The council has opted to allocate an extra £9.8m to the refurbishment and reopening of the George Hotel in Huddersfield after costs rose from £20.2m to £30m.
The George has stood vacant since 2013, with the building left to deteriorate. Four years ago, Kirklees Council bought the Grade II* Listed building to restore it and bring it back into use.
The restoration is listed as a priority within the Huddersfield Blueprint, Kirklees Council’s masterplan to transform the town centre. On completion, expected in 2027, the hotel will be managed by Radisson.
Morgan Sindall was originally appointed to carry out the work under a preconstruction services agreement after planning permission was granted in 2022. However, the deal broke down after the fixed price proposed by the contractor became unaffordable.
Over the past few months the council has reviewed its plans for the George, factoring in increases in construction costs as well as additional issues uncovered on site, mostly due to the nature of the historic building and its complexities.
The original plan was to increase the number of bedrooms from 60 to 91 to make the hotel a viable business. More recently, the council has investigated the possibility of increasing the number of rooms to 108 to help meet the extra cost.
A replacement contractor has yet to be appointed.
Kirklees Council leader Cllr Carole Pattison 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.”
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