1 week Ago By [email protected] (Andrew Robinson)
What's it like living in the centre of Huddersfield ? It probably depends on exactly where your house/flat is, but the overall picture is that it can be a handy place to be if you like quick and easy access to supermarkets, takeaways, pubs, and the train and bus station. But it does come with downsides, including some antisocial behaviour and excessive fly-tipping by thoughtless neighbours. And the traffic can be heavy.
One man who lives in Bath Street, off St John's Road, said he found everyone really friendly, although he said the area didn't really have a community vibe, more a case of 'every man for himself'. He didn't want to give his name but said he liked the convenience of being able to nip out to get food from Tesco or Sainsbury's. He's also within walking distance of Kebabish, an Indian restaurant in John William Street, which he rates highly.
There are a numbers of flats and apartments in the Bath Street and Rook Street area, as well as shops, restaurants and other businesses including The Sportsman , a popular real ale pub which recently had a crisp festival. "Huddersfield is a lovely place, trust me," he told Yorkshire Live . "I am very comfortable with Huddersfield; it's peaceful, it's calm, it's homely.
I have been to other places and I have seen how it is. Huddersfield is wonderful." Asked about pubs, he said: "I'm not a pub person.
" The town centre is also home to a number of students. Three students from India, who were smoking and chatting beside the ring road, just off Rook Street, said they liked the proximity of the bus and train stations, and Tesco and Aldi. They enjoy going to the Cherry Tree Weatherspoon pub in John William Street where they might have a meal and drinks.
One said: "We are doing courses in nursing at the University. It's peaceful around here. We have been here three years.
It's a calm place." However, they had noticed that littering and fly-tippers were an issue. "Some people throw things outside.
" The littering, although unsightly, doesn't seem to trouble people too much. If reported, it gets cleared away by Kirklees Council workers. Along Bath Street and Rook Street there were overflowing bins as well as discarded mattresses and other household rubbish.
There was a large pile of rubbish beside some wheelie bins. Local Green Councillor Andrew Cooper, whose ward covers the town centre, said it was important for Kirklees to 'get the basics right' to ensure the town centre was a good place to live and visit. And he said a 'surprising number' of people live in the town centre.
He said: "I am aware of issues with fly-tipping around Rook Street and Bath Street within the ring road and I have reported issues there to Kirklees in the past. "There are a surprising number of people who live within the town centre and people like the convenience for commuting and to use some of the many good real ale pubs, cafes, music venues and restaurants that we have there. "Clearly if we are going to make the town centre a more attractive place for people to live and to visit, we have to get the basics right like dealing with fly-tipping and overgrown vegetation.
A lot of capital investment is going into Huddersfield, which is positive but the day-to-day maintenance of public spaces has to be dealt with as well." A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: "Our Greenspace Action Team investigate all reports of fly tipping in Kirklees. After further investigation, there are no official reports of fly tipping on Bath Street or Rook Street in Huddersfield town centre logged with the council.
"We will follow up this incident and remove the waste, as well as follow up a prosecution if appropriate. We encourage anyone who spots fly tipping or sees it taking place to report it on our website so our teams can take appropriate action including prosecutions.” Fly-tipping can be reported to Kirklees here Get all the latest and breaking Huddersfield news straight to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
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