A multi-million-pound redevelopment of a 26-acre estate is under way and is poised to create hundreds of jobs over five years.

The Kunz family, which owns Castlefields Industrial Estate in Bingley, already has one development completed on the site and a further five in the pipeline.

A 32,000 sq ft industrial unit has just been completed and has already been let to Primeur, the bathroom and door mat specialist, which will be moving into the warehouse this month.

And planning permission has just been granted to the family's Parkmount Properties for more than 150,000 sq ft of further industrial units, the last of which is due for completion in 2010.

The site was formerly home to disused saw mills and other industrial buildings, all of which are being cleared to make way for the new development.

The site has been in the hands of the Kunz family since the 1960s. Residential and commercial builder James Kunz bought most of the land and left it to his two children, Karl and Elaine.

The site lay dormant for a few years while the pair worked on their agricultural business. Then they began work on the transformation of the site, which has plots worth £750,000 each.

Karl said: "We are very much a family operation. My son works on the development side of things here and my nephew works in our administration wing.

"Our new developments will create much-needed jobs for the Bingley area and provide a shot in the arm for the Airedale economy.

"We are confident our development plans will be successful as the estate is already popular and is perfectly situated on the western outskirts of Bingley."

Already, local firm Dowson Engineering is looking to expand into the site.

Elaine said: "We believe the standard of our buildings, including the imaginative new offices, will attract top-quality and sustainable jobs.

"We have not embarked on our new developments lightly and look forward to delivering something very special for Bingley and the surrounding area."

Andy Taylor, regeneration manager of the Airedale Partnership, said: "Park-mount has shown great confidence in the Airedale corridor and we look forward to working with them to make sure this development is the success it deserves to be."

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk