Harrogate-based employment law firm, Boardside, is celebrating its sixth year anniversary with the arrival of a new partner.
Helen Trott has spent more than 25 years as an in-house lawyer covering financial services, healthcare and fintech businesses. She has worked at board level, including as general counsel, company secretary and chief operating officer.
In the firm’s newsletter, founding partner Richard Port said Ms Trott’s appointment added a new dimension to Boardside thanks to her experience in industries that are complex from a regulatory perspective. He said:
“We offer a bespoke advisory service to boards and those who sit on them and we have always prided ourselves on our grasp of clients’ commercial concerns, which has made us acutely aware and very interested to provide corporate governance, risk, compliance and some company secretarial services, too.
“Now, we have a new partner who has a strong commercial background and thereby broadens our capabilities in this regard.”
Software company appoints Harrogate comms firm
Marketing and communications agency, Big Bamboo, in Harrogate has been appointed by AI collision avoidance software company, Safety Shield Global, to support it with brand and PR activity.
The agency will support the company, whilst its sister agency, Big Bamboo Bids, will offer support in relation to bidding and winning work.
Safety Shield Global has developed an AI human form recognition safety system specifically for the construction industry .
The system can be fitted to any type of plant, for industries such as construction, rail, mining, demolition and waste, amongst others.
Nicola Stamford, founding director of The Big Bamboo Agency, said:
Artificial intelligence to be used to improve winter travel on Harrogate district roads“We are thrilled to have been appointed by Safety Shield Global, which is a leading player in AI software.
“The company’s story is an impressive one, led by a very passionate CEO and wider team to ensure the safety of people who are working on sites, where plant machinery is prevalent.”
Artificial intelligence is to be employed on Harrogate district roads this winter to keep traffic moving during severe weather.
North Yorkshire County Council revealed yesterday it was working with Finnish weather technology firm Vaisala to improve monitoring of its network of 5,800 miles of road.
Vaisala will use a combination of artificial intelligence, computer modelling and live data to survey road conditions more quickly.
A council news release said:
“As highways officers drive the network, the video technology automatically surveys the roads and identifies defects. It processes the data within a few hours.
“This gives the highways team a visual snapshot of the whole network, capturing useful data about the road condition and road signs very quickly and enabling them to target resources most efficiently.”
The authority is trialling Vaisala Wx Horizon, which uses real-time weather information, historic weather and road condition data alongside computer modelling to help identify required winter treatments.
It is also investigating Internet of Things sensors to provide feedback on road surface temperatures and moisture levels.
Read more:
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Last year the council spent £500,000 on measures including installing 27 weather stations across the county to provide up-to-date information to help the council make decisions about when and where to grit roads.
The B6265 at Greenhow near Pateley Bridge and the B6267 Low Burton near Masham are among the areas with weather stations.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, the former executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, pictured at a weather station last year.
The stations include solar-powered cameras that relay live images of road conditions to the county council’s website, where they help people plan their journeys.
‘Vital to everyday lives’
Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said:
“North Yorkshire’s extensive highways network, which includes many rural roads, is vital to the everyday lives of the county’s residents, its businesses, tourism industry and wider economic prosperity.
“That’s why we have a strong track record in putting ourselves at the forefront of technological advances that enable us to make quick, well-informed decisions to help to keep our roads open and people on the move during winter weather.
“These latest developments with Vaisala continue that long-standing approach and demonstrate our commitment to ongoing improvement to enable our dedicated teams to support residents, businesses and visitors across the county.”
Jarkko Sairanen, Vaisala’s executive vice president for weather and the environment, said:
“I am convinced the county and its people will benefit from the latest advances in mobile and Internet of Things technologies to help keep the road network safe and accessible, while minimising the cost and carbon footprint of efficient winter maintenance operations.”
The Stray Ferret has asked the council how much the new measures cost but has yet to receive a figure.
Picture: At one of North Yorkshire’s weather stations are (from left): Mike Francis of NY Highways; Erik Sucksdorff, sales director at Vaisala; Jo Wright, sales manager at Vaisala; Richard Marr, highway area manager at North Yorkshire County Council; Nigel Smith, head of highway operations at NYCC; Barrie Mason, assistant director, highways and transportation at NYCC; Jarkko Sairanen, Vaisala’s executive vice president for weather and the environment; and Alan Palfreyman, technical officer at NYCC