Council gives £2m cash boost to North Kirklees
BIG money projects for the regeneration of Dewsbury have been given the go-ahead by councillors.
Kirklees Cabinet members have agreed to £2m funding and given their backing to the wider North Kirklees Growth Zone (NKGZ) project, dubbed the “blueprint for the regeneration of Dewsbury’.’
It will see the council bid to restore key historic buildings, some into living accommodation.
And they have agreed to enter a ‘memorandum of understanding’ with housebuilder Miller Homes for the Dewsbury Riverside site where about 4,000 new homes are set to be built.
The Cabinet also signed off cash for repairs and regeneration of 28-30 Northgate in Dewsbury town centre.
Kirklees says it wants to “hit the ground running” and agreed to £2m for a Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) for Dewsbury – which it hopes to double with private investment – in association with Historic England.
Clr Peter McBride said the project with Historic England would “enhance our key buildings which are part of our heritage and some will encourage living in them once regenerated’.’
Clr Cathy Scott, Cabinet member and Dewsbury councillor, welcomed all the initiatives for the town, adding: “Towns are changing, people are living in them and it’s becoming more family orientated.”
The £2m HAZ funding is part of a five-year project to bring rundown and neglected buildings in the town centre back into use as housing, community or shopping spaces.
It’s part of a wider Living Town plan, which will see residential next to retail and market areas.
The local authority is working with Historic England on the project.
Kirklees’ aims for the town centre, Riverside and wider area also include looking at the town’s market with ideas to bring about a transformation still to be discussed.
Cash for 28–30 Northgate has come from lottery funding. It will go towards replacing the existing modern shop front with traditional timber shop fronts, refurbishing the upper floor windows and reinstating architectural features and restoration of stonework.
It’s the sixth grant awarded by Kirklees.
Kirklees leader Clr David Sheard said: “I think a lot of people, if they look around, will see how fantastic some of our buildings really are.
“People, shop owners, have taken this up and worked with us – they’ve done up their shop fronts. It’s the ones next door who don’t and let the whole street down.”
Heritage Lottery Fund provided Anna Seabourne and her pupils doing a 24-hour practice session of the martial art of Takenouchiryu Bitchuden in aid of Sport Relief at Mirfield Community Centre £2m for the project with a further £1.7m provided by Kirklees Council to replace existing modern shop fronts with traditional designs and restore and preserve historical features.
Takeaway restaurant Pizza GoGo, Sweet & Salted and Simply Mobile have already benefited and planning applications to install new shopfronts have been tabled for properties in Foundry Street and Northgate.