The Elsie Whiteley building was identified by Calderdale Council and Halifax
Opportunities Trust as a potential business innovation centre in 2002. The proposal was taken to Yorkshire Forward as a scheme for their Urban Renaissance programme. They paid for the purchase of the redundant Mill and an adjoining haulage yard to provide car parking as well as making a significant contribution to the cost of refurbishment. Other monies came from the local Urban 11 programme and Calderdale Council's section 106 (planning gain) money. Total cost of purchase was in excess of £5m.
Yorkshire Forward passed the building to the ownership of
Calderdale Council rather than the Trust because of concerns over conflicts with State Aid policy. Agreement was reached that on completion of refurbishment (to be managed by the Council), the Centre would pass over to Halifax Opportunities Trust on a 25year lease on a peppercorn rent basis. The Charity, Halifax Opportunities Trust, was fully involved in the development and design of the building through all of its stages and has been responsible for the business plan for the centre.
The Trust took over the building on 1st October 2006 and put a team of staff in place, which currently umber five. The Elsie Whiteley building is to be the home of the National Centre for RFID technologies, another RDA funded project. They will occupy their 3 floors from 1st February 2007 and the fit out and revenue support to their project is also in excess of £5m. One of the remaining floors has already been let to an intermediate labour market organisation, and another two floors contain 40 business units with generator, incubator and move on space all in the same building. There are also conference and meeting facilities in the building and plans for a cafe in the summer of 2007.
The trust has a management agreement as well as a the 25 year lease with the local authority and the deal is that 15% of the rental income comes to the Trust as a management fee but any surplus the scheme makes is re-invested in facilities and services in the Centre to keep it fresh and up to date.
To find out more contact: Barbara Harbinson: barbarah@regen.org.uk
