WORK on a multi-million-pound employment site in Keighley is expected to begin later this year.

The Beechcliffe site to the west of the A629 and near the Hard Ings Roundabout, is being redeveloped as an eight-acre industrial estate aimed at dealing with the “high demand” for employment sites in the town.

Around £7m of Keighley Towns Fund money will be used to prepare the Bradford Council owned brownfield site for development, with work including the creation of new access roads.

It will then be sold to a developer. The public footpath through the site will be retained.

When it was first announced in 2023, Bradford Council said the scheme would bring around 300 jobs to the town centre.

Last year the Keighley Towns Fund Board appointed Balfour Beatty to carry out studies and preparations of the site.

At the final Bradford Council meeting of 2024, members were given an update on the major regeneration scheme.

Councillor Paul Godwin (Lab, Keighley West) asked: “We know the district needs more employment sites to allow for business and job growth and creation, and nowhere is this more the case than Keighley and the Aire Valley.

“Can the Portfolio Holder provide an update on the Keighley Towns Fund project to deliver the brownfield site at Beechcliffe as a site where new jobs can be created?”

The response from Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said: “I agree that employment site demand is high across the whole district but particularly in and around Keighley.

“We’ve already unlocked the Provident Park site in Keighley through the Towns Fund. The council owned site known as Beechcliffe was identified in the Keighley Towns Fund bid as a priority project and is now moving forward.

“The intention is to bring forward redevelopment of the brownfield site for employment use with necessary site access improvements.

“During 2024 extensive site investigation work has been undertaken and a provisional scheme agreed which meets the objectives of Towns Fund, takes into account planning constraints and can be delivered within the available budget.

“From this initial work additional detailed design work will be carried out during early 2025, with a view to submitting a planning application in Spring, which, if approved, will enable work to begin on site in late 2025.”

The Keighley Towns Fund is a £33m pot of cash awarded to regenerate the town by the then Conservative Government.