Infrastructure for growth

Project overview

A £5 million Growing Places Fund loan is helping to fund the redevelopment of brownfield land at the former Forge. A new railway station has been opened at the heart of the development and a new road junction created at the site's entrance onto the A65.

The project, led by the Commercial Estates Group, will eventually see 1,000 new homes, Grade A offices, and retail and leisure space created in this major development site.

Almost 2,400 jobs are anticipated in the office buildings, the first of which opened in December 2017. More than 700 people already work at Kirkstall. 

Last updated in Quarter 3 2022/23

Project overview

This project will deliver a new wharf facility at Stourton to enable transportation of freight from the Humber estuary into Leeds.

This will enable the support of projects by enabling construction materials to be transported on water, reducing congestion on roads and reducing carbon emissions.

Last updated Quarter 4 2019/20

New Bolton Woods Bradford

The Growing Places Fund has provided two loans to enable development of the New Bolton Woods urban village, on the Canal Road corridor in Bradford, giving a major boost to plans for a thriving village centre that will include a primary school and health facilities, improved green spaces and sports pitch facilities.

The loans have improved traffic and pedestrian access to the commercial part of the village. A Costa coffee drive-thru opened in Spring 2019 and a Lidl branch opened in Spring 2020 to provide the retail heart of the urban village. A third commercial outlet will complete one side of the village, releasing development funds for later phases.

The New Bolton Woods project – which has also received Leeds City Region Growth Deal funding – will see 1,000 new homes built on under-utilised land near to Frizinghall railway station. Fifty homes have already been built, including 20 social rented homes.

Last updated in Quarter 4 2023/24

Project overview

The £1.5 million Growing Places Fund loan to The Witt Group helped the world-renowned industrial fan designer and manufacturer to move into new premises, and launch new product lines. The project will create over 26 new jobs by bringing previously outsourced work back to the City Region and equipping the company to take on larger and more complex contracts.

The loan was used to purchase a new site for the company, with triple the space available  in the previous premises and allowed the company to bring all their operations back under a single roof.

Witt Group also launched an enhanced apprenticeship scheme – in line with the LEP’s focus on apprentices – and now hires two to three new apprentices each year.

Last updated in Quarter 3 2022/23