Bid for listed status for clock tower rejected

An attempt to get listed status for a clock tower in Shipley has been rejected by Historic England.

The Twentieth Century Society, a charity that campaigns to protect Britain's modern architectural and design heritage, lodged its application in January 2024.

The organisation said the concrete Festival of Britain-style structure built between 1960 and 61 should be listed, claiming it was "enjoyable and fun and celebratory".

Historic England disagreed and said in a report it lacked "the design quality" and "use of high-quality materials" of comparable listed examples.

Catherine Croft, the charity's director, said they were really disappointed it had failed to win Grade II listed status.

"It definitely deserved to be listed," she said.

"All the other Festival of Britain towers have been listed and you can't think there's a good reason why this was wasn't.

"We made the point that it was the only example of that type of tower in the north of England and that it wasn't listed."

The report recognised that the tower was "undoubtedly a local landmark" and reflected "the civic aspiration and pride" in the then newly rebuilt market area.

But it highlighted a number of alterations including to the white-tiled clock tower which had lost its large, circular clock dials and a circular staircase on the fifth floor.

Shop fronts, doors and windows, and original fittings in the market hall building, also included in the application, had been changed it noted.

The report concluded: "This is a modestly detailed complex that lacks the high level of architectural distinction and innovation of other listed examples nationally.

"The clock tower is a landmark, but its interest lies at a local rather than a national level."

Had it been agreed, the bid would still have had to be given final approval by the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

Croft said: "We think it's a really distinctive structure, gives character to the town centre and ought to be cherished.

"Hopefully it will survive and be restored and listed at some future date."

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