A vacant town centre department store will be brought back into use after plans for a new arts hub were approved.
The upper floor of Sunwin House in Keighley, the former Westgate Home Store, will be transformed into the new home for arts group Keighley Creative, with the frontage replaced to create a “street gallery.”
The proposals will create a permanent space for the group, which has operated out of temporary facilities and “pop up” galleries since forming.
The work will be funded through Keighley Towns Fund, along with cash from Bradford 2025.
The lower ground floor of the building has recently opened as a Farmfoods store, with the Keighley Creative plans for the upper ground floor space facing onto Hanover Street.
The application describes the plans as being for a “dynamic mixed-use arts facility.”
It will include gallery space along with artist studios, classrooms and workshops.
The application says: “The proposal aims to meet the educational and creative needs of Keighley Creative and Keighley College while revitalising the Hanover Street frontage to engage with the community and enhance the streetscape.
“The re-imagined space will encompass education areas, art studios, and a gallery, fostering collaboration and community engagement.
“The shopfront incorporates a distinctive zig-zag configuration, creating an “internal street gallery” where artwork can be displayed for public viewing.
“The revitalised Sunwin House will serve as a landmark for artistic development, enriching the lives of those who use it and the wider Keighley community.”
Approving the scheme, planning officers said: “The proposal will bring a range of viable uses to the building which will serve the local community and visitors through forming a cultural hub which could enhance the town centre.
“The building is currently empty and adds little to the street scene so its reuse and alterations to the shopfront through the creation of a new shopfront on Hanover Street is welcomed.
“The proposal will incorporate a bold new design to the Hanover Street elevation of this building but given the proposed creative uses to be held within the building the proposed design is reflective of its intended uses and will enhance the appearance of the vacant building and wider street scene.”
The project is one of several Keighley schemes to get support through the £33m Keighley Towns Fund.
The creative hub will get £2.6m in funding from the Towns Fund, with an additional £1.2m from the Community Ownership Fund. £225,000 has been awarded by the team behind Bradford City of Culture.
