In Brief: Rural firms scoop awards: Innovative homeselling website launched: Hatfield site named as funding candidate
FOUR rural businesses are celebrating winning Yorkshire regional titles in the Countryside Alliance Awards and will now vie for a national title against winners from the rest of Britain.
Ainsty Farm Shop at Green Hammerton and Beadlam Grange Farm were named joint local food award winners, while the village shop/Post Office award went to Skelton-on-Ure Post Office. Gift and tea shop Netherlane Country, near Driffield took the enterprise award.
The finals will be held at the House of Lords March 18.
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A NEW free to use website set up by a Yorkshire businessman aims to help people in the region sell their homes without using an estate agent.
HouseSaleUK.com has been launched in Yorkshire as a shop window for homeowner’s seeking to sell their house direct to buyers.
The site, which already has more than 4,000 homes on offer, features free home sale adverts but sellers can opt for an enhanced advert for £49.95, which offers a free PDF sale brochure service and the placement of a unique for sale sign outside users homes and an open day event organiser.
Managing director Dave Thomas said: “More than 70 per cent of people moving home do so by finding their new home on the internet. Our website will just cut out the estate agent and help people find their dream home without the cost of the fees.”
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POWERFUEL Power’s Hatfield site has been shortlisted as a potential candidate for European funding for a proposed Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) demonstration project.
More than €250m has been earmarked in the two-year scheme that is part of a Europe-wide plan from the European Commission to invest €1.25bn in carbon capture projects at five European sites, as well as €1.75bn earmarked for better international energy links.
The CCS project involves liquefying the million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions produced each year in the region by burning fossil fuels and then pumping them out to depleted gas fields under the North Sea.
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GILES Insurance Brokers, the independent insurance broker which recently acquired Leeds-based SBP Group, has been ranked third in the Sunday Times Buyout Track 100.
Over the past two years Giles’ profits have risen 116% a year from £1.4m in 2005 to £6.3m in 2007.
In March 2008, Charterhouse Capital Partners backed the Group and provided further significant capital for expansion.
In total 22 acquisitions have been completed since Spring 2008 enabling the business to grow both nationally and across its product and service offering.
