The Kingsgate Centre is currently one of Yorkshire’s most successful retail destinations, with the Huddersfield town centre development attracting consistently strong levels of footfall all year round.
However, owner WD Huddersfield Ltd has now expressed a wish to expand into the evening market by investing in the shopping centre’s leisure offering – an announcement which has been resoundingly welcomed by local business leaders.
Expansion plans released this week by the firm will, if approved, bring a multiplex cinema and six “casual dining” restaurants to the existing complex, to be accessed by a new entrance on Cross Church Street. In total, the expansion will cost £15 million, but WD Huddersfield Ltd believes the substantial cost will be made up by the boost the works will give to the town’s evening economy.
Veteran Huddersfield retailer David Whittle, of fashion store Peters, revealed that he currently tends to travel to nearby Leeds or Manchester for a night out due to the lack of options in his home town.
He said; “We would love to spend that time in the town centre.
“It is too easy to knock the town but there is a lot happening in Huddersfield and I think the town is on the up – the town is buzzing.
“Kingsgate is virtually full and we need a cinema and restaurants in the town centre.”
At present, Huddersfield faces significant levels of competition in the retail sector, not least from Trinity Leeds. The new shopping centre, which opened last year, has encouraged shoppers from outlying areas to visit – something which smaller Yorkshire shopping destinations have now recognised and are attempting to tackle.
Head of policy at the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Steven Leigh, added his voice to the business leaders welcoming plans for an expansion at the Kingsgate Centre. However, he believes that issues such as business rates must be addressed before town centres can begin to attract higher levels of footfall from out of town retail parks and larger shopping centres.
He says; “It has been a long, hard recession and it is vital we introduce more incentives to get things going again.
“We would like to see a full review of business rates in this country because that is a major problem for many retail outlets – these huge rates have to be paid whether the store is making a profit or not and whether the shop door is open or not.”
Along with defending smaller retailers from high running costs, Mr Leigh also pointed out that consumer budgets remain squeezed thanks to low pay inflation and the rising cost of living. As a result, he believes that more incentives are required to entice consumers back into town centres.
He added; “We would also like to see from Kirklees Council a realistic policy on car parking – we know people don’t like to pay to park and one difficulty we have is people going to out of town retail centres where parking is free rather than town centre where it is not.”
