Demolition work has restarted at a former Pudsey high school – less than a week after concerns over the impact of work on nearby gas pipes.
Last week WLD reported Leeds City Council had to cease all demolition works at the former Hough Side High School after Northern Gas contacted the demolition department at the council and informed that there is a high pressure pipe line within 150 metres of the demolition site.
They were concerned the vibrations could cause fractures in the pipe.
It has emerged that council engineers have received the all clear to press ahead and that demolition works have restarted on the Swinnow site.
In an e-mail shared by Pudsey councillor Simon Seary on social media yesterday, council officers say an assessment was carried out on Friday, 14 January. The e-mail states:
“The results identified that the demolition work on the site is 50 times lower than the Northern Gas Network limit that would trigger a monitoring system to be put in place.
“Northern Gas Network has confirmed the findings of the assessment and confirming the demolition of Hough Top Court can proceed as soon as possible. With this in mind the demolition contractor has commenced site activity today.”
Work on demolishing the former Hough Side High School began back in November.
The building has had a variety of uses after the closure of the school in August 1992, including council offices. WLD reported in November 2019 that most council workers had moved out of the building, which is also known as Hough Top Court.
Demolition had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A planning application for houses on the Hough Top site is yet to be submitted.
Follow WLD’s ongoing coverage on the future of the site here.