Council breaks silence as thousands call for new Giants’ Stadium at Huddersfield gasworks
Over 2,500 Huddersfield Giants fans have signed a petition calling on the council allow a new stadium on the former gasworks off St Andrew’s Road
Kirklees Council has set out its position as thousands call for Huddersfield’s former gasworks to become the new home of the Giants.
Over 2,500 Huddersfield Giants fans have signed a petition calling on the council to allow the development of a new stadium on the site of the former gasworks off St Andrew’s Road, near to the John Smith’s. Owner of the Super League Club, Ken Davy, has already named the site as the favourite for the location of a future Giants’ stadium.
However, the council says it does not own the land and has plans for it to be used for other purposes. The local authority explained that the site is “crucial” for economic development as part of its Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, rather than for sports or leisure. The plot also features in the West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone.
But if plans are put forward to develop a stadium on the site of the former gasworks or elsewhere, following the usual process, the council says it will consider them “in detail”.
A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “We’re doing a tremendous amount of work in this part of Huddersfield at the moment, thanks to government investment which will see huge boosts to our local economy and industry, particularly around health innovation and digital technology.
“While the council does not own the site available for development on Gasworks Street, this site sits right at the centre of the council’s Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, which for Kirklees is the focus of the government’s West Yorkshire Investment Zone – one of only eight up and down the country – where, alongside other local authorities, we’re receiving a fantastic funding injection to support one of our fastest-growing local industries.
“This money’s all about boosting business innovation, productivity and growth, and supporting the commercialisation of health and wellbeing research. The university’s brand new National Health Innovation Campus has played a key part in us receiving this funding, and in how we allocate it – this development will further put Huddersfield, and wider Kirklees, on the map in terms of health and wellbeing innovation.
“We’ve worked collaboratively with both the university and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to secure this funding, and we’re continuing to work closely together on plans that should act as a springboard for local businesses, create many new jobs and business growth opportunities, and encourage more people not just looking to study here but to base their careers here long-term.
“The site at Gasworks Street is perfectly placed for investment by a business who could really capitalise on this crucial connection. On this basis, the land is a crucial component of the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor. At present, the site isn’t allocated for development for sports and leisure.
“In the meantime, any application put forward to develop a brand new stadium – at Gasworks Street or any other location – would need to follow our usual planning process, and we would consider these plans in detail at the point an application was submitted.”
The Huddersfield Giants have played at the John Smith’s Stadium since its opening in 1994 but have struggled to attract crowds to fill out the facility, which has a capacity of 24,500. The club shares the grounds with Huddersfield Town, but is hoping to move to Halifax’s Shay Stadium temporarily while a new stadium is constructed in Huddersfield.