A grand plan to create a huge country park for Huddersfield has been revealed – aimed at boosting Kirklees' share of Yorkshire’s £7bn tourism industry.
Bosses of private land owner Farnley Estates have revealed they want to open up their fields and woods and create a 6,000-acre haven for outdoor activity.
They believe it could it could create 450 jobs and secure the future of the rural estate for decades to come.
But the 'once in a lifetime' plan hinges on public support and they are asking for people to vote for or against the project.
Much of the land is green belt and Farnley Estates is relying on the public's backing to develop the project.
They hope to include adjacent Kirklees land around Castle Hill into the ambitious scheme and create a country park to rival any in the country.
It would feature a 17-mile walking and riding track, cycling facilities, parking, and a cafe.
Other ideas include an adventure playground, a farm shop, a “Go Ape” high-wire adventure course in the tree tops, a downhill mountain bike track, a forest retreat with luxury log cabins, and provide facilities for the scouts and Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.
Estates boss Paul Sykes is looking at selling some plots of the land for housing to finance the park’s creation and maintenance costs.
“If Huddersfield wants a country park, we’ve found a way for them to get it,” he said.
“It would be one of the biggest country parks in the country. We have the land but to do this we need to release some of the green belt.
“It’s absolutely not driven by housing, it’s about making the estate viable and opening up access that people don’t currently have.
“We could have an area as big as Epping Forest.
“So far all the people we’ve spoken to – we’ve found no-one is against it. It’s got to be driven by what people want.
“If people don’t want housing then we’ll have to scale it back.
“We know the green belt issue is the important bit but we don’t want to hide away from it. We’re prepared to commit millions for people to have access.
“It’s not something we think we’re going to get fat on – I don’t think of this as a massive money spinner – just something to make the estate sustainable in the long term.”
Welcome to Yorkshire has revealed that leisure in Kirklees and Calderdale currently only receives about 3% of the county’s £7bn tourism pot.
With tourism thriving in the wake of the Tour De France a 1% boost for Kirklees is estimated to be worth about £70m.
A team from Farnley Estates has already met with more than 350 different organisations over the past 18 months and they are now asking the people of Huddersfield and beyond what they think.
The current plan would see a visitor centre and car parking site created off Woodsome Road at Fenay Bridge.
Access would also be available from stations on the Penistone Line – Honley, Brockholes and Stocksmoor.
The team hope the park, like Dalby Forest in North Yorkshire, would attract visitors from all over the country and beyond.
Paul, whose grandfather bought the estate from the Earl of Dartmouth in 1968, said he was “very excited” by the plan.
“This is a Huddersfield thing,” he said. “This is someone from Huddersfield investing in Huddersfield. It’s not someone saying we want to build houses but we live in London.
“I don’t want my grandchildren to look at it in 70 years time and say look how he ruined this lovely area.
“I want them to be proud of it and for it to be viable economically.
“In 1968 the estate had 38 farmer tenants – now it only has four.
“In 20 years the income may be too small for it to continue and we would be forced to sell it off.”
He added: “Tourism in Huddersfield is still living off Last of the Summer Wine and that became boring 20 years ago!”
Farnley Estates is now seeking to create a board to oversee phase one of the plan with the aim of getting the scheme off the ground this year and functioning by 2018.
