Leeds Civic Hall has structural issue - report

Sections of Leeds Civic Hall have an issue caused by the corrosion of internal steel frames, according to a report

The building housing Leeds' council offices and chambers requires investment to tackle a structural problem, according to a local authority report.

Sections of Leeds Civic Hall have an issue caused by the corrosion of internal steel frames which can cause stonework to crack.

Leeds City Council plans to spend £200,000 to investigate its impact on the building, carry out health and safety works and find a long-term solution.

A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the "building is safe".

The issue, known as "Regent Street disease", is said to be found in pre-1950s buildings which have masonry or stone tightly packed around steel frames.

Water permeates through the porous stonework and corrodes the steel, which in turn causes the masonry around it to crack.

The council spokesperson said: “The building is safe, as any pieces of stonework which may have presented a risk were removed as a precaution following an inspection at the end of last year.

“Inspections will be repeated annually until the root cause of the problem is resolved.”

The council plans to tackle the issue using cathodic protection, which uses electrical currents to prevent further corrosion.

The spokesperson added: “The full programme of cathodic protection works is yet to be fully developed as the surveying and design work is still under way.

“It will be carried out over an extended period to avoid significantly disrupting building users.”

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