Town Deal Board
The Town Deal Board was created in response to the government making grants of up to £25 million available from the Towns Fund for 101 towns across the country in 2020. The Board is responsible for advising the council and strategic oversight of the bid.
The Town Investment Plan (TIP) was submitted to government in January 2021 and approval received in June of 2021. The next stage of the process is for the Board to submit a Business Case making the argument that each of the nine projects included in the TIP represent value for money by Treasury standards. This has to be done by June 2022 and assuming all goes well work can start after approval is received. Click the image to download a copy of the Dewsbury TIP..
Dewsbury Blueprint
The Dewsbury Blueprint was published by KIrklees council in February 2020 and laid out the direction of travel that the council planned for the regeneration of Dewsbury. Click on the image to learn more.
Strategic Development Framework
The Dewsbury Strategic Development Framework was published in 2010. This sought to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the town and how it might develop.
However, with the collapse of any available funding for effective changes little progress was made. Despite this, it is considered that the Framework contained some good work and forms the basis on which future plans can be based.
The document was updated in 2018
Click here to download the Dewsbury Strategic Development Framework 2010 and here for the updated version of 2018
Kirklees Local Plan
The draft version of the Kirklees Local Plan was published in November 2015. All local authorities are required to produce a Local Plan to identify how they will meet government targets for growth, jobs and housing and the Local Plan sets policies in these areas for the next 15 years.
The Kirklees Local Plan can be viewed in its entirety online at www.Kirklees.gov.uk/localplan and is open for consultation until February 2016 and after further consultation will eventually be published and adopted in 2017.
North Kirklees Growth Zone
On 17 Nov 2015 a report titled 'North Kirklees Housing and Enterprise Growth Zone' (since shortened to North Kirklees Growth Zone) was approved by the Cabinet of Kirklees Council to go forward for development into a full blown policy for approval on completion.
Dewsbury has been acknowledged as a problem area and a high priority for regeneration by Kirklees for some time and 'transformational change' was indicated for Dewsbury in the Kirklees Economic Strategy 2014.
However, in the absence of government funding for development and cutbacks in funding for services Kirklees has been obliged to develop a plan that plainly states that there is no money available and improvements must be funded from revenues generated by growth in housing and business development.
Put simply, only after developers build more houses will there be more Council Tax and with more businesses there will be more Business Rates. From this additional revenue, Kirklees will be able to fund improvements.
The Enterprise Growth Zone also depends on Kirklees' being successful in negotiations with the Leeds Enterprise Partnership to have North Kirklees included in the economic planning of the Leeds region.
Only then will Dewsbury and the North Kirklees district be included in the economic planning related to the 'Northern Powerhouse' intended to maximise the potential of the Northern cities and to the availability of European funding.
The only aspect of merit relating to the North Kirklees Housing and Enterprise Growth Zone is that it is a plan. It might not be a very good one but in difficult times it is the only one we've got.
Regardless of it's effectiveness or otherwise, the North Kirklees Growth Zone is not due to become a policy until 2017 and will then take at least 3-5 years to show any benefits. Put simply, nothing is likely to change for at least the next 5 years.
Conclusion? If we want to see improvements in our town in the immediate future then we are going to have to get on and do it ourselves. If you are interested in doing so the visit our Supporters page.
Click here to download a copy of the North Kirklees Housing and Enterprise Growth Zone
Neighbourhood Planning
It does not take many local residents to group together to create a Neighbourhood Plan. You can find out more about Neighbourhood Planning here and from Kirklees here.
Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative
Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) is a five year Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) regeneration programme delivered in partnership with Kirklees Council which aims to:
- preserve and enhance certain key buildings located within the conservation area, through grant assistance
- stimulate economic activity through creating a quality environment
- raise awareness of Dewsbury's heritage through training and education.
Click this link for full information about the Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative.
You can follow the progress of the Heritage Initiative project is our news posts here.
Dewsbury Design Guide
In addition to the Heritage Initiative project to return important parts of the town to their former glory a Dewsbury Design Guide has been produced to assist landlords and business owners making changes or refurbishing their property to do so in an appropriate style and in keeping with the existing architecture.
Click the image to download the
Dewsbury Design Guide
Putting Soul In The City
Putting Soul In The City - an interesting essay produced in collaboration with the Beam agency from down the road in Wakefield on the use of art in the public realm. Worth a read if we are to create something meaningful in Dewsbury.
Possible Projects
The Dewsbury Partnership aims to do whatever we can to move developments forward. You can find an accumulation of possible projects here.