Commercial development plans welcomed - commercial mortgages

12 October 2006

Plans to redevelop Huddersfield town centre have been welcomed by a local conservation group, icnetwork reports.

The Kirklees Council's Queensgate Revival scheme aims to help the town compete with other centres for outside commercial investment, including from people with commercial mortgages.

Huddersfield Gem, which hopes to protect the Queensgate market, welcomes the plans describing them as "audacious".

The group's founder, Chris Marsden says the new proposals look to regenerate the market by preserving the hall's period design.

"Huddersfield Gem believes that the careful use of heritage architecture can enhance the townscape and allow the scheme to be of the town and not slide into 'anywhereville' blandness," he comments.

The council hopes the new development project will provide "unrivalled shopping facilities" by developing a further 39 retail units and six larger stores.

Initial plans were presented in 2004 as part of a consultation with the public, the council says that the latest proposals incorporate a number of suggestions that have been made since then.