Thousands have their say on vision for future of town
FEEDBACK FROM PUBLIC WILL HELP TO SHAPE £250M BLUEPRINT
A community engagement exercise over the £250m vision for Huddersfield town centre – known as the Blueprint – has received “thousands” of responses.
Senior figures within Kirklees Council say they will use feedback “to inform key decision-making” as the project rolls forward.
Launched in June the Blueprint set out an ambitious programme of change.
It includes the demolition of the 1970s piazza, which will make way for what planners are calling the “Cultural Heart” of the town - a hub for culture, arts and leisure.
The programme encapsulates a range of sites and projects including the revamp of Huddersfield Station - dubbed the Gateway to Huddersfield - as well as the new nine-screen multiplex within the Kingsgate Mall, which will be operated by The Light.
The launch was followed by the threemonth engagement, which ended yesterday.
The council said that since July the blueprint has reached more than a million people online. Around 2,500 people called in to the temporary Blueprint shop on the piazza to view plans for themselves.
A further 8,500 residents had face-toface conversations with council officers to discuss how they felt about Huddersfield town centre.
In total the website was visited more than 38,000 times during the engagement period.
Council Leader Clr Shabir Pandor said feedback from the public would be “invaluable.”
He added: “We’ll now use all the feedback and information we’ve received to inform key decision-making, ensuring we deliver what the people of Huddersfield want.
“It’s a really exciting time and I can’t wait to see how the plans develop going forward.”