Over 500 sign petition to keep planned rugby museum in historic hotel

It is the latest development in the saga of the hotel, which in 1895 was the birthplace of the sport.

However in recent days there has been confusion over whether the council, which bought the 1850s hotel last year for £1.8m and announced the museum would be housed within it, would stick to its pledge.

The authority has appeared to suggest that the museum could form part of the £210m “cultural heart” being created as part of the so-called Huddersfield Blueprint.

That has concerned supporters, including the charity Rugby League Cares, which will run the museum.

The petition has been set up on change.org by Green councillor Andrew Cooper whose Newsome ward includes Huddersfield town centre.

In just two days it has been signed by more than 500 people.

The original plan for the museum was for it to be in Bradford City Hall.

But last year this proposal was scrapped, with Huddersfield chosen as the museum's new home instead.

National Rugby League Museum will now not be coming to City Hall

Clr Cooper said: “I’ve started a petition to give a voice to those people who want Kirklees to back its original commitment to install a Rugby League Museum in the George Hotel, the birthplace of the sport.

“In just three days over 500 people have signed it. I am going to present it to the full council meeting on December 8.

“Hopefully it will be over a thousand signatories by then.”

Last week Clr Peter McBride, the council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration gave the following update: “We are aiming to transform Huddersfield into a thriving and inspirational place to live, work and visit.

“Our vision for the blueprint includes spaces for culture and celebrating our heritage.

“We believe that the rugby museum could have a home in the town centre and we are working with Rugby League Cares to establish a way forward that best delivers our and their aspirations for Huddersfield town centre.”

His comments led to Rugby League Cares reaffirming its commitment to developing a museum within the sport’s “spiritual home”.

The charity expressed “surprise and disappointment” at the council’s apparent switch of direction.

A spokesman said: “The importance of the George Hotel to the project was recognised by the independent panel of five experts who assessed Kirklees Council’s submission detailing how and where the museum would be based.”

He said funding applications to deliver the project were “at an advanced stage” and the council had already received more than £3m to redevelop St George’s Square with the museum in the hotel as its “crown jewel”.

“There remains a great deal of enthusiasm and support from elected officials to deliver a museum at the George Hotel that would put Huddersfield on the map.”

The hotel is currently in the throes of an £11m revamp. However Tories say no business plan has been revealed for its future.

Conservative councillor Martyn Bolt (Mirfield) said: “I am very disappointed that despite requests and promises we have not seen a business plan to show how much the  council taxpayer will have to pay out to restore the George and subsequently how Cabinet hope to make it pay.”

Clr Cooper added: “The council is not good at listening to local opinions. Through the petition I want to make it completely obvious to them that they are out of touch with the people of Huddersfield and the wider rugby league community.”

He said he had not been kept in the loop about the council’s plans and that its decision to “renege” on its agreement to use the George Hotel was “gob-smacking”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that crunch meetings on the museum and its future location are set to go ahead this week between senior officers, councillors and other interested parties including Rugby League Cares.

The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/kirklees-council-allow-a-rugby-league-museum-in-the-george-hotel-huddersfield