Council to spend £300k on 'partial demolition' of historic Grade II building

Town hall bosses set to 'de-list' Grade II-listed building

An historic building in Timperley in danger of collapse is set to be partially demolished amid safety concerns.

Trafford council is to begin ‘de-listing’ the Grade II-listed Watling Gate so the ‘precarious state’ of the building can be addressed at a cost between £300,000 and £350,000.

This follows two previous attempts by the council to get central government funding for the building’s renovation which have failed.

Watling Gate dates back to 1905 and was built by Robert Carlysle of Manchester.

The house and surrounding gardens were bequeathed to the then Altrincham council following owner Lt Col Newton’s death in 1937 and was then used as an art gallery and museum.

It then became a nursery and operated for more than 60 years until it was vacated in 2003.

The building and the surrounding area have been fenced off since the mid-2000s.

A report by Trafford’s director of place Richard Roe said: “The building constitutes a dangerous building and requires immediate action and an additional safety cordon which has been installed.

“It is now apparent that the remaining structures at Watling Gate cannot be repaired in their current form.”

The report said the building had suffered ‘extensive deterioration with visible signs of partial collapse and ongoing decay due to water ingress and vandalism.

It adds: “There are no immediate indications of collapse beyond the safety cordon; however the risk of further structural failure within the site remains high.”

The council cannot legally carry out the work necessary without de-listing the building.

The report recommends that the authority should start a consultation process and submit a listing building consent application for the alteration/partial demolition and that the council ‘acts promptly’ on any approval granted.