Businesses attracted to historic building

ONE of the region’s oldest buildings has been given a new lease of life after becoming home to three professional services firms.

The Paper Hall in Bradford, which dates back to around 1640, is now the base for NRB Construction Management and consulting engineers Furness Partnership, having relocated from Leeds with support from Bradford Council’s inward investment team.

They join architectural practice B3:GLR, which was previously the sole occupier of the Grade II Listed building in Anne Gate, close to Little Germany.

A total of 17 jobs were brought to the district as NRB and Furness Partnership completed their move, with the prospect of more jobs being created as the firms look to expand.

Invest in Bradford provided grant funding to support investment by the firms in new lighting, improved security, office partitioning and twin reception areas.

Coun David Green, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said: “Bradford is an ideal place for professional businesses like these to be based as we have great links to four strong local universities, a growing population and low operating costs.

“The Paper Hall is a real landmark within the city and it is great to see its potential as a working building being fulfilled once again.”

NRB director Nigel Booker, whose company carried out the construction work when The Paper Hall was originally converted into offices in 1993, said: “It is a wonderful building so we are all delighted with how the move has turned out. The help we have received from Invest in Bradford was a vital part of that.

“The awareness and stature of our firm can only be enhanced through a link to somewhere as historic as The Paper Hall.”