HCS responds to Huddersfield Town Centre Conservation Area plan

St Peter's Gardens in Huddersfield town centre

The Civic Society has responded to a mayor consultancy report concerning Huddersfield Town Centre Conservation Area.

The appraisal and management plan, produced after the area was identified by Historic England as being at risk  with the 2021 register describing the condition of the Conservation Area as ‘very bad’ and in a ‘deteriorating condition.’

The detailed report and recommendations, carried out by heritage consultants, Purcell, provided the society with a short timeframe in which to submit its views. These can be viewed at https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/trees-listing-and-conservation/conservation-consultation.aspx

It’s understood there will be a second round of consultation from Monday, December 9 to Friday, December 20.

On Monday, December 9, there is a bookable Public Engagement Workshop from 1pm to 2pm at Civic Centre 1. 

General Comments

  • The Society broadly welcomes the report and its recommendations.
  • Many of the key issues are ones that have been raised by HCS over the past 10-15 years, particularly issues regarding public realm and shopfronts and specific areas such as St. Peter’s Gardens (pictured). This aligns with the HE Risk Register which describes the CA as ‘very bad’ and in a ‘deteriorating condition’.
  • The failure to tackle some of the issues highlighted over the years, particularly those above, will now be more difficult to address given the constraints on revenue budgets to ensure effective maintenance and enforcement.
  • Many of the issues highlighted have not, in the past, been the responsibility of the Kirklees Conservation Team but rather a range of services across the Council, such as Highways, Cleansing, Leisure. Improved co-ordination and auditing of maintenance issues is a key requirement in order to tackle these on a continual basis rather than limiting actions to the ‘short term’ eg public realm items as indicated in the ‘Summary of Actions and Recommendations.’

Specific Comments.

  • St. Peter’s Gardens.

While the report emphasises the area as ‘one of the few green spaces within the CA’ (p.9) and notes that it is ‘the most notable green space’ (p.17) the ‘St. Peter’s Character Area’ summary (p.50) and items SP01 -03 in the recommendations fail to highlight the poor level of maintenance and repairs required to improve this key area. For example, the photograph of the historic lamppost we as clearly taken some time ago since when it has been comprehensively vandalised and requires urgent attention, if it is to be saved.

  • Public Realm and Street Furniture.

The ‘Issues and Opportunities’ section refers to the ‘Poor public realm and street furniture lacking cohesion become a common theme throughout the Conservation Area’ and in the ‘Civic and Commercial Character Area: Market Place’ suggests ‘the removal or replacement of the plastic flower planters.’ This should not be limited to specific areas for example, there are similar planters elsewhere, which are both unsightly and rarely benefit from any plants. Similarly, features such as finger posts (which have fingers pointing in the wrong direction and require removal), display panels for maps which have never been painted or updated and litter bins that do not close or have been damaged (see photograph on P. 52).

With this in mind, HCS recommends that a regular (quarterly?) auditing of street furniture is co-ordinated, with the support of the Business Improvement District, to highlight issues and set standards for improvement or replacement.

Areas not surveyed: several areas of public realm which should be reviewed are not covered by the report. For example, Hawksby Court off New Street, where fly tipping, waste, vermin and general dereliction create an extremely poor image of the town and should be improved through partnership working and, if necessary, enforcement.

  • Shopfronts and Signage

The opening sentences in Section 7 ‘Issues and Opportunities’ (P.48) rightly highlight ‘the significance and visual appearance of the CA’. This has been a long-term concern of HCS and relates to more than simply ‘the loss of historic shopfronts and associated features’ but, crucially, the fact that many changes have been carried out without the necessary permissions. Recommendation ENF01 (P.94) appropriately reflects the need for ‘full use of enforcement powers.’

The HAZ programme had limited success in attracting grant applications (John Williiam Street being the exception but as yet, not implemented) and there was a reluctance to apply enforcement action; rather, to offer a carrot before the stick. It is clear that measures are required urgently to address this situation and to apply such actions with any future grant opportunities, Cloth Hall Street being a prime example as mentioned.

It is noted that recommendation SHOP01 (p.117) states ‘The council should produce supplementary planning guidance for works to shopfronts …’. A ‘Shopfronts – Guidelines for Design’ was, in fact, produced by the Council in conjunction with HCS in the early 2000s but never published or circulated, even though HCS has been asked by various Council officers to forward copies of the draft document since this time (copy attached). Th photograph of the Prudential Assurance building on New Street (P.60) and recent changes to the nearby Post Office emphasise the benefit such a guide may have had in influencing decisions made when altering these shopfronts.

Further Observations.

  • There is need to ensure compatibility between the St. George’s Character Area (Pages 73-78), especially recommendations SG01 -SG04, and the consultancy work currently being undertaken by Arup on the Huddersfield Station Masterplan.
  • HCS notes the General Recommendation (p.79) that ‘The council should consider working with the local civic society to formulate a statement of significance and submission for listing for the properties identified below’, namely:  Fitzwilliam Street Unitarian Chapel, the former Head Post Office Building (Northumberland Street), Industrial Society Co-operative Stores

(New Street), the former General Post Office Building (Northumberland Street). The society would add to this list the former HSBC (Midland) Bank on Cloth Hall Street (1970) designed by Peter Womersley, a distinctive modernist building, currently vacant.

  • Market Place Character Area (P.57): whilst it suggests this area is ‘underappreciated and poorly presented space’ it should be recognised that while certain features could be removed eg plastic flower planters, materials are generally of high quality ie York stone paving, the open space centres on the oldest surviving town centre feature – the Market Cross (1671) and there are structural restrictions (former toilets below) that could restrict the addition of a modern ‘feature’.
  • Parts of the report were clearly prepared some time ago and certain references eg ‘an approved planning application for partial car parking and events space in the churchyard which expired in October 2023’ (P.52) has now been completed; the vandalised lamp in St Peter’s Gardens (see above), now vacant Post Office on Northumberland Street (P.47) and Co-operative Stores (Wilkos no longer occupants) (P.63) require updating.