World Heritage Site art centre at risk - report

The £6m project faces an uncertain future

A multi million-pound development in the centre of a Unesco World Heritage Site in West Yorkshire is at risk of not going ahead, new documents show.

Bradford Council granted planning permission for a £6m community and arts centre on a car park in Saltaire in February.

A report to the Shipley Towns Fund Board warned the project on Caroline Street was facing "significant delays", with a high risk of it not moving forward.

A council spokesperson said discussions about the project were "ongoing" and declined to comment further.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the board was given an update on the Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Technology Centre this week.

The meeting was held in private but its agenda has since been published online.

Talks between Shipley College, the government and Bradford Council were said to be under way to try and progress the scheme, according to the document.

The centre - funded by the Shipley Towns Fund - would offer students the chance to study for T-Level qualifications.

It would also act as a tourist information point, community garden space and a permanent home to the Saltaire Collection - artefacts and documents detailing the history of the village.

However, according to the document, "legal issues have caused significant delays which have resulted in the project team being stood down".

Projects in Saltaire and nearby Shipley have been planned with Towns Fund cash

It gave the plans a four out of five score for their risk of not going ahead, up from two in March.

The project has proved controversial among local residents, with many objecting due to the potential impact a new building would have on the heritage of the area.

Saltaire was built in the 19th Century by the industrialist Titus Salt, who constructed homes for his workers alongside the mills they were employed in.

It was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.

Others objected to the loss of a car park in the centre of the village.

A petition calling for the council to revisit the planning application has now been signed by more than 1,500 people.

According to the document, a £7m scheme to redevelop an unnamed site in Shipley was also at risk of not going ahead, with that project given the maximum rating of five.

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