80,000 sq ft development completed at innovation hub

A major redevelopment, inspired, conceived and developed by The Hartley Group, has been completed in Slaithwaite, Kirklees.

It forms part of a strategy to regenerate Hartley’s industrial investment in Yorkshire.

The Group has transformed one of Kirklees’ landmark buildings at the centre of its growing hub for innovation, with up to 80,000 sq ft of space available from May 2021.

Globe Innovation Centre Ltd, a partnership between Hartley Property Trust Ltd, 3M, The University of Huddersfield and Kirklees Council, has invested more than £5m to transform The Globe, in Slaithwaite.

The project has renovated all five floors in the first of two significant buildings that were originally built in 1887 for textiles production.

The site now provides an innovation centre, laboratory space, medical suites, offices and retail space complete with an Artisan Hall.

Features include superfast connectivity and IT facilities along with 168 car parking spaces.

Last year, Hartley Property Trust agreed a 15-year lease with Colne Valley Group Practice and a pharmacy to occupy 6,000 sq ft of ground floor space in the building.

Triton Construction is currently fitting out the medical facility, on behalf of Globe Developments Ltd, to provide consultation rooms, a minor operations room, nurse treatment rooms, administration space and a large multi-use training room as well as the adjacent pharmacy.

When it opens in May, it is understood the medical centre will support over 10,000 patients .

Remaining medical space on the first floor is being targeted at ancillary health services such as dentist, optician, physiotherapist and holistic services with suites available from 500 sq ft to 7,500 sq ft.

Larger floor plates are offered for office occupation from 1,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft.

The Innovation Centre offers incubator office and laboratory accommodation from 150 sq ft upwards with business support available from the University of Huddersfield, 3M Buckley Innovation Centre and Kirklees Council.

The Artisan Hall provides ‘shell specification ready’ opportunities for specialist food, drink and other local producers from 1,000 sq ft up to 7,500 sq ft for larger restaurant and bar operators.

Units are also available from 3,000 sq ft to 7,500 sq ft at ground floor level for retail/convenience units with car park and canal frontages.

Chris Smith, spokesman for Hartley, said: “Kirklees is home to more than 14,000 businesses with core sectors including advanced manufacturing and precision engineering, textiles, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, and creative and digital industries.

“It was recently named the second best place in the UK to set up and run a business and we believe that The Globe is offering the right space at the right time.”

Sue Cooke, chief executive at 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, said: “The Globe Innovation Centre is a stunning facility with the best of heritage and contemporary facilities, perfectly located between Leeds and Manchester on the Trans-Pennine corridor.

“The 3M Buckley Innovation Centre is supporting this opportunity for grow-on space for a number of our tenants, some of whom will be the first to occupy the prestigious top floor workspaces.”

Roger Marsh, chair of the LEP and the NP11 group of Northern local enterprise partnerships, added: “This new development provides a significant opportunity to support businesses in our region.

“The Globe Innovation Centre will be a space for true collaboration and will boost the already thriving innovation ecosystem in the Leeds City Region.”