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
Female-founded independent jewellery brand to open in Leeds’ Victoria Gate
Norfolk-based jewellery brand Lisa Angel is opening their first Yorkshire site right here in Leeds.
Jewellery and trinket lovers, this one's for you.
Lisa Angel, a female-founded jewellery and gifting brand will open the doors to its new store in Victoria Gate next month.
Shoppers can expect a wonderful range of jewellery, gifts, and accessories that have established a loyal following during more than twenty years of business.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has only gone from strength to strength since.
Image: Supplied
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
After opening two stores last year and three stores in 2024, Lisa Angel’s founder and Creative Director, Lisa, said: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Managing Director James Moody explained the significance to the business of opening a new store in a city as influential as Leeds: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
We'll keep you up to date when we know an opening date, but for now you can check out what to expect here.
Yorkshire residents are being invited to name two new bin lorries
Clementine Hall
Well...this is a new one.
Ever fancied naming a bin lorry? Well today is your lucky day, because now you can.
Yorkshire-based waste management experts Divert are celebrating the arrival of two swanky new tbin rucks by inviting the local community to help name them.
The iconic purple bins, vans and trucks can be seen across the Yorkshire area helping to clean up waste from Bradford to Harrogate.
Two new lorries are set to be joining the fleet in April and May, and of course they need a name.
And who better to ask than the general public? The winning names will be added to the cabs of each of the trucks for all to see, and announced via the Divert website and social media channels.
Absolutely anyone from across the UK is welcome to take part, but the company are especially keen for people from Yorkshire to enter.
You can be as creative as you like, but there are a couple of rules...
No swearing or offensive names. Aside from that, you can let your freak flag fly.
The Divert team are keen to hear the 'best celebrity puns, local namesakes, and downright silly names' the public have to offer.
John Verity, Managing Director of Divert, comments: “Naming our bin trucks is a great way to bring some joy to the local community. We hope to bring a smile to the faces of passing drivers and pedestrians as our fleet passes by.
“Not only that, naming our lorries can help our drivers to take pride and ownership in the vehicles they drive and be a key reminder of our engagement within the community. We’re always keen to employ any initiatives that help the public to engage with us and ensure we’re seen as a friendly face in the area.”
Winners will be voted for by the team internally, and the competition closes at 5 pm on 31 March 2026.
Sophie Smith -
11th October 2022 
