It's all part of the Kirklees Cultural Heart plan.
An official planning application has been launched for the Cultural Heart development in Huddersfield that could see the town centre transformed.
The new plans involve a brand new live entertainment venue, complete with 350-space car park; a modern art gallery; community-focused library and a food hall and dedicated museum space, all sitting alongside a refurbishment of the Queensgate Market and Huddersfield Library buildings.
The live entertainments space would be an exciting new development for Huddersfield. / Image: Unsplash
The planning application notes that this would see the demolition of the existing Piazza shopping centre and part removal of Queensgate Market and the site would then be redeveloped for the new public realm space. The Queensgate Market Hall would be repurposed for the new proposed food hall
The new vision for the town centre would take place over the next 10 years, with "world-class public space and green parks" also forming an important part of the plan to transform Huddersfield.
The Huddersfield Cultural Heart has been in the works for months, receiving a great amount of input from the local community. 8,000 people engaged online and nearly 600 people attended the various in-person exhibitions to learn about the plans.
Huddersfield Town Hall. / Image: Wikicommons
Huddersfield City Council reports that the feedback from both the public and stakeholders has been positive.
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."
"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 our 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 current plans include the demolition of the existing Piazza shopping centre. / Image: The Centre, Piazza Centre
Plans could begin as soon as 2024, but the plans will still need to be approved at a Local Planning Authority committee later this year.
For more information about the plans, The Kirklees Cultural Heart is now available to view on the Huddersfield planning portal, with the option to add your own comments available until Monday 14 November 2022.
Feature Image- Unsplash
News
A beach has popped up in the Sheffield city centre this week – and it’s completely free to visit
You don't need to book a seaside getaway to enjoy some beach vibes this week, as a giant pop-up beach has arrived right in the heart of the city centre.
To celebrate the opening of Summer Holiday, Tudor Square has been transformed into a sandy seaside retreat.
Located outside the Crucible and Lyceum theatres, the square is now packed with all the essentials for a classic day at the beach - from buckets and spades to deckchairs.
The free attraction is open from 11am until 7pm between Thursday 25 June and Saturday 27 June, with organisers encouraging people of all ages to head down and make the most of the sunshine.
Whether you're looking to snap a holiday-style photo, keep the kids entertained, or simply enjoy a laid-back afternoon in the city, the beach is open to everyone and there's no need to reserve a spot in advance.
Visitors are being reminded to come prepared for the warm weather by bringing suncream, hats, and plenty of water.
And if that wasn't enough, there's even more happening on Saturday 27 June.
A live DJ set from SlamBarz will provide the soundtrack to the day from 11.45am until 2pm, while a barbecue will be providing the goods from midday through until 6pm.
With sunshine, sand, music, and food all on offer, Tudor Square is set to become the place to be this weekend.
So grab your sunglasses and your bucket and spade, round up your friends and family, and head down to enjoy a slice of the seaside right in the middle of the city
Trains from Leeds ‘extremely limited’ amid record-breaking heatwave
Daisy Jackson
‘Extremely limited’ train services are running across Yorkshire this week as the country melts in a record-breaking heatwave.
Northern has reached out to passengers to warn that a ‘significantly reduced’ number of trains are operating in and out of Leeds.
They’re urging people to avoid travelling at all unless your journey is ‘absolutely essential’.
And if you do have to travel, they’ve warned of ‘significantly longer waiting times, busy trains and short-notice cancellations’.
The disruption is set to continue all day today and into tomorrow, Friday 26 June, as temperatures up north are forecast to hit 34ºC and an Amber weather warning for extreme heat covers much of the country.
Northern has assured passengers that they ‘are doing everything we can to keep people moving as efficiently as possible’.
Passengers are encouraged to check their journey before setting off, carry water, and avoid peak times where possible.
If you chose not to take a planned journey, you can claim a full refund on your ticket, or travel on another day using Northern’s ticket easement.
You can see the full travel advice for Northern HERE.
Northern said in a notice to passengers: “Due to the continued extreme heat, we have significantly reduced the number of trains running on routes in and out of Manchester, and services remain in high demand. This will now continue into Friday, 26 June.
“We strongly recommend customers consider whether their journey is necessary and if customers do choose to travel this week, they are advised to prepare for significantly longer waiting times, busy trains and short-notice cancellations.
“We would ask all customers to only travel if your journey is absolutely essential and to check your full journey before setting off.”
Sophie Smith -
11th October 2022 
