Stalled plans to redevelop the mothballed former Kirklees College site will take a step forward in the next few weeks, the developer has promised.
It is now more than a year since Leeds based Trinity One bought the ‘gateway’ site, which overlooks Huddersfield ring road, and five years since Kirklees College moved out.
The purchase revived hopes that the eyesore site – which has suffered numerous arson attacks – would be swiftly developed, coming in the wake of the mysterious collapse of the original proposal to turn it into a Lidl supermarket, health centre and retirement flats.
After unveiling themselves as the new owners in July 2017, Trinity One revealed three months later that Lidl was still on board and that they had ambitious plans to build a 102 bed hotel on top of it on the Trinity Street side of the site.
Drawings shown to councillors showed national chain Travelodge as the hotel operator, something Travelodge later denied.
Trinity One has never explained the confusion.
The councillor briefing showed that the New North Road side of the site was set to feature blocks of apartments and offices, with a number of units for small shops and cafes around the square in front of the historic Grade 2* former Huddersfield Infirmary building.
The firm also said it wanted to refurbish the fire damaged infirmary, which has been attacked and vandalised by thieves and vandals numerous times since Kirklees College left the premises in 2013.
But nine-months on from the proposals briefing – which councillors dubbed “exciting” – no planning application has been lodged with Kirklees Council .
Tas Javed, managing director of Trinity One, vowed they were still intending to complete the high profile scheme, set to be called Trinity West.
But he declined to reveal if Lidl or Travelodge were still involved.
“We are completely committed to Trinity West,” he said.
“It will be one of the most exciting developments to be undertaken in Huddersfield in recent years.
“We have been working very closely with Kirklees Council to create an exciting mixed use gateway scheme.
“Our detailed plans for the scheme are now completed and we will be presenting them to the council within the next couple of weeks, prior to be a planning application for the entire development being submitted within four to six weeks.
“Kirkless Council has been very supportive of our plans throughout this process.
“Our scheme will create sustainable jobs and provide a timely and serious boost to the Kirklees economy.”
