Huddersfield

Constituency

Huddersfield Today

Surrounded by outstanding Yorkshire countryside, Huddersfield has a richly diverse population. Its continued growth and redevelopment offers an exciting future for the town and its people.

Along with its traditional strength in manufacturing, Huddersfield is expanding in new industries. Information technology and communications companies are among those recently attracted to the area.

Greenhead College, which is situated just outside the centre of Huddersfield, achieves excellent results, ranking first in the league of sixth forms published by The Times in November 2003. Huddersfield New College, set high in the hills, also does well.

The University of Huddersfield has campuses throughout the town, and has established a strong reputation. Employment prospects for Huddersfield graduates are strengthened through the University's close links to industry. Reflecting the town's diverse demographic, the University includes students from over 60 countries throughout the world. The University is also one of the largest single employers in Huddersfield, employing nearly 2,500 staff.

Huddersfield has a rising arts and cultural scene, and saw the opening of the Lawrence Batley Theatre in 1994 on the site of an old Methodist Church. The renown international festival of contemporary music, as well as the University's on-campus concerts and music events, contribute significantly in this area.

The modern Galpharm sports stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine stadium, is the home of Huddersfield's League One football team, the Terriers, and also the Giants, Huddersfield's Rugby League FC.

Huddersfield railway station is a Grade I listed building and was described by John Betjeman as 'the most splendid station facade in England' second only to St Pancras, London. The station stands in St Georges Square, and has been given a £1 million make over and subsequently won the Europa Nostra award for European architecture.

A Brief History

The excavations around Castle Hill in the last 100 years indicate that a settlement has existed in Huddersfield since before the Bronze Age.

Huddersfield did not come to prominence in a commercial sense until the 17th century, when its textile industry began to grow.

The construction of the Cooper Canal in 1776 (now known as the Huddersfield Broad Canal) and Narrow Canal in 1798 allowed greater quantities of coal to be transported into Huddersfield and finished textiles to be shipped out.

The degree of mechanisation used in Huddersfield meant that it was heavily involved in the Luddite rebellion of 1811-1812.

Huddersfield is also the birthplace of Rugby League. The idea was conceived in the George Hotel after a meeting of 21 clubs in 1895, laying the foundations of the game as we know it today.

The 2010 Huddersfield General Election results were:

Barry Sheerman (Labour): 15, 725 (38.8%)

Karen Tweed (Conservative): 11, 253 (27.8%)

James Blanchard (Liberal Democrats): 10, 023 (24.7%)

Majority: 4, 472 (11.0%)

Turnout: 40, 524 (61.1%)