One of the UK’s most innovative and pioneering sustainable industrial and residential developments, Esholt, is to be delivered by Yorkshire Water and sister company Keyland Developments Ltd with full planning consent from Bradford City Council.
180 acres of redundant land around the Esholt wastewater treatment works will be transformed into an exceptional, nationally recognised development to repurpose the largely brownfield site and deliver a host of economic, social and environmental benefits through innovative employment, sustainable housing and community enhancements.
The employment element will see the delivery of up to 100,000 sq m of quality, sustainable work spaces to accommodate a mix of industry, with a particular focus on bio-tech businesses and industries that can make the most of heat, power and water generated by the treatment works to maximise sustainability.
The sustainable housing element includes 150 homes, from 1-bedroom maisonettes to 5 bedroom detached houses to allow for a diverse community. The sensitive use of local materials along with an innovative blend of technologies and intelligent energy use, landscaping, living with nature through visible water management and shared recreation spaces will result in a community that can sit alongside the nearby Esholt Village.
Esholt will also showcase a number of community enhancements designed to create a new community connected to nature and with a real and visible relationship with water, with shared recreation spaces as well as sustainable transport routes to encourage walking and cycling through the site.
The masterplan has already achieved national recognition with inclusion in the new RIBA Plan for Use Guide, a new guidance document for sustainable design.
With full consent now in place, the next step will be to seek a development partner for the commercial element to work alongside Keyland in the delivery. A purchaser will be sought for the residential element, to create the new homes in line with the sustainable vision for Esholt.
Luke Axe, Land & Planning Director at Keyland, said; “To have full planning consent for Esholt enables us to move to the next phase of the delivery process which is to seek like minded partners to bring the development to life. We have an incredible opportunity to create one of the UK’s most impressive and aspirational mixed-use communities and are looking forward to engaging with agents to activate the process.”
The Esholt team includes Tate & Co, a leading UK firm of architects on sustainability and natural environments and sustainability consultants 3 ADAPT.
