Our Work.
Over the last 5 years, together with Kirklees Council, we have been working hard to deliver on your priorities for Dewsbury. Here are just a few of the things you’ve told us are important to you, and what we’re doing about them:
Dewsbury Arcade - 16 Corporation St, Dewsbury WF13 1QG
In 2020, 75% of the local people we asked expressed support for reopening the Arcade.
That same year, Kirklees Council bought the Arcade and together with the Arcade Group secured £4.5m of funding to rejuvenate this jewel in Dewsbury’s town centre.
Work began in May 2024 and the Arcade is set to reopen by summer of next year!
Dewsbury Market - 32 Cloth Hall St, Dewsbury WF13 1QE
Revitalising Dewsbury Market was a major priority for local people in our 2020 consultation.
Dewsbury Town Board secured £6.6M of investment from the Towns Fund to build a 21st Century Market, adding to the £8.3M investment from Kirklees Council.
We expect work on the new market to begin in 2025.
Town Park - 32 Cloth Hall st Dewsbury WF13 1QE
Following a 2021 consultation where 62% supported a new park, designs for the new Town Park next to the market are now finalised, incorporating community feedback.
The park will feature an amphitheatre, diverse seating, new planting and play equipment for all ages.
Dewsbury Taking a Lead
The Town Board has led on Dewsbury’s cultural programme, Taking a Lead develop the Kirklees Year of Music events programme in 2023, aiming to shine a light on the rich diversity of music available in the town. the board secured £515k of investment from the governments Town Fund to support a wide range of activities including the 2023 Woven Festival that was a celebration of the area’s roots in the textile industry, as well as a celebration of Kirklees’ vibrant creative scene today.
Worldwide Food Festival
The first ever Dewsbury Worldwide Food Festival took place on June 1, 2024, and saw Dewsbury town centre transformed as food vendors, entertainers and musicians from across the country came together to celebrate a rich array of global cuisines. Featuring celebrity chef Al Roberto, music from the Dear Sunflowers Community Choir and activities for the whole family. The event also raised money for two local charities: The Children’s Arts School, and Bramwell’s Food Bank.
Improving heritage shop fronts
The Building Revival scheme is aimed at providing support for the conversion of buildings to office / workspace & residential where appropriate and improving shop fronts to a Conservation Area Standard.
The scheme involves providing grant assistance to owners in providing quality accommodation, prompting property owners to think differently about conversions, through using spaces more creatively - creating live/workspaces, rather than just plain box conversions.
Improving Daisy Hill - WF13 1LH
The new residential development on Daisy Hill is a critical first step on the road to creating a new neighbourhood of circa 200 homes at the heart of Dewsbury, which will support town centre vibrancy and make the most of the heritage assets of the town.
Developing a Construction Skills Centre - WF12 9ED
A multi-purpose skills and education centre for the construction and built environment sectors, located at the heart of one of Kirklees’s largest housing sites, Dewsbury Riverside. Developed in partnership with Kirklees College and industry partners and operating on a hub and spoke basis with the Pioneer Higher Skills Centre.
Inputting High Speed Internet Access
This project is to facilitate the installation of a fibre network into key buildings in Dewsbury town centre. The project will provide a new primary duct network that links all key TIP projects in the town centre; along with key council buildings.
Improving accessibility and active travel - Dewsbury Ring Road
A transformational programme of walking and cycling infrastructure improvements within Dewsbury delivering a high-quality network connecting key transport nodes. The proposed new footway/cycleway facilities would offer greater pedestrian and cycling connectivity in the North-east of Dewsbury Town Centre and better access to Town Centre and college sites. The scheme incorporates a new two-way cycle track alongside the footway to enable and encourage a modal shift to bike through creation of a safer, more attractive environment for cyclists as part of the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).