Repair bill for ‘structurally weak’ Wakefield County Hall more than doubles to £14m
Surveyors have described parts of Wakefield Council’s former headquarters as “structurally weak”, with ceilings at risk of collapse due to a leaking roof.
The cost of repairing Wakefield’s “deteriorating” Grade I-listed County Hall building has risen to more than £14m, senior councillors have been told.
Surveyors have described parts of Wakefield Council’s former headquarters as “structurally weak”, with ceilings at risk of collapse due to a leaking roof.
Seven years ago, the authority’s former Labour administration was told that urgent repair work was required on the19th Century building, which was used for most council meetings and was a workplace for almost 500 staff.
But no work was carried out until the authority agreed to spend £5.9m in February 2025 to make the building watertight.
The council has been under the control of Reform-UK since May after the party swept to power by gaining 58 out of 63 council seat’s at the local elections.
Cabinet members have been asked to agree to spend a further £8.2m to cover the cost of a full roof replacement and repairs to windows and masonry, taking the overall cost of the project to £14.1m.
John Thomas, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for resources and property, said: “County Hall sits at the heart of Wakefield’s Civic Quarter and should be a historic asset that our city – and whole region – can be proud of.
“Instead, we’ve inherited a building which has been left in a state of neglect.
“What could have been more minor work a few years ago is now a major investment just to protect the building and make sure that it remains safe.
“Without these repairs, County Hall’s condition will only continue to get worse.
“This costly work could have been managed better if the council had taken the decisions that it needed to much earlier.
“We’re not going to duck difficult decisions.
“We’re going to act now to avoid higher costs in years to come, to preserve this important part of our heritage, and to make sure County Hall has a viable future.
“That’s what’s right for local taxpayers and to help safeguard Wakefield’s history.”
A report to cabinet members said: “Without those proposed works, the building will progressively deteriorate and expose Wakefield Council to potential enforcement action by Historic England, unsafe structure and poor reputation from the public and negative media.
“Untreated water ingress will lead to further structural issues and any delay will add additional costs to repair the damage at a later date.”
The authority announced a temporary closure of County Hall in 2022, blaming soaring energy costs required to heat the building.
The building is still used to hold monthly full council meetings but is now mostly unoccupied, apart from the ground floor and archive storage areas in the basement.
In 2019, it was revealed that the whole of County Hall’s third floor had closed as a result of damp and the roof’s disrepair had become visibly obvious from several parts of the building.
Further surveys carried out in October 2024 by Gleeds, the council’s property delivery partner, raised concerns over “increasing costs to rectify structural issues”.
The document said: “County Hall, through survey work, has been identified with several structurally weak points, where exclusion zones were implemented, with no access allowed.
“Propping was installed to avoid ceiling collapse, and crash decks (safety platforms) are currently under construction for two staircases to complete further investigations and provide support to the ceiling.
“Lead paint was also identified, indicating extensive areas where the paint will need to be removed safely to prevent dust spreading.
“Due to the top floor structure being compromised, planned fire detection and fire panel works cannot be completed and are currently on hold.
“However, the existing fire detection is still in place.”
The report said no external funding or grants for the work were currently available.
Historic England advised the council that there was a “strong possibility” that funding would become available once a future use for the property had been identified.
Converting the building into a hotel or for residential use “would not be a viable option for future use”, the report said.
It added: “Current feasibility work is suggesting that public use/partnering with public organisations and offering some managed workspace and/or start-up accommodation may be suitable options.
“Further detailed assessments will be completed to identify a phased approach for future use and occupation.”
County Hall was home to the West Riding of Yorkshire County Council from 1898 until 1974, when the new West Yorkshire County Council inherited the building.
Wakefield Council acquired it in 1987 after the County Council was abolished the previous year.
The building last underwent a major refurbishment in 1991, costing £3m.
Cabinet members will consider the proposals at a meeting on July 21