By John Baron
Pudsey and District Civic Society has issued an urgent appeal for a place to store the town’s historic artefacts and books.
For four years the Society’s archives have been kept in Pudsey Town Hall, with the first floor being used for displays, investigations and talks, among other activities.
Pudsey Town Hall has been put up for sale by cash-strapped Leeds City Council, and the Society has now been given a deadline of 20 March to remove all its archives from the building.
Society chairman David Richards said the organisation, which is run by volunteers, has been placed in an ‘invidious position’.
“We don’t have a lot of time,” said Mr Richards. “We are therefore appealing to anyone who knows of anyone who can help us with secure storage of our archives.”
He appealed to local companies or community facilities to step in and help.
“It needs to be somewhere accessible and not miles away from Pudsey. We use some of it for our displays, or for when we have a stall at Pudsey Carnival.”
Much of the archive includes historic items donated by the people of Pudsey, which capture the town’s rich history. These include books, magazines, photos, old newspaper clippings, trophies, memorabilia etc.
WLD reported earlier this month that the Town Hall building had been put up for sale on the open market on the Lambert Smith Hampton website, with the site saying the building could be used for a number of uses, including residential. Unconditional offers are invited by February 2026. More details on the building’s sale can be found here.
The Town Hall also houses a complete council chamber and the story of the former borough of Pudsey.
Pudsey and District Civic Society was established in 1973 to enhance and promote the heritage of the town. The Society used to store its archives at Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley before moving them to Pudsey Town Hall.
Anyone who can help the civic society should contact David Richards on 07977 545061.
Leeds City Council initially decided to put empty Pudsey Town Hall on the open market last year, saying it was costing too much to maintain – £30,000 a year – as the local authority struggles to balance its budget due to rising costs of services such as adult social care and underfunding from central government since 2010.
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It should never have been allowed to be sold.
Leeds City Council needs a good shake up. The money they waste on unwanted/unnecessary schemes is disgraceful. But what can one expect from useless people in power and their minions ?
Assume the artefacts don’t include the roadroller? Anyone know where it is?
Try the Friends of Pudsey Roller, they’re the group restoring it. They usually have a stall at Pudsey Carnival
How many square feet (approximately) are required ?
How many (approximately) days per week or month would access be required for.
Is the material insured ?
Great if this information could be added to the article.