Council chiefs have approved a £4 million loan to turn Huddersfield’s ski slope “dream into a reality.”

Kirklees’ cabinet nodded through the application made by the company behind the scheme, Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd, at a meeting tonight.

It will cost a total of £7 million to create the slope, which will be constructed by Holmfirth-based Briton Engineering Developments Ltd, a world leader in artificial snow surfaces.

Briton will invest £1 million and the remaining £2 million share is likely to go to a private sector investor.

The ski slope will be the centrepiece of an £80 million development called HD One, which will be based around the John Smith’s Stadium .

An outdoor snowsports park in northern France similar to one planned in Huddersfield. Image courtesy Briton Engineering.
An outdoor snowsports park in northern France similar to one planned in Huddersfield. Image courtesy Briton Engineering.

It will also include a Radisson hotel, a Hollywood Bowl bowling alley restaurants and shops.

Clr Shabir Pandor, portfolio holder for strategy and strategic resources, said: “This loan will turn the ski slope dream into a reality.

“I hope that work can now start next year.

“When complete, 20 per cent of profits from the businesses will be given back to the community.

“The ski slope will be state of the art. This means that it will be cheaper to run than existing slopes in places like Manchester and Castleford. Users could pay half the cost to come to use ours.”

Clr Graham Turner, portfolio holder for asset strategy, resources and creative Kirklees, added: “This is a great opportunity to turn Huddersfield into a northern hub.

Terry Di Stasi of Briton Engineering, ski slope suppliers to the HD One project
Terry Di Stasi of Briton Engineering, ski slope suppliers to the HD One project

“Being able to charge rates on businesses in the development is important, especially considering that the Government are moving to a position where councils are funded by these rates.”

The Examiner revealed last week that restaurant chains already signed up for HD One include Nando’s, Five Guys and Zizzi.

At the same meeting, cabinet also approved a bid to transfer ownership of Holmfirth Civic Hall to Holme Valley Parish Council.

A public meeting will now take place in the hall on September 22 at 7pm where the council will ask for people to put themselves forward as trustees.

Donna Bellamy, a parish councillor, said: “It’s great news.

“We now want people to sign up to becoming trustees, volunteers or friends of the hall to help us run it.

“The parish council and the Holme Valley Land Charity will fund it initially but we hope that in five years it will become self-funding.”