Coroner calls for road closure at Bridgewater Place inquest
A CORONER has called for the road by Yorkshire’s tallest building to be closed when there are strong winds.
Winds close to the 32-storey Bridgewater Place building led to a lorry being blown over in 2011, killing pedestrian Edward Slaney.
At Leeds Coroners’ Court, Melanie Williamson recorded a narrative verdict at the inquest of Dr Slaney, who died of chest injuries.
The inquest heard that wind speeds of between 67mph and 79mph were recorded at the building that day.
Williamson recommended that Leeds City Council should close the road when wind speeds reach around 45mph.
Leeds City Council said it would consider her recommendation.
Martin Farrington, director of development for Leeds City Council, said: “We have enormous sympathy for the family of Dr Slaney and would again like to offer them our deepest condolences for their loss through this terrible accident.
“It has been an absolute priority for us ever since we first heard of the wind issues around Bridgewater Place to resolve these as safely as possible for both pedestrians and road users.
“We support the view of the coroner that the building’s owner needs to bring forward the wind mitigation measures that we have been pressing for for a very long time and we will continue to do so.
“We note that the coroner agreed with our proposal that national guidance should be drawn up for local authorities when considering planning applications for tall buildings. We will consider very carefully her recommendation to close the junction during high wind speeds.”
In October, the owners of Bridgewater Place finally agreed to take responsibility for a comprehensive scheme to reduce wind issues around the building and in the nearby roadway.
Since early 2008 Leeds City Council has been pushing for a detailed design solution to combat problems caused by high winds around the building.
A number of measures have already been put in place to make the area safer for passers-by and road users including 180m of guard rail installed and banning all HGVs from Victoria Bridge, but the council has been actively pursuing a permanent scheme for the building and road.
The council also appointed design company Buro Happold to devise a sophisticated solution to address wind problems not just for the building itself – as proposed by its owners – but also for the environment around it.
The owners of the building, CPPI Bridgewater Place, have agreed to take on responsibility for the entire scheme and appoint the same design company to speed up its progress. It has been indicated that plans may be submitted to the council before Christmas this year.
