Work begins on £20m Huddersfield market revamp after price hike

Work on the £20m revamp of Huddersfield’s Grade II* Listed market hall has officially begun.

The historic building is now surrounded by hoardings to separate construction works from the public and the neighbouring temporary market. Willmott Dixon is carrying out the repairs and construction which are due to be finished in Spring 2028.

Once completed, the new open market will have traditional stalls, three hot food outlets, a new enclosed and heated market café, small bar, and a dedicated seating area. The hall will have over 87 pitches including up to 12 permanent stalls, and over 75 demountable stalls for market days. It will also come with several features to boost accessibility including ramps, automatic doors, accessible toilets, and a new Changing Places facility.

Outside, a new Market Yard will provide space for events and more demountable stalls. A mezzanine will also be created, and glazed screens will replace the existing security shutters. On top of this, the original colour scheme of traditional reds, pinks, and creams, will be reinstated to honour the building’s heritage.

The scheme was originally set to cost £16.5m which was secured from the government’s Levelling Up Fund, but the price shot up to almost £20m due to a “previously unforeseen requirement” for a full replacement of the glazed roof, a recent Cabinet report revealed. The length of time it took to secure planning permission, “enhanced” temporary market arrangements and the vehicle mitigation measures for public safety have also played a role.

Coun John Hardie, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Highways and Transport said: “Regenerating the historic market hall to secure its future, protect its heritage and build on the existing market offer Huddersfield has, is moving to its next exciting stage.

“People will have seen work take place on preparing the site for the renovation, but they will now see a lot more activity around this beautiful Grade II* listed building.

“The temporary market and stalls are still open as normal offering a range of fresh goods and hidden gems, and our markets team will be continuing to work with traders and customers to support them as we move onto this next phase of work.

“The Huddersfield Market scheme is just one key part of revitalising the town centre as we look to deliver clear benefits for our local communities and people will be able to see the much-loved building carefully restored.”

Chris Yates, Yorkshire Director for Willmott Dixon, said: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Kirklees Council to deliver a transformation of the historic Huddersfield Market Hall. This is an important project for Huddersfield, creating a refreshed market while paying tribute to its proud heritage to allow the Market Hall to continue supporting the town centre and local traders for many years to come.

“Our project team and local supply chain partners are excited to get formally underway and we’re looking forward to working with the council, market traders and local community as work continues to progress.”