A STATELY home on the edge of Huddersfield is set to be transformed into a luxury hotel and spa, it has been revealed.
Bretton Hall will be leased to Leeds-based property developer Rushbond PLC for development. And the home’s extensive grounds will be leased to the nearby Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
As well as the hotel and spa, the hall’s links with the sculpture park are to be boosted with the creation of an education centre and studio space for artists, designers and media companies.
The plans also include the construction of an inner access road and a shuttle bus from Bretton to Wakefield city centre.
Wakefield Council acquired the Bretton Hall Estate from the University of Leeds in 2006 to make sure that the future use and management of the estate were in keeping with the environs of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Clr Denise Jeffery, deputy leader of the Council with responsibility for regeneration, said: “We received a lot of interest in the site.
“We have decided to go for the proposal from Rushbond because it offers us the best use of Bretton Hall, in keeping with its very special setting.
“The plans are wonderful and fit in with the traditions of Bretton as a centre of creative arts and education.
“The proposal will draw in private sector investment, restore the hall itself and other listed buildings and provide better access to the site, including by public transport.”
She added: “I am looking forward to work starting as soon as possible on site and I am sure we will have a real jewel in our crown when it is completed. It will complement The Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield to make the district a big cultural tourism destination.
“Now we have chosen our development partner, we hope to stage exhibitions about the plans and gather comments and views from the public to help us work out the detail of what we will be doing at Bretton.”
In the past Bretton was an acclaimed teaching centre for drama students.
Three of the creators of the cult TV show The League of Gentlemen – Jeremy Dyson, Steve Pemberton and Mark Gatiss – learned their craft at Bretton.
And other former students include playwrights John Godber and Kay Mellor.
