Leeds Council to issue urgent works notice over collapsed Kirkgate building

Council bosses have been given permission to force the owners of a collapsed city centre building to carry out repairs.

The derelict building, on Kirkgate in Leeds, partially fell down in April. Part of the road has been closed since.

The government has now approved an application by Leeds City Council to issue an urgent works notice.

It means the authority can require the owners to repair it - or carry out the work itself and bill them for the cost, estimated at £700,000.

Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said: “This is welcome news and we hope that this will ensure that action is taken early in 2025."

Kirkgate is one of the oldest streets in Leeds. Some of the properties have been renovated thanks to lottery funding, but others remain in a state of disrepair.

The civic trust said there had been an increase in anti-social behaviour and a downturn in trade as a result and there was a risk of further deterioration over the winter if urgent works were not completed.

Mr Hamilton criticised the delay in granting approval for the notice, saying: "It does seem wrong that a city the size of Leeds is not allowed to make these decisions locally and that it took central government more than four months to approve these measures.

"We have raised these concerns with the local MP and will be writing to the minster suggesting that these decisions should in future be taken at a local level."

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