Huddersfield Giants have seen their bid to build a new stadium on their preferred location boosted with the backing of a local politician.
Councillor Cahal Burke, a Liberal Democrat representing Lindley, has called on the Kirklees Council to work with Huddersfield Giants in their attempt to build at the abandoned gasworks site off St Andrew’s Road.
The council have previously outlined that the land is not designated for a sports stadium and instead is part of the ‘Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor’, an area in which government funding is focused on “boosting business innovation, productivity and growth, and supporting the commercialisation of health and wellbeing research”.
A council spokesperson has previously explicitly stated: “At present, the site isn’t allocated for development for sports and leisure,” but Cllr Burke has called on the council to be cooperative in regards the Giants’ efforts to build a new stadium at the site off St Andrew’s Road.
Huddersfield Giants’ stadium bid backed by councillor
Support by Cllr Burke has been reported by Huddersfield Hub with the Liberal Democrat politician’s support quoted by the outlet.
Burke said: “I fully support efforts to grow innovation and attract investment to Huddersfield.
“However, in light of the public interest on the proposal from the Huddersfield Giants owner, I believe we are now facing a very real and time sensitive opportunity. It deserves full and open-minded consideration, not a flat dismissal.”
He then asked: “Will the council take a leadership role in enabling that dialogue rather than closing the door before the potential has been fully tested?
“This proposal is serious, deliverable and clearly backed by those involved. It is not in competition with health and innovation. It can complement it.
“A stadium focused on professional sports, community use and wellbeing, can sit side by side with research and enterprise. This is about synergy, not exclusion.”
Huddersfield Giants’ owner Ken Davy has always maintained his desire to keep the club in Huddersfield, however, they’re likely to move to Halifax on a temporary basis and should their stadium development be blocked then there’s a chance the club could be forced to relocate elsewhere.
At least that’s the fear of Cllr Burke who argued: “We’re in danger of losing our Super League team at the moment. We badly need this new small stadium. Let’s assist the Giants to find at home, not hinder them.”
Fellow councillor and council cabinet member Graham Turner explained that it was Ken Davy’s ‘responsibility to find the site’ but did concede they have been working closely and have “many, many sites that we’ve looked at with him, to try and find a solution”.
Whilst the council dispute over the land is set to hinder the Giants, fans of the club have launched a petition which has over 3,500 signatures urging the council to release the gasworks site for the club to build on.
That petition can be found here.
Bernard McGuin
July 23, 2025 at 2:02 pm
I am a former director of the Stadium company. I represented the council on the board.
Ken Davy made it clear he was looking for his Giants to leave years ago. He did see an opportunity at the Gasworks Street site but the council have aleays made it clear that they wanted it as part of the Station to Stadium economic corridor.
The council wanted to hand their 40% share of the Stadium company in return for the Gasworks site. Ken has a 20% share of the Stadium company so Kirklees Council have the better bargaining chip.
The notes compiled by officers makes it clear that, at the moment, the council is guaranteeing a £3. 75 million loan on the Gasworks site:the loan was taken out by the Stadium company in order to guarantee car parking for the Stadium when the HDONE project went ahead on the Town Avenue car park (as well as the hotel project). It never got off the ground.
I can talk about this as it is public knowledge, the Stadium has lived hand to mouth for years and has no way of paying off the loan. Only extra money from one of the three partners (HTAFC, GIANTS, Kirklees) could do that.
The land has been independently valued at about £2 million. So there are serious consequences for all parties involved here, namely taking a financial hit on acquisition.
The council have been trying to find a new home for the Giants but I believe the owner of Huddersfield Town, Kevin Nagle, has said the Giants can continue to play as long as they want at the now newly named ACCU Stadium.
I do not, thetefore, believe time is of the essence as is claimed in the article.
From a council viewpoint to pass over their 40% share to Nagle in order to acquire the Gasworks site makes sense for them and Nagle. Ken’s 20% share stuation is holding things up and is the bargaining chip he holds in getting a Stadium where he wants.
The planning authority is Kirklees Council here so the Council is pivotal in all this.
Good luck sorting that mess out.