Kirklees Together

The UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) is one of the biggest events in the country for regeneration, housing and investment. Held in Leeds, it brings together local authorities like ours, developers and decision-makers from across the UK to discuss how we can shape the future of our towns and cities.

Why did Kirklees attend?

Key representatives from the council and local businesses attended to showcase our major projects, strong partnerships, and the significant investment opportunities already underway in Kirklees, as well as those we’re actively working to secure. This was our third year at UKREiiF, and we had more exciting developments to share than ever before.

A spotlight on our key projects

We hosted two dedicated events during the week, one focused on Huddersfield and South Kirklees, the other on Dewsbury and North Kirklees.

For our first event of the week, we joined the University of Huddersfield at the UKREiiF Health Mixer to talk about our growing health industry, particularly thanks to Kirklees’ place in the £160 million West Yorkshire Investment Zone aimed at boosting health tech and digital innovation. The centrepiece is the university’s new National Health Innovation Campus, the brand new building on Southgate, where the old sports centre used to be, which is driving economic growth and attracting new businesses to the town.

During our second event, we promoted the upcoming Dewsbury Riverside development, which will actually sit between Dewsbury,  our largest housing scheme in living memory, which will bring thousands of new homes to North Kirklees.

We also shared the wider regeneration plans outlined in the Dewsbury Blueprint, a vision to transform the town centre with £200 million of investment.

Aligning investments with our town centre blueprints

All of our major investment plans across Kirklees are guided by long-term town centre blueprints, one for each of our key towns. These set out the changes we want to see over the next decade and beyond, from new housing and cultural spaces to better transport and green public areas.

In Dewsbury, for example, the blueprint focuses on creating a more vibrant, welcoming town centre while respecting the town’s unique character and heritage.

Find out more about all of our blueprints.

How does all this benefit Kirklees?

By showcasing all that’s going on in Kirklees at events like UKREiiF, we’re helping to attract new investment, build strong partnerships and bring in more funding that supports local jobs, services and community spaces.  We have some incredible plans already underway across Kirklees, but the more we can deliver for local people the better.

As Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, puts it:

“Towns like Huddersfield and Dewsbury have real potential, and we’re backing them because we believe in their future. I’ve lived here all my life, and my family’s here. I care about Kirklees, and I want to see it thrive for years to come. I have seen firsthand that so many others want that too.

“We’ve already brought in around £2 billion in funding, but we know we can go further and can’t do it alone. We want developers and investors to talk to us. Just look at what’s happening in our towns, big names like The Light choosing Kirklees, and local people backing the Dewsbury Arcade enough to make it the UK’s first community-run shopping centre. That kind of passion is what makes Kirklees amazing. When people who care come together, we can do brilliant things for our communities.”

To explore business and investment opportunities in Kirklees, visit businesskirklees.com or contact invest@kirklees.gov.uk.