Up to 800 jobs set to be created on former water treatment site in Yorkshire

Keyland Developments, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister company to Yorkshire Water, secured planning consent from Kirklees Council in March to transform the redundant North Bierley Water Treatment Works site, which has lain dormant since 2010, into a major commercial development to boost the region’s economic growth.

The plans include a ratio of 30 per cent B2 general industrial use and 70 per cent B8 storage and distribution usage.

This was decided in response to severe regional shortages of new industrial accommodation and to support growing businesses which cannot be accommodated in the fully occupied neighbouring business parks in North Kirklees and South Bradford.

The site occupies a strategic position at the major intersection of the M62 Transpennine motorway and the M606 Bradford Link in West Yorkshire.

Keyland said the site’s location will cement its appeal to industrial occupiers and, once developed, will deliver widespread employment and economic benefits to the region.

The launch of the North Bierley site follows the sale in July of a separate 16-acre site in the Aire Valley area of Leeds with planning consent in place for 265,000 sq ft of mixed-employment development to Total Developments.

Keyland said the sale demonstrates the appeal of well-located sites with planning in place for development to address regional shortages and Keyland anticipates similar high levels of interest in this latest development opportunity.

Peter Garrett, Keyland’s managing director, said: “Following on from the successful sale of the Leeds site, we’re very aware of the strong levels of demand for unlocked land of this nature, with planning permission already in place.

“The regional industrial sector is experiencing shortages across all unit size categories and the North Bierley site is in prime position to attract occupiers seeking industrial and warehousing in a key location in the Yorkshire region.

“We take pride in our ability to bring forward these strategic sites so that they can be regenerated and make a positive impact on the area. Creating 800 jobs would be a fantastic result and we look forward to progressing discussions.”

Keyland has appointed Leeds-based agents Dove Haigh Phillips (DHP) to market the site.