Revamped £18m Huddersfield Market will be a place to eat and meet not just browse and shop

Kirklees Council is looking to bring its markets into the 21^st century – and £18 million is to be spent on a new Huddersfield market.

Last year Kirklees Council revealed that Huddersfield’s indoor and outdoor markets were going to be amalgamated under the £250 million Huddersfield Blueprint regeneration.

The grade II-listed Queensgate Market will be “re-purposed” and the two markets will come together on the Huddersfield Open Market site.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet, Clr Paul Davies said the local authority had been working on a new vision for its markets for the last two years.

Clr Davies, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We what we looking to do across Kirklees to develop family-friendly social spaces.

“Markets will be about more than just popping in. Hopefully it will be a personal, unique and ethical shopping experience where we can test new business ideas and create places to eat and be entertained.”

Clr Davies said the plan for Huddersfield was to merge the two markets into one under an £18 million investment. He said council officers were now evaluating tenders for the scheme.

He added: “Part of our recovery from Covid is clearly to ensure that we have vibrant, successful markets going forward and build on the heritage we have.”

Pop-up markets could move around Kirklees town and village centres which could be linked to specific events and would also give the opportunity for young entrepreneurs to try out new ideas without the commitment of a regular stall, said Clr Davies.