An independent financial report says the business plan for the controversial development on Castle Hill is sensible but does have some risks.

Kirklees Council requested Huddersfield accountancy firm Wheawill & Sudworth to carry out a review into the £3.75m business plan for a visitor centre, restaurant, café, bar and six bedrooms at Castle Hill put forward by Huddersfield developers The Thandi Partnership.

The aim of the review was to check if the business plan stacked up and, although on the whole it does, the accountants did highlight some reservations.

It states: “Certain risks and uncertainties exist which could impact on the financial viability and sustainability of the project.”

The Thandi Partnership is led by Mr Indy Thandi who has provided information about his net worth in the review, although the figure has been redacted from the report made public on the Kirklees planning portal.

The report said this had “provided assurance” but Wheawill & Sudworth did make three recommendations to Kirklees Council for financial safeguards if it was to give the development the go ahead.

These are:

1. Mr Thandi to provide periodic updates on sourcing finance to show that adequate funding is available.
2. A requirement for Mr Thandi to provide refreshed financial forecasts in November 2026 to reflect any changes in the business plan.
3. A recommendation that Mr Thandi instructs a professional adviser to fully check compliance with VAT and PAYE/NI regulations and opportunities to maximise claims for capital allowances.

Another concern is the importance of the restaurant and bar managing to attract enough customers to make the development viable and also warns of potentially spiralling running costs due to increases in the national minimum wage and employers’ escalating national insurance contribution.

The review states: “These are currently impacting hard in the leisure and hospitality sectors mainly due to the high number of part-time and/or temporary staff.”

But it concludes: “Overall, the financial business plan and forecasts have been prepared on a sensible basis.”

No date for a decision on the planning application has yet been set.

To see the full planning application click here.

Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.

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