Work on a £12m extension that could make a West Yorkshire industrial estates a centre for the creative industries is expected to start next month.
Langthwaite Business Park, in South Kirkby, is to be increased in size by 27,000 sq m to make room for more warehouses and business. It is hoped the area could become home to a £51m centre of excellence for the creative industries.
The site is owned by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and is one of 10 designated enterprise zones in the region to benefit from tax breaks and enhanced government support. The authority approved £12m of funding for the project in July last year.
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Wakefield Council’s planning and highways committee approved the scheme in March. Construction work will involve building access roads and preparing the site for up to nine new buildings. A WYCA regeneration committee meeting heard construction is likely to begin at the end of June and is expected to take 12 months to complete.
Kate Thompson, WYCA’s head of economic implementation, said detailed proposals for the development of the site are still being worked on and committee members would be updated. Ms Thompson added: “The development of the site does provide an opportunity to support economic activity in an area of deprivation.”
A report said communities surrounding the site have levels of deprivation within the poorest 20% in England.
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Langthwaite is already home to over 100 businesses. It is the base for Production Park, a world leader in providing rehearsal and filming space for some of the world’s biggest stars including Lady Gaga, Beyonc , Arctic Monkeys and the Rolling Stones.
In February 2023, WYCA submitted a bid for a national creative industries hub to be based at Langthwaite. The business park was originally called Langthwaite Grange Industrial Estate when it was established after the Second World War. It was opened in April 1949 by future prime minister Harold Wilson, then president of the board of trade.
Langthwaite changed its name from industrial estate to business park in 2008 after securing funding to regenerate the site. It was one of the first business parks in Yorkshire to attain Business Improvement District (BID) status.