NW business briefs: Joseph Holt; LCRCA; City of Liverpool College; Soul Padel; Archwood Group; Cara Group; UU

The Manchester-based Joseph Holt brewery is making its mark at Westminster after being chosen to provide one of its many ales at the Strangers Bar in the House of Commons.

The beer in question is the Joseph Holt 175 Pale Ale – brewed to mark the family-owned company’s 175th anniversary, which it celebrates this year. The brewery, which has been in the same family for six generations, runs 127 pubs across the North West.

CEO Richard Kershaw made the trip to the House of Commons to enjoy a pint on site. He said: “It has been a huge honour to know that our beer is available at the very heart of government. I can`t imagine that my great great grandfather, Joseph Holt, who started the company, would ever have imagined that one day  beers made by  our family brewery would be served  in the Palace of Westminster.” 

Joseph Holt`s 175 pale ale came to the attention of Parliamentarians after Christian Wakeford, MP for Bury South, nominated it to be served as a guest ale in the Commons bar.

The 175 pale ale was made in collaboration with two other fellow independent family brewers, Everards and Hook Norton – who are also celebrating 175 years in business this year. 

Richard Kershaw added: “Family brewers play such a vital role in the hospitality industry and the communities they serve, producing   quality beer using the best of local expertise. Our heritage-rich products reflect the tradition of our brewery and it is an honour that what has always been enjoyed by local communities in the North West is now being enjoyed in a prestigious location in Parliament.”

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Liverpool One bus station.

Express bus services providing a vital link between Runcorn and Liverpool city centre are to return, Liverpool City Region Mayor Rotheram has announced.

Beginning on Monday, December 16, the new Arriva-operated X4 service will run hourly with stops in Widnes, Speke and Aigburth, providing fast and affordable connections for people travelling to and from Halton. Passengers will benefit from shorter journeys with an average trip between Runcorn and Liverpool One bus station on the X4 taking approximately 50 minutes, almost half the journey time of some existing services.

Tickets will cost £2, in line with the reduced adult single fare which Mayor Rotheram has committed to extend until September 2025.

Express bus services between Runcorn and Liverpool ended in April 2022 when the commercially operated X1 service was withdrawn. Mayor Rotheram has since been working closely with Halton Council to ensure the return of a rapid bus link for the area, which will initially operate on a trial basis.

He said: “This is more great news for Halton on top of the tens of millions of pounds we have been able to invest to bring about jobs and prosperity for the area. For too long people have had to contend with a bus service run in the interests of shareholders rather than passengers. That’s why last year I took the decision to bring buses back into public control for the first time in almost 40 years. A franchised system will give us the power to set routes, fares and timetables.”

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Steve Rotheram at City of Liverpool College

The City of Liverpool College has taken a major step towards helping the Liverpool City Region achieve its net zero goals with the opening of its dedicated heat pump training facilities.

This milestone was made possible through funding from the North West Net Zero Hub and Vaillant, a company in heat pump technologies, to support the development of innovative training programmes in heat pump technologies.

The new training centre, which was officially opened on November 12, by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, will provide cutting-edge training across a range of different heat pumps and technologies. This will not only benefit learners at the college, but will also serve as a regional training hub for Vaillant and local heating engineers. 

Elaine Bowker, Principal and Chief Executive at The City of Liverpool College, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of training and education in the field of heat pump technologies. As the College for Business, this further strengthens our commitment to meeting the emerging skills needs of employers, helping people into higher skilled jobs.” 

Henrik Juhl Hansen, Managing Director of Vaillant UK & Ireland, said: “The need for skilled professionals in the green technology sector is greater than ever, and The City of Liverpool College is paving the way to provide the training needed in the region to meet this demand.”

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Bolton School shale courts

Soul Padel and Bolton School have announced a partnership to bring a new padel facility to Bolton, transforming the school’s two disused shale courts at its Leverhulme Pavilion into a vibrant hub for this fast growing sport.

The planned facility will be accessible to both Bolton School students and the wider community, representing a significant investment in local sports and recreational amenities. The planning application for the proposed site is currently in progress, and local residents are encouraged to provide their feedback during the consultation process.

Philip Britton, Head of Foundation at Bolton School, said: “This new padel facility will also be open for community use in the evenings, at weekends, and during school holidays, creating an inclusive sporting environment for everyone. We value the feedback of our neighbours and look forward to reading their views about the project when the Bolton Council Planning portal opens for comment.”

Mark Hewlett, founder and CEO of Wigan-based Soul Padel, said: “Padel is a sport that brings people together and fosters a healthy, active lifestyle. We’re thrilled to partner with Bolton School to introduce this new facility to the area, providing local residents with a high quality venue that aligns with our mission to make padel accessible to everyone.”

If approved, the new padel centre will support both personal fitness and community engagement goals. By working together, Soul Padel and Bolton School aim to create a space where people can come together to meet, play, and connect through the sport of padel.

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Rachael Baker and Josh Burbidge

Following the announcement of this year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise, Ormskirk-based Archwood Group and JJ Smith, based in Kirkby, Liverpool, have strengthened their partnership to drive sustainable innovation in timber manufacturing.

Archwood Group, recently honoured for Sustainable Development, and JJ Smith, awarded for International Trade, are combining their expertise to lead the industry in eco-friendly practices and advanced production technology. Archwood has invested more than £500,000 in CNC machinery from JJ Smith, a trusted partner of more than 35 years.

This cutting-edge quipment enhances Archwood’s production capabilities for its Richard Burbidge brand, supporting increased efficiency while reinforcing the company’s sustainability targets.

Josh Burbidge, Managing Director of Archwood Group, said: “Receiving the King’s Award for Sustainable Development was a proud moment for everyone at Archwood. Strengthening our partnership with JJ Smith allows us to continue making strides in sustainability while expanding production capability.”

JJ Smith’s Managing Director, Rachael Baker, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Archwood Group on their sustainability journey. Our long standing collaboration is built on shared values and a commitment to creating positive environmental impact, and together, we are advancing what is possible in the woodworking industry.”

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Neil Allen at Alder Hey

Irlam-based Cara Group’s Brickwork division has secured another significant project with Morgan Sindall Construction, continuing to build on their strong partnership.

Cara Brickwork has been appointed to deliver the masonry work for the £24m Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, in Liverpool. Work on the main masonry will begin in January 2025.

This new facility will be the first of its kind in the country, designed to provide family-integrated care. It will include 22 neonatal cots and 18 individual family rooms, allowing parents to stay alongside their babies while they receive expert medical care.

On the ground floor, the facility will also feature a Same Day Emergency Care Centre, bringing together paediatricians, emergency care clinicians, advanced clinical practitioners, primary care and family support workers. Neil Allen, Managing Director of Cara Brickwork, said: “This project further cements our relationship, which has seen us working together on several major contracts over the years. We share a commitment to high standards and creating a lasting positive impact in the communities we serve.”

Shaun Thomas, Morgan Sindall Construction’s Project Manager at the Alder Hey site, said: “Once completed, the new Alder Hey Surgical NICU will become a vital linchpin in providing quality care to families in the Liverpool community. As such we are pleased to continue and strengthen our relationship with Cara Group’s Brickwork division in the knowledge that the experience and expertise that they bring will enable us to deliver a state-of-the-art facility.”

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Lisa Mansell

A rural wastewater treatment works in Cheshire has become the first in Europe to benefit from the introduction of an innovative low carbon, chemical-free treatment process.

The new technology will play an important role in enhancing water quality in the River Weaver by reducing phosphorus from the water that is released from Whitegate Wastewater Treatment Works at the end of the treatment process. Now fully operational, the newly installed equipment will improve water quality in Pettypool Brook which is a tributary of the River Weaver.

The FujiClean system was developed in Japan to provide an alternative to septic tanks and is typically used for domestic properties and facilities such as camp sites that aren’t connected to a sewer network. After working with the company to trial the system, North West water and wastewater provider, United Utilities has become the first water company in Europe to introduce it at small rural wastewater treatment works – and Whitegate is the first to benefit.

Lisa Mansell, Chief Engineer, Innovation and Carbon at United Utilities, said: “We are always looking for ways both to enhance the wastewater treatment process and reduce the use of chemicals, the FujiClean system we have installed at Whitegate does both. As well as bacteria to break down the sewage, FujiClean also uses electrodes to remove phosphorus without the need for additional chemicals to be used.

“Being able to deliver chemical-free phosphorus removal at small rural sites is an exciting development. It means that the water that is released at the end of the treatment process will be much better quality.”