Hotel sale to be finalised in early summer

PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE GEORGE NOT MADE PUBLIC

THE purchase of Huddersfield’s iconic George Hotel by Kirklees Council is likely to be ratified in early summer.

A council source said the deal could be finalised as early as June or July.

The signing of contracts between the council and the hotel’s owner, dentist Dr Altaf Hussain, will bring to an end years of wrangling over the 19th century Grade II-listed building, which has stood empty in Huddersfield town centre since 2013.

The George, famed as the birthplace of rugby league in 1895, will form part of the so-called Huddersfield Blueprint – a £250million re-imagining of the town centre with a heavy focus on the area around the Piazza and the Queensgate Market.

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.

The purchase price of the George has not yet been made public.

Prior to announcing it had struck a deal over the hotel the council had been under pressure for years to prevent it falling further into dereliction.

It was revealed in February 2019 that secret talks were underway to save the landmark building.

Clr Naheed Mather revealed that the authority was “talking to the owners of George Hotel and Station Warehouse to see what support we can give them to bring forward a deliverable scheme”.

Supporters including Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and Huddersfield Civic Society demanded urgent action over the George.

There was even a petition that called on the council to “seize” the disused hotel, which was built in 1851.

The council’s purchase of the George ran contrary to warnings from one senior figure.

Speaking in 2018 Clr Peter McBride said: “The council is not going to take [The George Hotel] on. We haven’t got the resources to be able to do that.”

Howeverhe said the council would encourage investment from the private sector or partners such as West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

By March this year Clr McBride had changed his position.

He said the hotel’s historical significance meant buying the George was something the council “absolutely have to do”.

He said by purchasing the George Hotel “we can make sure it has a permanent place in our plans for Huddersfield town centre”.