THE SECOND of Keighley College’s eyesore buildings in the town centre could be flattened.

Bradford Council has made the shock announcement that it is considering demolishing the derelict Cavendish Street block.

The council’s ruling Executive will soon be recommended by officers to knock down the multi-storey building to make it more attractive to developers.

If the proposal is approved, the building would become a pile of rubble after work has been completed on demolishing its sister building in North Street.

The council’s proposal – contained in a one-line statement – was this week welcomed by politicians and business leaders.

They believe that knocking down the building, constructed in the 1950s, could be the only way to attract a potential buyer for the site.

Previous attempts to market the building have been unsuccessful, with the only firm offer – to transform it into a business and enterprise centre – falling through last November after two years of negotiations.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins said it would be much easier to attract interest in the Cavendish Street site if potential investors were able to start with a ‘clean sheet’.

He said: “I have called a number of times over recent months for the site to be cleared and it’s a shame that this hasn’t happened before now. It is a landmark site and its redevelopment could provide a major boost to the local economy including many new jobs if the right private sector investor can be found.”

District councillor Andrew Mallinson, a long-time campaigner for action on the college building, said it was “about blooming time” when he heard the news about the potential demolition. He added: “It’s a very positive move on the part of the council. We can go forward with marketing a clean site to bring new opportunities to the town.

“This site has been on the market for a long time and nobody has come forward with a good scheme and the right amount of money funding to purchase it.”

Keighley Central ward councillor Abid Hussain said he would have preferred the existing building to be sold, but admitted there was no interest from potential buyers. He said: “If it’s not being used then it is a good thing to demolish, and someone may come along to make use of the site for the community.”

Fellow ward councillor Khadim Hussain said it made sense to demolish the building if it could be replaced with a building more beneficial for Keighley.

But he warned: “There should be proper consultation on the future use of the site before the demolition decision is made. It’s a prime site in the town.”

Graham Benn, chairman of Keighley Business Improvement District, hoped a new building would be erected on the site as soon as possible after demolition.