PLANS for a new welcoming centre to boost tourism in one of Bradford's most famous villages are to be unveiled.

A Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Technology (CAHFT) Centre has been proposed for Saltaire.

It is hoped the proposed site can give the UNESCO World Heritage Site a new civic shopfront. It is expected to be an initial welcoming point for visitors to be welcomed to Saltaire. Here they will be told about the village’s history. The site will also include a public exhibition space, gardens, community classrooms and a new home for the Saltaire Collection.

 

The CAHFT centre will be located on the site of the former St John Ambulance building and current public toilets and car park on Victoria Road/Caroline Street.

A planning application has yet to be submitted but residents can have their say and see design ideas at a drop-in event held at Shipley College’s Exhibition Building, Exhibition Road, on Thursday, November 17, between 3.30pm and 7pm.

The proposal is from Shipley College and Saltaire Collection.

The planned start date for work on the centre is August 2023, with the completion date scheduled for August 2024.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Saltaire tourism could be boosted by a new visitor centre Saltaire tourism could be boosted by a new visitor centre (Image: Newsquest)

Diana Bird, Shipley College principal, said: "Shipley College has been heavily involved in restoring significant buildings in the village across the decades, and we are excited about the regeneration possibilities this new building presents.

“It is a celebration of the village's past as the new home of the Saltaire Collection, aids the future with excellent college teaching facilities, provides new green spaces, and acts as a place for Saltaire visitors old and new to be welcomed."

A spokesperson for 3xa Design, architects on the project, said: “The information event next Thursday is an opportunity for Saltaire residents and stakeholders to review proposals for the new building and comment on our design ideas and architectural approach.

“In a highly significant heritage setting such as Saltaire, getting the right approach to integrating new design is really important.

“We are keen to ensure that the outstanding universal value of the World Heritage Site is protected and enhanced through the possibilities that redeveloping this prominent location in the heart of the village will bring.”

If residents are unable to make the public meeting on November 17, they will be able to give feedback on the plans before midnight on Friday, December 2, by email at consultation@shipley.ac.uk or write to the Principal at Shipley College, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire, BD18 3LQ.

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