Historic warehouse where hundreds of people learned to swim could be turned into home

Dating back to the late 19th Century, the building at Low Town, in Kirkburton, formerly housed a swimming pool and saw between three and four hundred Kirklees children from schools across the district learn to swim. According to local historians, the site was built by a Kirkburton baker, Joseph Pickering, around 1882.

The property changed hands following Pickering’s death and was sold off In the mid-20th Century and converted into a warehouse. The pool was filled in with concrete and the building currently serves as storage. Next to the warehouse stand two cottages which are thought to be several decades older, appearing on an 1854 map. More recently, these have been combined to form a single residency.

An application has been submitted to Kirklees Council relating to both of the buildings. Applicant, James Wimpenny Homes wants to transform the warehouse into a four-bedroom property with a garage, and make the cottages into a three-bedroom home, also with a garage.

Commenting on the application, one resident raised concerns over congestion. They said: “Existing parking is stated as one for cottage and two for warehouse – however there is only the one space for the cottage (very narrow garage) and none whatsoever for the warehouse.

“There is very little on road parking capacity. Proposed parking is a total of five spaces. I am concerned about congestion on Lowtown as a whole although I understand that some spaces may be on the lower floor of the warehouse.”

While council officers acknowledge a “shortfall” in off-street parking provision, they say it would be difficult to justify the refusal of the application on the grounds of highway safety. This is due to the potential for on-street parking in addition to that provided in the application.

The applicant said: “The proposals will take the building through a comprehensive refurbishment scheme and enhancements to allow it to continue offering a positive contribution to the Low Town part of the Kirkburton Conservation Area. Through the construction phase the scheme will create construction jobs for local contractors, which boosts the local economy.

“The retention of the buildings within the conservation area will ensure they continue to add to the charm and character of the Low Town area. The creation of residential units reduces stress on green belt allocation release and will help contribute to the council’s housing needs.”

A decision on the application is anticipated to be made by February 8.