Campaigners make final plea to save clock tower
PEOPLE IN LOCKWOOD DEMAND ANSWERS AS TO WHY BELOVED CLOCK TOWER LANDMARK HAS TO GO
CAMPAIGNERS who fought in vain to save Lockwood clock tower are calling for answers to explain the reasons why it must be demolished.
Crowds gathered at Mount Pleasant School on Victoria Road yesterday to protest against the removal of the iconic landmark which has stood tall over the community since its construction in 1875.
It had been earmarked to be saved after more than a year’s protest but in early January this year a planning application to demolish appeared.
The council says it has to go as noone has come up with a viable plan to save it.
Christopher Marsden, chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society, said: “The clock tower is much beloved by the people of Lockwood. It’s a symbol for the area. It gives them a sense of community. The demolition of the clock tower is unfortunate because it’s done against the wishes of the community.”
Mr Marsden explained the clock tower and school were once the thriving heartbeat of village life.
He added: “The school was built in anticipation of the growth of Lockwood and it was the largest school in Huddersfield at that time.
“Thousands of pupils have been through the school and many of them, wherever they are now, are in love with the building.
“The council could explain to them why the tower has to come down now. I think these residents could do with some more answers.”
Campaigners gathered and shared memories about their school days while looking at a picture of the clock tower long before many of the houses and even roads were built.
A petition to save it has now been set up at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-the-clock-tower-at-mount-pleasant-school
Manair Sadique, who organised the protest, said: “We’ve grown up here. We came here from nursery to the school.
“We’ve just found out that the clock tower will be demolished and we just want to make sure it’s gone through the right channels. We thought it was a mistake at first. It’s quite upsetting to hear – even my children are saying, why does it have to go? It’s unfortunate that we are standing here today calling for answers.”
Campaigner Jean Walker added: “It’s a part of Lockwood. It’s part of our heritage. We’re not happy about the way it’s been handled. It must cost them more to pull it down then to keep it.
“It’s been here since 1852. I went to this school.”
A Kirklees Council Spokesperson: “The decision to build a new school at Mount Pleasant in Lockwood was agreed in 2015 at a meeting of Kirklees’ Cabinet. The existing school buildings and clock tower which were no longer required were proposed to be demolished.
“There was some adverse public opinion against the demolition of the tower and meetings to discuss the situation were held with interested parties.
“The council has always been clear that the only option to save the tower would be if an organisation stepped forward with a viable plan to take on the future maintenance of the tower. A deadline of September 2015 was set for expressions of interest. No expressions of interest were received by this date.
“In July 2016, in order to ensure that the new school buildings would open on schedule Keir (the construction company building the school) put in their planning application.
“As there was still a lot of public feeling around the future of the tower, rather than delay the planning process we agreed that the demolition of the tower would not be considered as part of this Planning Application.
“This was not a commitment to keep the tower, but rather an operational decision to ensure that we could deliver the new school on time for the benefit of local children.
“No further expressions of interest in taking on responsibility for the tower have been received, and as neither the school or the council have any ongoing need for the tower, an application for it to be demolished was submitted and approved.
“The contractors have now begun the demolition process.“