A once-vacant multi-storey car park in Halifax has been transformed into a new community of 122 sustainable rental homes.
At an official ribbon-cutting event, the Mayor of Calderdale, Ann Kingstone, Placefirst and Calderdale Council unveiled Bolt Works – a development offering modern, energy-efficient, one and two-bedroom apartments.
Professionally managed by Placefirst, Bolt Works is Halifax’s first dedicated build-to-rent community.
Set off Cow Green, the development draws inspiration from Halifax’s rich industrial heritage, blending striking architecture with modern sustainable technologies, including solar panels, heat pumps, and MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) systems to help lower bills and reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
The development integrates with Calderdale Council’s wider town centre regeneration strategy, including transformation of travel and public spaces through the A629 phase 2 Halifax town centre project.
Calderdale Council and Placefirst have worked closely in partnership to deliver the scheme
The homes at Cow Green have been built on the site of a car park that was demolished in 2016 after being deemed unsafe. Calderdale Council approved Placefirst’s transformation of the site after considering uses that were “appropriate to its prominence,” being situated on a key gateway into Halifax.
The scheme was funded primarily by Placefirst with contributions from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Brownfield Housing Fund and a loan from the Greater Manchester Pension Fund.
Caddick Construction acted as the main contractor for the scheme, delivering the project in close collaboration with Placefirst and a team of expert consultants, including JM architects, Walker Sime, Roscoe, Hydrock, Stantec, TACE, and DEP Landscape Architecture.
Phil Jones, director of development at Placefirst, said: “Bolt Works is much more than bricks and mortar – we’ve built a community where people can feel at home right in the heart of Halifax. Today’s renters want more than a roof over their heads – they’re looking for great homes, in great locations, that fit their lifestyle, and that’s exactly what Bolt Works delivers.
“This project shows the huge potential in reimagining underused town centre spaces into neighbourhoods full of life, with great homes and spaces people are proud to call home. It’s been fantastic to work alongside Calderdale Council to make this vision a reality, and we’re excited to see the first residents bringing the place to life.”
Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for climate action and housing, cllr Scott Patient, said: “The new homes at Bolt Works support our priority for thriving towns and places, regenerating underused spaces and creating much-needed homes, in a great central location.
“The development contributes to wider regeneration work across Halifax and the Calderdale area, creating a place where people want to live, work, study and do business. I’m also pleased to see sustainability at the heart of the development, with innovative technologies used to improve energy efficiency and reduce the building’s environmental impact, supporting our climate objectives.”
Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Our multimillion-pound investment into this flagship scheme has helped to convert a run-down car park into over a hundred high quality and energy efficient homes in the heart of Halifax.
“This is devolution in action – strong partnership working to breathe new life into our disused brownfield sites and build a greener, more secure region which everyone is proud to call home.”
Steve Ford, regional managing director at Caddick Construction Yorkshire and North-East, said: “The Bolt Works project has proved what’s possible when unused brownfield sites are redeveloped with the community at the forefront and we are proud to have been a part of this fantastic development for Halifax.
“Caddick has been delivering first-class builds across the region for over 45 years, with a great number of those being new neighbourhoods and high-rise residential schemes, which makes us the perfect fit for this project. We’re pleased to have officially handed over Bolt Works to Placefirst to now welcome the first residents.”
