Bradford & District | Archive | 1999 | September | 08
From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Wednesday 8th Sep 1999.
Conservationists fear a derelict windmill will crumble after its roof was removed by council workers.
Residents fighting to save an 18th century windmill, which stands in the grounds of St Saviour's Junior School in Birstall, were shocked to hear that Kirklees Council workmen had removed slabs after surveyors deemed them unsafe.
And the campaigners, who formed a committee in July in a bid to lease the building from the Council, are concerned that the windmill will suffer further damage as winter approaches.
Group spokesman Councillor Brian Snelson (Birstall and Birkenshaw, Con) said: "I'm very concerned about it. With the weather changing it needs waterproofing quickly.
"We got the message on Sunday that the roof had been stripped off.
"A surveyor had gone up to see it and apparently the roof timbers were so rotten the slabs had to be removed straight away."
Tony Rankin, headteacher of St Saviour's School, said: "The children play near it as do people who come onto the playing field at night to play football so it's important that something is done."
The windmill, which no longer has a doorway, windows or sails, had been capped with stone slabs when the original roof was removed more than 80 years ago.
Campaigner Eddie Parkin, 69, of Roman Road, said it was built in 1782 and was used to grind grain for the Birstall and Batley area.
He has made a 3ft model of how it used to look which the group hopes to use to attract funding.
"It needs to be looked after if we are to have any chance of getting it back to how it used to be," he said.
Kirklees Council's Education Department announced earlier this summer that it was considering demolishing the building as it was thought it needed re-pointing work costing at least £2,000.
The preservation group, which last met on Monday, hopes to secure a 25-year lease from the Council so it can apply for charitable grants to develop the windmill.
A spokesman for Kirklees Council said: "The surveyor was afraid the roof was unsafe and the slabs have been taken away.
"Some money has been set aside for repairs but we are awaiting a decision about what will happen to the windmill."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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