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Cross Church Street and Queensgate schemes are a series of highways improvements to: Cross Church Street, Queen Street, Queensgate, King Street and Zetland Street, that are designed to support Kirklees Council's Blueprint ambitions by improving access to the new Cultural Heart, Kingsgate Shopping Centre and surrounding areas, through a focus on pedestrians and cyclists.
Kirklees Council's Blueprint is a 10 year vision to create a thriving, modern-day town centre, and includes providing improved access and enhanced public spaces. Cross Church Street and Queensgate are designed to support this vision.
Kirklees Council has a statutory duty under the Traffic Management Act to consider options that improve traffic flow. The Queensgate location is a part of the Huddersfield Southern Corridors. Huddersfield Southern Corridors are plans to improve four key locations on busy routes to the south of Huddersfield town centre, where there are delays. The existing road network is unable to cope at peak times which is leading to significant delays and congestion. Compound the current issues with the projected natural growth and future development needs of Huddersfield and it becomes evident that interventions are necessary to help existing traffic and allow for future growth.
At this stage we are presenting plans for improvements to Cross Church Street and plans for improvements to Queensgate. We are seeking views from the public and key stakeholders on these plans. There has been no decision on any final details, however the plans as they are include the following:
Cross Church Street - New pedestrian and cycle zones - Restrictions to motor vehicle access - Permitting cyclists to travel in both directions - Improving paving, appropriate for pedestrians and cycle zones - New cycle parking
Queensgate - New and improved crossings at Shorehead roundabout and Wakefield Road - Reduce pedestrian crossing distance on Zetland Street and Queen Street with an improved junction area - Wider cycle and pedestrian spaces on Queensgate - Footway and highways resurfacing, landscaping and area enhancements
We hope that by making changes we can support the aspirations of Kirklees Council's Blueprint, and:
Cross Church Street - Allow people to move around and across the town more easily by bike or on foot and linking local cycle routes - Create a clean, attractive environment which encourages people to spend time in the town centre - Increase the footfall in the town centre, to promote business growth and investment
Queensgate - Help to link the university to the town centre - Better manage ring road traffic - Make crossing the road easier
Cross Church Street We looked at closing the road to all traffic, however following discussions with businesses who need vehicle access for deliveries we have adapted the scheme to allow for this to happen.
Queensgate We have looked at maintaining staggered crossings and providing uncontrolled crossings for cyclists. Instead we are proposing signal control to provide safer movements for cyclists.
The project is to be funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund. The Council has to submit a business case to the Combined Authority for their approval for the scheme to proceed. If successful, we will receive the funding allocated to the scheme. We will not be using council tax or other council money. The funding of this scheme will not impact on other council services.
The Combined Authority was formed in April 2014 to be the driving force for economic growth across the West Yorkshire and City of York Council area. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority brings together key decision-making powers into a single body. To find out more visit: www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk
The Cross Church Street and Huddersfield Southern Gateways schemes have funding provisionally allocated from the West Yorkshire plus Transport Fund specifically for this scheme and therefore cannot be spent on any other proposals or schemes. If the West Yorkshire Combined Authority do not accept the business cases, then the scheme cannot go ahead and the money earmarked for this project will be allocated elsewhere in the region; not necessarily in Kirklees.
Cross Church Street We expect to begin working on a finalised scheme for Cross Church Street, following approval of a final business case by the Combined Authority, in the summer months of 2020.
Queensgate We expect to begin work on a finalised scheme for Queensgate, and the Huddersfield Southern Corridors in summer 2020.
From Monday 8 July to Friday 2 August 2019, we are running a public engagement and inviting comments and questions from the public on the presented plans for improvements to Cross Church Street and Queensgate. Your comments will help inform the current proposals and provide an opportunity to identify any issues that we are not aware of.
Who can take part? Can I tell other people to take part?
We welcome the opinions and feedback of anyone. Whether you travel by public transport, walk, drive or cycle, are a business owner or just travel through the Huddersfield town centre and ring road area, your views and insight is valuable to us to shape our scheme. Please share the link: www.kirklees.gov.uk/majortransport with anyone you think would be interested in taking part. If you intend to submit a joint response on behalf of a group/organisation, please share the link with your colleagues so they can have the opportunity to provide an individual response.
You can take part by submitting a response to the online survey, or by paper survey form which can be collected from our exhibition or drop-in sessions, or by written submission (post or email), from Monday 8 July to Friday 2 August 2019.
You can take part by visiting our website: www.kirklees.gov.uk/majortransport, and selecting the Cross Church Street and Queensgate Improvements scheme to review all the latest information. In addition, complete the online survey, or post a copy to: FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA), or email: major.transport@kirklees.gov.uk
The surveys will be analysed following the close of the engagement period (August 2019). Analysis time will depend on the quantity and quality of responses received. A report on the analysis of the engagement period will be included in a report to Kirklees Council Cabinet later in the year.
Kirklees Council launched the Huddersfield Blueprint - a 10 year vision to create a thriving, modern-day town centre - on 26 June 2019.The ambitious plan aims to deliver five key objectives for Huddersfield town centre: a vibrant culture, art, leisure and nightlife offer; thriving businesses; a great place to live; improved access; and enhanced public spaces.It focuses on regenerating six key areas of the town centre: Station Gateway; St Peter's; Kingsgate and King Street; New Street; the Civic Quarter; and a new Cultural Heart in the Queensgate and Piazza area.These proposed works at Cross Church Street and Queensgate will support the Blueprint by improving access to the new Cultural Heart, Kingsgate Shopping Centre and surrounding areas, through a focus on pedestrians and cyclists.You can find out more about the Huddersfield Blueprint on the website: kirklees.gov.uk/huddersfieldblueprint
Plans have been developed to improve four key locations on busy routes to the south of Huddersfield town centre, where there are delays, queuing traffic, and limited facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. These four locations for the Huddersfield Southern Corridors consist of: - Queensgate, on Huddersfield ring road (linking to Cross Church Street and Shorehead Roundabout) - Folly Hall - Lockwood Bar - Longroyd Bridge
We plan to go out to public engagement on the plans for the other three locations in Autumn 2019.
Prior engagement was done on the early stages of plans development - at this time, the scheme was known as Huddersfield Southern Gateways.
Will you require planning permission to build the scheme?
Planning permission will not be required to undertake the proposed works. The works will be carried under permitted development rights granted by the Town and Country Planning Act (General Permitted Development) Order 2015.
A report will be taken to Kirklees Council later in the year to confirm that the scheme can go ahead. Following this a business case will be submitted to the Combined Authority for their approval for the scheme to proceed. If successful funding will be allocated to the scheme through the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund.
Will you be taking any land? Is my land/property at risk?
Some land will be needed from Huddersfield University for the Queensgate scheme. It is not expected that any other land will be required, changes will be made to the existing highway and pavement areas.
Will any roadworks be carried out at night and what will you do to minimise any impact on residents/businesses?
This has not been decided, however should any works need to be carried out at night local residents and business owners will be informed along with any proposals to minimise any impacts.
Air quality is measured at various locations around the town on an ongoing basis to understand the overall air quality of the town centre. It is not considered necessary to undertake separate air quality surveys for this scheme.
No new bus stops are proposed, however should the Cross Church Street plans be implemented as presented in this public engagement, the free town bus will follow a new route where different bus stops will be used for getting on and off the bus. These locations are shown on our engagement materials.
The improvements to Cross Church Street and Queen Street will enable people on bikes to travel in both directions along these streets, creating a convenient and direct north-south link across the town centre. Restricting the hours that motor vehicles can use these streets also means that people on bikes will be able to move around and through the town centre more easily, away from traffic.
The improvements to Queensgate will result in more space for people on foot and on bikes. Widening footways, creating shared space, building toucan crossings and new segregated cycle paths are all improvements which will make moving around Huddersfield by bike a more comfortable experience.
How are you engaging with the public, businesses and stakeholders?
We are hosting a public engagement on the Cross Church Street and Queensgate plans from Monday 8 July - Friday 2 August 2019. During this time we will write to individuals and businesses owners who live in the vicinity of the improvement plans, we will issue a press release and send information to recipients of various online communication channels managed by Kirklees, the Combined Authority (including West Yorkshire Metro), and CityConnect.
A dedicated engagement page has been developed on the Combined Authority's Your Voice engagement platform, which hosts all the relevant information, and access to an online survey for feedback. We will also publicise alternative methods of responding, which include by email: major.transport@kirklees.gov.uk, and post: FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA).
We are holding drop-in sessions where officers involved in the development of the scheme will be available to answer any questions: Wednesday 17 July (10 am - 2 pm) The Packhorse Centre; Saturday 20 July (10 am - 2 pm) The Packhorse Centre; Friday 26 July (3 pm - 7 pm) Huddersfield Town Hall.
In addition to this, and as a part of the Kirklees Council's Blueprint, there is a pop-up shop which provides more information, including a display of the Cross Church Street and Queensgate plans. The pop-up is located at Unit 32 (next to Thorntons) on the Piazza in Huddersfield Town Centre (Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm).
I work for a group/organisation and transport is important to the staff/business, can I take part in the engagement with shared views?
Yes - we welcome the views of anyone and everyone who is interested. The online survey has been established to collect the opinions of the individual, and we would highly recommend sharing this with members of your group/organisation so they might take part individually. To respond on behalf of a group/organisation, please write or email: major.transport@kirklees.gov.uk, FREEPOST Consultation Team WYCA.
Yes - we welcome responses to the engagement in many formats. Survey - please find the link on our YourVoice page. Email - major.transport@kirklees.gov.uk Post - FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA)
If you need the information in alternative formats, please contact us by email.
What if I only want to comment on a specific area impacted by the proposed scheme?
If you don't feel that you can respond by the survey (which does allow for free text responses), you can write to us or send us an email: major.transport@kirklees.gov.uk FREEPOST Consultation Team (WYCA)
What engagement and feedback has already been collected?
Businesses on Cross Church Street have been contacted during the development of the plans to understand how they use the street.
At an early stage in the development of the Huddersfield Southern Corridors, a public engagement was done through writing to individuals and businesses who live within the areas of the four locations. At the time the plans were known as the Huddersfield Southern Gateways. Feedback from this engagement has informed the development of the Queensgate plan, and the other three locations, which will go out to public engagement in Autumn 2019.
This website and kirklees.gov.uk/majorschemes will be kept updated with information as the scheme planning and implementation continues. You can sign-up to be kept informed on the project page. Alternatively, you can register to the Your Voice site to be contacted with information about public engagement in a number of topics or locations that are of interest to you.
