Press Release – 20-storey Tower over former Maplins at 66-70 High Street

Posted on 15 January 2019 by campaignr

BROMLEY CIVIC SOCIETY

Press Release

S2 Estates have put in an application for a 20 storey tower on the site of the former Maplins store.  Their supporting statement said that it felt it would help locals find the High Street.

Like circling vultures waiting to pick the bones of our historic old town developers are being lured by the Council’s ill-conceived Masterplan and the Site ‘G’ designation for the redevelopment of the west side of Bromley High Street from the Library down to the railway and beyond.

Bookending what would be an army of tower blocks is the Council’s existing St Mark’s Square development, aka the ‘Titanic’, at one end and their proposed 15 storey ‘Churchill Quarter’ at the other now said to be Phase One of the Masterplan. This is still awaiting a decision and if approved will overwhelm Library and Church House Gardens and used to set the general height standard of the Plan.

Spurred on by this, S2 Estates, are now proposing a 20 storey High block rising straight up from the pavement where Maplin’s used to be. Ironically, the Masterplan sets aside this particular site as being ‘Buildings of townscape merit’ and is one of the few areas not earmarked for development.

The building proposed is also much higher than anything envisaged in the Masterplan. Tony Banfield, chair of the Bromley Civic Society said:

“Whilst the Masterplan has been condemned by the Ward Councillors as being destructive to the essential character of Bromley, this proposal, at 20 storeys on a clearly unsuitable site, goes above and beyond even that envisaged in the Masterplan. Councillor Peter Morgan, Portfolio holder for Renewal responsible for the Plan, has clearly unleashed a raging beast on our Town Centre environment. We hope and expect the Development Control Committee of the Council will refuse permission.”

This opportunistic proposal by S2 estates highlights the need for protection of the buildings deemed to be of architectural and townscape merit in the southern part of the High Street. These properties will be particularly vulnerable given all the development likely to take place around them. BCS have suggested in their response to the Masterplan that 66-70 High Street (formerly Maplins and adjacent properties) and 54-62 High Street (Laura Ashley and adjacent properties) should be included within ‘island’ extensions to the Conservation Area to give them long lasting and effective prevention. We hope that the Council will now see the merit in this and will go along with this suggestion.

It is not too late to have your say, there’s a feedback form at: https://highstreetbromley.co.uk/

The Masterplan can be viewed at www.bromley.gov.uk/downloads/file/3514/bromley_town_centre_site_10_masterplan

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Former Town Hall extension – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The neo-Georgian style former Town Hall extension (now Exchequer House) in Widmore Road, was built in 1938-39 and designed by Charles Cowles-Voysey (see wiki), well known for his work on town hall and public buildings in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He was the son of C.F.A. Voysey, one of Britain’s most influential architects of the Arts and Crafts movement.

blue-slate roofed 2-storey neo-georgian building

Neo-Georgian Town Hall Extension

This property has been sold by the council, and together with the 1907 former town hall next door, has a planning application (expected to succeed) to develop it into rentable office space:

Proposals for Old Town Hall, from the new owners
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Former School of Art & Science (now the Clockhouse) – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The School of Science and Art stands opposite the Edwardian Town Hall. The external relief terracotta panels include representations of science and art. The original building was designed by John Sulman and was built in 1878 by J C Arnauld at a cost of £3,000. The public opening included a display of the first working telephones ever made. The building was extended in 1894 to provide the town’s first library.

It was sold and converted into flats.

stylish copper green cupula on hexagonal tower

Cupola of the old Arts and Science college in 2006

In the 1960s

 

 

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Former Town Hall – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

This former Town Hall in Tweedy Road was built in 1906 by R Frank Atkinson in a neo-Wren style. The hipped slate roof has a central cupola constructed in timber, set above a fine entrance porch.

slate roofed, brick with stone pointing, 2-storey with round columned porch

Neo-gothic style to recall Wren’s buildings.

The building was officially opened by Mayor Alderman R W Jones JP on 25 September 1907, the building cost £35,000 including furnishings.

bandsmen marching past town hall

1941 Weapons Week outside the Town Hall on Tweedy Road

black dressed people at town hall portico

At the rear of the building is the barrel vaulted first Magistrates Court, with two cells underneath; when this proved insufficient for the growing town, they built the 1937 C. Cowes Voysey Magistrates Court on south street (now Community House).

This building has been sold by the council (freehold), and CastleForge converted the building to make it into rentable office space:

Archive: Proposals for Old Town Hall, from the new owners

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Community House (former Magistrates Court) – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The former Magistrates Court was designed in 1939 by the architect C Cowles Voysey and forms part of an identifiable group of public buildings with the Fire Station and the Town Hall complex.

Continue reading →

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Heritage Building – South Street 08: The Fire Station

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The Fire Station was designed by Stanley Hawkings, the Borough Engineer, and was completed in 1905 at a cost of £5,191 12s 6d.

A charming twist on the prevailing neo-georgian architecture of the time.

Fire engines outside station

Fire engines outside the station on South Street in 2019.

Before this the fire brigade was located on West street opposite Sainsburys.

sepia photo of firemen, with fine helmets, under station arches

1911 – Bromley’s Mechanised Fire Brigade at their headquarters in South Street.

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Number 8 South Street – HG Wells Dame school

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

Number 8 South Street, where HG Wells went to a Dame school

No. 8 South Street is where Mrs Knotts dame school was attended by a young H.G. Wells between 1871 and 1874.  In his autobiography, he describes it as “off with my brother Freddy (who was on no account to let go of my hand) to a school in a room in a row of cottages near the Drill Hall, kept by an unqualified old lady, Mrs. Knott, and her equally unqualified daughter Miss Salmon, where I learnt to say my tables of weights and measures, read words of two or more syllables and pretend to do summing — it was incomprehensible fudging that was never explained to me — on a slate“.

attentive boy of about 8 sat at a table with a book open

HG Wells at school age

We have more about HG Wells in Bromley at our page here.

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Heritage Buildings – West Street 03: former post office

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr
Fine brick building with stone ornamentation

The Old Post Office in 2019, after it had been converted into flats. photo by Paul Ylaes.

Architect: Henry Tanner

The former Post Office in West Street was completed in 1896, and like the David Greig building facing it across Market Square, uses prefabricated decorative ceramic faces – in this case, terracotta.  These facings were not just economic, but very fashionable as they were used in the Royal Albert Hall.  On the building is the monogram of Queen Victoria.  They occupied it in 1897.  The second building was added in 1913.

It was built when the previous premises in Market Square had become too small to cope with the rapid expansion of the town.  Later still a new building was built next to Bromley North station as the sorting office; in those days mail was sent on the branch line. 

More far-flung communities in Bromley did not get their mail delivered – for instance, Charles Darwin rode his horse to the post office, from his house near Downe village, on a weekly basis to collect his post.

postcard of fine brick pointing with stone decoration

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No. 19 East Street (former Local Board)- Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

Number 19 East Street was formerly the offices of the Local Board (the first body of local administration in Bromley). It stood at the junction of East Street and West Street. The purpose of the local board was to provide such essentials as street lighting and an adequate sewage system for the town (the latter was not done especially well).

model 2-storey town building with large hexagonal bay window

19 East Street The Local Board building decorated for Queen Victorias Jubilee

.In April 2018:

whitewashed 2-storey building with large hexagonal bay window

19 east street

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The Old Drill Hall (now O’Neils) – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The Drill Hall, Nos 27-29 East Street, was opened in 1872 for use by the Bromley Volunteer Rifle Corps. Town celebrations and events were held here. It became a public house in 1997.

a street with soldiers assembled and people watching

1914 advance guard departing to Dover

Hall with decorated stage and lots of chairs

1872 Decorated for opening concert- when Sir Arthur Sullivan (Gilbert & Sullivan) played piano.

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