Plans to draw up a blueprint for the future of Marsden continue apace.

Allies and Morrison Architects have been appointed as consultants on the masterplan and they will be introduced at a public meeting at Marsden Mechanics on Thursday October 17 (7pm).

The blueprint is being funded and commissioned by Kirklees Council, which is working closely with the local community.

A community partnership is also being set up to help steer what is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for regeneration.

The multi-billion pound TransPennine Route Upgrade will see a new railway station built and the public will get a first look at what is planned by Network Rail at Thursday’s meeting.

The previous government announced £5.6 million in Levelling Up funding for the £17.3 million regeneration of New Mills, owned by the Crowther family.

Developers said in February that they were struggling to make the development financially viable, however, and the new Labour government has yet to confirm whether the Levelling Up commitments of the previous government will be honoured.

 

 

The chair of Marsden Community Partnership, Tom Lonsdale, said: “Kirklees Council have shown remarkable openness to the views of the community in establishing this partnership and basing the entire brief for the commission on feedback gathered in the What Matters to Marsden questionnaire.

“The enthusiasm of the Allies and Morrison team is also invigorating because it shows that we residents are not fooling ourselves in thinking that Marsden is a very special place with outstanding potential for the region.”

One of the organisations leading Marsden’s drive for regeneration is Marsden Community Trust, the body formed initially to take ownership of and manage the historic Mechanics, now a community hub and headquarters for the Marsden Blueprint.

The Trust not only initiated the current campaign it has also established the ‘umbrella’ of Marsden Matters, which gathers together several complementary groups and initiatives into a single voice for Marsden.

The National Lottery funded essential work on the Mechanics to make it fit for the future and an extension to that grant has been applied for to include setting up a new website for Marsden Matters and to create a brand identity.