Coroner's planning move to new offices near Westgate

A report released in the summer 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 has now been 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 needs the planning department’s approval.

If approved, the coroner’s court would occupy units three and four of the building.

Up to 32 staff would occupy the building, including three coroners.

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.