A proposal for a new arts centre, improvements to Hornsey Town Hall square to allow better public access and a new café / restaurant has been set out in a report to Haringey Council’s Cabinet published today which, if approved could see millions of pounds invested in the building. Haringey’s Cabinet will decide on October 18th 2016 whether a consortium led by Far East Consortium International Ltd (FEC) with its subsidiary Dorsett Hospitality and also CoPlan Estates Ltd, should be the preferred bidder to invest millions of pounds to restore the historic, art deco building.
The following uses for the Town Hall building are a proposed:
- New arts centre
- Improvements to Hornsey Town Hall square to allow better public access
- New café / restaurant
As part of the proposals, and to help pay for the multi-million pound restoration and ongoing maintenance, a small hotel would occupy part of the building which is not in public use, while a number of homes would be built on the east side.
The Hornsey Town Hall Creative Trust helped evaluate bids and have worked with Haringey to ensure community use is included in the final scheme and built into legal agreements.
If the new scheme is agreed the developer will set up a steering group for local residents to ensure they are involved in the refurbishment of the town hall. The recommended bidder has committed to creating a Community Hub as soon as possible to provide staff at the Town Hall to answer questions from residents and to discuss more detailed proposals with the community.
Cllr Alan Strickland, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning said, “Finding a long term solution for our iconic and much loved Hornsey Town Hall has not been easy. But I am glad that after years of detailed work we are close to securing the future of this historic building and guaranteeing residents access to the Town Hall and square for generations to come. This proposal will secure the future of Hornsey Town Hall with an arts centre and public access so future generations will continue to enjoy one of Haringey’s most historic and loved buildings.”
