Folly Hall Mills moves forward
THE second phase of the £6m Folly Hall Mills development on the banks of the River Colne in Huddersfield has been launched.
The launch follows the success of the first phase of the conversion of the 19th century grade two* listed former woollen mill.
Dewsbury-based developer Jay Tee Group has converted the mill, which had been derelict for 27 years, into 60,000 sq ft of prime office space.
Phase One of the development, comprising 16,900 sq ft of offices, has already been fully let to Huddersfield companies ESTL and Above & Beyond.
Phase Two, featuring almost 40,000sq ft of new office space, is now under construction and suites will be available for occupation from August.
The launch was attended by 150 business leaders, councillors, bankers and property professionals from across Yorkshire.
They included Miles Jessop MBE, a member of the Lumb family who owned the historic mill, and Rachel Stirling, managing director of training company ESTL, which is taking 15,000 sq ft of office space at Folly Hall.
Mr Jessop said: “After 27 years of watching the terrible demise of Folly Hall, we are now happily witnessing a rebirth. It is wonderful to see life being brought back to this great mill and it will soon, once again, be a blaze of light, embracing entrepreneurial offices within.
“I would like to thank the Jay Tee Group for having faith in Folly Hall and undertaking this magnificent regeneration. This development has restored pride to the mill and to Huddersfield.”
The development will also boast its own cafe bar – Café 1844 – which is due to open in September and take 1,600 sq ft on the ground floor of the larger mill.
Paul Bailey, project director at the Jay Tee Group, said: “It involves significant regeneration of the riverside area, creating new employment opportunities and raising the profile of Huddersfield as a major office destination in the region. The successful completion of phase one is a superb endorsement of the development.
The joint agents for the scheme are Eddisons and Michael Steel and Co.
Folly Hall, which was originally built in 1844, operated until 1982, and was renowned internationally for the quality of its worsted and suits were made for world-famous politicians such as Jimmy Carter and Jim Callaghan.
It was owned by the Lumb family.
