Demolition men move in to Jimmy Savile's old penthouse in Leeds
Redevelopment work is taking place at the penthouse flat in Roundhay Park where the since-disgraced DJ died aged 84 in 2011.
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Hide AdSome gutting of the property – which was bought by Savile at the height of his fame in the 1970s – was carried out in 2014.
But it was not until April this year that a firm called Ennerdale Apartments won planning permission for the redevelopment of the rooftop flat at the six-storey Lakeview Court building.
A document submitted as part of the successful planning application to Leeds City Council said the work would see the demolition of the penthouse and “construction of a new [lightweight] steel framed structure”.
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Hide AdPermission was also granted by the council for changes to other sections of Lakeview Court, including the installation of new external insulation and the demolition of six single storey garages.
A council report on the application said that, although “the rooftop flat will be enlarged as a result of this proposal”, there would be minimal impact on “visual amenity in general”.
As previously reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, Savile’s flat was sold to a company called CXI 92 Ltd for £250,000 in February 2013.
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Hide AdLand Registry documents show the property changed hands again in early 2014, this time for £300,000.
The flat is perhaps best known for hosting the weekly meetings of Leeds-born Savile’s inner circle, dubbed The Friday Morning Club.
Once regarded as a luxury residence with some of the finest views in Leeds, its furnishings had grown tatty and outdated by the time of the star’s death.
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Hide AdSavile was exposed as a paedophile in 2012 and the following year a joint Scotland Yard and NSPCC report branded him one of the UK’s most prolific known sexual predators.
A string of tributes to the entertainer’s career and fundraising exploits were removed after his crimes were revealed.
His name was taken off a roll of honour-style list at Leeds Civic Hall while city centre conference venue Saviles Hall was rebranded as New Dock Hall.
Savile’s elaborate gravestone was also removed from Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough.