Kirklees Council wants to offload more assets in a bid to bring in £6m.
In 2023/24 the council was faced with a £47m black hole in its budget, with tough decisions made to save or bring in some extra cash. Among them, selling off several assets from landmarks and historic buildings to plots of land. Many of these have been sold via auctions which have been and gone but 17 new assets have been earmarked for disposal.
A plot of land at Grasscroft, Almondbury, already approved for disposal is coming back to Cabinet after several objections were raised by members of the public. Objectors are concerned that the site is unsuitable for any use other than as grazing land, but council officers recommend that a sale still goes ahead.
Another individual site in Heckmondwike is also flagged individually in the council report. The plot at Walkley Lane/Sycamore Industrial Estate previously featured in a highways scheme which the local authority says is “no longer required”.
On Tuesday, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet will be asked to give all of the planned disposals the go ahead. The new sites earmarked for disposal are as follows:
Land at Lumb Lane, Almondbury, Huddersfield, HD4 6SZ
Land at Sharp Lane, Sharp Lane, Almondbury, Huddersfield, HD4 6SS
74-80 Northgate, Almondbury, Huddersfield, HD5 8RX
Tenter Hill Farm, Deighton Road, Deighton, Huddersfield, HD2 1JP
34-38 Station Road, Batley, WF17 5SU
Land at Smithies Moor/Bridge Street, Smithies Moor Lane, Birstall, Batley, WF17 9AT
Land at Rudding Street, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, HD4 5DT
Land adjacent to 10/17 Swan Lane, Lockwood, Huddersfield, HD1 3TW
Land at John Ormsby VC Way, Shaw Cross, Dewsbury, WF12 7RL
Earlsheaton Cemetery Lodge (Former Gatehouse)
Syke Lane, Earlsheaton, Dewsbury, WF12 8EU
Land at Woodville Road, Eastborough, Dewsbury, WF12 7BE
Land at Lea Street/Halifax Old Road, Lea Street, Hillhouse, Huddersfield, HD1 6HF
Land at Gate Head Lane, Hepworth, Holmfirth, HD9 7TU
Land adjacent to 83 Prince Royd, Halifax Road, Birchencliffe, Huddersfield HD3 3NQ
Land adjacent to 23 Stocks Bank, Mirfield, WF14 9QB
Land at junction of Newsome Road/Elm Street, Newsome, Huddersfield, HD4 6NX
In the current financial year, the council hopes to raise £6m from selling off property and land that is surplus to requirements, with a £4m target set for 2026/27. In 2024/25, a total of £5.9m was made.
Some of the most notable sales include that of the former Red House Museum at Gomersal which went to the highest bidder for £650,000. The former Almondbury Library at Stocks Walk was sold for £253,000, and the former Westtown Family Centre at Boothroyd Green in Dewsbury brought in £343,000.
