Halifax was in the second phase of renaissance towns announced in 2002. Advisors David Lock Associates helped the Town Team to prepare the Strategic Development Framework.

The renaissance vision for the town centre of Halifax is to improve the streets and change the layout within the town, making it easier for people to move between places. The vision includes the important streets and places that show off the fine buildings in Halifax. The Piece Hall, train station, Eureka! museum, the parish church, Dean Clough and People’s Park will be joined to the town centre to make it a more lively and attractive place.

The delivery of the SDF is underpinned by the following major projects:

• Piece Hall renaissance area: improving the Piece Hall and the areas around it.
• Kings Cross Street Hopwood Lane gateway: improve the area as you enter the town near the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre to create new jobs and businesses.
• Parish church quarter: improve the public space around the Grade I listed parish church, so that it is easier to move across it by creating new paths and landscaping the area.
• Public spaces: making spaces easier to use, bringing in new seating and landscaping.
• Ladyship Mills Business Park: creating modern small business units.
• Beacon Hill initiative: building a walkway from Eureka! and the railway station area to Shibden Park, past the top of Beacon Hill.
• Westgate canopy scheme: building a canopy over the street for shoppers.

It is expected that Yorkshire Forward will invest approximately £3.5m in Halifax’s renaissance.