Plans for investment in Heckmondwike will see ‘a greener, safer and better connected town centre’
After lots of public feedback, we’ve just launched the Heckmondwike Blueprint – a masterplan that lays out £1.5million of investment in the town centre over the next decade and beyond.
What is a blueprint?
Heckmondwike is the latest local town where we’re taking a ‘blueprint’ approach to development. It means that we’re looking at the town as a whole, with plans spread across the town centre, encompassing lots of different changes to improve safety and footfall.
Other towns where we’re already taking this approach are Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Batley, Holmfirth and Cleckheaton.
What are the plans?
The Heckmondwike Blueprint is all about creating a healthy, vibrant town centre where people can live, work and relax. As with all our local blueprints, we want to celebrate the town centre’s heritage whilst also making positive changes for the future.
Bus Station
The council will also be working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to upgrade the Bus Hub to a full bus station, building accessible indoor facilities, improving the outdoor spaces and adding more bus stops. By making public transport a more viable option – not just in Heckmondwike but across Kirklees – we’re aiming to reduce traffic congestion, thereby improving air quality and journey times. This project is fully funded by WYCA, and should help us meet our target of reducing Kirklees’ carbon emissions to zero by 2038.
New Square
At the heart of Heckmondwike, we’ll be creating a new public square away from the noise and irritation of traffic. New Square will be an informal, intimate and versatile space for local people and visitors to enjoy, with attractive seating to encourage people to spend time and socialise.
Market Square
Market Square, with its iconic Listed clock and former drinking fountain, will be completely rejuvenated – providing a beautiful new public space with greenery, seating, footpaths, and space for outdoor market stalls.
Parking will be moved to Oldfield Lane, though there’s potential to keep some accessible parking bays on the square itself.
Green Park
Heckmondwike has multiple well-loved parks, and we want to better connect these spaces with the town centre and create safer thoroughfares for pedestrians and cyclists.
We’re going to reroute traffic off Northgate to allow Green Park to be extended, creating a safe and inviting space for walkers and shoppers, and new footpaths and cycleways will be added.
Algernon Firth Park
Algernon Firth Park will be linked by new pedestrian crossings from Green Park, and well-lit walkways will connect the whole area – naturally improving safety and encouraging more people to use these routes.
Greenway link
A key part of the blueprint will improving the town centre’s connectedness to Spen Valley Greenway – a well-used walking and cycling trail, which connects Heckmondwike with Cleckheaton, Dewsbury Moor and beyond. The link between Heckmondwike town centre and the Greenway could be made a lot better, and we’ll be investing in creating better access and signage plus new cycle paths.
How was the Heckmondwike Blueprint designed?
We started engaging with the public back in 2021, to see what really mattered to local people, where there were issues, and what ideas people had for improvements. We then put together our masterplan, and asked for lots of public feedback on these plans in May 2023. All this feedback and engagement shaped the Heckmondwike Blueprint as it is today.
You can find out lots more about the consultation process and the blueprint as a whole on the Heckmondwike Blueprint webpage.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, says:
“Heckmondwike is a beautiful town with so much potential, and we want to celebrate what local people most love about the town centre whilst also looking to the future.
“Rather than focusing on one single development, what we’re doing across Kirklees is focusing on town centres like Heckmondwike as a whole, and approaching local issues from every angle. Kirklees is one of the most varied districts in the UK, so developing our towns has never been one-size-fits-all. It’s all about knowing a place, engaging with local people, looking at what that specific area needs, and creating a masterplan – a blueprint – that takes into account the whole picture.
“It will be wonderful to see all the most beloved elements of Heckmondwike connect through this work, and to see more people able to enjoy them. We hope this will bring more people into the town, naturally improving safety and also driving more footfall for local businesses. I’m thrilled with all the work that’s gone into this project, and excited to start delivering later this year. Over the next decade and beyond, these developments will create a greener, safer and better connected town centre for future generations.”