Drone footage has revealed the extent of damage after part of the façade of a former Victorian church collapsed onto Bradford Road in Cleckheaton on Saturday morning.
Large blocks of stone fell from the roof of the two-storey building, now operating as The Monal wedding venue, at about 10:00 BST. Police said no one was injured and an emergency services cordon was put in place while staff and local authorities assessed the site.
Footage shared on social media and obtained by the BBC appears to show large sections of masonry lying across the road near a bus stop, with the fallen blocks narrowly missing two people walking on the pavement. Police confirmed no injuries had been reported and said the scene remained cordoned off while checks were carried out.
A spokesperson for The Monal said staff were assessing the damage and working to resolve the situation. "While there has been some disruption to our usual activities, we are actively working to resolve the situation," the spokesperson said. "Our team is assessing everything to ensure the space remains safe, secure, and welcoming for everyone. Everyone is completely safe. We deeply appreciate your patience and understanding during this time."
Kirklees Council's highways department was managing the road closure, police said. Emergency responders were on site and the cordon restricted access to the stretch of Bradford Road outside the building as teams cleared debris and checked the structure for further hazard.
Historic England records show the building was originally constructed as Providence Place church by the Bradford architects Lockwood and Mawson between 1857 and 1859. The two-storey structure was first listed in 1982. In more recent years the premises were home to Aakash, believed to have been one of Britain’s largest Indian restaurants, before being converted into the Monal wedding venue.
Drone footage shows damage to the façade and the arched roof above the frontage, with large stones scattered on the street below. Local authorities and venue staff said they were working to ensure the area was safe and to determine next steps for repairs and reopening. Further inspections by specialists and any necessary restoration work are expected to follow as officials assess the historic building's condition.
No investigations or enforcement actions were reported at the time of the statements, and authorities did not provide a cause for the collapse in initial updates. Residents and road users were asked to avoid the area while the cordon and clearance operations remained in place.