Council chiefs set to invest ‘extra £166m’ in town regeneration plan

COUNCIL CHIEFS in Kirklees are set to invest “an additional £166m” in the so-called Huddersfield Blueprint regeneration project.

The money will go towards delivering the “cultural heart”, a combination of arts venues, cafés, a food hall and urban park that is proposed to replace the existing 1970s’ Piazza.

The total cost of the 10-year scheme has been budgeted at £250m, with £210m allocated to delivering the keystone cultural element. It is understood that the council will stump up the money, which will be funded by borrowing.

Speaking at a meeting of Kirklees Council’s Cabinet, Coun Paul Davies said pumping such a large amount into the programme could be a magnet for private sector interest and support from central government.

In outlining aspects of the council’s future spending, the Labour councillor for Holme Valley South said it continued to reflect “significant long-term regeneration ambitions” for people living in the borough.

Coun Davies said: “Clearly a major part of that is the Cultural Heart programme, [for] which we’re putting in an additional £166m. This will be a long-term commitment as well, not just on a capital side but also on revenue. We need to plan this in a prudent and sustainable manner but we feel… that this can be done within affordable parameters.

“By doing this we believe that this will help us attract inward investment both from the private sector and hopefully, again, from other funding streams that government will provide.”

However the cash being highlighted appears to be part of the existing £210m that has been budgeted for the scheme, and is not “new” money. Kirklees Council has already spent more than £13.5m on the blueprint project since its launch in June 2019 by hiring costly consultants and buying up key buildings such as the Grade II*-listed George Hotel, for which it paid £1.8m.

Last month it revealed that a letter detailing the current plans had been submitted to the Planning Authority “as the first step in the planning process” for the 7.87-acre site.

It said the design process is “well underway” and core elements of the scheme have been established. The council aims to create a 2,500 to 3,000 capacity event space to sit alongside a food court.

It said: “This could potentially be located within the existing market hall. The new museum and art gallery could be located within the existing library building. An extension will provide additional gallery space.”

Some buildings are earmarked for demolition. They include the parade of shops within the Piazza, “elements” of the market hall, and shops on Princess Alexandra Walk.

We need to plan this in a prudent and sustainable manner. Coun Paul Davies, speaking at a meeting of Kirklees Council’s Cabinet.