THE demolition of a Conservation Area building has led to repeated calls for the area to be made a "heritage action zone."

Last week work started to demolish a large former warehouse on Sunbridge Road - in the city's historic Goitside Conservation Area.

Water from Storm Ciara had weakened the already damaged building's structure, leading to Bradford Council to call for it's demolition on safety grounds.

That stretch of Sunbridge Road was shut for most of last week.

Much of the building has now been pulled down, although several walls and huge piles of rubble remain as work continues.

Like many large buildings in the conservation area, this warehouse, between Wigan Street and Dyson Street, had long been vacant.

Other buildings have been converted into businesses or apartments.

National group Civic Voice highlights Bradford's Goitside area as 'at risk' conservation area

In 2018 Goitside Conservation Area was used by national heritage group Civic Voice as an example of an 'at risk conservation area.'

The report led to calls from the Bradford Civic Society to class Goitside as a 'Heritage Action Zone' - with a greater focus on regenerating the area.

In light of the warehouse's demolition, the Society has now repeated its call for this area of the city to be regenerated.

Alan Hall, Vice Chair of the society, said: “It’s always a shame when Bradford loses a bit of its industrial heritage, although this particular site on Sunbridge Road has been in a sorry state for some time.

"There are some magnificent old warehouses in Goitside, particularly nearer to the city centre, and its encouraging to see some of these being brought back to life.

"The civic society has previously called for Bradford Council and Historic England to look into the prospect of the Goitside being designated as a Heritage Action Zone.

"This could really help bring a lot of these at risk buildings back into use and make the area far more desirable.”