JUST IN:Sporting arena ruled out for Our Cultural Heart with ‘no appetite’ for basketball or netball franchise due too…

Huddersfield Town’s billionaire owner Kevin Nagle was consulted over the possibility of a sports arena for basketball or netball being built in Huddersfield town centre.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin wants a new 5,000-capacity indoor arena for the county and Huddersfield looked at throwing its hat in the ring.

As part of a review of plans for a new concert and events venue in Our Cultural Heart, consultants for Kirklees Council looked at a sports arena on the site instead.

With the sport of basketball looking for a West Yorkshire franchise for a new UK league and the Leeds Rhinos netball franchise seeking a new venue for its home matches, it was thought Huddersfield might steal a march on its big city rivals with a vacant plot ready to build on.

The plot is the site of the demolished former multi-storey car park next to the Queensgate Market building – but it is simply too small for a 5,000-capacity venue, which would be the minimum required by franchises for both sports.

A report, called ‘Kirklees Our Cultural Heart Venue Feasibility’ compiled by consultants IPW, has just been published by Kirklees Council.

The report, due to go to a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday September 9, revealed the outcome of discussions held over the possible sporting arena.

Consultants had a “number of conversations” with Super League Basketball, Netball Super League, Leeds Rhinos netball club – and sports entrepreneur Mr Nagle, previously a major driving force behind the Sacramento Kings NBA franchise in the United States.

The report says that neither of the leagues were interested with “very little/no appetite” for a franchise based in Huddersfield, and Leeds Rhinos didn’t want to move to Huddersfield.

Mr Nagle was unconvinced too with the report saying he was “not interested in a basketball franchise in Huddersfield.”

With a sports arena discounted, the consultants turned their attention back to an events venue.

Initially the venue was to be primarily music and concerts but, after speaking to various operators and looking at the competition in West Yorkshire and Manchester, the consultants see a flexible theatre-style venue as the best option.

They say a “flexible multi-purpose” venue is the way forward. It would have a seated capacity of 1,200 or 2,000 with a standing floor and seated balcony. There would also be the ability to split the auditorium into two spaces.

Whilst a theatre-style venue might appear to be in direct competition with the Lawrence Batley Theatre (above) and Huddersfield Town Hall, the venue would have a much bigger capacity along with facilities and access the others lack.

Crucially, the venue would include a ‘flytower’ – a large space above the stage where scenery, lighting and sound equipment can be flown in, out of view of the audience.

This, the consultants believe, would attract larger touring theatrical productions that currently don’t come to Huddersfield.

The consultants spoke to eight potential operators and three expressed an interest, with the flytower a vital facility to have. A ‘proscenium arch’ – a frame around the stage – was also suggested.

The report says both the Lawrence Batley Theatre and Huddersfield Town Hall were concerned over the potential competition but the consultants say the venue is bigger and would be competing with regional theatres such as the Alhambra in Bradford (1,400 capacity) and Leeds Grand Theatre (1,450).

The Lawrence Batley Theatre has a 400 capacity and is relatively small in scale while the Town Hall concert hall is on the first floor and has issues with loading and unloading of equipment. It’s also considered “not fit for purpose” for large standing concerts.

Consultants say the Lawrence Batley Theatre, the Town Hall and the new venue could all operate successfully however further detailed work would need to be undertaken “to test if a new venue in Huddersfield will have a significant impact on the existing venues.”

It’s also been suggested that a large digital screen should be installed on the side of the new venue which would generate “significant sums from advertising revenue” as well as helping promote events.

The screen would support moving images and be like the new one installed on the side of the recently-opened Bradford Live venue.

The original plans for a concert and music venue also included a combined multi-storey car park.

Now the council is looking at a stand-alone multi-storey car park on what is known as the Queen Street plot at the other side of the Queensgate Market building.