Kirklees Council is to start “greening up” Huddersfield town centre by installing three 40ft tall planters.

The steel planters, described as “elegant pieces of public art”, will be craned into New Street as part of the council’s plan to create a ‘green street.’

Instead of traditional flowerbeds, the planting will grow skywards creating “tree-like structures.”

The council’s Cabinet gave the go ahead in 2019 and outline planning permission was granted. Now the council is seeking approval for the final designs.

The planters will be strategically placed along New Street where there are also plans to create outdoor seating areas and a space for pop-up markets or events.

Planters will be positioned at the end of New Street outside the Yorkshire Building Society and further along either side of the Market Avenue arcade near to the Oxfam shop.

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A planning document says: “The design driver for Huddersfield New Street was to create a green street to run through New Street and continue through Huddersfield town centre.

“Other factors in the design requirements were to provide an allocated space for temporary pop-up markets and events.

“With this requirement a larger area of the floor space needed to be kept free and options for planting and creating the greening effect were limited.

“The idea of vertical planters stemmed from needing a small footprint but still providing a strong green element.

“Rather than taking up large areas with traditional planting beds, the planting would grow vertically.”

The three planter designs (from left to right): Contours, Waterways and Commerce

As well as looking ‘green’ the council says the planters will provide a green lung.

The document adds: “The planters will themselves be artistic in design and support planting to aid air quality improvement, well-being and all the other benefits that greening in the urban setting brings.”

The three planters are described as “elegant pieces of public art” and have three different themes – contours, waterways and commerce.

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Contours represents the contours and topography of the Huddersfield landscape; Waterways the ‘thread’ of waterways; and Commerce, the ‘thread’ of industry and technology.

The planters will have a pre-cast concrete foundation and are made of rings of mild steel which are powder-coated.

Road closures will be needed during the installation but foundation works will be carried out between 6pm and 11pm to minimise disruption. New Street will be closed while the planters are brought in and craned into position.

Public consultation into the latest planning application runs until January 7 with a target date for a decision set for January 26.

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