Two deals secured at the Old Combing in former Emmerdale mill

Two new deals have been completed in the Old Combing building at Sunny Bank Mills, where ITV’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were once filmed.

Intensive driving school 5Day are moving into the refurbished mills in Farsley, which is located between Leeds and Bradford, while building contractors Korendon Construction have relocated from an adjacent office.

During the past five years Sunny Bank Mills has been transformed into a modern office complex for the 21st century. It is now home to 60 companies, who employ a total of 326 staff.

Although The Old Combing has been comprehensively refurbished, many original features of the building, where the wool tops were combed before spinning the yarn used in the weaving of some of the finest worsted cloth in the world, have been kept.

Jenny Kitchen of Korendon Construction, which has taken 330 sq ft of quality office space at 10 Old Combing on a three-year lease, commented: “We have been based at Sunny Bank Mills since June 2014 where we shared a small corner of The Festoon Rooms with Adept Consulting Engineers.

“As both our businesses have grown we needed to seek an office of our own. Already feeling at home here, it was natural for us to investigate other spaces to let on the estate. We were lucky that another refurbishment was already being considered and once we realised the space would fit our purpose, we quickly began to discuss our requirements with the landlords, who were very accommodating.

“SBM is of significant local importance to Farsley and an important piece of Leeds’ industrial history. Working here feels like you’re a part of that history, treading on the same steps used by the hundreds of Mill workers, who produced fine worsted cloth here for 180 years.

She added: “Sunny Bank Mills provide an excellent location for Korendon, with easy access to the ring-road and motorways. As building contractors, we value the beauty of a well-executed, successful regeneration scheme and being away on building sites so often, it is really refreshing to come back to such a beautiful HQ.”

Peter Francis of 5Day, which is moving into the 515 sq ft 11 Old Combing on a five-year lease, said: “Although Sunny Bank Mills is an amazing complex of buildings with an overwhelming sense of history, its appeal from a business angle was value for money and location.

“It is a pleasant place to be, quiet and very tastefully developed. It’s nice to be around so many inspirational people, clearly demonstrated by the various different businesses in occupation at Sunny Bank Mills. The landlords themselves have been very helpful and made sure to answer any queries speedily.

“I’m sure that we will be very successful in Farsley and much of this will be due to the ease of getting there, close to the ring road, train station at New Pudsey and a good, regular bus service. The location of our particular office space is ideal, being at the front of the building and overlooking Town Street.”

John Gaunt, joint managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, the owners of Sunny Bank Mills, also said: “We are delighted to welcome 5Day to Sunny Bank Mills. It is an excellent example of a quality business being attracted to a quality business environment. 5Day’s arrival underlines the versatility and flexibility of space at Sunny Bank Mills, which is attracting an exciting breadth of occupiers.

“Meanwhile the decision by Korendon Construction to relocate within Sunny Bank Mills is a resounding endorsement of the Sunny Banks Mills development and of our ability to meet the company’s expanding requirements.”

There is also 1,135 sq ft of first-class retail space available, which fronts the busy Town Street in Farsley, at Old Combing, together with 2,214 sq ft on the first floor.

The joint marketing agents for Sunny Bank Mills are niche Leeds property consultants Dove Haigh Phillips.

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