By Daniel Wood
Kirklees Council has suggested that the 50-year-old site be demolished and replaced by a new multi-storey car park.
Officials have recommended that the run-down car park be replaced by a new multi-storey car park. The car park is located next to Queensgate Market.
Kirklees Council’s Market Hall closed earlier this month as it was deemed unsafe due to deterioration.
It was the council’s biggest moneymaker and the second most popular car park in Huddersfield.
The owner of Rock Cafe, Richard Downey, called the closure of the car park a nail in the coffin for the town centre.
He was very unhappy with the closure, stating: “They seem to feel everybody should use public transport, which is a joke.
“You should be able to park in nice, clean facilities – it’s just another nail in the coffin for the town centre.
“If you can’t come into town and park with ease, people won’t come. It’s a massive betrayal of the town centre.”
Huddersfield Blueprint
The was uncertainty about what would happen to the site. However, it is one of the main priorities in the council’s Huddersfield Blueprint.
It is part of a plan to revamp the Piazza, Market Hall and Queen Street area.
The sites have been described as the “Cultural Heart” of Huddersfield.
The council suggested a hotel could be built on the site. But, council documents reveal a brand new multi-storey is the favoured option.
Plans suggest the new multi-storey car park is the most accessible to shoppers and commuters due to its location. It will also have multiple entrances.
Report Statement
The report says: “The structural deteriorating of the Market Hall car park highlight the need to redevelop this site.
“As a getaway site which we can influence, we feel that a replacement multi-storey car park here should set a strategic direction for Queensgate in keeping with a bold vision.
“The existing car park opened in 1970 with 588 spaces. A replacement facility of similar scale but designed to present-day standards could provide around 550 spaces.
“The proposal to continue parking use in a new facility on the site is well aligned with the cultural, arts and music opportunities for the Queensgate area.
“It could also continue to provide visitors parking to the university campus immediately opposite.”
Commenting on the possible appearance of the car park, the report says: “The site is at a key gateway on the ring road and efforts should, therefore, be made to ensure that a replacement multi-storey car park is iconic and influential in its design.
“The prime location lends itself to a building which demands a strong and high-quality facade.
“This should be capitalised on with development adopting a strong aesthetic and clear functionality, supporting the re-use of Queensgate and the wider Queensgate area.”