Crown court workers asked to stop drilling after noise disrupts Town Hall meeting

Construction workers renovating Wakefield's old crown court building were asked to stop drilling after noise disrupted a council meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Wakefield's old crown court building is in the process of being renovated.Wakefield's old crown court building is in the process of being renovated.
Wakefield's old crown court building is in the process of being renovated.

Loud machinery was hampering proceedings at a meeting of Wakefield's Health and Wellbeing Board, which was taking place nextdoor on the top floor of the Town Hall, on Wood Street.

Speakers were frequently interrupted by intermittent drill noises shortly after the meeting started, as workmen could be seen through a window going about their business.

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As a result, Labour councillor Richard Forster was despatched to try and resolve the problem, as the meeting chair Councillor Faith Heptinstall told board members: "We are just trying to get the noise stopped."

There is little space between the crown court scaffolding and Wakefield Town Hall, where a number of council meetings take place.There is little space between the crown court scaffolding and Wakefield Town Hall, where a number of council meetings take place.
There is little space between the crown court scaffolding and Wakefield Town Hall, where a number of council meetings take place.

Coun Forster returned a short time later, and the meeting continued without any further disruption.

Wakefield's old crown court building, located on Wood Street in the city centre, is currently undergoing a £2m redevelopment.

The venue stopped running as a court in 1992 and subsequently fell into disrepair, prompting the council to take ownership of it.

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Scaffolding still surrounds the building, but the work is expected to be completed next month.

Thereafter the local authority has indicated it will look to sell it back to the private sector.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

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