Homes are more likely to be built at Huddersfield’s former sports centre site than shops, it has been revealed.

More than two years after Tesco pulled the plug on a new store at Southgate, a Kirklees report has recommended the council avoids using the site for retail.

Consultants have said the large site – the biggest plot available in the town centre – is more suited to homes, offices or a research and development (R&D) centre.

Experts have said using the site for shopping could negatively impact the town centre and the upcoming HD One project by the John Smith’s Stadium.

Plans for HD One development

The chances of a smaller supermarket operating from the site or some form of leisure facility have not been ruled out.

But the report by architects Gillespies says it is most suited to offices and residential.

Gillespies say three options exist: 1) a combination of offices and an R&D centre, 2) apartments and housing scheme with an ‘extra care’ facility, or 3) a mix of residential, offices and the R&D facility.

Nine months on from the completion of demolition, Kirklees Council is now set to invite interested firms to provide their masterplans along with financial bids.

The council’s preference is for developers to take on the whole site as a co-ordinated single project.

Cabinet member for asset strategy, Clr Graham Turner, said he agreed that building shops there would damage the council’s retail strategy.

Kirklees Labour member, Clr Graham Turner

He said: “It’s a valuable piece of land and we think we can make better use of it by not building retail on it.

“There’s already plans in place for retail sites and Southgate’s outside the main shopping area.”

Speculation that Huddersfield University would snap up the site has been circling ever since Tesco abandoned its plans.

“It might be the university it might not, that’s up to them,” Clr Turner said.

“We’re trying to attract quality jobs to Kirklees.

“We already have the 3M centre and this kind of thing could be there.”

Clr Turner said the council was yet to talk with any companies or organisations as it had not been put on the market yet.

He added: “It’s not that long since we cleared the site and we haven’t marketed it yet.

“There’s been no approaches about it yet, that’s why we’re going out to market.

“Now it’s available we’ll see who’s prepared to talk to us and what their ideas are for what is a major gateway site for Huddersfield.”