New town centre square and library open in Huddersfield

A new library and public space in Huddersfield have been opened - the first parts of a £260m revamp of the town centre.

The development, on part of the old Piazza Shopping Centre, replaces dozens of shop units with a large public square.

A covered food hall in the old market building that was supposed to open in summer 2026 has been delayed until next year.

Kirklees Council decided against appointing a private operator to run the venture, taking the decision to manage the operation itself.

The new square includes fountains and seating and will act as a space for public events, according to the local authority.

It is part of a regeneration plan called Our Cultural Heart, with the first stage costing £60m - money borrowed by Kirklees Council to fund the development.

David Shepherd, executive director at the council, said: "The new Queensgate Square will allow us to host events of up to 3,000 people.

"But that's not the main purpose, we want this to be somewhere people come to enjoy Huddersfield with their friends and family."

The scheme includes a new library building overlooking the site.

It replaces the 1930s library which is planned to become a museum and gallery as part of the next stage of the regeneration plan.

The former indoor market dating from the 1970s is being converted into a food hall, and was previously expected to open at the same time as Queensgate Square.

It will feature a bar and about 10 independent food retailers, according to the council.

Shepherd said: "We worked long and hard with a number of private operators who were interested in running the hall for us, but when we looked at the numbers it became clear to me that we could do this within the council so it'll be opening next year."

Shepherd pointed to the success of similar ventures like Darley Street Market in Bradford and the Glassworks in Barnsley, which are also operated by the local authorities.

The project has received the backing of the new Reform UK-led council who took over the running of Kirklees after elections in May.

Councillor John Hardie, who holds the growth and regeneration portfolio, said: "Now that I've learnt about it and visited the site I think it's fantastic actually, the quality of what they've done is really good.

"I think it's our job now as a Reform council to carry that on into the next phases - ever mindful of finance and constantly reviewing that for the good of the whole town."

The first visitors to the new square said they were impressed by how the area had been transformed, with Graham and Sally Walker heading into town from Newsome.

"It's better then we thought it would be, it'll be a nice place to relax on a sunny day," Graham said.

"It's just lovely now, everyone can meet and come down for markets and things like that," Sally added.

Narfisa Poyser, who moved from London to Huddersfield in April, described the square as "beautiful", adding she particularly liked the new library.

Brooke Wyke, who had visited the library to borrow books for her children, said: "When the food hall opens here it'll be amazing, it's just what we need around here because people don't come to town anymore."

Later stages of the Our Cultural Heart project should see an urban park created, the opening of the new museum and gallery and a multi-storey car park.

A live entertainment venue with a capacity of up to 2,200 people could also be added in the long term, but Kirklees Council said a review of this final phase of the project was ongoing.

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