A NEW massage therapy clinic has opened at the award-winning Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley.

Massage Addict, which specialises in sports and holistic massage, has moved into the recently refurbished Mending Rooms at the pioneering mill complex.

This is the latest in a raft of new lettings at Sunny Bank, the iconic family-owned mill where Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed. Sunny Bank is now established as one of the most successful mixed-use developments in West Yorkshire.

Massage Addict is owned and run by Dan Cawley and Heather Davies, who were working as mobile massage therapists in the French Alps in March this year when Covid-19 hit France.

Dan explained: “We had to race for the border to get out before they locked down, which they did just 48 hours after we left. We then stayed in Wales for five months with Heather’s parents on a secluded farm, which gave us time to think about what we wanted to do and where we wanted to settle down.

“I went to Leeds Beckett University and Heather’s godchildren live in Cookridge, so Leeds made sense to us. We had heard about Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley and, when we visited, we loved the community vibe and the rustic industrial feel running through its veins."

"Sunny Bank Mills is the heart of Farsley and we are proud to be part of it,” he added.

John Gaunt, co-managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, the owners of Sunny Bank Mills, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dan and Heather to Sunny Bank Mills. Massage Therapy will really add to the diverse mix of leisure services that our fantastic tenants offer.

“We now have beauticians, hair salons, cafes and restaurants, all providing a variety of services for the many companies who are now based here. It is this attractive offer, which we work so hard to achieve, that makes Sunny Bank Mills not just a wonderful place to work but also a great place to visit and spend time at as well.”

Altogether there are now 75 companies with more than 350 employees on site, with available space to let ranging from 511 sq ft to 1,555 sq ft in the Mending Rooms, the Festoon Rooms, the Old Engine Rooms and Sandsgate.