STRONG demand for housing in the Aire Valley has enabled an estate agency to expand.

Bentleys Estate Agents has opened a new office in the centre of Shipley, which it says is the largest office in the area.

The new premises at 7/9 Briggate are three times bigger and in a more prominent position than its previous base nearby.

The family-run firm first opened in 2013 and last year sold 50 per cent more properties in Shipley, Saltaire and Baildon than in 2014 and is on course for another record-breaking year. Its lettings business has grown strongly and Bentleys now manages around 80 properties locally.

Aidan Bentley-Smith, managing director, said he hoped to take on more employees as the agency, which has three staff, expands over the next 12 months, said: “We needed a larger office as the business has grown.

“The new site enables us to display more properties and is in a more prominent location than the previous site.

“The move is a sign of the success of the business.”