Huddersfield is a great place to base your business - here are all the reasons why: James Wimpenny

Invest in Huddersfield – why on earth would we do that? To the uninitiated this may seem like a fair question. But as a born and bred Huddersfield person whose family have built a great deal of Huddersfield over the last 140 years I’ll try to avoid any bias in outlining a few facts that may make one sit back and actually consider the area as the perfect place to place your business.

Huddersfield has long been known for its rich industrial heritage, beautiful landscapes and a strong sense of being. Although somewhat diminished during the latter part of the 20th Century the traditional Huddersfield industries of textiles and engineering continue to lead the world in quality and innovation.

Huddersfield has now evolved into a true 21st century centre of excellence. The university’s high tech research facilities help to create opportunities for businesses in the field of robotics, aerospace and automotive technologies, making the town attractive to global not just local investors.

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The attraction of Huddersfield as a business destination has been greatly assisted by its university, its council, its investors and also with the promotion and assistance of groups such as Huddersfield Unlimited, formed to encourage people to look closely and take stock of the wealth of opportunities the town offers.

A statue of former Prime Minister Harold Wilson stands in the centre of Huddersfield.  (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)A statue of former Prime Minister Harold Wilson stands in the centre of Huddersfield.  (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
A statue of former Prime Minister Harold Wilson stands in the centre of Huddersfield. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

These joint efforts have helped to create the Kirklees Top 100 Companies list.

A fine example of this is the brand new University National Health Innovation Campus which has been the catalyst for the West Yorkshire Investment Zone focusing on Health, Wellbeing and Digital innovation and making Huddersfield is one of the main health and research centres in the world.

Government initiatives around health innovation, such as the UK’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, offer additional incentives for investors.

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The digital economy is a fast growing sector and Huddersfield is a key player in fostering innovation in digital technologies and tech based start ups. In collaboration with the university, the council and regional enterprise partnerships, tailored support packages can be created to include streamlining of regulatory processes, tax breaks, high speed internet and energy efficient buildings.

James Wimpenny extols the virtues of Huddersfield as a business locationJames Wimpenny extols the virtues of Huddersfield as a business location
James Wimpenny extols the virtues of Huddersfield as a business location

Such collaboration can lead to the development of new products and technologies. With the growth of innovation hubs or incubators, Huddersfield can create a conducive environment for research driven investment.

The highly-regarded university attracts the best students from around the world, many of whom settle here and stay to continue their careers providing a rich pool of graduates in fields such as engineering, business and technology.

In terms of town planning there is a huge programme of investment including the new Enterprise Corridor between the town centre and state of the art John Smith’s Stadium encouraging high value job development in the corridor.

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The stadium is the first ever to be awarded RIBA “Building of the year”, a great accolade for Huddersfield. This combined with the ongoing development of the Cultural Heart and the further extensions to the Kingsgate Centre boosting the town’s nighttime economy. Compared to other UK cities Huddersfield offers more affordable commercial property and industrial land offering the opportunity to reduce overheads.

Combine this with a workforce with a strong work ethic and it could prove ideal for a business to locate. You will find that the locals are friendly, charitable, hard working and with a great sense of humour.

Location, location, location is the byword for those of us in the development industry.

Basically in the centre of the country we have well developed transport infrastructure with the M1 and M62 motorways intersecting here.

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Leeds and Manchester are within very easy reach currently being massively improved with the multi billion pound upgrade to the trans Pennine railway including £70m works to the station.

Huddersfield offers a high quality of life with affordable housing and good schools.

Since the Clean Air Act you can now see the beautiful countryside overlooked by Castle Hill without having to leave the town centre but within minutes you are out in the most glorious countryside incorporating many outlying villages such as Slaithwaite, Honley and Holmfirth to name but a few.

The restoration of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal has brought with it a big variety of restaurants, artisan bakery, cafes, walks and are popular destinations with residents working in Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield.

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Huddersfield is also home to the globally successful Huddersfield Choral Society.

Due to the excellent communications people are coming to live in Huddersfield to enjoy all it has to offer with property prices substantially more attractive than the nearby cities. Access to green spaces and numerous outdoor activities are on the doorstep. The town centre has seeing a resurgence with new retail, dining and cultural businesses with a thriving theatre and also other planned attractions.

Hopefully you are convinced that Huddersfield is an attractive and viable place for investment and a great place for your colleagues to live and enjoy. Come and see for yourself, we will show you around!

James Wimpenny is a Land and Build Consultant and Chairman of Kirklees Development Consortium

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