On February 24, 2026, Kirklees Council confirmed that a £7 million loan used for the redevelopment of the Kingsgate Centre in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has been repaid in full. The payment includes all interest and was made early following the sale of the shopping centre to Northdale Advisors for approximately £32 million.
The council originally provided the money to WD Kingsgate Ltd in 2021 to fund the transformation of the former House of Fraser department store. The project turned the empty retail space into a new hub for cinema and bowling, which helped attract more people to the town centre during the evening.
This leisure area is now home to The Light, a complex featuring a six-screen cinema and a bowling alley. According to local officials, the redevelopment has created more than 100 jobs for the community and serves as a main attraction for the town’s wider regeneration plans.
The loan had been given a new payment deadline of July 2026 after an extension was granted last year. However, the full debt has been settled early, removing the financial risk from the public budget.
