Plans lodged for ambitious transformation of town centre

An official planning application for Kirklees Council’s Cultural Heart development has gone live today, marking a milestone in the future of Huddersfield town centre.

The Cultural Heart is the centrepiece of the wider Huddersfield Blueprint – the council’s ten-year vision to create a thriving, modern town centre.

If approved, the Cultural Heart would see the refurbishment of the historic Queensgate Market and Huddersfield Library buildings, with the aim to house a food hall and a dedicated museum space respectively.

These new offers will sit alongside a new library, modern art gallery, multi-purpose live entertainment venue and a 350-space car park, all of which will be connected by a series of public spaces and green parks.

Two phases of public consultation on the Cultural Heart proposals, which began back in May, finished last month.

In total, around 8,000 people engaged online and nearly 600 people attended in-person exhibitions to learn about the plans.

All feedback has been considered and has helped shape the final planning application.

The consultation website remains live and will contain further details of the proposed development as they are made available.

Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “This is an important milestone for Huddersfield and the wider Kirklees district. A huge amount of work has gone into getting us to this stage and we look forward to people viewing the final plans and designs.

“We are extremely confident in our business case for the project and would like to thank all members of the project team for their support and expertise, and of course the public for their significant contribution to the design process. It was great to see the positive feedback we received during public consultation.

“This is a game changing scheme that will provide a huge boost to our region and local economy, giving people many more reasons to visit and stay in Huddersfield town centre.

“The Cultural Heart will be a destination for people of all ages and demographics, and something for us all to be proud of as locals.”

The Kirklees Cultural Heart is now available on Kirklees Council’s planning portal and a decision will be made at a Local Planning Authority committee meeting in December this year.

If approved, the project team will look to appoint a construction contractor and are aiming for site work to get underway in 2024.