Bradford Council has announced the details of it’s levelling up bid for Keighley, to create jobs and grow the local economy.
A bid of £19 million has been submitted by the council, as it looks to drive investment, job creation, and improve skills, whilst also planning to upgrade transport links into the town.
Leader of Bradford Council, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, said:
“Keighley remains a great place for businesses to grow and invest.
“The district I the UK’s number one Levelling Up opportunity and we have put in a significant amount of time and money into this bid to ensure it is compelling and competitive.
“These ambitious proposals include a range of recession-busting projects which, if supported by the government, will make a significant difference to the area.”
Keighley College and Bradford University Advanced Manufacturing hub is to be reconfigured and expanded to support research and development in new technologies such as advanced robotics. This will allow the Advanced Robotics and Engineering Institute facility to offer higher level skills, as well as research and development, HNC, HND, Degree, Master, and PhD opportunities. This will in urn stimulate local engineering innovation.
Stockbridge’s council depot is to be demolished as part of the plan as well. This would allow the council to deliver reconfigured facilities, with a large part of the site being offered to entrepreneurs to allow the creation of new advanced manufacturing and engineering businesses, which will be clustered around the college and university.
Over 34,000 square metres of employment space is to be delivered at Beechcliffe, Airedale Park, Bradford Road East Walk Mill, and Mariner Walk sites, with groundworks, flood alleviation, and site clearance being funded by the bid. This funding is partly in place to address the issues that were surrounded by the additional costs that would usually prohibit development in the past.
Keighley Worth Valley Railway is also to be central to the developments coming, should the bid be successful. The railway is to be transformed into an enhanced rail transport hub, which will offer workers a fast an efficient commute into the town. This will be done by restoring and upgrading two tracks, as well improving the rolling stock, to deliver comfortable, quick, and reliable transport links between Keighley and nearby Oxenhope.
On 17 November we’re joined by public sector leaders and innovators to explore the key challenges that levelling up brings. Gain insight into what public sector leaders need to navigate the plan while prioritising communities and how to shift regional inequalities to support people and places. Register here.
