Dewsbury Market 'transformation' images revealed

The council said it wanted to create more areas for eating and socialising at the market

Images of a proposed major revamp of Dewsbury Market, which the council said would "transform" the town centre, have been published.

Kirklees Council said the focus of the proposed refurbishment was to encourage "lots of different people with lots of different interests" to visit.

Alongside the traditional market there would be more areas for eating and socialising, it added.

Council leader Cathy Scott said the plans would "future-proof" the site.

The proposals for the regeneration of the market had been built on previous consultations and further research would take place before the final proposals were unveiled before the end of the year, according to Kirklees Council.

A traditional market offering will be retained in the redevelopment, the council said

The redevelopment was initially proposed in March 2021 with council funding of over £8m, and it received an additional £6.6m of funding from the government's Towns Fund in the same year.

However, over the past year the plans for the market had been "re-evaluated and re-costed", the council said.

The authority currently needs to find £47m in savings in next year's budget.

Ms Scott said releasing the images showing the plans was intended to reassure residents that work on the redevelopment was still going on, despite the council facing significant financial pressures.

"We began the work of re-evaluating and recosting plans for Dewsbury Market before the current economic difficulties were fully known, but it's now more important than ever that we ensure every aspect of these designs makes the best use of our budget," she said.

A full design for the Dewsbury Market development is expected before the end of the year

Ms Scott added that the council had not given up its ambitions for the market or the town centre.

"I can honestly say I believe this new, improved market will transform Dewsbury town centre and future-proof one of our greatest assets for not just years, but generations, to come."

Keith Ramsay, chair of the Dewsbury Town Deal Board, admitted plans for the town centre had been "slow going".

But he said they had "have never lost sight of what we want the market to offer for future generations".