Bid to restore city’s White Cloth Hall with Lottery cash

A BID for Lottery cash could be made to help safeguard the future of an historic building in Leeds.

It is hoped that a bid for cash from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) can save the historic First White Cloth Hall, in Kirkgate, from demolition.

Next spring the authority proposes to put in a second stage bid for a scheme to regenerate Kirkgate, which if successful, would see around £1.5m of Lottery cash earmarked for the Kirkgate scheme, with £500,000 going towards the restoration of the hall.

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Members of Leeds City Council’s city centre plans panel were given an update on the project at a recent meeting. They were warned that even if the HLF bid was successful more money would be needed towards the hall’s restoration.

A report to members said: “The grade II* listed First White Cloth Hall is arguably Leeds’ most important building because it is here that Leeds stole a march on the neighbouring towns in the district and established itself as a commercial capital.

“Built in 1711 it was as the name suggests the first cloth hall to be built in Leeds catering for producers of undyed cloth who had previously sold their cloth in Briggate and was directly spurred by the building of a hall in Wakefield in the same year.”

In 2009 part of the building had to be demolished following the partial collapse of a building next door. Work was carried out with help from English Heritage and materials were salvaged for re-use.

A further report will be brought to councillors next year looking at preferred options for the hall’s restoration.