Category Archives: Uncategorized

Beckenham Halls was crowded last Thursday evening (14th Nov) to hear about the council’s proposals to move the library from Clock House to a redeveloped Beckenham Halls. The meeting voted to set up an action committee.

We fully acknowledge that the current proposals do not mean closure of library facilities in Beckenham. But we are still opposed to it being moved to a smaller facility, the loss of a valued community service in Clock House, the loss of two out three public rooms at Beckenham Halls on Bromley Road and demolition of the 1939 late art deco purpose built library building. Not to mention the imposition of a brutalistic 5 storey block of flats on the library site.

The residents at the meeting made their feelings felt – the points raised were …

The loss of community facilities in Clock House. Many pointed out that the Library is use for children along side the Spa, with parents combining visits. 

Clock House has been revitalised recently. Removing the library would be kick in the teeth for the area.

The council paper said £300k to be spent on consultants for this scheme, while the repair backlog is for Beckenham Halls is £400k – the meeting applauded the point that the council should spend the consultants fee on the necessary refurbishment! 

A local architect said the current Computer Generated Images (CGI) should not be taken at face value. Housing requirements are that flats should have access to outdoor space, so the park next to the supposed block would probably also be needed for the development.

The local history archives at Beckenham Library belong in Beckenham. There is not room for them in the proposed Beckenham Halls, and thymus not be moved to Bromley library. Indeed we want the Beckenham history material currently stored in Bromley to be rehoused in Beckenham.

The loss of two out of three halls at Beckenham Halls is a big detriment. The smaller halls provide much needed smaller group space, for which the large hall will be too expensive. But if they do compete for space in the large hall, lager groups will have nowhere to go.

Please sign the petition and get family friends and neighbours to do so. There will also be paper versions available soon.

The proposal to commission the feasibility study at a cost of £70,000 will be discussed at the Executive Committee meeting at the Civic Centre at 7pm on 27 November. Our local Clock House councillors will speak and would welcome support in the public gallery. Or contact members of the Committee directly.

 Councillor Graham Arthur   Graham.Arthur@bromley.gov.uk

Councillor Peter Fortune  Peter.Fortune@bromley.gov.uk

Councillor William Huntington-Thresher   william@ocat.co.uk

Councillor Kate Lymer Kate.Lymer@bromley.gov.uk

Councillor Peter Morgan Peter.Morgan@bromley.gov.uk

Councillor Colin Smith Chairman Colin.Smith@bromley.gov.uk

Councillor Diane Smith     Diane.Smith@bromley.gov.uk

 

PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF LIBRARY SITE FOR HOUSING AND RELOCATION OF LIBRARY TO BECKENHAM HALLS

7.30pm, Thursday 14 November Beckenham Halls Bromley Road

Come along to find out more and please sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/bromley-council-save-beckenham-library?signed=true

Candelit Parade

There are proposals to close the Library at Clock House and redevelop the land for housing. Associated with this proposal are plans to develop a scheme for Beckenham Public Halls on Bromley Road so that most of it can be converted to Library use.

It seems that the proposals for Beckenham Public Halls would mean that only the large hall would remain available for public hire. It appears the library would occupy the ground floor room and the smaller room on the first floor which currently has the bar. It seems likely that the hire fees for the large hall would be too high for many current users of the smaller rooms. The first stage in this proposal is an appointment of a multi-disciplinary team to develop a scheme at a preliminary cost of £70,000, rising to £300,000 for the full scheme. The total cost of renovation and fitting out Beckenham Halls for a library is estimated, at this time, as £2m.

The relocation of the library from Clock House has been rumoured for some time. Cllr Tickner floated the idea at our recent open meeting on 16 October, but got no support. The Clock House area around Clock House Parade, The Spa, Venue 28 and of course the Library, has seen a recent turn round in fortunes. When “The Studio” was mothballed and then subject to several years of renovation surrounded by horrible green hoardings, the area looked unloved and the shops on Clock House Parade were mainly vacant. Now the shops are mostly occupied again and there are social and community activities in the area between the Library, The Spa and Venue 28. The Library plays a big role in keeping this sense of community. It is well used, not least by students at Kings School opposite.

Clock House is also well served by public transport, in many ways better than the allegedly more central Beckenham Halls. It is served by buses from all over Beckenham – 358 and 194 from Eden Park, 227 from Bromley Road area, 354 from Foxgrove. The 54 and 352 go close by at the War Memorial, as do trams at Beckenham Road. The trains at Clock House also make it accessible from the Cator Park and Eden Park/ West Wickham areas. Beckenham Halls is less directly accessible from Eden Park and Cator.

The proposed housing development on the site of the library is for a five storey block of flats. The council hope to make £2m on the land if 50% of the homes are “affordable”. The current drawings do not show a “traditional build, in an architectural style to complement the surround conservation area”, as stated in the report.

WBRA has a suggestion. It is reported that the current library building is need of extensive repair. Why not build the housing on this site, but have a purpose built library on the ground floor? This would make more sense than trying to retrofit a library into Beckenham halls, a building that is not designed for modern library use. The housing development could pay a large part of the costs of the new library.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is reviewing ward boundaries in Bromley. There are some recommendations involving changes to the boundaries between the three wards in WBRA’s area and Copers Cope ward.

Clock House and Penge and Cator

The area between the Hayes railway line, the Beckenham Junction railway line and Kent House Road is proposed to be transferred from Penge and Cator to Clock House.

Clock House and Copers Cope

The area between Rectory Road, Beckenham Junction railway line to New Beckenham and the Hayes line from new Beckenham to Clock House stations is proposed to move to Copers Cope ward, which would be renamed Beckenham Town and Copers Cope Ward.

Clock House and Kelsey and Eden Park

This is an area between Croydon Road at Elmers End Green, south of Elmers End Road to the Hayes railway line, along the line to Tannery Close crossing Croydon Road between Kingfisher Way and The Glades then going north to the Hayes railway line, again following the line to Upper Elmers End Road and then along Upper Elmers End Road back to Elmers End Green. This area would move from Kelsey and Eden Park to Clock House, which would be renamed Clock House and Elmers End ward.

Kelsey and Eden Park and Copers Cope

A small area between Bromley Road, Limes Road, Crescent Road and Wickham Road would move from Copers Cope ward to Kelsey and Eden Park ward.

See the proposals here