Kirklees set to get 拢100m of Levelling Up cash

Image source, LDRS

Image caption, Around 拢16m will be used to upgrade Huddersfield Open Market
  • Author, Abigail Marlow
  • Role, Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than 拢100m of Levelling Up money is set to be invested in Kirklees as major regeneration projects move forward.

Senior councillors will be asked to formally accept cash for several schemes from the government fund at a meeting next week.

Almost half of the money will be used to upgrade the Penistone railway line, which runs from Huddersfield into South Yorkshire.

One local councillor said they were "overjoyed" at the prospect of the investment.

Other projects set to be funded by the cash include a 拢16.5m revamp of Huddersfield Open Market by 2026 and the Dewsbury Blueprint - a 拢20m scheme to boost jobs and housing in the town.

A further 拢17m will also be invested in an "enterprise corridor", designed to increase employment and business growth between Huddersfield Railway Station and the John Smith's Stadium, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for finance and regeneration, said the cash was a "vote of confidence" in Kirklees.

He said: 鈥淚鈥檓 overjoyed to be bringing these funding proposals forward to Cabinet, because combined they鈥檒l mean more than 拢100m of government investment in the future of Kirklees.

鈥淲ith all the issues faced by local authorities in today鈥檚 economic climate, funding injections like this are crucial to keep us moving forward.

"We鈥檙e continuing to put all we can into developing our local town centres, with a similarly wide-ranging and location-specific approach to our investment."

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