Shipley College addresses concerns new building would harm UNESCO site in Saltaire

The college owns and operates many of the village’s most famous buildings, including the Salt Building, but its plans for a new Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Technology Centre on the Caroline Street car park have proved hugely controversial.

The plans – which are being partly funded with £6m from the Government’s Shipley Towns Fund – were approved by Bradford Council in February, despite opposition from many in Saltaire.

The plans have returned to the spotlight this month after a Freedom of Information request from an objector to the scheme revealed that an international heritage body had raised concerns about the proposals before the planning application was submitted.

In February 2023 the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) – a body that advises UNESCO, said of the plans: “It is difficult to understand how this site could be considered as acceptable for a large new building. As proposed, it is likely that the centre would have a highly adverse impact on the integrity of the property and its Outstanding Universal Value.”

The heritage body went on to suggest the car park and neighbouring toilets and social club be redeveloped as a green space. After the concerns were made public a petition was started calling for the approval to be re-considered by Bradford Council.

It currently has 848 signatures, with many of those who signed fearing the new building could put Saltaire’s status as a World Heritage Site at risk. Shipley College has now responded to the concerns, arguing that the comments by ICOMOS were taken on board when they drew up the planning application.

The concerns were raised in February 2023, with the planning application submitted in September that year.

A spokesperson said: “We take our status as long-time custodians of the historic buildings and artefacts of Saltaire very seriously. Throughout the CAHFT project we have taken Historic England’s advice from a very early stage, alongside Bradford Council’s conservation and planning teams.

“They are the statutory consultees and have been supportive throughout the process. ICOMOS did provide feedback at the pre-application stage, and we of course then addressed all of their concerns in the very detailed full application stage.

“Historic England, via the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, kept ICOMOS informed throughout and ICOMOS were then given an extended amount of time to comment on the full application, which they chose not to do.”