Parts of Threeways Centre in Halifax including popular cafe The Hub forced to close after entrance found 'unsafe'

The move was made with immediate effect today to protect people's safety after a routine survey and inspection of the building on Nursery Lane in Ovenden.

Calderdale Council’s building control team found the first-floor walls above the entrance to be "unsupported and subject to movement", said the council.

"The team declared the walls structurally unstable and the entrance hall unsafe for use," said a spokesperson. "The path leading up to the entrance hall was also found to be unstable and at risk of collapse.

"Therefore, for public and employee safety, the entrance hall and path are now closed until further notice and protective fencing is in place.

"Unfortunately, the only access to the café at the Centre at Threeways is through the entrance hall, and the gas has been turned off in the building, meaning the café is regrettably unable to open and trade.

"The church, Greenhome and Men in Sheds, which are based in other, separate parts of the building and have other entrances, remain open, although the building is without heating due to the gas being turned off."

Alan Lee, Calderdale Council’s Corporate Lead for Corporate Asset and Facilities Management, said: “It is with regret that we have had to close the entrance hall and entrance pathway at Centre at Threeways, after our Building Control specialists deemed them too dangerous for people to use.

“Safety is our priority, and due to the major scale of the structural issues found, it is not possible to keep these parts of the building open.

“We are sorry that this impacts on the café’s ability to trade, but we must keep their staff and customers safe, as well as the other people using the affected areas.

“We will be closely monitoring the building over the coming days and further investigations will take place so that we can determine the next steps.”

The council added that Threeways is an old, 1950s building which is deteriorating rapidly.

Paul Holdsworth, who runs The Hub cafe with his partner Alison, has shared his sadness at the sudden closure on The Hub's Facebook page.

Speaking in a video, he said: "We are no allowed back on the premises. We've been evacuated from the building. We're not allowed back in while things are investigated.

"We don't know what to do. We need to speak to insurance people and things like that about it.

"Everybody is safe, everybody is well. It wasn't a case of anybody was in danger or anything but it is shut.

"As it stands right now, The Hub Cafe will no longer reopen in this building.

"It's been amazing for the last four years and it's been lovely, we've got some amazing customers and followers.

"We've been so unbelievably lucky to feed children in our community every summer holiday, we feed hundreds of children every day. Obviously, the summer holidays are coming up and we were going to be doing it again - we can't do it for obvious reasons so we're in talks now with getting that moved to another caterer so those children can get fed."

He also urged parents to warn their children not to play on the roof or around the building.

"Stay away from it, I am not joking. We have been asked to shut because of structural issues so if you know anybody who is going and messing around this building, get them to stay away from it."

He added his thanks to all the cafe's staff, past and present, and asked people to keep an eye on The Hub's Facebook page for updates.