Council set to buy another key building in town centre
KIRKLEES Council is preparing to purchase another key building in Huddersfield town centre.
It comes just two months after the signing of a deal to buy Huddersfield’s iconic George Hotel.
A report to next week’s meeting of the council’s decision-making cabinet outlines the intention to buy what is described as ‘a strategic property’ in the town centre.
The building, which the council has not identified, is among the ‘land assembly’ required to deliver the massive £250m Huddersfield Blueprint.
The report, which will be considered in closed session, says: “The proposed property acquisition will help meet Blueprint objectives and help deliver regeneration of one of its six key areas.”
Those key areas are the gateway around Huddersfield Station; St Peter’s; Kingsgate and King Street; the Civic Quarter; and what is being described as a new ‘cultural heart’ in the Queensgate and Piazza area.
The council paid £3.25m to buy the Piazza. It will be demolished to make way for a large green space earmarked for outdoor events.
And two months ago it drew up a deal to buy the George. The purchase price has not yet been made public.
Senior councillor Graham Turner (Lab, Denby Dale), a cabinet member, said the council was looking at the principle of buying property as and when it becomes available.
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understands that setting the principle could potentially unlock millions of pounds in external funding.
A source within the council said it was unable to reveal which building had been bought as negotiations with the owner were at a sensitive stage and releasing details publicly could potentially impact on any deal.
Cabinet will discuss the latest hopedfor acquisition at its virtual meeting on May 21. It has led to speculation over which building is being targeted.
Historian Chris Marsden, a former chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society, said the mystery building could be the former Tokyo nightclub, created within the old county court on Queen Street.
He commented: “I like the idea of Tokyo, but we cannot be sure.
“In terms of the George Hotel, that is still subject to cabinet approval. It still has to go through that process.”
Green group leader Clr Andrew Cooper, whose Newsome ward includes Huddersfield town centre, said the council had been tight-lipped over its property purchases.
Referring to the latest acquisition he said: “There are all sorts of things that it could or could not be.
“The council could be more trusting and more helpful [by sharing information].
“There will be a time when they will tell us. That’s not at this point.”
Speaking in March a council spokesman said Kirklees was ‘delighted to have reached an agreement in principle with the owner of the George Hotel.’
He added: “We will of course be releasing the fee agreed and will be able to do this when it is presented to cabinet for official approval.”
Given that all meetings were cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic cabinet has not been able to meet to ratify the purchase of the George.
The spokesman said it was important to stress that the deal to purchase the George had been made ‘in principle’ and so no money had been exchanged.
Consequently the matter – and the sale price – was considered commercially sensitive.
The acquisition of both the George and the Piazza was funded as part of the council’s capital plan.
Initially the authority put aside £45m for regeneration in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. That figure later was increased to £68m.
Following the Piazza deal the purchase of the Grade II-listed George Hotel will fire the starting gun on the Blueprint proposals – the biggest development in Huddersfield town centre for 50 years.
Closed since 2013, the hotel has stood derelict for several years. Last year it was used as a location for the TV series Cobra, starring Robert Carlyle.