Construction work to create a new arts and heritage centre over a car park in a UNESCO World Heritage Site is set to begin.
Bradford Council said the multi-million-pound facility, called The James Roberts Centre, will improve public access to a collection of artefacts and stories chronicling Saltaire’s history.
The council last year approved the transfer of the Caroline Street car park in Saltaire to Shipley College, despite receiving more than 140 objects during a consultation period.
Bradford councillor Andrew Judson said the new centre is “an investment in people and in the future prosperity of the district”.
Formerly known as the Community, Arts, Heritage and Future Tech Hub, the centre has been renamed after mill owner and philanthropist Sir James Roberts.
Delivered by Shipley College, the centre is predominantly funded by a £6.26m grant from the government’s local regeneration fund and £200,000 from the community infrastructure levy.
It will continue Sir Titus Salt’s “legacy of education”, Bradford Council said, something Shipley College has “long been committed” to doing.
“The new centre builds on that commitment, creating opportunities for residents, visitors and schools to explore Saltaire’s social history,” the authority said.
The Saltaire Collection, made up of more than 7,000 artefacts and stories documenting the village’s history, is currently stored at the college, but the council said the space is becoming increasingly unsuitable.
The centre will provide a permanent home for the collection and additional teaching spaces for the college.
A spokesperson for the project said: “The Caroline Street site has always been a place of learning and opportunity.
“By creating a new home for the collection and a welcoming space for people of all ages, we are ensuring that legacy continues long into the future.”
