HCS Members’ Update August 2026 – HUDDERSFIELD CIVIC SOCIETY

Dates for your diary. Upcoming events.

Wednesday, September 16 at 7pm

Joseph Kaye, ‘Builder of Huddersfield’. Brian Jackson House, 2 New North Parade, HD1 5JP.

Joseph Kaye (1778/9-1858) was responsible for some of Huddersfield’s most notable Georgian and Victorian buildings, including the Grade I listed Railway Station, George Hotel, the old Infirmary, chapels, churches and more. Born in humble circumstances, an orphan by the age of seven, he was also a publican, brewer, quarryman and millowner and was much involved in the public life of the fast-growing town. This illustrated talk by local historian David Griffiths will trace all these aspects of Kaye’s career and impact on the town. The event is jointly organised by Huddersfield Civic and Local History Societies. It’s free to attend. Part of the Heritage Open Days offering detailed below.

September 11 to 20 at multiple locations.

Heritage Open Days in Kirklees. This year there are over 90 events and are all free. The national theme this year is Everyday Histories to which many sites have responded in creative and engaging ways. From working lives to cherished rituals, many events will focus on this year’s theme presented by leading family history website Findmypast. Organisers are invited to explore the varied and often overlooked stories of ordinary working people and their daily lives. From factory floors, workhouses and high streets to kitchens, schools and community centres, this theme shines a light on working-class voices, local superheroes and the part-of-the-furniture places that have quietly shaped England’s heritage. Full details here.

The Upper Holme Valley partnership (around Holmfirth and Honley) has its own Everyday Histories theme. https://holmevalleyheritage.com

October – date TBC. ACCU Stadium developments. David Threlfall-Sykes.

David is Chief Operating Officer at Huddersfield Town AFC. He will talk about planned developments in and around the ACCU stadium. Please check the HCS website for confirmation of date, time and venue https://huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk

Wednesday, November 4 from 7pm to 8.15pm.

Regeneration – Successes and Challenges in Huddersfield. A talk by David Shepherd, Strategic Director Growth and Regeneration at Kirklees Council. Brian Jackson House, 2 New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP.

Various dates until October.

A programmed of 14 guided walks with Discover Huddersfield through the year until October.

Walks usually last between 90 minutes and two hours and cost £5 per person. All walks must be pre-booked and bookings can be made up to 14 days before each walk. Some free walks are included as part of Heritage Open Day events in September. For further details about the walks and how to book see https://discoverhuddersfield.uk/walks/ Details can also be accessed via the HCS website – https://huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk/

Updates on local issues of interest

Ongoing deterioration of local listed buildings. The Civic Society continues to express concern about the continuing deterioration of specific local buildings. The following buildings are included on the National Heritage List for England which is maintained by Historic England. Within the past year we have asked council officers about the following:

• Former Huddersfield Infirmary, New North Road, HD1 5NN dating from 1831.

• Oakes School, Oakes Road, Huddersfield. Mid-19th century. (picture below)

• Edgerton Cemetery Mortuary Chapel. Mid-19th century.

• The Green, 32 Meltham Road, Lockwood. 17th century or older. (picture below)

The Green, Lockwood. Robert Taylor, HCS. March 2026

At a meeting with Kirklees Council Conservation Officers in early July we were told that news would soon be forthcoming about intentions for the old infirmary. This has yet to materialise.

Oakes School and the Edgerton Cemetery Chapel have both been identified by the Victorin Society to be at very high risk. The photo below shows the current state of Oakes School. In the past year the council has commissioned a specialist structural survey of the chapel. The results have not yet been shared. Some ‘temporary’ safety fencing was erected around the chapel because of the risk of falling masonry but that was more than 20 years ago. It was extended further this year.

Oakes School. Geoff Hughes, HCS. August 2026.

Additionally, we have raised concern about the Grade II listed clock tower, formerly part of the town centre Cloth Hall, and now preserved in Ravensknowle Park in Dalton. It is badly neglected and in a deteriorating condition. See the article in Huddersfield Hub here.

Castle Hill – no further news. In February 2026 the former Labour-led administration at Kirklees Council granted approval for building a restaurant/café and Interpretation Centre on Castle Hill. It was a controversial, closely-contested decision. It passed only on the casting vote of the Planning Committee Chair. As the site is officially a Scheduled Ancient Monument the developers are additionally required seek approval from Historic England for their proposals. At the time of writing this has not been applied for.

Retention of £14m in Section 106 funds by Kirklees Council. In mid-August local media reported on a Freedom of Information request which revealed that Kirklees Council was ‘harbouring’ over £14 million in unspent Section 106 funds. This type of funding is paid by property developers to meet the cost of local services such as affordable housing, new school places, environmental enhancements or road improvements. It is intended to offset the local impact of new building projects. The funding usually has to be spent within a time frame agreed between the council and the developer and this rarely exceeds 10 years. The FoI request revealed some funding had remained unspent since the 1990s. See the Yorkshire Live article here.

Cultural Heart Phase 1 – opening of new Library Hub and Queensgate Square on September 21. The council is inviting everyone to celebrate the opening of the new Huddersfield Library Hub and Queensgate Square with a week of free activities in September. The new Library Hub is described as ‘a bright, modern and welcoming space where people can read, learn, study, get creative and connect with others.’ This is the first part of the council’s ‘Our Cultural Heart’ project to become open for business. For further details click here.

Cultural Heart Phase 2 – Kirklees Council appoints BAM UK & Ireland. The council has recently confirmed that BAM will be the principal contractor for the second phase of Our Cultural Heart. BAM is the same contractor employed to deliver Phase 1. In a press release the council describes a ‘flagship development programme transforming Huddersfield town centre, regenerating the area between Queensgate, Queen Street, King Street and Victoria Lane into a vibrant cultural and social destination. Phase Two will see the conversion of the former Huddersfield Library building on Princess Alexandra Walk, originally built in the 1930s, into a flagship new museum and art gallery for the town, The Grade II-listed building will be sensitively refurbished alongside a striking contemporary extension. The new museum will replace the Tolson Memorial Museum. The package of works will also include the demolition of the adjacent Piazza Shopping Centre, making way for future phases of the ambitious masterplan, including a large urban park.’ The contract for working on the new museum and demolishing the piazza is valued at £55.9m.

As a footnote to this, Huddersfield Hub recently published an article highlighting ongoing uncertainty around the future of Tolson Memorial Museum which you can read here.

Huddersfield Town Hotel announcement. Huddersfield Town have submitted a planning application for a new 141-bedroomed hotel at the Accu Stadium. The hotel will be built onto the back of the existing Terriers Together North Stand which was originally designed to have bedrooms facing the pitch. Town have teamed up with Hilton Hotels to create a Hilton Garden Inn. The new hotel will see the former swimming pool and gym go, along with offices previously used by Kirklees Active Leisure. The current designs feature a 100-seat restaurant and bar. Further details on Huddersfield Hub click here.

There may also be an opportunity to learn more at the Civic Society talk about the ACCU Stadium scheduled for October.

Kirklees Local Plan Scoping Consultation – an opportunity to shape the update of the Kirklees Local Plan. The council has contacted Huddersfield Civic Society as a statutory consultee with an interest in the Kirklees Local Plan. The scoping consultation takes place from 13 August to 11 September 2026. For more details go here.

Energy Efficiency and Retrofit in Historic Buildings. Geoff Hughes of HCS draws our attention to recently published guidance from Historic England about how historic buildings can be repurposed and retained. The document quotes a recent study which found that repurposing vacant and underused historic properties could provide up to 670,000 new homes. Given the concerns above about neglected listed buildings in Huddersfield it is worthy of consideration.

Newly published – The National Planning Policy Framework. Just published in August, the document sets out the government’s policies for plan-making and for making decisions on development proposals in England. This version replaces the previous National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024. Full document, all 130 pages, is here.

It isn’t yet clear how the document will be received. There is perhaps a concern that the emphasis will be on favouring development in many cases. The Local Government Association has published an initial response which can be read here.

An extract from the LGA piece says: “Councils are ready to support house building and tackle the housing crisis and support measures to enable that. However, some concerns remain that some changes to the NPPF, including the introduction of a “default yes” for new development around train stations at nationally set density standards, could come at the expense of environmental protections, local democratic accountability and local decision-making.’’

Almondbury Walk in August

Sylvia Johnson organised a very enjoyable walk around the conservation area of Almondbury on a warm and sunny evening in August. The walk leader, Andrew Kirby, is a lifelong resident of Almondbury and is proud of the area. He was generous in sharing his knowledge with the 16 people on the walk. All Hallows Church is Grade 1 listed and dates from the 13th Century. Right next to the church is the timber-framed Wormald’s Hall which is Grade 2* listed and dates from the 16th Century. After the walk we enjoyed a fine buffet supper in The Woolpack a Grade 2 listed pub dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of us in attendance were quite ancient. None were listed.

Wormald’s hall, Almondbury viewed from All Hallows Church. Geoff Hughes, HCS, Aug 2026.

Mike Woodward, August 2026.

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