Hotel renovation given a further £9.8m

The George Hotel in Huddersfield has been vacant since 2013

The renovation of a landmark Huddersfield hotel has been given an extra £9.8m in funding from the local council.

The Grade II listed George Hotel has been vacant since 2013, but was bought by Kirklees Council four years ago as part of its masterplan to transform the town centre.

The restoration project was allocated £20.2m two years ago, but with increasing costs and issues found on site, it needed a further injection of cash, the council said.

Kirklees Council's cabinet agreed to the proposal at a meeting earlier.

'Loved by local people'

The money would come out of funding already allocated to Huddersfield regeneration, and would take the total spent on the hotel to £30m.

The building is expected to open in 2027, and will be run by the hotelier Radisson.

The council said it had investigated the possibility of increasing the number of rooms planned from 91 to 108, to generate more income to repay its investment.

Council leader Carole Pattison said: "The George Hotel plays such a key role in Huddersfield’s past, and for people travelling by rail it will always be one of the very first buildings to welcome you as you enter the town centre.

"Bringing this building back to life is one of our priorities within the Huddersfield Blueprint, and we’re unwavering in that commitment."

She added: "We want the finished hotel to be fantastic, because we know how much it’s loved by local people, and what a great opportunity this presents to boost our local economy and tourism."

The council needs to make around £30m in savings to balance its budget for next year.

However, if this plan is approved, it would not require any additional spending.

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