Demolition work is due to start on one of the largest buildings in Bradford city centre this summer.

Jacob’s Well, once home to many of Bradford Council’s office-based staff, is being pulled down to make way for a proposed £20 million public sector hub.

It has now been revealed that work to demolish the building, just off Manchester Road, will start in July, and last until November.

The Council told the Telegraph & Argus that a “nationally owned” developer is currently working on a planned office scheme for the site, which would “provide a significant number of jobs” in the public sector.

Work to demolish the 1970s building, which is eight storeys at its highest point, will start on July 2 and take just under five months.

It is expected that much of the demolition work will be done by mechanical means, including the use of high reach excavators.

The Council adds: “Demolition using explosives may be considered.”

Part of the site will be soiled/seeded after the building comes down, with the rest retained for a car park until construction on the proposed new development.

However, no planning application has yet been submitted for any redevelopment of the site.

The scheme was first unveiled by the Council in 2015, when it was announced that the privately-financed hub could bring up to 3,500 public sector jobs into the city centre.

The goal was to sell the land to private developers who would then build a 200,000 sq ft public sector hub for organisations like Government departments, the NHS or the police to relocate to.

At the time, 1,700 Council staff were based in the Jacob’s Well building, but these have since moved to neighbouring Margaret McMillan Tower, Sir Henry Mitchell House and Britannia House and Argus Chambers.

Initially, plans were for the new hub to open in early 2018.

But last March, it was announced that there were no tenants yet signed up to the scheme.

Last year, the option of retaining the building, modernising it through a major refurbishment, new cladding and a new roof was floated, but the Council’s executive opted to stick to the demolition plan.

A Bradford Council spokesperson, said: “The decision to demolish Jacob’s Well to make way for future development was made by Bradford Council’s executive last year.

“The demolition will provide savings on the vacant building’s utilities and running costs which could be better utilised elsewhere for the benefit of the district.

“The site is the subject of an option agreement with a nationally known developer who is currently working on an office scheme which on completion will provide a significant number of jobs in the public sector. Work is to begin this summer and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.”

The Council’s Demolition and Works team submitted a demolition notice for the building earlier this week.