Trio of firms hired to deliver £210m regeneration programme

Kirklees Council has appointed a team of delivery partners to make its ambitious £210m Cultural Heart vision a reality.

Turner & Townsend has been hired as the Strategic Delivery Partner with Feilden Clegg Bradley taking the architect role and Arup leading the engineering aspects of the project.

Together, this team will work with the council to transform Huddersfield’s Queensgate area into an inclusive hub and ‘Cultural Heart’ of the town.

The plans include a new entertainment venue (1,200-2,500 capacity), an art gallery, a new library, a food hall, a museum and a multi-storey car park.

And there will be potential future additional commercial uses including hotels, restaurants, bars and offices and residential.

It forms part of the Huddersfield Blueprint, a ten-year vision to create a thriving, modern town centre.

It focuses on regenerating six key areas of Huddersfield town centre: Station Gateway, St Peter’s, Kingsgate and King Street, New Street, the Civic Quarter and a new Cultural Heart in the Queensgate and Piazza area.

Councillor Peter McBride, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “The new ‘Cultural Heart’ of Huddersfield will be a game-changer for the town and for our borough as a destination within West Yorkshire.

“Our town has a rich cultural history, and this vision of a thriving, rejuvenated town centre sets us up for a bright cultural and economic future as well.

“It is a sustainable plan that will be fully accessible and inclusive to all – a model of a modern, family-friendly hub that will draw people in from far and wide.”

Michael Grace, director at Turner & Townsend, said: “This project boldly reimagines Huddersfield’s town centre – fulfilling its potential to be a buzzing music, arts and food hub and a destination unlike any other in the town.

“Turner & Townsend has already been closely involved as the scheme has been developed and will now be bringing our expertise to bear as the project becomes reality.”

Jim Bell, director at Arup, said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed engineering designers for the Cultural Heart and look forward to helping shape and deliver the project, which celebrates the heritage at its core and will – most importantly – create inclusive, vibrant places for the people of Kirklees.”

Peter Clegg, senior partner at Feilden Clegg Bradley, added: “We are really excited to have been appointed to work on the development of the Cultural Heart of Kirklees.

“The combination of a new art gallery and library, together with a museum and music venue, provides a unique project where Huddersfield will be leading the way in town centre regeneration.”

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