The vast majority of apartments in an ambitious new riverside development have been snapped up by investors and house-hunters.

Just 27 of the 447 apartments in the Victoria Mills complex at Shipley are yet to sell, it was revealed today.

Bosses at Newmason Properties say their bold vision of creating a £70m sustainable-apartment complex on the banks of the River Aire has paid off.

Four of the six sections of the development are now sold out, including all 58 apartments in the converted Old Mill, 55 apartments in the New Mill, 113 apartments in the futuristic VM1 new-build development and 105 apartments in the VM2 building. Just 12 homes remain available in the 54-apartment Masons Mill and Mending Rooms, along with a further 16 out of 62 in the ultramodern Northern Lights building.

The success of the acclaimed development is proof that Bradford's economic upturn is no longer a promise but a reality, according to partner Alec Newsham.

He said: "When we began drawing up plans for Victoria Mills four years ago everyone was talking about seeing the green shoots of recovery for Bradford, and the part that regeneration could play in restoring local communities and the economic fortunes of a city that was once the textile capital of the UK.

"We did more than talk about it. We dared to invest everything in developing a substantial modern mill community that marries historic mill buildings with new design. The fact that, as we near completion, the development is already 94 per cent sold shows that our confidence was well-founded."

He said buyers had been thronging to Victoria Mills, impressed by the quality of craftsmanship, fast rail links and wide range of services offered, including secure off-street parking, communal gardens, riverside walks, a gymnasium, a tennis court, a beauty salon, a convenience store, a panini bar, CCTV security, 24-hour concierge services and latest CAT 5 computer technology.

In January, the Beauty Mill opened on site in the former mending rooms of the 130-year-old worsted mill, offering a range of treatments including facials, massages, waxing, tanning, make-up and manicures against a backdrop of original brick vaulted ceilings.

Completion is expected in October of a steel-clad multi-storey car-park linked by pedestrian tunnels to the VM2 and Northern Lights buildings.