Kirklees: Heritage Strategy to promote area set to be approved

Kirklees is marking the 50th anniversary of the council's creation

A new heritage strategy will aim to attract visitors and investors to the area, according to Kirklees Council.

It will raise the area's profile and showcase its "rich heritage" from the Industrial Revolution to the formation of the Rugby League, the council added.

A spokesperson said as Kirklees marks the 50th anniversary of the council's creation, the plan "could not be better timed".

It is expected to be approved at a council meeting next week.

As well as the area's role in the Industrial Revolution it was also fundamental in movements such as Women's Suffrage and the Luddites, who were English textile workers opposed to cost-saving machinery in the 19th Century.

The Heritage Strategy is in collaboration with the National Lottery Heritage Fund through their Resilient Heritage funding programme, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Richard Parry, strategic director for Adults and Health at Kirklees Council, said: "Kirklees continues to make history as it always has done, but we also want our diverse heritage to inspire the future of the district."

He said the strategy would help "protect and develop the heritage offer of our historic landscapes and towns across the borough" and enable them to bring "people together and find new ways to tell the stories of our communities".

The council also said it will also encourage "inclusive opportunities for everyone to understand, enjoy and share our common heritage".

If approved, the plan will be published in full on the council's website and will be implemented later this year.