'A dream come true': Leeds entrepreneur gets green light for warehouse revamp
Leeds entrepreneur Jack Wainman has been granted planning permission for a £2.1m overhaul of a dilapidated warehouse in Wortley, which has been in his family for generations
A Leeds entrepreneur said it was a “dream come true” to have planning permission granted for a £2.1m overhaul of a dilapidated warehouse in Wortley that has been in his family for generations.
Jack Wainman, 29, runs JAKPAK Wrapping Machinery from the warehouse on Barras Garth Road, supplying packaging machinery across the country to clients including Jaguar Land Rover and Leeds bakery brand Get Baked.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Jack said: “The dream was always to redevelop the area because it’s just not very functional anymore. We want to move forward, and we are moving forward.”
Leeds City Council approved his plans this week to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new complex of workshop and showroom units.
Jack acquired the land from his father a couple of years ago, but the family connection goes back much further.
“My father ran his small company out of here. I run my small company out of here,” he said. “To then leave my mark for generations is something that I think ticks every box, in my opinion.”
Jack has worked in packaging machinery since he was 18, starting out selling small machines from his parents’ garage.
“I described the business as a bit of a slow success,” he said. “It wasn’t an overnight success. It was a lot of long nights and early mornings to get to where we are.”
A turning point came during the Covid pandemic, when the business continued operating while many other industries stopped.
“Probably the biggest green light was during the pandemic that we were still turning over and we were still very, very busy,” he said. “Whereas a lot of industries stopped, it really gave me some form of cement that this is actually going to work going forward.”
Today, the business operates with a small core team, using subcontractors and a catalogue of more than 90 machines for clients ranging from major automation companies to niche food producers.
“It’s not one niche,” Jack said. “Jaguar Land Rover wrap windscreens for the new Defender on one of our machines. Get Baked wrap cookies. Every day is somebody’s different product.”
For architectural designer Francesca Hardy, who drew up the plans, the challenge was to turn a cramped, tired plot into a more functional base while respecting neighbouring homes.
The approved scheme will create five interchangeable units, with internal doorways allowing spaces to be combined or separated as the business grows. Roller shutters will also make it easier to move large machinery in and out.
“The problem we have here is access,” Jack said. “The access is crazy to get into and then to move large machining around. So the idea was to put roller shutters all at the front and all the way through it, so we can constantly have some fluid movement no matter where we go.”
The boundary wall will be pushed back, creating space for lorries to enter without blocking the road.
“Now, because of that step back, we can sweep the lorries in, not block the roads,” Jack said. “Everything we looked at just makes it a much more functional space.”
Jack said the project is also about improving the site and showing respect for Wortley.
“There’s been no respect given to this plot of land for 20 years,” he said. “We’re not just putting the money into it for the sake of looking good. We’re putting the money into it because we want to look after the area. We want to show a bit of respect to the area.”
The warehouse sits close to family homes. Jack said he hopes the redevelopment will show residents that the business is investing in the wider area.
“I hope it gives an insight to people around that we actually care about the area,” he said. “There’ll be a lot of residents down the road that will probably have eyes on this project for the next couple of years, so it’s important that we look after that vision.”
The planning process has taken more than a year, with the application submitted in April following months of design work.
“It was pretty plain sailing - it was just long,” Jack said. “It’s been a really long journey. But the real stress begins now.”
He hopes demolition will start by the end of the year, with steelwork and construction following early next year. During the build, JakPak will temporarily move to a site in Shipley to keep the business running.
“One week at a time,” Jack said. “As long as we have a good plan.”