Company type | Urban regeneration company |
---|---|
Industry | Business start-up, urban renewal |
Founded | July 6, 2006 in Kilmarnock, Scotland |
Founder | Marie Macklin |
Headquarters | Hill Street, Kilmarnock , Scotland, KA1 3HY |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Marie Macklin CBE (founder and Executive Chair) |
Products | Business start-up Urban regeneration |
Revenue | £205 million (estimated) |
Owner | Marie Macklin |
Number of employees | 20 (2021) |
Website | HALO Scotland |
HALO Urban Regeneration (Scottish Gaelic: HALO Ath-nuadhachadh Bailteil), known simply as The HALO, is a Scottish business innovation park, urban regeneration and business start-up support company, founded, based and headquartered in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The HALO Urban Regeneration was founded by entrepreneur Marie Macklin CBE in 2006 as HALO Urban Regeneration Company Ltd., [1] having announced the project a few years prior to official funding and creation of the HALO Kilmarnock. [2]
The HALO building on Hill Street, Kilmarnock, is a £63 million brownfield urban regeneration project constructed on a 23-acre site, formerly the home of Johnnie Walker, the world’s leading Scotch whisky brand that was founded in Kilmarnock in 1820 and operated on the site until Diageo closed the Kilmarnock plant in 2012. [3] The building, a 4-storey mixed used structure, is constructed from three main materials - dark brick, curtain wall glazing and a perforated aluminium screen at roof level, features a round LED dome on the roof which illuminates at nighttime. Phase 1 of the complex was completed in July 2021 (the HALO Enterprise & Innovation Hub), with future phases of the sites development consisting of a series of live and work units, a leisure facility, nursery, and over 200 houses. The building has become a symbol of regeneration in Kilmarnock, both in terms of redevelopment of land as well as economic regeneration and recovery. [4]
HALO is projected to generate £205 million to the Economy of Scotland and stimulate 1,500 jobs. [5]
Following the 2009 announcement of the closure of the Johnnie Walker whisky bottling unit and production factory in Kilmarnock, owners Diageo began seeking proposals for future leasing of the Hill Street site that occupied that 32-acre site at that time. Diageo gifted eight acres to Kilmarnock College (a campus of Ayrshire College since 2013) in 2012 to allow the construction of a new multi-million pound campus to replace the ageing building that was constructed during the 1960s. [6] Marie Macklin CBE, Chief Executive of The KLIN Group at the time, who had already undertaken numerous projects in and around Kilmarnock to restore derelict buildings in the town centre, submitted a proposal for a new, innovative hub to provide office space for startup companies and opportunities to enhance Kilmarnock's urban regeneration work.
A planning application for permission for construction work on the new project was submitted to the planning advisory board of East Ayrshire Council, was planning permission granted by the council in 2018. The cost of the development was estimated to be £65 million, with the Scottish Government announcing a £5.3 million investment in the HALO Project in August 2017, with £1.8 million to be focused on low carbon emissions which was ultimately unused. [2]
Morrison Construction was appointed as main contractors for the construction of the complex in September 2019, with construction work initially scheduled to be completed by January 2021, however this was delayed as a result of the halt on construction works in Scotland due to the COVID-19 pandemic and phase one opened March 2022 [7] [8]
The HALO Urban Regeneration benefitted as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal, an economic recovery agreement between the Scottish Government, UK Government and the councils of East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, with the Scottish Government and UK Government both providing £3.5 million of investment for the company and the regeneration of the former Johnnie Walker site. Diageo who owned the land when occupied by the former Johnnie Walker bottling and production plant facility donated the land for a cost of £1 and under the Ayrshire Growth Deal has been committed to a contribution of £2 million to support planning and design of the HALO development as well as long-term sustainability of the Hill Street site as a consequence for closing the Johnnie Walker facility. [9] [10]
A second HALO project is scheduled to begin planning and construction in Northern Ireland. [11]
The HALO is scheduled to begin planning and construction of new premises to focus on urban regeneration projects in both Wales and England. [12] [13] The timescale for completion on these projects in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have still to be announced.
The Halo Urban Regeneration is founded with a particular focus on:
The HALO Urban Regeneration has a particular focus on, and intention to:
The HALO Urban Regeneration has established business partnerships with various companies and organisations to support the business in its key business strategy. Most notably, HALO Urban Regeneration focuses on education and youth employment opportunities and includes partners such as:
A business partnership in association with Scottish Power makes the energy company the main HALO Platinum Partner and Sponsor. Scottish Power launched a £5 million, five-year programme, with a focus on building and enhancing the companies focus and vision of “Utility of the Future” vision. The Halo Urban Regeneration claim that the company will be a leader in the HALO Innovation and Enterprise Centre and the Digital and Cyber Zone. HALO and Scottish Power have committed to working together to create a cyber and digital training and learning facility, at the forefront of the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’. [9]
The HALO Urban Regeneration developed a partnership with Barclays in order to enhance HALO's employability initiatives for individuals in Ayrshire, seeks to eradicate barriers those facing unemployment of any age many experience, through Barclays LifeSkills, allowing individuals to access education and digital technology. Additionally, the Barclays-HALO partnership seeks to help start-up and scale-up entrepreneurial businesses to capitalise on growth opportunities, as well as enhancing connectivity and collaboration with other businesses locally and across the UK. [9] In 2019, Barclays launched their first Thriving Local Economies initiative in Kilmarnock as a result of their partnership with The Halo Urban Regeneration, [15] with a particular focus on strategies to boost and enhance the economy of Kilmarnock. [15]
The HALO Urban Regeneration company aims to create and sustain over 1,500 jobs within Kilmarnock as well as a projected contribution of £205 million in Gross Domestic Product revenue to the Economy of Scotland. [16] [17]
As part of the sale of the 32-acre site by Diageo, Ayrshire College was granted part of the site which neighbours the HQ and office space of The Halo Urban Regeneration. Due to the close proximity and sharing the site, the company has formed an ambitious partnership with Ayrshire College to ensure the integration of the college with The HALO Urban Regeneration to progress a deep range of practical learning experiences for students, as well as developing new qualifications for Ayrshire College students, ranging from qualifications within the construction section, digital skills market, as well as social care and design. [9] [14]
The HALO Urban Regeneration seeks to create a skilled workforce within Kilmarnock and Ayrshire as a result of its educational and business partnership with Ayrshire College. [18]
In 2020, an NPA qualification was founded in collaboration with The HALO Urban Regeneration, Ayrshire College and construction contractors Morrisons Construction, with students able to access work placements on site during the construction process site. [19]
Marie Macklin CBE, founder and executive chair The current board composition of the HALO Urban Regeneration consists of: [20]
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and south respectively. The local authority is North Ayrshire Council, formed in 1996 with the same boundaries as the district of Cunninghame which existed from 1975 to 1996.
East Ayrshire is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It shares borders with Dumfries and Galloway, East Renfrewshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. The headquarters of the council are located on London Road, Kilmarnock. With South Ayrshire and the mainland areas of North Ayrshire, it formed the former county of Ayrshire.
Kilmarnock is a town and former burgh in East Ayrshire situated in southwest Scotland. The town has served as the administrative centre of East Ayrshire Council since 1996 and is the regions main commercial and industrial centre.
Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits. Distilleries owned by Diageo produce 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands, such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Old Parr.
John (Johnnie) Walker was a Scottish grocer, who originated what would become one of the world's most famous whisky brand names, Johnnie Walker, despite the fact he was himself a teetotaler.
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. It was established in the Scottish burgh of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire in 1820, and continued to be produced and bottled at the town's Hill Street plant, once the world's largest bottling plant, until its closure in 2012, a decision announced by Diageo in 2009 which would bring the 190-year association between the brand and Kilmarnock to an end.
Catherine Mary Jamieson is a Scottish business director, currently a director at Kilmarnock Football Club and former politician. She served as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in Scotland from 2000 to 2008. She previously served in the Scottish Executive as Minister for Justice from 2003 to 2007 and Minister for Education and Young People from 2001 to 2003. Jamieson was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley from 1999 to 2011 and was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2010 to 2015.
The Scottish Industrial Railway Centre is an industrial heritage museum operated by the Ayrshire Railway Preservation Group. The centre owns a number of standard gauge steam locomotives and diesel locomotives as well as some narrow gauge items and an extensive collection of photographs.
Kilmarnock Academy, formerly Kilmarnock Burgh School, is an 11–17 co-educational state-funded secondary school in Kilmarnock, Scotland, currently serving in its third location on Sutherland Drive in the New Farm Loch area of the town. Previous sites for Kilmarnock Academy include Green Street, erected in 1876, and Elmbank Drive, erected in 1898. The school can be traced back to the 1630s when it was known as 'Kilmarnock Burgh School'. In 2022, it was ranked as the 233rd best performing state school in Scotland, an increase from 247th in the 2021 league table rankings.
William Lynch Coffey is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley since 2011, and previously Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 2007 to 2011, before boundary changes.
Bonnyton is a former village, currently an area in the western part of Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is home to a mix of residential and commercial properties, centred around estates such as Bonnyton Road, Munro Avenue and Gibson Street.
The 20 km long Clyde Waterfront Regeneration, launched in 2003, embraced a section of the River Clyde in Scotland that runs from Glasgow Green in the city's center to Dumbarton down river. This scene focussed on earlier initiatives underway from the 1980s, and as a separate marketing tool, with several local authorities involved, came to an end in 2014.
Innovation districts are urban geographies of innovation where R&D strong institutions, companies, and other private actors develop integrated strategies and solutions to develop thriving innovation ecosystems–areas that attract entrepreneurs, startups, and business incubators. Unlike science parks, innovation districts are physically compact, leverage density and high levels of accessibility, and provide a “mash up” of activities including housing, office, and neighborhood-serving amenities. Districts signify the collapse back of innovation into cities and is increasingly used as a way to revitalize the economies of cities and their broader regions. As of 2019, there are more than 100 districts worldwide.
Grand Old Parr is a blended Scotch whisky produced by Diageo in Scotland. Is named after the Old Tom Parr, the reputed oldest man in England. Launched in 1909, it is found in export markets such as Japan, Mexico, South America and the United States, and is no longer distributed in the United Kingdom.
Ayrshire College is a further education institution in Scotland. Formed in August 2013 from a merger between Ayr College, Kilmarnock College and the Largs and Kilwinning campuses of James Watt College, it serves Ayrshire and surrounding areas, with campuses in Ayr, Kilmarnock and Kilwinning.
Murray & Roberts Holdings Ltd. is a South African-based engineering and mining contractor. It is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange. The Group delivers its capabilities into three global primary market sectors the resources, industrial, energy, water and specialised infrastructure market sectors.
Kilmarnock College was a college in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Since August 2013 it has been a campus of the new Ayrshire College as the result of a merger with Ayr College and James Watt College in Kilwinning and Largs. Plans for a new campus were announced in 2008. The college's last principal prior to the merger was Heather Dunk OBE.
Growth deals provide funds from the Government of the United Kingdom to local enterprise partnerships, for projects that benefit the local area and economy. They are promoted by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Cabinet Office, and Department for Transport. They are collaboratively funded by local government.
The KLIN Group is a Scottish property development, regeneration and investment company founded in 1988 by John Dick. The companies main HQ and offices are located in the Bonnyton area of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire at Barclay House, the former offices of Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. The company today is a second generational family business, with Dick's daughter, Marie Macklin CBE, having been CEO of the company from 2003 until 2014, at which point she sold the company to Drew Macklin. Drew Macklin currently serves as a director of the company, having been appointed to the role on June 1, 2011.
Mary Stewart Macklin CBE is a Scottish businesswoman, entrepreneur and property developer, who is Founder and executive chair of The HALO Urban Regeneration.