A giant leap for Keighley? £9m space testing facility proposed for West Yorkshire town
Bradford Council is considering backing a major new facility to test satellite and space hardware in the heart of the town.
A proposed £9 million space-testing facility could be built at Providence Park in Keighley town centre.
The Space Test North facility would include around 1,400 square metres of industrial testing space and 200 square metres of training space.
It would provide environmental and radio frequency testing, using specialist equipment to recreate conditions found in space, including heat, humidity and vacuum testing.
If approved, the project is expected to create more than 50 high-skilled jobs, as well as support more than 40 additional jobs in the wider local economy.
The facility would also create new training and apprenticeship opportunities by working with the University of Bradford and Keighley College.
Bradford Council Deputy Leader, Reform Councillor Andrew Judson says:
“This is a genuinely exciting opportunity for Keighley and for the whole of our district”
“We already have a strong and growing space, radio frequency and advanced manufacturing cluster across the Aire Valley but crucially, this is about people as well as technology. It is set to create permanent skilled jobs, specialised training and career pathways”.
Bradford Council’s Executive Committee is being asked to approve a maximum grant of £4.524 million from the Local Regeneration Fund, with the proposal due to be considered next week.