Dewsbury Blueprint: New neighbourhood created in Dewsbury as Daisy Hill plan moves forward

The Dewsbury Blueprint is a plan spanning more than a decade that seeks to revitalise the town centre and attract more visitors.

Part of this major scheme will see the development of a new neighbourhood at Daisy Hill and is being administered by the council and the Dewsbury Town Board.

Many properties are already being developed in the area, and the council says that the new homes will be of both “excellent quality” and “affordable to rent or buy”.

Through this part of the project, the council hopes to address the need for affordable housing and set a new standard for residential developments in Dewsbury.

Last year, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet approved £2.83m for the flagship building on Daisy Hill – Fieldhouse.

Fieldhouse is a four-storey Grade II Listed building standing opposite Dewsbury Railway Station, and once transformed it will create 23 spacious residences which will be known as ‘Station Apartments’.

At a cabinet meeting last October, councillors agreed that the impact the Fieldhouse development will have on Dewsbury is likely to be on par with the impact the George Hotel’s regeneration will have on Huddersfield.

At the base of Daisy Hill, six to 10 Westgate is being redeveloped to house three new apartments, two new office units and two retail spaces.

On Daisy Hill itself, work is being done to convert a former commercial building at number 63 into housing.

Smaller-scale work is also being done – or has already been completed – on a number of other properties, including several familiar retail establishments around the town centre.

Greenwoods on Church Street, Kashmir Travel on Foundry Street, and the Cocoa Lounge and Homeworld on Northgate have all benefitted from practical and aesthetic improvements to boost the look and feel of the area.

Alongside this work, the council is in the process of procuring various structures in and around the Daisy Hill area for the purposes of future developments, as this is a long-running project which will completely transform the whole area.

Councillor Eric Firth, cabinet member for Transport and Dewsbury ward councillor, said: “The scale of development we’re facing in Dewsbury is absolutely colossal, and Daisy Hill is possibly the area with the most moving parts.

"There are so many different structures, different buildings with different issues needing different work. All the while we’re looking at where to build on existing structures, and where to invest in creating brand new ones.

“In the current economic climate, a big part of that is knowing where to spend money wisely, and what will bring the best long-term value for those who live and work in Dewsbury.

“We know Daisy Hill has some challenges, which our regeneration programme faces head-on.

" As well as addressing the housing shortage and adding more commercial spaces in the town centre, what we’re doing here in the long run is also actually designing out crime.

"What we’re shooting for at the end of all this work is one big, cohesive development, a beautiful area with lots of footfall – somewhere people can feel proud to call home.”