PLANS have been unveiled for a £3m upmarket housing development in the Holme Valley.

Huddersfield businessman Jason Noads is planning to build seven houses and seven apartments on the old Victoria Mills site at Woodhead Road, Holmfirth.

Mr Noads has set up Eden Luxury Living Ltd to handle the scheme.

The development is being marketed by another of his companies, Hobson Creative Design Ltd, based at Fenay Bridge.

Mr Noads said the scheme aimed to appeal to young professionals seeking "contemporary living" in a rural setting.

The first phase of the scheme will provide seven houses with south-facing balconies overlooking landscaped gardens and the picturesque Home Valley.

The four-storey buildings will feature stone arches echoing Mediterranean architecture.

The houses - each providing 2,000sq ft of floorspace - will have a ground floor garage and utility room, first floor open plan lounge, dining area and kitchen, second floor bedrooms and bathroom and a third floor providing room for a master bedroom or "home office" with ISDN line and broadband internet connection.

The scheme features designer kitchens and bathrooms and sweeping stairwells.

Eden is now seeking planning permission for the second phase of seven apartments.

There will be six two-bedroomed apartments and a luxury penthouse apartment.

Prices for the houses range from £249,000 to £275,000. The six apartments will cost £149,000 each, but a price has not yet been set for the penthouse flat.

Plots for the houses - to be built for spring, 2004 - are already being sold by joint agents Dowling Kerr in Holmfirth and Carter Jonas in Slaithwaite.

Mr Noads said: "If you live in the city centre, you have to pay a higher price for that.

"We are trying to offer people more accommodation for less money and still have all the amenities on the doorstep."

Mr Noads said his company was on the lookout for more sites.

Mr Noads set up the cheque cashing business Cheque Exchange Ltd, which had annual turnover of £70m when it was sold to provident Financial Services.

He also heads property development company Real Developments Ltd.

The Victoria Mills site has been connected with industry for more than 150 years.

Victoria Mills was built in 1848 as a woollen spinning mill. It survived the 1852 Holmfirth flood, but closed in 1878 and reopened in 1906 as Victoria Ironworks. It was last used for manufacturing components in sheet metal and was demolished about six months ago.