Huddersfield’s skyline is to lose an iconic landmark – the town’s last remaining gasholder.

The disused gasholder, in Gasworks Street, off Leeds Road, has not been operational for several years.

And now, owner Northern Gas Networks has confirmed, the 127ft tall steel structure is to be dismantled and removed.

There were originally five gasholders in Huddersfield but gas production ended in the town in the 1960s and this is the last structure remaining.

The gasholder could store up to around five million cubic feet or 127,000 cubic metres of gas and they were used to cope with increases in demand during the winter months. Gasholders became redundant when gas started to be stored in underground pipes.

The original gasholder on the site dates back to 1916. It was rebuilt in 1968.

In recent years the gasholder has become home to a breeding pair of peregrine falcons, which return every spring to nest and rear chicks.

A couple who spotted the peregrines nesting precariously on the structure during lockdown in 2020 built a nesting platform and also installed a video camera to watch over the birds, which are a protected species.

Northern Gas Networks paid for the nesting tray and a camera and there is a Facebook and Twitter page which shares footage and photographs.

One chick has successfully hatched this year and could be one of the last born on the gasholder.

In a statement, Mark Johnson, senior project manager at Northern Gas Networks, said: “We’ll be starting work to safely take down and remove the gasholder in Huddersfield from February 2025.

“For over 100 years, gasholders were a vital part of the gas network. But advances in technology means they are no longer needed, as the gas network itself is a giant storage system which responds to peaks in demand. We’ll be removing 47 holders from our network by 2026.

“At the moment, we are unable to provide details of what will replace the holder after dismantling is complete as the land will be sold on the open market.”

Watch: Peregrines nest 120ft up on Huddersfield’s gas holder