Work begins on building £12m Elland hospice

A West Yorkshire hospice boss has described the arrival of diggers on site ready to build a new £12m facility as a "momentous" milestone.

The new 16-bed Overgate Hospice in Elland, Calderdale, is set to be built in the existing grounds of the current hospice.

The facility will include individual bedrooms, accessible ensuites and garden terraces, the hospice said, with fundraising events and appeals raising more than £11.5m of its £12.75m target.

The current hospice accommodates 12 beds in shared units, with the new building set to make a "massive difference", chief executive Tracey Wilcocks said.

The current hospice, built in 1994, served as a location during filming for TV series Happy Valley, with writer Sally Wainwright backing the fundraising push.

Ms Wilcocks said the vision for the new hospice was to "future-proof" care for those living in Calderdale.

"The diggers are here and the ground is being broken so it's a really momentous day," Ms Wilcocks told BBC Radio Leeds.

"It will make a massive difference - unfortunately at the moment we sometimes have to say no to people as we don't have the right bed available."

She continued: "By having the set side rooms it will increase our flexibility and mean we can be more responsive."

The new facility is expected to open by spring 2027.

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