Anger at police plan to demolish 200 year-old Northgate building in Wakefield

The West Yorkshire Police Authority has asked for planning permission to knock down the derelict property it owns at 103 - 105 Northgate, on the north-west edge of the city centre.

It wants to create more space for the staff it has based in neighbouring buildings to park, which the region's Police and Crime Commissioner described as being "the only cost effective option" on the table.

But Wakefield Civic Society has strongly objected to the idea, saying the building's age and historical significance mean it should be preserved.

The property, which was divided into two separate homes before the police bought it in the mid-20th century, was designated part of a conservation belt by Wakefield Council in 1975.

But for the last 30 years at least, it's been boarded up and fallen gradually into disrepair.

Civic Society president Kevin Trickett criticised the police for allowing the building to fall into a 'sorry state' and said losing it would look like a "missing tooth" for the area.

Mr Trickett said: "It's part of Wakefield's heritage.

Fundamentally, there's a principle here. It is part of the Wentworth Terrace Conservation Area which the council created.

"If they're going to allow it to be demolished, then there's a heritage risk to everything in that conservation area.

"To knock it down just because the police say it's now no longer economically viable to keep it up would be to reward neglect.

"It would effectively excuse the owner, which in this case is a public authority, for the fact they haven't been bothered to maintain it properly."

Mr Trickett said a mixture of records and old maps suggested the building dates back to around 1790.

Historical documents indicate that a police sergeant and a prison governor were among the people to have lived in the homes during the early part of the 20th century.

It's not known exactly when the police bought the building, but Mr Trickett said records from 1980s and 1990s described the building as having been boarded up and empty then.

In response to the Civic Society's comments, West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Mark Burns-Williamson said: "The building in question I understand has not been used for a substantial period of time and would need significant works to bring it up to modern health and safety standards.

"The only cost effective option we have at this time is to demolish the building to create some additional space for operational staff.

"We will of course be waiting for a decision from Wakefield Council planners regarding any representations before potentially reinvesting the savings made into the police service which is facing very challenging budget pressures.”

Local Democracy Reporting Service