Wakefield Waterfront Regeneration

A Growing City

Wakefield is a fast-emerging city that is continuously growing with many regeneration plans currently happening. Regeneration aims to meet changing consumer demands and business trends. Helping the city improve infrastructure and connectivity to help boost the city’s growth.

Regeneration in the city will naturally attract many professionals and potential buyers. Subsequently, this will lead to an increase in housing demand in the area. In addition, as more amenities are created, desirability in the city will grow, attracting a wider pool of potential tenants. Property prices and demand are sure to rocket in coming years, meaning now is the time to invest in Wakefield.

Here are some of the current large regeneration projects happening…

Cathedral Square

The Cathedral Square is set to become a new central point in the city. It will feature a new outdoor events space, where people can attend a wide range of events. This project is currently due to be completed in Spring 2026. This will create a more attractive environment for residents and visitors to enjoy. There are also plans to turn Bread Street back into a main pedestrian access route to the new area, this creates better accessibility with new and improved pedestrian routes into the city centre.

A large outdoor event space opposite the Cathedral is a major section of the project. To be able to create this, the former Ladbrokes building and the Boots building will have to be knocked down. The Council has purchased the Ladbrokes building and talks are ongoing with the owner of the Boots to try to purchase that building also. Once the Council owns both buildings, they will be demolished by 2025, this will then open a view of Wakefield Cathedral through Bread Street.

To help improve the appeal of the surrounding area, the council is offering grants of up to £12,000 to store owners to help renovate their storefronts. Furthermore, the wheelie bins will be relocated to be more hidden and make the streets look cleaner. The street will also be repaved making it safer and look more well-kept. Meanwhile, work has started on designing the outdoor event space they are creating.

Old Westgate Station

In 2013, Westgate station closed and reopened in another area of Wakefield, the Old Westgate train station site was later bought by the Council in 2023. The site is a designated space for a new purpose-built hotel and a separate office building.

The historic Pemberton House is set to be refurbished and turned into an office space. However, due to the costs, the hotel is a priority and the office is set to come in future years. This hotel aims to provide around 110 extra hotel rooms in the city centre. In 2023, the council took proposals from developers for plans for the site, which will be assessed and a decision will be finalised in 2024.

New urban green space and access routes will be part of the project. With plans to create up to 8,000 square metres of public green space and sustainable drainage. This project also includes improving connectivity and pedestrian access through the area. This whole project is currently scheduled for completion in mid-2026.

This project aims to attract tourism and business to the city. Encouraging visitors to stay for longer, allows more people to be able to enjoy and experience all that Wakefield has to offer. Therefore, transforming Wakefield into a leading visitor destination and boosting demand in the city.

Wakefield Exchange

Wakefield Exchange is a major £7.7m project, creating a new hub to be located in the old Market Hall, right outside of Wakefield bus station. Renovation of Wakefield Exchange started in March 2023 and is expected to be completed in Summer 2024.

This project is to become home to major events and will offer residents and visitors the chance to gather and come together as a community. It will also feature events supported by independent food and drink shops, including a brewery. The new venue will host up to four large events each year and will attract 300,000 people to the city. This additional footfall into the city will support the local food businesses and surrounding companies in the wider retail sector, improving business opportunities in the city.

Within the building, it is said that more than 100 local creative businesses are set to be supported. They will have access to the available workspaces, exhibition spaces, and other wider resources to help develop their businesses. As a result of the additional spaces, more businesses will relocate to Wakefield. This will also have a positive influence on the local economy.

Rutland Mills

The former derelict mills next to The Hepworth Wakefield are being regenerated into Tileyard North, which will be a commercial office space on Wakefield’s Waterfront. City & Provincial Properties has renovated these Grade II listed buildings into what will be a 135,000 sq ft hub. Creating the UK’s largest creative community outside of London!

In 2023, phase 1 was completed and four mill buildings of Tileyard North opened. The once-abandoned buildings were turned into creative and event spaces. There is also a new courtyard featuring a restaurant and bar, which brought more leisure opportunities to the area.

Phase 2 is now in construction and is due to complete in 2024. There are plans to convert the remaining buildings and create space for further dynamic businesses and opportunities. One building is being completely rebuilt and the other being restored and renovated. Additional office spaces will create more opportunities for businesses to grow and relocate in the city, strengthening its reputation as a business hub. There are also plans to build a boutique hotel by 2024, further attracting tourism and encouraging visitors to stay in the city.

Civic Quater

Planning permission has been given for the proposed regeneration of the Wakefield Civic Quarter. The project is the ‘Wood Street Collection’ and includes the development of 63 new homes, consisting of converted apartments and contemporary family homes. These new residencies will be some of Wakefield’s nicest buildings and will provide a high-quality place to call home. This plan will also feature a new public green area and improved connectivity in the areas.

The former Police Station on Wood Street is set to contain 33 luxury apartments ranging from one to three beds. These apartments will be over four storeys of accommodation with further accommodation to be created in the former Superintendent’s house.

The project will also provide homes on the Rishworth Street Car Park site, in three sections; Gills Mews, Gills Place and Gills Yard. Rushbond PLC is the developer of this project and they are aiming for the first homes to be complete by mid-2025. This is a major regeneration scheme that will be sure to attract hundreds of new people to Wakefield. As a result there will be an increase in demand for houses, eventually boosting house prices.

Connectivity

In partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), Wakefield is continuing to work on plans to make the city centre better for walking, cycling, and public transport. So, this project will reduce traffic, improve pedestrian routes, and increase bus access. This will largely benefit the city, as it will be recognised as a commuter location.

Plans within this project include creating a new cycle route connecting the 2 train stations and the city centre, easing accessibility. The project aims to improve pedestrian access to the city centre and the bus station. Therefore, travelling around Wakefield will prove to be more efficient, reducing commute times for residents. Overall, Wakefield is a very attractive city for working individuals.

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