Wakefield Westgate: Search still on for developer to build hotel at city’s old railway station

The local authority bought the old station site in 2023 as part of a multi-million pound regeneration masterplan for the city.

Councillors were told the selection process for a company to build a 110-bedroom “mid-range” hotel on the site was yet to be completed but could be announced this autumn.

The council previously said construction of the facility was expected to start in late 2025 or early 2026.

Members of the council’s regeneration and economic growth scrutiny committee were updated on plans for the site at a meeting on Wednesday (April 16).

Jo Hill, the council’s service manager for strategic housing and regeneration, described the project as “a transformational opportunity” for the city centre.

The officer said the outcome of a procurement process to choose the developer was likely to be announced later this year.

Olivia Rowley, Labour councillor for Ossett, asked: “If you are delaying it by a year, won’t the costs go up?”

Ms Hill: “There are always cost implications but we are not delaying. It’s just the time it takes to secure and to progress the project. It’s the same in terms of procurement on this scale as well. It just takes the time that it takes.

“With any project, we will always encounter issues that have not been expected or anticipated as well.”

The council bought the site for nearly £600,000 following an agreement with Network Rail.

The purchase is being funded through a £24.9m government Towns Deal grant allocated in 2021.

Ms Hill added: “We have a healthy grant amount and it will help with the viability of the site – that’s fundamental. We feel comfortable in terms of the funding we have got and from the conversations we have had with developers as well.”

The station ceased operations in 2013 when a new station on Mulberry Way was completed.

The development could include the transformation of Pemberton House, a Grade-II listed building next to the former station. The property was built in 1754 and was the home of wealthy cloth merchant Pemberton Milnes.

Ms Hill said: “It’s a beautiful old historic property. We have additional funding where we might bring that back into use. But at the moment we are waiting to secure a hotel developer to understand their ambitions to see how that use of Pemberton House would sit.”

In March last year Mark Lynam, the council’s corporate director for regeneration and economic growth, said ground surveys had been carried out at the site.

He added: “The next stage will be to market the site to interested hotel developers. Construction is expected to start on site late 2025 or early 2026.”