Council agrees £2m bid

And people in the town have welcomed the news that Kirklees Council is applying to get the £2m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The money would help bring Pioneer House and the old Co-op funeral parlour back into use, and spruce up shop fronts and arcades.

The grant would be added to the £2.1m that the council has already pledged for Dewsbury. Owners of town centre buildings will be asked to raise an extra £1.5m.

The HLF bid was approved at a meeting of the council’s cabinet in Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Coun Peter McBride, cabinet member for investment and housing, said the grant would be a welcome investment in the town.

News of the bid was welcomed by people in Dewsbury town centre this week.

Louise Murphy, who works at Ramsdens solicitors, said: “It’s absolutely amazing.

“When you look around now the town is dying on its feet, so it would be wonderful to get this money.”

Lorraine Parry, who runs Sakura hairdressers, added: “I think Dewsbury needs some money spending on it.”

Lee Vickers works at Homeworld in Northgate, one of the areas that could be regenerated.

He said: “This end of town is completely dead because of the state of Pioneer House.

“The council seemed to have concentrated on the other end of town, but this end of town needs a facelift.”

The HLF will say if the council’s bid has been successful in April.