Plan for factory site includes three drive thru units

The Rentokil factory on Cemetery Road closed in 2008, and was later demolished. Since then the large site, opposite Dixons Kings Academy, has been earmarked for housing.

But now plans for a major redevelopment of the site to create “an opportunity for investment and economic growth” have been submitted to Bradford Council.

The proposals, by ISA Industrial Park Ltd, include eight industrial units, three drive thru units, which could be used for food, café or bakery use, a petrol filling station with linked shop and an EV charging station across the 11-acre site.

The application says while no contracts have been signed with end users of the drive thru units, business that have shown an interest in opening on the site include Popeye’s chicken and Krispy Kreme.

A “well known” EV charging company had expressed interest in the plans, and one of the business units could be used as a new headquarters for restaurant chain MyLahore.

In 2013 plans for housing on the site and a neighbouring plot of land were approved by Bradford Council.

The outline plans would have seen 400 homes built on the land – South of the Cemetery Road Asda and between Ingleby Road and Cemetery Road.

The former Rentokil site (Image: newsquest)

Although an estate of 167 homes is currently being built on the neighbouring site to the Ingleby Road side of the plot, the former Rentokil site has remained empty and fenced off.

The planning application claims a lack of interest from developers and “market failure” meant the land had not proved attractive to housing developers.

The application says the new development would have 150 parking spaces.

The largest of the business/industrial units would be 5,000 square metres, with the smallest being 500 square metres.

The application says: “The Proposed Development aims to create a mixed-use employment zone that will be occupied by local operators and will generate an opportunity for investment and economic growth.

“The site will provide high-quality premises for business in the area.

“In terms of the EV charging and petrol filling station, the Proposed Development includes a petrol filling station, 14no. space electric vehicle charging station and ancillary retail unit.

“The site has been vacant and remained derelict for the last ten years.

“A new employment use development will create a viable proposition to regenerate the site and improve the local economy.

The former Rentokil site (Image: newsquest)

“The proposed development provides a new opportunity to deliver affordable premises for local businesses to expand their operations within the local urban setting.

“This will encourage employment programmes for residents and future tenants and will provide training opportunities for students through various initiatives.”

Access to the industrial units would be via Northside Road, with access to the drive thru units and filling and petrol stations from Cemetery Road.

The application says the developers have had discussions with Bradford Council regarding the site, with Council officers suggesting more landscaping than initially proposed.

A letter from estate agents Mark Brearley & Co included in the application says: “Although the site has previously been subject to a residential planning application, we can find no significant demand from housebuilders to take over the site, given the issues with location, the ‘market failure’ in terms of house prices and the potential ground works required to bring the site to a standard which would be acceptable for residential purposes.”

It says the site’s location and history would make it more suitable for commercial use.

The letter adds: “We have identified a number of restaurant/drive thru operators who would be interested in the Cemetery Road location, and while transactions have yet to be progressed with any of these, the following have already confirmed a possible interest, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Krispy Kreme, Popeyes.

“We have interest from two parties in an EV charging station, one of whom is a well known national name.”

Referring to the industrial/business units, the letter says: “We have identified one major storage and distribution organisation who could be potentially interested in acquiring the site for their own occupation, and also a possible location for a new head office for MyLahore, an expanding Bradford organisation with representation across the North of England and the Midlands.”

They say interest in the site would be generated “fairly rapidly.”

A decision on the application is expected in February.