THE future of a planned multi million pound “enterprise zone” in the South of Bradford looks uncertain, with a funding deadline soon to pass.

In 2016 West Yorkshire Combined Authority had been granted a £20 million pot of cash from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to help set up a series of zones on vacant sites near the M62 corridor.

This would include two in Bradford, at Parry Lane and Staithgate Lane.

Work is soon to begin on the Parry Lane scheme, but there has been little progress on a third site – off Staithgate Lane.

And with a requirement that the £20m had to be spent before the end of March 2021, it now seems likely that a new funding stream will be needed if the development is to go ahead.

The Enterprise Zone scheme was set up to develop sites that have proved difficult, or expensive, to develop – despite being in prime locations for businesses.

The money would be used to create new access roads to the site, clear any contamination and make the sites ones that business could move into without facing huge up front costs that may otherwise put them off.

Work to transform one of most 'difficult to develop' sites in Bradford moves forward

The £20m was for the “phase 3” Enterprise Zone scheme, made up of five sites, including Parry Lane and Staithgate Lane.

The Staithgate Lane zone would have created 16,700 sq m of business space, and acted as an extension to the Euroway Trading Estate.

In Bradford work is well underway on the Gain Lane Enterprise Zone in Thornbury, a Phase 2 site.

Cleaning products manufacturer Astonish recently announced plans to move to the site and expand its business.

But with the deadline looming for the money to be spent on the Phase 3 sites, the Combined Authority said it had to review the five sites and decide which to prioritise.

Parry Lane in Bradford and Langthwaite in Wakefield were the ones chosen to progress, and the money was allocated to these two sites.

But a report going to the Combined Authority’s Place Panel on Thursday reveals that the Staithgate Lane site is one has been put on the back burner until new funding is identified.

The report says: “At the time of the application (for funding) the information available in terms of onsite constraints and challenges in bringing the sites forward was limited.

“Scenarios and options for future funding routes are therefore needed.”

A Combined Authority spokesman said: “As part of the Local Growth Fund, the Combined Authority received £20 million to invest in the development of Enterprise Zones in the region, which needs to be fully spent by by March 31 2021.

“In September 2019, we carried out a review of the sites within the Enterprise Zone programme, which concluded that although progress had been made, not all sites could be completed by the end of the funding period and it was decided to focus on two of the five sites.

“The sites remain a priority and together with our partner councils, we are investigating alternative funding models that may be available as we become a Mayoral Combined Authority under the West Yorkshire Devolution Deal, which could be used to continue to develop the remaining Enterprise Zones where a strong case for public sector intervention can be made.”