Lots of word but no ACTION - maybe its time for the truth.

Yet again the Former Library at York Road is mentioned in the local press as being a building at risk. YEP 27th June 2012


And to be honest when we see it COVEN gets a strong feeling of deja vu coupled with anger, disappointment and sadness.  


Since 2008 we have campaigned to save this amazing grade 2 listed building and along the way have discovered and shared with many people including local press and local councillors facts we have learnt along the way.

So in yet another attempt to out this appalling scandal we will tell you what we know - and lets make it very clear - COVEN will print nothing on this page which is not backed up with a piece of paper or email  to evidence it. Evidence we are happy to share.


We do understand that there isnt a jot of evience that can prove the owners have left this building to reduce to a near pile of rubble,  but if you only pay £17,000 for something you dont value it highly and the land is potentially worth a great deal - its on the main A64 for a start,  and its mentioned in the plans for the Rushbond development of the "All Saints Centre" a mixed used development which may or may not go ahead in the future.  


The evidence for this are the land registry deeds, which clearly shows  that City East Ltd a subsidiary of Rushbond Plc has a restrictive covenant on the property........basically "a you will sell it to me clause " We wonder if Jonathan Maud knows it was sold by the council for SEVENTEEN THOUSAND POUND. (we have a letter to Hilary Benn MP confirming that)

UNILATERAL NOTICE in respect of a contract dated 23

December 2009 made between (1) Jason Gary Butler and The Old Library House Limited and (2) City East Limited.

5 (06.01.2010) BENEFICIARY: City East Limited (Co. Regn. No.06028128) of Hawthorn Park, Coal Road, Leeds LS14 1PQ.

COVEN met on 23rd Sept 2010  with Jonathan Maud and he was perfectly open about the fact that he spoke regularly to Jason Butler about the All Saints development and the library.

What we dont understand is how in the deeds it says

(01.11.2006) The price stated to have been paid on 23 January 2006 was £200,000 plus VAT!!!!!!!!!!!



So prior to purchase in 2006 the owner got planning permssion to turn it into a rather handsome office block - (we have the plans and it would have been very swish indeed). But no the owner did nothing and even tried to sell it with a book price of £300k later on.

Here starts the evidence of the buildings decline.............and we have evidence of every word we say below:-

January 2008 - the building was boarded up as it was suffering from vandalism. Leeds City Council boarded it up and served notice on the owner to stump up the cash. In October 2008 we can evidence that the owner didnt even have the keys to the building and had to ask for them from LCC!


From 2008 onwards we have evidence that LCC served several  Section 78 Building Act 1984 - Emergency Measures Dangerous Structures Notices.

But the building fell further and further into decline and in November 2009 the roof tiles were stripped off in their entirety. Which left a stunning building open to the elements.

In June 2010 the building was insecure so we had an opportunity to peep inside and take photos, and it made us weep. The water damage was dreadful and vandalism was clearly taking place.  

So on  17th June 2010 COVEN  went to the Inner East Area committee and complained. And in the meantime we lobbed in a few Freedom of Information requests which due to our inexperience at the time failed,(miserably)  

But we were invited to speak to the conservation officer and planning department. We were busy that day as in the morning we had been to see Rushbond, but Phil Ward and Richard Fenton of LCC were far from helpful  so we left and in the evening went back to the area committee and complained about the officers behaviour.

This worked a treat and in early Oct 2010 we met again with the same officers - but with Cllr G Hyde and Cllr R Brett in tow. Its strange how a couple of councilors can make a difference to a conversation - we learnt lots and lots and after a quick call to legal we were told of the figure of £17k.

At this meeting we asked for a LCC to serve notice that a temporary roof was needed and it was agreed that the Cllrs would ask that the money be made available to back up the request for a repair. On the 18th November 2010 we were pleased to hear that the money had been secured and notice would be served on the owners to force a repair of the roof. Then at least she would be waterproof!

The owner commenced repairs in early january  2011 - and since then although the cover is diabolical and needs re doing as it started to rip pretty much as it was put on. (yes we have photos to prove that too) as the building was again insecure in April 2011.

AND FINALLY -------- how many times we have told this story i cannot remember - it must run to thousands. We have told the press in various forms complete with evidence and they wont touch it with a bargepole apparently for fear of being sued by the owner. We cant comment we have never met them.

COVEN has the evidence, emails, deeds, photos, letters to show that many people have been complicit in allowing this building to fall into decline, we have no proof however that the owners have intentionally let it fall into ruin to allow it to be demolished so we cant and wont accuse anybody of that - but there is only so much abuse a building can take.

What we can ask is HOW DID LEEDS CITY COUNCIL ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN - HOW MANY OTHER BUILDINGS HAVE THEY SOLD FOR PEANUTS!

Come on press - we are waiting to hear  from you, every email we have was obtained legally, every photo obtained by just walking in when she was opened by vandals - and we have evidence to show we have always reported any damage that may require urgent repair to LCC to serve yet another repair notice to make her safe. I watch and wait by the COVEN email with bated breath............... ls94ever@gmail.com  

Sarah Covell

More fly tipping at the Old York Road Library 15 June 2011

Once again the Old York Road Library is the scene of fly tipping.  This time a domestic fridge, broken vacuum cleaners and household rubbish are amongst the things that have been abandoned there.  The site is just behind the All Saints Primary School and the rubbish, especially the fridge, presents a serious danger to any adventurous children who might be tempted to play there.  This matter has already been reported to the relevant council department.

The old library building itself has still not been made secure as the vandal-proof door has been vandalised yet AGAIN and the temporary roof which the landlord was ordered to put on the building (he chose plastic) is already torn and coming lose exposing some of the rafters to the weather.  

The fitting and repairing of the drain pipes to the building, as ordered in the Schedule 1 issued by the council, was not done at all and what water the damaged roof does manage to catch simply runs down the walls of the building, either internally or externally.  These matters have also been reported to the council officers.   COVEN and the Civic Trust are continuing to monitor the state of the building.

While this building is in its present state it will continue to attract many forms of illegal and anti-social behaviour, some of which will have to be paid for by the landlord but some of which have to be put right by the council (such as the constant fly tipping and recent theft of the drain covers).  

This building needs to be properly secured and then it needs to be found a use which would mean that as an occupied building it would offer less chance of further vandalism.  As things stand at the moment the council and therefore us the Council Tax payers will have to continue to fork out for the costs of repeated clean ups around the area of the building until a proper solution is found. 

The Old York Road Library - the story so far

Copyright COVEN 2011

You will remember that previously and after much hard work and constant lobbying by the residents of the area and with the help of Cllr Richard Brett, Cllr Graham Hyde and Phil Ward (Team Leader - Conservation at the Sustainable Development Unit of Leeds City Council) an order was issued to the landlord requiring the fitting of a temporary roof to this Grade II listed building to prevent any further damage to the structure of the building.




COVEN have been keeping a very keen eye on the work being done on the library to see how well it was done and we have also been making sure that the building itself is secure as it has frequently been broken into in the past and is in fact the focus of much anti social and criminal behaviour.



Copyright COVEN 2011

Unfortunately as you can see from the picture above the building has recently been broken into again and it is again being used as a drug den.

This building is very close to All Saints Primary School and young children can be very adventurous we fear that one will climb in and be badly hurt. 

Copyright COVEN 2011

The original fireplace has been ripped out of the wall and was stacked by the door, presumably so it could be carted away and sold for scrap.

Soon there will be nothing left of the building's unique features, the tile work, the parquet flooring the beautiful glass partitions.

Copyright COVEN 2011

As you can see from the pictures here the work does not appear to have been done to the required standard expected and the building is in a very vulnerable state.



 Daylight can be seen quite clearly through the rafters and the sheeting is blowing in the wind.

Copyright COVEN 2011

Copyright COVEN 2011

In the picture above you can see that the drainage pipes are clearly not working as the water is running down the wall and here is a picture of the damage done to the rafters in order the throw the rare blue slates from the roof into the building instead of placing them carefully inside as stated in the work order.

COVEN know that Phil Ward at the Sustainable Development Department is on top of this project and is writing to the landlord about the state of the building and quality of the work undertaken and when there is any more news we will bring it to you.

In the meantime COVEN will keep on monitoring the Old York Road Library building and bringing you regular updates because we here in this area have so very few things that are worth saving but this building is certainly one of them.







Work so far on the Old York Road Library

You will have seen in the local paper recently, and in the latest Lib Dem leaflet, that both Labour and Lib Dems are claiming the credit for getting a temporary roof fitted to this landmark Grade II Listed Building to prevent further damage and decay to the fabric of this building.



Well here are some pictures on the quality of the work which has been done so far which we do not believe either of our local politicians will be willing to claim the credit for, since it is clearly very shoddy and substandard, paying only the barest lip-service to the intentions of both the Council officers and local residents to save this building in spite of its present owner.

    

Schedule 1 attached to urgent works notice

1. Remove all existing slate from the roof and place inside the building.
2. Provide reinforcement to damaged roof structures to allow safe working and to support temporary roof described below.
3. Line valleys with lapped heavy gauge Visqueen DPC or single-ply rubber membrane, held down with continuous strap laths laid along the length of the valleys.  The visqueen or alternative should an upstand of a minimum of 300mm and should dressed into the gullies to ensure discharge of rainwater into down pipes.     
4. Cover all roofs in heavy gauge Visqueen DPC membrane, all membrane to be lathed at 300mm centres. Visqueen will be laid so that there is a continuous run from the sarking membrane down into the valleys.
5. Tower to be covered with Visqueen
6. Clear down pipes and gullies and refix missing sections of down pipe in UPVC sufficient to ensure that rainwater discharges to the gullies.  
7. Fix steel door inside existing sheeting to rear door.

copyright C O V E N


Refers to point 4


The plastic sheeting in the middle roof is lifting, revealing the wooden roof slats - how is this supposed to make the roof watertight?






Copyright C O V E N



Refers to point 4

Here you can clearly see that the plastic sheeting has completely pulled away from the staircase - and this before the jobs is even finished.



Copyright C O V E N



Refers to point 6

Here you can quite clearly see that no drain collection box has been fitted to the down drainpipe leaving any rainfall actually collected from the roof  to run down the walls, internally or externally.  It is also clear that the holes punched in the fabric of the building by the scaffolders have simply been left to open further damaging the  building

Copyright C O V E N

Copyright C O V E N

You can see the many holes punched in the windows to make room for the scaffolding poles have been left completely open, no attempt has been made to board them up and pigeons are roosting in the the building.  Clearly no attempt whatsoever has been made to make this building even minimally watertight



Copyright C O V E N



Windows have been either broken or removed to accommodate scaffolding poles, since they have not been either replaced or boarded where this has happened we have not confidence that this will be the case here.



Copyright C O V E N



Trees and shrubs cut down close to the building to give the scaffolders access have been piled up and left, along with an accumulation of other rubbish posing a fire hazard to the building.

Please click here to see the written answers to our questions raised by COVEN at the Inner East Area Committee Meeting on the Old Library building, its sale and maintenance.  It lists what should have been done in Schedule 1, it is apparent that on point 4 and 6 this clearly has not happened.  It also states that damage caused by the need to erect scaffolding will be repaired but it is clear that it has not been and the scaffolding has now been removed so it is not going to be done either.

It also raises questions about how this building, while in council therefore residents ownership, was allowed to deteriorate to such a state that it sold for so very little before being allowed to deteriorate to its present pitiable condition.

The old York Road Library

Despite the wildly exaggerated claims in the latest Lib Dem leaflet it was in fact the COVEN campaign which kick started the drive to save the Old York Road Library and got the landlord to reluctantly undertake the necessary work to protect the fabric of this Grade II listed building with an energetic and vociferous campaign led entirely by and driven by local residents.

Attempts to get answers about the Old York Road Library and its future through the Richmond Hill Forum (chaired by the Lib Dems) since 2008 had failed miserably and emails from that time to Cllr Hollingsworth on this subject show that the whole matter was hopelessly stalled and going nowhere at that point so COVEN, a local pressure group made up of concerned residents, themselves went on the offensive; we wrote letters and sent emails to the relevant people; interested the Victorian Society; English Heritage; The Civic Trust; the Inner East Area Committee and our local MP in the case. We lobbied hard through this Blog, You Tube, local press, Guardian Leeds and East Leeds FM and even met with the head of Rushbond, a property developer with an interest in the area, trying to bring about a satisfactory solution and stop the building from rotting away.

Eventually the sustained pressure paid off and a meeting was arranged with Cllr Graham Hyde (Lab), Cllr Richard Brett (Lib Dem), Phil Ward, Team Leader Conservation at the Sustainable Development Unit and council officer Richard Fenton at which COVEN put forward such a convincing case for saving the building from further damage that Cllrs Hyde and Brett agreed to take the case to Cllr Richard Lewis (Lab) who managed to secure the necessary funding to undertake the work needed if the landlord refused to do it, and this was the key to getting the work done!

If any one person can justifiably claim the credit for this success it would be Sam Hirst of COVEN who has campaigned tirelessly for several years to preserve this building and chronicled its sad decline in pictures and video but, in truth, I think that Sam would be the first to say that saving the Old York Road Library was a community effort, no one person and certainly no one party can claim the credit.

What this area really needs now is more community engagement and less party political points scoring. We know there is an election coming but it would be a solid achievement for the residents of Richmond Hill if, just for once, the councillors put the residents' best interests ahead of party political advantage. We need our councillors to work together for the good of our area and to leave the rest of the party political nonsense behind. Perhaps celebrate the fact that a bunch of committed local activists, with help from councillors of all parties and council officials, local and national organisations, our local MP, and with the help of local media all worked together to save one of the few remaining iconic buildings left in Richmond Hill, pat each other on the back if necessary but learn the lesson that if this area is going to succeed the politicians are going to have to put their constituents needs ahead of their party's - so no claiming credit for this achievement from one political party - this was a perfect example of a community led joint effort delivering the right outcome which may not go down well at party headquarters but is going down well where it really matters - here with the residents!

Community Works!

Excellent news, following a vocal and very vigorous campaign mounted by COVEN and local residents, friends and supporters across the city, local councillors, our MP, local council officers, the Civic Trust and the Victorian Society, the former York Road Library is now being fitted with a temporary roof to prevent further damage to this unique building.



The work is expected to take around 10 days and will be monitored by Phil Ward, Team Leader Conservation at the Sustainable Development Unit (one of the officers instrumental in helping to secure this work).


This is, of course, great news for the area but it is only the beginning. It means that the building will be weatherproof and hopefully suffer no further deterioration caused by rain or snow damage but what is really needed is for this beautiful old building to find a modern purpose.


It is a shame that such a special building has been allowed to fall into this state but now a small start has been made on saving it we should build on our success. The site is in a prominent position on one of the main thoroughfares into the city and it is in the middle of the area earmarked for the prestigious All Saints Centre development.

This Victorian gem would make excellent community space, offices, cafe, gallery space or a combination of all of these or even dare we say it a library - so the fight goes on not only to save the old library but to bring it back into useful life and return it to its rightful place at the heart of our community.

Latest On the Old York Road Library Saga

Sarah and Sam, two of the members of a COVEN delegation on their way to a meeting at the Civic Hall with Councillors Graham Hyde (Lab) and Richard Brett (Lib Dem) and Council officers Richard Fenton and Phill Ward regarding the future of the Old York Road Library.

This building was once one of the most prestigious buildings in the area and in the city.

It was built in 1904 to a prize winning design by H Ascough Chapman for a Public Baths and Free Library on York Road and it showcased the work of the skilled craftsmen of the city of Leeds.

In 2005, the building being surplus to requirements, Leeds City Council first wanted to auction the building but in the end decided to sell the Grade II Listed Building to a Jason Gary Butler of Jump Marketing for the princely sum of £17,000. The only proviso they saw fit to put on the building was that it should be used for office space.

Over the next two years the building was boarded up but repeatedly broken into. Butler did apply for planning permission to convert the library into offices in 2005 which was refused and again in 2007 which he withdrew. However the library was put up for sale in 2008 and the asking price was a staggering £350,000! We have to say that had this sale gone through and realised that amount of money COVEN would certainly have had some very pointed things to say to the councillors, since if this building was really worth anything approaching that figure the Council Tax payers of Leeds should have been the people who reaped the benefit and not a landlord who had done nothing to improve the building and indeed had let it go to wrack and ruin.

The sale did not go through, possibly because the building, both inside and out, had become a wreck. Please look at the link below and see what has become of a once proud testament to the skill and commitment of the people of Leeds.

Just look at what has happened to the Old Library!

COVEN have been trying in recent years to raise awareness of the imminent demise of this building. We have repeatedly asked questions at the Richmond Hill Forum and been largely fobbed off, we have lobbied the Victorian Society, English Heritage, the Council’s own department for preserving buildings under threat and all are very sympathetic and agree wholeheartedly that this building is in danger and that something needs to be done, but no action ever results.

We have written to the papers, put videos up on YouTube, in fact tried everything we could think of to raise awareness of this problem. This building has become a magnet for criminal and anti social behaviour. Inside the building the floor is covered in with drug paraphernalia and the site around attracts fly tippers and vandals on a fairly regular basis.

A member of COVEN was invited to a meeting with the head of the development company, Rushbond, who are planning to build the All Saints Centre on the land behind the library. He let it be known that if the library was still standing he would be willing to make it part of the development and to refurbish the building in due course. However we were told at our meeting in the Civic Hall by Cllr Brett that Rushbond were not willing to do anything to save the library building now and that it was not integral to their plans for the site, their development could go ahead without it if necessary.

After much discussion chaired by Cllr Hyde we left the meeting with the clear impression that a Draft Notice would be served on the landlord on Monday 25 October 2010 with a Notice to make the roof weatherproof being issued on the following Monday 1 November 2010 making it clear if Jason Butler did not carry out the work himself it would be done by the Council and the cost charged to him and should he not pay, a charge would be levied against his property so that the council could re-coup their money.

Since then we have had a disturbing email from Cllr Brett in response to one from COVEN asking for confirmation that the Notices had been issued. In it he observes that he has seen the building recently and it appears to be secure. We however would question how a building without any windows or a roof can remotely be described as secure! Whilst it is true that the ground floor may be secure for now and most of the fly tipped rubbish has been removed it will all happen again soon as it has so many times before - but it is the danger of this special building being allowed to fall down that is our main concern.

We will keep pressing hard for urgent action to be taken immediately on this matter but please if you feel strongly about this important part of our hisory contact your councillors, your MP or write to the newspapers about it as it seems that only sustained public pressure will stop this matter being once again swept under the carpet until the problem is solved by the building being allowed to fall down – we don’t want to lose the library in the same way as the White Cloth Hall was lost through apathy!

DANGEROUS RUBBISH

As you know COVEN has been campaigning hard over the last couple of years to force someone to take responsibility for the state of dereliction the Old York Road Library has been allowed to fall into.


The Library besides being almost totally destroyed inside, having its roof removed and the fabric being allowed to decay dangerously, has also become the focus for anti social behaviour, the building itself being regularly broken into and, from the drug paraphernalia strewn around, a haven for local drug addicts.


In the latest act of criminality the derelict land behind the building has become a site for fly tipping. Dangerous and unsightly piles of rubbish and abandoned furniture have been dumped behind the building which, together with the overgrown bushes and heavy vegetation around the building itself, is causing a serious fire hazard.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coven-covell/sets/72157625064891292/show/


The manhole covers have also been stolen leaving very dangerous open holes in an area where children are attending both local school and, when it is open, the library. The risk of serious injury is obvious especially since nights are drawing in. This area is a magnet for graffiti and vandalism.

COVEN have passed these pictures and details of the address from which the rubbish is believed to have come from to the police and council officials as well as the Councillors for this ward.


The apparent abandonment of this building and surrounding area is promoting crime and anti social behaviour and now, more than ever, it is posing a genuine threat of physical harm to local people, especially children. The costs of repeatedly securing the building, the costs of this and previous clean ups are increasing year by year and they fall on the Council Tax payers of Leeds. It is time that substantial and effective action is taken against the building owner to make the building safe, to see that it is properly patrolled and to start the process of bringing the building back into use, as the only way of ensure that this situation is resolved long term.