£200m plan gives Dewsbury a boost
BUSINESS leaders are celebrating a brighter future for Dewsbury, following an announcement which will see the town centre undergo a £200m improvement boost over the next decade.
The town will be revitalised, with neglected areas overhauled and improved, as the much-needed investment from Kirklees Council begins to be rolled out.
The plans have now been approved as part of Kirklees Council’s budget and how the council spends its cash.
And ahead of the changes, a massive clean up campaign, as part of the British Spring Clean / Keep Britain Tidy, is set to take place in and around the town centre from March 20-April 13, with help from 70 volunteer organisations across Kirklees.
Clr Eric Firth, chairman of Dewsbury Forward, which works alongside
Dewsbury Chamber of Trade, said it was big news for the town.
He said: “On behalf of shops and businesses at the heart of the town, we are feeling more positive about the future. Things are starting to happen.
“Plans for The Arcade to open up again are wonderful and will see shops with tenants which will hopefully become an attraction for the town.
“Alongside the market upgrade and a town centre park, there is a lot to look forward to.”
He said there were many buildings in the town that had been neglected and shut up for too many years and had become major eyesores.
The Arcade – which has remained closed and fallen into disrepair for several years – will be repaired and the shop units open once more, as Kirklees Council purchases the premises from the landlord.
Highlights of the plans include a new bus station, market overhaul, a pedestrianised Longcauseway and town park built, plus new office premises for 750 council staff.
Daisy Hill will become a mainly residential area, plus a revamp of Empire House will take place.
Clr Firth added: “The Arcade will now remain forever in the hands of Kirklees, as will Pioneer House, which is due to open in September as Dewsbury College’s New Pioneer Higher Skills Centre.
“Two historic buildings have been saved from dereliction by the council who are determined to protect our listed buildings and ensure they remain in the hands of local people.
“No longer will absent landlords take ownership of these buildings.
“It is a new dawning for Dewsbury – the first step to realising the long term vision which Kirklees Council has made possible.”