2,200-capacity venue plan set to be axed from Huddersfield’s Cultural Heart
Plans for a major new venue in Huddersfield have been cut from a development plan
Plans for a 2,200-capacity entertainment venue are set to be axed from Huddersfield’s Our Cultural Heart.
A report to next week’s Cabinet meeting considers the council’s financial strategy going forward and the pressures and opportunities that will shape the future budget. Within this are proposed changes to the Capital Plan – one of which being that the Cultural Heart’s entertainment venue is removed from the 2027/28 budget altogether.
The Cabinet report explains: “Over the past two years the allocated budget for Phase 5 ‘The Venue’ has been significantly reduced. In the 2025/26 Council budget motion a sum of £6.1m was removed; the previous year’s budget motion removed £37.4m. A further c£14m was reallocated to Phase 2 for the fit out of the Museum and Gallery and c£10m reallocated to The George Hotel.
“In total, over £67m of funding originally earmarked for this phase is no longer available. The remaining budget of c£23m is clearly insufficient to be able to deliver a venue.”
Instead, it is suggested that officers “revisit” and present “alternative options” for the site. Under the new plan, just over £3m will be set aside to develop the final phase of the Cultural Heart programme through things like options appraisals and feasibility studies. This would ultimately see a £20.16m reduction in the council’s planned borrowing.
Detailed budget proposals will be drawn up over the coming months, with the final budget to be agreed next March.
The venue element of Our Cultural Heart went into review at the start of last year and when the annual budget setting rolled around, several opposition groups called on the then-Labour administration to axe the venue plan completely, but this was not agreed. The council previously said that the review showed there is still demand for a venue in Huddersfield.
The matter was only discussed by members of the Growth and Regeneration Panel today (September 28) where questions were also raised about the future of the Queen Street plot – another aspect of the Cultural Heart scheme.
At one point, it was hoped that the plot of land at Queen Street would be used for a new STEM block for Greenhead College but the necessary funding was not secured. This sent the council back to the drawing board, with a new use for the site yet to be confirmed. Options are said to include a hotel, offices, car park or residential development.
Regardless of the future usage, additional funding will be required, Service Director for Skills and Regeneration, David Wildman, confirmed.
Further details around Our Cultural Heart are expected to be brought to a Cabinet meeting in November. Here, an update is due to be given on Phases One and Two and a decision made on the next steps for the urban park – Phase Three of the scheme. Options should also be set out for the future phases, it was explained.
The overarching Our Cultural Heart scheme has a budget of more than £200m. Mr Wildman told members today that so far, the council has committed “in the order of £150m”, to Phases One and Two, as well as the work progressed on the other phases up to now.
With the library hub and public square delivered, the only remaining element of the scheme’s first phase is the food hall, which will be brought to the site of the former Queensgate Market. The premises has undergone a drastic transformation, with the council now looking for food businesses to set up shop ready for the Spring/Summer 2027 opening.
Phase two covers the museum and gallery, which will be brought to an extended version of the town’s former library building at Princess Alexandra Walk and due to open in the winter of 2029/30.