A councillor has called for more details about future plans for what he called a town centre “eyesore”.
The future of Oldgate House, a brick office block, came up at last night’s Full Council.
A former Kirklees Council office, it has faced an uncertain future since staff moved out four years ago.
Clr Phil Scott, Almondbury Liberal Democrat, asked: “Can the Cabinet member please advise council as to whether they are aware of any imminent plans for Oldgate House, which is beginning to become an eyesore?”
Clr Peter McBride, Cabinet member for Place, said: “We do not own it and the council has never owned it. We had the lease and it was re-leased in 2010. In the meantime we have given planning permission for use and that has never been put into operation.”
Oldgate House was a former Kirklees Council education office until late 2009 when staff relocated.
It had been earmarked as forming part of the Kingsgate 2 expansion, which received planning consent in 2008. That lapsed when work failed to begin due to the credit crunch.
In 2011 the developer WD Huddersfield, returned to Kirklees planning authority seeking more time for the development to go-ahead and were given a three-year extension to consent.
The plans included the Palace Theatre site, and the Kingsgate plans were thrown into uncertainty when the Palace owner secured planning consent for it to become student flats.
