£19m dedicated to futureproof Yorkshire town

A £19m plan to improve Brighouse for the future for residents, businesses and visitors has been announced.

The investment will be used to develop skills, fund apprenticeships and allow local businesses to see how Industry 4.0 technology can support business productivity and efficiency.

It will be a pilot to test out the best working models and practices businesses can use to help them grow, and encourage other businesses to consider setting up in the town that continues to have one in six workers employed in the manufacturing sector.

Brighouse has a strong history of being an innovator in industry dating back to the 18th century when the River Calder provided the power for the flour milling industry and textile mills. But, like many industrial towns in England, manufacturing prospects declined steeply after World War One.

The area has been successful at replacing the jobs of the first industrial revolution with the advanced manufacturing that will characterise the current fourth industrial revolution.

The team behind The Brighouse Deal want to capitalise on this and use it as a catalyst for driving future growth across the area which is why developing industry and skills is a key part of the investment secured from government.

The money will be used to:

• Increase capacity for apprentices with an ambition to secure 70 additional roles across the town

• Develop a new Brighouse Industrial Hub which will showcase new advanced manufacturing methods and how data analysis of processes can be used to help increase productivity and efficiency.

• Invest in innovation by encouraging more research and development in existing firms and attracting knowledge intensive businesses to the area.