Repairs to collapsed building delayed again

The director of a heritage organisation has called on Leeds City Council to speed up repairs to a collapsed building on one of the city's oldest streets.

Lower Kirkgate has been closed to traffic since April 2024, when one of the 18th Century buildings on the street partially collapsed.

The repair work was anticipated to start on Monday following repeated delays, but it now appears it might not begin until later this month.

Martin Hamilton, director of Leeds Civic Trust, said: "We need some pace, we need some speed and to see that things are happening – that brings confidence."

The collapsed building is part of a row of privately-owned properties, but the council stepped in after it said the owner declined to carry out repair work due a "lack of funds".

Leeds City Council said it would seek to recover the cost of the repairs, which has jumped from £414,500 to £680,000, once they are complete.

Stabilisation work was expected to start on Monday after preparatory work was completed earlier this year.

However, the council said some legal documentation was yet to be finalised and expected the work to be delayed once again.

"Work was at one stage provisionally due to start on Monday but, as of [Friday] afternoon, some legal documentation relating to the contract award still has to be finalised.

"As a result, we now do not expect work to start on Monday but anticipate that it will begin before the end of the month."

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said the repair work is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete, adding: "It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.

"By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds's oldest streets.

"As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support."

Responding to the council's latest update, Hamilton said local businesses had become "very frustrated" about the delays.

He said some refurbishment work has been carried out on the street over the last decade, but there remains a "big, gaping gap" at one end.

Hamilton feels Lower Kirkgate is not able to live up to its full potential due to the impact the delayed repair work is having on the whole street, and called on the council to begin as soon as possible.

"Time is of the essence, really.

"We have to try and make this work, and we have to try and do it in a way that is reasonably speedy - that's not a word we have been able to apply to the situation in recent years."

Traders in the area also spoke of their frustrations.

Paul Mason of Blue Collar Barbering, which is just a few doors down from the collapsed building, said Lower Kirkgate seems to "just have a lot of bad luck".

Mason said although many of his customers are loyal, he does feel the road closure has "100% affected passing trade".

"We're a bit tucked away in the corner, so you almost miss us, really."

Speaking about the delayed repair work, Mason added: "It's just frustrating, really, and I hope it gets sorted soon.

"People not passing up and down the street as much has made it harder.

"People look down the street and think, there's nothing there, or it's shut off, I'll go elsewhere."

Ed, of Tribe Records, said the street was "quite a thriving part of the city" before the incident.

"Having worked in the shop and seeing how booming it was before... it is quite impactful, really."

Ed feels the street should be pedestrianised once the repair work is complete and feels Leeds City Council should place "more focus" on the street as a "heritage site".

In September 2025, the council said a programme of repairs would be carried out by building firm Geo Houlton and Sons at a cost of £414,500.

It then emerged in August that the expected cost had increased by more than £260,000 – to £680,000 – after surveys were carried out as part of preparatory work earlier this year.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.