Halifax Opportunities Trust was established as a community-based regeneration charity in Halifax West Yorkshire in 2000. The Trust activities include providing managed workspace for start up and established enterprises, providing business support, training, helping people into employment and managing a Children’s Centre.

This case study concerns the acquisition and development by the trust of its second managed workspace the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre. The centre was developed in response to a need identified for high quality intensive business support which also helps meet the Trust’s regeneration objectives and be economically sustainable.

The Elsie Whiteley building was identified by Calderdale Council and Halifax Opportunities Trust as a potential business innovation centre in 2002. The proposal was taken to Yorkshire Forward as a scheme for their Urban Renaissance programme. They paid for the purchase of the redundant Mill and an adjoining haulage yard to provide car parking as well as making a significant contribution to the cost of refurbishment. Other monies came from the local Urban 11 programme and Calderdale Council's section 106 (planning gain) money. Total cost of purchase was in excess of £5m. Yorkshire Forward passed the building to the ownership of Calderdale Council rather than the Trust because of concerns all parties had over conflicts with State Aid policy. Advice was sought widely but was unclear. As a result, agreement was reached that on completion of refurbishment (to be managed by the Council) the Centre would pass over to Halifax Opportunities Trust on a 25year lease on a peppercorn rent basis. Halifax Opportunities Trust was fully involved in the development and design of the building through all of its stages and has been responsible for the business plan for the centre.

The Trust took over the building on 1st October 2006 and put a team of staff in place, which currently number five. One of the floors has already been let to an intermediate labour market organisation, and another two floors contain 40 business units with generator, incubator and move on space all in the same building. Three floors have been let to AIM (UK) a sector lead body commissioned by the RDA and the Dti to establish the National Centre for AIDC (Automatic Identification and Data Capture) in the Centre. There are also conference and meeting facilities in the building and plans for a cafe in the summer of 2007.

The trust has a management agreement as well as a the 25 year lease with the local authority and the deal is that 15% of the rental income comes to the Trust as a management fee but any surplus the scheme makes is re-invested in facilities and services in the Centre to keep it fresh and up to date.

In order to overcome the barriers encountered such as risk aversion on behalf of funding agencies, legal issues such as State Aid policy and scepticism the following traits were required:

• To have a long-term vision and stick to it
• To have the courage to take risks in order to achieve the vision,
• To develop trust of the necessary stakeholders

Contact: Barbara Harbinson: barbarah@regen.org.uk
www.innovationhalifax.net