How demolition of HMRC site in Shipley is progressing

Demolition work, which began in December, continues at the site. 

Contractor Metropolitan Demolition is carrying out a 20-week demolition programme for developer Artisan Real Estate, which plans to build 289 homes, 5,000 square feet of commercial office space, and a café on the ‘Saltaire Riverside’ development. 

The plans were approved last year. 

Resident Tom D’Roza, who captured drone images, said: “I live on the other side of the river, at Baildon, and it’s been interesting to see how it’s progressing.

“They’ve recently taken down the wall facade facing Baildon, so you can see more of the site.

This drone image shows progress on the demolition of the former HMRC site at Shipley. (Image: Tom D'Roza)

“My kids are particularly quite interested in when they’re going to take down that big white chimney.

“How are they going to do that? Are they going to explode it, topple it, or something else?

“We don’t have a problem with houses being built at the site.

“It would be a good use of the land and makes sense. That building had been empty for years.”

 James Bulmer, development director for Leeds-based Artisan North, previously told the T&A: "This is a genuinely ground-breaking development that will spectacularly open up a large riverside area that has effectively been closed to the public since the 1970s when the HMRC complex was built.

“The development will bring interest and investment to the area and provide a natural, contemporary extension to the existing Saltaire footprint.

“Our completed development will become a modern interpretation of the neighbouring Saltaire village, bringing much needed sustainable family housing in an accessible, well connected and environmentally responsible setting.”