Developer Rushbond PLC is seeking a visionary hotel and spa operator or investor to play a central role in the delivery and realisation of a new luxury 120 bedroom hotel at the historic Bretton Hall estate, located within the internationally renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) in Wakefield, Yorkshire.
Set within a unique cultural location which benefits from the panoramic views of 500 acres of surrounding landscaped gardens, parkland and vistas, it has the potential to shift the paradigm of travellers’ accommodation and service to become an exceptional venue for meetings, weddings, conferences and events in the North of England.
A planning application has been submitted for the scheme, which also includes a 100,000 sq ft business park. The first phase of the scheme will create a 77-bedroomed luxury hotel and 39,000 sq ft of refurbished pavilion-style office accommodation which has the potential to generate up to 400 new jobs.
Leeds-based Rushbond have worked in conjunction with Wakefield architects DLA and London based hotel consultants EPR to propose a sympathetic refurbishment of the existing mansion house – a superb example of Georgian architecture designed by Sir William Wentworth and Colonel James Moyser – and the restoration of the spectacular interiors of the Grade II* listed building alongside a contemporary new structure housing a new bedroom wing.
Jonathan Maud, Managing Director of Rushbond Plc, commented: “We have worked closely with our partners in Wakefield to create a plan for the Bretton Hall scheme that will add to the YSP’s already exceptional offer.
“The submission of the planning application is an important milestone in our shared vision sympathetically to transform Bretton Hall into a truly stunning hotel/business park opportunity, in a unique landscape, that will attract new businesses to the region and create long term sustainable employment.”
Since 2009, Bretton Investment Partnership Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Rushbond PLC) with Wakefield Council and YSP have been working together to create a hotel and business/office park proposition that will significantly add to the current offer of the Park, for the benefit of Wakefield and the wider region. Bretton Hall is owned by Wakefield Council, which acquired the campus from the University of Leeds in 2006 to ensure that any development had synergy with adjoining YSP.
YSP’s incomparable combination of art, nature and powerful spirit of place provide a cultural experience of the highest quality, visited by more than 350,000 people a year and contributing over £5m to the local economy. It is hoped that the Bretton Hall scheme will compliment and extend the influence of YSP to the business, wedding and travel markets, attracted by the special qualities of its location which merges the historic and the contemporary into an outstanding cultural destination.
Peter Murray CBE, Executive Director of Yorkshire Sculpture Park said: “We are very excited to be working with Rushbond on their plans for Bretton Hall that will safeguard its future and compliment the unique role and setting of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
“As well as an extraordinary place to visit and experience world-class art set within 500 acres of historic landscape, heritage and the natural environment, the development of a hotel and business park will also allow YSP to be an exceptional place to stay and work.”
Wakefield benefits not only from the cultural draw of YSP, but also The Hepworth Wakefield which has attracted more than 500,000 visitors since opening in 2011, more than five times the projected number. The new hotel and spa element of the Bretton Hall scheme will respond to the increasing demand for accommodation in the City and the region.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive Welcome to Yorkshire commented: “Yorkshire performs on an international stage and the planned investment in Bretton Hall at Yorkshire Sculpture Park will further our reputation for creating world-class attractions, setting the county apart from other destinations in the UK and Europe.”
If the planning application is successful, it is anticipated that development will commence in February 2013.
The initial phase of the construction will provide for the hotel development and first phase of the business park which will be available for occupation at the end 2014.
