News: South Yorkshire's Investment Zone sites revealed

A number of sites have been put forward to the Government for a proposed new Investment Zone which aims to bring business investment and release land for new homes in South Yorkshire.

The majority are in Sheffield with the Gateway East site in Doncaster only to be included if Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) remains an operational airport.

As part of the Government's recently announced Growth Plan, Investment Zones will drive growth and unlock housing across the UK by lowering taxes and liberalising planning frameworks to encourage rapid development and business investment.

However, the future of Investment Zones is up in the air, given the recent installment of another new Prime Minister.

South Yorkshire was one of 38 initial areas keen to establish investment zones in England.

Measures could include 100% business rates relief on newly occupied and expanded premises and full stamp duty land tax relief, with the need for planning applications minimised. Authorities have been promised 100% of the business rates growth above an agreed baseline in designated sites for 25 years and a single local growth settlement.

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The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is to discuss the issue next month and address how Investment Zones can help South Yorkshire leverage greater investment and better enable fairer, sustainable growth.

Discussion points centre on public and private sectors working together, the displacement of jobs and investment from within the region and the impact on the mayoral combined authority's Net Zero ambitions.

The sites submitted to Government:
• Goldthorpe Investment Zone
Mixed Use site of 26.3 hectares intended to create 2,413 gross jobs and 638 new houses
• Northeast Doncaster
Mixed Use site of 502 hectares intended to create 16,000 new jobs and 3,350 residential dwellings
• Doncaster City Centre
Mixed Use site of c.110 hectares with the potential to regenerate Doncaster City Centre through better employment opportunities, new commercial accommodation, residential development and inward investment.
• Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park (AMID)
Commercial site of 32.4 hectares intended to create 5,800 additional jobs
• Sheffield Business Park & University of Sheffield Innovation District (AMID)
Commercial site of 45.6 hectares intended to create 3,124 additional jobs
• River Don District (AMID)
Commercial site of 18.4 hectares intended to create 5,000 additional jobs
• Wider Sheffield-Rotherham Economic Corridor
Mixed Use site with potential to provide better employment opportunities, housing and inward investment to connect with existing nearby clusters in advanced manufacturing, R&D and retail developments.
• Sheffield Station Sheaf Valley
Mixed Use site of 4.94 hectares intended to create 760 new houses, 7,800sqm office space, 11,700 sqm ground floor commercial space and 2,975 sqm ancillary space
• Moorfoot (Sheffield)
Residential site of 8.6 hectares intended to create 2,120 new houses
• Furnace Hill (Sheffield)
Residential site of 5.91 hectares intended to create 846 new houses
• Neepsend (Sheffield)
Residential site of 2.6 hectares intended to create 1,005 new houses

The decision over Gateway East highlights the current situation with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and Peel after the investment enterprise announced that it was winding down operations at DSA.

Gateway East was put forward as a location for a Freeport in 2021 but South Yorkshire was not one of the areas selected for a Freeport by the Government.

A report to the South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership states: "The MCA submission, on the basis that Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) remains an operational airport, also included the potential for DSA and the adjacent Gateway East site to be considered.

"A response from Government is expected within the coming weeks with details of decisions on each of the sites including which incentives can and will be applied."

The Government indicated that they would expect to see Investment Zone designation and the benefits of that designation to be in place by April 2023.

SYMCA website

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News: Dead as a dodo? Owners to wind down services at region's airport

Doncaster Sheffield Airport's (DSA's) future looks to be flightless and extinct as the board of directors concludes a review of strategic options for South Yorkshire's airport.

The review follows lengthy deliberations by the Board of DSA which reluctantly concluded that aviation activity on the site may no longer be commercially viable.

A statement said that the review was complete and that "no tangible proposals have been received regarding the ownership of the airport or which address the fundamental lack of financial viability."

South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said that he was "devestated" and "angry" at the findings.

Peel said that the high fixed costs associated with running a safe, regulated airport, together with recent events materially reducing prospective future aviation income streams, mean that a break-even business plan cannot be identified for the foreseeable future.

As a result, DSA will begin winding down the provision of aviation services during the week commencing October 31 2022.

A statement from Peel said: "Since the July 2022 announcement of the Strategic Review, Peel has been actively engaging on a weekly basis with local and national political stakeholders, including proactively engaging with working group meetings, primarily led by officers at Doncaster Council, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and the Department for Transport (DfT). Throughout the consultation process up until today, Peel has also been in close contact with the airlines and other aviation users of the Airport. None of these discussions has delivered any tangible results that have changed the Board of DSA or Peel’s clear view that the Airport is and will remain unviable.

"Peel received a letter from the Mayor of South Yorkshire and Mayor of Doncaster on Thursday, 8 September, stating that they had completed an economic impact study of DSA which identified its economic benefit to the region but provided no solution to its lack of financial viability. Furthermore, they informed Peel that they had been approached by a group interested in purchasing or operating the airport. Peel has yet to receive a response to urgent requests for details on the consortium’s identity, nor have the terms of any proposal or evidence of the consortium’s financial standing or aviation expertise been provided.

"On Friday, 23 September, Peel received a further letter from SYMCA and Doncaster Council, which was supported by the Mayor of South Yorkshire and the Mayor of Doncaster, along with the Leaders of Barnsley and Rotherham, which included a proposal to provide public money to DSA to fund its operating losses until 31 October 2023. The grant was described as providing DSA with free cashflow to sustain losses that may occur over thirteen months while the Peel Group and South Yorkshire partners jointly explore the future potential of DSA and the GatewayEast site. In the absence of any actual proposals to address the lack of viability of DSA, even those at an early stage of development, or any identified potential acquirers or operators of DSA, Peel’s Board has concluded that it cannot responsibly accept public money for this highly uncertain process against the backdrop of an unviable, loss-making operating business."

Robert Hough, Chairman of Peel Airports Group, which includes Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “We recognise that this will come as a great disappointment to many. The intractable problem remains the fundamental and insufficient lack of current or prospective revenue streams, together with the airport’s high operating costs. Our employees have always been DSA’s greatest asset, and we are grateful to them all, past and present, for their dedication and diligence over the years. The immediate priority remains to continue engaging closely with them over the next few weeks.

“As such, DSA will now begin a formal process of consulting with team members. We will do everything we can to minimise the impact of these proposals and work closely with local authorities and agencies to support our employees through what we know will be an extremely difficult period. DSA has remained in contact with union representatives on site throughout and we are committed to ensuring they are updated through every step of this next phase.”

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South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said: "I’m devastated by today’s announcement by Peel and angry about the impact it will have on our communities. Most importantly, there are hundreds of people across Doncaster and South Yorkshire who will now be frightened for their future.

"For years, we have been investing public money in and around DSA to support the airport, including providing emergency funding through the pandemic. Since the announcement by Peel that they were entering into a review of DSA, we have done everything we could to constructively and proactively find a path forward. We have identified market interest, brought potential investors to the table, and last week we offered them a deal to project the jobs and livelihoods of DSA staff, and to give Peel the time and space to negotiate with new investors.

"The fact that they chose to turn our offer down simply confirms what many of us suspected: that Peel was never serious about finding an alternative and safeguarding the future of DSA. It is still not too late for them to do the right thing; for them to reconsider their decision for the sake of those employees, businesses and communities directly impacted by this appalling decision. But ultimately if they cannot be stopped from taking this course of action then our focus will shift to supporting our communities through the next few difficult weeks and months.

"The only people who can now intervene to keep DSA operational are national Government. Liz Truss said she would protect the airport. Now is the moment to turn those words into action. We stand ready to work with the Government.

"Despite everything, I am proud of how our community has come together over the past few months in our efforts to protect the future of the airport. I remain steadfast in my commitment to an ambitious plan for Doncaster and South Yorkshire, and those impacted by Peel’s decision today will be at the forefront of my efforts."

Steven Underwood, Chief Executive, Peel Group, said: “We recognise that we are living in uncertain times, and we understand that our announcement will be difficult to hear for the Doncaster and wider South Yorkshire communities in which we have worked and invested for over two decades. However, as has been seen many times before in industries undergoing structural change, although change brings uncertainty it can also bring significant opportunity.

“As the Strategic Review concludes, we look forward to collaborating with our partners to create a vibrant, long-term vision for GatewayEast and the airport site. We will not accept any public sector grant to cover the costs of an airport that is not viable due to its lack of adequate forward revenues and high operating costs. Accepting funds from SYMCA may postpone the inevitable for another thirteen months, but it will divert funds away from services on which communities throughout South Yorkshire rely.

“Instead, we intend to continue working closely with local and national stakeholders to develop a forward-thinking strategy for the airport site, in conjunction with the £1.7 billion GatewayEast development next door, to help unlock vibrant, job-creating alternatives to ensure future growth and prosperity. We have the potential to attract cutting-edge, future-tech businesses to South Yorkshire, but only if we are able to collaborate with our local stakeholders and community in South Yorkshire.”

DSA website

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News: Region's airport under review as concerns continue over commercial viability

The Board of Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) has begun a review of strategic options for the Airport. This review follows lengthy deliberations by the Board of DSA which has reluctantly concluded that aviation activity on the site may no longer be commercially viable.

Whilst business parks have continued to be built around the site at pace, the airport itself has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.

DSA’s owner, the Peel Group, as the Airport’s principal funder, has reviewed the conclusions of the Board of DSA and commissioned external independent advice in order to evaluate and test the conclusions drawn, which concurs with the Board’s initial findings.

Since the Peel Group acquired the Airport site in 1999 and converted it into an international commercial airport, which opened in 2005, significant amounts have been invested in the terminal, the airfield and its operations, both in relation to the original conversion and subsequently to improve the facilities and infrastructure on offer to create an award winning airport.

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The board said in a statement that "despite growth in passenger numbers, DSA has never achieved the critical mass required to become profitable and this fundamental issue of a shortfall in passenger numbers is exacerbated by the announcement on 10 June 2022 of the unilateral withdrawal of the Wizz Air based aircraft, leaving the Airport with only one base carrier, namely TUI.

"This challenge has been increased by other changes in the aviation market, the well-publicised impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly important environmental considerations. It has therefore been concluded that aviation activity may no longer be the use for the site which delivers the maximum economic and environmental benefit to the region."

DSA and the Peel Group now intends to initiate a consultation and engagement programme with stakeholders on the future of the site and how best to maximise and capitalise on future economic growth opportunities for Doncaster and the wider Sheffield City Region.

Robert Hough, Chairman of Peel Airports Group, which includes Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “It is a critical time for aviation globally. Despite pandemic related travel restrictions slowly drawing to a close, we are still facing ongoing obstacles and dynamic long-term threats to the future of the aviation industry. The actions by Wizz to sacrifice its base at Doncaster to shore up its business opportunities at other bases in the South of England are a significant blow for the Airport.

"Now is the right time to review how DSA can best create future growth opportunities for Doncaster and for South Yorkshire. The Peel Group remains committed to delivering economic growth, job opportunities and prosperity for Doncaster and the wider region.”

During the strategic review, the airport will operate as normal.

DSA website

Images: DSA

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News: Sheffield Business Park expanding into Rotherham

Plans are moving forward to expand the successful Sheffield Business Park into Rotherham, where there is the potential to create 800 more jobs.

Rothbiz has reported previously on the part of the park which actually crosses the boundary into the Rotherham local authority district and has already seen the development of The Car People and the Mercure Sheffield Parkway hotel to the East of the Europa Link.

Over the road from the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP), the site of the former Sheffield airport is already home to the likes of ITM Power, Fulcrum, SIG and Stanley Black and Decker. The park comprises over 200 acres with 700,000 sq ft of floor space already accommodating over 2,000 jobs.

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The park is seen as key to the potential Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) with the University of Sheffield officially opening its Factory 2050 in 2017 as part of its "AMRC2" site. Boeing Sheffield is currently under construction.

Now marketing for Phase 4, which fronts Sheffield Parkway, is underway with agents Knight Frank. Developers are also in discussions with Rotherham Council on securing outline planning permission for the site.

Planning consent is being sought for a range of employment uses including B1 B&C (Research & Development), B2 (General Industrial) and B8 (Storage & Distribution).

The brochure states: "We are able to offer up to 17.91 acres (7.25 hectares) in two plots - Plot 1 c16 acres (6.48 hectares), Plot 2 c1.91 acres (0.77 hectares) of prime development site in the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation District with road frontage onto the Sheffield Parkway – the main arterial link between J33 M1 and the City Centre. Both land sales and bespoke design and build packages will be considered."

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The 18 acres in Rotherham is yet to be developed as it was placed in the greenbelt to secure a clear area of land at the end of the former Sheffield City Airport runway. With the airport's closure, the land was changed to employment use in the recently adopted Local Plan. The switch from the HS2 line heading to Meadowhall to the M18 route has also opened up the area for development.

Early estimates were that the plots could potentially accommodate buildings from 9,500 sq ft to 108,000 sq ft and that the space could provide 826 jobs. Updated plans could total around 235,000 sq ft of floorspace across six development plots.

Sheffield Business Park website

Images: SBP / Bond Bryan

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News: SCR forced to bid for transport funds

Whilst other mayoral regions have been guaranteed a substantial chunk of government funding for transport, the Sheffield City Region (SCR) is having to take part in a competitive scramble for the remaining cash.

A new £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund was announced in the Autumn Budget 2017. The majority of the fund, to improve local transport connections, was divvied up to regions which had elected mayors, for them to control and spend as they see fit. As the SCR did not have an elected mayor at the time, the combined authority has had to bid into the remaining funds to get the cash to back its new transport strategy.

A lack of consensus from the leaders of South Yorkshire's four councils denied the SCR the chance to conclude a devolution deal with the Government, but a mayoral election took place anyway and Dan Jarvis MP became the mayor of the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority in May.

An application has now been submitted to the Government's Transforming Cities Fund.

At the heart of the bid, which is supported by all four local councils, is the proposal to develop a new Global Innovation Corridor that stretches across the region, linking people to key sites including Sheffield city centre, Doncaster Sheffield Airport, the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham and Barnsley's Digital Campus.

In addition, the bid seeks to improve connectivity for communities and businesses across the Dearne Valley.

If approved, cash from the Transforming Cities Fund would be spent on active travel, public transport improvements, mobility solutions and relieving congestion on key road routes. The projects would be delivered over the next four years.

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Dan Jarvis, mayor of the Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority, said: "We are experiencing strong economic and jobs growth, we are developing our advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities and we have globally significant assets such as Doncaster Sheffield Airport and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District.

"But, quite simply our transport system and its supporting infrastructure is not fit for the 21st century. Our urban centres are poorly connected, residents struggle to access major employment sites and land available for development is constrained by congestion.

"These failures in the transport system limit the flow of ideas, people and business between our urban areas and major employment sites. It is a drag on our productivity, competitiveness and a waste of the talent and skills of our workforce. The current problems must be resolved as soon as possible, which is why we have set out these ambitious but deliverable plans."

The funding was calculated per capita so whilst £243m went to Greater Manchester and £250m to the West Midlands, the political disputes in South Yorkshire may have cost the Sheffield city region around £100m of guaranteed funding.

Jarvis added: "Our major assets and capabilities provide a strong foundation for future growth. But we must make sure that our residents can get to the jobs being created, so we need effective public transport, which is affordable, well integrated and provides the services that people need.

"We must tackle congestion on our roads to improve journey times and make them more reliable. And I am determined to support active travel, by improving cycling and walking routes across the region.

"That is why it is essential that the Sheffield City Region receives a fair share of the Transforming Cities Fund. We have put forward a strong evidence based bid to the Department for Transport and I will be championing our case with Government Ministers."

Last month, Rothbiz reported on the vision for the Global Innovation Corridor. The bid is supported by transport operators and private sector partners, including major investors Peel Group and Harworth Group who are pushing the vision to expand the innovation district to other sites which they own.

Owen Michaelson, LEP board member and chief executive of Harworth Group PLC, said: "It is incredibly important that investment in property, capital equipment and skills is matched with infrastructure investment that supports people from across the region to access employment opportunities in key growth locations.

"I am very supportive of this bid for vital funding to improve our transport systems."

SCR website

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News: Vision outlined for Global Innovation Corridor

Further details have been revealed for a vision to stretch the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) being created in Sheffield and Rotherham to other sites in the Sheffield city region (SCR).

Landowners, Harworth Group and Peel Group, has seen the success of research-led advanced manufacturing revitalising the site of the former Orgreave coking works which is now home to the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) and has attracted leading names such as Rolls-Royce, McLaren and Boeing to the area.

The board of the SCR Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) were recently introduced to the concept of a SCR Global Innovation Corridor (GIC), identifying a series of interconnected physical, economic and networking assets within the city region, using the AMID as the catalyst, and proposing "taking the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Park and repeating it" across the region.

Rothbiz reported in April on plans to accelerate activity around the AMID which aims to create "a 2,000-acre centre of excellence for innovation-led research and industrial collaboration."

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With plans recently submitted for the next phase at the AMP which could create a further 400,000 sq ft of space, it is estimated that land at the AMP will run out in the next four to five years and the landowners are hoping to tie together other key anchor points such as the Aerocentre Yorkshire development at the airport and at M1, Junction 36.

A presentation to the board states: "The AMID is running short of space on both sides of the Parkway. There is less than four years worth of developable commercial land at the AMP. Congestion at Junctions 33 and 34 of the M1 remains a concern, as does the reliance on vehicles to move people and goods.

"Further "placemaking" is required to keep occupiers and residents happy [and there is a] need to develop closer links to the catalytic effect of AMID with the rest of the city region."

Work is ongoing on improving connectivity around the innovation district such as proposals to widen the Parkway and improve access to the M1. A mass transit system is being looked at and the previously scrapped Waverley Link Road remains on the drawing board.

A bid to the Government's Transforming Cities Fund is expected to support some of these projects and more.

The LEP board considered that the Global Innovation Corridor idea was a brand and agreed to support the concept in principle and endorsed, subject to further development work, its potential incorporation into the revised SCR Strategic Economic Plan. A more worked up plan of action is set to be presented at a future meeting.

Images: Harworth / Peel

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News: Sheffield Business Park looking to expand - in Rotherham

Discussions are taking place to enable the successful Sheffield Business Park to expand further into Rotherham, with the potential to create 800 jobs.

The site of the former Sheffield airport is already home to the likes of Stanley Black & Decker, SIG and ITM Power and is seen as key to the potential Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID) with the University of Sheffield recently gaining outline planning approval for an advanced manufacturing campus.

Phase 2, a joint venture with Peel Land and Property, has the potential to accommodate a further 1.5m sq ft of manufacturing and research and development accommodation. The site is part of the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone where financial incentives include a business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per eligible business over a five year period.

Part of the site actually crosses the boundary into the Rotherham local authority district and has seen the development of The Car People and the Mercure Sheffield Parkway hotel to the East of the Europa Link.

7.4 hectares (18 acres) in Rotherham is yet to be developed as it was placed in the greenbelt to secure a clear area of land at the end of the former Sheffield City Airport runway. With the airport's closure and development of the Factory 2050 on the runway, plans are now being discussed for the future use of the site and Rotherham Council has it already earmarked for employment use in the latest version of its Local Plan.

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Planning consultants, Turley, have begun discussions with Rotherham Council and are expected to submit a masterplan that includes four plots, with a range of industrial uses, with the potential for buildings from to 9,500 sq ft to 108,000 sq ft. It is estimated that the space could provide 826 jobs.

Prominently positioned next to the Parkway, the site would function as a gateway to a hub of sites, including Sheffield Business Park, Factory 2050, the AMRC Campus and the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP). The opportunity to meet requirements for another hotel, institutions and ancillary retail could also be included in plans.

In a letter seeking pre-application advice from Rotherham Council, Matthew Sheppard, director at Turley, said: "It is intended that the development will create a new gateway to the area; integrate the existing advanced manufacturing sites, as well as; adding to the critical mass of advanced manufacturing and supporting facilities in this area as the nucleus to AMID.

"The market for advanced manufacturing and R&D is strong, and the Enterprise Zone status of this area offers a clear incentive and competitive advantage to companies looking for new business premises. Requirements for advanced manufacturing have arisen very rapidly over the last year, and the pace of delivery has been equally speedy. It is necessary for plot or building options to be constantly available if the AMID is going to attract businesses which are internationally footloose.

"There are three inward investment projects currently interested in Sheffield Business Park, one of which is making locational choices between Sheffield and the Czech Republic. Without suitable sites with permissions in place which can quickly cater for this demand, opportunities will be lost, not just from the Sheffield City Region, but potentially also from the UK. It is for this reason that Sheffield Business Park wish to pursue an application at this stage."

One issue is the fact that the HS2 line is proposed to run through this site, with the draft route showing a railway cutting as the line passes under the Europa Link and A630 in a box.

Sheffield Business Park website

Images: Sheffield Business Park / Turley

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News: DSA Airport celebrates ten years

Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, the regional airport for the Sheffield city region, is celebrating its tenth birthday with news that passenger and cargo numbers are on the increase.

Peel Holdings bought the site from the Ministry of Defence when it was RAF Finningley in 1999 and has invested around £150m. It was the first airport to open in 50 years when the first commercial flight took off in 2005.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport currently flies to 35 destinations including Spain, Turkey, Poland, the Canaries and Egypt. Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Stobart Air, will be flying five times a week between Doncaster and Dublin from May and Thomson Airways recently announced two new routes to Heraklion, Crete and Larnaca, Cyprus.

Wizz Air also recently announced that it is adding a new route making it ten destinations on the ultra-low-cost carrier from the airport. Doncaster Sheffield Airport is Wizz Air's second largest UK base and the only one in Yorkshire. Currently, the airport operates a total of 33 Wizz Air flights per week to eight destinations including Bucharest in Romania, and Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw in Poland.

A new route to Kosice was announced earlier this year and Riga and Bucharest launched in 2014. The latest destination is Lublin in Poland.

Airline, BMI regional, is hoping to secure funding to start up a weekday return to Frankfurt from DSA starting in 2016. A bid has been submitted to the Government's The Regional Air Connectivity Fund which is providing "start-up aid" to create new routes, boosting connectivity, increasing trade and supporting jobs in the regions.

The new link road currently under construction is of huge importance. The £60m FARRRS project, with £12m from Peel, is estimated to result in £1 billion of further investment and 14,000 jobs.

Steve Gill, managing director of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: "We are delighted to be celebrating the airports tenth birthday.

"This is a very exciting time in the airports history. We have been named the UKs best airport for customer service by Which? magazine, the FARRRS link road which will improve motorway access to the airport is well underway and is due to open in January 2016 reducing journey time to the airport by 15 minutes, and our passenger numbers grew by 8% over the last 12 months, with further strong growth forecast over the next 12 months.

"For passengers we've added ten new routes to our growing destination list in the last 12 months, which is helping to meet the demand for variety.

"Added to this are our cargo figures which show a 112% growth in the last calendar year and through strong partnerships this is an area which is continuing to grow."

Between October and December, the airport saw seven B747-400s operate from the Cargo Terminal, and almost 500 tonnes of freight distributed this year. Through operator Anglo World Cargo, the airport managed a series of aid flights in November and December to Sierra Leone as part of the Government's programme to help those affected by Ebola.

Last year, owners, Peel Holdings, were in the region to update local transport leaders on its current and long term plans for the site, where the leading infrastructure, transport and real estate investment company has purchased 480 acres of additional land.

With a current capacity of 2.3 million passengers a year, Peel's masterplan for 2030 shows that it could accommodate 12 million passengers a year, and because the essential infrastructure - the 2893m runway and all the services - is all future proofed, Peel see no constraints for accommodating nearly 24 million passengers a year in the very long term.

Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield website

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News: Region bids for Frankfurt link

Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield, the regional airport for the Sheffield city region, could benefit from improved links to Frankfurt, a major European aviation hub, if it can secure "start-up aid" from the Government.

The Regional Air Connectivity Fund has £56m available to cover three years of financial support to create new routes, boosting connectivity, increasing trade and supporting jobs in the regions.

Regional airports with fewer than five million passengers per year can bid into the fund and a new route from Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) is one of 19 routes published recently by the Government.

Airline, BMI regional, is hoping to secure funding to start up a weekday return to Frankfurt from DSA starting in 2016. Germany's largest commercial airport is one of the most important air traffic hubs in the world. With approximately 58 million passengers a year, Frankfurt Airport is one of Europe's three largest airports and is also the biggest of the five Lufthansa hubs.

A shortlist of routes that will move forward to the next stage is set to be announced next month.

Peel Holdings bought the site from the Ministry of Defence when it was RAF Finningley in 1999 and has invested around £150m. It was the first airport to open in 50 years when the first commercial flight took off in 2005.

The new link road currently under construction is of huge importance. The £60m FARRRS project, with £12m from Peel, is estimated to result in £1 billion of further investment and 14,000 jobs. It will reduce all important drive times and more airlines are starting to take notice.

Wizz Air recently announced that it is adding a new route making it ten destinations on the ultra-low-cost carrier from the airport. It will open its 21st base in Lublin in Poland with one new Airbus A320 later this year and will operate new three times weekly flights from Doncaster to Lublin.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport is Wizz Air's second largest UK base and the only one in Yorkshire. Currently, the airport operates a total of 33 Wizz Air flights per week to eight destinations including Bucharest in Romania, and Gdansk, Warsaw and Wroclaw in Poland.

A new route to Kosice was announced earlier this year and Riga and Bucharest launched in 2014.

Steve Gill, managing director of Doncaster Sheffield Airport said: "With the new Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) on track to connect the M18 to the airport, we believe demand in European destinations will continue to increase.

"Our relationship with Wizz goes from strength to strength and we look forward to working with them to provide an even wider range of locations for people to visit."

Doncaster Sheffield Airport website

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News: AMP at the "heart of the North’s economic renaissance"

The strategic economic importance of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham has been highlighted at the official launch of Peel Logistics.

Harworth Estates, the company created to realise the property assets of what was UK Coal, entered into a strategic marketing alliance with The Peel Group earlier this year with the aim of becoming a key player in the logistics market.

Based on the AMP at Waverley, Harworth Estates is one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land. Key sites include Rotherham (Waverley), Bolton (Logistics North), Nottinghamshire (Harworth) and Pontefract (Prince of Wales).

Leading infrastructure, transport and real estate investment company, Peel, has a 32.82% share in Coalfield Resources plc, which in turn owns 24.9% of Harworth Estates Property Group Limited.

The newly created Peel Logistics brings together 66 sites across almost 6,000 acres of land. 17 sites are brought to market through Peel's strategic alliance with Harworth Estates. The companies will continue to market their own sites individually, with Peel Logistics providing a marketing umbrella for the UK-wide portfolio.

Local sites that come under the Peel Logistics portfolio include AMP and Waverley in Rotherham (pictured), Sheffield Business Park and Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Approved in 2010, the largest, most complex, planning application ever considered by Rotherham Council gave outline approval for South Yorkshire's largest ever brownfield development at Waverley, creating a new 3,890 home community across 741 acres.

Developed first on the site of the former Orgreave colliery, over half of the AMP's 150 acres has been developed over the past ten years and is home to global manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce and Boeing, alongside high-value SMEs including Dormer Tools and Sandvik. Products developed and built at Waverley include parts for the Dreamliner and Bloodhound SSC – the British-built car bidding to become the first land-based 1,000 mph vehicle.

Iain Thomson, partnerships manager for Harworth Estates, said: "Logistics needs to be thought of as going beyond simply "storage and distribution for retail" and to encompass the supply chain requirements of high-value local economies. AMP will enable "just in time" supply chain management to support the growing automotive and aeronautical engineering sector.

"The AMP also sits within one of the most successful Enterprise Zones in the UK. The Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone was ranked as number 1 for foreign direct investment (fDi) strategy in March by the Financial Times and sits alongside others such as the Discovery Park Enterprise Zone in Kent at being at the heart of the Country's improving economic growth.

"Demand for space is extremely high and we are now bringing forward plans on a further 27 acres. By the time it is fully built out, Waverley will have over 5,000 people employed on the site with an estimated GVA of £300m per annum.

"We are confident that the development of the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley will become a site at the heart of the North's economic renaissance."

Waverley website

Images: Harworth Estates

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News: Harworth seal deal with Peel

Harworth Estates, the company created to realise the property assets of what was UK Coal, has entered into a strategic marketing alliance with The Peel Group with the aim of becoming a key player in the logistics market.

Based on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, Harworth Estates is one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land. Key sites include Rotherham (Waverley), Bolton (Logistics North), Nottinghamshire (Harworth) and Pontefract (Prince of Wales).

Leading infrastructure, transport and real estate investment company, Peel, has a 32.82% share in Coalfield Resources plc, which in turn owns 24.9% of Harworth Estates Property Group Limited.

The newly created Peel Logistics brings together 66 sites across almost 6,000 acres of land. 17 sites are brought to market through Peel's strategic alliance with Harworth Estates. The companies will continue to market their own sites individually, with Peel Logistics providing a marketing umbrella for the UK-wide portfolio.

Local sites that come under the Peel Logistics portfolio include AMP Waverley in Rotherham (pictured), Sheffield Business Park and Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

Phil Wilson, executive director at Harworth Estates (pictured, centre), said: "We are delighted to be in this strategic alliance with The Peel Group and Peel Ports. Our combined logistics offer is unparalleled, offering quality space for small businesses all the way through to multinational distributors. With more than half of UK third party logistics companies expected to invest more in equipment, people and premises in 2014 than 2013, Peel Logistics directly supports the UK's ambitious plans for growth."

The launch of Peel Logistics is timed to meet the accelerating demand for quality space. The portfolio will offer over 100 million sq. ft. of bespoke distribution warehousing, together with funding and outline planning consent for many of the sites. 1,900 acres have all infrastructure in place and are ready for occupation.

John Whittaker, chairman of The Peel Group (pictured, far right), added: "We believe now is the right time to launch Peel Logistics; we are seeing unprecedented demand for "oven-ready" logistics space, driven by both the growth in e-commerce activity and the move towards re-shoring manufacturing supply chains. Peel Logistics is ideally positioned to help occupiers find the perfect space to locate their logistics' operations."

Another Peel operation, Peel Environmental has been working with Harworth Estates on plans for waste infrastructure developments at eleven sites across the North of England and the Midlands.

Harworth Estates website
Peel Logistics website

Images: Peel Logistics

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News : £100m Blue Skies development at Sheffield City Airport set to go ahead

Sheffield City Airport is to close and a £100m business park will be built on the site, it has been announced. Blue Skies Business Park will replace part of the current runway and create 2,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. A joint venture between Peel Holdings and Sheffield Business Parks Limited the scheme will consist of over 900,000 sq ft (83,610 sq m) of mixed use development, incorporating office, industrial and distribution uses along with ancillary retail / leisure uses. The adjacent Sheffield Business Park on the Sheffield/Rotherham border has been hugely successful.
Sheffield Business Park website
Peel Holdings website
BBC South Yorkshire article
Rotherham

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