Dewsbury Town Hall
Dewsbury's beautiful town hall is a key feature in the town centre, and we want it to be a more inviting and exciting place to visit.
As well as sweeping staircases, ornate glass windows and marble columns, this Grade II⚹ Listed building is home to a small concert hall and function rooms, as well as various meeting spaces. It's often used for concerts, weddings, conferences, and various other public and private events.
The plans
Directly outside the town hall, improvements are being made to the public realm (shared outdoor space) which will make it a nicer area to spend time, socialise and enjoy events.
It's all about making the area more attractive and inviting, and creating a safer thoroughfare to drive more footfall during the day - especially as this area borders not just the town hall but many of Dewsbury's town centre shops, including the soon-to-be reopened arcade.
As with other areas across Dewsbury and wider Kirklees, we're going to create a 'flexible' outdoor space which can be used for lots of different purposes, from everyday socialising to fun open-air events.
There will be more trees and seating, and we're creating a small new amphitheatre which will provide an interesting (and functional) feature. Suggested designs for the amphitheatre make artistic use of some old, disused railway tracks - did you know this area was once being the site of Dewsbury's original railway station?
This development will also involved changes to parking and pedestrianisation. We're aiming to introduce more accessible parking spaces close to the civic buildings and town centre shops.
These plans will also improve accessibility to the Walsh Building, which is currently home to our Customer Service Centre in Dewsbury.
Restorations have been made to the Victoria Concert Hall, which can seat 700. We have also opened the Victoria Bar, a new events venue and social space within the town hall.
Improvements have also been made to many of the town hall's ornate rooms, offering a wide range of opportunities for leisure activities - from traditional concerts to pop-up cinema, children's events and activities, weddings and other celebrations.
