With Dewsbury at the centre of a transformation, we take a look at exactly what is planned for the town.

Dewsbury is a historic market town and the second largest in Kirklees. The town is home to around 64,000 residents, with more than half of its neighbourhoods among the 20 per cent most deprived in the UK.

But efforts are being made to improve the area through an ambitious regeneration programme.

The iconic market and arcade are the subject of multi-million pound projects, and the bus station is being revamped.

An artist's impression of how Dewsbury Arcade could look.

placeholder image — An artist's impression of how Dewsbury Arcade could look.

Elsewhere, listed buildings are being repurposed for housing and the public realm around the town hall is getting a facelift.

Along with many other “overlooked” areas across the UK, Dewsbury was earmarked for a £20m cash boost back in 2023 as part of the Tory government’s Long-term Plan for Towns.

Prior to this, the town was one of 101 places to be invited to develop proposals for a multi-million-pound Town Deal, with just shy of £25m secured from the government’s £3.6bn Towns Fund.

Below is a roundup of some of the key schemes set to transform the town:

Artist's impression of public realm outside Dewsbury Town Hall and the Walsh Building, featuring new greenery and seating, and one possible design for the rail-themed central amphitheatre. Credit: Kirklees Council

Dewsbury Market and Town Park

The town park will be the largest green space within the town centre , and the first dedicated outdoor area for children to play and socialise. It will blend into the market’s outdoor offering, which will have space for food and drink to be enjoyed outside, along with demountable stalls and space for events.

The indoor market will also be designed to accommodate a variety of markets and events.

Dewsbury market and town park are two key components in the wider Dewsbury Blueprint. Planning permission was secured last summer and the council is currently out to tender for a construction partner.

Existing traders are due to be decanted to the temporary site across Market Place, Longcauseway and Foundry Street, this spring, with work on the main market site expected to take around 18 to 24 months.

Since the project began, costs have risen from the original budget of £22.51m to £26.16m. The gap will be funded by reallocating unspent government grant and council match funding from other projects within the Town Deal Programme which have either been paused or completed under budget.

Dewsbury Arcade

The Dewsbury Arcade scheme is gearing up for a June completion. The arcade had stood empty since 2016 before being purchased by Kirklees Council and is undergoing extensive restoration works.

Once refurbished, the arcade will be the UK’s first community-run shopping centre, leased and managed by the Arcade Group.

A soft launch will be held by the Arcade Group in June or July, with a grand opening then expected to be held in September.

The scheme has come up against some obstacles along the way, with issues relating to rot and damp more severe than anticipated. An additional £1.3m was released for the scheme based on the “worst case” scenario.

But things appear to be looking up, with several key elements of the works now completed, including glazed and slate roofing and lift shaft masonry. External shop fronts are being manufactured and scaffolding has been taken down at Market Place.

According to the Arcade Group’s website, there are 40 live expressions of interest in units.

Daisy Hill

Work is ongoing to transform the Daisy Hill area into a new neighbourhood. The council says the aim is to provide high-quality homes that are affordable to rent or buy.

Work has been ongoing at Daisy Hill’s flagship development – Fieldhouse. The Grade II*-lListed four-storey building stands directly opposite Dewsbury Train Station and is being transformed into ‘Station Apartments’.

The site is being transformed into 23 apartments with additional retail space alongside it.

Looking ahead, the local authority wants to pursue a residential development for another prominent building across from the railway station – Neil Jordan House.

The property is a former station master’s house fronting onto the Ring Road, with an interconnecting four storey stone building to the rear. Several parties have expressed an interest and one formal proposal is currently under evaluation by estate agents.

In and around the Town Hall

Directly outside the town hall, improvements are being made to the public realm, including the creation of a “flexible outdoor space”. This will be complete with more trees, seating, and a small new amphitheatre.

Internally, restorations have been made to the Victoria Concert Hall, which can seat 700 people.

The council has also opened the Victoria Bar – a new events venue and social space within the town hall. Improvements have also been made to many of the town hall’s ornate rooms.

Dewsbury Bus Station

Dewsbury’s new £23m bus station is set to open next autumn. Construction began in March 2025 and since then, a temporary bus station has been built, along with a new steel frame for the new retail units and bus station. Construction of the new roof and floor slab is currently underway.

Final work on external parts of the station is expected to be completed in spring 2027.

The aim is to create a “fully accessible” modern bus station, with better real-time information, improved safety and security features, and a ‘Changing Places’ toilet with extra features to cater for people with a range of disabilities.

It will also have a ‘living roof’ covered in plants, cycle parking and energy saving features such as solar panels.