Works has started on a massive project to breathe new life into an historic part of Dewsbury.
Contractors moved on to the ‘Imsons’ site in Northgate, which is the first property to receive Townscape Heritage Initiative grant funding.
Following a successful bid by Kirklees Council to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project was awarded £2m, matched with a further £1.7m from Kirklees Council to make a total fund of £3.7m over five years.
The Dewsbury THI was formally launched in June 2014 and will run up until July 2018.
The works will comprise of external improvements to the property, to include replacing existing modern shop fronts with traditional shop fronts to all three elevations of Northgate, Queensway Arcade and Foundry Street.
The work will include replacement of defective gutters and fall pipes, decoration of rainwater goods, upper floor windows and doors to the Northgate and Foundry Street elevations.
The grant works are being carried out by local builders Walter West and the architect’s are Martin Walsh Associates.
The work is due to complete in August.
The Townscape project covers the Northgate area forming part of Dewsbury town centre conservation area which includes the key buildings of Pioneer House, the former Co-op funeral parlour in Northgate, Northgate House, which is currently the Families relief charity shop, and the Northgate block, the group of properties between Queensway Arcade, Northgate and Foundry Street.
Family business Imsons closed one of its three Dewsbury branches in February 2014 when the man who had run the shop for nearly two decades retired.
Mohmedamin Laher first joined Imsons in 1986 after working for Foxsons and the Yorkshire Woollen District Bus Company.
