Historic building transformed into apartments for first-time buyers in Dewsbury
For years, one of the first buildings people saw as they stepped out of Dewsbury railway station stood largely empty, its future uncertain despite occupying one of the town's most prominent locations.
Now, after a £6m restoration, the Grade II listed Victorian landmark, which has been offices and a nightclub in the past, is about to begin a new chapter as homes designed to help first-time buyers put down roots in the town.
Mood Developments is transforming former Field House into Station Apartments, a collection of one, two and three-bedroom homes that Peter Mason, director of the company, hopes will become part of the wider regeneration reshaping Dewsbury.
As well as restoring an important heritage building, the project aims to encourage more owner-occupiers to live in the town centre and support its long-term revival.
"We're wanting a different model here," says Peter. "We've obviously had a lot of interest from investors, but we're not selling to investors.
“We ask people to say that they intend to live in the apartment when they've bought it because we want people who stay, not for six months or a year, but people who stay for years, put down roots in the local area and become part of the new Dewsbury."
The scheme was not originally intended to be residential. Mood Developments bought the building, which once housed a popular nightclub called Zhivago’s, in 2018, planning to refurbish the ground-floor bar, while retaining offices above.
Those plans changed when the company was approached about creating housing, at a time when government regeneration funding through Levelling Up and later Pride in Place was becoming available.
Around half of the project's £6m cost has been met through public funding, making possible a restoration that Peter says would otherwise have been commercially unviable.
Originally built in 1878-79 as the home of the Cooperative Society, the Italianate building has survived more than its fair share of setbacks. During the Second World War, an incendiary bomb crashed through the roof but thankfully didn’t ignite the building. However, a fire in the 1990s caused extensive damage. "The building's a bit of a survivor," says Peter. "I always think it's nice to think of the building as a person almost. It's very beautiful and, despite everything, it's survived."
Much of the building work has focused on preserving that character and, where possible, local contractors and suppliers have been used.
The original staircase has been painstakingly restored, with missing sections recreated by local craftsmen, while surviving Brazilian mahogany balustrades have been retained.
New timber sash windows, manufactured by Bradford-based Patchett Joinery, replicate the originals while meeting modern performance standards.
But restoring historic buildings doesn’t come cheap. "The sash windows on their own are between £5,000 and £8,000 each,” Peter says.
Although much of the original interior was lost in the 1990s fire, the stone structure remains intact and has been complemented by a contemporary rooftop extension containing seven duplex penthouse apartments, three with balconies overlooking the surrounding hills.
Standing on the roof for the first time convinced Peter the views should become part of the development so he added an extra floor at the top. "I was absolutely amazed," he says. "You've got beautiful views in all directions." He believes the town's heritage has often been overlooked, despite its grand civic architecture and excellent transport links. "Dewsbury is a little-known, very beautiful Victorian town," he says. "People say it's like Harworth without the tourists.
"It's 10 minutes by train to Leeds, there are four trains an hour, it's close to the M62 and M1, it's on the canal network and surrounded by countryside. When you look at it, you realise it's obvious that it will become a very important centre again."
The apartments, priced from £90,000, are aimed exclusively at owner-occupiers in an attempt to address one of the biggest barriers facing young buyers.
Five of the apartments, being sold through Hunters, are on a ‘Ladder Up’ scheme, which allows buyers to rent for one year and then receive back three quarters of their rent, which they can use as a deposit to purchase the apartment.
"So many people can afford a monthly mortgage because they're already paying it in rent," Mr Mason said. "What they can't do is save the deposit so we want to help them."
The development forms part of a much wider programme of investment in Dewsbury where public funding is supporting projects including the restoration of the historic arcade and improvements to the market.
Peter, who previously helped regenerate Kirkgate in Leeds through award-winning restoration projects including Wapentake, believes restoring landmark buildings can help change perceptions of a place.
"Sometimes you need the smaller developers to get the ball moving," he says. "The idea really is that this sets the scene for further residential development in Dewsbury."