Car park to open on former site of sports centre

HUDDERSFIELD’S NEWEST town centre car park is expected to open by the end of June.

The Old Leeds Road car park has been created on the site of the former Huddersfield Sports Centre, which was demolished in 2016.

It will have 159 spaces and has cost £230,000.

Conceived as a temporary measure, it will serve to partly fill the gap left by the closure of the 588-space multi-storey Market Hall car park at Alfred Street.

That was shut on February 7, with Kirklees Council citing safety issues over the deteriorating concrete structure.

Initially closed for four weeks, it shows no signs of re-opening. Moreover the site forms part of the so-called Huddersfield Blueprint, with the footprint of the car park occupied by a new building.

A council spokesman said the Market Hall car park “is still under temporary closure while inspections are completed and analysed.

“We will update on this as soon as we know more.”

Green councillor Andrew Cooper, whose Newsome ward includes Huddersfield town centre, suggested the lack of the Market Hall car park had impacted on some people’s desire to use the town centre. He said: “Some people are saying it’s more difficult to park within the ring road.

“We have directed them to the top multi-storey car park by the bus station. So there is a wee bit of concern about that.”

He added: “We have to look at the town centre. We’ve got the Huddersfield Blueprint coming up. With the Covid-19 crisis the town centre has suffered greatly.”

Users will pay £2.50 for five hours and £3 to stay over five hours from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays it will be £1 per visit.