HUNDREDS of new jobs could be on their way to Huddersfield.
Hopes rose after the town’s Waterfront Quarter scheme took another big step forward.
Kirklees Council has awarded a £2m contract to Clugston Construction Ltd to undertake major preparatory and landscaping works to a three-acre site in readiness for commercial development from 2012.
It will sit alongside the new Kirklees College, currently taking shape.
When complete, the land off Chapel Hill, which already has outline planning permission for four new buildings containing offices, shops, restaurants and bars, will be offered for sale to developers, hopefully creating several hundred new jobs.
And council officials believe the project will be a success.
A spokesman said: “Marketing of the new units only began recently, so we would not expect many expressions of interest at such an early stage.
“Nonetheless we did receive some enquiries about the Waterfront after attending a recent property exhibition in Leeds.
“We would expect interest in this exciting project to continue developing over the next few months.”
Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “With work starting on the next phase of development, I am delighted to see that Huddersfield’s Waterfront Quarter is gaining considerable momentum.
“Construction of the new Kirklees College campus is right on schedule, with students expected to move in next year.
“And, as work on the site has progressed, it’s now easy to see how attractive the waterside location will be to other investors and developers.”
Work on the land being prepared for the second phase of development has begun with demolition of redundant industrial buildings.
It will also include significant upgrading of a section of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal which runs through the site.
The schedule of works, funded jointly by Kirklees Council and regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, includes the creation of a new lock, landing stage, and passing place, as well as exposing a stretch of the canal which currently passes through a tunnel.
A towpath for pedestrians and cyclists will be formed between Chapel Hill and Manchester Road at Longroyd Bridge.
