Architect appointed for renovation of historic city centre cloth hall

ARCHITECTS HAVE been appointed to front a project to save a 300-year-old building in the centre of a Yorkshire city which has fallen into a derelict state of repair.

The First White Cloth Hall in the Kirkgate area of Leeds has been in a partially demolished state for years after the owner, City Fusion, conceded it did not have enough money needed to bring the building back into use.

Leeds City Council is now leading the case to bring it back into public and financially-viable use.

It is working with the owners to acquire the former cloth hall, which was built in 1711 but has been on the heritage “at risk” register since 1999.

The council said that Manchester-based firm, Buttress Architects, had put forward the most “economically advantageous” tender with the brief being about 60 per cent quality and 40 per cent price. The contract, which is worth in the region of £245,750, starts on September 12 and runs until the end of August 2020.

The next phase of the project is for the design team, also made up of structural engineers and mechanical and electrical contractors, to develop options that can be put forward as planning application submissions.

A council spokesperson said: “The property is in a fragile condition and requires significant investment which the owners are not able to provide.

“By acquiring the property the council believe the building can be saved and a financially viable use found for it.”

In 2011, half of the cloth hall was demolished after the collapse of neighbouring 101, Kirkgate. A grant of £1.5m has already been secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund to put towards vital repairs.