Kirklees Council has launched the Heckmondwike Blueprint – a masterplan that lays out £1.5m of investment in the town centre over the next decade and beyond.
Heckmondwike is the latest local town where Kirklees Council is taking a ‘blueprint’ approach to development. It means that it is looking at the town as a whole, with plans spread across the town centre, encompassing lots of different changes to improve safety and footfall.
The Heckmondwike Blueprint is all about creating a healthy, vibrant town centre where people can live, work and relax.
The council will also be working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to upgrade the Bus Hub to a full bus station, building accessible indoor facilities, improving the outdoor spaces and adding more bus stops.
By making public transport a more viable option – not just in Heckmondwike but across Kirklees – the council is aiming to reduce traffic congestion, thereby improving air quality and journey times. This should help meet a target of reducing Kirklees’ carbon emissions to zero by 2038.
At the heart of Heckmondwike, Kirklees Council will be creating a new public square away from the noise and irritation of traffic. New Square will be an informal, intimate and versatile space for local people and visitors to enjoy, with attractive seating to encourage people to spend time and socialise.
Market Square, with its iconic Listed clock and former drinking fountain, will be completely rejuvenated – providing a beautiful new public space with greenery, seating, footpaths, and space for outdoor market stalls.
Parking will be moved to Oldfield Lane, though there’s potential to keep some accessible parking bays on the square itself.
Heckmondwike has multiple well-loved parks, and Kirklees Council wants to better connect these spaces with the town centre and create safer thoroughfares for pedestrians and cyclists.
Kirklees Council is going to reroute traffic off Northgate to allow Green Park to be extended, creating a safe and inviting space for walkers and shoppers, and new footpaths and cycleways will be added.
Algernon Firth Park will be linked by new pedestrian crossings from Green Park, and well-lit walkways will connect the whole area – naturally improving safety and encouraging more people to use these routes.
A key part of the blueprint will improving the town centre’s connectedness to Spen Valley Greenway – a well-used walking and cycling trail, which connects Heckmondwike with Cleckheaton, Dewsbury Moor and beyond. The link between Heckmondwike town centre and the Greenway could be made a lot better, and Kirklees Council will be investing in creating better access and signage plus new cycle paths.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, says: “Heckmondwike is a beautiful town with so much potential, and we want to celebrate what local people most love about the town centre whilst also looking to the future.
“Rather than focusing on one single development, what we’re doing across Kirklees is focusing on town centres like Heckmondwike as a whole, and approaching local issues from every angle. Kirklees is one of the most varied districts in the UK, so developing our towns has never been one-size-fits-all.
“It’s all about knowing a place, engaging with local people, looking at what that specific area needs, and creating a masterplan – a blueprint – that takes into account the whole picture.
“It will be wonderful to see all the most beloved elements of Heckmondwike connect through this work, and to see more people able to enjoy them. We hope this will bring more people into the town, naturally improving safety and also driving more footfall for local businesses.
“I’m thrilled with all the work that’s gone into this project, and excited to start delivering later this year. Over the next decade and beyond, these developments will create a greener, safer and better connected town centre for future generations.”
