A FELLMONGER building in Bradford could become the site of a wholesale butchers if new plans are approved.

Bradford based Pakeezah Meat Supplies has submitted a planning application to convert the large West Yorkshire Fellmongers building on Valley Road to use for “wholesale butchery.”

If the plans are approved the company will move the meat preparation side of the Pakeezah business from its existing base, at the lower ground floor of Pakeezah Supermarket on Leeds Road.

The re-location plan is only for the meat supplies side of the popular local business, not the supermarket.

The planning application, submitted to Bradford Council this month, is also for the refurbishment and re-cladding of the Valley Road building.

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No slaughter of animals will take place on the site, which will be used for preparing meat that is then stored, cut, packaged and delivered to butchers, supermarkets and restaurants.

The application, prepared by Spoke Architectural Design, says the move to a much large site will “future proof” the business and allow it to expand in the city it started in.

It adds: “Shamus Ul-Haq, Director of the company, said that to future proof the company and to run the business in a more efficient manner; a relocation was essential.

“’We have operated from a site on Leeds road since the early 90’s and the business has gone from strength to strength, we have outgrown our existing premises, and wish to move to a more suitable site which will allow us to fulfil our expansion aspirations, whilst remaining close to the heart of Bradford City Centre and the majority of our customers.’

“Due to the size and constraints of the existing premises the white meat and red meat operations have to be carried out on separate shifts to prevent any cross-contamination issues.

“The site pertaining to this application provides adequate space to allow both operations to run in parallel and is ideally located for the operation.”

The new site will be 6,870 square metres – much bigger than the company’s existing site.

The Fellmonger business currently based at the Valley Road site prepares sheep and cattle skins for the clothing industry.

Of the existing building, the application says: “The proposal is to remove the drab clad roof and walls of the building and re-clad the superstructure using modern materials and clean the existing masonry and concrete columns to present a smart building that sits well in this industrial pocket of Bradford City Centre.

“The recent historic use of this site has been of an nature not too dissimilar to the proposed use. There will be no negative impact on the site nor the area around the site.

“The intended use is ideal for this site.

“This is a sustainable approach for the development of such an operation, and a good news story about a Bradford based company expanding within the city of its origin.”

A decision on the planning application is expected in August.