What is happening at Dewsbury Arcade: Construction team start work to reopen Dewsbury Arcade which has been empty for years as UK's first community-run shopping centre

William Birch Construction - a Yorkshire-based company specialising in the restoration and repair of historic buildings – got the project underway earlier this week.

The arcade is a Grade II Listed building which has been a focal point in Dewsbury town centre since the late 1800s but has stood empty for more than seven years.

As a key part of the Dewsbury Blueprint, the arcade will be reopened as the UK’s first ever community-run shopping centre.

It will be managed by the Arcade Group - a community business formed specifically to lease and manage the building.

The renovations should take around a year to complete, and will be funded by £4.5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, grants from the Dewsbury Town Deal Board and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, support from the government’s Getting Building Fund, and capital funding from the council.

Once reopened, the Arcade Group will take on management and operation of the business side of the arcade without further financial input from Kirklees Council.

The work at Dewsbury Arcade is part of a multi-million pound makeover for Dewsbury which will also include transforming Dewsbury Market and creating a new town park, along with new, improved proposals for the public space outside Dewsbury Town Hall.

Councillor Cathy Scott, leader of Kirklees Council, has said she is pleased people will finally be able to start seeing these projects physically progressing

“Our town needs a lot of time and investment to return it to its former glory and I believe our blueprint plans are the boost Dewsbury needs,” she said.