We will continue to engage businesses on 1.2 m Huddersfield Blueprint walking and cycling scheme
We have pledged to continue engaging local businesses on a scheme to improve Huddersfield town centre for cycling and walking, as laid out in our ambitious blueprint for the town centre.
What does the scheme include?
The scheme includes a new walking and cycling zone on Queen Street and King Street between the Lawrence Batley Theatre and Zetland Street, and on Cross Church Street between the Kingsgate Shopping Centre entrance and Kirkgate.
Cabinet Committee Local Issues approved the Traffic Regulation Orders
Following a lengthy period of consultation and consideration of some last minute objections, our Cabinet Committee Local Issues approved the Traffic Regulation Orders necessary to provide a safe route for cyclists and pedestrians along Queen Street, Cross Church Street and King Street meaning work can continue.
Who is delivering the scheme?
The scheme is being delivered through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s CityConnect programme, which is aimed at enabling more people to travel by bike or on foot, in partnership with Kirklees Council.
When will the scheme be completed?
The scheme which is due to be completed summer 2021, will, when complete, be subject to a traffic regulation order which stops access for all unauthorised motorised vehicles, in order to provide a safer more pleasant experience.
Were the objections presented discussed?
At the meeting, we considered the objections presented by local businesses, which were mostly around access to premises.
We took the opportunity to clarify that an Authorised User Policy is to be developed and adopted by council and once implemented, business requests for access will be considered on a case by case basis in line with the adopted policy. Members also clarified that employees and business owners that hold a blue badge who use off street disabled parking facilities would be exempt from the restrictions and deemed an authorised user.
Authorised users would then gain access by use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to identify their registration number and automatically lower the bollards.
The bollards will be lowered each day from 6am – 10am and 4pm – 8pm for loading. Hackney carriages will have 24/7 access along Queen Street, King Street and Zetland Street.
We also addressed concerns around disabled parking, explaining that there are disabled parking spaces on Queen Street prior to the restricted zone.
Exceptions for disabled employees who need to access private car parking will also be allocated through the authorised user scheme.
Cllr Scott, who chaired the meeting, brought the discussion to a close by explaining that this wasn’t a case of making all the decisions today, and that there would be time to work with and support local businesses before the scheme is completed.
Cllr Cathy Scott, Kirklees Council Cabinet Member said:
“We need to remember that our town centres are evolving and the way we have done things in the past is likely to be very different in the future. Introducing the restrictions and the development of an authorised user scheme are key steps that enable the scheme to be delivered in line with our objectives for the area, our town centre and the Huddersfield Blueprint. Cross Church Street connects the Cultural Heart to the retail centre and as such needs to reflect the town in the best possible light.
We hope that by addressing the issues raised in the objections we can move forward with the development for the benefit of everyone using the town. However our officers will continue to be available to discuss individual business concerns whilst the scheme progresses. The council remains committed to working with the local business community to make Huddersfield a welcoming and accessible town in order to support the local economy and provide opportunities for culture, leisure and retail for people who visit, live or work in the town centre.”
This project has received £1.3m from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1billion package of Government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.
I am sure there will be some urban greening in the plan. To be any thing near sustainable this needs to be maximised and what a difference it would make to the feel of the town. Birch trees are brilliant, beautiful all year round, only dappled shade and minimal leaf litter, second only to oak for supporting biodiversity. Birch trees scattered through the town and strategically grouped to hide traffic and structures, with a scatter of holly, for evergreen and natural security. Holly right on the line of any security fences, adds extra security and greens the streetscape.
Building materials are the biggest carbon cost of development, so this needs to reuse an absolute maximum of material recovered from redevelopment, stone, brick, tarmac, roofing, Start by repurposing existing buildings. Any newbuild focussed on minimum carbon footprint and sustainable materials. There is a public building in Brighton made entirely from reused materials. There’s a challenge for a sustainable Kirklees. Are we up to it ??.
It’s not the centre of town where cycling is an issue. It’s slow traffic and easy to travel in the centre of the road away from parked cars. For commutibg purposes more people don’t work in town but could commute by train andoand cycle to elsewhere.
We need investment in cycle infastructure and improvement of the cycle lanes in and out of the town. This is where the majority of serious cycling takea place… We don’t need a vanity project outside the town hall with a raised curb.
Take for instance Halifax Road. There is no cycle lane and where the council have placed road islands the roads narrow such the cars pass unbelievably close to bikes because they are not prepared to slow down. Why are we not thinking of using any said cash in places such as these?
Many of the cycle lanes create confusions for cars.. Take for example down new north road. If I pass a parked car at speed I need to stay more than a doors with away from the parked car (some I’m not spattered into the carriagway by someone who doesn’t see me). The cycle lanes as they stand don’t provide this with where cars are parked in large chunks down the whole road so it creates confusion when I cycle outside of the cycle lane. Why are we not addressing key safety issues and the pragmatics of travelling on our key arterial roads rather than a visionary all pedestriased town centre?
I agree totally Fiona as im the same as you im not saying we need special treatment all the time but we do need the town to be user friendly to all ages and physical needs
Lucky Huddersfield. Have you forgotten the smaller towns like Cleckheaton? I look forward to reading that steps have been taken to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety in all Kirklees towns not just Huddersfield and Dewsbury.
Morning Fiona, thank you for sharing your concerns. I will make sure that this is fed back to the relevant department. Kind regards ^CP
I am very concerned indeed about access for disabled people and others with limited mobility. If you look around at people in the town centre, you will already notice how few older people and disabled people there are.
A pedestrianised town centre needs:
– disabled road access to within 40m of most shops (the qualifying distance for a blue badge);
– benches and resting places every 30-40m;
– free mobility scooter hire located *where the parking is* (The current scooter hire is under used because it is difficult to get to);
– many more disabled toilets (because if your mobility is limited and you’re forced to move around town without a car, you are away from home for longer, and the current facilities are much too far away for someone who struggles to walk 40m to reach).
The current vision feels like it has been planned with students and younger people in mind. Our town centre needs to be fit for EVERYONE.
I find it incredible that every single business on Cross Church St have said this is a bad idea and will harm their businesses and you completely ignore their concerns.
The amount of people wishing to cycle into Town is virtually non existent, so to claim to be doing this for cyclists is misleading.
If the genuine concern for pedestrians coming out of Kingsgate put in a pedestrian crossing and better signage, do not harm the businesses for a vanity project.
We need cars to be able to easily access every part of the Town centre, we need as many people to be able to access our Town to spend money and keep the businesses going, trade is hard enough with online and out of town shopping centres taking custom.
We need to remove the obstacles stopping people coming not put more up.
The Bus Gates have already made the top end of town a ghost town.
I really struggle to understand why you cannot see the measures you are imposing to supposedly assist cyclists and pedestrians are actually killing the Town, and fewer and fewer people are coming because it is so difficult to access by car.
Please open your eyes and ears and see and hear what is being said. The vast majority of people do not want what you propose but you seem to ride roughshod over the views and do what you think is a good idea even when faced with huge objections to it.
I think you should ask the general public what they would like to see in the town center. What would encourage them to visit/spend more in the town. Look at what draws people to Leeds/Manchester and maybe implement idea from there. Ask local businesses in town what would help them – be it reduced rates/taxes for 12 months to encourage more businesses to join the twin centre because I went this weekend and I know with the current virus issues lots of businesses are closed but the actual town looks a very sad state. Run down and neglected- which is very sad to see and often mocked by visitors. We need to encourage business to set up here to make us proud of our town centre again.
Doesn’t anyone tell these people that pedestrianisation increases trade to local shops. Thinks some of these shop should be more concerned at addressing that state of their shop fronts.