Hundreds of jobs could be created at a mill which has a special place in the hearts of British soap fans.
Sunny Bank Mills dates from the days when Yorkshire’s textile industry ruled the world, but today it is probably best known for its links with the ITV dramas Emmerdale and Heartbeat, which were often filmed there.
Owners and directors John and William Gaunt have invested £2.5m to regenerate the site, which once employed large numbers of textile workers from the surrounding villages.
They want the mill to reclaim its status as the major employer in Farsley, near Leeds.
For almost two centuries, the imposing Sunny Bank Mills was the hub of Leeds’ textile industry.
In 2008, the site’s guardians, the Gaunt family, took the decision to halt textile production at the west Leeds mill.
Now they have set out their vision for the mill’s future, after taking inspiration from the World Heritage site in Saltaire, near Bradford.
Saltaire is dominated by Salts Mill, which was built by the Victorian philanthropist and businessman Titus Salt, in the 1850s.
In recent years, the mill has become a major cultural attraction, which attracts tourists from around the world.
William and John Gaunt recently opened up Sunny Bank Mills to give residents the chance to find out about their plans for the historic site.
Three lettings have now been secured at the mills complex, and others are expected to follow soon.
Pudsey & District Civic Society, Capital Design Build and Dave Spink Photography have all moved into Sunny Bank Mills.
Pudsey Civic Society and Dave Spink Photography will be based in Red Lane Mill, where they have taken combined office space of 1,560 sq ft, while Capital Design Build has moved into an 813 sq ft office in Sandsgate.
Both Red Lane Mill and Sandsgate have recently been refurbished to transform them into business centres.
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