Holmfirth: Work begins to put River Holme back at the heart of Yorkshire village

The Holmfirth Blueprint seeks to make the town a vibrant and inviting place. A total of £9m will be invested into the town – £7.5m from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the Town Centre Access Plan and £1.5m from Kirklees Council’s capital programme for local centres across the district.

The blueprint plans focus on several areas of development, one of which is making the River Holme a more picturesque feature. Works will see views over the river opened up, access created closer to the water’s edge, plus improvements to the river environment.

Preliminary works are being carried out to clear vegetation and allow access to the river wall. Environmental checks will be undertaken, and work will be done to ensure the structural integrity of the river wall whilst preserving the surrounding ecosystem.

The council says that the existing river environment is its priority, with healthy native plants to be relocated. A new bat box will also be installed, creating a suitable habitat for bats roosting close to the river during the construction period.

Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Growth & Regeneration, said: “It’s fantastic to see the first tangible steps being taken towards delivering the Holmfirth Blueprint – and these preliminary works are contributing to a project which has seen tremendous public support. The River Holme gives Holmfirth its name and is already a beautiful feature within the town centre, so it’s unsurprising that putting the river back at the heart of the town is so important to so many.

“At the end of the day, our blueprints are about creating better, more beautiful and more functional centres for local people to enjoy, and they’re also about preserving Kirklees’ beauty and heritage for future generations. I’m very excited to see these plans come to life.”

Councillor Masood Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Our blueprint plans across Kirklees aren’t just about taking urban centres into the future. They’re also about future-proofing the beauty that’s already there.

“Making sure the existing natural environment around the River Holme is preserved and improved, and that wildlife currently living around the river is well cared for and supported throughout – that’s our priority with this initial work. We’re not just improving Holmfirth for local people but for the local environment too.”

Aside from works concerning the river, wider pavements and better crossings will be installed, and a new multi-use event space, car park and electric vehicle charging points among the other proposed features. This comes as part of the Town Centre Access Plan with work commencing this Summer.

The council has said that as works on the Holmfirth Blueprint progress, there may be an impact on some local events but this will be minimised.

In April, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) spoke to Holmfirth locals about the council’s plans for their town. A very mixed response was received with some “dreading” the effects the scheme will have on local businesses and traffic and others feeling more optimistic.