Our Cultural Heart

Project overview

Our Cultural Heart is a £200m+ flagship regeneration project and the centrepiece of Kirklees Council’s 10-year Blueprint to transform Huddersfield town centre. The plans include:

• A bustling new food hall.
• Brand-new modern, glass-fronted library hub.
• An attractive new public square.
• Flagship museum and art gallery space.

With future phases set to deliver a major new urban park and a 2,200-person events venue.

As a regeneration project, Our Cultural Heart had to deliver positive social and economic outcomes.

This project drew upon the combined expertise of Pegasus’ Economics, Planning and Design teams.

The challenge

The economics challenge was determining how and where to deploy the capital available for the project and prove social and economic benefits over and above the existing provision.  

There were also sensitivities, including the impact on the nearby resident population, on people already using the amenities and economic displacement. Two listed buildings added to the challenge.  

Pegasus’s economics team engaged with stakeholders, gathered and analysed evidence to determine the impact. 

The solution

To help assess the social benefits, a Health Impact Assessment was agreed to consider the wider health and wellbeing effects on existing and future users.  

In addition, the team prepared an Economic Benefit Statement (EBS) to serve as a summary document of the benefits supported by evidence from the Socio-economic Impact Assessment (EIA, in the form of an ES Chapter) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA).  

The work on the EIA showed that the completed project would support 459 full-time equivalent jobs, generate an economic output of £10.2 million pa and £10.5 million pa in social value from the museum, gallery and library.  

The EIA, HIA and EBS also demonstrated how the scheme would help the Local Planning Authority and Local Enterprise Partnership with generating new employment opportunities, enabling economic growth and contributing to the physical, mental health and wellbeing of the local population. The project successfully secured planning permission. 

Kirklees Cultural Heart won a health and wellbeing award for endeavours to unlock economic growth and positive social change, evidenced by the team’s Health Impact Assessment.  

 

David Glover, Senior Responsible Officer of Kirklees Council commented “Pegasus Economics service provided robust analysis during the planning process that helped to showcase the wide range of socio-economic benefits of the scheme, including how physical and mental health and wellbeing can be supported and enhanced through regeneration.” 

 

If you’d like to discuss how Pegasus can support your development, get in touch.