£12million bid to Levelling Up Fund for Batley town centre regeneration project

The council’s bid for Batley features improvements to the town centre, creating a more modern destination, and a safe and inviting environment for everyone.

The plans include making significant changes to Commercial Street, one of the main routes through the town centre. The route would move away from being a thoroughfare dominated by car traffic, with improvements to the public realm as well sustainable transport routes.

A socialising space would be created, with the aim of increasing footfall to local businesses and improve access to the Tesco supermarket.

A new, high quality events space would also be created in front of the town hall, allowing Batley to host market days as well as a wide range of other events.

The plans also cover regenerating a disused building on Commercial Street, once home to JBM Bargains, so that it can be brought back into regular use and provide more interest in the town centre.

The Levelling Up Fund (LUF) is designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK.

A total of £4.8billion is available to bid for, with the aim of supporting town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects and cultural and heritage assets.

The council has also submitted bids for Huddersfield and Marsden, as well as an upgrade of the Penistone Rail Line.

Coun Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “These bids show the scale of our ambitions across Kirklees.

"Each of them is transformative for our economy and they can provide jobs and opportunities for decades to come. It’s investment like this that offer the best protection against future cost of living crises.

“Our proposals for Batley, Marsden and Northumberland Street in Huddersfield would breathe new life into some of Kirklees’ beautiful historic buildings, while creating exciting new developments to boost our local economy and bring communities together.

"Meanwhile, our bid for the Penistone railway line would further strengthen our connections with the north and beyond.

“These plans will modernise our economy but they are also in tune with our local heritage.

"We are making sure what we love about our district, old and new, can survive the test of time and thrive in the 21st century.

“Kirklees has a bright economic future.

"We already have a major investment programme for our economy and infrastructure and these projects would help us deliver even more of our incredible potential.”