Another part of Huddersfield’s skyline is vanishing.
And it’s very much a “hush-hush” job.
Demoliton contractors are clearing part of the Thomas Broadbent and Sons’ site in Queen Street South to make way for further developments on the University of Huddersfield campus.
But because the site is very close to the University’s faith centre. the contractors were asked to keep noise to a minimum.
The sprawling site is going to be developed by the University over the next couple of years and will probably provide a home for a new research facility, although exact details have yet to be revealed.
University chiefs got planning consent to demolish some buildings and develop the 2.26 hectare site.
It is on the campus side of the street and was used as storage and other activities for Broadbent and Sons. The engineering firm has consolidated its operations on the other side of the road.
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The firm had hoped some years ago to sell part of their complex to Asda for a new supermarket, but that deal never got off the ground.
Contractors are working now to clear the site.
A University spokesman said: “It has progressed very smoothly.
“Because the site is adjacent to our faith centre as well as teaching bocks, the contractors were asked to keep noise down to a minimum which they have done.
“It was thought it would be upsetting to people using the various facilities at the faith centre, including a prayer room, if there was excessive noise.
“The site will be cleared over the next few weeks but it is likely that work on new buildings will not start until we have completed work on the Oastler Building at the Shore Head side of the campus.
“We have a number of ideas in mind for the Queen Street South site but nothing has been finalised.”
Experts working at Broadbent’s Queen Street South site helped design and build a series of miniature submarines – known as X-Crafts – during the Second World War.
The midget subs were created in secret and took part in several daring raids. Some of the mini submarines were used to attack the German battleship Tirpitz in Norway on September 22, 1943.
After this attack, Broadbent’s firm started work on the X-20, which was a closely guarded secret.
Once the vessel was finished it was moved out of Broadbent’s works, disguised as a very large motorboat. The deception was achieved by placing a framework and tarpaulin over it, as it was towed to the Hillhouse railway sidings before being taken to the River Clyde.
Meanwhile demolition contractors working on another big site in Huddersfield have moved on to the next phase.
The former Huddersfield Sports Centre has been flattened and contractors are now doing preparatory work before taking down tower blocks of flats.
Scaffolding has been erected outside the flats while workmen are stripping the interiors.
