Historic city building could be bulldozed to create a car park
ONE of the oldest buildings in Wakefield could be demolished to make way for a car park.
Heritage campaigners have launched a fight to stop plans to bulldoze The Old Vicarage on Zetland Street. The Medieval building could be flattened before the end of this month if Wakefield Council approves the scheme.
The property was bought on behalf of the Conservative Party by a body of trustees almost a century ago and dates back to the 1300s. Part of the building is used as the headquarters of the local Conservative party association. It is also occupied by a number of small independent businesses. Traders reacted with shock at discovering that they may soon have to leave. More than 300 objections have been made since the application was submitted last week.
Wakefield Civic Society has also objected to the proposal. Society president, Kevin Trickett, said: “We were astounded to see such an application being submitted given the historical significance of the building.
“That its demolition is being proposed to create a car park shows a complete disregard for the value of this heritage asset to the city.”
For centuries the building was the vicarage for Wakefield parish church, which became a cathedral in 1888. The precise age of the building is uncertain but a vicarage was first designated by William de la Zouch, the Archbishop of York, in 1349.
The property is on the council’s list of buildings of local interest but does not have a national listing with English Heritage. The planning application seeks permission to demolish the property “in order to better utilise the land in the future”.
It also says: “The applicant has indicated the cleared site could be used as a public car park.”
The document says the expected start date for work is April 29, with completion by June 28. When contacted, Naeem Formuli, chair of Wakefield and Rothwell Conservative Association, said the building is still held in trust on behalf of the party.
Mr Formuli, one of four trustees for the property, said: “The building has not been sold to anyone else and we don’t want to take any decision over its future in haste.
“This process was instigated by previous trustees but we will weigh up the options for the building when we know the outcome of the application.”
Wayne Miller, owner of Division 24 skateboard shop, has run his business at The Old Vicarage since 2001.
He said: “There has been rumours for about 10 years that something was going to happen with this building but no one has bothered to tell us about this. It’s totally out of the blue.”
A total of 320 objections have been made against the scheme, with just one comment of support. One objector said: “This is an old, quite remarkable, building that has been occupied by independent businesses for years.
“It’s a cultural landmark in Wakefield and to demolish it for more parking, which is inevitably what the area will be used for, is depressing to see.”