A £2.51 million development to turn an ageing town centre building into a new community hub in the heart of Shipley is well underway.

An extensive refurbishment of the old school buildings on Kirkgate is being paid for through the Government-funded Shipley Towns Fund, so that two charitable organisations - the Hive and the Kirkgate Centre - can work in partnership there as the new Shipley Sustainable Community Hub.

Work began in Summer last year and both levels of the building have now been opened up.

Nathan Tanswell, Chair of the Kirkgate Centre, said: “The building itself needed significant repairs to make it safe, comfortable and sustainable for the community of Shipley and we are delighted with the progress already achieved. We’ve taken care to keep some key architectural elements of the original building to preserve its heritage, while creating a state-of-the-art flexible, modern space.”

Joy Hart of the Hive added: “The construction of the new extensions to the building will begin shortly. The final result, which is due in Summer, will be a modernised building that the people of Shipley can be proud of.”

The Hub will offer services to tackle social isolation, promote well-being, provide activities for families and make cultural and artistic activities accessible for local residents.

Other Towns Fund projects in the pipeline include the reopening of Shipley's public toilets and a regeneration of the town's Market Square.