Developers to submit bids to build new 120-bed city centre hotel at old Wakefield Westgate rail station

Wakefield Council purchased the derelict site earlier this year as part of major regeneration plans.

The local authority wants a new hotel and “high quality” offices to be built at nearby Pemberton House to attract businesses back to the city.

Following the acquisition in April, “soft market testing” was carried out to determine the level of commercial interest in the site.

The council has confirmed that that developers will be invited to submit bids later this year.

The council reached an agreement with Network Rail to buy the site for nearly £600,000.

It is claimed the project could create more than 700 jobs, including 130 at the hotel.

The station ceased operations in 2013 when a new station on Mulberry Way was completed.

The purchase is being funded through a £24.9m government “Towns Fund” grant allocated in 2021.

Other projects in the Wakefield masterplan aim to transform the city, including the Tileyard North development and a new home for Wakefield’s library and museum.

A report to cabinet members states: “The council wants to make the district a vibrant place to live and work and the plan for this site is to construct a 120-bed hotel and refurbish Pemberton House for use as offices, which aims to attract businesses back to the city centre and reverse the trend of out-of-town locations.

“Soft market testing has now taken place and developers will be invited to submit bids later this year.

“Local business leaders have supported the move and emphasised the need for a hotel in this part of the city centre.”

Mark Lynam, the council’s corporate director for regeneration, said at the time of the purchase: “The provision of high-quality offices and a hotel will be the final feature to our Westgate gateway, well positioned on the east coast mainline railway and adjacent to some of the city’s most valuable cultural assets.”

Kevin Trickett, interim chair of Wakefield’s high street task force, said: “Wakefield suffers from not having a quality hotel in the city centre.

“In my role as Wakefield Civic Society president, I sometimes organise events where I bring people from across the region or even further afield and it’s really difficult trying to organise logistics when the hotels are outside the city centre.

“In a previous job, I used to organise conferences and I would’ve loved to have brought that business to Wakefield, but I couldn’t because we just don’t have that sort of hotel, so, it’s an exciting prospect.”

The old entrance to the station has been gated off since it was made redundant ten years ago.

The revamped Westgate Station, with access from Mulberry Way, opened to passengers in December 2013 after a £9m refurbishment.

Cabinet members will consider the report at a meeting on September 12.