A delay that stalled the marketing and letting of units at a major regeneration development in Keighley has finally been resolved, Bradford Council has confirmed.
Providence Park, a £12 million business park in Keighley town centre, was completed last year but faced setbacks after business rate valuations for the site were delayed.
The development, built on the former Universal Mills site at the corner of Dalton Lane and Bradford Road, includes 23 industrial units and a café. It is expected to support around 100 jobs once fully occupied. The project received £6.5 million from the Government-backed Keighley Towns Fund, which awarded £33 million to regeneration projects across the town.
Providence Park was one of the flagship schemes funded through the programme and among the first to be completed. One of its units is already in use as a purpose-built Technical Engineering Centre operated by Keighley College, which officially opened in November.
However, minutes from a Keighley Towns Fund Board meeting in March revealed that delays in business rate valuations were preventing the remaining units from being let. Board members were told at the time that “business rate valuation is delaying the letting of units at Providence Park”, with the issue flagged for urgent attention.
Bradford Council has now confirmed that the problem stemmed from delays at the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), the government body responsible for assessing business rates.
A council spokesperson said: “The development of Providence Park was part-funded by a £6.5m grant from the Local Regeneration Fund, which was managed by Bradford Council. The site supports a new manufacturing training hub in partnership with Keighley College, alongside new industrial units in what is a significant commercial development for Keighley.”
“There have been some delays while the business rate valuations were processed by the Valuation Office Agency, the government body which undertakes the valuations.
“All the valuations of the units at Providence Park have now been conducted and the owners of the site are now able to undertake lettings.”
Minutes from the latest Towns Fund Board meeting in June confirmed the issue had been resolved. The minutes stated: “All units have been valued by the Valuation Office Agency. There was a delay due to a backlog of valuations at the VOA but the situation has now been resolved.”
The resolution means the remaining units at the development can now be marketed and occupied, allowing the regeneration scheme to move forward as originally intended.
