By Joshua Robinson – 

On Sunday 10th December, an additional £20 million boost in funding from the government was announced for the Dewsbury Blueprint.

The funding is being allocated to Dewsbury as part of a new ‘Long-Term Plan’ by the government.

The funding boost is intended to give local authorities more certainty to deliver long-term projects over the next ten years.

This funding builds on the existing Towns Fund, a £ 3.6 billion government initiative to help towns address issues that are blocking growth, boost the local economy, and improve the lives of local people. In 2021, Dewsbury received £25 million of Towns Fund money, which will be used to deliver the Dewsbury Blueprint.

What happens next?

Several elements of the Dewsbury Blueprint are already being constructed, while others are still in the planning stages.

There is not a definitive answer yet as to where exactly where the funding will be spent. To allocate the money, Kirklees Council will discuss options with the Dewsbury Town Deal Board, which was set up by the council around the time of initial funding for Dewsbury in 2021.

Dewsbury Town Deal Board’s role is to bring a local perspective to the Dewsbury Blueprint, with every member being either a resident, a business owner, or a key public figure in the area.

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Kirklees Council:

Councillor Cathy Scott, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “This funding is tremendous news for the future of Dewsbury. Our blueprint plans perfectly align with the government’s intentions for the funding, which are to improve and future-proof local areas by approaching development opportunities from every possible angle.”

“We’re just a short time after receiving the news, so exactly how this funding will contribute to our plans for Dewsbury is yet to be decided. But we’ll be working closely with the Dewsbury Town Deal Board and with the government to make sure that this money brings the best possible value to the town.”

“We’ve been working tirelessly in recent years to make sure the Dewsbury Blueprint will live up to our high aspirations for the town centre, and with current financial constraints – not just for our council but nationally – it’s more important than ever that we do our due diligence when putting this funding to good use, and that we continue to really focus on what will bring the greatest benefit to local people.”

“As a resident of Dewsbury myself, I know it has huge potential as a prosperous and vibrant town, where people love to live, work and visit.  This funding will hugely help us on our way to realising that potential.”

Dewsbury Town Deal Board:

Keith Ramsay, Chair of the Dewsbury Town Deal Board, said: “We’re really excited to hear that the government are almost doubling their investment in Dewsbury.  This will potentially allow us, as a board, to implement more of our fantastic ideas for the town’s improvement. It could also allow us to better sustain more of our existing plans, which is absolutely crucial – because throughout this work we’re focusing on the future of the town and those who’ll enjoy it for many, many years to come.”

“The board will meet in the coming weeks to start discussing how this funding will be allocated. We couldn’t be more delighted, and I know this will help us realise our vision for the town we all love so much.”