'Have your say, because Our Future Dewsbury is for you': Board extends public consultation on plans for £20million further government investment in town
Dewsbury Town Board is appealing for people to help shape future plans as the government invests a further £20million towards the regeneration of the town.
The public consultation is being run by Dewsbury Town Board and has been extended to Saturday, August 31, following the recent local and general elections.
The consultation aims to find out what further developments the people of Dewsbury want to see in the town centre, and to help shape the town’s individual long-term plan – Our Future Dewsbury.
Kirklees Council said the feedback received will inform the next steps for regeneration in Dewsbury, and how the council, Town Board and all other partners will build on the work currently being done through the Dewsbury Blueprint.
The Dewsbury Blueprint encompasses a variety of projects in the town – funded by the government’s Towns Fund investment of £25million in 2019 – including renovations in Dewsbury Arcade, and work done to properties in and around Daisy Hill, including developments opposite Dewsbury Railway Station.
Work to the market and new town park is due to start next year, and work is soon to start on the public area outside Dewsbury Town Hall.
Pending the submission of plans for the funding this summer, the government is set to invest a further £20million into the regeneration of Dewsbury through its Long-Term Plan for Towns.
Councillor Graham Turner, cabinet member for finance and regeneration, said: “Throughout all the work we’ve done so far through the Dewsbury Blueprint, our vision, and that of the town board, has remained steady – to deliver a masterplan that will benefit Dewsbury for not just years but generations to come.
“Breathing new life into the town centre is a big task with many moving parts, but we firmly believe the culmination will be a Dewsbury that can once again thrive and will outlive us all.
“This £20million will help build on everything we’re already doing, and gives us more scope to address the challenges faced by the town centre – and, as always, your voice is incredibly important.
“If Dewsbury matters to you, I’d urge you to engage with your town board, have your say and tell us what ‘Our Future Dewsbury’ needs most.”
Keith Ramsay, chairman of the Dewsbury Town Board, said: “We’re committed to ensuring that every voice in our community is heard, and by extending the deadline we hope to give more people the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas about the future of our town.
“While we’ve already received an overwhelming response from the residents of Dewsbury, I’d specifically love to encourage the next generation of people who live in Dewsbury to tell us what they think.
“I’ve chaired the Dewsbury Town Board for five years now, and we’ve had a tremendous impact on the council’s plans for regeneration – but one of the most amazing things I know myself and other board members have taken away from our work so far is how passionate young people are about this beautiful town’s future.
“Have your say, because ‘Our Future Dewsbury’ is for you.”