A major Huddersfield landmark is set to be torn down this Summer as plans are submitted to demolish the town’s last remaining gas holder, along with the former Gas Club.
The disused 127ft metal structure sits on Gasworks Street, off Leeds Road, with the old clubhouse a stone’s throw away and near to the John Smith’s Stadium. On top of these two sites, Northern Gas Networks wants to demolish two more “dilapidated” buildings – a garage referred to as ‘The anti-freeze building’ and a single-storey building named ‘The Rail Shed’.
(Image: Northern Gas Networks)
Huddersfield’s gas holder is the last of 47 to be demolished by Northern Gas Networks as it looks to get rid of redundant assets in a bid to reduce maintenance costs and risk. Dismantling of the gas storage vessel and the associated buildings is expected to begin on July 22, with the the entire project due to run until March 10 next year. A decision on the plans is expected from Kirklees Council by the end of this month.
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While the gas holder at Gasworks Street is the last one standing in Huddersfield, the town once had five of them. A letter to residents explains: “The UK’s gasholders were originally built to store gas made from coal at individual local gasworks.
“With the discovery of North Sea gas, the gas holders increasingly became redundant and were eventually phased out as new gas pipelines were laid to supply gas to homes.
“For around 100 years the holders were a vital part of the local gas supply system, responsible for supplying gas to thousands of residents in the area. In more recent years they have been used to bolster the network’s gas supplies during colder weather, and at peak times in the early evenings. Advances in technology and the enhanced capability of the modern-day gas network, however, mean that these gas holders are no longer required.”
As for the future of the site, the application from Northern Gas Networks says that there are “no plans to restore or remediate” it once work is completed but that the void below the gas holder will be filled to ground level.
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