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Situated in the foothills of the Pennines, it has been a market town since Anglo-Saxon times. Two Prime Ministers spent part of their childhood in this town. Harold Wilson and Herbert Henry Asquith. Wilson is commemorated by a statue on the forecourt of the town's station.

The town's economic heyday was primarily during the Victorian era, particularly the latter half of the 19th century. This period saw the town flourish as a major centre for the wool and worsted textile industry, rivalling other prominent textile towns like Bradford and Manchester.

But in recent years Huddersfield has been neglected and suffered an economic down turn leaving much of its town centre looking rather tired and rundown.

However, the Yorkshire town is in the middle of a vast transformation with ambitious regeneration plans set to revitalise the high street, boost the local economy, and create a vibrant town centre for the future.

After years in the doldrums with little to inspire residents, hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment is being poured in with 11 major regeneration projects, some of which are well underway or completed.

Business-led organisation Huddersfield Unlimited published Our Huddersfield, Our Future which estimated as much as £1bn was set to be invested in 11 major schemes in and around the town centre over the next few years.

Among the projects are: Trinity One, the £43 million redevelopment of Huddersfield Technical College and the Huddersfield Infirmary site. The retail and residential scheme will include a new Lidl store and apartments.

There is also the Huddersfield Blueprint and town centre redevelopment. This mammoth project will cost £250 million over 10 years and transform the town centre with a new town park, museum/art gallery, library, food court, music venue and new multi-storey car park.

A huge £250 million investment by the University of Huddersfield includes six state-of-the-art buildings on the site of the former Huddersfield Sports Centre off Southgate. Work is ongoing and has been for some time.

The TransPennine Express and Network Rail are set to carry out £9 billion worth of electrification and infrastructure upgrades between Manchester, Leeds and York. This will result in £1.5 billion being spent on works in Kirklees. Huddersfield Railway Station will be effectively rebuilt internally, and passengers will see a doubling of the tracks from two to four between Huddersfield and Dewsbury. It's estimated that 75% more people will be brought into Huddersfield by train.

The most popular project locally is the £20 million restoration of the Grade II listed George Hotel to be transformed into a 108 room Radisson Red hotel. The hotel has been closed since 2013 and while work is underway it is not expected to reopen until 2027 having missed the original plan to open at the end of 2024.

Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, 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.

"Once rejuvenated, the hotel will be perfectly placed to thrive and channel current investment back into the local economy."

Turner said the new plans for the George, which form part of the Huddersfield Blueprint, marked another step towards the council's vision for the town "becoming a reality".

"The recently opened leisure complex - the Light at Kingsgate, together with the enhancements to the public realm on New Street and St Peter's Gardens and the eagerly anticipated Our Cultural Heart will all enhance the high street," he said.

"External investments like the University of Huddersfield's National Health Innovation Campus, the West Yorkshire Investment Zone, and the Transpennine Route Upgrade are helping to put Huddersfield on the map."

The £20 million transformation of Huddersfield Bus Station is set to be completed by the end of 2025 though with a living grass roof, 60 bike cycle hub, upgraded shops and new facilities.

University of Huddersfield Vice-Chancellor Bob Cryan said: "If you look at the collective investment, it must be approaching £1bn, and it is a fantastic economic regeneration that lifts everyone's spirits.

"It's a very exciting development. You look at the centre starting with the George Hotel, I was just walking through the other day, and there were workmen relaying the pavements. And the Cultural Quarter will transform that part of the town and make it a lot more welcoming."

The redevelopment of Huddersfield is expected to create over 2500 new jobs across the region, as part of the West Yorkshire Investment Zone. This includes potential investment of £220 million from the private sector, alongside £160 million of funding for innovation infrastructure and development programmes, according to Huddersfield Unlimited.