Less than two years after moving to offices in the grounds of Lynfield Mount Hospital, an NHS trust which provides mental health and learning disability services is returning to Saltaire's New Mill.

Bradford District Care Trust says the move is being made to enable Daisy Hill House at Lynfield Mount to become a centre of excellence for older people's services.

In reality Daisy Hill, which used to be old people's flats, was always too small for the trust, one of the district's biggest employers with more than 2,800 employees, 150 buildings and an annual budget of £120 million.

The good news for traders in Saltaire is that in about four months 400 or more salaried NHS staff will be back in the village.

New Mill, a four-storey building adjacent to Salts Mill, was to have been put up for sale in March. But without planning permission it could only have been sold for commercial use.

Barry Seal, who was appointed the trust's chairman in February, actually favoured moving to custom-built offices off Leeds Road to help with the regeneration of North Bradford; but the 12-strong board of directors decided, after site visits, that New Mill, still owned by the trust, was the preferred alternative.

"It was the cheapest of four choices. Because we own New Mill and won't be paying rent the cost will be about £300,000 compared to a new building which would have cost about £12m," said Mr Seal.

But for how long will the trust stay at Saltaire this time?

"We're talking from two to four years, say, depending on what happens with other sites and properties that we own.

"What we have got to do now is look at all of them and rationalise them so that we make the best use of them for the population," Mr Seal added.

Once Daisy Hill House has been vacated it is intended to base 60 community clinical staff there. They will comprise three teams of specialists who will go out into the community.

Bradford has been given £2.4m by the Government over two years to intensify preventative work with the elderly, especially those prone to dementia.

Mr Seal said: "People are living longer and up to ten per cent of those over 65 are likely to suffer some form of dementia. If caught early enough people can be helped not to fall into depression.

"One of the things we intend to do is set up special cafes staffed by volunteers where older people can go and not feel alone or depressed."

It is Bradford's Partnership for Older People's Project that will be based at Daisy Hill House.

Michael Shaw, the trust's service manager for older people's services, said: "We can now move forward with our partners at Bradford Council, Bradford University and Airedale Primary Care Trust to provide truly integrated community services.

"Older people can expect to see real improvements in using our services and in the support they receive, often in times of severe stress."

Barry Seal has told the directors of the Trust that he wants Bradford's Older People's Project to be a centre of excellence, the best in the country.