DEVELOPERS today unveiled plans for the huge St George's Warehouse, adjoining Huddersfield railway station.

They want to covert the massive red brick building - which has stood empty for years - into a complex of offices and apartments.

And there could also be shops on the ground floor of the building.

The application has come from HD1 Developments, who have been in detailed talks with Kirklees Council over the plans.

It is the biggest single development in Huddersfield.

But plans for the 121-year-old warehouse have been dogged with failures over the past decades.

Council officials said the new plans for development of the huge former railway warehouse building in Huddersfield signalled an "exciting and significant regeneration opportunity".

The council's deputy leader Clr John Smithson said: "Without in any way pre-judging the planning issues, the fact that after decades of laying empty, derelict and in disrepair in recent years, that positive plans have been submitted is incredibly good news for the town, and in particular the wider regeneration programme for this end of the town.

"The council has been advising on development options in relation to accepted uses for the building under the council's Unitary Development Plan which guides land use.

"The Unitary Development Plan identifies a number of future uses for the building that would be acceptable. These include offices, leisure, non-food shopping, education, housing, and car parking."

The plans submitted by HD1 Developments Ltd focus on four of the five storeys of the building and involve 62 apartments for the top two floors, 60,000 square feet of offices on the next two floors below, and surfacing of the 220-space car park.

The council agreed in February to support two initiatives to help pave the way for the eventual development of the 240,000 square feet building and surrounding site, which will be named St George's Quarter.

Grants topping £200,000 from Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund enabled the council to commission feasibility work and junction improvements.

The council is carrying out improvements for the Fitzwilliam Street-St John's Road junction with signal controls, dropped crossings, and tactile paving, due to be completed by the autumn.

Consultants are now carrying out a feasibility study into developing the station pedestrian subway to provide a modern attractive subway link from the warehouse through to the station and St George's Square.

Clr Smithson said: "The warehouse represents the largest building development opportunity in Huddersfield.

"It is important for the council to liaise effectively with the developers, giving them help and advice as they progress proposals that could transform this particular site, bring new vitality to the town, and provide a very important boost for the local economy."

THE imposing St George's Warehouse was built in 1883 by the London and North Western Railway Company.

It was used as a parcels depot in the heyday of the railways, but has been virtually empty since the mid- 1970s.

The past 15 years have seen a series of ambitious schemes get off the ground. All have failed.

* 1990 - Environment secretary Chris Patten gave approval for a £10m office scheme planned by Commercial Development Projects, of Elland. It was never built.

* 1994 - Plans for a multi-storey car park never got off the drawing board.

* 1996 - Deanbridge Developments took ownership.

* 1996 - Footstep Ltd announced plans to use the building as a warehouse for its discount retailers, Ware Mart and Wots in Store.

* 1998 - Footstep's parent company Musefield went into receivership and the warehouse was put back on the market.

* 1999 - Cheshire- based Eatonfield Developments bought the building for £850,000 and announ- ced plans for warehousing and offices.

* 2000 - Workmen converted a tiny part of the building into warehouse space.

Businessman Puri Irfan bought the warehouse for £1m. Plans to convert it to shops, flats and offices were talked about.