The street acts as a gateway to the town centre and consists of a number of Grade II listed buildings filled with shops and residential properties on the upper floors. The appearance of the shop fronts has been described as “poor quality”, particularly due to their contrast with the historic nature of the area.
As Kirklees Council’s Cabinet gave the go-ahead at their latest meeting, the building’s owner, B&M Properties, has been awarded a grant of £610,500 to make improvements to 19-33a. This funding will come from the Heritage-Led Regeneration Scheme (HLRS), a capital grant scheme that was approved by the Cabinet in February 2019.
The money will be used to replace the metal framed shop fronts with traditional timber frontages, bringing their look and feel more in line with the street’s heritage and architecture. In addition, empty units will be brought back into use.
Construction is set to begin this March with works due to be completed by September.
Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, said: “While we’re very much looking to the future with all our town centre developments, we’re also future-proofing our beautiful heritage.
“These buildings, on one of Huddersfield’s busiest streets, have so much potential. We want to see that potential realised, and make sure they remain not only functional but thriving for many years to come.”
