Image credits: Kristina Gurova

By KLTV Newsdesk –

Campaigners say a solution for Huddersfield’s open market could be agreed within six weeks — if the council changes course and works collaboratively with traders and visitors.

Campaigners fighting to save Huddersfield’s open market have sent a positive New Year message to senior figures at Kirklees Council, insisting the future of the market can still be secured quickly — but only if the authority changes its approach.

They say a widely supported alternative plan could lead to a full planning application within six weeks, with the backing of traders, shoppers and event organisers.

However, campaigners claim the council has so far failed to respond, despite being aware of the proposals since 17 October.

Over 1,000 signatures back alternative vision

More than 1,000 people have now signed a letter supporting what campaigners describe as a constructive way forward for the market.

Unlike a council-run online consultation on markets held four years ago, the signatures were gathered in person from visitors to Huddersfield open market.

Campaigners say the figures demonstrate the market’s wider appeal. Twenty-five per cent of those who signed are from outside the Kirklees district, with visitors travelling from Glasgow, London, Wales and even Denmark.

They argue this makes the open market the town centre’s most successful tourist attraction.

Traders united on need for improvement — but not council plans

Lorraine Howell, who has traded at the Saturday collectables and second-hand market for more than a decade, said traders are fully united on the need to improve the market building.

“Everyone who loves the market knows the building needs some TLC.” said Lorraine. “I could show David Shepherd, Kirklees Council’s Director of Place, everything that needs some investment in 10 minutes.”

However, she said traders strongly oppose the council’s current proposals, which campaigners believe would undermine the market’s success rather than build on it.

“The council plan is for a food and drink market and events space” says Lorraine, “but that is exactly the same as they are building in the old Queensgate market, which is five minutes walk away.”

She also questioned the viability of a food-led market, pointing to the growing number of supermarkets nearby.

“Is the market really going to survive by selling food and drink when it is surrounded by supermarkets?” Lorraine asks.

“The council talks as though its designs for the new market are bound to be a success, but clearly there is good reason to doubt that.”

Call for co-design, not consultation

Instead of the council’s plans, campaigners are calling for a co-design process that properly values the experience of traders, market users, event organisers, architects and planners.

Andrew Wilson, director of West Yorkshire think tank Same Skies, drafted the alternative proposals and is coordinating the campaign. He is also a regular shopper at the market.

He said there were two major flaws in the council’s design process. The first, he argued, was a failure to recognise the strength of the existing market — particularly the Saturday collectables and second-hand stalls.

“The Saturday market is the crown jewels of Huddersfield town centre. It is something that Huddersfield has got that nowhere else has, bringing in visitors and spending from all over the north of England and beyond.

“If your design is going to wipe out your most successful and unique tourist attraction, then that is bad design. Luckily the planning process is in place to stop bad design happening.”

‘Experts are the people who trade and shop there’

The second issue, according to Wilson, was the lack of input from those with direct knowledge of how markets succeed.

“The experts about markets are the people who make a living in them and buy from them. Any good design process would be based on making the most of that knowledge.”

Wilson stressed that this approach was fundamentally different from consultation as it is often practised.

“In my opinion a consultation is what happens when an institution has already decided what it is going to do and it needs to tick a box.”

He said the council’s handling of the open market illustrated the problem.

“The council claimed 100% percent of traders supported their plans, but within 10 days of that claim, almost every trader had signed a letter objecting to the plans and calling for a constructive way forward. Clearly the so-called consultation failed to uncover the truth.”

‘No reason this can’t be resolved in six weeks’

Wilson added that work already carried out by architects would not be wasted, as it had helped a London-based firm understand the physical and social context of Huddersfield’s unique open market.

Looking ahead, he said there was no reason for further delay.

“I can’t see any reason why the future of the market can’t be resolved in six weeks.” Wilson said. “It’s only the failed design process that is getting in the way.”