Brighouse Towns Fund

Plans

These projects in Brighouse are funded by the UK Government through a £19.1m Town Deal. We’re investing in projects to reshape and reinvigorate the town and support long term growth. 

We (Calderdale Council) are developing the designs and delivering these projects.

The vision for Brighouse

The Brighouse Town Deal Board developed a number of projects based on the Town Improvement Plan and Vision Masterplan, and local consultation. These projects build on the strengths of the town such as its compact town centre, independent shops, sense of belonging, and diverse events and arts programme. The vision addresses some of the town’s opportunities: traffic circulation, more public green space, and access to the canalside.

Objectives

We aim to create a place that offers a special experience for the community and visitors: independent shops, events, and facilities; a place that is welcoming and pleasant to spend time; a place that is green; and a place where it is safe and easy to walk and cycle.

Our vision for Brighouse has four objectives:

Place

We are reinvigorating Brighouse town centre as a distinctive destination for the community, Calderdale, and beyond.

Health, wellbeing, and sustainability

We will add new landscaping and make walking and cycling more attractive options.

Enterprise

We are building on the town’s manufacturing history, to encourage trade and investment across the Leeds City Region and with the rest of the UK and the world.

Inclusive growth

We have provided Brighouse with greater access to skills and employment. The Brighouse 4.0 project focusses on apprenticeships and vocational learning and encouraging businesses to grow and create jobs.

Benefits

Welcome

We are improving streets and spaces at the main entry points to Brighouse. We’ll create safe routes for walking and cycling between home, work, and the town centre.

Town centre streets

We will improve the quality and feel of the streets and the retail experience. We will widen footways, create space for people, and use high quality materials across the town centre.

Public spaces

We are upgrading public space with new pedestrian areas on Commercial Street and Bethel Street; and creating a new public space in Thornton Square. We are improving the town centre and making places for community events. 

Canalside

We are creating better connections to the canalside and the town centre with new landscaping and seating. 

Walking and cycling

We will a provide high quality of finish to pedestrian areas. There will be smoother wider footways and more cycle racks around the town centre.

Arts, culture, and interpretation 

We will provide space for leisure and recreation in Brighouse. The offer will complement surrounding towns and cities, adding to the attractiveness of the region.

Design

We are working with the Brighouse Town Board on three key projects:

• Heart of Brighouse, which includes improvements for:
  • retail and leisure
  • Canalside and Thornton Square
  • Brighouse welcome
• Market revitalisation
• Industry 4.0 and Skills

Heart of Brighouse

We are investing in the heart of Brighouse. We are prioritising people and enhancing the streetscape, providing places to sit and meet friends.

The changes will increase footfall and support longer dwell times. Our aim with these changes is to increase the time spent in Brighouse and the amount spent in shops, cafes, and restaurants.

View of proposals for Commercial Street

Commercial Street will be free of traffic between the junctions with Park Street and Market Street. There will be wider pavements, new seating, and planting.

View of proposals for Bethel Street

The west end of Bethel Street will be pedestrianised between the junctions with Park Street and Market Street. There will be new seating. Planting adds a little green to the town centre and rain gardens will help to reduce the effects of flooding. The street will be finished with high quality locally sourced natural materials.

Canalside and Thornton Square 

We will invest to improve outdoor recreation opportunities, the image of Brighouse, and the connection to the Canalside. We will add new seating and landscaping between Bethel Street car park and the canal towpath.

We will create a quality event and community space at Thornton Square. This new space will be an area for people to sit and relax and provide better places for cultural and heritage events.

View of proposals for Thornton Square

We’re creating a new town square for Brighouse. It will be a destination for people to get together and there will be space for events. We have carefully chosen materials to complement local heritage and buildings. There will be places to sit, greenery, and street trees will add shelter from the rain and sun.

Brighouse welcome

We will develop public areas on the edges of Brighouse town centre. We will widen footways, improve crossings and add new signage for walking and cycling. The changes will make active travel safer and easier, contribute to Calderdale’s climate commitments, and enhance Brighouse’s profile as a destination. Our aim is to increase the number of people choosing to walk or cycle.

Market revitalisation

We are investing £3 million to deliver a new market building on the Canalside with space for 40 fixed and pop-up market stalls, supporting infrastructure, and spaces to sit, meet and rest. We are building better facilities for stall holders and creating a flexible event space in the centre of the market. The new market will encourage new businesses and start-ups, providing a route for them to use pop-up stalls occasionally, through to fixed market units, to permanent commercial space in the town centre.

Aerial view of proposals for Brighouse Open Market

1: New Brighouse Open Market with stalls around the outside.

2: Level space for events or temporary market stalls.

3: New main entrance (final design may vary).

This proposal for an entrance and exit connecting the market to the canal side has since been removed from the design. 

5: Seating areas inside the market with views out over the canal.

View of proposals for the main entrance of Brighouse Open Market

The market will be housed in a new secure building with lockable gates. The final design for the entrance may vary. 

1: Locally sourced natural stone to complement neighbouring buildings. 

2: Improved pedestrian area at the front and level access to the market.

3: Secure metal gates featuring a Brighouse-themed design.

4: Final design will feature new planters and cycle parking.

View of proposals for Brighouse Open Market from Ship Street

1: Rear gates.

2: Level access to the market entrance from Bethel Street car park.

3: Stalls.

4 Location of The Market Tavern.

5: Entrances and exits will connect the market to Ship Street. The entrance will be positioned closer to the Market Tavern than this image depicts.

Industry 4.0 & Skills 

We have invested £650,000 to put high-tech manufacturing at the heart of Brighouse’s future. The Industry 4.0 Hub is now a place where small- and medium-sized businesses can explore how digital technology can be used to improve productivity and increase innovation. Calderdale College lead this project, creating opportunities for 70 apprentices at the Hub. The Hub provides a range of short training programmes designed to help employers provide opportunities for their workforce to upskill. The Industry 4.0 Hub is located at The Engineering Centre at Kirkdale House on the Armytage Road Industrial Estate.

The Industry 4.0 Hub is made up of three themed suites or labs:

The IT Suite (Lab 1) - Creating

IT suite where Internet of Things (IoT), CAD design, Siemens’ Solid Edge Manufacturing, Technomatix, NX and Mendix Academy software, along with Unity Design, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), AR/MR development and other business software technologies are used to explore digital solutions to production and business challenges.

The Reality Room (Lab 2) - Testing

VR/MR brings the IT Suite theory to life, allowing for the test of prototypes and solutions designed in Lab 1 within the virtual world, and in a safe and controlled manner. They will be able to see their design come to life and see what impact it has on production, efficiency, and processes.

The Robotic Room (Lab 3) – Making

The third lab will make use of the latest in automotive and additive manufacturing technology. Users will have the opportunity to experience equipment that early i4.0 adopters have access to and learn how to innovate through its use. Equipment will consist of: EinStar 3D scanners, Ultimaker 2+ Connect/S7 Pro Bundle and Mayku Multiplier 3D scanning, miniFactory Ultra 2, and a Fanuc RoboDrill D14MiBP with CRX-10iA/L Collaborative Robot.

Progress

4 February 2025

This page updated.

30 October 2024

The transformation of Brighouse Market begins, with demolition of the existing building on the canalside site underway. 

Read: Milestone moment for Brighouse as Town Deal market transformation begins. 

27 September 2024

Brighouse Open Market to move to a new, temporary home at Daisy Street car park, this weekend.

22 August 2024

Following planning approval, we have appointed Triton Construction to build the new Brighouse Open Market on the canalside.  Brighouse Open Market will temporarily move to a section of Daisy Street car park in late September while the rebuild takes place.

16 July 2024

Last month, representatives from 19 businesses visited the brand-new i4.0 Hub at Calderdale College Engineering Centre in Brighouse, to discover how they can upskill their workforce using advanced technologies.

20 March 2024

We're starting ground survey works in Brighouse from 25 March 2024.

The survey work will help us to complete designs for the A641 improvement scheme and Brighouse Town Deal projects.

We will close the towpath between Brighouse Market and Ganny Foot Bridge so we can do the surveys. A short diversion will be in place. The footway at the front of the market on Briggate will also be closed.

Some parking spaces in Owler Ings and Daisy Street car parks will not be available during the survey works.

18 March 2024

The outcome of the main planning application for the new market is due in the next few weeks.

We have submitted a separate planning application so the market can continue trade in Brighouse during the rebuild. The location for the temporary market will be Daisy Street car park, just a short walk across Anchor Bridge from the market's current home.

Read: Work stepped up to deliver Brighouse’s new market.

Review: Planning application for the temporary market.

Information about the Brighouse temporary market from The Brighouse Town Board.

5 February 2024

Members will consider proposals for significant investment to enable new sustainable growth opportunities in and around Brighouse, which will support the delivery of the Local Plan for Calderdale.

Read: Supporting a thriving future in south east Calderdale.

18 December 2023

High-tech manufacturing through Industry 4.0 will come to the heart of Brighouse in 2024 with the launch of the i4.0 Hub, where small- and medium-sized businesses can explore how digital technology can improve their productivity and increase innovation.

18 October 2023

Following the three-week engagement process in the summer by Calderdale Council and the Brighouse Town Deal Board, the design of the distinctive new market building has been finalised, a planning application is being submitted, and the tender process to find a contractor is due to start soon.

Read: Milestone for Brighouse Town Deal as plans progress for new market.

September 2023

Thank you to all who took part in our recent public engagement activity, we received almost 300 detailed responses.

We’re continuing to review all the feedback and working with key teams across the Council to find an approach that balances the needs of those with an interest in Brighouse.

We know that people are passionate about the future of Brighouse and we’re working hard to deliver this scheme. We’ll provide further updates as the plans progress. 

10 May 2023

We're inviting people to discover and discuss the latest designs for the future of Brighouse. We're investing £19.1 million in Brighouse over the next three years.

The latest plans will be available from Monday 15 May on the Brighouse Deal website. The plans will also be shared at two events:

• Saturday 20 May, 10am – 3pm at Brighouse Open Market
• Wednesday 24 May 6pm – 8pm at Brighouse Central Methodist Church

Read: Brighouse’s £19.1 million Town Deal investment – Discover and discuss the latest plans

Brighouse Town Board

More information is available from The Brighouse Deal including news from the Brighouse Town Board and updates on progress. If you have questions or comments on these proposals, email the project team: brighousetd@calderdale.gov.uk