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Cabinet have just allocated an extra £10 million to the refurbishment and reopening of the George Hotel, one of Huddersfield’s most recognisable and historic buildings.
Once restored, the George – a key priority within the Huddersfield Blueprint, Kirklees Council’s masterplan to transform the town centre – will be managed by internationally renowned hotelier Radisson.
The George has stood vacant since 2013, with the building left to deteriorate. Four years ago, the council purchased the Grade II* Listed building to restore this key asset and bring it back into use.
Over the past few months, the council has reviewed its plans for the George, factoring in increases in construction costs – which are impacting regeneration projects nationally – but also additional issues found on site, mostly due to the nature of the historic building and its complexities.
At the same time, the council has investigated the possibility of increasing the number of rooms planned from 91 to 108. Expanding the hotel’s capacity in this way would help the George generate more income to repay the council’s investment.
Two years ago, the council’s Cabinet approved £20.2million to redevelop and refurbish the George. This further injection of resources, which will come out of funding already allocated to Huddersfield regeneration, would take the total to £30million. The hotel is expected to open in 2027.
Councillor Carole Pattison, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “The George Hotel plays such a key role in Huddersfield’s past, and for people travelling by rail it will always be one of the very first buildings to welcome you as you enter the town centre. Bringing this building back to life is one of our priorities within the Huddersfield Blueprint, and we’re unwavering in that commitment.
“This extra funding injection will see us reopen the George with more bedrooms than previously planned, allowing more people to enjoy our rejuvenated Huddersfield town centre, and helping the building itself generate more income. We want the finished hotel to be fantastic, because we know how much it’s loved by local people, and what a great opportunity this presents to boost our local economy and tourism.
“As with many of our regeneration plans – particularly projects which involve the refurbishment of such beautiful, historic structures – it’s a hugely complex process, greatly impacted by the current economic climate. What we’re proposing is a more streamlined vision for the hotel, with greater capacity, and solutions that take better care of this beautiful building’s history.
“I’m pleased that Cabinet continue to see bringing this beautiful building back into use as a priority. We know people love the George and want to see it given a new lease of life – in fact, we’ll be finding more ways to involve the public down the line in how the interior design of the new Radisson RED hotel could celebrate Huddersfield, its culture and history for visitors in years to come.”
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