Job-creating plans to transform two former water treatment works in Huddersfield for industrial use have been given the green light.
Kirklees Council has approved the plans to create 75,000sq ft of new mixed employment space – creating about 200 jobs – at the former Yorkshire Water treatment works at Colne Bridge and Bradley.
The plans were submitted by Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister company to Yorkshire Water.
The company says the development of the sites will meet an urgent need for new employment space.
It said: “Both sites lie within the designated Regeneration Area as defined in the Kirklees Urban Development Plan (UDP) and represent ideal locations for the creation of new business units to allow local and regionally based businesses to stay and expand within the area.
The redundant Colne Bridge treatment works site, which is accessed off Colne Bridge Road, will be transformed to provide 40,000sq ft of industrial accommodation with nine units ranging in size from 1,950sq ft upwards.
The disused Bradley treatment works site, accessed off Station Road, has permission for a self-contained industrial park of about 35,000sq ft with a range of industrial units from 1,250 sq ft upwards.
The site is close to existing industrial developments, including the premises of nursery products firm Mamas & Papas, textile company C J Antich and engineering firms VTL and Extract Technology.
The plans for both sites have been designed with small to medium-sized businesses in mind following Keyland’s findings that local business parks are operating at full capacity.
Luke Axe, planning manager at Keyland Developments Ltd, said: “We worked closely with the council and local stakeholders in order to devise two well-considered schemes to bring redundant sites back into use for the benefit of the Kirklees economy.
“The delivery of 75,000sq ft of new employment space would provide a huge boost to the area and bring about around 200 jobs which is a fantastic result for Kirklees.
"We will now be preparing to bring the sites to market in order for their full potential to be realised.”
Established in 1987, Keyland operates across the region and is responsible for regenerating Yorkshire Water’s surplus land and property from Yorkshire Water’s portfolio.
Previous projects have included an office, call centre and restaurant development in Bradford and an office scheme in Leeds.
Current schemes include a major business hub of up to 500,000sq ft in Wakefield.
