Ex-Emmerdale mill welcomes raft of new businesses alongside £2m investment

An ‘iconic’ family-owned mill in Yorkshire has announced a raft of new lettings as well as new multi-million pound investment into the complex.

Sunny Bank Mills has today announced that Kids Fitness Centre is the latest business to let a space at the site, following delays caused by the COVID-19 crisis and subsequent lockdown.

Kids Fitness Centre is the third business to join the Farsley-based mill this month, following new lettings to Amity Brew Company and First Man Photography.

Martin Davies of Kids Fitness Centre explained: “It’s been a rollercoaster of ups and downs for the business with the uncertainty of the past few months delaying moving into the new office space. We’re confident in our products and service so now it’s full steam ahead.”

Situated between Leeds and Bradford, the mill complex has featured in ITV shows such as Emmerdale and Heartbeat.

In addition to the new lettings, the mill has announced it is investing £2m into its Weavers Yard project, which will create a new performance area in the heart of the development as well as additional parking spaces.

John Gaunt, co-managing director of Edwin Woodhouse, the owner of Sunny Bank Mills, explained: “Our latest letting to Kids Fitness Centre gives us special pleasure because Martin Davies, who runs this company, is a Farsley resident, who started off his business hot-desking at our mill.

“The business has now grown, so Martin has been able to expand into his own office at Sandsgate on site. This is a great example of how Sunny Bank has acted as an incubator for a local business and enabled it to grow and flourish. Martin’s move also underlines the existence of a real community here.

Commenting on the investment into the site, John continued: “We now have six really exciting projects in the pipeline, spanning leisure, retail and food. Interestingly, none of them are straight offices and they will really add to the mill and the local area as a destination to visit and work.

“This is so important as high streets try to recover from the damage inflicted by Covid-19. Regenerated mills like Sunny Bank, with a clear strategy to be mixed-use and a determined attitude towards investment, are playing a pivotal role in this process.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →