A £2.38m grant has been approved that will kickstart the work to turn Fieldhouse into Station Apartments.
Fieldhouse is a four-storey building which stands opposite Dewsbury Railway Station, in the area around Daisy Hill and Bond Street – one of the key areas marked for development as part of the Dewsbury Blueprint.
Kirklees Council plan to create a new neighbourhood around Daisy Hill, made up of homes which are both excellent quality and affordable to rent or buy.
Once completed, the neighbourhood will feature both new buildings and converted ones. The plans will give Fieldhouse – and other buildings – a new purpose and lease of life, and will future-proof some of Dewsbury’s beautiful historic architecture for future generations.
Fieldhouse itself will be the flagship of the development, transformed into 23 spacious apartments and commercial space. Once finished, this building will be known as Station Apartments.
The aim of the neighbourhood is to create a type of residential development that doesn’t currently exist in Dewsbury. Kirklees Council want to attract more people to live in the town centre, including commuters to Leeds and Manchester.
These plans will drive more spending in the town centre, supporting local retailers and boosting Dewsbury’s economy.
Fieldhouse is a Grade II* Listed building, part of the Dewsbury Town Centre Conservation Area and the Dewsbury Heritage Action Zone (HAZ). The area was awarded HAZ status in 2017 – this means Historic England want the area to be protected because it’s historically significant.
Since then, the building has been purchased by Mood Developments, who have gone about getting all the permissions required to bring these plans to life.
The project has already had £1.38m of funding approved towards the £2.83m grant. This comes from the Dewsbury Town Deal and is part of the Town Investment Plan, which is aimed at boosting Dewsbury’s economy and long-term prosperity.
The developer plans to start construction work in November this year. This stage of work should take about 12 months to complete.
