An inspiring heritage
Although the Elsie Whiteley Mill was built in 1868 it continues to provide a hub for enterprise in Halifax nearly a century and a half later.
A history of enterprise
The mill, situated on Hopwood Lane on the outer reaches of the centre has been used over the decades for a number of different purposes until the building fell into disrepair in the 1990s. Named after Elsie Whiteley; a local business woman, fashion designer and textile entrepreneur working between the 1930’s and 70’s - the mill was once used by Elsie to make her own fashion for women. As a woman working in this era, who left school at 14 to go on to run her own business supplying the likes of Selfridges, she showed great determination.
Yorkshire Forward bought the property as part of the renaissance programme in Halifax and provided £2.9m for the actual refurbishment of Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre and worked with Calderdale Council and Halifax Opportunities Trust, a local social enterprise and registered charity, to deliver the project. The Council has now gifted the centre to Halifax Opportunities Trust.
Michael Steele's grandfather used to own the mill and today Michael is an active member of the board for Elsie Whiteley.
Michael said, “The building was a home for innovation in the first half of the 20th Century when my great grand father's company evolved from the production of leather goods to 'card clothing and belting', essentially the production systems of their age. Now the innovation is technological, but the result is the same, improvement in the means of production, for the benefit of all the community.”
A new lease of life
The building has been brought back into use by the programme. Although the mill has had a new lease of life with contemporary design and architecture, some of the original features have been kept, such as the revolving wooden doors which were once used by senior management on their way to and from work. The stone columns are also still in place.
The programme enabled the national objective of incorporating long-term thinking and good urban design principles into the development of Halifax Town Centre. It addressed areas of market failure, where intervention could realise new business opportunities and creativity. The Centre’s aim was to encourage new enterprise by becoming an economic driver in a run down part of the town.
Now the building houses the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, a community led project in the heart of Halifax. The Halifax town team chose Elsie Whiteley as one of the first projects to be undertaken in Halifax making real some of the aspirations and visions articulated in the ‘Halifax Streets Ahead’ document that emerged from the work of the town team alongside an internationally renowned expert panel.
The purchase and refurbishment of the former Elsie Whiteley Mill giving the redundant building a new life as a business enterprise centre was part of Halifax’s Urban Renaissance programme. Being one of the key initiatives the development is a tribute to local aspirations to achieve sustainability. Not only does the scheme utilise a redundant asset but by passing the completed business centre over to a local regeneration charity, Halifax Opportunities Trust, it enables the Trustees of the Charity to support the growth of local enterprise for the forseable future. The project brings together both environmental and economic sustainability leaving a long term legacy in Halifax.
An inspirational working environment
The office space in Elsie Whiteley is designed to meet the requirements of forward-thinking and fast-moving innovative and digital businesses operating in global markets and innovative niches. Designed to ensure an inspirational working environment; first-rate IT infrastructure, innovation display space, café, state-of-the-art conference facilities and creatively designed indoor and outdoor space.
Ian Tod was the architect and Director of Allen Tod Architecture appointed to manage the conversion of Elsie Whiteley.
Ian said, “This is a project that shows how a high quality sustainable reuse can be achieved with some basic and typical mill buildings. Although there was little architectural quality in the original buildings their configuration allowed us to create a covered courtyard that acts as a heart space for the project. We have created a small public space outside the building which provides a setting and breathing space off a road with narrow pavements. This small gesture of public domain gives the building some prominence and a street presence appropriate to its use.
The historic use of the mill in the 1950's by the entrepreneur Elsie Whiteley has provided an inspiration and theme for bringing the building back into use as a business and innovation centre, resulting in some particular details such as the "needle bollards" along the street. The new use is a combination of community and high-tech business innovation centre, which is a powerful and exemplary mix.
The building was empty for many years, but economic regeneration work in the area had established the partner bodies such as the Halifax Opportunities Trust that could carry forward this opportunity to transform the innovation offer in the town. The challenge was enthusiastically taken forward by the council and Yorkshire Forward.”
