Kirklees Council delivers strong local presence at UKREiiF 2025
Kirklees Council has again delivered a successful showcase at this year’s UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), where the borough’s ambition, innovation and investment potential were fully displayed.
Representatives from the council and local businesses doing great things joined delegates and investors from across the UK and around the globe in Leeds to highlight the wide range of opportunities available across Kirklees for investment, regeneration and partnership.
Across three days key faces from Kirklees Council leadership, in particular those responsible for regeneration and development across the borough, showcased investment and partnership opportunities in Kirklees, supported by Business Kirklees, the council’s business, economy and growth service. Alongside other local public and private sector leaders, they promoted Kirklees’ major growth areas, including Huddersfield’s Health Innovation Zone and the ambitious Dewsbury Riverside housing scheme.
As part of this year’s programme, the council hosted two dedicated events focused on North and South Kirklees, Huddersfield and Dewsbury. The team participated in the UKREiiF Health Mixer alongside the University of Huddersfield, highlighting Kirklees’ role in the health tech and life sciences and promoting opportunities linked to the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor.
The council also showcased its role in the £160 million West Yorkshire Investment Zone, which focuses on supporting health tech and digital innovation in Huddersfield, anchored by the University of Huddersfield’s new National Health Innovation Campus.
Bringing attention to Dewsbury, the team showcased the upcoming procurement for Dewsbury Riverside, the largest housing development in Kirklees, as well as wider investment opportunities aligned with the Dewsbury Blueprint, the council’s ten-year plan to transform the town centre through £200 million of regeneration.
All of Kirklees’ major investment opportunities are underpinned by long-term Blueprints for each of our key towns. These strategic plans are designed to create vibrant, well-connected places to live, work, and visit. In Dewsbury, this means delivering new homes, cultural and learning spaces, business hubs, green public areas and improved infrastructure, while protecting the town’s unique character and heritage.
Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said:
“This is our third time at UKREiiF, and we’ve had more to shout about each year. The scale of what we’re doing in Kirklees keeps growing. Housing, heritage, innovation, connectivity… It’s all moving forward.
“Towns like Huddersfield and Dewsbury have real potential, and we’re backing them because we believe in their future. I’ve lived here all my life, and my family is here. I care about Kirklees, and I want to see it thrive for years to come. I have seen firsthand that so many others want that too.
“We’ve already brought in around £2 billion in funding, but we know we can go further and can’t do it alone. We want developers and investors to talk to us. Just look at what’s happening in our towns, big names like The Light choosing Kirklees, and local people backing the Dewsbury Arcade enough to make it the UK’s first community-run shopping centre. That kind of passion is what makes Kirklees amazing. When people who care come together, we can do brilliant things for our communities.”
