Cabinet approves more funding for the George Hotel
Our Cabinet has just approved an extra £9.8million for the refurbishment and reopening of the George Hotel, one of Huddersfield’s most recognisable historic buildings.
The George is a Grade II* Listed building overlooking St. George’s Square, which makes it one of the first sights welcoming rail travellers to Huddersfield – and a perfectly placed hotel which could greatly support the local economy.
The George has currently stood vacant since 2013, with the building left to deteriorate. Four years ago, we bought the hotel so we could restore it and bring it back into use. Restoring the George became a key priority within the Huddersfield Blueprint, which lays out our plans for investment and development across the town centre.
What are the plans?
Once restored, the George Hotel will be managed by internationally renowned hoteliers the Radisson Hotel Group. It’s currently set to become the first Radisson RED hotel across the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
Why is more funding needed?
Two years ago, Cabinet approved £20.2million to redevelop and refurbish the George.
Over the past few months, we’ve been reviewing our plans for the George. We’ve been factoring in increases in construction costs, which are impacting regeneration projects nationally. We’ve also been looking at extra issues we’ve found onsite, mostly due to the nature of the historic building and its complexities – something that’s pretty normal when renovating very old buildings like the George.
At the same time, we’ve taken the opportunity to look into the possibility of increasing the number of rooms planned from 91 to 108. This will mean the hotel has more capacity for guests, which also means the George will be able to generate more income in the future to repay the investment we’re making now.
Now that the extra injection of funding has been approved, we’re working towards reopening the George as a hotel in 2027.
How is this funded?
Two years ago, Cabinet approved £20.2million to redevelop and refurbish the George Hotel. This new investment takes that total up to £30million, and this money will come out of funding already specifically allocated to Huddersfield regeneration.
Councillor Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council, said:
“The George Hotel plays such a key role in Huddersfield’s past, and for people travelling by rail it will always be one of the very first buildings to welcome you as you enter the town centre. Bringing this building back to life is one of our priorities within the Huddersfield Blueprint, and we’re unwavering in that commitment.
“This extra funding injection will see us reopen the George with more bedrooms than previously planned, allowing more people to enjoy our rejuvenated Huddersfield town centre, and helping the building itself generate more income. We want the finished hotel to be fantastic, because we know how much it’s loved by local people, and what a great opportunity this presents to boost our local economy and tourism.
“As with many of our regeneration plans – particularly projects which involve the refurbishment of such beautiful, historic structures – it’s a hugely complex process, greatly impacted by the current economic climate. What we’re proposing is a more streamlined vision for the hotel, with greater capacity, and solutions that take better care of this beautiful building’s history.
“I’m pleased that Cabinet continue to see bringing this beautiful building back into use as a priority. We know people love the George and want to see it given a new lease of life – in fact, we’ll be finding more ways to involve the public down the line in how the interior design of the new Radisson RED hotel could celebrate Huddersfield, its culture and history for visitors in years to come.”