Huddersfield home to make way for 49-bed student complex under ambitious plans

A Huddersfield building could soon be torn down and student accommodation built in its place.

The property - a former shop downstairs and flat above - earmarked for demolition sits opposite Wickes on Manchester Road and has been described as being in a “poor state of repair”. It has an empty commercial unit on the bottom floor and accommodation upstairs.

The applicant, Manchester Road Projects Ltd, wants to tear down the building and construct a student apartment complex complete with a gym, common room, shared garden and cycle storage, on the site. The accommodation would have 49 beds and be a combination of self-contained studios and shared cluster flats and be accessible from Manchester Road.

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The area’s listed buildings are highlighted in the application’s supporting documents including three that front Manchester Road and a large Grade-II listed detached property, Spring Lodge, located behind the site. The applicant says that the proposal will provide a “much more positive” contribution to the existing street scene and be “respectful” of the nearby heritage assets.

To date (June 10), no objections have been submitted to Kirklees Council in response to the application. However, West Yorkshire Police have requested that a planning condition for security measures be added to the application.

Among the suggestions put forward by the police are well-lit public spaces, lockable gates for parking areas/garages and a 24-hour monitored help alarm system. A target date for a decision to be made on the plans has been set for August 16, 2024.

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