Plan to demolish city shopping centre confirmed
LDRSPlans to demolish the Ridings Shopping Centre in Wakefield have been confirmed.
Wakefield Council's cabinet members had been told to reconsider the proposals to buy the mall as part of an ambitious regeneration proposal for the city centre.
Residents were also angry that they had not been consulted over part of the scheme which would include demolishing four high-rise blocks of flats above the centre.
Opposition councillors had submitted a formal request over claims there had been a lack of public consultation. But cabinet members earlier voted unanimously in favour of pressing ahead.
Four nearby tower blocks will also be knocked down, with Wakefield Council promising to rehome all those affected.
Deputy leader of the council Jack Hemingway said he understood "change was difficult" but the scheme was the right one for Wakefield.
Hemingway said the authority wanted to create "an economy that's sustainable and has a future, and that's why the Ridings has got to change".
Opened in 1983, the Ridings was one of the first American-style shopping malls in the UK, but is now less than two thirds occupied.
Hemingway said the government was providing £17.9m towards redeveloping the area, describing it as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the city centre".
As part of the plan, four tower blocks - Warren House, Manor House, Tudor House, and Trinity House - which are owned by social housing company Vico Homes, will be demolished. In total 260 separate flats will be knocked down.
Terri Gibson has lived in Tudor House for 41 years and said she found out it would be demolished "out of the blue" when she received a letter.
Since then she has felt "shocked, angry, annoyed and resentful".
Gibson said: "People should have been consulted long before any decisions was made.
"I think it is disgraceful.
"They should have asked people what they wanted first instead of making decisions on their behalf."
She would like to see the authority use the empty shops and turn them into apartments and believes "the infrastructure is there rather than knock it all down and start afresh".
As senior councillors were reconsidering the proposals, Margaret Isherwood made a passionate plea that local residents would be included in any future discussions about the plans.
'Residents are number-one priority'
Hemingway said: "We want people to be involved and we have committed to a dedicated consultation process to the residents of the flats.
"Sometimes with commercial property deals it can be difficult to signpost in advance exactly what you're doing as it may be detrimental to the public purse and have legal impact so we have had to manage the process carefully."
Hemingway added that the "residents are our number-one priority".
"Change is always painful, I understand the comments but this is absolutely the right thing for Wakefield," he said.
"For those residents we are committed to rehome them in better-quality housing before the demolition begins."
Business owners who have shops within the Ridings said they were also caught by surprise by the news it was to be demolished.
Amanda Cordones has run Luella Boutique in the centre for the last two years and said she was in "complete shock" when she heard about the scheme.
She would like to see the council "revamp the Ridings. I think it could be wonderful again and give Wakefield back a jewel like it was in the 1980s, it could have the pride of place again".
Hemingway said: "We're going to work with businesses really closely to try and rehome and relocate them within the city centre as part of this process.
"There will be detailed engagement and consultation with them prior to demolition over the next couple of years."
He added: "Future generations would not forgive us if we were to turn aside now and let the decline continue."
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