Businesses snap up space at £2.3m conversion project

Work has finished at a Grade II listed textile mill at Park Valley Business Park in Lockwood, Huddersfield.

The 20,600 sq ft Mending Rooms building has been converted to business accommodation.

It was completed this month, with 50% of office space already let. The project has been supported by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the total development costing £2.3m.

New occupiers are Biofresh, Porky Penguin, Lumley Baxter Asset Management and Foodmate UK.

Ethical food storage business Biofresh is expanding into a 10,000 sq ft industrial unit at Park Valley Mills and is also moving into a 1,300 sq ft office on the top floor of The Mending Rooms.

Porky Penguin, which provides personal gifts, is moving from Brooks Mill in Huddersfield into a 1,370 sq ft ground floor studio in the Mending Rooms.

Chartered Financial Planners, Lumley Baxter, has taken a 2,775 sq ft office on the second floor of The Mending Rooms.

And food processing systems supplier Foodmate UK has taken 2,830 sq ft of space within the building.

Martin Duckett, of developers Park Valley Huddersfield Ltd, said: “We’re delighted this exciting opportunity has already attracted four successful companies to work alongside each other within contemporary space of the highest quality in a heritage setting.”

Sarah-Jayne Lishman, of property consultancy Dove Haigh Phillips, said: “We have already let 50% of the new-look Mending Rooms before the building has been completed.

“This splendid development is supporting economic growth in the Huddersfield area and enhances the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.”

Jeremy Barraclough, of Bio Fresh, said: “As part of the Park Valley Mills development for the last three years, we have watched the transformation of the Mending Rooms from our current unit.

“The completion of the project tied in perfectly with the expansion of our business allowing us to take further space within this beautifully converted building. We are thrilled to be able to operate from this unique space.”

Rebecca Kellett, of Porky Penguin, said: “We were blown away by the Mending Rooms and the attention to detail that has gone into making the space incredibly beautiful. We are very excited about making it our new office home.”

Richard Baxter, partner with Lumley Baxter, said: “After 50 years in Huddersfield town centre, the Mending Rooms is an excellent location and the perfect environment for us to continue to grow the business.”

Robert Stocks, of Foodmate UK, said: “We have had our eye on the Mending Rooms ever since we saw the quality of the restoration of Park Valley House and are excited about moving into this stunning space which we feel will provide our employees with a sense of pride about their workplace.

“We have been very happy tenants at Park Valley for over five years and, needing more space, we were reluctant to move away from such a great site, so we are truly delighted to be able to take advantage of this development.”

Duckett added: “We are tremendously proud of what has already been achieved at Park Valley Business Park and Park Valley House, where more than 150 sustainable jobs have been created already.

“Once completed, the Mending Rooms should be home to another 80 employees.

“We have been able to transform a derelict industrial site into a modern business park, with first-class industrial units and wonderful heritage building in Park Valley House. Now the Mending Rooms is the next jewel in our crown.”

The adjacent Park Valley House is fully occupied, while Park Valley Business Park, which comprises 18 light industrial units, has just two units of 3,000 sq ft available.

Main contractors for the Mending Rooms were JM Building Yorkshire Ltd.