Huge £9.7million conversion of derelict heritage building in Yorkshire moves step closer

Galem House, in the Goitside Conservation Area, will be the first Bradford city centre building to benefit from the Government’s Brownfield Housing Fund – a multi-million pound pot of cash set aside to help transform long derelict sites.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority this week members agreed that a scheme to turn the decaying building into 77 flats should get a £1.2m boost from the fund.

Overall the project, proposed by Coverstone Investments Ltd and Trident House Development, is expected to cost £9.7m.

Members of the Authority’s Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee heard that the building is in such a poor state that it would not be financially viable to regenerate it without public money.

And officers revealed that even with the Government funding, the cost of the work will be too high for any affordable housing to be included in the new apartment building.

The 19th Century textile warehouse on Vincent Street, off Sunbridge Road, is one of the city’s most decrepit heritage buildings, and is thought to be regularly frequented by drug users.

An application to convert the building into apartments was submitted to Bradford Council last year. A decision on that application is yet to be made.

Patricia Davey, Programme Manager for the Brownfield Housing Fund, told the Committee: “It is a heritage building in a strategic position in the Goitside Conservation Area.

“It has suffered from long term neglect and there are significant viability issues in bringing it back into use.”

She said all 77 flats would be wheelchair accessible – something not always provided in conversions of heritage buildings.

The development would create nine new building manager jobs – members were told.

Ben Aspinall, a chartered surveyor who sits on the committee, questioned why no affordable housing had been included in the development.

Mrs Davey said: “The significant viability issues mean that providing cheaper homes would create a greater viability gap.”

Members were also told of the variety of environmental measures that will be used in the building refurbishment. These include mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems in each apartment, air source heat pumps and low energy LED lighting.

Work on the flats is expected to start in June, and be completed by February 2024.