Folly Hall Social History DVD

The Folly Hall social history project has now come to a conclusion with the production of a website (www.follyhallmill.co.uk) and associated DVD. Copies of the DVD are now available at the price of £5.99 each.

Please send your orders to Richard Huddleston, 3 Booth Bank, West Slaithwaite, Huddersfield HD7 5XA, making your cheques payable to Huddersfield Civic Society.

Our Town; Our Ideas; Our Future

Kirklees Council launched a consultation on its Huddersfield Town Centre Area Action plan in November 2009.

Here is the full response of Huddersfield Civic Society; Our Town; Our Ideas; Our Future

1. Kirklees Council is charged with consulting with the public on the future of Huddersfield town centre (Local Development Framework). The Council must be mortified to learn about the cynicism and apathy with which the exercise is viewed by the people it serves. This is well documented. In one survey 86.2% of the respondents said that the new plans would make no difference. In a previous public relations initiative, just 89 residents out of 400,000 responded.

2. If the process of consultation is not to be undermined, the Council must listen to and work with the Civic Society. It represents all the people of Huddersfield and gathers together those most knowledgeable and most interested. It is significant that in the longer document that the Council has produced, (Issues Consultation Nov 2009), the most constructive and interesting parts are in the boxes marked “What you told us already”. The Civic Society has had a significant number of public meetings and debates on these issues.

3. The Civic Society reaffirms its principles: a) that the economic viability of a town depends on its attraction, and not vice versa. A beautiful and vibrant town centre attracts investment and the visual appearance affects people’s attitudes and behaviour. This is very well established in many published research accounts such as “Streets for All; Yorkshire and Humber”. b) that there should be a strategic vision for the next 30 years at least and not a plan that is dependent on party politics. It is suggested that there should be an outline of possibilities drawn up by a distinguished architect, probably from the continent of Europe that has so much more experience of these things than the British Isles.

4. The ideal town centre, defined for this purpose as within the ring road, should be almost free of all traffic, within the time frame of the Action Plan. There are many examples of extensively pedestrianised areas in other towns and cities which are very successful. Whilst accepting that planners will not want to introduce something so radical, there should be at least a rolling programme, starting with the Market Place and Cloth Hall Street. Some earlier ideas, such as the ‘roofing’ of shopping streets should be reexamined.

5. There should be new distinctive buildings that draw attention to the town. Such investment has transformed other places. There is plenty of scope for this such as a performance arts building or a conference hall which could be the venue of literary gatherings. There could be a textile museum and a rugby league museum; the kinds of attractions that would bring many people to the town and make the locals proud.

6. All the buildings of quality should be preserved and sustained. These buildings are defined not simply as Victorian or listed but all buildings which add a unique and interesting visual point to the area as a whole.

7. There is a need for public spaces and attractions in the town centre. Much of the town looks shabby, with a proliferation of signs, adverts, instructions and signals. The look of the town needs urgent attention.

8. Attention should also be paid to the transport infrastructure, both within the town and in terms of connections, like a train service to and from London. There should be park and ride schemes and careful thought given to parking.

9. The implications of a pedestrianised town centre.

   • It would entail removing the litter of traffic signs that are so ugly, and force a re-examination of the shop front policy.
   • There should be clear public spaces, including one in the Piazza area, created by making more of Queensgate Market Hall.
   • Advertising pillars should be removed.
   • There would be enhanced transport within the defined area.
   • Buses would intrude into the centre as little as possible whilst allowing for the needs of the disabled or elderly.
   • That there would be ample car parking outside the ring road and easy access to the centre. This means careful thought given to removing the stranglehold of the ring road. There are a number of ways in which this could be done.
   • A comprehensive planting scheme could be developed; ‘Greening’ the town would include creating ‘hanging gardens’ in the existing bus station.
   • Deliveries to shops could be made at specific times; e.g. before 10 a.m.
   • The relationship between the centre and the peripheries should be thought through; the idea of distinct ‘areas’ does not seem fruitful.

10. Dealing with the ring road. Whilst some still deplore its creation, we have to accept it and make use of it.

    • Any large scale retail development should be outside the ring road, together with the car parks.
    • There needs to be major pedestrian crossing points, like an underpass by the University.
    • The ring road could be made one way, which would make it easier to make adjustments to the pedestrian access.
    • That there should be a taxi stand and access to the train station on the other side; opposite St. George’s Square. A review of the number of taxis required in the town would be useful.
    • The large warehouse could be a parking lot and/or the bus station could be relocated here, opening up both sides of the train station.

11. There is a need for more public spaces and better use of the existing ones. The Market Place and St Peter’s could be enhanced. The Tesco site is one one possibility for a new conference centre/hall, also useable to promote the town’s musical inheritance from the choral societies and brass bands to the Contemporary Music Festival.

12. There needs to be a new art gallery; perhaps using the old post office when it is vacated or the Britannia building. The splendid Tolson Museum could be re-located into the town-centre.

13. The market places should be fostered and even a new one created in order to attract more temporary events such as food fairs. More special events, such as Sunday street markets, should be pursued.

14. It should be noted that Kirklees Council has a unique opportunity and responsibility in actually owning many of the buildings.

15. Attention needs to be paid to the location of the town by enhancing Castle Hill and avoiding building on the horizons; the trees are essential. The woodlands surrounding the town should be enhanced and more planting should take place on Kirklees lands.

16. There should be good transport links (not just buses) between the centre and the Stadium that would make it easy to get from one to the other; the stadium would then be a good venue for car parking.

17. There should be more prestigious living spaces in the town centre. There should also be a policy to assist and encourage specialist shops.

The Civic Society looks forward to an exciting outline of the town centre; not a series of general points of the kind presented in the documents. If this happened the public would become engaged rather than indifferent. If necessary the Society could be commissioned to draw up such a plan.

It should also be stressed that the Society is happy to produce evidence to support its position. It recognises the expertise within the officers of the Council and would like to work with them on behalf of the public, to help the Council to draw up plans which will engage all the people they want to have involved.

• To encourage high standards of architecture and town planning.
  
  
• To stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history and character of the town and its surroundings.
  
  
• To encourage the preservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity or historical interest.
  
  
• To pursue these ends by means of meetings, exhibitions, lectures, publicity and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature.