One of Huddersfield’s finest listed buildings is set to be converted into apartments in a partnership between Kirklees Council and a private sector partner.

Estate Buildings, opposite Huddersfield Railway Station, is a grade II-listed building owned by Kirklees Council.

The empty building is currently subject to repair and restoration work in a partnership between the council and Historic England.

Estate Buildings in Railway Street is the former Ramsden Estate Office which was designed in a gothic revival style by renowned Victorian architect William Henry Crossland. It was built in 1871-72.

Kirklees Council has submitted a planning application for repairs and restoration works which include re-roofing, repair and renewal of windows and stained glass, repairs to ironwork and masonry and the restoration of missing weather vanes. The slate roofs are said to be in a poor condition.

A heritage impact statement submitted with the planning application says: “The proposals are in the main like-for-like repairs to the building which aim to allow the building to remain in a durable condition aiding the preservation of the building assisting its conservation, whilst a new use for the building is considered.”

Kirklees Council is known to be keen to introduce more residential use of buildings in Huddersfield town centre as part of its ongoing regeneration.

The council declined to comment on what was happening with Estate Buildings but said an announcement was imminent.

Signage on hoardings around Estate Buildings

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Cabinet last week, regeneration chief Clr Graham Turner hinted at what was to come.

He said: “There’s a paper coming in the next couple of months about some proposed redevelopment of the town centre for the first phase of residential, which is a really exciting project.

“We are just finalising the details of that paper now. Yes, we will do all that we can to ensure that some of our really historic buildings and really interesting buildings that have no current use are brought back into use as residential.

“Watch this space. There’s some really exciting things being developed as we speak.”

The council recently announced it is working with not-for-profit developer and landlord Thirteen Group to build affordable homes on council land.

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