Council hosts visit from senior government housing officials

Senior government officials have visited Huddersfield, to consider how the council plans to capitalise on the benefit of major national infrastructure projects over the next 20 years, to boost homes, jobs and the economy.
Isobel Stephen, Housing Supply Director at the department for Communities and Local Government, and Tracy Harrison of the Northern Housing Consortium accepted the council’s invitation to take a tour of new affordable homes in Fartown delivered by Sadeh Lok Housing Association, before returning to the town centre to look at the potential of the Waterfront site on Chapel Hill.
The site, which has an attractive frontage to the canal and river on both sides could benefit from government money to develop an innovative housing project, after the council registered its interest in the government’s new Accelerated Construction Scheme earlier in February.
Hosted by Naz Parkar, the council’s new Executive Director for Place, the group finished in St George’s Square, to consider how electrification of the rail network has the potential to boost Huddersfield’s importance as a major staging point in West Yorkshire and beyond.
Cabinet member for Regeneration, Cllr Peter McBride said:
“I’m keen that Kirklees does more to engage with government departments, so that they can see for themselves the issues which affect us, and how we are working hard to underpin our economy and the future of our residents. Central to our approach is taking a strategic view not only of the challenges we face, but importantly, the opportunities coming our way over the next 20 years.
“Like many areas, our town centres are changing as retail uses contract, and it’s no secret that we need to be building more homes for our communities.  In this context, we think electrification could be a major opportunity for Huddersfield to shift its focus and capitalise on its position as the second largest rail gateway in the region. Providing quality homes within easy access of the train station with high-speed links to the wider region and beyond could bring enormous economic and social benefits to us.”