4.5 Projects & Priorities

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1 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale 4.5 Projects & Priorities Priority Projects We have identifi ed a wide range of projects that can contribute to delivering the Airedale Corridors and the Bradford 2020 Vision. Some of these projects are already underway and private investment or funding has been committed. Within this broad range of projects there are some that are greater catalysts than others. Our assessment of the projects has identifi ed fi ve priority projects that MUST be delivered to stimulate the regeneration of Airedale. The priority projects for the Airedale Partnership and Bradford Council are: Keighley Railway Station; North Street Hotel, Keighley; Bingley Technology Business Park; Advanced Digital Institute; Shipley Eastern Link Road & Shipley Interchange. These are the primary catalysts for Airedale. There are many other important projects that should follow on from these projects and they must not be neglected but planned and delivered in parallel. City Region Projects There are other projects that are of City Region importance and are imperative for cross boundary initiatives. These projects should be co-ordinated with the Regional Spatial Strategy and City Region initiatives. The Priority Projects in and around Airedale for Bradford Council and the City Region are: Capacity improvements at Leeds Bradford International Airport; Leeds Bradford International Airport Rail Link; Enhancing the Saltaire World Heritage Site. In addition, the following major highways projects should be considered in the context of the regional transport priorities linked to the economic growth of Airedale and the regeneration of the wider Bradford District: Shipley/Saltaire bypass tunnel; M65/M606 highway links. Strategic Highway Projects The de-trunking of the A650 from the Highways Agency to Bradford Council is an opportunity to take control of the main spine road for the Bradford District in Airedale. The priority projects for Bradford Council and the Highways Agency are: Dualling of Hard Ings; Saltaire Roundabout Improvements; Steeton and Silsden Cycleway; Dualling of Canal Road. 4.0 Making Change Happen 1.0 Positioning Airedale 2.0 Vision For Airedale 3.0 Places For Change 87

2 Huddersfi eld Railway Station Huddersfi eld Railway Station is a good example of where simple but high-quality public realm has transformed the area and the approaches to the station. The stone fl ags and cast iron street furniture create character and a sense of place that is easy to maintain. The restoration of Keighley Railway Station should be more than the station buildings. The public realm should extend up Cavendish Street, East Parade and through to Dalton Lane so that the railway station has the appearance of being closer to the town and its users. Huddersfield Railway Station

3 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale Keighley Railway Station Project This project is about revitalising Keighley Railway Station and connecting the early regeneration projects proposed for the town with high-quality public realm. The project comprises: Construction of a new station ticket hall concourses and entrances; Refurbishment of the station buildings and platforms; Bus and rail interchange at Dalton Lane; Integration of Keighley & Worth Valley Railway with the mainline; High-quality public realm connecting the station to pedestrian routes along Cavendish Street, East Parade and through the new Keighley College to Dalton Mills; Formation of a community railway station body. Partnerships This project is complex and requires careful coordination to maximise the benefi ts to all parties. If completed successfully it will be a great example partnering to deliver the masterplan. As a priority project it will need funding to prime initial activity and draw in other funding from the West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan. The refurbishment of the Grade II listed station buildings and replacement of the canopies may qualify for some assistance from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The public realm between the sites and key developments could be funded between Bradford Council and from S106 agreements with private developers. The reuse of the existing station buildings for retail and restaurants could create a revenue stream that might assist with improved maintenance and security around the station area. Together with Metro and the Northern Rail Franchise Operators a Community Station could be formed, where local people have an infl uence over the maintenance and operation of the station. Keighley Railway Station: Heritage Restoration & Public Realm Improvement Benefi ts This project can enhance a key asset of the town, providing better access to education and employment opportunities. It will also join together the key development areas at Dalton Lane, Cavendish Street and East Parade with pedestrian walkways. A refurbished railway station will encourage commuters to settle in Keighley and initiate the redevelopment of redundant or underused buildings for mixed use developments, providing residential accommodation and business space. Redevelopment will raise land and property values in the town centre and allow the regeneration of heritage buildings for retail and residential use. Footfall should increase throughout the town from greater local use, raising retail revenues. The station as a gateway to the town can become an iconic feature that draws visitors and raises the status and confi dence of the town. 89 Next Steps A feasibility study should be undertaken to examine all the technical options of station refurbishment to determine the costs and how to maximise the benefi ts to Keighley. The feasibility study should include discussions with all the key partners in the operation of the railway station and surrounding land owners. The study should develop some outline proposals and address how the station can be operated to generate local revenue to support a community railway station. 1.0 Positioning Airedale 2.0 Vision For Airedale 3.0 Places For Change 4.0 Making Change Happen

4 Malmaison Hotel, Leeds Malmaison Hotel in Leeds is situated in a successfully refurbished building that was formerly a bus depot and offi ces. This luxury hotel is an example of the style and quality that Keighley should aspire to for its town centre site on the corner of North Street and Cavendish Street. Hotel groups are often risk averse and for a quality operator to be attracted there may need to be a variety of complimentary uses such as residential, specialist retail or restaurant outlets, conference and leisure facilities. Malmaison, Leeds

5 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale North Street Hotel, Keighley This project is about providing an hotel facility at the centre of Keighley that will change the perception of the town. The scale and location of the site is such that it would be a major new project for the town but retain the connections with its past. The project will comprise the following: 1.0 Positioning Airedale Refurbishment of the former Mechanics Institute buildings for conference and leisure facilities; Refurbishment or reconstruction of the modern college buildings to create hotel accommodation; Creation of hotel entrance with specialist retail and restaurant facilities fronting onto Cavendish Street. Partnerships The site should be purchased from Keighley College by Yorkshire Forward to retain ownership of this important site and allow Keighley College to progress with their move to Dalton Lane. Having secured the site it will be important to develop a strong relationship with a developer and operator of a mixed use hotel and leisure complex. A design development competition could be run to attract some original thoughts on the site use and operation. The creation of a restaurant facility will be one objective but it will also be important to identify a leading restaurateur to put Keighley s new facility on the regional map. A partnership with one of the leading culinary schools might be appropriate to develop links and talent in future years. 2.0 Vision For Airedale Keighley College: A Future Landmark Hotel Development Benefi ts The image of the town would dramatically change if the development reaches its full potential. Conference facilities would support business use of the hotel and attract new investors to the area. The elegant halls of the former Mechanics Institute would provide a central venue for dinners and weddings in the town. New health spa and leisure facilities could be available for town centre users. Speciality retail outlets onto Cavendish Street would set the standard for new retailing and raise the levels of footfall. A new restaurant would set high standards and begin to develop a cluster of dining facilities that support arts and leisure around the town centre. The hotel will be a provider of jobs and potential training facility for the growing leisure and tourism sector. Next Steps A feasibility study should be undertaken to determine the mix and make up of the development. The study should include a survey of the existing buildings to determine their potential for refurbishment. There should be a detailed market analysis of the hotel and restaurant capacity of the area. Opportunities for the development of connections to culinary colleges and restaurateurs should be explored. 3.0 Places For Change 4.0 Making Change Happen 91

6 Stockley Park Middlesex Stockley Park is one of the UK s most prestigious offi ce business parks set in landscaped grounds. The quality of accommodation and surroundings attracts higher value business. Bingley Technology Business Park should aspire to contain accommodation of a quality that attracts high value business to Airedale. The accommodation could provide for, relocating existing fi rms within Airedale, or for inward investors from abroad. Arup Associates / SPLC Stockley Park, Middlesex

7 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale Bingley Technology Business Park Project This project is about raising the standard and provision of high-quality offi ce space at the centre of Airedale on the former Auction Market and Coolgardie Farm at Bingley. There is a need to raise the aspiration for prestigious offi ces to undertake science, design and technology that supports advanced manufacturing and the digital sector. The technology business park will draw on the existing experience of the surrounding fi rms in manufacturing, digital and fi nance sectors. This project comprises: The creation of a technology business park; Location of the Digital Industries Collaborators in Commerce; Development of business incubator and business support facilities; Development of business to education connections with Bingley Grammar School. 1.0 Positioning Airedale 2.0 Vision For Airedale Partnerships The current owner of the site will be a key partner in the development of the site. The owner also operates the Castlefi elds Industrial Estate and a joint partnership will allow the complementary development of both sites. A developer partnership will be required to prepare and build out the site. The market for offi ce premises is generally stronger in Bingley than the other towns and the project will be predominantly a private sector initiative, although there may be a need for some gap funding to deal with infrastructure costs and raising the quality of the development. Revenue support in the form of placing the Digital Industries Collaborators in Commerce and a business incubator in the site will provide early letting and an attractor for new business to the development. Bingley Auction Market: Future Bingley Technology Business Park Benefi ts The benefi ts of this project will be to provide space for employment alongside the high-quality transport infrastructure of Crossfl atts railway station, Bingley Relief Road and the A650 quality bus corridor, making it accessible to all the settlements in Airedale. The development of the site will provide a northern anchor for the town centre supporting regeneration of retail outlets along Main Street. It will also prevent the site from becoming a foodstore that would undermine the redevelopment of Myrtle Walk and the town centre retailing. The creation of links between schools, universities and business through the Digital Industries Collaborators in Commerce will help prepare a workforce for the future economy. Next Steps The next steps should be to start discussions with the land owner and prospective developers who will be able to take the site forward. In the short term the Digital Industries CIC is likely to have a temporary base elsewhere in Airedale but discussions should take place about future intentions and how they could fi t into a new development. It will be important to have links with Bradford and Leeds Universities to support the long term growth and development of the technology business park to meet the future innovation requirements. Enterprise is important and the start up and nurturing of new business will be a component at a business incubator on the site. It will be important to establish a register of new or emerging fi rms looking for premises. 3.0 Places For Change 4.0 Making Change Happen 93

8 Round Foundry, Leeds The Round Foundry, Leeds The Round Foundry in Leeds is an example of a creative knowledge exchange centre where like-minded fi rms can take business space. The business space is actively managed to encourage exchange of ideas and information between fi rms co-located within the building. The Advanced Digital Institute should be situated in similar actively managed space so that the full benefi ts of a research, development and knowledge centre are realised.

9 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale Advanced Digital Institute, Shipley Project This project is about creating a world-class commercial research and design facility to support the advanced manufacturing and digital sector. It will focus on providing a business design and development service for small and medium enterprises and outsourced product development for public limited companies. The project will comprise: 1.0 Positioning Airedale Short term technology development and research for small, medium and larger fi rms; Development of non-core ideas which would otherwise fail to come to market, generated by larger companies; A deal-making exchange to ensure that the ideas developed into products do not fail to make it to market due to lack of fi nance or suitable commercial partners. 2.0 Vision For Airedale Partnerships The vital partnerships will be with local fi rms within Airedale who will benefi t from and support the Advanced Digital Institute. Key local fi rms are found in a cluster that defi nes why the Advanced Digital Institute should be sited in Shipley. The fi rst few years will be crucial to develop the confi dence of local fi rms with the organisation. As the Advanced Digital Institute develops it will become a regional and national resource where wider industry can gain from its experience. Other partners will be local and national universities. It would be appropriate to situate the Advance Digital Institute offi ces at a central point in Dockfi eld Road such that it stimulates development throughout the area. Shipley is well connected regionally through the rail network and in the future it could be on the railway line to the Airport, which will be important for international business. Knowledge Exchange in a Creative Environment Benefi ts Having a commercial research and development facility in Airedale will create growth in the digital and advanced manufacturing sectors it supports. It will be a place where new ideas are generated and developed to create new products and services. The commercial rigour applied will ensure that the organisation is a success in delivering its goals. It will be the driver of job creation and be an attractor of business to the area. It will perform a role in the training of staff in research and development and be an attractor of high-calibre graduates to the area. As an attractor of business it will also be a driver for the value of land and premises, and encourage developers to build serviced offi ce accommodation and industrial units to undertake production. Crucially the Advanced Digital Institute will add value to the businesses throughout Airedale and the region. Next Steps The funding for the initial phase of the Advanced Digital Institute has already been secured. The appointment of a Chief Executive to develop and deliver a business plan will be the next step. Accommodation will have to be found in the Shipley area to enable a small team to carry out the research and development work. The primary aim is for the creation of a service and so property and its location should not dominate its early decisions. As the organisation grows there should be a development of a more permanent home, ideally at Junction Mill at the Leeds & Liverpool Canal basin or other nearby mill refurbishment developments where there is existing capacity in underused or derelict buildings. 3.0 Places For Change 4.0 Making Change Happen 95

10 Shipley Eastern Link Road The proposed Shipley Eastern Link Road provides a major regeneration opportunity similar to the A650 Bingley Relief Road by addressing the highway severance that is the root cause of many of Shipley s current failings. The Link Road will release new employment land, improve access to existing sites, create opportunities to enhance public transport facilities and reconnect the town centre to surrounding areas. The dualling of Canal Road should follow delivery of the Link Road to improve road links to Bradford and the motorway network beyond. The Link Road design should also make provision for a future Shipley bypass tunnel to connect the Link Road and Canal Road to the A650 at Nab Wood. Such a scheme can only be promoted as part of a regional transport strategy justifi ed by economic growth in the Airedale corridor. Arup / A650 Bingley Relief Road

11 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale Shipley Eastern Link Road & Shipley Interchange Project This project is about unlocking employment land and reducing through traffi c in Shipley. Currently the land around Dockfi eld Road and Shipley East is unable to be developed to its full potential due to the weight of through traffi c. This project comprises: 1.0 Positioning Airedale A link road from Otley Road at Baildon across the River Aire, Leeds & Liverpool Canal and Airedale Railway Line through to the Leeds Road and on to Canal Road; The development of Shipley bus/rail transport interchange on the Otley Road. Partnerships The most important partnerships will be within Bradford Council between the highways, planning and regeneration teams. Early on there will need to be a discussion with the Local Transport Plan team for West Yorkshire to identify the link road as a strategic project. At the same time discussions on the wider development of Shipley Interchange must begin with Metro. The last round of Objective 2 funding is critical for assembling employment land and providing critical infrastructure that will improve the quality and value of the sites. 2.0 Vision For Airedale Carnegie Library: An Opportunity for Regeneration of Windhill Benefi ts The clearest benefi t of the link road will be to unlock areas of employment land. It will provide access that will signifi cantly raise the value of the land and property above thresholds so that it can be developed for mixed use and commercial premises. The reduction of through traffi c in Shipley will allow the development of a new Shipley Interchange. The link road design will avoid the centre of Windhill which like Shipley has also been compromised by traffi c around the Carnegie Library and allow it to become the centre of this community again. The reconfi guration of the roads will allow substantial areas of housing renewal to take place making the most of the new Bradford Canal waterside. Next Steps The next steps will be to prepare a feasibility study into the road that identifi es appropriate alignment and examines the costs and benefi ts of the scheme in order to prepare a funding submission for the Local Transport Plan. The study should include traffi c and environmental impact assessments and a preliminary engineering design. The fi nal round of Objective 2 Funding should be used to assemble land packages in the Dockfi eld Road area to create employment land and access to sites either side of the link road. 3.0 Places For Change 4.0 Making Change Happen 97

12 Bingley Five-Rise Locks, Leeds & Liverpool Canal The Five-Rise Locks are a symbol of the ambition of Airedale past. The Leeds & Liverpool Canal connected the towns of Airedale to the Northern Region and created an economy. Airedale now needs to connect into the Northern Way and play a signifi cant role in the new Northern Region.

13 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale 4.6 Closing Statement This masterplan is a strategy for growth and change in line with regional thinking. Delivery of the masterplan has started with early projects in the creative, connected and lifestyle corridors. The completion of the A650 Bingley Relief Road, the planned Keighley College move, broadband connection of Airedale and the redevelopment of Victoria Mills have initiated regeneration. During the research for the masterplan we have spoken to many people and seen how developer interest has grown in Airedale. In the next few years over 200m of investment in private residential development is committed to Airedale. More than 150m of additional investment is planned for new and refurbished educational and healthcare facilities. We would expect these rates of investment to continue as the economy of Airedale grows. We are confi dent that the masterplan will work because it is practical and builds on the strengths already there. Airedale has demonstrated its capacity to change and adapt through history and is already beginning to change from a grant dependent area to a thriving economy. It will take signifi cant resources to tip the balance from one to the other but it is vital for Bradford District that Airedale receives the public investment it deserves, because it holds the District together, and has a key role in the aspirations for the regional economy. The priority projects are essential primary catalysts but need to be supplemented with other projects, which give the masterplan depth and quality. The amount of regeneration development anticipated will create high workloads for planning and management, and delivery must not be compromised through a lack of resources. As the pace of change gathers there will be signifi cant demands placed upon construction, restoration and project management resources within Airedale. Developments must be phased and delivered so as to fi t with the requirements of the property market. Funding has been secured for the Advanced Digital Institute, Keighley College, Digital Industries CIC and the regeneration of the Keighley Carnegie Library. Momentum is growing but it must be maintained by acting early on the priority projects. The fi ve priority projects will need around 50m of public sector funding over the next fi ve years. The sources for funding will be a combination of Objective 2 funds, Bradford Council, Yorkshire Forward, English Partnerships, Local Transport Plan and other funding bodies. This investment will stimulate signifi cantly more private sector investment across Airedale. The fi ne details of our recommendations can, and will, be challenged but the underlying principles must be preserved. Other projects beyond the fi ve priority projects will need around a further 50m of public sector funding. These are realistic sums when drawn from a wide variety of sources and spread over the time-frame of the masterplan. The outcome of this masterplan predicts the creation of 10,000 spaces for jobs. About 5,000 spaces are needed for the relocation of business, safeguarding jobs. Around 1,000 jobs would have been created without intervention and the masterplan seeks to add 4,000 additional jobs. 5,000 new jobs equates to approximately 10% growth of the workforce in Airedale. Safeguarded jobs will be in more effi cient premises and should raise the productivity of Airedale. It is likely that in the short term there will be an equivalent amount of temporary jobs created in construction and new supporting services. Currently, unemployment is approximately 5% of the workforce and equates to 2,500 people. We would expect the majority of these people to take up jobs in the new economy. Allowing for people travelling into Airedale to work we would expect an increase of 2,000 households to be delivered in the town centres of Airedale to meet the anticipated growth. A further 2,000 households are likely to be delivered in the town centres to meet the needs of those commuting out of Airedale. The future of Airedale will be critically dependent on attracting investment. This can be achieved through the delivery of the creative, connected and lifestyle corridors, that are the Airedale Corridors. 4.0 Making Change Happen 1.0 Positioning Airedale 2.0 Vision For Airedale 3.0 Places For Change 99

14 Creative Connected Lifestyle

15 Airedale Corridors A Masterplan & Strategy for Airedale Acknowledgements Arup would like to thank all the individuals who took part in the preparation of the masterplan or took part in the consultation process. Particular thanks go to the Airedale Partnership, Bradford Council and Yorkshire Forward for their help and guidance. We would also like to thank the Steering Group for their advice through the development of the masterplan. Arup (Project Management, Engineering & Graphic Design) Consultants Latham Architects: Urban Design (Masterplanning and Urban Design) Civic Regeneration (Education and Skills and Training) Colliers CRE (Land and Property) Charles Monck Associates (Economics) Stephen Feber (Tourism and Leisure) Bradford University (Stakeholder Participation) Consortia of Ethnic Minority Organisations (Steering Group Member) Photography Where photography copyright is not credited, photographs are supplied by project team members. Copyright details can be obtained from Arup. Contact Arup Airedale Partnership

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