Plans shared for Dewsbury waterfront

The town’s regeneration board hopes to attract support for the creation of a new promenade, provisionally named Dewsbury Wharfe.

It would run alongside the river between Mill Street West and Wilton Road.

Dewsbury RegenerationBoard chairman Coun Paul Kane said: “ We’re in the early stages of this and nothing is cast in stone.

“There’s not much we can do about the big metal units we have, but other places like Derby have done a fantastic job of opening up the river.”

The idea was first put forward by Richard Binks, of developer Binks Vertical.

“I’ve often walked over the bridge to the Asda supermarket and looked down from the footbridge and thought what a beautiful space,” he said.

“Something must happen for the River Calder to be celebrated. I had this idea about the café culture with restaurants, boat trips and kayaks on the river for Dewsbury.”

Jade3 Architecture Limited has drawn up images of how Dewsbury Wharfe might look.

And recent work to link the Spen Valley Greenway and the Dewsbury-Ossett Greenway has seen interest renewed.

The board arranged for £30,000 in public rights of way funds to be used to clear and surface a route along the riverside opposite Asda.

Mr Binks said: “Now that the greenway is finished it passes alongside the river. I can see it all coming together.”

The success of the scheme rests partly in the hands of Asda, which would need to agree to release some of its car park.

Coun Kane said he hoped to hold talks with the store and other interested parties soon.

“It’s about getting everybody round the table because if we’re going to do this, we’ve got to do it together.”