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Firm appointed to build hotel on old station site

Tony GardnerLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageWakefield Council A CGI image of a five-storey building with corrugated wood cladding. A brick house is to the left. People, trees and parked cars can also be seen.Wakefield Council
Work on the hotel will begin next year, should planning permission be granted

A developer has been appointed to build a 110-bed hotel on the site of Wakefield's old Westgate railway station.

Wakefield Council bought the land, which sits behind the current station, for around £600,000 from rail operator Northern in 2023.

The site became vacant when Westgate Station was redeveloped in the early 2010s.

The local authority said ION Developments had been chosen to build the hotel and added that a "major brand" to operate it would soon be announced.

Final designs for the new hotel have yet to be confirmed but construction is expected to start in 2027, subject to planning permission being granted.

The scheme has experienced delays, with the council having previously said construction work would start either in 2025 or early 2026.

But the local authority said the hotel would meet "growing demand from visitors and business travellers".

News imageLDRS A sign reading 'Wakefield Westgate' stands atop a brick wall. A fenced off and apparently empty car park stands adjacent. Weeds and plants can also be seen.LDRS
The site has been derelict for more than a decade since the station was redeveloped

Councillor Jack Hemingway, council deputy leader, said: "This announcement is a big step forward for the city's growth.

"It will help create new jobs and bring more people into Wakefield, which is great news for business and the local economy."

Around £8m has been provided from the government's Local Regeneration Fund to support the development, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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