Decision details

To agree to offer grant support from the Huddersfield Shop Front Grant for the replacement of the shop fronts to 19-33a John William Street.

Throughout the scheme local business owners, the Huddersfield Civic Society have been engaged and their views taken on board over the area and the shops concerned. The Huddersfield Civic Society have campaigned over the years for better shop fronts that are more in keeping with the heritage of the town. The Civic Society have continued to seek improvements to 19-33a John William Street and have welcomed and supported the proposals that are the subject of this grant application.

Ward Councillors and the Portfolio Holders have been consulted on the scheme and have been supportive.

This part of the town is included in the Huddersfield Town Centre Conservation Area and concern has been raised by Historic England over the quality of the shop fronts. This resulted in the conservation area being placed on their “At Risk Register”. Historic England are supportive of the changes to these shop fronts and will go towards removing the conservation area from the register.

Consultation has been carried out with the tenants of the shop fronts throughout the design of the shop fronts. Concerns have been raised over the impact of their businesses during the construction works, whether they have to close, the costs of the project and ensuring disabled access is achieved with the new entrances. The contractor and the Council have worked together to ensure that the units will remain open, with safety regulations in place, and disturbance will be to the minimum. The costs of the project will not be down to the tenants and will be covered by the freeholder and if approved a grant from the Council. All the new entrances are designed to be disabled friendly and are compliant Access Regulations.

Before any applications were submitted for planning approval, the Huddersfield Civic Society were consulted upon them. They were in support of the designs and felt they would be big improvement to the town centre.

RESOLVED –

1)    That approval be given to providing a HLRS grant to B&M Properties of £610.5k towards replacement shop fronts to 19-33a John William Street, as detailed within the report and Appendix 1 (exempt), and that Officers publish details of the subsidy on the national transparency database.

2)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) in conjunction with the Service Director (Legal, Governance and Commissioning) to agree and complete the grant agreement and other documentation necessary to enable the project to proceed and that the Service Director (Legal, Governance and Commissioning) be authorised to enter into the aforementioned documentation on behalf of the Council.

3)    That, in the event that costs change, authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Growth and Regeneration) in consultation with the Cabinet Member (Finance and Regeneration) the ability to vary the amount of grant subject to the funds being found from within existing grant scheme resources.