Council to demolish nine-storey building

PLANS to redevelop part of the centre of Wakefield have taken a step forward.

Wakefield Council has acquired Crown House which stands on a prominent site fronting a site earmarked as a development area.

The council now owns the nine-storey office block, built for the Government in 1970, and has plans to demolish it next year to make way for re-development opportunities.

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Her Majesty’s Court Services will retain a lease for the building annexe for the next few months for the County Court pending a proposed move to a new location in the city centre.

Wakefield Council’s deputy leader responsible for regeneration and economic growth, Councillor Denise Jeffery, said: “Taking ownership of Crown House is key to the development of the Kirkgate area and I am very pleased we have now acquired the property.

“It will enable us to take forward our plans to regenerate this long overlooked gateway to the city centre.

“We are continuing the momentum of the city’s renaissance following completion of early phases of Merchant Gate and the Waterfront and the opening in May of Trinity Walk and the Hepworth Gallery. Kirkgate is our next big step forward.”

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Crown House occupies a site in the Kirkgate key development area and is in a prominent location on the route linking the city centre, The Hepworth Wakefield and the Waterfront.

Later this year the council will start drawing up a masterplan for the Kirkgate area, which will help to connect Kirkgate Station to the city centre and guide new development in the area. The site has been earmarked as a site for mixed use with offices and housing in a planning blueprint.

The masterplan will also support proposed improvements to Kirkgate railway station – a partnership initiative led by Groundwork Wakefield to which the council has already committed funding of £500,000.