HORNSEY TOWN HALL CONSERVATION PLAN Prepared for LONDON BOROUGH OF HARINGEY ALAN BAXTER & ASSOCIATES JANUARY 2004 CONTENTS CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction and Summary Findings ................................................... 2 2.0 Heritage Designations ........................................................................ 7 3.0 Understanding ................................................................................. 11 4.0 The Cultural Significance of the Town Hall and Associated Buildings .................................................................. 45 5.0 Issues and Opportunities .................................................................. 50 6.0 Policies and Guiding Principles for the Reuse of the Town Hall ........ 55 7.0 Sources ............................................................................................ 61 Appendices Appendix 1: Listed Building Descriptions .............................................. 62 Appendix 2: Crouch End and Hornsey Conservation Area Policy Document .................................. 64 Appendix 3: Extracts from Urban Design Study (2003) by Jon Rowland Urban Design ............................................... 67 Prepared by: Chris Miele, Catharine Kidd & Zoë Aspinall Reviewed by: Alan Baxter and William Filmer-Sankey First Draft issued: 18 November 2003 Consultation Draft issued: 24 November 2003 Second Draft issued: 10 December 2003 Conservation Plan issued: 28 January 2004 This report is the copyright of Alan Baxter & Associates and is for the sole use of the person/organisation to whom it is addressed. It may not be used or referred to in whole or in part by anyone else without the express agreement of Alan Baxter & Associates. Alan Baxter & Associates do not accept liability for any loss or damage arising from any unauthorised use of this report. © Alan Baxter & Associates 2003, 2004 ALAN BAXTER & ASSOCIATES HORNSEY TOWN HALL • JANUARY 2004 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY FINDINGS 1.1 The London Borough of Haringey has commissioned this The Plan’s Structure The Plan’s Coverage conservation plan for Hornsey Town Hall complex from Alan Baxter & Associates. Architects Hawkins\Brown 1.5 The report structure follows the format recommended by 1.6 The plan specifically applies to the Town Hall (listed Grade II*) have assisted in the analysis of issues and opportunities Kerr, and consists of the following sections: and the adjoining Public Halls. The plan also has regard to the presented by the building. other components of the Town Hall complex, which include: • Identification of the planning context, with a focus 1.2 The plan has been prepared in accordance with accepted on heritage designations (Section 2: Heritage • The Broadway Annexe (listed Grade II), built to form a best practice, as set out in Heritage Lottery Fund Designations) composition with the Town Hall and Broadway House Guidance, recent English Heritage publications and J. • An analysis of the site’s development, including a (also Grade II) that encloses three sides of a public S. Kerr’s seminal Conservation Plans for Historic Places, note on the building type, which helps to identify square. These three buildings were designed by Reginald now in its 13th edition (2001). These are detailed in key aspects of the listed buildings (Section 3: Uren. Section 7.0: Sources. Understanding) • The hard and soft landscaped public square in front of • A room-by-room gazetteer describing the existing the Town Hall, which is part of the overall setting for Purpose of the Plan interiors and noting any features or alterations (Section the Town Hall 3: Understanding) • The Mews Studio, a small, one-storey building at the 1.3 Hornsey Town Hall complex includes Grade II* and II • A statement of significance, identifying the special rear of the Broadway Annexe listed buildings and has a prominent position in the town cultural interest of the site and its constituent parts • The Weston Park Annexe, a small building secluded centre, in the middle of the main shopping street (The (Section 4: Significance) behind the Town Hall and earlier in date Broadway). The Public Hall and Council Chamber which • An identification of issues that could affect the special • The Rear Annexe, a prefabricated two -storey office form part of the Town Hall building are no longer in interest of the site, with an indication of opportunities building use and the Town Hall is now surplus to local authority for enhancing the special interest (which includes • Hornsey Library (listed Grade II), located in Haringey requirements. a range of interventions that may be necessary to Park provide the building with a secure future use) (Section • The C.A.B. offices, a prefabricated two-storey building 1.4 The plan has been commissioned in order to inform the 5: Issues and opportunities) in Hatherley Gardens refurbishment and reuse of the site; it is intended that the • Following on from the issues and opportunities plan will then form part of a development brief for the section, the plan concludes with broad principles to 1.7 The area covered in this study is shown on the site plan Town Hall and its associated buildings. be followed in the refurbishment of the site (Section (see page 3). The entire study area falls within the Crouch 6: Policies and Guiding Principles for the Reuse of the End Conservation Area. Town Hall and Depot Site). • The plan concludes with a section on historic and 1.8 The statutory development plan for the site is the London other sources, and appendices. Borough of Haringey Unitary Development Plan (UDP) (adopted 1998). In September 2003 the planning authority published a First Deposit version of the UDP. In this report corresponding replacement policies are cross-referenced by means of square brackets. A conservation area appraisal has not been prepared but the designation report is available, and is reproduced as Appendix 2 to this report. Consultations 1.9 In preparing the plan, we have consulted English Heritage and the London Borough of Haringey. English Heritage have commented in detail on a consultation draft of the plan issued in December 2003. A consultation draft of The location of the site on an A-Z map the plan was deposited at the local planning department search room and Hornsey Library. ALAN BAXTER & ASSOCIATES HORNSEY TOWN HALL • JANUARY 2004 2 1.0 INTRODUCTION KEY: The Plan’s Findings in relation to the Statutory Designations 1850 1.14 Listing is a crude measure of value, and a primary aim of a conservation plan is to define with precision, on c.1880 the basis of careful analysis and appraisal, how exactly Late C19th that special interest manifests itself. This is done with reference to criteria set out in government guidance c.1900 on the historic environment, Planning and the Historic c.1910 Environment, (DoE/DNH 1994) (PPG15) and special guidelines published in The Burra Charter for Places of 1932 Cultural Significance.( ICOMOS 1999). 1935 1.15 The assessment of significance contained in Section 4.0 1937 of the plan distinguishes which parts of the complex are of special cultural interest and therefore, by implication, 1939 where intervention is less likely to be acceptable. The plan does not remove the need for listed building 1950 consent. And there remains the requirement, as set out 1960 in national planning policy guidance on the historic environment, for an applicant to demonstrate why 1965 it is necessary or desirable to intervene in the listed building, and to supply information assessing the impact 1980 of proposals on the special interest of the building. Obviously, however, the plan can be used in support of proposals and as part of the reasoned justification for proposed alterations or demolitions. Site Plan - Phases of development 1. Pedestrian access from Weston Park 1.16 It should be stressed that where the plan indicates scope 2. Vehicular entrance from Haringey Park 3. Pedestrian access to the Mews Studio for change, this does not supersede the normal statutory 4. Former vehicular access, now pedestrian planning regime that applies to the site. only to main Town Hall entrance The Effects of Statutory Listing 1.10 The site, shown on the accompanying plan, consists 1.12 The only statutory element of a listing is the legal address. of the Town Hall, the Public Halls and the associated The accompanying description — see Appendix 2— is buildings listed above. The value of the Town Hall is only for the purpose of identifying the building only, and reflected in its Grade II* listing – reserved for buildings has no statutory force. The absence of any feature from a of outstanding architectural or historic importance. Only description does not exclude that feature from the listing 4% of all listed buildings in England are listed Grade II*. or indicate that it has no importance. 1.11 Statutory listing applies to every element of fabric 1.13 A special planning consent, called listed building comprehended by a structure’s legal address, and to consent, is required for the demolition of a listed structures added to the building which were built before building, for alterations or for any work that can be said 1948. Listing also applies to independent structures of to affect its special interest. Conservation area consent is any date within the legal curtilage of the listed building, required for demolitions within a conservation area. and to fixtures and fittings (but not furnishings). ALAN BAXTER & ASSOCIATES HORNSEY TOWN HALL • JANUARY 2004 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION Special Cultural Interest of the Town