Kirklees Council leaders approved plans on Tuesday 24 March 2026 to transform the former gasworks site on Gasworks Street in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, into a new centre for health innovation and manufacturing jobs.
The project is expected to create between 550 and 1,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs by focusing on health innovation, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. The 6.8-acre plot, which the council acquired in September 2025, is located adjacent to the University of Huddersfield National Health Innovation Campus.
The council will now look for a master developer to lead the project, which includes a new pedestrian bridge over the Huddersfield Broad Canal and a cycle path. According to Business Kirklees, the draft plans also feature a large multi-storey car park and new green spaces. Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, stated the site is vital for bringing high-skilled roles to the area that will support the local economy.
This decision follows a bid from Ken Davy, the owner of the Huddersfield Giants, who wanted to build a new 8,000-capacity stadium on the land. A petition with 4,600 signatures was submitted by fans in support of the stadium, but council leaders have chosen the employment hub instead. Liberal Democrat councillors expressed concern that the council was following a narrow vision for the site by rejecting the stadium plans.
A business case for the project will be reviewed in June 2026, with official planning approval expected in the final quarter of the 2026/27 financial year (early 2027). Cleanup work on the former industrial land is then expected to begin in the 2027/28 financial year.
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