Tony Gardner

Plans have been submitted to convert the former New Carlton Social Club on Carlton Green in Normanton into four self-contained flats. The proposal would retain parking, add gardens and fencing, and maintain access from Carlton Green. The club has reportedly been unused for more than a year, although a ground-floor steward’s flat remains occupied. Wakefield Council has not yet determined the application.

Wakefield Council has appointed Muse as its strategic regeneration partner to help deliver a £43 million programme in Castleford. The plans build on £23 million in Town Deal funding and a further £20 million from the Government’s Pride in Place programme, with projects including a town-centre overhaul, a riverside park and housing development near the River Aire. The council and Muse will consult residents and businesses as they develop proposals intended to attract investment, improve connectivity and create local opportunities.

Royal Mail has installed a replacement postbox on The Green in Woolley, five months after thieves removed it, following intervention by Ossett and Denby Dale MP Jade Botterill. The company will not replace a second box on Barnsley Road because of the risk of further theft and the small number of addresses served, but says local postmen can collect correctly stamped letters during deliveries. Residents welcomed the replacement but criticised the delay and the loss of the second postbox.

Wakefield Council will introduce a lane rental scheme later in 2026 allowing it to charge companies, including utility firms, up to £2,500 a day for roadworks on key routes during peak periods. The scheme is intended to reduce congestion and disruption by encouraging work outside busy times and improving operational efficiency. Wakefield, Leeds and Kirklees councils received Department for Transport approval for coordinated schemes, which officials say could also improve air quality and public transport reliability.

Ei Group Ltd has reapplied to amend the licence for the Star Inn in Kirkhamgate to allow an outdoor bar and marquee from April to September. Residents of nearby Westfield Place and Wakefield Council environmental health officers object over potential noise, larger gatherings, anti-social behaviour and crime. The proposal includes a noise management plan, outdoor music ending by 10pm, the beer garden clearing by 10.30pm, regular noise checks and a contact number for residents. Wakefield councillors will decide the application at a hearing on August 18.

Wakefield councillors delayed using High Street Rental Auction powers for six months while the council’s regeneration and scrutiny committee consults residents, landlords and businesses. The powers could require landlords to rent out premises vacant for at least 12 months, or 366 non-continuous days over two years, with landlords responsible for bringing properties up to minimum standards. Green Party councillor Kate Dodd argued that the measure would tackle the district’s 15.8% commercial vacancy rate, improve high streets and reduce antisocial behaviour. Deputy leader John Thomas supported reviving town centres but said the council first needed to understand why vacancies were above average.

Wakefield Council’s plans to redevelop the city centre have intensified political tensions over the future of a proposed museum and library. Council leader Karl Johnson and culture portfolio holder Lukasz Borcz said they did not believe another museum and library were needed, citing existing facilities and concerns about generating footfall. The proposals followed the council’s £11m purchase of The Ridings shopping centre and initially included homes, a public square, cinema, museum, library and events spaces. Reform UK, which took control of the council after the purchase, is reviewing the scheme and consulting residents and businesses. Labour councillor Mohammed Ayub questioned whether the consultation was meaningful given the leaders’ comments, while regeneration portfolio holder Matthew Pinder insisted that no final decisions had been made and that the consultation would determine the outcome.

Wakefield Council has withdrawn plans for a children’s playground at Barracks Playing Fields in Pontefract and intends to submit a revised application. Local residents objected over potential noise, anti-social behaviour, traffic, parking and child-safety issues, while Sport England opposed the proposed use of land historically marked as a football pitch without replacement provision. The playground is one of nine planned through a £4 million investment in inclusive play and country-park facilities across the district.

A plan to convert a Grade II-listed building in Wakefield’s Bull Ring into a bar and tattoo studio has been approved. The proposal by applicant Danny Tymon covers three floors, preserving all original external architectural features and maintaining the character of the conservation area. Heritage and environmental health officers raised no objections to the change of use.

Wakefield Council plans to convert an unused former fire control centre into a £10m specialist secondary school offering 120 places for students with social, emotional and mental health needs. The project will be funded by high‑needs capital from the Department for Education and forms part of the council’s wider SEND programme to expand local specialist provision. Cabinet members are expected to approve the proposal on July 21, with further design and cost planning still required.

A public inquiry revealed that clearing nearly 250,000 tonnes of waste from a South Elmsall site operated by Minore could cost more than £30 million, primarily due to landfill tax and associated disposal expenses. The Environment Agency revoked the site's operating permit over ongoing risks to human health and the environment and ordered full waste removal by 2029. Wakefield Council argued that restoration is essential to enable a planned housing development, criticising the operator’s management as unreasonable. Representatives for the site owner contended that operations could continue without hindering nearby development. The inquiry is ongoing.

Wakefield Council’s new Reform-led administration overturned its previous climate and biodiversity emergency declarations, prompting sharp criticism from environmental advocates and Green Party councillors. Campaigners warn that reversing these commitments ignores escalating climate risks, while council leader Karl Johnson argues the shift reflects a move away from gesture politics toward practical governance amid rising council tax pressures.