As September is coming to a close, we look back at the most important decisions made by Kirklees Council. Below are some of the standout moments from council business this month.
Landmark deal on future of Accu Stadium
After years in the making, an agreement was finally reached between Huddersfield Town, Kirklees Council and the Huddersfield Giants for the future of the Accu Stadium. While the council has kept the freehold, Huddersfield Town has now taken ownership of the stadium and its 53-acre surroundings.
The football club has now become the sole, 100 per cent shareholder in the stadium which was jointly managed and owned through Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL). Shares in KSDL had previously been held by Huddersfield Town (40 per cent), Kirklees Council (40 per cent) and the Huddersfield Giants (20 per cent).
The deal also sees Kirklees Council take possession and freehold ownership of the crucial former gasworks site which is favoured by the Huddersfield Giants as the location for their new 8000-capacity stadium – though the council has other plans.
Image: Arne Müseler/Wikipedia
In a joint statement, the three parties said: “Over the past few years, we have been working together to secure the long-term future of the stadium. We are pleased that partners have now completed the legal processes to transfer ownership to the football club. The deal paves the way for further investment into the stadium and a bright future for sport, entertainment and hospitality in Huddersfield.
“The agreement reflects the ambitions of each of the partners while safeguarding the stadium for future generations in Huddersfield and beyond.”
Much-loved assets transferred to the community
On 9 September, Cabinet made the decision to transfer two buildings in Dalton to local community groups, which proved to be highly popular. The HUDAWI Centre at Great Northern Street and DRAM Centre at Ridgeway in Dalton were declared surplus to the council’s requirements back in November 2023.
Now, the HUDAWI Centre is considered to be the “spiritual home” of local African and Caribbean communities. It has been initially transferred to the Black Business Support Agency and will be handed to a consortium of community groups once a new Charitable Incorporated Organisation has been established.
The consortium’s aim is to safeguard and transform the HUDAWI Centre into a thriving, self-sustaining hub that provides a range of cultural, educational, economic and social opportunities for Huddersfield’s diverse communities.
The DRAM Centre will be run by the Moldgreen Amateur Rugby League Football Club (DRAM Holdings) and Community Interest Company (CIC). The rugby club is more than 60 years old and currently operates from the DRAM. It provides opportunities for the local community to participate in sports, fitness, educational and social activities.
Among the facilities the centre is set to offer are: a drop-in centre providing a safe/warm space for vulnerable groups; youth clubs; educational workshops and training courses; a weekend cafe; and social and community events such as craft fairs, seasonal events, parties, skills camps, and school holiday camps. The CIC wants the rugby club to continue to use the centre, with the offer to be expanded.
Major changes confirmed for Kirklees’ waste collection
Cabinet approved plans to shake up waste collection services across the borough in line with the government’s Simpler Recycling initiative. The plan, which was described by one councillor as “once in a generation”, will see the roll out of glass and food collections.
This means that by 2028, residents will be able to recycle more of their waste through regular kerbside collections. For the first time, this will include separate collections for glass and food waste, alongside the existing service for paper, card, plastics and metals.
Elsewhere, the changes will come into force from 2026, but with Kirklees Council being tied into a waste contract with SUEZ until 2028, it has been given some extra time to bring them in.
When the shift happens, Kirklees homes are expected to have a minimum of three wheelie bins and a 23 litre caddy. Once the scheme is in force, the council will collect:
- Residual waste – non-recyclable waste that cannot be composted or recycled
- Dry recyclable materials – plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, tins, cans, bottles, tetra pack, glass, films and foils
- Paper and card – newspapers, magazines, cardboard boxes and other paper products
- Food waste – all food waste including leftovers, peelings and inedible parts like bones and eggshells
Tough measures rolled out to crack down on town centre anti-social behaviour
Measures to prohibit several actions like bird feeding, loitering and begging have been rolled out across Batley, Dewsbury, Holmfirth, Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe town centres. Some of the rules extend to Marsden and Slaithwaite.
These come in the form of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which give councils a wide range of powers to tackle anti-social behaviour and other detrimental activities in particular areas. A breach can result in a fine or prosecution.
PSPOs had already been in place to address: dog fouling; the control of fires and barbecues; control of fireworks, sky lanterns and balloons; means of picking up after your dog; dogs to be on leads at all times; dog exclusion areas; public urination and defecation; and street drinking.
But these were altered to address the “changing nature” of anti-social behaviour. A single new PSPO rolled out across the specified five Kirklees towns covers street drinking, bird feeding, loitering, nuisance behaviour, and temporary structures such as tents being placed in town centres.
The existing PSPOs relating to dogs have been merged into one, and a borough-wide PSPO is in effect to address the issue of nuisance vehicles, with the anti-social use of motorbikes of particular concern.
Local wedding venue gets licence torn up
Image: Google Maps
At the start of the month, the Wedding Marquee at the Gomersal Lodge Hotel lost its licence over noise nuisance, after reports of repeated car revving, loud music, shouting and drumming resulting in sleepless nights for residents.
Environmental Health had called for the licence review, urging the council to revoke the marquee’s licence altogether due to “ongoing” complaints. This was said to be the first time ever Kirklees Environmental Health had called for a venue’s licence to be revoked.
The marquee was first granted a licence in 2011 despite concerns from Environmental Health that it could result in public nuisance. This view was supported by locals but the council gave the premises licence regardless
The meeting heard from local residents who played videos to demonstrate the impact the noise was having on their quality of life, as well as hotel management and their legal representative who outlined the measures – like new management, soundproofing and decibel monitoring – that have been proposed or already brought in to reduce the noise.
However, the panel was not convinced, taking Environmental Health’s stance and opting to revoke the licence. Chair of the meeting, Cllr Eric Firth (Labour, Dewsbury East), said the licence holder had been given sufficient time and opportunity to address the concerns of residents and the local authority.
