Three great opportunities for Huddersfield in 2021

Rail changes and major Huddersfield town centre investments could herald 2021 as a promising one for Huddersfield. Photo by @andyhirstpr

A group dedicated to talking up Huddersfield and attracting investment to the town has been working behind the scenes during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure 2021 will mark the start of a remarkable recovery.
 
Sir John Harman, chairman of Huddersfield Unlimited, has outlined three real areas for potential growth and investment in the town in the coming months and years.
 
Huddersfield Unlimited is made up of business people and well-known names from the town including entrepreneur Ken Davy and University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor Prof Bob Cryan, anxious to tell the world about opportunities in the town and attract investment here.
 
Sir John predicts that the town has some great opportunities to drive recovery in 2021.
 
He said: “2020 has been a tough year for business and Covid has definitely slowed us down, but during 2020 the board of Huddersfield Unlimited and members of our expert working groups have continued to work behind the scenes on the building blocks of recovery.”
 
Huddersfield Unlimited has spotlighted three key opportunities for Huddersfield:

1. Railway improvements, including possible electrification of the TransPennine line.
2.  Kirklees Council’s blueprint for Huddersfield town centre, a 10-year vision to regenerate the town centre with a £250m investment.
3. The proposed new National Health Innovation Campus by the University of Huddersfield on Southgate that would include teaching, research and opportunities for businesses. The first buildings should be ready by autumn 2024. Sale of the Kirklees Council site to the university will provide some money for the council’s blueprint.

 
Sir John said: “The Government is making decisions on transport infrastructure, but especially rail which will make a huge difference to Huddersfield as a place to invest. We continue to press for full electrification of the TransPennine line and we are working constructively to that end. Rail improvements need to be linked to investment in the station area to help kickstart its revival.
 
“The council has an ambitious blueprint for reshaping the town centre and is prepared to invest public money, but that won’t be nearly enough. We have brought together a team of commercially experienced property people who are giving their time to help promote town centre opportunities to investors and this expertise is ready to work with the council.”
 
Sir John added: “2020 has seen a golden opportunity emerge with the plans for a health innovation campus on the ex-sports centre site at Southgate. I congratulate the university and the council for coming together to make this site available. It entirely supports our own work on Huddersfield’s opportunities in the growth of the digital economy over the last year.
 
“We can have a competitive advantage in medical technology with several key firms already in the area and a good research base. We’d already identified this as a growth opportunity, but the announcement of the new campus doubles up on that and it will create a cluster of new businesses around it. This for us is a magnet for new investment.”​

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