Calderdale College and major Halifax mill complex team up for art studio space
Vacant office space at the Dean Clough is to be converted into art studio teaching facilities
Calderdale College are further teaming up with Halifax’s famous Dean Clough mill complex to reconfigure some space for art studios for teaching and students.
For more than 40 years, Dean Clough, the listed former Crossley’s Carpets complex, has developed into a thriving home to a range of businesses of different sizes, a thriving arts centre, restaurants, a hotel, small retail units, a crèche and a range of other users.
The third floor of the complex’s D Mill is occupied by Calderdale College, which has housed some teaching and administration space there, taking up about two thirds of the space.
Calderdale Council planners have granted listed building consent for the college’s proposal that the remaining vacant office space at the northern-most end of the building be converted into art studio teaching facilities,
administrative office and extra toilets.
According to supporting statements with the application, it is proposed that the existing office fit-out is stripped out – these are 20th century partitions and finishes – back to the original structure.
The proposed layout includes for two art studio classrooms and open plan
studio space that will accommodate approximately 50 to 60 students.
There will be an administrative office for approximately ten staff and teachers.
Council conservation officers and the college agreed a schedule of works for the stripping out work.
Proposed new partitions will be in stud work and plasterboard, or glazed where possible, and will avoid columns to allow the existing structure the remain exposed, according to the papers.
No alteration is required to the historic fabric of the building to achieve the new layout, planners were told.