and manufacturing as a whole."

Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "We were delighted to show the Education Secretary how our outstanding research translates into world class manufacturing capabilities and how we are working with our industrial and regional partners to develop the skills that businesses need.

"We were particularly pleased to show the full breadth of what we have to offer - including apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses - and how they all contribute to an evolving education ecosystem."

AMRC Training Centre

Images: AMRC

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News: New chair to lead Women in Business

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber has appointed a new chair and working group members to lead its influential Women in Business working group.

Lyndsay Pitchley, business development manager of Office Friendly, starts her role in early September when the new 16 strong group and Chamber staff meet for the first time to agree an agenda for the forthcoming two years under Lyndsay's leadership.

Supported by the Chamber, the group meet regularly to come up with ideas and opportunities for creative, inspiring and interactive ways for women to network, learn, signpost and share with each other.

A former Mayor of Rotherham and a current councillor, Lyndsay is a keep advocate in championing women in business, which gained her the 2019 ATHENA International Award, following her nomination at this year's International Women's Day celebrations on the March 8.

Lyndsay, said: "I'm delighted and honoured to be representing Women in Business as chair. I aim to continue the amazing work that my predecessor Jackie has done, leading the working group to what it's become today. So cheers to the exciting future ahead for all of us!"

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Carrie Sudbury, deputy Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, added: "The appointment of Lyndsay as Chair is fantastic, and we are looking forward to working closely with the group. The new committee has a great cross section of experience and expertise to drive the Women in Business agenda across the region."

Next week, the Chamber hosts Chamber Means Business at the New York Stadium in Rotherham. The annual exhibition has been put together to give member businesses the opportunity to promote themselves and their products and services.

The doors will open at 9am and attendees will have the opportunity to network with over 50 exhibitors, hear from Sheffield City Region Mayor, Dan Jarvis MP MBE and attend a free seminar presented by Chamber Patron Westfield Health – Live Well. Think Well. Work Well from 1pm.

BR Chamber website

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News: Millmoor reuse plans submitted

Abandoned as a football league ground, the owners of Millmoor in Rotherham are looking to establish the reuse of part of the site.

Rotherham United moved into the £20m New York Stadium close to the town centre in 2012 having left Millmoor in 2008.

Without regular tenants, the home of The Millers for over 100 years has remained largely intact and is sporadically used for local football. It was set to host home games for the Rotherham Titans, the town's rugby team, but talks broke down in 2011. Just this month it hosted the Official Strongman European Championships.

C.F. Booth, one of the largest independently run recycling companies in Europe, has now submitted a planning application to enable part of Millmoor to support its scrap operations next door having secured contracts to recycle London's old trains.

Similar to plans put in place in 2012, the proposal would see land behind the main stand (where refurbishment was never completed) used to store up to 45 train cars for a temporary period of 36 months.

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Established in 1920, C.F. Booth is a family firm that has grown from its beginnings as a local metal trader and specialises in metal recycling and metal ingot manufacturing of both ferrous and non ferrous metals for UK import and export. It supplies industries from small machine shops through to marine and aerospace work and has a turnover of around £140m.

The site is allocated as mixed use in the borough's local plan. The application states: "The area proposed for temporary storage of train cars is the car park to the West of the stadium, being the same area previously used for storage.

"At 10-14 day intervals new rail cars are to be delivered to CF Booth Rotherham Ltd and it is planned that the majority of rail cars delivered to CF Booth Ltd and although delivery of the trains are not under control of CF Booth Ltd, these are carefully planned by the rail network to avoid deliveries during busy times and potential congestion."

The company expects to dismantle four rails cars per week.

The 1st TFL Class 315 arrives at CF Booths Rotherham destined for the cutters torch. @RailOpsGroup 37800 arrives through Rotherham Masborough and round the corner to Holmes Jnc. A very quick reverse shunt and 315850 has run on @networkrail metals for the last time. @Clinnick1 pic.twitter.com/r3qObpprhJ

— Darren...JB (@Rail_Photter) October 20, 2018

Associated with the scrapping of diesel and electric locomotives since the 1960's the company is now one of the largest rolling stock recyclers in the UK, working with several of the main rail operating companies.

As Transport for London (TfL) receives new trains and carriages from the likes of Bombardier in Derby, an old carriage is sent up North to Booth's scrapyard to be stripped and recycled.

In recent years, close to 100 parts of rolling stock more commonly found on the Circle, Hammersmith & City and District lines of the London Underground have reached the end of the line in Rotherham.

TfL is currently replacing its class 315 trains that operate on the London Overground.

C.F. Booth website

Images: Google Maps

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News: HS2 review to look at links to Northern Powerhouse Rail

A potential pan-Northern rail system that would certainly provide more benefits to Rotherham could be prioritised ahead of the North-South HS2 project depending on the results of a recently announced Government review.

Last week, transport secretary Grant Shapps announced an independently-led government review that will look at whether and how HS2 should proceed, using all existing evidence on the project to consider its benefits and impacts, affordability and efficiency, deliverability and scope, its phasing, including its relationship with Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Rothbiz has previously reported on potential new stations in Rotherham and in the Dearne Valley on a proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) line - a rapid, reliable and resilient rail network between the North's six biggest cities and other economic centres. The stations would also boost the economic benefits for the Sheffield city region (SCR) from HS2.

There is opposition to the HS2 scheme from within Rotherham since a 2b route realignment was recommended in 2016.

Terms of reference for the new review include analysis of cost reductions such as building only Phase 1, combining Phases 1 and 2a and different choices or phasing of Phase 2b, taking account of the interfaces with NPR.

The review is also expected to rigorously examine and state its view on "whether and how the project could be reprioritised; in particular, whether and, if so how, Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) (including the common sections with HS2 Phase 2b) could be prioritised over delivering the southern sections of HS2."

It will also look at "whether any improvements would benefit the integration of HS2, NPR and other rail projects in the north of England or Midlands."

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A number of proposals for improving rail services in Rotherham feature in a new strategic plan launched by the Sheffield city region (SCR), including a long-discussed new mainline station.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: "The Prime Minister has been clear that transport infrastructure has the potential to drive economic growth, redistribute opportunity and support towns and cities across the UK, but that investments must be subject to continuous assessment of their costs and benefits.

"That's why we are undertaking this independent and rigorous review of HS2."

Cllr. Chris Read, leader of Rotherham Council, said: "I welcome the Government's announcement of their review to examine the costs and benefits of HS2. If ministers would like to speak to residents in Bramley, Aston, Wales or beyond they will hear loud and clear that the M18 route would only bring years of inconvenience, no local benefits, and at a huge cost. People are quite rightly angry and upset.

"We already know that the government has downgraded the proposal through South Yorkshire, thinking they can make savings by giving us a second class service.

"Now they have the opportunity to reconsider; either join us up to the network properly by moving the proposal back to Meadowhall, or save us all the trouble and the huge bill by cancelling the phase 2b leg altogether."

HS2 website

Images: HS2

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News: Carlton Park launches first vegan menu

Carlton Park Hotel is setting its sights on becoming the first venue in the borough to offer a unique menu, catering specifically for vegans after seeing a rising demand from guests requesting plant-based meals.

Set to be launched this week, the new menu will bring together to range of meat-free and dairy-free dishes which are all made using locally sourced produce. The decision to introduce the new menu was taken in a bid to provide vegans with a range of appetising dishes and brings together a range of tasty vegan treats, as well as meat free alternatives to some of the most popular choices on the hotel's menu.

In a genuine first for a Rotherham hotel, the new menu is the culmination of many months of planning and testing. Developed under the watchful eye of head chef Paul Spruce (pictured) and designed to offer greater choices for those who follow a meat and dairy free diet and will be available alongside the hotel's recently launched summer menu, which has the addition of a range of new dishes including fresh mussels, and for those with larger appetites, the chance to tuck in to a whole chicken!

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The move comes as the popular Moorgate hotel begins its preparations for one of the busiest and most important times on the hotel calendar, Christmas and Carlton Park is setting its sights on a record breaking year after welcoming more than 8,000 guests during 2018.

Following a recent inspection, Rotherham's only independently owned hotel was awarded a Five Star food hygiene rating – the highest standard awarded from the Food Standards Agency, reflecting the venue's commitment to delivering exceptional standards of service and quality.

Jason Gossop, sales manager at Carlton Park Hotel, said: "In recent years, we have seen the numbers of guests who follow a vegan diet rise significantly and whilst we have always offered a small selection of dishes to cater for their needs, we wanted vegans to enjoy a similar variety of choice and options as our meat eating diners – and this means creating choice. The menu is the result of many months of research and development by Paul and his team and we are planning to release the new dishes, at the end of August.

"The recent food inspection report we have received has re-affirmed our commitment towards upholding the highest standards when it comes to the quality of our food and the five star rating reflects our commitment towards delivering the highest possible standards. As we start to gear up towards our preparations for Christmas, the new dishes which are designed to appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike will offer greater choices for discerning diners, which showcase the high quality produce readily available on our doorstep."

Carlton Park Hotel website

Images: Carlton Park

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News: Details of Metalysis administration revealed

The results of the administration of Metalysis Ltd, the innovative Rotherham-based company, included 47 redundancies and around £8m owed to creditors, on top of the millions secured over the years from investors who are unlikely to now see a return.

The game-changing technology and multi-million pound Rotherham facilities are now owned by a Maltese-headquartered mining group.

The Manvers company held 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. With a Materials Discovery Centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), also in Rotherham, the firm raised millions for research and to build towards commercial production.

Administrators were brought in after the firm, which employed 60 staff, experienced financial difficulties predominantly due to an extended recent investment round. Metalysis was acquired last month by Power Resources Group, a metallic materials science company which operates in Rwanda and Macedonia.

Metalysis was pre-revenue and had recently successfully got up to industrial scale with its fourth generation plant (Gen4), creating tonnes of high value metals.

Documents filed by joint administrators Eddie Williams and Chris Petts of Grant Thornton UK LLP show that the terms of a loan from US venture capital firm, Hercules, and pressure from HMRC regarding tax arrears, led to bosses of the Cambridge University spinout seeking buyers and eventually placing the business into administration.

The documents state: "In order to reach the stage were the technology could be fully commercialised, the directors actively sought to raise further equity, of c£15m. The business plan was to utilise these proceeds to continue research and development, or possible production of further Gen4 machines, which in turn would generate revenue. The plan was for the business to be breakeven within three years.

"This fundraising continued for 12 months prior to the company's administration, but was not successful for a number of reasons."

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Existing investors, which included Woodford Investment Management and Australian minerals firm, Iluka Resources Limited, were no longer in a position to invest and problems were incurred over the complex share structure, the complex technology and that much of the funding was for working capital.

A 2018 fundraising of £12m included a $7.5m loan from Hercules Capital which included a covenant that stated that the business must maintain liquidity of at least $2.5m at all times. With cash running out and fund raising unlikely, employees agreed to work a four day week but by April the covenant was breached and discussions over a possible sale and administration began.

Two indicative offers were received in May, but due to short timescales, they did not progress. The documents also show that the Government was approached over providing breaching funds, but they were unable to do so.

With administrators appointed in June, the business continued to trade whilst a buyer was found. Indeed, turning off the Gen4 machine may have led to significant costs in restarting it.

No interested parties offered any working capital and so 37 redundancies were made on June 14. 49 redundancies were made in total.

Of the two indicative offers, the higher did not progress and four further offers for the business and assets were received. Working quickly, the bid from Power Resources Group was accepted and the $2.5m deal included the transfer of ten employees.

the successful bid was assessed to offer the best result for the creditors, notably Hercules Capital who stand to get $2m of their $3.7m debt as a secured creditor. Money owed to unsecured creditors stands at £5.8m.

Metalysis website

Images: Metalysis

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News: £2m investment into the future

An ambitious proposal to bring more events to Rotherham has been successful in securing funding from Arts Council England.

£2m in funding has been awarded through the National Lottery Creative People and Places programme which focuses on parts of the country where involvement in arts and culture is significantly below the national average. A total of 12 projects are receiving funding, nine of which are based in locations brand new to the Creative People and Places network which includes Rotherham.

Flux Capacitor aims to get more people creative, more often and support as many people in Rotherham to engage in cultural activities including music, art and theatre. The action-research programme is designed to engage Rotherham's communities in arts and culture. The programme will transform local people's involvement in leading and shaping relevant cultural provision.

The name is taken from the popular 80's film "Back to the Future" where the DeLorean uses a Flux Capacitor to power the engine, the name also supports the Young People's Manifesto for re-imagining Rotherham from 2017 which included the idea that "everyone should have access to a flying car which runs on clouds."

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Voluntary Action Rotherham (VAR) is working in partnership with Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance, Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance, Grimm and Co, Wentworth Woodhouse and Rotherham Council to deliver the exciting four year programme.

Julie Adamson of VAR, said: "Flux Capacitor aims to make culture and the arts part of everyday life instead of a luxury for the people of Rotherham. Our partnership brings together organisations with expertise and a passion to make a difference so that everyone in Rotherham can benefit.

"We will be working with our communities to ensure everything we do is developed with them, we know our communities often feel left out but this is our chance to change that. We will be working with international artists of all kinds as well as supporting artists local to Rotherham, it will be a wonderful opportunity to show just what Rotherham can do."

VAR website

Images: VAR

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News: Students leave lasting legacy on new school building

Students from a Rotherham school got out their pens to leave their mark on a new multi-million-pound building which will see their names live on for many years to come.

Pupils at St Pius X Catholic School took part in a steel signing ceremony to mark the development of a £1.8m new 7,000 sq ft teaching block which is replacing an existing building on the site.

The top ten students from Year 7 and 9 were asked to write a message on an exposed section of the building's steel structure and by doing so have cemented their names in time, leaving a lasting memory of those involved. They were also given a brief overview of the project including a presentation of plans and drawings of the future building.

The new build is being carried out by energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE, who were appointed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) as part of the Priority School Building Programme 2 to rebuild or refurbish school buildings most in need across the country.

The previous owners of Keepmoat, the Doncaster-based affordable housing and community regeneration specialist, sold its regeneration arm to ENGIE, a French headquartered multinational firm, for an estimated £330m in 2017. The regeneration team, now known as Places & Communities, is based at offices in Manvers, Rotherham and was previously Bramall Construction.

The new build consists of five new teaching rooms, a staff room and toilets. The existing building will be knocked down with the remaining space being turned into an additional play area with sporting equipment.

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The steel signing event is the first in a series of planned engagement activities which will give students an opportunity to see first-hand how their new school extension is developing.

Sean Corcoran, regional director at ENGIE, said: "Over 30 students have taken part in this historical school event and their names will live on over the generations - this will be something they will remember forever.

"At ENGIE, a development is not just made from bricks and mortar, it's about community involvement and giving those involved a chance to benefit in other ways. The work we are doing provides an exciting future for the school, its students and the local community and this ceremony is a fantastic way to celebrate and to make sure it never gets forgotten."

Sue Smith, headteacher at St Pius X Catholic High School, added: "The old building was no longer suitable and we wanted a quality teaching space for our students. The students care about the school and over the years have really looked after the rooms and equipment, so they deserve the best.

"The new building will offer an exciting learning experience with state-of-the-art equipment including a new art room and a pottery centre complete with kiln. Everyone is really excited to see the finished product."

The new building, located on Wath Wood Road, has been designed by Race Cottam Associates and is due to be completed in July 2020.

ENGIE website

Images: ENGIE

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News: Rotherham to host Convention of the North

... and possibly the new Prime Minister.

The Sheffield City Region (SCR) is set to host the biggest ever Convention of the North with NP11 in Rotherham next month.

The venue for the Convention of the North and the NP11 Summit will be Magna Science Adventure Centre and will bring together the North's political, business, community and academic leaders, along with young people’s groups around a common agenda for the future of the North.

The largest ever event of its kind, it will be a working convention to debate policy through bringing together political, business, community and academic leaders from across the North of England, co-hosted by the NP11 group of all 11 Northern Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) chairs, representing 16 million people, supported by Government and along with representatives of young people's groups.

Speakers and a detailed agenda will be released over the coming weeks.

Together they will make a powerful, unified case to the new Prime Minister and Government for tangible investment in the Northern Powerhouse, putting it at the top of the economic agenda, so that it can fulfil its potentially transformational role in the future of the UK.

When the new Prime Minister was announced last month, Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the NP11 and of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said: "The North needs clear commitments from the new Prime Minister to give certainty on Brexit, to invest in key infrastructure including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail and to further devolve powers and funding away from Whitehall.

"I hope the Prime Minister will strongly consider attending the Northern Powerhouse conference NP11 is jointly hosting with Convention of the North in September so together we can renew momentum behind this essential agenda."

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Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority, said: "I'm delighted that the Sheffield City Region is hosting this significant event, and I look forward to welcoming delegates to South Yorkshire on 13 September.

"Our country stands at a time of great change, which presents both challenges and opportunities. By working together across the North, maximising collaboration between the public and private sectors and bridging the political divide, we can make the North's case on a national and international level, power our economy and narrow the inequality gap that persists within the UK."

Marsh added: "This Summit is very timely in bringing together private and public sector partners from across all of the North, alongside Government decision makers, to further our ambitions for extraordinary inclusive growth that will benefit all in society.

"Building a thriving and well-connected Northern Powerhouse is key to ensuring that we create a productive and successful post-Brexit Britain. Ambitions to turbo-charge the North will only be achieved through effective collaboration and strong consensus across all of our great Northern towns, cities and rural communities."

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, issued the following statement in support: "The world-class Magna venue in the heart of Yorkshire is a fitting place to host this landmark event.

"This summit in Rotherham will bring together the most diverse range of Northern Powerhouse thinkers, leaders and community champions ever seen to set the agenda for a thriving and prosperous Northern Powerhouse."

James Plant, a Member of Greater Manchester's Youth Combined Authority (GMYCA), said: "It's great that young people will be represented at this year's Convention of the North. Young people are the future of our region – we will be living and working in the North and shaping its present and its future. It's therefore only right that we have a seat at the table when that future is being discussed. I'm looking forward to working with other young people from across our region to build a North of England that we can all be proud of."

SCR website

Images: Magna

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News: The changing face of Rotherham's High Street

Expanding businesses and new traders with a focus on niche and leisure offers have boosted the vitality of Rotherham's High Street but one current occupant is contemplating the future of retail and possibly taking the business online only.

This month has seen Entertainment Station, The Holy Ghost Tattoo Collective and The Three Cranes Inn take space in the regenerated heritage area. This follows on from Guests Tea Rooms opening up and Cutthroats Barbershop expanding onto the High Street. Another new bar, Sports Box, is due to open at the top of the street next week.

Rothbiz reported in February that Hamby's shoe shop and antique centre would close with well known retailer and regeneration spearhead, Chris Hamby taking a step back.

Inside the former Mason's Jewellers, Emily Dawson has expanded her quirky tattoo studio offering fully custom designs drawn by each artist on the team in their own individual style.

A key part of the town centre masterplan focuses on leisure (along with housing) rather than retail to breathe new life into the centre.

And at 25 and 27 on the High Street, which includes a timber framed building dating back to the 15th Century, the property has been converted back into a pub.

It is thought to have closed as a pub in 1907 and half of the building was demolished in 1953 leaving a twin-gabled façade for retail units on the ground floor. Saved from being lost forever, the new venue serves cask and craft beers, ciders and ales.

The owners said on Facebook: "Thank you to all our customers for a fantastic opening day/weekend, we couldn't get over how busy we were, we are very grateful and hope to see you again soon."

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Moving across town from Riverside precinct, Entertainment Station has taken 8 High Street and reported a busy first day in its new location where it has created a hub for fans to buy, sell and swap retro and modern video games, as well as meet with friends and fellow gamers. The ethos is not unlike national retailer, Warhammer, which opened a few doors up last year.

One current High Street store led the way for new, independent retailers when it opened ten years ago as the first retailer to move into a unit in the refurbished Grade II-listed Imperial Buildings. Yella Brick Road, and its "brother" store, Things That Boys Like, have since expanded and merged to take key retail space on the High Street.

Owners Chris and Dannii Paston said last week that they were setting a date of the start of 2020 to make a decision whether to continue to trade in Rotherham town centre, or take the businesses online alone.

Their post on Facebook reads: "It may... just may be time for a change. It's not been the easiest time to trade in the last couple of years, and high street retail has changed dramatically since we opened all those many years ago. We're still here of course, but it's a bit of a slog! We're lucky to have an incredible landlord, wonderful staff and a large number of fantastic regulars.

"We want to have a physical shop with a high street address. We don't want to simply be gigabytes and a URL. So we'll not go down without a fight. We'll try many many things before we shut our doors for the last time. And if we do go elsewhere, we'll still love the high street and have faith in our fellow Rotherham town centre retailers, but for Yella Brick Road and Things That Boys Like, it may be time for a change, whether it be temporary or permanent."

Entertainment Station
Holy Ghost Tattoo Collective
Three Cranes Inn
Guests Tea Rooms
Cutthroats Barbershop
Sports Box
Things That Boys Like

Images: Google Maps / Three Cranes Inn / Yella Brick Road

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News: Plans in for latest multimillion pound research facility

Plans are progressing that will enable the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to create a new research facility in Rotherham.

Rothbiz reported in June that a £2.2m grant was secured via the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to support a £22m project to establish a unique research facility in Rotherham employing up to 40 highly skilled jobs.

The UKAEA is a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of nuclear fusion power with the mission to lead the commercial development of fusion power and related technology and position the UK as a leader in sustainable nuclear energy. It is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

A planning application has now been submitted by landowners, Harworth Group plc, for a 0.65 hectare site on the Advanced manufacturing Park (AMP) adjacent to McLaren's Composites Technology Centre.

Drawn up by Barton Willmore and Harris Partnership, the reserve matters application is for a new research facility up to 22,300 sq ft of floorspace with first floor office floorspace (2,100 sq ft). Details regarding access, parking, and servicing, landscaping and other infrastructure are also included.

The plans state: "The proposals are for the next phase of the AMP, building on the success of the AMP to date. The proposed development will provide an industrial unit that will offer a high-quality research and development facility and follows on from previous phases of the development which lie adjacent to the Application Site.

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"The Application Site is currently vacant and was formerly in use as part of a larger mining site. It forms part of the expansion land associated with the AMP and is due to be taken over by UKAEA, a UK government research organisation responsible for the development of fusion power. The proposal will establish a unique research facility employing at least 30 highly skilled jobs.

"The project proposes to construct a dedicated building which will be used to develop joining technologies for various materials including novel metals and ceramics, and then to evaluate the materials and components under test conditions that will simulate those that would be experienced inside a fusion device.

"This project, which is currently in development, includes a contribution from the Government's Local Growth Fund resources which is part of the Government's continued investment in the Northern Powerhouse."

The building is designed to create a modern feel to the development that is consistent with the existing plots at the AMP. The materials feature cladding, louvers and high-quality glazing.

The plans conclude: "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 wider Sheffield - Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District]. This in turn will assist the Borough and Council to positively prepare for growth over the coming plan period. Furthermore, the application is entirely consistent with the area's Enterprise Zone designation and its requirements."

UKAEA website

Images: Harris Partnership

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News: Liberty Steel hopes charity event will have legs

Staff across the South-Yorkshire based Liberty Speciality Steels took part in the business' inaugural "Legs of Steel" walk recently, raising money for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.

Over 50 people including friends and family walked the 15-mile route from Liberty's site in Stocksbridge to the finish at its Rotherham headquarters at Aldwarke. The route took in some of South Yorkshire's trademark countryside and passed the historic Grade I listed Wentworth Woodhouse in the village of Wentworth.

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice is currently Liberty Speciality Steel's principal charity of choice, with the walk raising over £2,000.

Based at North Anston in Rotherham, Bluebell Wood provides care and support to families who have a child who has a life limiting condition and is not expected to live into adulthood. It has to raise over £4m each year to continue its work, and receives less than 10% statutory funding.

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Alexandra Bee, internal communications manager at Liberty Steel, said: "The walk was a great opportunity to bring colleagues together outside of work while raising money for a worthy local cause, which provides much needed support for severely-ill children and their families.

"Hopefully the "Legs of Steel" walk will become a permanent fixture in Liberty Speciality Steels' calendar, providing our staff's legs aren't too sore!"

Julie Hampson, corporate fundraiser for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, added: "We are so thankful to everyone who took part in the walk. Your support helps us care for children and young adults whose lives are sadly just too short, both in their own homes and at our hospice in North Anston.

"We need £11,000 a day to keep our doors open, and only around 10% of our funding is from the government, so support like this really does make a difference, and means we can be there for families during incredibly difficult times."

Liberty Steel website
Bluebell Wood website

Images: Liberty Steel

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News: Council considering legal action to progress regeneration plans

Rotherham Council is drawing up plans for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) so it can take possession of a property in an area that is key to its regeneration ambitions for the town centre.

Part of Riverside precinct is set to be included in the first phase of work at Forge Island where Muse Developments was chosen last year as the Council's preferred partner with a proposal that includes a cinema, food and drink outlets and a hotel.

The authority has already secured the majority of required land from Tesco, and surrounding land such as the law courts, but it has not yet secured all of the leasehold interests at Riverside precinct.

In 2016, Rothbiz reported that officers were granted commissioner approval to acquire the "remaining interests in the properties forming part of Riverside Precinct to assist in the redevelopment of Forge Island and to deliver wider town centre regeneration" and it appears that just one property remains out of council ownership.

Formal negotiations began to purchase the remaining four leasehold interests via private treaty negotiation of Units 1, 2, 5 and 8. A number of occupiers have moved out.

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Now officers are set to go back to ask for Cabinet approval to promote and seek confirmation of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the acquisition of Unit 1 Riverside precinct, currently a fish & chip shop.

Compulsory purchase powers are provided to enable acquiring authorities to compulsorily purchase land to carry out a function which Parliament has decided is in the public interest.

In this case, the town centre masterplan and Muse's initial ideas show that the land at Riverside precinct is to make way for the multi-million pound redevelopment of Forge Island.

The Council already owns the freehold of Unit 1 and the leasehold of the property went up for auction in 2013 with a guide price of £75,000.

Developers are working on a scheme for Forge Island with undercroft parking that is designed to flood. The developments above will be raised by around three metres which means that a new footbridge from Minster Gardens and a cleared Riverside precinct site would actually go slightly up towards Forge Island.

Rothbiz reported last month that an agreement for lease has been signed by Rotherham Council and Muse enabling the preferred private sector partner to press ahead with securing financing, planning permission and tenants.

A head lease approach has been devised which requires that the developer raises funding for the total development costs and builds out the scheme in return for the Council taking a head lease of the completed development over 35 years.

Exploratory work on the Council's flood alleviation project is underway.

Forge Island website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Xeros continues move to licensing business model

Rotherham-based Xeros has signed two agreements to sell the majority of its US commercial laundry customer portfolio of leased machines as it moves to a full licensing business model.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that has developed a patented system using a unique method of special polymer beads rather than the usual large amounts of fresh water to clean clothes.

Called, Hydrofinity, the US commercial laundry customer portfolio of leased machines will be sold to Eastern Laundry Systems (ELS) and Wash IQ previously known as Viking Services.

Hydrofinity will receive an up-front payment of $109,000 in cash and on-going license fees for the provision of Xeros' polymer beads, known as XOrbs, to ELS and Wash IQ. The proceeds from the transaction will fund on-going Hydrofinity working capital.

In 2018, these lease contracts generated an adjusted gross loss of $376,000. The commercial washing machines and associated lease contracts had no value on the group's balance sheet, the value having been written down during 2018 following the invention and patenting of Xeros' new XDrum design for commercial washing machines.

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164 commercial washing machines installed with Hydrofinity customers and their corresponding lease contracts have been sold to ELS and WIQ. As previously announced in November 2018, ELS already held exclusive rights to take over the servicing of Hydrofinity customers in nine states across the East Coast of the United States. Since December 2018, Wash IQ held the same exclusive rights for servicing of Hydrofinity customers in California and Arizona.

The agreement reflects the Hydrofinity strategy to reduce its physical presence in markets and to move to a full licensing model. The Group expects further sales of smaller portfolios to similar regional distributors in the US over the coming months.

Mark Nichols, CEO of Xeros, said: "As part of our strategy to implement a licensing model for all our applications, we completed the transfer of sales and service to our channel partners in the US earlier this year in order to improve customer service and reduce our costs.

"This sale of the majority of our existing Hydrofinity lease agreements in the US to channel partners means we will be paid ongoing fees for the use of XOrbs by customers, providing a high margin return on our technology without any physical involvement in the supply chain.

"The approach is consistent with our license agreements signed with the largest commercial laundry equipment companies in China and India."

Xeros is moving to a IP rich and asset light business model with the majority of revenue derived from high margin licensing agreements. The strategy sees the licensing of technologies to market incumbents and receiving a proportion of the value created by means of royalties.

Xeros website

Images: Xeros

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News: Housing progress for Harworth at Waverley

Further deals have been secured to bring new homes to the Waverley development in Rotherham.

The site is Yorkshire's largest brownfield redevelopment, with owner and developer, Harworth Group plc delivering a 740-acre mixed use development.

The firm, created out of what was UK Coal, has sold three separate parcels of engineered residential land on two of its major developments in Yorkshire that will deliver 441 new homes to the market for a total consideration of £22.2m.

At Waverley, Harworth has achieved two disposals, selling 10.72 acres of engineered land to Taylor Wimpey, for the construction of a further 175 new family homes. This is Taylor Wimpey's fourth purchase of land at Waverley, following previous land purchases in 2012, 2013 and 2017 for a total of 332 plots.

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In addition, it has sold a further 11.73 acres of engineered land to Barratt Homes, for the construction of 177 new homes that will commence in the second half of the year. Both deals bring the total amount of residential land sold at Waverley since 2012 to 110 acres across 16 separate phases that will deliver a combined total of 1,568 new homes.

Harworth said that it plans to sell further engineered land parcels over the next ten to fifteen years as it builds out the scheme which has a 3,890-home outline consent.

In a third transaction, the company has sold 7.98 acres of land at its Prince of Wales development in Pontefract to regional housebuilder Avant Homes for the delivery of 89 homes. This is Avant's third purchase at the 917-home consented scheme.

Owen Michaelson, chief executive of Harworth, said: "These are three excellent individual deals for the business that reflect two key fundamentals – the ongoing strength of the Yorkshire property market; and the ongoing popularity of our engineered land with housebuilders, with Taylor Wimpey, Barratt and Avant all being repeat customers. The overall receipt also reflects the ongoing maturity of two of our major developments, reflecting our skill as master developers to create attractive new places to live and work."

The Godwin Group has announced that it will be collaborating with Harworth through its build-to-rent brand, Core Living, and could potentially deliver up to 500 desirable homes for market rent on four Harworth owned sites located in Yorkshire and Leicestershire.

Harworth website

Images: Taylor Wimpey

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News: Enforcement action over use of Pitches site

Enforcement action is being taken to have portakabins removed from a controversial development site in Rotherham.

A slow moving Government Planning Inspectorate could mean that the cabins could stay for longer than the twelve months the applicant originally applied for, just as one planning board member predicted.

Rothbiz reported in April that Newett Homes is proposing a high-quality residential development comprising 124 dwellings on land known as The Pitches at Stag and that there was already opposition to the plans.

In May, applicants Hotel Van Dyk Ltd, were refused retrospective planning application by the council's planning board to use the land temporarily for office and storage containers.

Opposition to the plans came from local residents and planning board members who claimed that the containers already on the playing fields are being used as site offices for the housing proposals and added that work felling trees has already taken place. The applicants, who did not attend the meeting, stated that they are moving from a site at Chesterfield to Hellaby but need to use The Pitches site as a stop gap.

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The board went against officer's recommendation and refused the plans based on the opinion that the "offices and storage containers result in a loss of Green Space and the land is not suitable, even on a temporary basis, for such a development."

Board member Cllr. Bob Walsh stated that it might actually be quicker to approve the plans than to go through a potential appeals process and enforcement action.

With an enforcement notice served and an appeal against the decision received, Chris Wilkins, development manager at Rotherham Council, updated the planning board last month, saying: "The [planning] inspectorate has indicated that we may not even get a start date until next year, which is longer than the temporary permission they are applying for. We haven't found this very acceptable.

"We have written back to them to say this isn't acceptable. Retrospective applications, you should deal with as a priority. We are hoping they will get a quicker resolution."

Having been given a hurry up by the council, last week, the inspectorate wrote back to confirm the start date for the Enforcement Notice Appeal as July 30, giving parties a couple of months to submit evidence.

The cabins remain on site.

Images: RMBC

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News: £7.5m upgrade on M1 through Rotherham set to start

Work is set to begin this weekend on a busy stretch of the M1 through Rotherham.

Highways England is investing more than £7.5m over the next 12 months on the "smart motorway" between J32 with the M18 at Thurcroft and J34 at Meadowhall. The work will include resurfacing, bridge and lighting improvements as well as barrier and drainage work, all improving safety for the 110,000 drivers who use this route every day.

Work has already been carried out at Tinsley Viaduct but more work is planned.

Highways England is replacing 228,000 sq ft of waterproofing on bridges along the M1. This layer protects the concrete base from the elements which could cause damage to the bridge structure or potholes in the road surface. Work on the northbound Long Lane and River Rother bridges close to J33 at Catcliffe will begin on Friday August 9.

The improvements will be carried out over two weekends. Between 6am and 10pm on Saturday and 8am and 10pm on Sunday, the northbound M1 will be reduced to two narrow lanes. The northbound carriageway will be fully closed overnight between 9.30pm and 6am on Friday evening, 10pm until 8am on Saturday evening and between 10pm and 5am on Sunday evening.

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A reduced speed limit will be in place for around half a mile near junction 33. Signed diversions will be in place during the closures. The same arrangements will be in place the following weekend starting on Friday August 16.

Mark Ramsden programme lead at Highways England, said: "We are carrying out £80m of maintenance improvements in Yorkshire and the Humber over this financial year and that includes investing more than £7.5m on this section of the M1.

"Work is due to start this month on the bridges over the River Rother and Long Lane. This work has been brought forward so we can continue to provide drivers with smoother and safer journeys along the M1 after a number of potholes in this area. We are working closely with Rotherham and Sheffield councils to minimise any impact while we carry out this work.

"We have just completed work on the southbound carriageway of the lower deck of Tinsley Viaduct and work has now started on the middle maintenance lane.

"There are a further five schemes planned over the next 12 months. This includes work to the upper deck of the iconic Tinsley Viaduct planned for later this year and upgrading the lighting around this busy junction in the new year."

Highways England website

Images: Google Maps

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News: Xeros publish patent for product to protect oceans from plastic pollution

Rotherham-based Xeros has announced that its patent application for microfibre filters suitable for domestic washing machines has been published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), Xeros is a Leeds University spin-out that has developed a patented system using a unique method of special polymer beads rather than the usual large amounts of fresh water to clean clothes.

The AIM-listed firm's next innovation is trademarked XFiltra and its design can be licenced by any domestic washing machine manufacturer to drastically reduce microfibre pollution from the washing of clothes. It was unveiled last year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018.

Washing clothes containing synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon has been identified as the single biggest source of primary microplastics released into the oceans every year with as many as 700,000 microfibres released into the environment from a single domestic wash cycle.

XFiltra is the world's first operationally effective and commercially viable filter to address this issue.

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Mark Nichols, CEO of Xeros, said: "As part of our objective to radically improve the sustainability of water intensive industries, we made a commitment in 2017 to the UN Ocean Conference that we would produce a solution to the issue of microplastic pollution from domestic laundry. XFiltra fulfils that commitment.

"XFiltra is a low-cost solution to one of today's most pressing environmental issues: plastic pollution. XFiltra captures up to 99% of all microplastic particles shed from clothing during a domestic laundry cycle.

"Solving the issue of microplastic particles entering the environment from our clothes will require action at many points of the supply chain including washing machines. We are now engaged in meaningful discussions with washing machine manufacturers, retailers and clothing brands regarding XFiltra – this represents a giant step towards reducing the largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean."

Last month, Woodford Investment Management Ltd sold its shares in Xeros to Jupiter Asset Management Limited.

Xeros website

Images: Xeros

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News: Major work imminent on Rotherham roundabout

Work is due to start later this month on an improvement scheme at the College Road roundabout on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

Rothbiz reported in 2017 that over £3m of Government funding had been secured for a scheme to improve capacity on the roundabout to enable future economic growth in the area - in the town centre and at nearby Bassingthorpe.

The bid document stated that the scheme would support 3,116 homes in the town centre and at Bassingthorpe and some 71 hectares of employment land. The estimated number of associated jobs (direct / indirect) is 16,141 with an uplift in GVA to the local economy of £403m a year.

From Monday August 19, essential work will begin on the scheme on the site known by most as the B&Q roundabout, despite the DIY retailer moving from the Thornhill area into larger premises across town in 2009.

The council, which is financing the remainder of the funds, said that the improvements to College Road Roundabout will enable the project to add capacity to this "pinch-point" on the highway network, reducing future queues for motorists and maintaining the flow of traffic around the town centre in the long term. The investment follows the upgrading of the New York junction in recent years.

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The construction work is expected to last for nine months but the temporary traffic management arrangements will be in place for a period of up to 12 months, which include:

- Westbound closure of College Road towards College Road Roundabout, between the Masbrough Street junction and the A630 College Road Roundabout
- Traffic from the area of Masbrough Street will be able to access College Road Roundabout via Bridge Street, turning left into Greasborough Road adjacent to The Bridge Public House.

Cllr. Denise Lelliott, Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, said: "This much needed improvement scheme will increase the capacity of the roundabout, help relieve congestion, save commuters time and allow traffic to flow more smoothly.

"We would like to thank motorists and local residents for their patience while these improvements are being carried out. It is inevitable that during construction there will be some delays at the junction, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum."

The Council is providing a 30% match funding contribution of £1.386m for the project whose total £4m+ cost has increased by £0.4m.

Government funding is also being used to progress a £45m plan to widen the Parkway to three lanes between the M1 and Catcliffe.

The Counil's cabinet were recently given an update which said that the business case, on which funding for the delivery of the scheme depends, will be submitted to the Government in autumn 2019. Subject to DfT approval, expected late 2019 and release of the grant funding, construction could commence on site in the first half of 2020. The works duration is estimated at 18 months and should be complete summer 2021.

The scheme has been developed to accommodate the growth of traffic in relation to the continued success of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) and access to the M1 motorway. The project includes widening of the existing carriageway from two to three lanes in each direction within the highway boundary and a speed limit reduction to 50 mph to address air quality issues.

Images: Google Maps

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News: instantprint keeping it fresh with scented menus

It was crust a matter of time and now a Rotherham-based printer has produced the world's first pizza scented menus.

Specialising in 24-hour flyer and leaflets, business cards, posters and stationery, instantprint's product development team was approached by Danny Holman and Simon Holder, aka The Pizza Boys, an independent, Bicester based pizza truck. The existing customers came up with the challenge of sealing the scent of their pizzas into the menus, with long-lasting effect.

The firm merged with fast-growing print experts, Bluetree Design & Print Ltd in 2012 and then moved into bigger premises at Manvers where staff numbers have passed the 250 mark, with further expansion planned.

instantprint, who currently hold Guinness World Record title of the World's Largest Business Card, are no strangers to a challenge and got its print team on to the job of researching inks and print methods to bring some life, and smell, to the menus.

Jon Constantine-Smith, head of instantprint said: "Simon and Danny were existing customers of ours and when they came to us with this off the wall idea for menus, we of course jumped to the challenge. We pride ourselves on being able to deliver exactly what our customers want, and we weren't about to let the fact we'd never done it before stop us."

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The menus were created using scented varnish that sees the scent sealed into the paper fibres through a heat setting printing method.

Danny said: "Myself and Simon take real pride in the pizzas we make, using only the finest Italian ingredients along with locally sourced produce to create the best tasting innovative pizza flavours in the area.

"We really wanted this to be reflected in everything, from our custom-built pizza trailer to our menus and branding which is how the idea for scented menus came about. We wanted to stand out for being different and if we're honest, we weren't at all sure it was possible but the guys at instantprint really rose to the challenge.

"We could smell the unmistakeable scent of pizza seasoning when we opened up the package of menus, and we couldn't be more pleased."

Earlier this year, the printers acquired the premises next door to its current location in an expansion that sees the companies' capacity increase by 45%, with the new floorspace being utilised to house staff, including 40 new starters, and also the £6.5m of new technology that has been invested in.

instantprint website

Images: instantprint

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News: A smashing year for Rotherham glazing firm

Façade & Glazing Solutions (FGS) has completed more than 100 projects and has secured more than £40m of new projects in the year since it was divested from the Saint-Gobain Group.

The firm specialises in conception, engineering and installation of glazed façades and building envelopes. It rebranded from Sologlas in 2012 and brought together three separate operating divisions into its 65,000 sq ft premises at Manvers in Rotherham in 2011.

The business relaunched as Facade & Glazing Solutions UK Ltd (FGS) following its sale to private investment firm CoBe Capital on August 1 2018.

The company operates throughout the UK and partners with main contractors, facilities managers and property owners to provide a complete "glazing" building life cycle solution.

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Craig McGilvray, CEO at FGS, said: "We are pleased with our financial progress and remain on target to break-even in 2020 and to achieve a turnover of £50m by December 2019.

"The business has evolved over the past 12 months and thanks to a hardworking and dedicated team we are in great shape for the future. Three of our recent projects have received architectural awards, we have improved the efficiency of our fabrication operations reducing production times by 21% and we have introduced several sustainability initiatives which have resulted in reducing the average weekly energy consumption by more than half.

"Our focus is now on the future. We are developing our strategic plans out to 2025 focusing on growing our major and regional projects businesses and strengthening our repair and maintenance proposition. We remain focused on developing our processes and delivering projects in which we excel."

The three award-winning projects are The Student Centre at UCL which won a Schueco Excellence Award, the V&A Museum in Dundee and the Macallan Distillery, Speyside, which both won a national RIBA award. The Macallan Distillery (pictured) has also been shortlisted for a RIBA Sterling Prize and winners will be announced in October.

FGS website

Images: FGS

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