Extra funding sought for plan to revive disused town centre arcade
Kirklees Council will seek approval for a funding package for Dewsbury Arcade, at next week’s Cabinet meeting on 21 December.
It will also ask for approval for a revised Heads of Terms and to submit a stage two grant application to the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF).
The arcade is a Grade II listed Victorian building in the centre of Dewsbury which has been closed and vacant since July 2016. Bringing it back to life is a key part of the Dewsbury Blueprint and the Town Deal Investment Plan which both seek to regenerate the town centre.
Once the project is completed, the intention is to lease the building to a community benefit society, Arcade Group Dewsbury Ltd, run as a not-for-profit venture.
In June 2022, the council revealed the NHLF had initially awarded £106,657 towards the overall bid of £3.7m.
This grant provides support for community engagement activity and the production of documents required for further grant submission.
The council will request an increase of £500,000 to its original contribution to the project, which will cover the value to which the NHLF is unable to support. This increase would bring the council’s contribution to the project to over £2.5m.
A request for approval to the Heads of Terms will enable planning to be extended and to include the upper floors of the buildings at 18-20 Corporation St/17 Foundry Street.
These changes would provide the Arcade Group with opportunities to generate additional income, while also enabling better control of the parts of the buildings the Arcade Group will manage.
Councillor Eric Firth, portfolio holder for Dewsbury Town Centre, said: “We’ve worked with our partners over the last two years to create a scheme that not only sensitively restores and retains many of the arcade’s important original features but also breathes new life back into this neglected and semi-derelict building that has remained empty for many years.
“We’ve been really encouraged by the support we have already received from many residents and businesses who are keen to see something positive happen to this building.”
Kirklees Council leader, Councillor Shabir Pandor, said: “Dewsbury Arcade is a key part of Dewsbury’s history and I am keen to see it restored to the thriving retail centre it once was.
“The partnership approach we are taking in working with the Arcade Group is one that truly demonstrates this council’s commitment to keeping our communities at the heart of all we do.”
If the current proposals are approved by Kirklees Council’s Cabinet, the next stage of development will include the submission of a stage two application to the NHLF in February 2023, with a decision expected by June 2023 and completion of the arcade in spring 2024.
