Major changes are on the horizon at Huddersfield’s Our Cultural Heart, with the demolition of the Piazza shopping units set to be brought forward and new plans for a car park revealed.
As work on Phases One and Two of the council’s mammoth scheme continue to transform the town centre, the local authority is planning a rejig of some later elements of the Cultural Heart. The urban park, which would have previously come as Phase Four of the scheme, is to make up Phase Three, if Cabinet gives the go-ahead next week.
The Cultural Heart’s original Phase Three related to the Queen Street plot which was initially earmarked for a new STEM block for Greenhead College. However, this plan fell through after the institution missed out on a funding bid. It is now looking increasingly likely that the plot will be used as a multi-storey car park, rather than a hotel, offices or residential development.
To make way for the park, the council wants to bulldoze the remaining retail units in the Piazza area “as soon as possible” once Boots and other remaining tenants vacate the premises. The target is to begin demolition next May or June, with this to be completed by the start of 2027. If Boots moves out earlier than expected, the work could begin sooner.
The final phase – Phase Five – covered a venue with its own multi-storey car park but this is under review after being found unaffordable, with the built-in car park idea seemingly scrapped. Initial findings show support for a “flexible, multi-purpose venue”, the report says, with a capacity of 1,200 when fully seated and 2,000 using a standing floor and seated balcony. The second stage of the review is due to conclude this winter.
Image: Kirklees Council
At their upcoming meeting, Cabinet will also be asked to give the green light to progress Phase Two of the project, which will transform the former library into a combined museum and art gallery, with improvements to the surrounding public realm. If approved, construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 with opening planned for spring 2029.
Phase One of the scheme – the food hall, library and public square – is still on track for a summer 2026 opening. The West Yorkshire Archive will relocate into the library, and a preferred tenant for the food hall, who will bring a diverse range of independent food businesses into the town centre, has been identified.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said: “Our Cultural Heart is the cornerstone of Huddersfield’s regeneration. We are delivering a once-in-a-generation project that will bring jobs, investment and pride back into the town centre.
“Cabinet will be asked to approve the next steps to keep this transformation moving forward. Residents will see the first results when the new library hub, food hall and public square open in 2026, and we are already preparing for the phases that follow, including the museum & gallery and a brand-new town centre park.
“This is about building a town centre that works for everyone
families, businesses, students and visitors, while making sure we do it in a way that is affordable and sustainable for the future.”
