Consent sought for multi-million pound funding for regeneration’s next stage
Kirklees Council will ask its cabinet to approve next stage funding for its flagship development, “Our Cultural Heart”, next week – as it moves towards the delivery phase.
Planning was approved for Our Cultural Heart – the centrepiece of the council’s ten-year Huddersfield Blueprint vision – earlier this year and work to fine tune the design has been progressing since then.
On 27 June, cabinet will be asked to release a further £5.6m from the project’s allotted funds to trigger the finalisation of the delivery programme.
Plans for Our Cultural Heart will see the refurbishment of the former Queensgate Market and Huddersfield Library buildings to house a food hall and a modern museum and gallery respectively.
These new offers will sit alongside a new library, live entertainment venue and a 350-space car park – all of which will be connected by a series of public spaces.
In addition to approving contract extensions for the project’s architects, engineers and project managers – plus the appointment of a lead construction contractor, senior councillors will be asked to green light the proposed phased delivery programme.
The recommendation is that initial works will concentrate on the major refurbishment of the historic Queensgate Market site, which will be transformed into the new food hall and library along with a new outdoor public square.
The plan would see site surveys and preparation works completed throughout 2023, with work getting underway in earnest early in 2024. The first phase of the scheme is expected to complete in winter 2025.
Plans for future phases of the development will also be considered by cabinet at next week’s meeting, with a proposal to bring the museum and art gallery under one roof in the Grade II Listed building that formerly housed the town’s library.
This move allows for the new building being developed on Queen Street, which was originally earmarked for the art gallery, to have another complementary use.
The council is in early discussions with The Conway Education Trust – set up by Greenhead College – about the potential for a dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) facility.
Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We’re looking forward to updating cabinet on the significant progress we’ve made on the Our Cultural Heart project and getting all the resources in place to enable us to carry the project forward to construction next year.
“Our Cultural Heart is going to deliver multiple long-term benefits for Huddersfield and the wider borough.
“It will increase the number of visitors to our town centre, safeguard key heritage assets, create new job opportunities, enhance our green credentials and act a catalyst for further investment and economic growth.”
