Tens of thousands of independent businesses which form the foundations of North Yorkshire’s economy are to be offered support to help them navigate dramatic rises in running costs amid the soaring rate of inflation.
The county has a wide-ranging local economy with more than 32,000 small and medium-sized enterprises forming the vast majority of businesses in North Yorkshire.
But the highest rate of inflation since the early 1980s has placed immense pressure on businesses which have also had to endure uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 crisis and the repeated lockdowns enforced to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Support for businesses will, however, be a key role for the new North Yorkshire Council, which will launch in just under two weeks on April 1 and is being seen as a defining opportunity to co-ordinate economic development in the county.
Executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “The thousands of small and medium-sized businesses which operate across North Yorkshire are vital for the county’s economic prosperity.
“There have been unprecedented challenges in recent years which have placed huge pressures on all businesses, whether that be down to the Covid-19 pandemic or the rising inflation which everyone has seen during the cost of living crisis.
“The new council will, however, provide us with an opportunity to bring together the experience, expertise and good practice that already exists across all the authorities in North Yorkshire. This will mean that there will be one point of contact for businesses to access support for skills, training, recruitment and access to funding, which will be of a huge benefit at such a challenging time economically.”
The new council is developing a clear economic growth strategy while consulting with businesses and stakeholders across North Yorkshire. It will also help achieve an ambition for York and North Yorkshire to become the country’s first carbon negative region, meaning more carbon dioxide emissions would be removed from the atmosphere than are emitted.
The strategy will support enterprise, innovation and investment, and will focus on new and emerging industries, such as green technologies, cyber and digital, finance and life sciences as well as more traditional sectors such as tourism, food and drink manufacturing and engineering.
North Yorkshire currently has a total of 32,715 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and 90 large businesses.
The new council will be launched on April 1 when ourselves and the existing seven district and borough authorities merge in the biggest shake-up of local government since 1974 to pave the way for a devolution deal.
The council will work alongside the county’s six MPs to lobby the Government for the best possible opportunities for businesses, ensuring that Ministers understand the issues that affect the county’s economy.
Devolution is set to provide more local decision-making powers and millions of pounds in extra funding from the Government, and among the main benefits are due to be new and better paid jobs and increased skills and training. The Government is currently considering plans to establish a mayoral combined authority for York and North Yorkshire later this year, and an influential mayor, who will act as a figurehead for the region, is then set to be elected in May 2024.
The new council will continue to work in close partnership with the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), as well as City of York Council, as they prepare for the proposed mayoral combined authority.
Benefits already realised through a proposed devolution deal announced by the Government last year are £12.9 million for housing through the Brownfield Housing Fund and £7 million for low-carbon projects via the Net Zero Fund, both of which have been launched in York and North Yorkshire.
The chair of the LEP, Helen Simpson OBE, said: “We’re excited to continue this collaborative working with the new North Yorkshire Council and ensure that business support is easy to access and available across the whole of North Yorkshire.
“The York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, which is part of the LEP, has worked closely with district and county council colleagues for several years to help provide local support for businesses.
“We’re also committed to building the Invest in York and North Yorkshire inward investment proposition, a partnership initiative designed to attract new business investment into the region.”
Work to support businesses in North Yorkshire has already received national recognition. Hambleton District Council was among 400 authorities in England which entered the first ever local government awards run by the Federation of Small Businesses and was named in October last year as the winner of a national award for the best programme of business support.
The council was recognised for its breadth of work, including providing grants to businesses to take on apprentices and the administration of more than £3.8 million in funding from the Government to support enterprises in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.
Hambleton District Council’s interim head of service for business and the economy, Sam Swinbank, said: “Having economic development as a key priority has enabled us to develop strong positive working relationships with our businesses and key partners to help us to maximise investment into the area. We are committed to continuing this approach through the new council.”
The Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund has seen £16.9 million allocated for North Yorkshire, with a focus on investment in supporting local businesses, improving skills, and regenerating towns. Investment of £19 million has also been secured under the Levelling Up Fund, which will be used to finance the regeneration of Catterick Garrison’s town centre.
And about £40 million in funding from the Government is being used to boost public transport and access in Harrogate, Selby and Skipton with new and improved stations and integrated transport hubs to aid the regeneration of the town centres.
A further £37.3 million in funding from the Government is being used for the Town Deal programmes on the coast. Town Investment Plans for both Scarborough and Whitby have been developed and projects are being delivered to boost skills and enterprise, cultural activities and digital connectivity, while also improving sustainability and the public’s well-being. It is hoped the funding will help bring in further investment over the coming years.
Fly-fishing company given help to net customers across the world
For the millions of fly-fishing enthusiasts across the world, a business situated on an industrial estate in North Yorkshire has proved to be invaluable in their bid to land the catch of a lifetime.
The intricate art of tying flies to catch prized specimens of fish has become a way of life for Ann and Andy Kitchener, who launched Semperfli in 2010 after deciding to switch to the new venture following careers in information and technology.
The couple oversee the Selby-based enterprise which now has a global market to provide more than 1,400 products including threads, ties, wires and chenilles to create flies to catch species including salmon, trout, sea bass, zander and tarpon.
The success of the company, which carved out a reputation in the sector after developing Nano-Silk, which is billed as the world's strongest fly-tying thread, saw it receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in April 2022 and the firm moved into larger premises in the autumn of last year.
Mr and Mrs Kitchener have been aided by a senior business advisor at Selby District Council, Heidi Green, who has helped the couple secure funding for new equipment and advice from consultants to develop the firm, which now has a workforce of 25 staff.
That support has been even more important amid the dramatic rise in inflation that has seen Semperfli experience significant increases in running costs of up to 20 per cent.
The company’s chief executive, Mrs Kitchener, who is herself a keen angler and is one of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse export champions, said: “We have managed to develop our business around the globe in countries including America, Canada and South Africa as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe, and we now supply to some of the leading fly-tiers in the world.
“But we wouldn’t have been able to do that without the support we have received from Heidi, who has been absolutely brilliant in providing that valuable insight we have needed.
“The launch of the new North Yorkshire Council is a really welcome development, as it will mean that businesses in the county will be able to access advice from one single organisation.
“It can be confusing for people to know where to turn, but the new council will still have the local knowledge and expertise that is currently available while looking towards a county-wide plan to drive forward business and the economy.
“We have had to contend with rising costs like all businesses have, and we have had to look at the way we operate to take into account increasing prices for shipping, energy and wages. Without the help and advice we have received, the situation would have been a great deal more challenging.”
While working alongside Selby District Council, Mr and Mrs Kitchener have identified organisations that have provided funding, including a five-figure grant through the University of York that helped purchase spooling and labelling machinery.
The expertise of management consultants has also been used to develop the business, which sells products that are environmentally-friendly to take into account the often sensitive natural habitats where the flies are used, while funding has also been secured from the Department for International Trade. The company now has a 90-strong team of ambassadors across the world including some of the biggest names in fly-fishing and fly-tying.
Executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, visited Semperfli’s base as part of a tour of businesses to see the entrepreneurial spirit that is evident across the county ahead of the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council.
Mr Kitchener, who is the firm’s research and development director, developed his love of fishing during his childhood and has travelled to locations including the Arctic Circle, India and the Great Barrier Reef on angling expeditions.
He said: “One of the biggest challenges we faced when we were setting up was to find suitable premises, because there simply aren’t enough units for businesses locally.
“We ended up building the initial premises ourselves close to our home in Selby, but we soon outgrew that. With the growth of our company, we needed to find bigger premises and ultimately found our ideal new base making sure we could stay in the town.
“We have some hugely talented and experienced staff, and we didn’t want to lose them if we had decided to move elsewhere. The new premises are fit for purpose to help the business develop, and there is low-energy lighting and insulation and we are looking to install solar panels which will help keep running costs down as well as lessen the impact on the environment.
“We have developed a real reputation globally, which is of benefit to not just Selby, but also the economy in North Yorkshire and nationally. North Yorkshire is home to such a varied and diverse mix of businesses, and that is what makes the county so special. We are indebted to the help we have received, and to know that expertise will be available in the future is vital to ensure we can continue to grow the business.”