Coroner's court given green light to move from Northgate

A report released last year said the current Northgate building was “no longer fit for purpose”, and so steps have been taken to find a new home.

A planning application was submitted to Wakefield Council by the English Cities Fund to move the whole operation to a new-build office at Mulberry House on Burgage Square, opposite the railway station.

It requires a change-of-use to a law court, and so needed the planning department’s approval, which has been granted.

The coroner’s court will occupy units three and four of the building.

Up to 32 staff will work from the new court.

Wakefield Coroner’s is one of the busiest in the country, overseeing around 800 inquests a year.

It was estimated it would cost over £1 million to modernise the Northgate building.