Agenda item
Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ PA/23/01179
Proposal: Listed building consent for:
· Alterations to the first floor refectory area and second floor executive office and meeting space within the Grade II listed portico extension.
· Introduction of partitioning to create an additional meeting room at second floor (mezzanine level).
· Removal of kitchenette at first floor level within the refectory.
· Addition of doors within new partitioning associated with corridors leading to the above spaces.
· Internal amendments to fourth floor of historical building with addition of lightweight partitions and doors, closing off open plan spaces from corridor.
Recommendation: Grant listed building consent, subject to conditions
Minutes:
Update report was noted.
Paul Buckenham, Development Manager, introduced the application for a proposed first floor rear extension.
Adam Hussain, Planning Officer, provided a presentation on the application. The Officer’s recommendation was to grant planning permission.
At the invitation of the Chair, objections were raised to the committee, highlighting the negative impact of application will have on the staff within the building, the lack of consultation by the applicant and access to the heritage of the building.
At the invitation of the Chair, the agent for the applicant highlighted how the work will have little impact on the heritage of the building.
Further to questions from the Committee, officers, members of the council and residents provided more details on the following elements of the application:
· What will the lower floor level of the application area be used for? If it is to be used for a venue for hire, does it need to be stated in the application? How will the office space remain secure when being used externally? Officers confirmed the applicants do not need to state what the space will be used for. The agent stated that the space will be multi-purpose, for meetings, office space and for external hire. When the space is being used for external use, on site facilities management will support the security of the external space.
· Do the changes proposed in the application have any impact on the heritage of the building? Officers confirmed that the biggest change is placing a partition on the mezzanine level, but the overall impact on the chapel will be minimal.
· Is the new proposed staff communal area bigger than the current space? Officers stated that proposed usage and size of the space is not a part of the application. The agent confirmed that proposed space is bigger than the current space.
· What will the impact of the changes be on the users of the building? Objectors speaking on behalf of the staff of the building, stated that the new space has been seen as unpopular and undesirable to be used in the same way as the current space. Staff wished to be consulted before the application was submitted.
· How long will the works take, and will it be within budget? The agent confirmed that it will take between 8-10 weeks and there is a overspend allowance within the budget
The Committee debated the application and moved to the vote:
· Many of the objections have not been addressed by the applicant, but the application does not propose concerns about the heritage of the building.
· The staff and residents should still have access to the heritage aspect of the space after the project work has finished.
On a vote of 4 in favour, 3 against and 0 abstentions the Committee RESOLVED that Listed Building Consent be GRANTED for:
- Alterations to the first floor refectory area and second floor executive office and meeting space within the Grade II listed portico extension.
- Introduction of partitioning to create an additional meeting room at second floor (mezzanine level).
- Removal of kitchenette at first floor level within the refectory.
- Addition of doors within new partitioning associated with corridors leading to the above spaces.
- Internal amendments to fourth floor of historical building with addition of lightweight partitions and doors, closing off open plan spaces from corridor.
Subject to the proposed conditions as set out in the report.
Supporting documents: