Yorkshire Forward and Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council are now seeking private sector partners for the largest Renaissance Market Towns project in Yorkshire and Humber.

More than 14 hectares of brownfield land in the Sowerby Bridge Copley Valley area will be developed to provide a range of new housing and office/industrial units.  New road infrastructure works, including canal  and river bridges, will ensure that the new development is successfully linked to the town centre.

Additional projects within the development plans for Sowerby Bridge include the transformation of the railway station into an eco-station, hydro-electricity generation at Copley Weir, the creation of waterside footpaths and cycle routes, and public open space.

An invitation for expression of interest was advertised and interested parties were asked to return complete questionnaires by 25^th April 2008.  Calderdale Council will invite short listed developers to enter competitive dialogue at the end of May 2008.