“Look out in the new Picturehouse Cafe for the Art Deco screens from the former Co-op in Widmore Road.
Continue readingOld Town Hall
Our initial thoughts are that although the leaflet contains precious little detail the proposals look promising. 74,000 sq ft of serviced offices is proposed for the both the 1907 town hall and the 1939 ‘extension’. The hotel of 26 bedrooms replaces the 1970’s extensions that overlook Court Street (see artists impressions). This seems far less obtrusive than the previous hotel proposals that were granted planning permission.
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On Saturday 22nd June I lined up outside Boots in The Glades more out of curiosity than anything else, as a lifelong resident of the borough of Bromley I figured there wasn’t much I didn’t already know.
How wrong I was, and what an absolutely fantastic day I experienced, along with at least 25 or 30 other folk. Our two hosts for the morning tour entitled ‘Bromley Palace and Park’ were clad in Victorian suits and hats and provided entertaining and illuminating information about aspects of Bromley previously unknown to me, and I’m sure others were equally surprised and delighted.
Continue readingThe site is part of the Bishop of Rochester’s Palace Park which is the setting of 6 listed buildings
Please write and object to this sale to :David Mark Bowen, Director of Corporate Services, LB Bromley,
Stockwell Close, Bromley, BR1 3UH or email it to : mark.bowen@bromley.gov.uk
Mark it Proposed sale of land
at Bromley Civic Centre and include your name address and
postcode otherwise it will not be accepted. Don’t be put off by this mad deadline !: Copies to the Ward Councillors and BCS would be welcome.
CllrNicky.Dykes@bromley.gov.uk William.Harmer@bromley.gov.uk Michael.Rutherford@bromley.gov.uk
chair@bromleycivicsociety.org.uk
Just in case our readers haven’t already heard, the cinema on the High Street, that has just been converted to a Picture House, has an opening date, Friday 7th June!
When visiting our new venue, don’t forget to look for the Art Deco screens that our chairman rescued from the Co-Op on Widmore Road! They were saved when it was demolished for the Glades.
[UPDATE] Though the application was prepared by the civic society, the council never engaged so Bromley did not attain any of this money.
In recognition that HERITAGE IS A TRADING ASSET the government has put forward £44 million for High Streets, like Bromley, that are in Conservation Areas.
Bromley is expected to apply with an ‘Expression of Interest’ by 12 noon 12th July. A previous grant from the Mayor of London was used to restored historic shop fronts, the best example being the Diners Inn.
We like our Market Square with enough open space for our market – If you want to continue to have our market in Market Square, find a moment to object to this planning proposal 19_00241: https://searchapplications.bromley.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=PLEVE4BTJHM00
Just to let everybody know about the plans with the lakeland slate tiles that are falling off the cladding on Churchill Theatre:
Continue readingThe former Tunnel Shoes occupy the original 1902 premises of Boots the Chemists. The Art Nouveau wrought iron work in front of the first floor windows is typical of boots in this period and similar work can also be seen in Boots old shop in the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells. Behind the modern false ceiling the gallery of Boots famous ‘Penny Library’ still survives. The building replaced that of Rawes School, one of Bromley’s most important educational establishments in the 19th century.
Unfortunately, this building is being allowed to fall in to disrepair. The beautiful dutch gables that adorned the fronts, have all been removed, and are only recorded in the mural on Sainsbury’s.
From Bromley Gloss on FB:
Bromley Mystery 🛑 Have you got a theory, or are you in the know about the Tunnel Shop on Bromley High Street North. Remember Tunnel Discount Shoe Shop… A decade ago or there abouts it shut down, and has continued to stand empty to this day.
❤Set in a beautiful ornate vintage building in a location with lots of footfall throughout the year, why has there not been the slightest hint anyone is interested in taking it over. What’s your theory? #tunnel #tunnelshoeshop #bromleyhighstreet #bromleyshops #bromleyarchitecture #bromleymyster
Jason : I looked into leasing this property, however was told it was already sold to developers to build a block of flats. That was however 3 years ago so not sure if that has changed.
The problem is the rent for the shop is so high nobody would ever be able to cope with it, so it’s been dead.
A1 USE
EXTENSIVE RETAIL DEVELOPMENT IN PROMINENT TRADING LOCATION
The property occupies a prominent position close to the junction with Market Square. Nearby multiple retailers include Primark, McDonald’s, and William Hill together with many banks, restaurants and bars. (See attached Street Traders Plan extract).
From 1863 until 1930, the market sported a ‘Elizabethan’ style, brick ‘Town Hall’. The new Lord of the Manor built it at his own cost. He had bought the title and the Old Bishop’s Palace from the Bishops of Rochester in 1845 (on a reorganisation of the English dioceses that resulted in Bromley – for a time – not being in the Rochester diocese). The new landowner was a Mr Cole-Childs, a coal merchant from Deptford. As the ‘Town Hall’ was constructed at his own cost, in 1863, the bricks were made from his own brick-pit, from where Havelock Rec is now: http://friendsofhavelockrec.org/about-the-brick-pit-of…/.
It replaced a much smaller, more traditional market building in the centre of the square.
“The ancient heart of Bromley, the Market square, was re-laid out in 1863 when an all purpose town hall (centre background), was erected.
It housed the first police station (with a cell to replace the ‘Cage’ on Widmore Road), the first fire-station (before that the engine was lodged at the White Hart and then the Parish Church) – the next one is on West Street, and the current one on South Street), and a large upper room for civic meetings. At various times it also housed the literary institute and meeting rooms. However, the Vestry (who ran the town) never met there, so it was not used as a Town Hall.
It seems that it was at least 3 different buildings kludged together. Most of its life it was rented by an estate agents. Whilst the style was fashionable at the time it was built, by the end of it’s life, the local paper described it as ‘monstrous’. This did not stop it being featured in many of the postcards of the town centre.
Browse our old photos, in
from being dominated by tower blocks: Look here and email our ward councillors about:
* High rises in the Local Plan
* housing and a hotel on the civic centre (old palace)
and
* 16+ high rises from the draft Master Plan down the Lower High Street
* and there's others...
