Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, has today visited Huddersfield and given her seal of approval to Kirklees Council’s ambitious £250million Blueprint plans to transform the town centre.

On a walkaround with Councillor Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, and Jacqui Gedman, Chief Executive of Kirklees Council, council officers shared with Mayor Brabin plans for the regeneration of the town centre.

Taking in key project sites including Station Gateway, where scaffolding is being erected ready for the restoration of the iconic George Hotel, and the bus station that is at the heart of a transformation plan, the tour showed the mayor the future of Huddersfield town centre.

There are 24 core Blueprint projects currently underway, at various stages with town centre living, public realm, major transport and leisure projects in the mix.

The council has identified a number of core values that will be an integral part of the planning and delivery of the Blueprint and are committed to the town centre being a family-friendly, vibrant and inclusive place for visitors, businesses and residents alike.

Kirklees Council is also committed to supporting the Mayor of West Yorkshire to achieve the goals as set out in the mayoral pledges and was able to demonstrate how the town centre projects will contribute to this success.

The pledges, that include supporting businesses, delivering sustainable homes, driving inclusivity and making connectivity a priority, are very much inline with the council’s own priorities, paving the way for seamless and effective partnership working between the council and the mayor’s office.

Partnership working will also see the council contributing to the success of another of the mayor’s pledges: prioritising skills and training. The new National Health Innovation Campus at the University of Huddersfield will be the driving force of world class provision in Huddersfield.

Read more on Kirklees Council’s Huddersfield Blueprint vision.

Councillor Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council said: “We are committed to making Huddersfield Town Centre a vibrant and thriving place to live, work and visit. Our Blueprint plans are rightly ambitious and we are already making great progress in delivering our vision.

“Our ten-year Huddersfield Blueprint plans will support our local economy to thrive in the modern day and will improve our town centre’s offer for visitors. I’m really pleased to have shared them with Mayor Brabin today and delighted she believes in our plans.

“I am very pleased that Mayor Brabin shares our values and we are proud to support her to make a real difference during her time in office.

“Our plans for Huddersfield town centre are just one part of our vision for improving all town centres across Kirklees.”

West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin added: “It’s been brilliant to be shown around Huddersfield Town Centre today and to see for myself the ambitious transformation Kirklees Council is delivering for the area.

“These plans have local residents, businesses and a thriving economy at their heart and it is really exciting to see many of these plans already coming to life.

“I am pleased to offer my support and welcome this regeneration vision which will be a huge benefit to the people of Kirklees and the whole of West Yorkshire.”