Developer launches £150m vision to transform Huddersfield’s waterfront

The Greater Waterfront Quarter proposals for Huddersfield will be launched at international property conference MIPIM.

The plans include a mixed-use development which would connect the town centre to the waterfront. The vision for the scheme includes housing, businesses, independent shops, leisure facilities, community attractions and a health centre.

A team from SKA Developments will head to the conference in Cannes to showcase their vision for the scheme and look for project partners to help transform this part of Huddersfield.

The site is located around a 10 to 15-minute walk from the centre of Huddersfield, the train station, as well as the town’s key education institutions: The University of Huddersfield and Kirklees College.

The project will create hundreds of jobs during the construction phase of works, and further jobs on completion. The buildings could be eight to 15 storeys high on the waterfront side of the site, with three-to-five storey buildings on the St Thomas’ Road side.

Zeb Pervaiz, SKA Developments’ managing director, said: “Our vision for the Greater Waterfront Quarter has been years in the planning, and we’ve worked closely with our partners, Kirklees Council and the Leeds City Region to design a scheme that will be both remarkable and truly transformational.”

“Huddersfield has undergone a renaissance, and our exciting plans for the Greater Waterfront Quarter seek to capitalise on the good work already undertaken, and planned in the future for the Kirklees Region.”

He added: “The waterfront in Huddersfield is a long under-utilised asset, and through the creation of a village with the River Colne and the canal at its heart, we hope to create something very special. We’re attending MIPIM to look for partners to help us deliver this exciting project and unlock potential funding that can realise returns as early as 2022.”

Roger Marsh OBE, chairman of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, which co-ordinates the City Region’s presence at MIPIM, said: “This year we will use MIPIM, arguably one of the most important international economic development conferences, as a springboard to invite the world to discover the huge opportunities in Leeds City Region, and this project epitomises the strength and vision we have on offer.”

Coun Shabir Pandor, leader of Kirklees Council, added: “Not only will SKA’s plans transform a brownfield site, but it will also improve connectivity between the waterfront and the town and help to increase the vibrancy of the town-centre, through the delivery of another impressive scheme.”

SKA Developments owns the majority of the land earmarked for development off St. Thomas’ Road, and is working with site neighbours and other stakeholders to develop plans.