Keighley: Industrial park will create vital units - meeting

The council-owned site is adjacent to the Hard Ings roundabout in Keighley

The creation of a large industrial park in Keighley will provide "much sought after" local business units, a meeting heard.

Beechcliffe, to the west of the A629 and close to the Hard Ings roundabout, has been earmarked for the 150,000 sq ft (13,935 sq m) proposed development.

The move would be funded by £6m from the government's Towns Fund.

"It will be a platform to provide more industrial units in the town," said a Keighley Towns Fund representative.

Feasibility work had started, with Balfour Beatty appointed as site contractor, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Bradford Council said £14m from the overall £33.6m Towns Fund pot for Keighley had been allocated to transform derelict buildings or empty sites.

At a recent meeting of the council's regeneration and environment scrutiny committee, members were told that the site has been earmarked for development for decades.

Michelle Rushworth, from Keighley Towns Fund, said: "It doesn't look much like a brownfield site as nature has taken over it over the years.

"It will be a platform to provide more industrial units in the town - something which is very much sought after in Keighley."

Councillors asked why Keighley had received £33m through the Towns Fund while nearby Shipley was awarded £8m less.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, executive for regeneration, planning and transport, said Keighley was able to leverage more funding due to its "strong manufacturing heritage" that made it an area of "regional significance".