New look space outside library transforms key gateway into Dewsbury

Kirklees Council has now completed works in the area around the library to brighten up the pedestrian gateway into the town centre.

The space, which is often the first impression visitors get to see of Dewsbury, had not been touched for decades, with oppressive high walls that reduced the use of space leaving the area looking tired.

Designers sought to open up the area, creating a more welcoming space with better natural surveillance and improving opportunities for meeting and sitting under the mature trees.

The space has been modernised with added paving and lighting, with the addition of robust street furniture and accents of colour in the green brick walls.

New planting and library signage help to bring the space up to date and will also keep the space practical and easy to maintain.

The design uses colour to lift the area and create a vibrant entry point to Dewsbury as people enter through the underpass.

The area also presents opportunities for the library to use the space for events or activities in the future.

The works are part of the Dewsbury Better Spaces strategy approved by cabinet in 2019.

The Better Spaces Strategy is designed to bring together a strategic framework for the management and development of better-quality open spaces that are at a level that meets local needs and accessibility criteria.

The strategy aims to create a series of spaces that link through to the town utilising existing space and creating new ones in order to deliver a distinct Dewsbury identity and legible environment.

It will support the Planning Core Strategy to deliver the increased demand for the various types of open spaces through the anticipated sustained growth over the next few years.

The strategy proposals included three core aims: increasing activity, improving attractiveness and improving accessibility.

Councillor Will Simpson, cabinet member for culture and Greener Kirklees, said: “We want to create a vibrant, creative and inclusive town and an important part of that is building attractive and welcoming environments in towns that feel safe.

“Our public realms will continue to evolve as we place an increased focus on access to sociable public spaces, green landscapes, as well as prioritisation of walking and cycling as modes of active travel.

“As we work to embed this new normal into the way our public spaces are designed, we want to seize the opportunity this in a way that honours our existing landscapes – retrofitting these improved design solutions into our communities to bring out the best of our towns and villages.”

Councillor Eric Firth, cabinet member for town centres, said: “The strategic aims of our Better Spaces intervention include minimising unnecessary clutter.

"Our current design changes to the library space have made it much more accessible, and attractive.

"Employing the likes of green brick walls, planters and modern paving has made it much more durable whilst discreetly embedding social distancing measures within our public realm.

"If we re-appropriate streets into lively public spaces for people and remove historic barriers that promote segregation, we can create a connected public realm to address equity, create prosperity, and promote healthy living and social interaction in our towns.

"The town centre needs to be accessible, having an integrated approach to sustainable transport in the town, ensuring that it is easy for sustainable modes to get in and around the town centre, and that transport infrastructure supports the viability of the town.

"We are very blessed in the Borough of Kirklees to have such a variety of open spaces, from formal parks, play and recreation areas, to woodlands and allotments.

"I give my thanks to the people who have worked on this project, who have all done a magnificent job. The library space is transformational."

Work has already been completed to the frontage of Dewsbury Railway Station, Pioneer House and works continue to progress which will include improvements to the public realm for the Dewsbury Market, town park and town hall.

Further plans will include spaces that will encourage sustainable transport development and more direct legibility between the bus and rail stations, broader uses of the town centre, and bring new energy to the town.

These plans are investing in the Blueprint projects for Dewsbury and Huddersfield, exploring new methods to fund, build, and maintain streets, parks and public spaces to improve performance and bring long-term value to the district's towns, neighbourhoods and new development projects.