At next week’s (21 December) cabinet meeting, Kirklees Council officers will ask for approval to move to the next stage of development and to include wider consultation for the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor.
In February 2022, the council revealed that they were in the first stages of planning for the Station to Stadium masterplan.
The scheme represents one of the most exciting economic development opportunities in the Yorkshire region and beyond. It aims to grow and attract good quality jobs and businesses in Huddersfield, for the benefit of the whole district which will encourage and support businesses to grow and expand into the area.
Investment from the Transpennine Rail Upgrade will make Huddersfield one of the best-connected places in the North of England. The University of Huddersfield’s investment in the Health Innovation Campus at Southgate will put the town on the map globally in terms of translational health and wellbeing research and applied applications. The Station to Stadium scheme will build on the above assets and will act as a key investment creating a corridor for enterprise, which combined will ensure a greater long-term impact.
Research that Kirklees Council commissioned, found that there is a demand for good quality employment sites that stimulates private sector investment in commercial office, research, development, and residential use. The scheme will help to identify potential spaces by increasing the utilisation of either empty or underutilised properties within the area.
Councillor Graham Turner, Portfolio Holder for Growth and Regeneration, said: “The Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor Masterplan sets out an exciting long-term vision for Huddersfield. The Transpennine Rail upgrade coming through Huddersfield, the University of Huddersfield’s new Health Innovation Campus and the John Smiths Stadium are each enormous economic drivers but this plan allows us to plan how they are linked together to have an even greater impact. The plan sets out several projects that public and private sector partners will now work together to develop.
“The Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor is a strategically important development for the area and I would urge the public to be involved as and when they can. Our work with key stakeholders for this scheme has been building over the last few years as we are determined to bring forward something that our local community can be proud of.
“This is an exciting next step for an ambitious long-term project that will bring potentially transformative benefits to Kirklees and the wider region in terms of jobs and investment.”
If the current proposals are approved by cabinet, the next stage of development including stakeholder consultation will move forward in early 2023.
The five core principles of the project.
- Innovative and high-value employment – supporting the local economy by attracting new innovative businesses whilst increasing productivity
- Connected and integrated – build on and develop opportunities for residents, workers, students, and visitors to use active travel routes
- Raised aspirations, skills, and education – create a mix of inclusive spaces for Kirklees and beyond to support people into employment, strengthen entrepreneurship, increase skill levels and raise aspirations
- Attractive and vibrant environment – revitalise the area and the routes between Huddersfield Rail Station and the John Smiths Stadium by enhancing the local natural and historical environment whilst re-connecting with key assets of the distinctive landscape setting
- Sustainable and clean growth – create a network of green corridors to connect to other areas of the town, encourage biodiversity net gain, support mental well-being, and maximise natural assets
