Huddersfield Civic Society and Huddersfield Unlimited are concerned that the case for full electrification of the trans-Pennine route from York to Manchester needs to be made more effectively at this time, having twice been postponed by government and with national decisions on rail investment imminent.

We are working with others that support the case for full electrification and see the clear benefits of its being a priority for investment. They include Kirklees Council, Zero Carbon Yorkshire, Railfuture (Yorkshire) and Action on Yorkshire Transport.

The case for full electrification is also supported by a number of national transport and environmental organisations, for example Campaign for Better Transport and the Campaign for Rural England.

We recognise the critical importance of launching a programme of railway electrification across the North of England, to benefit the economic prosperity and social vibrancy of our communities. 

Civic Society members and the public are invited to nominate their favourite buildings in our 2020 Design Awards.

Established in 2012, the awards have been presented to the best developments within Huddersfield completed over the past couple of years.
                                    
You can nominate projects in the following categories:

• Best new build
• Best shop front
• Best refurbishment
• Best residential development
• Best commercial development
• Best community project.

There is no restriction on the number of nominations. 

The Society will again team up with the Examiner so its readers have a chance to vote for the development which they feel has contributed most towards helping improve the quality and image of the town. Please do not nominate buildings that were winners in our 2019 awards.

Nominated buildings should fall within the former Huddersfield borough boundary, that is between Outlane and Fixby in the north, Berry Brow and Almondbury in the south, Milnsbridge in the west and Cooper Bridge and Waterloo in the east. Projects must have been completed between July 1,  2018 and December 31, 2020. 

Members have until December 31, 2020, to submit their choices. Judges will choose the winners from each category and decide who receives the Examiner Readers’ award. These winners will be presented with specially designed slate trophies, with an additional trophy awarded to the outright winner next spring. (The event will be dependent on the Covid-19 situation).

Consideration will be given to the following in determining the winning categories:
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• Quality of design and materials
• Appropriateness to street setting andadjacent property
• Functionality
• Accessibility
• Contribution to environmental sustainability 
• Quality of landscaping
• Contribution to community enhancement

Not only will the awards raise the profile of Huddersfield Civic Society but of the town itself, something that we, as Society members, the Examiner and its readers are keen to do. We also hope that category winners will be submitted for consideration in the national design awards organised by Civic Voice.

Let us know which buildings you think have been sympathetically converted, new shop fronts, new developments, community projects or structures that have contributed to Huddersfield’s built environment.

We look forward to receiving your nominations.

Completed nomination forms can be posted to John Lockwood, The Barn House, Ashes Lane, Almondbury, Huddersfield HD4 6TE  or complete your form online on our design awards page.

A virtual heritage walk organised by Kirklees Libraries in partnership with Discover Huddersfield has received plaudits from as far afield as Seattle. 

The walk, devised by Frank Grombir and Lorna Brooks, was based on the Birkby Trail leaflet, one of 17 produced by the Discover Huddersfield partnership.

The trail was broadcast live on September 17 as an event held as part of the annual Heritage Open Days Festival. 

By the end of September there had been 403 views of the trail on YouTube and a high number of positive comments on social media. They included ‘…a hugely enjoyable walk ..’, ‘fantastic tour, thank you’ and ‘…a brilliant job …It really was informative and a real pleasure to watch’.

The programme is now available on YouTube as well as Facebook for people to watch at any time. Bolstered by its success, further trails are being developed with two events scheduled for broadcasting in October and November:
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• Wednesday, October 21, 6pm: Huddersfield Caribbean Heritage Trail, guided by Natalie Pinnock-Hamilton and Heather Norris-Nicholson 
• Thursday, November 12, 1pm: Made in Huddersfield Textile Trail, guided by Carol Hardy and Julie Mahoney, from Kirklees libraries.

To listen to the broadcast at these times go to You Tube – Kirklees Libraries - Local Heritage Walks and Talks. Other DH trails can be found on the Discover Huddersfield website.

The virtual trails are intended to meet three objectives:

• To explore local heritage, encourage local history research and promote local heritage organisations
• To reach out to individuals unable to attend a physical walk whether due to health limitations or geographical distance 
• To encourage healthy exercise by enticing people to take up the walk themselves following the broadcast

In addition, one of the programme's great advantages is the ability to see the hidden aspects of local heritage thanks to aerial 3D views enabled by Google Earth.
 
For further information contact David Wyles on 07483 226982.