Thread Republic CIC and our Creative Piazza neighbours (West Yorkshire Print Workshop, CollaborARTi, Children's Art School Maker World, Maker Gallery and Shared Goods) will leave the Piazza in spring 2026 due to the planned demolition of the Piazza Shopping Centre to make space for the Our Cultural Heart development. We have rented empty retail units on the Piazza for years through the council scheme Temporary Contemporary.
We are excited by the new investment into culture that Kirklees council have committed to, but feel there is a gap in their plans for a permanent creative hub building for the grassroots community that has evolved around this area in recent years through Temporary Contemporary / Creative Piazza. The plans currently comprise a food hall, new library, Art gallery and museum.
If you live in Kirklees and agree there needs to be a permanent, dedicated home for the existing creating eco-system on the Piazza as part of the Our Cultural Heart plans, please write to your local councillors / MP / Kirklees council staff / strategic friends to raise awareness of an opportunity with the Queen Street plot as identified below.
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Thank you!
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[INSERT YOUR ADDRESS HERE]
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Re: Our Cultural Heart Development – Proposal for Queen Street Plot
Dear [INSERT NAME]
I am writing regarding the proposed use of the Queen Street plot within the Our Cultural Heart development.
While I welcome Kirklees Council’s ambition to revitalise Huddersfield town centre and enhance its cultural infrastructure, I believe the site should explore a unique opportunity to deliver both permanent infrastructure and long-term commitment to the cultural value provided by the existing creative ecosystem.
After reading about the Council plans for suggested car park provision on the Queen Street plot, I would like to advocate for a car park at basement level, while dedicating the ground floor of the Queen Street plot to a permanent hub for the creative arts.
This approach would allow the Council to balance the needs of accessibility and sustainability while ensuring that the Queen Street plot plays a central role in Huddersfield’s future as a vibrant cultural destination as home for local creative industries. Retaining basement parking addresses visitor and accessibility needs, while avoiding the visual and spatial dominance of a multi-storey car park. More importantly, it frees the ground floor to host a cultural hub—an asset that aligns with the Council’s wider regeneration goals and long-term vision.
Huddersfield already benefits from a strong network of cultural organisations, many of whom have brought vitality to empty retail units in the Piazza Centre through Temporary Contemporary in recent years and continue to bring incredible social value to the area. Incorporating a permanent, dedicated and accessible home for this community focused creativity—where organisations can grow, connect, and innovate, aligns perfectly with the Our Cultural Heart ambition and the Queen Street plot is ideally placed to provide this offer.
A creative cluster hub at ground floor level on the Queen Street plot would:
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Provide training and pathways into creative careers, addressing local skills gaps in line with the West Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan.
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Position Huddersfield as a distinctive destination for creative practice and innovation, aligning with the Kirklees Cultural Heart Vision to build pride of place.
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Anchor long-term, community-led activity within Our Cultural Heart, rather than relying solely on occasional uses of multipurpose spaces.
The Council has committed to tackling the climate emergency, embedding sustainability in planning and regeneration. By placing car parking underground and dedicating the ground floor to culture, Kirklees can demonstrate a forward-thinking, balanced approach that delivers on accessibility, climate responsibility and cultural regeneration simultaneously, leaving a bold cultural legacy that benefits the whole community.
I urge the Council to take this opportunity to prioritise a permanent cultural hub, ensuring the development fully reflects its commitments to sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth.
Yours sincerely,
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