Consulting engineers land World Heritage site contract

Dudleys Consulting Engineers has been appointed by Shipley College to advise on civil and structural engineering for the proposed new £6m community and arts centre in Saltaire.

A planning application was submitted recently by the college to deliver the 10,441 sq ft Community, Art, Heritage, and Future Technology (CAHFT) Centre on a former car park at the corner of Victoria Road and Caroline Street.

As well as providing new teaching spaces for Shipley College, it will become a new home for the Saltaire Collection – an archive of important documents and artefacts recording the history of the village.

The plans also include a rooftop civic garden, exhibition spaces and new public toilet facilities. It is intended that the centre will become an initial welcoming point for visitors to Saltaire.

Leeds-based Dudleys is working alongside designers, 3xa Architects and project management company, Spring & Co to deliver the project.

Dudleys has already advised around the feasibility of the site to support the planning application and will continue to assist with the delivery, subject to planning consent. It is hoped building works could start by June 2024.

Peter Dixon, director of Dudleys and Fellow of the Institute of Structural Engineers, said: “The scheme has been brought forward with a rare opportunity to redevelop underutilised land in the heart of this World Heritage Site and will become a fantastic new heritage hub.

“Of course, the World Heritage status brings with it heavy restrictions on development potential, specifically for the overall height so as not to impede views of Salts Mill and beyond.

“To work with the topography of the site and maximise usable space, the proposed building sits within the existing ground profile featuring an upper and lower floor.

“The upper ground floor space breaks out into an open roof top garden space and the surrounding areas will be landscaped.

“Interestingly, the site was once home to a Sunday School in the 1800s and we were able to draw on the benefit of original drawings held on file to facilitate the geotechnical investigations and identify any risk associated with the former basement.”