Kirklees council has plans for the Piazza to become the Cultural Heart of Huddersfield.
Council chiefs revealed that they had purchased the Piazza shopping centre to repurpose the area as part of their ‘Cultural Heart’ plans.

This is part of a larger plan to rejuvenate several areas of Huddersfield Town centre over the next ten years, costing £250 million.

Huddersfield Cultural Heart is planned to be centred around the current library and art gallery. The plans show the retail buildings around the Piazza being demolished and the lawn area extended, creating a large open space for public activities.

The Grade 2 listed Queensgate market is safe from being demolished, but will instead be repurposed as a live events venue.

The council is considering converting the market into a 700-1000 capacity live music venue which will include creative studios and tuition spaces; this is planned to be completed by 2023.

Other projects as part of the Huddersfield Blueprint plan include:
• Enhancing Huddersfield train station with larger seating areas and new aesthetics, as well as converting St George’s Warehouse ‘s bottom floor into a car park.
• Refurbishment of the open market making room for parking space, more pop up shops and creative businesses.
• Refreshing St Peter’s gardens, planting more trees and including more benches 
• Refurbishing the derelict building on New Street South, as well as reducing clutter on pedestrian pathways and designating more green areas.
• Improvements to the bus station
For more information, go to : https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/huddersfield-blueprint/pdf/huddersfield...

Artists rendition of the final Piazza Plans (image from Kirklees Council)

Tomorrow it’s the Kirklees local elections. Here are the candidates in each constituency and the party they represent.

Almondbury:

Paola Davies: Liberal Democrats

Julia Green-Wiles: Labour

Tricia Moores: Green Party

James Spivey: Conservative

• Seat currently held by Labour's Judith Hughes, who is stepping down.

Ashbrow:

Dominic Gill: Conservative

Andrew McCaig: Liberal Democrats

Amanda Pinnock: Labour

Brenda Smithson: Green Party

• Seat currently held by Labour's Amanda Pinnock.

Batley East:

Keiron Gavaghan: Conservative

James Hansford: Green Party

Clare Kane: Liberal Democrats

Habiban Zaman: Labour

• Seat currently held by Labour's Habibab Zaman.

 

Batley West:

Paul Halloran: Batley Borough Independents - Heavy Woollen District

Yusra Hussain: Labour

Christopher Kane: Liberal Democrats

Martin Pelan: Green Party

Paul Young: Conservative

• Seat currently held by Labour's Marielle O'Neill, who is stepping down.

Birstall and Birkenshaw:

Charlotte Goodwin: Conservative

Christopher Green: Green Party

Catherine Pinder: Labour

Louise Walsh: Liberal Democrats

• Seat formerly held by Robert Light, a former Conservative group leader, who stepped down last year.

 

Cleckheaton:

Khalid Patel: Labour

Andrew Pinnock: Liberal Democrats

Madeline Poutney: Conservative

Linda Simmons: Green Party

• Seat currently held by the Liberal Democrats' Andrew Pinnock.

Colne Valley:

Donna Bellamy: Conservative

Karen How: Green Party

Robert Iredale: Liberal Democrats

Melanie Roberts: UK Independence Party

Lesley Warner: Labour

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' Donna Bellamy.

Crosland Moor and Netherton:

Robert Barraclough: Green Party

Steve Bradbury: Independent

Kingsley Hill: Liberal Democrats

Tony McGrath: Conservative

Mohammad Sarwar: Labour

David Thorpe: UK Independence Party

• Seat currently held by Labour's Mohammad Sarwar.

Dalton:

Roger Battye: Liberal Democrats

Sarah Brightmore: Conservative

Simon Duffy: Green Party

Mus Khan: Labour

Keith Taylor: UK Independence Party

• Seat currently held by Labour's Mus Khan.

Denby Dale:

Alison Baskeyfield: Liberal Democrats

Jackie Ramsay: Labour

Clare Walters: Green Party

Michael Watson: Conservative

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' Michael Watson.

Dewsbury East:

Eric Firth: Labour

Sean Guy: Conservative

Dennis Hullock: Liberal Democrats

Aleks Lukic: Dewsbury Borough Independents - Heavy Woollen District

Gideon Barry: Green Party

• Seat currently held by Labour's Eric Firth.

Dewsbury South:

Marnie Cope: Green Party

Nosheen Dad: Labour

Bernard Disken: Liberal Democrats

Charlie Reid: Conservative

• Seat currently held by Labour's Nosheen Dad.

Dewsbury West:

Jon Bloom: Liberal Democrats

Simon Cope: Green Party

Farmida Ishaq: Conservative

Darren O'Donovan: Labour

• Seat currently held by Labour's Darren O'Donovan.

Golcar:

Carole Harrison: UK Independence Party

Andrew Marchington: Liberal Democrats

Hilary Richards: Labour

Ian Vincent: Green Party

Jacqueline Walker: Conservative

• Seat currently held by Labour's Hilary Richards.

Greenhead:

Howard Cohen: Liberal Democrats

Nick Martkinek: UK Independence Party

Pauline McGleehan: Conservative

Carole Pattison: Labour

John Phillips: Green Party

• Seat currently held by Labour's Carole Pattison.

Heckmondwike:

Aafaq Butt: Labour

Alan Freeman: Green Party

Helen Gavaghan: Conservative

Alan Girvan: Independent

Josie Pugsley: Liberal Democrat

• Seat currently held by Labour's David Sheard, a former leader of Kirklees Council, who is stepping down.

Holme Valley North:

Trevor Bellamy: Conservative

Joshua Dalton: Democrats and Veterans Party

Gina Dungworth: Liberal Democrats

John Heneghan: Labour

Sonia King: Green Party

Susan Laird: UK Independence Party

Paul White: Independent

• Seat currently held by Labour's Edgar Holroyd-Doveton, who is stepping down.

Holme Valley South:

Caroline Anstey: Liberal Democrats

James Dalton: Democrats and Veterans Party

Paul Davies: Labour

Stefan Dransfield: UK Independence Party

Darryl Gould: Green Party

Ken Sims: Conservative

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' Ken Sims.

 

Kirkburton:

Neil Denby: Labour

Derek Hardcastle: Green Party

John Rossington: Liberal Democrats

John Taylor: Conservative

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' John Taylor.

Lindley:

Mike Chalker: Independent

Adam Gregg: Conservative

Lisa Hogarth: Labour

John Livsey: UK Independence Party

Anthony Smith: Liberal Democrats

Peter Taylor: Green Party

• Seat currently held by the Liberal Democrats' Gemma Wilson, who is stepping down.

Liversedge and Gomersal:

Lisa Holmes: Conservative

Jude McKaig: Labour

David Snee: Liberal Democrats

Nicholas Whittingham: Green Party

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' Lisa Holmes.

Mirfield:

Stephen Bird: Liberal Democrats

Keiron Dunn: Labour

Kath Taylor: Conservatives

Catherine Whittingham: Green Party

• Seat currently held by the Conservatives' Kath Taylor.

Newsome:

Scarlett Black: Conservative

Susan Lee-Richards: Green Party

Chris Owen: Labour

Andrew Wilkinson: Liberal Democrats

• Seat currently held by the Greens' Julie Stewart-Turner, who is stepping down.