Next year will be one of the most fascinating in Huddersfield town centre’s recent history.
Lavish plans to restore the George Hotel, next to the town’s railway station, to its former glory will be discussed by planners. If approved the landmark building could enjoy a glorious future under the stewardship of dentist-cum-businessman Altaf Hussain.
The development will restore some much-needed glamour to St George’s Square which has seemed a strangely denuded place since the iconic hotel shut down on January 2, 2013, as the threat of bankruptcy beckoned.
And just a few yards away an expert team of joiners and decorators are busy putting the finishing touches to the eagerly anticipated restoration of the King’s Head pub, a former railway station ticket office, thanks to grants from the Railway Heritage Trust.
Landlord Bruce Travis and regulars are looking forward to seeing the ceilings restored to their original height complete with superb coving, a classic of Victorian-style decoration.
Later in the summer a major event will come to fruition that was mooted several years ago.
Tesco and Kirklees Council agreed a deal whereby the leisure centre in Southgate would be demolished and a new one constructed on a former car park near to Huddersfield Fire Station.
The centre, owned by the council and to be managed by Kirklees Active Leisure, will include a 25m competition swimming pool; a 20m teaching pool; two sports halls; climbing, squash and martial arts facilities; a large fitness suite; a cafe and children’s play structure.
The question then will be what happens to Tesco’s down-at-heel store on Viaduct Street. The original plans were for a mixed development of a hotel, offices etc but are now out of date.
It is highly unlikely for example that any developer would build another hotel in the town centre.
Whatever happens the town centre’s topography will never look quite the same again!
