Plans to revive Dewsbury Town Centre
The Cabinet has approved plans to improve shop fronts and bring vacant space back into use in Dewsbury Town Centre.
When will the scheme be launched?
Cabinet considered and approved plans on 10 September with a view to launching the scheme in early 2020 in the Dewsbury Town Centre Conservation Area.
The scheme will follow the success of The Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI); a joint funded programme which commenced in 2013 between Kirklees Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund with funding of £3.7 million.
Cllr Peter McBride, Cabinet Member for Regeneration said:
“I’m really pleased that Cabinet approved revival plans for Dewsbury. We’ve seen huge success and changes for the better from the Dewsbury Townscape Initiative and I’m confident that we can continue this success.
The current appearance of many of the shop fronts is a result of various factors including the decline in retail activity in the town centre, a legacy of poor workmanship, display of ill-considered advertisements, lack of maintenance and some unauthorised alterations.
The combination of these factors fail to provide a good appearance for the buildings and the town centre. Given that a large part of the town centre is a conservation area then these issues become emphasised.
The grant scheme will go a long way to improving Dewsbury town centre, making it more appealing and attractive for both local residents and visitors to the area.”
Where will the focus be?
Areas of activity will cover all the Dewsbury Town Centre Conservation Area; with a specific focus on the core part of the town centre including Northgate, Westgate, and Corporation Street among others.