Future of The Shay remains unclear as Kirklees Council issues statement over site earmarked for Huddersfield Giants' new home

It was agreed by Calderdale Council earlier this year that The Shay would be sold to Mr Davy, who planned to move the Giants there temporarily until they could find a new permanent home, having decided to leave the John Smith's Stadium in Huddersfield, which it shares with Huddersfield Town.

The future of The Shay was further complicated when a community group submitted their bid for the ground during the six week period allowed for other parties to declare an interest, due to the stadium being an asset of community value.

That means they have until October to present Calderdale Council with their plans for The Shay, delaying any resolution of the ownership saga, which began when the council announced their intention to dispose of the ground at the start of last year.

A group of FC Halifax Town fans set-up a petition asking the council not to sell The Shay prior to a cabinet meeting that accepted My Davy's proposals.

The Giants have played at the John Smith's Stadium since its opening in 1994 but have struggled to attract crowds to fill out the facility, which has a capacity of 24,500. The club shares the grounds with Huddersfield Town.

After attempting several times to identify a site in Huddersfield where the Giants could relocate, My Davy has named the site of a former gasworks off St Andrews Road, near the John Smith's, as his choice.

Kirklees Council says it does not own the land and has plans for it to be used for other purposes.

The local authority explained that the site is “crucial” for economic development as part of its Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, rather than for sports or leisure. The plot also features in the West Yorkshire Healthtech and Digital Tech Investment Zone.

But if plans are put forward to develop a stadium on the site of the former gasworks or elsewhere, following the usual process, the council says it will consider them “in detail”.

More than 2,500 Huddersfield Giants fans had signed a petition calling on the council to allow the development of a new stadium on the site.A spokesperson for Kirklees Council said: “We’re doing a tremendous amount of work in this part of Huddersfield at the moment, thanks to government investment which will see huge boosts to our local economy and industry, particularly around health innovation and digital technology.

“While the council does not own the site available for development on Gasworks Street, this site sits right at the centre of the council’s Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor, which for Kirklees is the focus of the government’s West Yorkshire Investment Zone – one of only eight up and down the country – where, alongside other local authorities, we’re receiving a fantastic funding injection to support one of our fastest-growing local industries.

“This money’s all about boosting business innovation, productivity and growth, and supporting the commercialisation of health and wellbeing research. The university’s brand new National Health Innovation Campus has played a key part in us receiving this funding, and in how we allocate it – this development will further put Huddersfield, and wider Kirklees, on the map in terms of health and wellbeing innovation.

“We’ve worked collaboratively with both the university and West Yorkshire Combined Authority to secure this funding, and we’re continuing to work closely together on plans that should act as a springboard for local businesses, create many new jobs and business growth opportunities, and encourage more people not just looking to study here but to base their careers here long-term.

“The site at Gasworks Street is perfectly placed for investment by a business who could really capitalise on this crucial connection. On this basis, the land is a crucial component of the Station to Stadium Enterprise Corridor. At present, the site isn’t allocated for development for sports and leisure.

“In the meantime, any application put forward to develop a brand new stadium – at Gasworks Street or any other location – would need to follow our usual planning process, and we would consider these plans in detail at the point an application was submitted.”