A prestigious new multi-million pound office park development is set to bring back hundreds of jobs on the former Ohmeda site at Steeton. The 3.75 acre area next to the former Ohmeda factory and offices is being marketed by the Keighley and Bradford offices of Dacre, Son & Hartley Commercial, on behalf of owners Yorkshire Property Company. Interest has already been shown by a number of people in high-tech industries.

Dacres associate director Ian Hayfield says: "Keighley has not seen anything like this development for a long time. The area lacks purpose built, high quality offices and suitable sites to build them on. Some local companies have already moved out because of that.

"The development will be end-user led, with the units built to order for the companies which will occupy them, either freehold or leasehold," he says. "There is potential for units from 2,500 sq ft up to 50,000 sq ft, at an affordable cost, which just aren't available anywhere else in the area.

"There has already been interest shown, and I would like to think that within the next six months we will have some firm enquiries and will be able to start on site."

The rest of the former Ohmeda site - now the Millennium Business Park - is now fully occupied. An IMS call centre is based in the former office block, and J Wild's bakery and The Factory Shop in the former factory. Dacre, Son & Hartley Commercial has been involved in all the deals.

The new office park could bring the total number employed there to between 500 and 600.

Mr Hayfield says: "It is a marvellous site. IMS came here because of the superb rail links with Leeds and Bradford and the good local workforce, but the site itself is a cracking good environment for any company which doesn't want to be in the centre of Leeds or Bradford."

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