Yorkshire & Lincolnshire Business Link Magazine

South Yorkshire-based parking technology business TwinPay is focusing on growth after receiving a £500,000 Mezzanine Finance facility via the South Yorkshire Debt Fund, which is managed by FW Capital on behalf of South Yorkshire Pensions Authority. The funding supports Twin Pay’s continued expansion of its technology offering, following a fundraising process led by Hawsons Corporate Finance.

Food brand Mr Whippy has unveiled its new £15m, custom built production facility in Sheffield with a successful, full factory test launch. The heritage brand completed the specialist food production fit out last month and went live with test doughnut production under the watchful eye of investor and company chairman Scott Fletcher MBE and the 10-strong management team.

Alliance Automotive Group has taken the final 80,870 sq ft unit at Panattoni Park Rotherham, bringing its total occupation at the development to 710,870 sq ft. The automotive parts distributor already occupies a neighbouring 630,000 sq ft facility. The additional space will support its regional and national distribution operations and the consolidation of other sites. AAG distributes passenger and commercial vehicle parts to the independent automotive aftermarket across the UK and Europe.

The latest KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs: North of England survey signalled concurrent growth in the recruitment of permanent and short-term staff. Both rates of expansion were slightly above their respective long-run averages and the strongest among the four monitored English regions. Demand for both types of staff improved modestly in September, as permanent vacancies rose for the first time in five months. Pay growth was meanwhile sustained in September.

Hull City Council has opened a tender for the demolition and clearance of the former BHS building as part of the next phase of the Albion Square redevelopment. The appointed contractor will be required to remove the building while protecting the Grade II listed Three Ships Mural. A steel support frame has already been installed, allowing the mural to be separated from the former department store and retained as a freestanding structure.

A new community has been approved by councillors on South Kesteven’s planning committee for Market Deeping. Members of the planning committee voted unanimously in favour of Persimmon Homes East Midlands’ application for a site west of Peterborough Road, paving the way for the delivery of 80 new homes and significant investment in local infrastructure and community facilities.

Vistry is set to begin work on a 145-home development in Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, after securing final planning approval. The scheme will include 72 homes for private sale through its Linden Homes brand and 73 affordable homes delivered in partnership with Yorkshire Housing. The affordable element will comprise a mix of social rent and shared ownership properties.

Leger Shearings Group, the escorted coach touring holidays operator, has passed into the sole ownership of chief executive Liam Race and chief financial officer Andrew Oldfield, following a management buy-out that sees the pair acquire the remaining shares in the business.

The Property Franchise Group (TPFG), the Grantham-headquartered multi-brand property franchisor, has acquired a 25% equity interest in Enteka Ai, the conversational AI platform for UK estate agents and mortgage brokers. Enteka’s technology handles customer enquiries across telephone, email, SMS, WhatsApp and live chat, providing round-the-clock support to capture and qualify leads, arrange appointments and identify cross-selling opportunities.

A distributor of firearms for sports shooting and law enforcement has been fined £800,000 after a worker suffered burns at its site in Lincolnshire. The 36-year-old was disposing of waste pyrotechnic material inside a manufacturing facility when it ignited and caused burns to her hands face and legs.