THE next stage of the regeneration of a Bradford heritage building, which will include new office space and a gym, has been approved.

After decades of lying empty, Conditioning House on Cape Street was recently converted into more than 150 flats as part of an £18m redevelopment.

Part-funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the work was one of the biggest heritage projects in the city in years.

Last year Priestley Homes, the developer behind the work, submitted a planning application for the next stage of the project.

It called for the lower ground floor of part of the Grade II-listed building to be converted into a gym and 3,000 square feet of office space.

Another 13 apartments will be created on the lower ground floor, as well as a link building connecting the two four-storey buildings that make up Conditioning House. 

That application, as well as Listed Building consent, has now been approved by Bradford Council.

Conditioning House was once a key player in the country’s woollen industry, but it had fallen into a dilapidated state over the years.

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By the time work to convert the building has started it had been empty for almost 30 years.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

The Bradford Corporation built Conditioning House in 1902 through a special Act of Parliament. It was the only Council-run centre in the country for the testing of wool.

In its heyday, around 70 per cent of all UK-made wool was brought in to check and control the moisture content.

£1.5m of the cost of the redevelopment project was provided by West Yorkshire Combined Authority through its Bradford Heritage Building fund - a pot of cash that aimed to bring unused city centre buildings back to life.

The planning application said: "The inclusion of commercial offices and gym will not only give more active frontage and energy to the development, but will help to support local businesses creating a holistic sustainable approach to modern city center living and working."

After the plans were approved, Nathan Priestley, founder and chief executive officer of Priestley Homes said:  “Conditioning House has been a labour of love for Priestley Group since we acquired the building in 2016 and it’s one of our proudest achievements.

“After completing a successful first phase of the project back in April 2021, we are bringing an additional 13 luxury apartments to Conditioning House, 50 per cent of which sold in the first week.

“A circa 3,000sqft gym space is set to be installed at Conditioning House, further boosting the desirability of the apartments and convenient for residents who work from home.

"As well as the gym space, we’re also incorporating over 10,000 sqft of serviced offices.”