In October 2025 I initiated a campaign to save Huddersfield Open Market from the redevelopment plans proposed by Kirklees Council.

I'm putting together a page documenting the planning history of the proposed redevelopment and the campaign against it. Details to follow

Everyone who loves Huddersfield knows that the open market is fantastic (up to Summer 2026) and one of the few successful parts of the town centre at present. Rather than celebrating that success Kirklees Council is planning to ruin it.

I hoped that the council could be diverted from ruining the open market, and I was prepared to coordinate the response of traders and visitors to the current planning applications.

But, as a starting point I didn't want to act over the heads of the market traders: if they all thought the plans were great, it's their livelihood and I would have been sad but I wouldn't take it any further.

I got some handouts photocopied and went up and down the market on Saturday 4 October, talking to the stall holders and saying that if they wanted to challenge the redevelopment I would coordinate that but they needed to contact me via the details on the flyer to express support/opinions.

I gave out no more than 40 flyers and the response from every trader I spoke to bar one was that they didn't support the plans.

I was certain that visitors to the market didn't support the plans either so we could go ahead and challenge them.