Repairs on Wakefield's old crown court building almost complete

Work to repair and preserve Wakefield's old crown court building is nearing completion.
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The Grade II listed venue has been renovated by the council, who seized ownership of the building in 2013 and are now talking to potential bidders about selling it on.

Scaffolding against the building, on Wood Street, will be taken down and the finishing touches are expected to be applied by the end of January.

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The council sees the work as an important part of regeneration taking place around the city centre.

The work has cost around 2m.The work has cost around 2m.
The work has cost around 2m.

Coun Darren Byford, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: "This is an important step forward in protecting the future of this important Grade II listed building.

"I am proud that we have made the building safe, after the previous owners left it so badly damaged it had become unstable.

"Once the scaffolding has been fully removed people will be able to once again see this beautiful building, which is a key part of Wakefield’s heritage."

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The building ceased to function as a court in 1992, and was sold by the council to the private sector two years later.

In 2013, however, Historic England placed the derelict venue on its 'at risk' register, after years of deterioration and structural damage, before the council took control of it again.

Local Democracy Reporting Service