Permission is needed before Halifax mill complex can be demolished, insist Calderdale Council planners

Jowett Stone Limited has applied for permission to demolish buildings at High Level Works, Pellon Lane.

The old mill complex comprises stone buildings with slate roofs and the proposal is to demolish the north western building first, level that site, then demolish and level the eastern building site and finally demolish and level the middle building.

Legislation provides that the developer is required to apply to the planning authority for determination as to whether prior approval will be required to the method of demolition and proposed restoration of the site.

This allows the planning authority to regulate the details of demolition to minimise impact on the locality.

The application says cellars of the buildings are below yard level and so the intention is to put all the crushed clean rubble into the cellars to fill the voids.

This will be then be tracked and rolled to leave a flat and level yard area.

Any good stone and good roof slates will be removed from site and then sold back to the building trade for the restoration of other buildings and any good bricks and timber as possible will be recycled.

All steel with be recycled, says the application.

But no supporting method statement has been submitted and therefore no details of how the building is proposed to be demolished in terms of machinery to be used and how materials will be removed or stored.

Neither has there been any information on how dust and noise will be measured or hours of operation.

The method of demolition does not take account of the potential presence of bats, say council officers.

Because of the lack of this information, the applicant must get prior approval before they can do the work, say the planners.

The application is number 23/80001/DNO on the council’s planning portal.