Huddersfield Civic Society Executive Committee Meeting, July 13, 2026

The meeting was held at Westins on St Andrews Rd at 7pm. Attendees: Ann Denham(AD),Gideon Richards(GR), Geoff Hughes(GH), Adrian Pitts (AP), Mike Woodward(MW), Chris Marsden(CM), John Eastwood (JE), Bernard Ainsworth (BA).

Apologies: Andrew France(AF), Howard Smith(HS), Sylvia Johnson(SJ), Robert Taylor(RT),

Welcome and any apologies (AP as meeting chair)

N.B. Chair 12 Oct (Strategy meeting) is HS, Chair Nov 9 is AD.

Volunteer(s) please (AP)
Edit HCS Members’ Newsletter(s) for Oct /Nov/Dec. Action (All): c/f to HS for meeting
Minutes of Previous Meeting for approval (AP)
GR requested addition that Tolson book sale amount subsequently found to be £908
CM raised subject of whether all decisions should have a formal vote. Meeting decided that objections can always be raised before approval called for.
Minutes approved with Tolson sale addition. Proposed MW, Seconded AD
Actions from previous meetings believed outstanding
Produce draft HCS publishing policy before Nov meeting (C/f: GR + AP)
Continue trying to arrange joint HLHS/HODS/HCS autumn mtg with Kathryn White (KC Museums Service) re potential ’50 objects’ project. Update: Contact established 16 Sept) (Action: SJ/GH to organise, then seek update from Kevin Trickett)
Publicity now produced by GR for June HCS Peter Stead for HCS website.
Look into poss. virtual town centre walks, with University and/or 6th form colleges. (Action: volunteer reqd please)
Mtg agreed preference for ‘HCS Civic Improvement Awards’ rather than ‘HCS Design Awards’ Draft ‘1-page’ paper on the potential for future such Awards (Action: CM)
HCS Events policy approved as V1.0
Draft ‘1-page’ paper for July mtg on what a potential ‘Celebratory Plaques’ project with other local societies might consist of (Action c/f to Nov mtg: RT+AD)
UPDATE: HCS Membership Report: Howard – 166 total membership: no changes since July.
Treasurer’s Report (GR)
£2726.44 in current account, with money owed would be £2861.09
£16,363.38 in Skipton Building Society
Recent payments have included £231 Civic Voice annual subscription
Membership payment omission by Castle Hill Civic Associates resolved by 2 x£15 payments
Updates from YHACS and Civic Voice (MW)
MW planning to attend next meeting 17 Oct in Goole. Others also welcome to book to attend
Planning: planning notes from Robert (see page following)
Castle Hill – No news, no planning consent document. All political parties look to oppose.
Vandalism and leak to Cloth Hall Tower, Ravensknowle Park – now fixed but structure shabby.
Committee concerned at roof leaks + progressive closing of parts of Tolson museum building
Enforcement re Oakes School, The Green/Meltham Road, S106 and BNG funds.

GH reported that, despite June+July KC mgr meetings, getting information remains difficult

HCS pressure has led to KC issuing S106 BNG invoice to Miller Homes but amount unknown. Action: GH free to issue FOI request in the name of HCS re Miller S106 case (Action: GH)
GH has submitted an HCS response to the Kirklees Local Plan Scoping Consultation
Accu Stadium – major development proposal 2026/92123. Meeting agreed HCS supportive in principle but no resource to analyse and respond
Tue 15 Sept HCS ‘annual meeting’ with David Shepherd (HCS submission now attached)

– HCS attendees currently: MW, AP, AD, GR, CM, GH

– NEW: Discussion subject list (attached) sent 7 Sept to David Shepherd (GH)

HCS 2026 Summer events programme complete
Tue 11 Aug – Almondbury guided walk.
HCS Autum talks programme
HODs Fri 11 – Sun 20 Sept
Wed 16 Sept 19.00 at Joseph Kaye, ‘Builder of Huddersfield (GH/D Griffiths)
Thurs 16 Sept HCS member, Peter Haigh running HOD event at Scammonden Activity Centre on restoration of this listed building in the 1980s and PH’s photo collection of M62 collection
October – potential Huddersfield Town talk (AF)
Wed 4 Nov 19.00 at BJ Centre: David Shepherd ‘Beyond the Blueprint’ (GH)
Possible future events carried forward incl Emily Siddon building, for members who cannot attend during HOD (Action: SJ), Ramsden building (Action: GR/BA), Rachel Beaumont, University lecture (Action: GR?), Factory visit(s) to Accu, Camira Fabrics (Action: GR? SJ?), Byram Arcade – new owner (Action: GR?SJ?), new Wakefield walk with Kevin Trickett (Action: SJ), YHACS speaker: Margaret Hicks (Chair) or Malcolm Gardner (Wetherby re S106 (MW)
Ideas for a possible January HCS Social? (HS c/f)
Format of the additional Mon 12 Oct HCS Strategies/Projects (notes to follow from HS)
AOB

– GH and CM invited by Yun to give presentations to 18 Sept Uni Sustainability event

AOB) Book stock check – Robert 31 August email to HCS committee members

Sent: Monday, 10 August 2026 at 12:15:30 BST

Subject: Annual book stock check

All, I carried out the final part of our annual book stock check this morning by visiting Westins.

ONGOING STOCK LOCATION					New stock at
	RT	HS	DG	Westins	Handmade	Gideon	Ann	TOTAL
							Tolson	Remaining
The Old Yards of Huddersfield	4	9	4	5		0		22
The Buildings of Huddersfield	11	16	3	189		0		219
Highfields	5	10	3	3		0		21
The Villas of Edgerton	6	9	4	174		0		193
Tolson Memorial Museum	8	0	6	315		0	9	338
Arts and crafts	20	1	0	0	0	2		23
	Checked	Checked	Checked	Checked		Checked	Checked	816
* correction to Highfields overall stock 07/06/24	13/07/26	21/07/26	01/04/26	10/08/26		Monday	Sat
						20/07/26	20/12/25

Total existing stock asset value :-

£8,815.02

From 1^st April 2024, we have sold :- Yards 21 off, Buildings 31 off, Villas 129 off, Highfields 59 off, A+C 27 off, Tolson approx 150 (we have a small discrepancy in the overall records although a number have gone out at £0)

We also have a small discrepancy in the stock of both Villas and Highfields, but this is almost certainly due to the arrangement we have with “Handmade in Huddersfield” who take “Consignment stock” and pay when they get sold, This means that I don’t necessarily know when and exactly how that happens.

Many thanks

Robert Taylor

Geoff Hughes 9 September 2026