Leeds City Council is mulling over issuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to buy several derelict buildings in Leeds city centre after failing to reach an agreement with the owners.<\/p>\n
Lower Kirkgate \u2013 one of city\u2019s oldest streets \u2013 has been closed since April 2024 after one of buildings partially collapsed.<\/p>\n
A council report said it had been negotiating with City Fusion and linked company Kirkgate Land Residential, to acquire the properties, but the deal has reached a \u2018stalemate\u2019, with the owners disputing the independent valuation.<\/p>\n
Leeds City Council is intending to carry out a 16-week programme of stabilisation work on the buildings after the companies failed to make them safe. It will then seek to recover costs from City Fusion and Kirkgate Land Residential.<\/p>\n
The council is separately seeking to acquire the properties to bring them back into long-term use, complementing the regeneration elsewhere on Lower Kirkgate.<\/p>\n
Now a new report \u2013 due to be considered at a meeting of the council\u2019s executive board next Wednesday, July 16 \u2013 has set out how these parallel courses of action are proceeding.<\/p>\n
The executive board will be asked to approve the development by the council of a case for the potential compulsory purchase of the buildings.<\/p>\n
Last December, Leeds City Council applied to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for permission to issue an urgent works notice (UWN) covering that collapsed and five other historic properties on Lower Kirkgate which are also at risk of collapse.<\/p>\n
The Secretary of State approved the application and City Fusion served was with a UWN last December.<\/p>\n
The owners had 28 days to begin a programme of structural work to make the buildings safe.<\/p>\n
However, the deadline was delayed after ownership of some of the buildings was transferred to a different company owned by the same director.<\/p>\n
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council\u2019s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: \u201cThe situation on Lower Kirkgate is a complex one and clearly remains a major source of frustration and concern for residents and businesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are determined to find a solution to the issues affecting this historic street, where important heritage assets have been allowed to fall into a serious state of disrepair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt should be stressed that, at the current moment in time, the at-risk buildings are not owned by the council.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are, however, acutely aware of the need to protect the 18th and 19th-century fabric of Lower Kirkgate.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is against this backdrop that we are continuing to pursue the separate but parallel courses of action outlined in the report to next week\u2019s executive board meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Leeds City Council is looking to buy several derelict buildings on Lower Kirkgate<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271992,"featured_media":2141267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[136545,127687],"coauthors":[137100],"class_list":["post-2141266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government","category-regeneration","tag-top-story","tag-yorkshire"],"yoast_head":"\n