Grand opening of Batley Plaza welcomes new businesses to town

The 24-store complex on Commercial Street is a new development by Z&F Properties, in partnership with Kirklees Council, which aims to benefit both the local community and young business people.

The grand opening, which took place on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, welcomed local residents to come and take a look at the new development.

The event also provided entertainment such as face painting, balloon artists and henna tattooing.

Zahid Iqbal, director of Z&F Properties and owner of Batley Plaza, said: “It went really well and we had a really big turn out.

“We had a lot of families there specifically because we opened late due to Ramadan so people could come along and get their henna tattooing done.

“The businesses loved it and have said that they have done so much better than what they originally anticipated.

“It’s more of a community centre than a regional centre, it is a small local shopping centre for local people to use.

“It is not a specific place just for Asian shoppers - it’s all inclusive.

“The most important thing is that everyone enjoys it.

“This was the launch we needed, where everyone could visit and see the plaza, and hopefully they will carry on using it - that’s our aim.”

Zahid bought the centre – previously known as Alfreds’ Way and Batley Shopping Centre – in November 2019 and since then has transformed the space.

The development was initially due to open in 2020, but Covid-19 restrictions resulted in the opening being pushed back by 18 months.

The majority of units are now open apart from the Mexican food outlet, which is set to launch in two weeks’ time, and Heavenly Desserts, which will be located on the top floor.