PLANS to improve a prominent Shipley building's "tired and dated exterior" have been approved by Bradford Council.

Earlier this year Leeds based Bracken Ltd announced plans to turn the former Don Whiteley Scientific building on Otley Road into a flexible storage building and office space.

The company said around £1 million would be invested in the building, and the project would create six jobs.

A planning application was submitted to allow the change of use of the building and for works to the roof and changes to the exterior, including cladding.

Now those plans have been approved.

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Planning officers said: "It is acknowledged that the units have been vacant for some time and that proposal will not only bring the building back into active use, providing welcome employment opportunities, but would also provide a useful service for other sectors of the local business and residential community encouraging inward investment to the Shipley area. The existing building is of little architectural merit, dated in appearance and would benefit from an external re-fresh.

"The proposed external alterations represent a sensitive treatment of a prominently sited building along a major traffic route. The resulting building appears as a significant visual improvement over the existing built form and should set a positive precedent for future developments along this stretch of Otley Road, the wider Shipley area and encompassing World Heritage Site Buffer Zone with no harm caused to the adjacent Leeds-Liverpool Canal Conservation Area.

"The proposal will bring a vacant building back into use and support the growth and expansion of a local business which in turn will have wider benefits to the local economy."