The New Year provides a perfect opportunity to reflect on the successes of the year just gone and Huddersfield has exciting developments underway with much to look forward to in 2025 and beyond.
Here, SIR JOHN HARMAN, chairman of Huddersfield Unlimited, the organisation that champions Huddersfield’s businesses, investors and communities, shares his views on why 2025 is Huddersfield’s year.
2024 was a truly dynamic year for Huddersfield with significant progress being made to improve the town’s infrastructure, inward investment appeal and community spirit.
West Yorkshire was confirmed as host to England’s third Investment Zone in 2024, with a focus on the life sciences sector – something that is perfect for what is happening in Huddersfield.
Our science and pharmaceutical communities here are world class and are themselves making significant advances in their sectors.
Being able to benefit from the West Yorkshire Investment Zone will mean that Huddersfield can truly help to pioneer life sciences development, worldwide.
The Investment Zone also sits across the same geography as Kirklees Council’s Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, which more and more businesses are exploring opportunities within.
Huddersfield is already the proud home of major brands like Thornton & Ross and Paxman Scalp Cooling. With the University of Huddersfield’s new National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC), research and training assets on hand, this makes us a natural home for health sector investment.
As well as excelling in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, Huddersfield also boasts an enviable range of engineering, manufacturing and textiles firms, with Huddersfield’s Accu, an innovative engineering component manufacturer, recently awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
Huddersfield is already benefitting from the over £1 billion of investment being funnelled to the town, but the best is yet to come.
This investment includes the significant works that are being done at Huddersfield Railway Station, set to continue into 2025.
As part of the TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU), the station will benefit from two new platforms and extensions of existing platforms, improved accessibility and facilities, roof restoration and track upgrades to support increased capacity.
These works are vital and will have a huge impact on not only the day-to-day lives of our residents, commuters and visitors, but it will greatly improve the first impression that visitors get of our town, from the moment they step off their trains into Huddersfield.
Once arrived in Huddersfield, there’s plenty of progress there too!
Construction began on Kirklees Council’s Our Cultural Heart plans with spades in the ground for the new food hall, library and public square.
This work will continue throughout 2025, with phase one of construction due to complete in quarter two of 2026. This project gives us the opportunity to change the town centre’s day and evening economies for the better.
The works will see the Grade II listed former Queensgate Market building transformed into a brand-new food experience – helping to attract more residents and visitors into the town centre.
The innovative new designs for the old market, which will house the new food hall, are just a delicious taster of the exciting things to come, with the search for an operator for the 17,000 sq ft food hall now underway.
And, with planning applications now submitted for phase two, which focus on a new flagship museum and art gallery off Princess Alexandra Walk, there truly is so much to look forward to.
And this is just the beginning of the property development opportunities for Huddersfield. In May, we presented the town to the property investment and development community at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds.
Our event, which was held in partnership with Kirklees Council and the University of Huddersfield, brought to the fore the catalytic impact for wider investment in the town that major investments, like the Investment Zone and the university’s National Health Innovation Campus represent for the town.
The NHIC has been one of this year’s greatest successes with the first building on the campus, the Daphne Steele Building, completed and opened as scheduled.
Building two, the Emily Siddon Building, is now well underway and set for completion before the end of 2025. The campus truly will be a hub for setting the standards in healthcare and science across the world.
We are also keeping an eager eye on the ongoing development of the George Hotel; the completion of the site as a Radisson Red hotel will be a welcome addition to the town, safeguarding the building’s legacy as the birthplace of rugby league.
There is also ongoing redevelopment planned for the former Huddersfield Technical School and Mechanics Institute and tax office sites, both of which are welcome changes and will help to rejuvenate Huddersfield’s economy and presence.
Another significant development for 2025 is the opening of Kingsgate Leisure, which is anticipated to complete around Easter time.
The re-invention of Kingsgate as a retail and leisure destination will re-ignite the town centre’s appeal and activity with new additions including a multi-screen cinema complex and bowling alley.
Professional sport can be a real driver for economic growth and developments are afoot at the home of both Huddersfield Town and Huddersfield Giants.
Ownership of the John Smith’s Stadium is expected to transfer to the football club, triggering the next phase of chairman Kevin Nagle’s bold ambition for the town and the club.
We are proud to be working closely with the club, which hosted our best attended Huddersfield Unlimited conference, ‘Huddersfield: The Next Chapter’ in October, with a keynote speech from Mr Nagle about his vision for the town.
It certainly seems that Huddersfield is primed for success in 2025. Let’s do all we can to champion our people, businesses and goals. Huddersfield – 2025 is our year!
