ORIGINAL heritage features have been uncovered and restored in the £2.51 million renovation of Shipley’s new sustainable community hub. 

As part of the ongoing extensive refurbishment of the old school buildings on Kirkgate, features which had been hidden away, such as the original windows, have been exposed and upgraded sympathetically.

One of the newly exposed featuresOne of the newly exposed features (Image: Bradford Council)

The work, which is being funded by the Government-funded Shipley Towns Fund began in Summer last year and is progressing well.

It is expected to be completed by the end of August this year.

Charitable organisations Hive and the Kirkgate Centre will work in partnership from the new building, as the Shipley Sustainable Community Hub.

Chair of Hive Susan Bale explained: “The two small extensions for Hive have now been built to provide a welcoming lobby and a much-needed activity room. The road-side entrance has also been completed which is a huge milestone in terms of accessibility as well as creating much excitement and anticipation among the local community.”

Nathan Tanswell, Chair of the Kirkgate Centre, added: “The building itself means a lot to local people and it needed significant repairs to make it safe, comfortable and sustainable. One of the recent huge milestones has been installing the lift to enable further accessibility and create a flow around the building. The whole space already feels light and welcoming, as well as being as impressive as it was originally built to be.”

Work on the town centre buildingWork on the town centre building (Image: Bradford Council)

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said: “This incredible project is a great opportunity for Hive and the Kirkgate centre to work together to offer increased services and support even more people. It is great to see it progressing so well and taking shape so beautifully.”

Adam Clerkin, Chair of the Shipley Towns Fund added: “The Shipley Towns Fund is proud to support this transformative project. It will be a huge asset to the community. The hub, through the custodianship of these two inspiring organisations, will become a focal point and a catalyst for regeneration and community development.”

The Shipley Sustainable Community Hub will offer services to tackle social isolation, promote well-being, provide activities for families and make cultural and artistic activities accessible for local residents.

There will also be opportunities for training, work experience and volunteering to support local people looking for employment.