Work to start next year on 110-room city centre hotel as part of £8m regeneration scheme

Construction work on a new city hotel is expected to start next summer, Wakefield Council has said.

ION Property Developments Limited has been chosen to deliver the 110-room venue on the site of the city’s former Westgate Station.

Senior councillors are expected to agree proposals to enter into a development agreement with the company to advance the scheme.

A report said delivery of “mid range” hotel would tackle a shortage of city centre hotel accommodation and boost tourism.

Matthew Pinder, the council’s cabinet member for district regeneration and regional growth, said: “This is a big step forward for our city’s growth.

“We want to give people the opportunity to stay for longer and enjoy everything Wakefield has to offer.

“It will help create new jobs and bring more people into our district.

“That’s great news for our businesses and the local economy.”

The council bought the old station site for almost £600,000 in an agreement with Northern Rail in 2023 as part of a regeneration masterplan for the city.

Around £8m has been provided from the government’s Local Regeneration Fund to support the development.

If the agreement is approved at a meeting on October 20, ION would undertake site investigations, complete outstanding design work and submit a planning application in spring 2027.

Work is likely to start on site in the summer, with the hotel expected to open its doors to customers in winter 2028-29.

The developer has worked with other local authorities to deliver urban regeneration projects across the UK, including Liverpool, Wirral, Wolverhampton and Denbighshire.

The report said: “The hotel development will be Wakefield city centre’s first mid-range hotel, helping to redress a deficit in the hotel accommodation offer to boost cultural tourism and contribute to the visitor economy.

“This project represents significant investment in Wakefield, aiming to improve the urban environment for residents, businesses and visitors.”

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

The site has been used as a temporary car park since 2024.

Wakefield Civic Society has backed plans for more hospitality venues in the city centre.

Society president Kevin Trickett previously said: “We are already seeing an increase in the number of people coming to the city for leisure and business, but we are short of hotels in the city centre.

“We welcome the idea of a new hotel here right next to the station.”