Poo Power – Sinking To A New Low

14th July 2026

A new sustainable, low-bills industrial and residential community will obtain heat and energy generated from the poo collected by the local wastewater treatment site.

Esholt, as the development is known has cleared planning by Bradford City Council. It is to be delivered by Yorkshire Water and sister company Keyland Developments.

180 acres of redundant brownfield land around the Esholt wastewater treatment works will be transformed.

Industrial

The employment element will see the delivery of up to 100,000sq.m of workspaces to accommodate a mix of industry, with a particular focus on bio-tech businesses and industries that can make the most of not just the heat and power but also the water generated by the treatment works.

Housing

The sustainable housing element includes 150 homes, from 1-bedroom maisonettes to 5-bedroom detached houses to allow for a diverse community. The sensitive use of local materials, along with a blend of technologies and intelligent energy use, landscaping, living with nature through visible water management and shared recreation spaces, will result in a community that can sit alongside the nearby Esholt Village.

Masterplan

The masterplan has already achieved national recognition with inclusion in the new RIBA Plan for Use Guide, a new guidance document for sustainable design.

The next step will be to seek a development partner for the commercial element to work alongside Keyland in the delivery. A purchaser will be sought for the residential element to create the new homes.

The Esholt team already includes Tate & Co, a leading UK firm of architects on sustainability and natural environments, and sustainability consultants 3ADAPT.

To have full planning consent for Esholt enables us to move to the next phase of the delivery process, which is to seek like-minded partners to bring the development to life. We have an incredible opportunity to create one of the UK’s most impressive and aspirational mixed-use communities and are looking forward to engaging with agents to activate the process.

Luke Axe, Land & Planning Director at Keyland

Picture: A brownfield site of disused sediment filters at a wastewater treatment plant in Bradford will provide solid groundworks for new homes, as seen here in CGI format.

www.keyland.co.uk/projects/esholt/

Full planning consent for Yorkshire Water’s pioneering sustainable development at Esholt has been granted by Bradford City Council. All the partners, including the architects, are looking to use energy efficient building materials and heritage styled products that fit into the countryside setting and are not at odds with the nearby village.